State and Local

May 22, 2013 — The small fishing town of Highlands New jersey, where the Jersey Shore begins is still rebuilding 6 months after the storm. Homeowner Tracey Johnson describes what it's like to live in her home as she continues to renovate.

The house that Tracy Johnson and Paul Merker share in Sandy-ravaged Highlands, N.J., isn’t so much a home as a campsite: insides gutted to the studs, kitchen sink propped up by two-by-fours, a bathroom with no walls.

They endured winter with a propane heater. They cook meals with a portable stove and hot plate. They take baths warmed by boiled water.

“There are days when I say, ‘I can’t take it anymore, I gotta get out,’” Johnson said.

But when she goes for a walk, she is overwhelmed by the sight: home after home that has been abandoned or ripped apart,

“You see people working on them, but they’re not nearly as far as they’d like to be. It’s depressing,” Johnson said. “It’s everywhere, and that’s the point. You try to get away from your own home, but even when you do that, you’re still not seeing anything different.”

It’s hard to relax in Highlands, a small but proud middle-class town at the northern tip of the Jersey Shore. The borough of 5,000, where the Shrewsbury River meets Sandy Hook Bay, is undergoing a profound transformation that won’t end with the physical rebuilding. The carnage wrought by Sandy—up to eight feet of water inundated downtown—has prompted what might best be described as an existential crisis, with residents, business owners and public officials confronting daunting questions about the kind of place Highlands will be for those who remain, and how it will survive.

Highlands, a modest fishing and commuter community known mostly for its seafood restaurants, doesn’t get as much attention as other communities along coastal New York and New Jersey that were battered by Sandy. It doesn’t boast a boardwalk or amusement park or golden sand. It is, however, emblematic of the region’s post-Sandy struggle. The borough is in a fight for its life, and the solution just might be a colossal engineering project that has been tried just once before, more than a century ago.

Read the full story at NBC's Channel 4 News 

 

 

 

 

May 21, 2013 — The following was released by the office of Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr:

BOSTON – May 21, 2013 –  In response to the ongoing struggle that groundfishermen have been forced to endure because of the draconian federal regulations they have to adhere to, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) has filed several amendments to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means FY’14 budget proposal to provide relief and support to the industry.

“We are now in the 11th hour in trying to keep fishermen, shoreside businesses, and their families afloat while federal regulators continue down a path of destruction to the industry as we know it,” said Senator Tarr. “This state should do everything in its power to provide the lifeline desperately deserved and needed to prevent the industry from collapsing forever.”

The amendments filed by Sen. Tarr would assist fishing ports to develop recovery and revitalization plans, scientific research studies and testings, and broaden health insurance benefits to more fishermen and their families.  The amendments are:

– Amendment #167 would provide grants to fishing ports to develop recovery and revitalization plans to increase economic viability for host communities.

– Amendment #168 would enable the Division of Marine Fisheries Institute and the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to conduct a sonar groundfish species assessment study in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

– Amendment #169 would allow for the development and implementation of a cod species identification sequencing study to be conducted by the Gloucester Marine Genome Initiative.

– Amendment #190 would allow the Large Pelagics Research Center at Hodgkins Cove on Giant Atlantic Bluefin Tuna to conduct research to support that fishery.

– Amendment #519 would create a “Dockside Testing Trust Fund” to be administered by the Department of Public Health to expand testing of shellfish harvested on George’s Bank, allowing an expansion of harvesting opportunities.

– Amendment #621 would allow individuals who received more than 50% of their income from commercial groundfishing to potentially become eligible to receive MassHealth benefits.

“Only with sound research can the state compel the federal government and those who implement these extremely restrictive regulations with the necessary evidence to prove that both the industry and groundfish stocks can co-exist,” said Senator Tarr.

Along with sponsoring those amendments, Senator Tarr is also a co-sponsor to Senator Dan Wolf’s amendment #36 that would open and regulate Massachusetts dealers of lobster tail to purchasers within the state as long as the lobster tails weigh at least 3 oz. and are not egg bearing.

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* Below is the actual text of the language of the amendments filed by Senator Tarr.

ENV 167
Grants for Fishing Port Recovery Plans
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 2300-0100, by inserting at the end thereof the following:-

; provided, that not less than $300,000 shall be expended for grants to fishing ports to develop recovery and revitalization plans in response to federal groundfish regulations that took effect on May 1, 2013; provided further, that the division shall issue requests for proposals from affected ports not later than 60 days following the passage of this act and shall award such grants in a timely fashion; provided further, that all affected ports may submit individual plans or multiple ports may submit a regional plan; provided further, that all plans so developed shall be submitted to the director of the division, the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development, and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate not later than 180 days following the passage of this act

ENV 168
FISHERIES RESEARCH
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 2330-0100, by inserting at the end thereof the following:-

"provided further, that no less than $350,000 be expended for a program of collaborative research by the Division of Marine Fisheries through the Marine Fisheries Institute, in collaboration with the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, that applies innovative sonar and other technology to assess the biomass of groundfish in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, including cod and yellowtail flounder in the region managed by the New England Fishery Management Council; provided further, that to the maximum feasible extent, such program shall involve commercial fish harvesters in the commonwealth; provided, that the university shall report on the status of the research project to the house and senate committees on ways and means on or before December 31, 2013"

ENV 169
GLOUCESTER MARINE GENOME INITIATIVE
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 2330-0100, by inserting at the end thereof the following:-

"provided further, that no less than $200,000 shall be expended for the development and implementation of a cod species identification sequencing study to be conducted by the Gloucester Marine Genome Initiative; and provided further, that the Gloucester Marine Genome Initiative shall report on the status of the project to the house and senate committees on ways and means on or before June 30, 2014"

ENV 190
LARGE PELAGICS RESEARCH
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 2310-0200, by inserting after the words “fisheries and wildlife research” the following words:-

“including research performed at the Large Pelagics Research Center at Hodgkins Cove on giant Atlantic Bluefin Tuna and other species”

EHS 519
Dockside Testing Trust Fund
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended by inserting, after section __, the following new section:-

Section 2 of chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Section _____. There shall be established upon the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Dockside Testing Trust Fund to be expended, without prior appropriation, by the department of public health. The fund shall consist of fees collected from harvesters of molluscan shellfish on Georges Bank, in waters that are not monitored for the presence of paralytic shellfish toxin, in the amount of thirty-five thousand dollars per vessel that harvests in said waters. The commissioner shall make necessary expenditures from this account for the administrative costs of the operations and programs of the department related to regulating and monitoring the shellfish harvesters, including the testing of the shellfish as necessary to ensure that they are safe for human consumption. The department may incur expenses, and the comptroller may certify for payment, amounts in anticipation of expected receipts, but no expenditure shall be made from the fund that would cause the fund to be in deficit at the close of a fiscal year. Moneys deposited in the fund that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. The department shall use amounts in said fund for the aforesaid purposes and for no other.

EHS 621
Fishing Family Insurance
Mr. Tarr moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 4000-1405, by inserting, after the word “basis” in line 10 thereof, the following:-

“provided further that individuals deriving more than 50% of their income from commercial groundfishing and affected by the regulatory changes taking effect on May 1, 2013 may be eligible to receive benefits from this item"

 

 

May 21, 2013 — A new program approved by New York State could help coastal fishing businesses hit hard by Hurricane Sandy back on their feet with grants of up to $50,000 to cover losses.

The newly minted Coastal Fishing Industry Grant Program could help businesses, including those in Lindenhurst, recover from any losses that occurred as a result of the October superstorm, whether they were fishing for fluke or digging for clams.

“The regions most devastated by Superstorm Sandy are also vital parts of our state’s fishing industry, supporting thousands of local jobs and generating billions in economic activity,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement. “With peak fishing season arriving, I am directing new federal funds to support this critical industry on Long Island and Staten Island as it works to reach full recovery.”

Businesses also impacted during earlier storms, such as Tropical Storm Irene or Tropical Storm Lee are also eligible to apply for relief from the state.

Read the full story at the Lindenhurst Patch

 

 

May 20, 2013 — Arkansas farmers and food researchers are paying close attention to farm bill that's moving through congress right now.

Leaders of Aquaculture/Fisheries Center at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB) want lawmakers to change inspection procedures for catfish.

The bill would mandate that the Department of Agriculture inspect all catfish instead of the Food and Drug Administration, who currently does it.

Supporters of this move say the FDA only inspects less than 1 percent of all catfish.

They say catfish from other countries do not undergo the same type of regulations than required here in the U.S.

Read the full story here

 

 

May 19, 2013 — Anglers and charter boat captains report there are more red snapper than they've seen in a long time, or ever. Yet, because of the stipulations in the federal Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 2013 red snapper season in Alabama will be June 1 through June 28, the shortest ever. At least that's where it stands right now.

The seasons are even more uncertain at this point for the other states. Unless a court intervenes, Louisiana will have a nine-day season in federal waters, while Florida's federal season is set at 21 days and Texas' at 12 days. Like Alabama, Mississippi's federal season is 28 days.

The reason for the discrepancies is compliance with federal regulations in state waters. Louisiana opened a weekend-only season in state waters with a bag limit of three fish. Texas doesn't close state waters to red snapper fishing, and Florida will have a 44-day season in state waters. State waters extend 9 miles in Florida and Texas and 3 miles in the other three states.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed a recommendation for an emergency rule at its February meeting to allow the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to adjust the federal seasons of those states not in compliance. That rule has been published in the Federal Register and has been enacted. At its April meeting, the Gulf Council voted to rescind that emergency rule on an 8-7 vote, but Dr. Roy Crabtree, the NMFS Southeast Regional Director, announced Tuesday that the request to rescind the emergency rule has been denied.

"There is a lot going on on a lot of different fronts," said Alabama Marine Resources Director Chris Blankenship, who said the rumor Alabama would go non-compliant with federal regulations is false.

Read the full story here

 

 

May 18, 2013 — A new 50-acre area in Cape Cod Bay off Provincetown and Truro could provide income for shellfish growers. But a popular, floating method for oyster farming won't be allowed by state fisheries officials who say the equipment could ensnare whales and leatherback turtles.

The method uses sets of floats strapped together at the surface and secured on each end with ropes that drop to the seafloor, Provincetown and Truro Shellfish Constable Tony Jackett said Friday.

The floating equipment has been successfully used in shallow waters where there are no marine mammals, Jackett said.

The 50 acres is in water about 20 feet deep within the bay's federally designated North Atlantic right whale critical habitat. It's also in the area where, since 2005, a dozen leatherback turtles have become entangled in fixed fishing gear, according to state records. In the past four years, one right whale entanglement originated in the area.

Fisheries officials are concerned about the vertical ropes and entanglements.

"At this point, we're not going to allow these floating aquaculture gear," said aquatic biologist Erin Burke of the state Division of Marine Fisheries on Friday.

Generally, the state intends to give the go-ahead to gear that is rigged without vertical lines or with highly modified lines, to prevent injury to endangered species.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

 

May 16, 2013 — There are still a few weeks left to this year’s American shad run on the Delaware River, but already the haul is being called the best in nearly two decades by Steve Meserve of Lewis Fishery, the lone commercial shad operation on the river.

“We are over 960 shad for the year and are very close to breaking 1,000,” said Meserve. “We haven’t seen a year like this since 1995, the last time we caught over 1,000.”

Meserve said a catch like this is raising some eyebrows because the numbers far exceed recent seasons.

“In 2009 on 43 days on the river we caught a total of 112 shad. In 2010 we had 489 total,” he said.

Whether or not this year’s catch means the shad population is on the rise, Meserve can’t say, because there are a lot of factors to consider. Some of which are simple as fishing access. In 2007 for example, the catch was low because he only fished 17 days on the river due to high river water levels.

“We typically fish 40 days a year, but that year high water events impacted the number of days we could get out,” he said.

In the 20th century, pollution on the Delaware River was one of the real detriments to the health of the shad and the river. In the 1940s and 50s there was no dissolved oxygen in the water near Philadelphia and that caused a pollution block.

In 1963, no shad made it up to Lambertville, the spot on the river where Meserve is set up.

“I think the river has continued to heal from pollution and the shad are good barometer of the health of the river. From an ecological standpoint there are other pressures on the fish,” said Meserve.

Read the full story at My Central Jersey

 

 

 

 

May 18, 2013 — This could be a banner year for the return of alewives to the North Shore. Although we are still early in the run, all indications are that the work being done by a host of different governmental agencies and volunteer organizations and the restrictions being put in place on the commercial take is really starting to pay off.

To put this into perspective it is important to understand the history. Using the Merrimack River watershed as an example, a cursory examination of the passage records tells the story. In 1983 and 1984 there were 4,794 and 1,176 herring and alewives counted at the dam in Lawrence. In the years 1987-1992 the numbers ballooned to 77,209; 361,012; 378,973; 254,242; 379,588; and 102,166.

Then the bottom dropped out. In 1993 the count went down to 14,027 with a low of only 51 in 1996. Since that time the counts have varied, ending with 740 in 2011 and 1,809 last year. However, this year the number has already risen to 16,799 with the migration far from being over.

Similar numbers are being reported on the Parker River at the Woolen Dam on Central Street in Newbury. Runs used to be as high as 20,00 a year there, but the counts have fallen to lower than 500 over the past few years. There have been at least 7,000 up the fishway this year with more coming every day.

Folks viewing the run from the Apple Street Bridge looking over Alewife Brook in Essex that runs out of Chebacco Lake report in that the fish are returning there in numbers as well. And, the tiny fish are coming into Annisquam River to the Little River trying to make their way up to the Lilly Pond.

“We are very happy with the results this year,” said Joe Mckeon, Supervisory Fishery Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ‘We are setting records in the Lamprey River and the rest of the rivers along the whole New England Coast seem to be experiencing a nice recovery.”.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

 

May 17 2013 — Striped bass, an invaluable commercial fish in summer in Massachusetts, as well as a magnet for recreational anglers, are the inshore light tackle game fish of choice from the Canadian Maritimes through the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Smiles were spread across the faces of about a dozen fishermen who were strung along the northern bank of the Little River Thursday morning just before and after the 10:20 a.m. low tide at what to some is known as the “candy house flats” due to the presence of Nichols Candies above the saltmarsh.

And why not?

They were catching stripers on flies, plugs and squigglies, those rubbery things that seem to remind stripers of bait fish or squid, which are reported to have arrived in Gloucester Harbor and, along with the herring in the river, announce the sure beginning of the season.

The arrivals Thursday included the first little stripers and a sprinkling of babysitters, fish of more than two feet and less than the keeper length of 28 inches.

Paul Dredge and Gregory Ekirt of Arlington said they took and released 15 schoolies, and Tony Sydorko of Beverly said he caught and released about 30 in the “couple” of hours before dead low tide at 10:20 a.m.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times 

 

May 17, 2013 — The Recreational Fishing Alliance sent a letter Thursday to Roy Crabtree, the Southeast regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, and several members of Congress, accusing the federal fisheries agency of violating federal law.

"Dr. Crabtree recently took a position against the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and its chairman, Doug Boyd, that RFA believes is a gross infringement of the Magnuson-Stevens Act," RFA executive director Jim Donofrio said in a statement. "This federal agency is making its own legal opinions in ignoring the will of stakeholders at the Gulf Council, with what appears to be zero managerial oversight within the U.S. Department of Commerce."

Donofrio said in the letter that the absence of a Secretary of Commerce in the year that Washington has failed to confirm one, combined with the position of Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere being vacant for the past three months, is especially troubling for coastal fishermen who have been waging "an uphill battle against over-burdensome bureaucracy for years."

"The Commerce Department has been hostile towards our coastal businesses during the past five years. That's been proven by previous Inspector General reports in light of document shredding, predatory enforcement and misuse of federal funds at NOAA fisheries," Donofrio wrote. "To see this latest round of attacks by NOAA against our Gulf fishermen is proof that Congress needs to step up and step in."

Read the full story at Trade Only Today