Other News

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is going to host all of the nation’s regional fishery management councils leaders in Anchorage from May 17-21, 2010.  The Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act established the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) which holds two annual meetings, one hosted by a RFMC (regional fishery management council).  We haven’t seen any public notification of this meeting and the clock is ticking…

Apparently public oral and written comments may be allowed…. so stay tuned.  NOAA is required to give adequate public notice, as well.

The CCC’s May 17-21 Anchorage meeting agenda is not yet available.  It is expected that Director Jane Lubchenco and other top NOAA officials and guests will be present, along with council and other muckety mucks.

A copy of the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorized Act (i.e. as amended through January 12, 2007) is available on the NOAA Fisheries website.

See this entire story in full at Groundswell Fisheries Movement.

 

 

 

 

 

The well-respected Fish Expo Atlantic trade show has been renamed Commercial Marine Expo and is relocating State Pier in the heart of New Bedford's historic working waterfront. The show will be held June 9-10 this year.

"We listened to the industry," said Ted Hugger, show director. "In 2008, we successfully broadened the scope of the show to embrace all commercial marine businesses; our new name more accurately reflects the direction our exhibitors and attendees want us to take the show."

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription site]

NOTE: The Standard-Times is a subscription site.  Unregistered visitors are able to read three stories per month, and registered visitors may view ten.  For unlimited access, please follow the subscription instructions on the site.

 

 

 

 

 

This morning at 10 a.m., the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) will once again make its opposition to catch shares in the recreational sector perfectly clear. When it comes to privatizing the nation's fisheries under the guise of a new fisheries management tool, no means no!

"This is a fact that cannot be compromised," said Jim Donofrio in advance of his expected testimony before Congress on today. "We do not want any discussion on any program that compromises traditional open access of seasons, size limits and bag limits."

The Congressional Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife will convene a special hearing on Earth Day to review the implementation of catch shares and individual fishing quotas. Led by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), A Community Perspective on Catch Shares will feature testimony from key members of the fishing and conservation community. Donofrio said that since being invited on April 5th to testify, he's had plenty of opportunity to talk with other members of the coastal fishing community. "Our individual members and our closest allies in the recreational sector have all said the same thing, no way, no how," Donofrio said.

Read the complete story at the World Fishing Network.

 

 

 

 

 

The striped bass fishing along the New Jersey coast, and certainly in the Delaware River, is the best many have seen in 10 years. In my opinion, the Delaware River is fishing the best that I have ever seen.

For the saltwater angler, the lure and fly bite situated off of central and north Jersey has been absolutely nuts. With gannets dive bombing from high in the sky on bunker and herring, really big striped bass are gorging below. Word all week was that charter captains were limiting out by 8 a.m.

"Just find the birds and you'll catch," said Capt. Frank Crescitelli of Fin Chaser Charters on Staten Island, N.Y.

Many believe that this huge body of striped bass is staging off Sandy Hook, N.J., and preparing to shoot up the Hudson River to carry out their spawn. Others feel that this school of bass is the missing population of that really hasn't showed up on the Chesapeake Bay. I guess only Mother Nature knows the real truth but if you truly want to fly or light tackle 20- to 40-pound striped bass, this is the place to fish and it is one right now. Get up here and check it out before it's over.

Read the story in full at ESPN.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Horton, conservation director for BASS and ESPN Outdoors, was one of about 170 from the recreational fisheries community invited to participate in a special Marine Recreational Fishing Summit hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) April 16-17.

It's hard to get excited about sitting through two long days of meetings when we've been down this road before, and despite some good recommendations during past efforts, there hasn't been much to show for it. Will this time be any different? Will the apparent frustrations and sincere recommendations to the agency result in positive actions? That remains to be seen, but personally, I'm optimistic for a number of reasons.

Schwaab's boss, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA administrator and undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, dropped in after lunch on the first day and spoke to the assembly of desperate, but hopeful, representatives of recreational interests. She had just come from a White House conference on the outdoors, where President Obama — well-aware of our summit — passed along his encouragement and willingness for the administration to work with recreational anglers. Her talk led off with the assurance that "NOAA is committed to working with the recreational fishing community." Also recognizing the agency's past failures, she said it will no longer make "hollow promises" and will follow up on commitments. She went on to say the right things, and her presentation ended with a standing ovation.

We were encouraged by her words. With renewed vigor that this could actually be a meaningful gathering, we got back to work. With over 170 people in attendance, you can imagine the number of opinions and ideas that evolved on how to fix an apparently broken agency. Yet several consistent themes rose to the top.

•More data, more data, more data. We need better fish stock assessments, but we also need better socioeconomic data. What's the real value of a family trailering a boat to the coast, staying in a hotel, going out to dinner, buying tackle, lunch, ice, etc., just to try to catch a snapper? NOAA Fisheries doesn't have a clue, even though MSA insists that it must.

•Catch shares. This is a complicated subject that will be explored in more detail later, but suffice it to say that, as currently designed, they're good for commercial fisheries and bad for recreational anglers. NMFS has a considerable amount of money in the next budget set aside for catch shares, and based on the comments of Schwaab and Lubchenco, they are probably going to happen. Question is — will NOAA Fisheries be willing to ensure that catch-share allocations are fair and equitable, giving recreational anglers an opportunity to secure a significant portion of the allotted catch, or will they solely benefit the seafood industry?

•Invest more in the recreational fisheries. Lubchenco, to her credit, has already fulfilled one promise to recreational anglers. She created the new position of national policy advisor for recreational fisheries, which has been filled by Russell Dunn. That position effectively doubles the agency's staff dedicated to recreational fisheries. However, two ain't going to cut it. We need an Office of Recreational Fisheries, sufficiently staffed and adequately funded within the NOAA Fisheries. After all, recreational fisheries are every bit as profitable and important for the country as commercial fisheries.

•NOAA Fisheries needs to be an advocate for recreational angling. It needs to be the voice for recreational anglers during the Marine Spatial Planning process and when the National Oceans Service is considering marine protected areas or sanctuaries. It needs to take a page from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's playbook: ensuring the public's use of public resources, unless the science dictates otherwise, and then allowing public use when the problem is solved.

•Better representation on the management bodies. The councils and commissions that make the ultimate decisions regarding the management of marine fish stocks are terribly lacking in recreational angler representation. That has to change.

Read the complete story at ESPN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing is as good as it’s ever been, but doing it for a living is getting harder and harder, fishermen say.

Tougher federal red snapper regulations have driven local fisherman to march on Washington, D.C. Shorter seasons in recent years have left charter boat captains with fewer profitable trips. A down economy also has cut down on the number of tourists who come to the Gulf Coast to fish.

“It’s just gotten so tough to do,” said Paul Wagner, captain of Backcountry Outfitters.

Wagner once had two boats, but he had to get rid of his larger one, a 36-footer. He said he has to work more days out of the year now to make enough money.

Read the complete story at NWF Daily News.

 

 

 

 

 

CNN photojournalist John Bena introduces us to a new delicacy that may help save the Chesapeake Bay.

See the video from CNN.

 

 

 

 

 

A free health fair coordinated by Addison Gilbert Hospital, the Healthy Gloucester Collaborative and the U.S. Coast Guard, is slated for Saturday.

And it will have a special focus — local fishermen and their families.

Gloucester's first Fishing Families and Friends Health & Safety Day is slated to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature health screenings and health information on such issues as ultra-violet screening, smoking cessation, prostate screening, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings.

The event will also provide services on body mass and bone density screenings, pain management, Hepatitis A & B vaccinations, tetanus and H1N1 shots, HIV & Hepatitis C testing, stress management, posture and balance screening and health insurance information and sign up.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

 

 

 

 

 

The Obama administration next week reintroduces to the nation the rough outlines of an offshore ocean aquaculture policy dating back more than a decade, which while still lacking specifics, offers powerful economic incentives if environmental, technological and political problems can be solved.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where the policy template has resided since the Clinton administration, announced a series of "listening sessions" in Rhode Island, Louisana, Washington state, Hawaii and California to be followed by a national call-in event on May 6.

The first listening session will be held in Narragansett, R.I., next Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Corless Auditorium on the Narragansett Bay campus of the University of Rhode Island.

The launch of the ocean aquaculture policy begins four days after the public comment period on the pending catch share program closes Saturday. The radical transformation of the wild stocks from shared ownership into allocated catching rights ripe for investment has dominated the national debate on oceans and fishing almost from the moment Jane Lubchenco was confirmed by the Senate to head NOAA 13 months ago.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

 

 

 

 

 

A Queensbury grocery and department store was among six stores statewide found selling frozen seafood that illegally included the weight of ice in the price, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The Super K-Mart at 308 Dix Ave. allegedly sold overpriced frozen shrimp supplied by a New Jersey seafood packer, said department spokeswoman Jessica Ziehm.

Ziehm said the stores, also located in Batavia, Canandaigua, Rochester, Queens and Hauppauge on Long Island, received warning letters. She said no stores in the immediate Capital Region were part of the state survey.

The state is considering enforcement action or penalties against seafood packers, she added. The overpriced shrimp sold at the Queensbury K-Mart was supplied by Eastern Shrimp Co. of Teaneck, N.J., Ziehm said.

Read the complete story at The Times Union.