Safety

Drug tests for seafood? According to a new report, the Food and Drug Administration should be following Europe's example—but it isn't.

The congressional watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), has just published a new report comparing the way the FDA deals with inspections of imported foods to methods used by the European methods. The title says it all: "FDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Imported Seafood and Better Leverage Limited Resources."

Read the complete story from The Atlantic.

 

 

 

 

 

BOSTON—The state has closed areas of the Nauset Marsh system between Orleans and Eastham on Cape Cod to shellfishing because of concerns about toxic "red tide."

The state Division of Marine Fisheries said Friday the area is closed immediately because shellfish have been found contaminated by the plankton present in red tide. The toxin can affect the human nervous system and even cause fatal paralysis.

Among the areas included are Nauset Harbor, Town Cove, and Mill Pond in Orleans and Salt Pond in Eastham.

Read the complete story by the AP at The Boston Globe.

 

 

 

 

 

The Nauset Marsh System has been closed to shellfishing due to Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) toxin (also known as “Red Tide”).

Read the press release detailing the closed areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Approach, a wooden 40-foot sea scallop fishing boat based in Onset, and its two-man crew were towed to safety Sunday after taking on water 2 miles north of Provincetown.

After the fishing boat Probable Cause of Provincetown radioed for assistance around 7:36 a.m., a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod responded to the Northern Approach.

The Northern Approach was unable to radio the Coast Guard directly, Coast Guard officials said.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It can be easy to forget the mortal danger fishermen put themselves in every day they go to work, whether on a weeklong trip offshore to Georges Bank, a quick half-day round trip to Middlebank, or even closer to home tending trawls of lobster traps within sight of dry land.

But Peter K. Prybot's last lobstering trip from Rockport's Pigeon Cove Sunday morning to service his traps around the breakwater a couple of miles away was a startling and heartbreaking reminder — fishing is a dangerous way to make a modest living.

Around 3 that afternoon, the Coast Guard pulled Prybot's body from the water, entangled in rope, presumably from gear from the deck of his 22-foot skiff he had gained decades of experience handling.

An official finding of the cause of Prybot's death at 63, is not expected or some time by the state medical examiner's office.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

ROCKLAND, Maine—Coast Guard crews are assisting a fishing boat that was reported disabled 40 miles east of Rockland, Maine.

The Coast Guard dispatched a 110-foot cutter to the boat, and has also sent a 230-foot cutter out of Boston to assist. No injuries have been reported.

Read the complete story by The AP at The Boston Globe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW BEDFORD, Mass – January 28, 2011 – A fisherman died early this morning after slipping off an icy ramp and falling into the waters near Eastern Fisheries on Hassey Street, police said.

The body of the victim, a 47-year-old man, was found just before 7:30 a.m. today floating next to the Sunlight, a herring vessel out of Gloucester that unloads its catch at the South Terminal.

Authorities did not immediately released the man's name this morning because they had not yet contacted his family. The Gloucester Times has identified the victim as Giuseppi ‘Joe' Cracchiolo of Gloucester.

New Bedford Police Det. Lt. Jeffrey P. Silva said surveillance video at Eastern Fisheries showed that the victim tried to pull himself up onto a platform to board the vessel when he slipped on the ice and fell 20 feet below into the freezing harbor.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

 

 

 

 

 

When: Monday, February 28, 2011
5:15 p.m  – 6 p.m.

Where: Fairhaven Family Walk- in
210 Washington Street, Fairhaven, MA  02719

The class can accommodate 10 participants and will be instructed by Dennis Tomaz and Leah Callan.

 
The following topics will be covered:

• Cold weather injuries

• Lacerations & suturing

• Treating wounds & infections

• Splinting, taping of strains/sprains/dislocations

• Sanitation & health education (close quarter living)

• Evaluation: Participants will have the chance to re-demonstrate the skills instructed to them during the hands-on clinic.

 
Instructional material and resources will be distributed to all participants.

 
Registration is necessary, please contact: Dennis Tomaz by February 18.

Cell: (774) 644-3559

Email: dennistomaz@gmail.com

 

 

 

The vandalism was discovered Monday at Jessie’s Boatyard on Lothrop Street. The words “Sea life kidnapped, murdered maliciously” were scrawled on the wooden hull of Timothy Barrett’s 43-foot-long trawler Odessa.

A slogan on another boat read “commercial fishing equals rape,” and there was a smattering of obscenities.

Plymouth police are investigating, and police Capt. John Rogers said detectives would view surveillance video from the boatyard.

Barrett said the video shows two people spray painting the boats around 9 p.m. Sunday.

Barrett said the acronym “ELF” (Earth Liberation Front) was written on some of the vessels. The website Wikipedia says the organization engages in “economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment.”

An e-mail to the organization’s press office asking if it had any involvement in the Plymouth incident did not bring an immediate response. Rogers said he was aware that the initials were found on some of the boats, but he would not comment further.

Read the complete story from The Patriot Ledger.

 

 

 

 

 

A Scituate-based fishing boat has sunk in the harbor after it collided Tuesday night with a 600-foot long bulk carrier while both vessels were 20 miles off the coast of Hull, according to the Coast Guard and the Scituate harbormaster.

Three members of the 51-foot long fishing vessel Michael Brandon were taken off the damaged ship after efforts by the Coast Guard and the crew to keep it safely afloat failed.

The smaller vessel sustained damage to its hull during the collision, but the West Bay was undamaged, officials said.

The Coast Guard towed the Brandon back to Scituate harbor late Tuesday night where fishermen and the town’s harbormaster struggled to safeguard the Brandon.

Read the complete story from The Boston Globe.