National Fisherman articles from August 2003

National Fisherman archives from August 2003

Deeds, not words. (Editor's Log).
August 1, 2003... The report of the Pew Oceans Commission, delivered June 4 in Washington, D.C., has touched a nerve within the fishing industry. The concern is understandable. The commission went to great lengths to hear from people in the grass roots. Yet...

At sea.
August 1, 2003... A WILD RIDE was in store for NF's North Pacific Bureau Chief Charlie Ess when he joined Jamie Ross aboard the 53-foot seiner Shadowfax for the explosive Sitka herring fishery opening (p. 24). The second of two parts appears next month. ...

Fishing back when.
August 1, 2003... 50 YEARS AGO this month The dory trawler Marjorie Parker departs Portland, Maine, for the waters between Georges Bank and the Gulf Stream on a government-sponsored bluefin tuna charter. The Parker will use Japanese longline gear baited for...

Hail Leslie, full of grace.
August 1, 2003... SURVIVING THE ISLAND OF GRACE By Leslie Leyland Fields Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin's Press, 2002 Hardcover, 330 pp., $24.95 Critics of commercial fishing industry like to say that the sophisticated gear fishermen use plucks creatures out...

Reservations suggested. (Forum).
August 1, 2003... America's fisheries are in deep trouble. Crashing fish stocks and the painful fishing restrictions that have ensued have grown all too familiar. In the past few years the New England groundfish, Gulf of Mexico red snapper, Pacific groundfish...

Can a wing fly on one bird? (Safety).
August 1, 2003... When I was a toddler, only native canoes had outriggers. By the time I was in my teens, however, a couple of draggers in Portland, Maine, had made concessions to crew comfort in the form of stabilizers. Nowadays it seems like most everyone...

Rules on bycatch in herring fishery clarified. (To the editor).
August 1, 2003... I would like to clarify a statement from a recent article, "Her up About Herring," which appeared in the July 2003 issue of National Fisherman [p. 28]. In discussing concerns related to groundfish bycatch in the herring fishery, the article...

Oceana attorney rebuts NF claim, reiterates position. (Mail Buoy).
August 1, 2003... Thank you for your recent column concerning Oceana's vigorous work in defense of the marine environment [Fish e-news editorial, "Uncompromising agendas often fail," Feb. 13]. Unfortunately, you got many of your "facts" wrong. Oceana's...

Setting the stage for debate. (A Letter From Bill Hogarth).
August 1, 2003... The week I'm writing this column, the Pew Ocean Commission released its report titled "Americas Living Oceans: Charting a course for sea change," I encourage you to read this report. It, and President Bush's congressionally mandated Ocean...

Cap'n Sane says ...
August 1, 2003... We never had a powerboat, the Old Man n'me, 'til Pelican. The Old Man said we never needed one fish weir buildin'. We could do it with seine dories, punts n'the old scow with a hand-hauled 300-pound pile drivin' wooden hammer roved through...

Verdict vindicates processors in Bristol Bay lawsuit: jury doesn't find 'smoking gun' to prove salmon fisherman's allegations of price-fixing. (North Pacific).
August 1, 2003... Attorneys spent years preparing to present their cases. Jurors needed only six hours to find salmon processors and importers innocent of collusion in the Bristol Bay price-fixing suit. The crux of the trial, which began this February and...

Salmon season gets off with an optimistic start: aid, marketing efforts among bright spots. (North Pacific).
August 1, 2003... With consumers hungry for fresh, wild salmon, money freed up for disaster relief and a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture purchase of surplus canned pinks, Alaska's salmon season got off to an optimistic start. Alaska Gov. Frank...

Seafood venture loses state's financial backing: operation not crippled, company says. (North Pacific).
August 1, 2003... After a tumultuous effort at producing made-to-order seafood products for markets worldwide, Alaska Seafood International appears to have lost its major financial supporter. Despite support among many in the Legislature, the state of...

Scientist's report asserts world's fisheries are in peril: researcher's study points out need for better global enforcement of regulatory measures. (International).
August 1, 2003... Judging from response to a recent article in the journal Nature, you'd think Canadian researcher Ransom Myers is calling for a worldwide ban on commercial fishing. But in fact, he's arguing for something a lot less radical--effective...

U.S. says European fleet imperils pelagic species: calls for stricter enforcement of violations. (International).
August 1, 2003... American fishermen get heartburn over taking the rap for Atlantic billfish and tuna declines. Now that pain is making its way up the food chain of international diplomacy. Despite years of pledging allegiance at meetings of the...

Home port: where we live. (Around The Coasts).
August 1, 2003... CRESCENT CITY, CALIF. THE TOWN Population: 8,800 Number of boats: 110 TOP FIVE LANDINGS IN 2002 By value: Dungeness crab--1,635,005 pounds worth $2,466,765 Blackcod--357,402 pounds worth $409,887 Dover...

Quota moves ignite riot, New Brunswick boycott: minister's cuts, redistribution of catch in snow crab fishery angers traditional crabbers. (Canada).
August 1, 2003... An uneasy calm has settled over northern New Brunswick's snow crab fishery following a federal decision regarding this season's quota. On May 2, Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Robert Thibault announced that the New Brunswick snow...

Sardines abundant, but fishery lacks harvesters: little of 15,000 metric ton quota is landed. (Canada).
August 1, 2003... The first pacific sardine fishery held in British Columbia waters in 50 years didn't catch its limit--but it wasn't for lack of fish. Only 11 of a possible 28 licenses were bought, resulting in 1,000 metric tons caught of a 15,000 metric...

Newfoundland presses for joint fisheries board: Northern cod closure prompts proposal. (Canada).
August 1, 2003... Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Robert Thibault's recent decision to close the northern cod fishery has prompted Newfoundland Premier Roger Grimes to call for a new arrangement between the province and Ottawa. On May 14th, the...

Tuna men negotiate pact for spotter plane usage: long-running battle ends as agreement forged to allow aircraft's use in harpoon sector. (Northeast).
August 1, 2003... The participants in a long-running battle over the use of spotter planes in the bluefin tuna fishery have negotiated a gentlemen's agreement that may bring some closure to an expensive and time-consuming legal fight. Under the deal,...

Clam disease outbreaks hits shellfish in 2 states: parasite infects New York Harbor quahogs. (Northeast).
August 1, 2003... Clam disease outbreaks near New York Harbor recently shut down shellfish relays in both New York and New Jersey, effectively removing some reserves of clams from the market this summer as state managers try to confine the problem to Raritan...

Portland waterfront tour gives Congressmen facts: duo gather input to help small-boat fleet. (Northeast).
August 1, 2003... New England fishermen have the same concerns about reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, say Congressmen Tom Allen (D-Maine) and Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.): Make sure there's a place for smaller fishing operations. Delahunt and Allen...

Dave Nadeau. (Snapshot: who we are).
August 1, 2003... Provincetown, Mass. Dave Nadeau, a hook-and-line fisherman who hails from Provincetown, Mass., has been fishing commercially since he was 13 years old. "I'd skip school to go fishing so I could make money and buy a car," he says. "My...

Court's decision revives dam breaching controversy: though judge rules federal salmon recovery plan inadequate, officials oppose removal. (Pacific).
August 1, 2003... The Columbia and Snake rivers salmon controversy has broken through the floodgates once again. In May a federal judge ruled the government's plan for saving Pacific salmon was illegal and inadequate. Conservation groups were hoping U.S....

Valkyrie: halibut, blackcod and herring seiner. (Boat Of The Month).
August 1, 2003... Eric Fellows had Alaska's herring fisheries on his mind when he made the switch from his old deep-draft steel seiner and bought the Valkyrie in 1995. At the time, salmon fishing around Kodiak Island was his mainstay. But with declining value of...

Survey variations place herring season in peril: differences make setting quota difficult. (Pacific).
August 1, 2003... Two radically different stock surveys had the California Department of Fish and Game in June considering a closure of the 2003-04 San Francisco Bay herring season that would normally begin in November or December. The difference between...

Starlets' lips may shine with processing byproducts: researchers at LSU are developing a process to make collagen from discarded fish parts. (Gulf South Atlantic).
August 1, 2003... Discarded skin, lips and other segments of processed fish--normally bound for fish house trash bins--could soon be on the lips of movie stars and models. Literally. Louisiana State University researchers are perfecting a process of using...

Council sets control date for gulf's shrimp fishery: end in sight for open access, some say. (Gulf South Atlantic).
August 1, 2003... The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's recent establishment of a control date for the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery may presage the end of unlimited entry to this last, great American open-access fishery, many shrimpers say. "What...

Bush administration kills Oregon Inlet jetty project: N.C. leader sees play for "green points". (Gulf South Atlantic).
August 1, 2003... The head of North Carolina's largest commercial fishermen's organization says he was seriously disappointed by the Bush Administration's decision last month to pull the plug on the 30-year-old plan to stabilize treacherous Oregon Inlet. ...

Spaghetti pie: Debra Werner, Galliano, La. and Alachua, Fla. (Galley watch: at-sea cuisine).
August 1, 2003... Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishermen like Debra Werner's husband, Wayne, spend a lot of time fishing during weather that makes cooking on a stovetop difficult or impossible. She's developed some inclement-weather recipes; spaghetti pie...

Groundfish: positive news, better assessments help offset additional area closures. (Pacific).
August 1, 2003... There's bound to be a mix of good news and bad news in the West Coast's largest fishery and the 2003 season has the usual assortment. The bad news consists of additional fishing area closures, low prices and the addition of another victim...

Blackcod: harvesters happy to reap benefits of stable yen and solid dock price. (North Pacific).
August 1, 2003... Ex-vessel prices for Alaska's blackcod started out slightly lower this year, most likely in response to an increased quota and the longer season. According to processors, last year's prices started at around $4 per pound for fish in the...

Groundfish: more fish means less days at sea under recovery timetable constraints. (Northeast).
August 1, 2003... The most important question facing the Northeast's commercial fishing industry is whether there will be any fishermen left to take advantage of the ongoing recovery of the region's groundfish stocks. Recovery of Georges Bank cod may be...

Spiny lobster: every dog has his day, and some Fla. fishermen are ready for theirs. (Gulf/South Atlantic).
August 1, 2003... It is a measure of just how bad spiny lobster fishing was during the 2001-02 season that a 48 percent increase in landings this year doesn't seem like a dramatic improvement. Nevertheless, it means many fishermen will be able to hang on for...

Clam session: the crew of the Christopher Snow II puts in a grueling shift dredging surf clams off New Jersey. (At Sea).
August 1, 2003... Just before midnight on Easter Sunday, John O'Donohugh, the 53-year-old captain of the Christopher Snow II, zips up his sweatshirt and ponders the weather. The lights of the casinos flash near the Gardiner's Basin dock in Atlantic City,...

Showdown at Sitka: welcome to the real Alaska shootout. (Cover Story).
August 1, 2003... (Ess spent three weeks with the herring seiner fleet during the 2001 Sitka fishery. First of two parts.) There is an energy that precedes a good run of herring, a stirring of the senses all tied to the events emanating from beneath the...

An era of their ways: sparked by ambitious fishermen and the development of the gasoline engine, Washington's purse seine salmon fishery thrived throughout much of the 20th century. (Looking Back).
August 1, 2003... Puget Sound's salmon purse seine fleet was built on the muscle of the men who worked the fishery. Near the turn of the last century, these pioneering fishermen rowed their little purse seiners in a valiant effort to encircle the prized salmon...

The carrot, the stick and the shrimp: Southern Shrimp Alliance president Eddie Gordon believes higher prices, as opposed to an anti-dumping suit, will benefit domestic fishermen and processors alike. (In Profile).
August 1, 2003... The International Boston Seafood Show is familiar ground for William Eddie Gordon. But last March, when the Southern Shrimp Alliance's president ducked from Beantown's morning chill into the Hynes Convention Center during this year's...

A mettlesome dragger: Jim Ford knew what he wanted in his new groundfish boat: steel. (Boats & Gear).
August 1, 2003... After many years of catching cod, haddock, monkfish, and flats from a fiberglass Novi dragger in the waters off New England, Jim Ford decided to have a new 56' x 22' steel dragger built. And, following growing word-of-mouth among Northeast...

Great seascapes: manufacturer of electronic charts have improved products for handheld units and stand-alone machines. (Navigation Software).
August 1, 2003... Electronic chart manufacturers are doing all they can to make the best possible use of the increased speeds in today's microprocessors. This means better graphics, greater detail, and more embedded functions. Companies are also taking full...

Course selection: there are a lot of advantages to shipping with an autopilot, but you still have to keep a good lookout. (Autopilots).
August 1, 2003... Most fishermen would probably agree that on a list of unfavorable tasks, the time spent steering the boat is pretty near the top. It's not exactly wasted time, and it is certainly a necessary job. But still, standing there, staring at the...

Fish tricks: taking care of big catches is getting easier. (Processing Equipment).
August 1, 2003... It takes a special kind of person to work on the processing line of a fishing boat. And it takes special machinery to handle the constant movement of a vessel at sea, to say nothing of the saltwater atmosphere. That's why manufacturers of...

Patrol vessel jets around; 50-foot lobster boat finished. (North).
August 1, 2003... For a long time, aluminum-boat builders have tried to get lobstermen from New England and Canada interested in their vessels, instead of the fiberglass hulls that come out of a majority of the yards or the few wooden boats that are still being...

Major paint job for trawler; aluminum skiffs scaled down. (West).
August 1, 2003... Hauled out at Seattle's Todd Pacific Shipyard was the 376-foot factory trawler Alaska Ocean. She was in for shaft work, a paint job and new electronics. The shaft was pulled and new sterntube seals were installed. The props were...

Scallop boats heading north; round-stern workboat built. (South).
August 1, 2003... A busy boatyard in the South right now is Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla. The yard is building a pair of 95' x 28' x 14' 6" scallop boats for New England owners. One of the boats is going to Future Fisheries in New Bedford,...

Bulletin board.
August 1, 2003... NOV. 20-22 Fish Expo/WorkBoat Northwest Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle www.fishexposeattle.com * www.workboatnw.com In addition to being the largest commercial fishing trade show in the world, Fish Expo...

Better performance in the blink of an eye: Si-Tex's new Colormax line speeds up the evolution of electronic chart machines. (Product Roundup).
August 1, 2003... A measure of how quickly product lines can change in the marine electronics business is Si-Tex's new Colormax line of electronic charting machines with LCD screens that utilize the wide area augmentation system, or WAAS, to position fixes. ...

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... JAY STINSON of Kodiak, Alaska, has been elected to chair the board of directors of the ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE. Stinson has fished king and tanner crab, black-cod, halibut, herring, cod, pollock, rockfish and flatfish. He has been...

Indusco Group. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... BRUCE GALLUPS has been appointed vice president and general manager of the INDUSCO GROUP after the company acquired Alabama Sling Center in Birmingham, Ala., and Industrial Wire Rope in Chattanooga, Tenn., from Wire Rope Corp. of America....

JRC. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... JRC welcomes TOSHINORI AMEMIYA as the new general manager in charge of marine electronic and land communications sales and operations in North and Central America. He will work toward expanding JRC's presence in the light marine and high seas...

Harris Electric. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... HARRIS ELECTRIC of Seattle has announced that PAUL HENDRICKS, formerly of Hendricks Electric, has joined the marine sales division at their headquarters. Hendricks' responsibilities will include technical sales, counter sales, purchasing and...

2003 Acme Oyster House World Oyster Eating Competition. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... BOYD BULOT, of Hammond, La., has been crowned champion at the 2003 ACME OYSTER HOUSE WORLD OYSTER EATING COMPETITION. Bulot set a new world record by downing 18 dozen Louisiana oysters in 10 minutes to win the Belt of Oyster Eating Greatness at...

Division of Forestry. (On the Move).
August 1, 2003... Florida agriculture commissioner Charles H. Bronson has appointed JOHN DAVID CORE JR. to serve as chief of forest management for the state's DIVISION OF FORESTRY. In his new position, Core will oversee the management of approximately 1 million...

Dealers added. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... DEALERS ADDED. EZ2CY, designer of marine canvas enclosures based in Arnold, Md., has announced the addition of American Marine Canvas, Canvas Experts and Lighthouse Canvas Co. to its dealership team. American Marine Canvas of Mamaroneck, N.Y.,...

Training expanded. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... TRAINING EXPANDED. Honda Marine has introduced the first online Honda University sales training program. As part of its network support, Honda sends the dealer a CD that contains animated and voice-over content, along with the marine source...

Companies merge. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... COMPANIES MERGE. Mar-Lees Seafood and Atlantic Coast Fisheries Corp., processors and suppliers of seafood, announced today that they will merge their operations to create a new entity. The new company, which will operate under the Mar-Lees...

Acquisition completed. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... ACQUISITION COMPLETED. Sorbent Products Co. has announced its acquisition of National Sorbents. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based National Sorbents was a full service provider of sorbents, material disposal services, hazardous waste consultation and...

Membership granted. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... MEMBERSHIP GRANTED. Yanmar Diesel America, manufacturer of marine diesel engines headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Ill., has joined the National Association of Marine Surveyors as an affiliate member. NAMS is an international society of...

Award presented. (Company News).
August 1, 2003... AWARD PRESENTED. WESMAR, a Seattle area marine electronics company, received the Washington Trader of the Year award at the World Trade Club Annual Award Dinner May 29. The award was presented to Bruce Blakey, company president, and is given...

More than just time on your hands: McMurdo Pains Wessex offers safety in a wristwatch. (Product Roundup).
August 1, 2003... It's too bulky and workman-like to be seen on the wrist of Tom Cruise or Britney Spears. It's not a designer wristwatch, that's for sure. But if there's any place it would be natural to expect to find McMurdo Pains Wessex's Guardian...

Parker Hannifin's new FBO filter assembly for diesel fuel dispensing applications is available in either a 10-inch or 14-inch filter element. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... PARKER HANNIFIN's new FBO FILTER ASSEMBLY for diesel fuel dispensing applications is available in either a 10-inch or 14-inch filter element. The FBO-10 assembly offers flow rates from 18 to 20 gallons per minute, and the FBO-14 can flow 25 to...

Quintrex has unveiled its 139 wide body aluminum Dory, the utility boat designed to last longer with less maintenance than other boats on the market. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... QUINTREX has unveiled its 139 WIDE BODY ALUMINUM DORY, the utility boat designed to last longer with less maintenance' than other boats on the market. Measuring 13 feet, 9 inches, the Dory has a 6-foot, 3-inch beam, providing ample space for...

Centek Industries has released the Mini-Bilgekleen, a compact filter system that removes 99.9 percent of contaminants from a boat's bilge. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... CENTEK INDUSTRIES has released the MINI-BILGEKLEEN, a compact filter system that removes 99.9 percent of contaminants from a boat's bilge. The Mini-BK measures just five inches in length and utilizes MYCELX's patented hydrocarbon removal matrix...

Tides Marine announces its new SureSeal system shaft seals, made from a compact and durable fiber-reinforced composite material. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... TIDES MARINE announces its new SURESEAL SYSTEM SHAFT SEALS, made from a compact and durable fiber-reinforced composite material. The housing's dimensions are not affected by temperature changes, and the SureSeal will not absorb water. The...

Shakespeare has introduced a new line of gold-plated cable connectors and adapters that exhibit superior conductivity and are less vulnerable to corrosion in the marine environment, which means lower signal loss than conventional, nickel-plated connectors and adapters. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... SHAKESPEARE has introduced a new line of GOLD-PLATED CABLE CONNECTORS AND ADAPTERS that exhibit superior conductivity and are less vulnerable to corrosion in the marine environment, which means lower signal loss than conventional, nickel-plated...

Mastervolt now features whisper generators, a line of compact, water-cooled diesel generators ranging from 4 to 20 kilowatts, with highly effective sound shields to reduce resonance noise. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... MASTERVOLT now features WHISPER GENERATORS, a line of compact, water-cooled diesel generators ranging from 4 to 20 kilowatts, with highly effective sound shields to reduce resonance noise. Whisper generators use corrosion-proof copper-nickel...

ComNav Marine's new TS-202 full follow-up lever remote control can be operated from virtually any location on the boat. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... COMNAV MARINE's new TS-202 FULL FOLLOW-UP LEVER REMOTE CONTROL can be operated from virtually any location on the boat. The new water-proof remote allows the operator to select standby, tiller steer, autopilot and navigation modes. Independent...

Vetus Den Ouden has released a new generation of non-slip deck covering made by combining rubber, cork and plastic, resulting in a highly non-slip surface that is resistant to oil, sunlight and seawater. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... VETUS DEN OUDEN has released a new generation of NON-SLIP DECK COVERING made by combining rubber, cork and plastic, resulting in a highly non-slip surface that is resistant to oil, sunlight and seawater. Vetus coverings are available for steel,...

Ton Anchor Manufacturing says its new anchor is a breakthrough because its stainless steel, rust-proof slide bar and ring provide almost 100 percent retrievability. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... TON ANCHOR MANUFACTURING says its new ANCHOR is a break-through because its stainless steel, rust-proof slide bar and ring provide almost 100 percent retrievability. Its cylindrical shape and plastic body are safe for the hull, and it's compact...

Alfa Laval announces the first line of gasketed plate heat exchangers series designed specifically for use in a marine environment with a steam-to-liquid exchange, which optimizes heat transfer efficiency. (At A Glance).
August 1, 2003... ALFA LAVAL announces the first line of gasketed PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS series designed specifically for use in a marine environment with a steam-to-liquid exchange, which optimizes heat transfer efficiency. The two models, TS6 and TS20M, are...

Rules of the road to recovery.
August 1, 2003... The stock market is finally out of its funk. As of June 1, the Standard & Poor 500, an index consisting of the largest domestic stocks by market capitalization is up over 24 percent from the lows set back in October. This increase suggests the...

Council nomination process suggests very fishy politics. (Mail Buoy).
August 1, 2003... Each year the governors of the Gulf Coast states nominate people for seats on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Coming to the end of my first three-year term, my name was being reconsidered for renomination. Typically, unless...

Support wild-caught salmon, Canadian fishing family says. (Mail Buoy).
August 1, 2003... We are writing to you regarding the recent lawsuit launched over the labeling of farmed salmon. We are a "Ma and Pa" commercial fishing family from British Columbia and are concerned not only with the issue of labeling but more importantly...

Last set.
August 1, 2003... GETTING READY to pump fish aboard, a menhaden seiner from the Omega Protein fleet maneuvers alongside a purse boat off Intercoastal City, La., as crewman Barry Dunnaway looks on. The big pogy boats are referred to as steamers. ...