National Fisherman articles from August 2006

National Fisherman archives from August 2006

What color is your sea anchor?(VIEWS from Alaska)
August 1, 2006... I work as a commercial fisherman four months a year and in the off-season drive a desk working as a seafood industry analyst. I get to talk to a lot of fishermen. I ask advice, collect opinions, do plenty of research and sometimes answer...

When jobs and vessels go away.(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... Recently released report by economist Gunnar Knapp of the University of Alaska at Achorage finds that rationalization of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab fishery has cost the industry 1,200 jobs or more and put as many as 284 Kodiak Island...

Fishing back when.(New York Times Co. joins with Maine Coast Fisherman )(Robert Thornton plans)(trawler Pioner the first motor trawlers)
August 1, 2006... 50 YEARS AGO The Russian trawler Pioner is the first of 20 motor trawlers to be delivered from the British shipbuilding firm Brooke Marine, of Lowesoft, England. The 189-foot Pioner is designed to ease through Arctic waters with up to 20...

Stay safe aboard any small vessel with a handbook for at-sea emergencies.(Fo'c'sle library)
August 1, 2006... On-Board Emergency Handbook Your Indispensable Guide for Handling Any Challenge at Sea By Tony Meisel International Marine/ McGraw-Hill, 2006 Vinyl cover, 224 pp., $24.95 www.books.mcgraw-hill.com There are lots of emergency handbooks in...

A boy from West Seatlle comes of age in the Alaska salmon season.(Reaching for Manhood at Steamboat Bay Recollection of a Boy's Adventures in Southeastern Alaska)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2006... Reaching for Manhood at Steamboat Bay Recollection of a Boy's Adventures in Southeastern Alaska By Jerry Kelley ProStar Publications, 2005 Softcover, 95 pp., $14.95 www.poststarpublications.com A first-time author at the age of 83, Jerry...

Following Hammer's lead.(death of Nelson Beideman)(Obituary)
August 1, 2006... Nelson Beideman, known to just about everyone as Hammer, died on May 25. He died while puttering around the house with his wife, Terri. I'm pretty sure that's how he would have wanted it, and that makes it easier, but not much. I knew...

New battles in California's groundfish war.(Dock talk)
August 1, 2006... I am a fixed-gear limited-entry fisherman based in Southern California and have been involved in fishery politics most of my fishing career. I thought I had seen the worst of the groundfish management bombshells lobbed at our industry, but this...

Shortcuts may be efficient, but are they worth the risk?
August 1, 2006... From U.S. Coast Guard reports Given a choice between doing things the correct way and using methods that save time and money, which would you choose? Quite often, our response is to cut corners; and more often than not, we are...

Is recreational grouper off the table in Florida?(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I don't know about the rest of the recreational fishermen in Florida, of which I am one, but it's getting too expensive to go for grouper, anyway. I know it's called fishing not catching, but it's the catching that is the most fun. Many...

Alaskan calls for end to national political.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I felt sorry for the dozen Culture of Corruption picketers at the Howard Dean dinner in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday, May 31. I suppose it's especially tough to get generally overworked, financially troubled folks to show up to picket when...

Vessel Safety Program teaches vigilance at sea.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Roger Fitzgerald did a fine job of sharing the messages he heard while attending a vessel safety class in Seattle taught by Capt. David Shoemaker ("Just another day..." NF July '06, p. 9). The class he observed part of was the Drill Instructor...

There are no easy answers for ecosystem management.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... The cownose debate continues, and I'd like to commend Andrew DeMarco for voicing his opinion in this regard ("Chesapeake Bay resident proclaims ray resurgence," NF July '06, p. 9). I'd suggest that we look at the picture perhaps in a larger...

Cap'n Sane says ...(alien labor)
August 1, 2006... We had a meetin' up at Amos's store the other noon after everybody was in from haulin' dealer rip-off low-price shedders. Beulah Banning, as the Cove immigration officer, called the meetin'. After everybody was there n'had a $5 sample of Amos'...

Smooth sailing for seafood.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... As part of its outreach activities, NOAA Fisheries Service participates in events like the European Seafood Exposition, held annually in Brussels, Belgium. Like its counterparts in the United States--the Boston and Los Angeles seafood...

The icefish cometh?(In search of the simple life)
August 1, 2006... "So what were you doing in Antarctica?" That was my first question to Kim Dietrich, a scientist at the University of Washington School of Fisheries, just back from two months of survey work off the Antarctic Peninsula. I know her from her...

Bay State regulators sue NMFS over groundfish limits: Massachusetts suit asserts that new regulations unfairly deny access to healthy fish stocks.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has filed a lawsuit in federal district court asserting that NMFS is unfairly denying fishermen access to healthy groundfish stocks. Emergency rules that aim to end overfishing on six depleted...

Maine offshore lobstermen unite on territorial issues: mix of state, U.S. rules complicate fishery.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... Maine lobstermen who work federal waters now have an association to call their own--the Maine Offshore Lobstermen's Alliance. The group, known as MOLA, announced its launch in early June. According to MOLA officials, the group was hatched...

Cape Cod hook fleet wins stewardship recognition: NOAA award is first for an industry group.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... In April, NOAA named the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association as one of 10 Environmental Hero award winners, the first time any fishing group has received such recognition in the program's 11-year history. NOAA recognized the...

Awards program honors sustainable fisheries leaders Sen. Ted Stevens and five others are saluted as the NOAA program's inaugural recipients.(NATION/WORLD)
August 1, 2006... Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and five other individuals and organizations are the first recipients of NOAA's Sustainable Fisheries Leadership awards. NOAA conceived the award to recognize exemplary contributions to science and management in...

Home port: where we live: Port Townsend, Wash.(NATION/WORLD)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... THE TOWN Population: 8,800 Number of boats: 17 TOP FIVE LANDINGS IN 2005 By value: Dungeness crab--590,400 pounds worth $1,308,410 Geoduck clams--100,229 pounds worth $526,974 Spot shrimp--41,366 pounds worth $237,656...

Irony to delight sharks: a magnet to repel them: inventor seeks to reduce longline bycatch.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... A hook outfitted with a small but powerful magnet could go a long way in preventing longline boats targeting tuna and swordfish from snaring sharks as bycatch. The promise of the magnet's ability to repel sharks earned it the top prize in...

Precision: Alaska gillnetter.(Theo Chesley's )(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... When Theo Chesley, an Alaska Peninsula salmon fisherman, bought the Predsion in 1995, it had been dry-docked for nearly 10 years."When I bought it," Chesley says, "I couldn't find a fish scale on it." Chesley says boatbuilder Ron Rawson...

PEI lobster landings fall after exhilirating opening: explanation is sought for 'serious decline'.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... At first the news was great. Canadian news organizations reported record catches during the opening of the Prince Edward Island spring lobster season. What was unusual was that the news included the island's south coast where the fishery has...

Mermaid's stuffed grouper: Jim Bradley, Hernando Beach, Fla.(GALLEY WATCH * AT-SEA CUISINE)
August 1, 2006... Capt. Brad's Seafood and Crab House is one lace where customers can be sure they're getting fresh Florida grouper, because owner Jim Bradley also is the grouper fisherman. "I rod and reelfish," Bradley says. "I do pretty good. I catch two-...

Small-scale grouper fishermen call buyout plan unfair: U.S. plan would displace harvesters who want to stay in fishery but lack sufficient landings.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... If divide and conquer is the strategy of anti-commercial-fishing groups, industry infighting is working to their favor in Florida. Congress earmarked $35 million in loan funding for an industry-initiated grouper fishery buyout in late 2004,...

Florida fund to replenish storm-ravaged fish gear: fishermen can swap vouchers for traps.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... As fishermen anticipated the August opening of the spiny lobster season, they were getting some help with trap replacement from a hurricane relief fund set up by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The fund, established to promote and channel private...

NC. regulators unhappy with Atlantic commission: without reform, state may seek autonomy.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2006... North Carolina fisheries commissioners want to see significant change in the way the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission conducts business. Regulators stopped short of recommending that the state withdraw from the regional compact....

Snapshots: who we are.(crabs as bait)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Fred Layton, Goshen, N.J Mike Litchko, Dennis, N.J "We're settin' out crab pots for the shedder run and all," explains waterman Fred Layton as his friend Mike Litchko approaches the landing in his boat. "But we didn't have no horseshoe...

Calif. marine reserve plan heading for state approval: proposal to expand Central Coast network would be model for marine protection statewide.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
August 1, 2006... Efforts to significantly expand the network of marine reserves off California's Central Coast moved forward in May as the state's Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force for warded its preferred plan for establishing reserves to the...

Gulf of Mexico.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... An ad hoc individual fishing quota advisory panel of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council was meeting in mid-June in Tampa, Fla., to discuss IFQs in the grouper fishery. This panel is composed of commercial grouper fishermen and others...

New England.(New England Fishery Management Council)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The New England Fishery Management Council was to meet in Newport, R.I., June 13-15 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone. Beginning with this meeting, the council will post digital audio files...

South Atlantic Council.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council was meeting in mid-June in Coconut Grove, Fla., focusing on Amendments 14 and 15 to the Council's Snapper Grouper Fishery Plan, the development of a Fishery Ecosystem Plan and Comprehensive...

Western Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(tuna fisheries)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The council's Scientific and Statistical Committee recommended in June that the council revise a draft amendment to its Pelagic Fisheries Management Plan to include an alternative for an immediate ending of overfishing of bigeye tuna across the...

North Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Although groundfish rationalization was to be the centerpiece of its June meeting, the council also was to review a discussion paper on video monitoring as part of observer programs. However, while many of the technical issues associated with...

Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(salmon fisheries)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has joined Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski in the fight to gain relief for salmon fishermen shut down by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and NMFS. Concerned that Oregon's salmon fishermen and their communities are...

Mid-Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking applicants to serve as advisors to its Protected Resources Committee. The Council is seeking individuals to provide information, advice and guidance to the Committee on issues relating to...

Keys fishermen, still wobbly from '05, eye healthy resource and say a prayer.(Market reports)
August 1, 2006... The market for Caribbean spiny lobster is healthy, and one of the top buyers in the business, Keys Fisheries in Marathon, Fla., is long recovered from the 2005 hurricanes and gearing up for the August opening. "The market looks decent,"...

Eco-label may deliver U.S. sales as Asian imports buoy ex-vessel prices.(NORTH PACIFIC: BLACK COD)
August 1, 2006... I recently, blackcod joined 19 other fisheries to win the Marine Stewardship Council's certification for sound management, which should broaden the fish's market appeal. In years past, all but a tiny sliver of product coming out of the...

With cuts in fishing time and quotas, fluke alternatives could enter market.
August 1, 2006... Another round of groundfish daysat-sea reductions in New England and a tightened summer flounder quota in the Mid-Atlantic could increase flatfish prices--or open the door for new forays from West Coast and foreign competition. Good...

Demand for whitefish, strengthening Canadian dollar bode well for prices.(PACIFIC: GROUNDFISH)
August 1, 2006... A strong groundfish market--particularly blackcod--likely will benefit fishermen throughout the summer after prices rose in the spring. That is, as long as monthly catch limits remain high enough to allow fishing. Many markets are having...

Busy on the river: on Virginia's James River, the oyster fishery is experiencing one of its best harvests in years.(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... Cormorants wing low across the water of the James River in Virginia. The morning sun touching the water surface creates a diamond-like sparkle, and the 64-degree air temperature takes away the ordinary February nip in the air. It's an...

Topping the charts: the latest chart software is a visual and practical feast.(Boats & Gear: Navigation)
August 1, 2006... In spite of the dramatic advances that have been made in just about all segments of marine electronics--reductions in size, increases in speed and computing power--I can't think of an area in which so many changes have taken place in such a...

Uncooperative spirits: participants in Alaska's oldest factory trawl fleet say they face a dire choice: spend millions, or get out.(Sole surviving)
August 1, 2006... It's easy to overlook the North Pacific head-and-gut trawl fleet. Floating somewhere amid the romance of Alaska's salmon seiners, the big-bucks danger of Bering Sea crabbers and the awesome firepower of behemoth pollock factory trawlers, the...

Bush bids fleet 'aloha': a presidential proclamation spells the end of fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
August 1, 2006... SO now he gets religion. President George W. Bush, who has long been regarded with skepticism by conservationists, not only in the United States but around the world, in mid-June established by proclamation the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands...

Winding up with a better winch: small changes in technology are making new models easier to use and maintain.
August 1, 2006... Although there have been no major developments in winches for small- to medium-size draggers and scallopers, some manufacturers have been making incremental changes toward efficiency and reducing maintenance. Pullmaster's H30 has made the...

Doing it all: if there's a fishery Kaidyn's Commander isn't suited for, please tell Joel Goodwin.(Boats & Gear: Boatbuilding)
August 1, 2006... Joel Goodwin, owner of Fundy Spray Fisheries in Little River, Yarmouth County', Nova Scotia, wasn't satisfied with just adding scallop-fishing gear to a new lobster boat, as other fishermen in the tea are doing to maximize their earnings....

Maine tuna boat goes to Texas; Scots' trawler a first in Canada.(NORTHEAST)
August 1, 2006... David Dion of Galveston, Texas, left Atlantic Boat Co., in Brooklin, Maine, at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, in his new tuna boat, a Duffy 42. Running past Matinicus Island, at the head of Penobscot Bay, Dion then went on a straight shot to...

Wash. yard rethinks a crabber; New ideas go into oyster boat.(WEST)
August 1, 2006... Pacific Northwest yards continue to turn out new boats for the Dungeness crab fishery. The most recent example is an aluminum 55-footer being built at Rozema Boat Works in Mount Vernon, Wash. The boat's home port will be Anacortes, Wash. ...

Restored boat is now a school; Butler-built boats are honored.(SOUTH)
August 1, 2006... Builders of commercial fishing boats on Chesapeake Bay either started out working the water and then picked up the trade, or bypassed the waterman route and immediately started working in a boatyard, learning from their father, grandfather or...

Visual aid: ColorLight's ultraviolet searchlight is another weapon for nighttime searches.
August 1, 2006... It's a call that all commercial fishermen dread--a mayday from a trawler going down by the stern. Its position and something about down flooding was the last thing anyone heard. One hour later you've reached the spot the call came from....

Identity check: Samyung's AIS unit brings new features to the market.(automatic identification systems)
August 1, 2006... Vessels that ply international waters, many workboats and some classes of commercial fishing boats are now required to carry automatic identification systems. Though the number of fishing boats with AIS is likely to increase dramatically with a...

Sea Hawk paints, manufactured by New Nautical Coatings, has come out with a new copper-free antifoulant paint.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... SEA HAWK paints, manufactured by New Nautical Coatings, has come out with a new copper-free antifoulant paint. MISSION BAY is an ablative, self-polishing bottom paint with a Zinc Omadine biocide. The biocide is released as the paint reacts with...

ComNav has a new GPS satellite compass, the Vector G2, that receives its positioning data from Waas and Egnos satellite systems.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... COMNAV has a new GPS satellite compass, the VECTOR G2, that receives its positioning data from WAAS and EGNOS satellite systems. The positioning accuracy is said to be within 10 feet. Heading updates are provided up to 10 times per second. If...

West System just made it easier for a boat owner to make small repairs that require laminating.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... WEST SYSTEM just made it easier for a boat owner to make small repairs that require laminating. The 885 VACUUM BAGGING KIT lets you use atmospheric pressure to apply constant, even gluing pressure to a composite structure. The kit's venturi...

Imtra, a supplier of electronic products, is now marketing TV antennas from the European company Glomex Marine Master.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... IMTRA, a supplier of electronic products, is now marketing TV antennas from the European company Glomex Marine Master. Initially, Imtra is offering the 14-inch V9112 and the 10-inch V9125 antennas. With their state-of-the-art elements and...

Krill Systems is introducing Krillnet, a digital instrumentation system that collects information from a boat's systems and displays the data on a single screen.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... KRILL SYSTEMS is introducing KRILLNET, a digital instrumentation system that collects information from a boat's systems and displays the data on a single screen. KrillNet is made up of Ethernet and wireless network connections and allows you to...

Sea-Fire Marine has just received Coast Guard approval for its Stinger self-activating fire suppression systems.(At a glance)
August 1, 2006... SEA-FIRE MARINE has just received Coast Guard approval for its STINGER self-activating fire suppression systems. The Stinger Firetrace tubing is installed in a compartment so that if a fire pushes the ambient temperature above 175 degrees F,...

Bulletin board.
August 1, 2006... OCT. 15-16 International West Coast Seafood Show Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles www.westcoastseafood.com The West Coast Seafood Show will be co-located with Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food to offer a unique one-stop,...

Onset Computer Corp.(ON THE MOVE)
August 1, 2006... JACK SAMPLE is the newest president of ONSET COMPUTER CORP., a leading supplier of battery-powered data loggers and weather stations. Most recently, Sample served as the company's director of sales and marketing, and he served 24 years at...

Seawave & Rydex.(appoints Thomas Darr)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... SEAWAVE & RYDEX has announced a new senior account executive for the Americas. THOMAS DARR, located in Virginia Beach,Va., will be responsible for selling the entire SeaWave & Rydex product line of marine communications software and services....

Simrad recently hired Craig Rominger to serve as the company's controller and director of human services; and promoted Andrew Stradling to the position of national service manager.(ON THE MOVE)
August 1, 2006... SIMRAD recently hired CRAIG ROMINGER to serve as the company's controller and director of human services; and promoted ANDREW STRADLING to the position of national service manager. Before joining Simrad, Rominger served at Moss Adams LLP, a top...

C-Map Norway has joined forces with two chart providers, Gothenburg, Sweden-based Nautic Center and Hamburg, Germany-based Hansenautic, in a move to expand C-Map's role as a comprehensive navigation information provider.(COMPANY NEWS)
August 1, 2006... C-MAP NORWAY has joined forces with two chart providers, Gothenburg, Sweden-based NAUTIC CENTER and Hamburg, Germany-based HANSENAUTIC, in a move to expand C-Map's role as a comprehensive navigation information provider. This is a follow-up...

Simrad's Remotecommander won the National Marine Manufacturers Association innovation Award at the 2006 Miami International Boat Show.(COMPANY NEWS)
August 1, 2006... SIMRAD's REMOTECOMMANDER won the National Marine Manufacturers Association innovation Award at the 2006 Miami International Boat Show. The award recognizes the most innovative new products and is judged by a panel of journalists from Boating...

Sea-Fire Marine appointed Foka Technique Maritime as a new international distributor.(COMPANY NEWS)
August 1, 2006... SEA-FIRE MARINE appointed FOKA TECHNIQUE MARITIME as a new international distributor. Headquartered in Izmir, Turkey, Foka is a Sea-Fire-authorized service and repair facility, and will offer Sea-Fire commercial marine products. The appointment...

Copper River netters lose court battle, fishing time: effort limited in favor of subsistence users.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
August 1, 2006... As this year's season began, high ex-vessel prices helped cushion the blow to Copper River gillnetters when a Superior Court judge ruled that more fish need to get upriver and to the dipnets of subsistence users. The judge's ruling blocks...

Settlement dears way to remove New Carissa: Stern from 1999 Ore. oil spill still mired.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
August 1, 2006... The rusted stern of a ship that grounded on Oregons shore and leaked hundreds of gallons of bunker oil in 1999 will be removed this summer, state officials said in May. The 660-foot wood-chip freighter New Carissa grounded on the North...

Nags head, North Carolina.(Last set)
August 1, 2006... Max Callum of Wanchese, N.C., is using a beach seine to catch bluefish. Fishermen have been using beach seines nearly as long as they have been catching fish, although nowadays a motorized dory and pickup truck are tools of the trade.