National Fisherman articles from August 2008

National Fisherman archives from August 2008

August 2008: this month's highlights.(The hail)
August 1, 2008... Many of us think of fishing as a high-seas occupation. In reality, there's plenty going on in the waters within three miles of the coast. And this is probably as true in North Carolina, which has 4,000 miles of coastline, as it is...

Copinq with the price of fuel.(VIEWS from Alaska)
August 1, 2008... High and increasing fuel costs threaten the U.S. fishing industry from the sea to the plate. Hundreds of boats are tied up at the docks as skippers contemplate the economic viability of the business. The fishing industry faces a new world where...

NMFS' new angle on data.(Editor's log)
August 1, 2008... To the surprise of the few--and chagrin of the many--NMFS in early June proposed licensing recreational saltwater fishermen by means of a National Saltwater Angler Registry. The creation of such a registry is mandated by the Magnuson Act to...

50 years ago.(Fishing: Back When)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Ethelyn Dryden exemplifies the Chesapeake Bay all-sail oyster fleet of skipjacks like herself and bugeyes, dragging her oyster dredges over the bottom of Maryland's Choptank River. In the Old Line State, the fleet is permitted to use power...

30 years ago.(Fishing: Back When)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "Fish Buyer at Elfin Cove, Alaska" is the second featured National Fisherman prize-winning photo. George Figdor of Haines, Alaska, submitted the photo and won first place in the dockside category for the image of a shadowy sou'wester-clad...

10 years ago.(Fishing: Back When)
August 1, 2008... In "Going against the green," National Fisherman debunks some overfishing myths and encourages the country's fishermen to get the word out on the sustainability of U.S. fishing practices. Faced with formidable foes like Greenpeace, the Ocean...

The Cold War is a warm and welcome setting for Mass. author's first offering.(Fo'c'sle library)(Kevin M. McCormick's 'The Freedom Plant: A Novel of New England Fishermen')(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... The Freedom Plant A Novel of New England Fishermen By Capt. Kevin M. McCormick The Glencannon Press, 2007 Softcover, 416 pp., $24.95 www.glencannon.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I've long believed that most people...

Illustrated guide to an American icon, the pervasive and beloved blue tarp.(Fo'c'sle library)(The Blue Tarp Bible: Best Uses, Worst Abuses of the (Unsightly) Fabric That Binds America)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... The Blue Tarp Bible Best Uses, Worst Abuses of the (Unsightly) Fabric That Binds America By Ron C. Judd Skipstone, 2008 Softcover, 142 pp., $12.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Maine, it's...

Fishing for efficiency.(From Another Perspective)
August 1, 2008... First off, I was made aware that people reading my last column could have been left with the impression that I felt state officials were unduly influenced by Wallop-Breaux (1984 Sport Fish Restoration Act) considerations in their roles as...

New Englanders pin hopes on fishing sectors.(Dock talk)
August 1, 2008... The Northeast multispecies fishery has been managed for more than a decade with a complex combination of management controls, including days at sea, trip limits, gear requirements, minimum fish size, and closed areas. Failure to meet fishing...

Caught short.(Consequences)
August 1, 2008... From U.S. Coast Guard reports Cutting corners is not always a bad idea, as long as you've weighed carefully what can go wrong if you don't follow standard procedures or the normal route, and can focus on the alternative action without...

Management by delay.(From the town landing)
August 1, 2008... This summer, management crises in two of New England's most important fisheries, lobster and groundfish, have led to the postponement of significant new regulations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For lobstermen, the delay is a reprieve, for...

Vessel safety requires deft congressional touch.(Washington lookout)
August 1, 2008... Fishing is dangerous. No law, or set of equipment or practices, will completely eliminate these risks. But existing mandatory and voluntary measures, such as better trained crew with the right equipment and location devices, have meant fewer...

Observer asks industry to consider options.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... I spend my time and boat's time trying to understand productivity in rivers. But there is something else I have been unable to understand after years on the Chesapeake and the Canadian Maritimes. Take the watermen on Chesapeake Bay. It seems as...

When will steps toward greener fisheries be enough?(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... I read with interest in your March issue the article on global warming and ocean acidification ("Connecting the dots: global warming and ocean acidification" NF, p. 8). Again, I have to ask what do these people want us to do? The...

Norwegian salmon label is wildly wrong at Costco.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... I recently was shopping at Costco and looking at wild salmon. I saw Norwegian salmon advertised as wild and endorsed by Costco. Reading the fine print does not support this wild claim and really upsets me, as I always buy wild or caught in the...

Spiny lobster strategies must cross political borders.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... The spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery is the most economically and socially important fishery in the western central Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil. Downward trends in landings and abundance may be signs of overfishing in some...

Cap'n Sane says ....(Mail buoy)
August 1, 2008... The Sea Grant Haddockamobile limped inta the Cove late last night. Most of us were asleep but the backfires woke us up. We all met up at Amos' store after breakfast where we could see the Haddockmobile still smokin' n'the Sea Granter on...

First salmon.(In search of the simple life)
August 1, 2008... Well, I had my first taste of Alaska salmon this spring--Copper River sockeye--fresh off the plane, $9.99 a pound at Costco, headed and gutted, a real bargain at any price, especially compared to Copper River kings retailing as high as $25 a...

Follow the leaders.(A letter from James W. Balsiger)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... I recently had the honor of presiding over the third annual Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards ceremony, an opportunity for NOAA to honor the nation's leaders in sustainable fisheries. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding...

Mackerel fishermen say data doesn't represent stock; wonder why N.C. region with majority of landings has not been sampled since 1992.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(North Carolina)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dare County, N.C., fishermen say they see huge gaps in the biological database that will be used in an updated South Atlantic king mackerel stock assessment. "I've never had a scientist measure the mackerel I've...

Shrimp make a showing, but size limits marketing; foils harvesters' plans to sell to consumers.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The calendar may reflect that 2005's deadly hurricane season is well behind them, but Louisiana shrimpers face new problems that could make this season a tough one. In addition to high fuel prices--the bane of fisheries everywhere--a crop...

Lobster group welcomes effort to delay sink line rule; NMFS proposes to extend Maine's implementation of right whale protections to 2009.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2008... Maine lobstermen learned in early June that NMFS is proposing to delay implementing the sinking ground-line portion of federal rules to protect endangered northern right whales until the 2009 season. Originally, lobstermen faced making the...

Old eastern-rig relaunched at Mystic Seaport Museum; dragger Roann gets three-year restoration.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2008... A bright and beautiful day enhanced the festive atmosphere surrounding the relaunching of the 60-foot eastern-rigged wooden dragger Roann at Mystic Seaport Museum on May 17. The event celebrated three years of skillful and dedicated...

Two trawlers in separate mishaps lost off Point Jude; sleep deprivation, flooding likely causes.(ATLANTIC)
August 1, 2008... Point Judith, R.I., a large and active commercial fishing port with a solid track record for vessel mishap, saw two trawlers go to ruin in May. One boat grounded itself within a stone's throw of Point Judith Lighthouse. The other went down well...

Home port: where we live: Santa Cruz, Calif.(AROUND THE COAST: News for the nation's fishermen)(California)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... THE TOWN About 70 miles southeast of San Francisco, Santa Cruz is a scruffy, hip, pricey beach town with a population of about 54,600 and 60 commercial boats in the harbor. It is in the direct lined fire of the federal salmon closure. ...

Federal judge blocks NMFS' charter halibut bag limit cut; commercial group calls for fair burden of conservation, charter fleet fears loss of clientele.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... NMFS' decision to reduce Southeast Alaska's charter boat clients' bag limit from two to one fish per day went into effect on June 1. The Charter Halibut Task Force filed suit that week. And on June 10, a federal judge blocked NMFS' rule, with a...

Mike Karch: Barnegat Light, N.J.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)(New Jersey)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's mid-June and Mike Karch is getting his 39-foot Endeavour ready to drift gillnet for bluefish. He's a little worried about something else he's likely to find out there on New Jersey's Barnegat Ridge: lots of...

Salmon group agrees on five-species conservation; U.S.-Canadian treaty would expire in 2019.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
August 1, 2008... The United States and Canada are likely to approve a new treaty to conserve five species of Pacific salmon stocks. The Pacific Salmon Commission negotiated the agreement in May that, if approved, would be in place through the end of 2018....

Seattle's Maritime Festival celebrates waterfront work; features tug races, poetry slam, cook-off.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
August 1, 2008... It was all hands on dock as local residents turned out in droves to celebrate everything maritime at the Seattle Maritime Festival in May. The world's largest tugboat race, as promoted by the Seattle Propeller Club and the Port of Seattle,...

Deep-fried Apalachicola Bay oysters: Lynn Martina Eastpoint, Fla.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISIN)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lynn Martina, owner of Lynn's Quality Oysters in Eastpoint, Fla., on Apalachicola Bay, can't remember a time when the oyster business hasn't been a part of her life. Her parents, Sherrill and John Carroll, owned the...

Two shrimpers, buyer among those earning NOAA award: the Texans are cited for effort to reduce turtle bycatch, reduce fuel consumption in fleet.(NATION/WORLD)(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awardees, Manuel Calderon, Louis Stephenson and Patrick Riley)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Three Texans, two of them shrimpers and the third a shrimp buyer, were recognized by NOAA for their efforts on behalf of sea turtles and to reduce fuel consumption. Captains Manuel Calderon of Angleton and Louis Stephenson of Hitchcock...

Aleut Kid: salmon and herring seiner, halibut longliner False Pass, Alaska.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When fire consumed the Western Dawn, Tom Hoblet's combination seiner, longliner and cod pot boat, a couple of winters ago, he knew he'd rather buy another boat than lease for the remainder of his long fishing year....

Reps. Saxton, Gilchrest propose menhaden bans: bills would shut down bulk of industry.(NATION/WORLD)(congressional representatvives Jim Saxton and Wayne Gilchrest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Two retiring congressmen from New Jersey and Maryland are proposing moratoriums on the menhaden reduction fishery, measures that would shut down much of the industry along the Atlantic coast. Reps. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) and Wayne Gilchrest...

Western Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Scientific and Statistical Committee of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council met in mid-June to discuss proposals regarding: * Hawaii's shallow-set longline fishery. (Stocks appear healthy.) * Fish aggregation...

South Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... NMFS is seeking public comment on Amendment 14 to the South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. The amendment would establish eight marine protected areas in federal waters from North Carolina to Florida. Within the MPAs...

Gulf of Mexico.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... NMFS is accepting public comment on proposed changes regarding the use of bycatch reduction devices in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery. In summary, the agency proposes to: * decertify the expanded mesh BRD; * decertify the gulf...

New England.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The New England Fishery Management Council in June revised its schedule for the development of new rules that will control fishing for the region's 19 groundfish stocks. The council has updated, but not yet finalized, scientific information...

North Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The North Pacific Fishery Management Council in June approved a resolution updating--and lengthening--the list of individuals permitted to subsistence fish for halibut. The resolution means 9,400 people, including 2,000 from Kodiak, will...

Mid-Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in June held public hearings on Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. To reduce general discards and to allow butterfish to rebuild to the level...

Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... In at June 5 letter to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Peter Flournoy of International Law" Offices of San Diego lamented the burden high fuel prices are placing on U.S. fishermen when compared with subsidized fishermen of other...

Caribbean.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... A 2-year-old law banning the use of gillnets and trammel nets for reef fish species will be strictly en-forced in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources has announced. Gov. John deJongh said it has become...

New England fishery managers seem powerless to chart groundfish course.(NORTHEAST: GROUNDFISH)
August 1, 2008... The decision to push changes to New England's groundfish management regime back to 2010 darkens the outlook for many fishermen. Additional days-at-sea reductions are likely, although the New England Fishery Management Council in June put...

'Dismal' landings compel Floridians to take Caribbean-wide perspective.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC: SPINY LOBSTER)
August 1, 2008... The Florida spiny lobster fishery is one of those tantalizing cases in which the industry always seems poised for a breakthrough but never quite makes it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spiny lobster isn't overfished here, and sustainable...

Harvesters enjoy record-high prices as stock recruitment, dollar weaken.(NORTH PACIFIC: BLACKCOD)
August 1, 2008... A weaker dollar, bad weather and slumping recruitment of harvestable blackcod into the fisheries means record-setting ex-vessel prices for Alaska's blackcod fleet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dockside offers in May neared $5 per pound for...

Fleet aims to curb bycatch and reap benefits of whitefish-hungry markets.(PACIFIC: WHITING)
August 1, 2008... The 2007 shoreside whiting fishery closed early--much too early for most of the fleet--after barely more than a month of fishing. Thanks to bycatch issues, the fleet left nearly 15,000 metric tons unharvested, an amount equal to almost $3...

Group(er) effort: commercial and recreational fishermen make common cause in Florida.(Cover story)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Boat owner Jack Golden stood dockside in early afternoon at Madeira Beach (Fla.) Seafood and watched the crew unloading his longline vessel, Blackjack I. Skipper Herman Ellis had docked Blackjack I about noon with a...

Cruising a thin blue line: the N.C. Marine Patrol has a 4,000-mile beat where it keeps the peace and keeps pace with changing rules.(Enforcement)(North Carolina)
August 1, 2008... For the 59 North Carolina Marine Patrol officers patrolling the state's 4,000 miles of coastline, the average day can be filled with more tasks than hours. But for Bob Lyon, 50, an average day bests the very best day of those spent sitting...

Crude awakenings: savvy operators are cutting their fuel bills in a number of ways.(Boats & Gear: Fuel reduction)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High fuel prices are pushing a few fishermen to tie up their boats, causing some to operate even closer to the "go broke" line and for others adding a stress factor that wasn't there before. It is the observation...

A builder's dozen: Freddy's Marine in Homer, Alaska, has cranked out 12 bowpickers since last September.(Boats & Gear: Boatbuilding)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Count 'em. Not one, two, six or 10, but 12 new fiberglass bowpickers have come out of Freddy's Marine in Homer, Alaska, since last September, when the first hull was laid up in its mold. The boats are going to...

The big picture: more and better data from a combination of navigation equipment leads to smarter decisions.(Boats & Gear: Navigation electronics)
August 1, 2008... There are four essential elements to a modern electronic navigation system: the chart plotter with its charts and GPS, ARPA or automatic radar plotting aid, radar, and AIS, which stands for automatic identification system. Each one of them...

T-boned quahogger gets fixed; underdog is pushing 1,000 hp.(NORTHEAST)(horsepower)
August 1, 2008... Mike Light knew he had a big project ahead of him when he went next door to what had been the Young Brothers boatshop, measured the doors leading into the building and realized that the fiberglass hull due to arrive by trailer at his shop was...

58-footer destined for Alaska; Ore. yard decks dredge in steel.(WEST)
August 1, 2008... At Westman Marine in Blaine, Wash., the beginnings of a new steel 58' x 25' fishing boat are coming together. By the first of June, the keel had been laid and the fish-hold bulkheads and wing tanks were being welded together. In May 2009,...

New travel lift for Texas yard; Bayou boats run in the family.(SOUTH)
August 1, 2008... Six 18-wheeler trucks rolled into Baron's Marine Ways in Freeport, Texas, in September 2007 and unloaded parts for a 220-ton travel lift, which was then assembled and is being used by Baron's Marine Ways to haul Gulf of Mexico shrimp and red...

Get an underwater view of your trawl; Marport takes the guesswork out of towing geometry.(Product roundup)
August 1, 2008... Once trawl doors drop into the water and the net slides down the stern ramp, you are never totally sure what is happening to the net as you start towing. What fishermen are guessing at is the trawl's geometry. It's best if the doors are square...

A man-overboard system from down under: Mobilarm offers recreational and professional mariner versions.(Product roundup)(Mobi-lert)
August 1, 2008... Here's a line of man-overboard safety products from Mobilarm an outfit in Perth, Australia, that recently started to market its Mobi-lert man-overboard safety equipment in this country. With Mobi-lert, each crew member wears a small,...

Yanmar Marine USA's Tier II commercial-grade 6LY3 Series diesel engines will be available in July.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YANMAR MARINE USA's Tier II commercial-grade 6LY3 SERIES diesel engines will be available in July. The 354-cubic-inch in-line 6-cylinder engines feature hard ceramic push-rod tappets, stainless steel exhaust and...

Raritan's new Hold n' Treat waste management system combines a holding tank and overboard treatment with the Electroscan, a Coast Guard certified Type I marine sanitation device and a Type III 15-gallon holding tank.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RARITAN'S new HOLD N' iTREAT waste management system combines a holding tank and overboard treatment with the Electroscan, a Coast Guard certified Type I marine sanitation device and a Type III 15-gallon holding...

Todd Marine Products has Gas and Diesel Fuel Caddies that hold 28 gallons of fuel.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TODD MARINE PRODUCTS has GAS and DIESEL FUEL CADDIES that hold 28 gallons of fuel. With the fueling hoses, a caddy can pump fuel from up to 10 feet away from a boat's tank and below the height of the fuel tank. A...

Davis Instruments recently introduced Aqua Lather, a body gel and shampoo that is biodegradable, won't contaminate water and doesn't pose a threat to aquatic life.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DAVIS INSTRUMENTS recently introduced AQUA LATHER, a body gel and shampoo that is biodegradable, won't contaminate water and doesn't pose a threat to aquatic life. It can be used in saltwater. Aqua Lather is...

Prospec Electronics and Medallion Instrumentation Systems have combined to produce Medallion's MUX switch that feeds Prospec's JBL controls into a dash display that turns on Prospec's JBL stereos, adjusts the volume and selects the stations.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PROSPEC ELECTRONICS and MEDALLION INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS have combined to produce Medallion's MUX switch that feeds Prospec's JBL controls into a dash display that turns on Prospec's JBL stereos, adjusts the volume...

Performance Metals has added to its line of Navalloy anodes with three new kits for Mercury's Verado, Alpha One Gen 1 and Bravo outboards.(At a glance)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PERFORMANCE METALS has added to its line of NAVALLOY ANODES with three new kits for Mercury's Verado, Alpha One Gen 1 and Bravo outboards. The anodes provide long-lasting protection against corrosion. They are...

Bulletin board.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... NOV. 20-22 Pacific Marine Expo Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle * www.pacificmarineexpo.com Pacific Marine Expo is the largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast. This annual event serves all aspects of the market,...

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission this year honored Dr. David Pierce, Dr. Gary Nelson, and Sgt. Frances Ethier with Awards of Excellence.(ON THE MOVE)
August 1, 2008... The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission this year honored DR. DAVID PIERCE, DR. GARY NELSON, and SGT. FRANCES ETHIER with AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE. Pierce, a biologist and manager for more than 30 years with the Massachusetts Division of...

Mercury Marine, a manufacturer of marine engines, this year awarded ZF Marine with one of 12 Supplier of the Year awards.(COMPANY NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Mercury Marine, a manufacturer of marine engines, this year awarded ZF MARINE with one of 12 SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR awards. Mercury Marine considers more than 1,500 suppliers, using a points system. The largest percentage of points awarded is for...

Cape Cod, Mass.(Last set)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 118-foot seiner and midwater trawler Sunlight, owned by Rockland, Maine-based O'Hara Corp., pumps aboard more than 500,000 pounds of herring from the brailer of its midwater trawl off Cape Cod in January 2005.