National Fisherman articles from December 2008

National Fisherman archives from December 2008

December 2008: this month's highlights.(The hail)
December 1, 2008... How does the old saw go... "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to... impose a 10-year rebuilding standard that cannot be believed"? Well, maybe that's not quite how it went, but if you fish along the Eastern Seaboard...

No 20% quota for processors.(VIEWS from Alaska)
December 1, 2008... The Fishing Vessel Owners Association, a Seattle-based trade association of longline vessel operators formed in 1914, supports the development of a market-based individual fishing quota format for the West Coast trawl fisheries. We oppose the...

Eternal return.(Editor's log)
December 1, 2008... I'n the fall of 1999, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) held a hearing in Portland, Maine, in the run-up to the "looming" reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. "Snowe," I wrote in the Editor's Log of nine years ago this month,...

Fishing back when.(NF classics)
December 1, 2008... Merry Christmas from your Maine lobster dealer! Robert E. Waddle, the president and manager of Quahog Lobstermen's Co-op in East Harpswell, Maine, gets familial assistance from his sons, Michael, 5, and Matthew, 4, and his wife, Mary Duffy...

The Gulf Stream's powerful forces include a rich history and sea life.(Fo'c'sle library)(The Gulf Stream: Tiny Plankton, Giant Bluefin, and the Amazing Story of the Powerful River in the Atlantic)(Book review)
December 1, 2008... The Gulf Stream Tiny Plankton, Giant Bluefin, and the Amazing Story of the Powerful River in the Atlantic By Stan Ulanski UNC Press, Chapel Hill, 2008 Hardocover, 232 pp.$28 http://uncpress.unc.edu [ILLUSTRATION...

Oregon family's fishing journal becomes a memento of those lost.(Fo'c'sle library)(Salt in the Blood: The Memoir of a Fisherman's Wife)(Book review)
December 1, 2008... Salt in the Blood The Memoir of a Fisherman's Wife By Michele Longo Eder Dancing Moon Press, 2008 Softcover, 430 pp., $16.95 www.dancingmoonpress.com/order.htm [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Author Michele Longo Eder's...

The numbers don't lie.(From Another Perspective)
December 1, 2008... Among the more useful services from NMFS are the online landings databases (www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ stl/commercial/index.html). With a fast Internet connection and a little bit of skill with spreadsheets, it's easy to determine what fishermen...

Forage for thought.(Washington lookout)
December 1, 2008... Environmentalists are using forage fish issues both as a wedge to divide fishermen and a club to force managers to reduce fishing. Starting with the indisputable premise fish must eat, activists then declare prey stocks require heightened...

Filling king crab pots.(Dock talk)(on increasing king crab stocks in Alaska)
December 1, 2008... Tiny king crab clinging to artificial seaweed may be the key to rehabilitating some of Alaska's long depressed king crab stocks. The juvenile crustaceans were hatched at the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery in Seward, and are the result of one...

Look out below ... and around.(Consequences)(on maintaining safety in ships)
December 1, 2008... From U.S. Coast Guard reports Routine work--even in a potentially dangerous environment like a commercial fishing boat--can leave anyone off his guard. Fishermen have to remind themselves constantly to be vigilant of safety hazards,...

Monhegan Islanders gear down.(From the town landing)
December 1, 2008... The lobster fishery on Monhegan, a rugged 500-acre island off the coast of Maine, is a living example of adaptive management and a case study in how management must allow for flexibility and local input. Maine's lobster industry is a mosaic...

Palin's record, experience not a winning ticket.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... I quote your editorial in the November issue of National Fisherman ("Pondering Sarah Palin's impact," p. 5), "Why wouldn't [McCain] consider the advice of a vice president whose strong suit is marine resources (to say nothing of energy)?" ...

California crabber says fishing is tough but good.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Commercial fishing is a tough business. Not the act of fishing; that's the fun part. The tough part of the job is all the other stuff. Politics, insurance companies, government agencies, surveys, and all of the paperwork can be overwhelming....

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail buoy)(on U.S. economic conditions)(Column)
December 1, 2008... The financial crisis has hit Saturday Cove. Amos up at the store, who holds commercial paper on most of us, said no more credit. But most of us pay it off monthly 'cause Amos charges 15 percent interest on anything over a dollar a month...

Maine scalloper asks why bother filing NMFS reports?(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... The following is a letter to Patricia Kurkul, regional administrator for NMFS. I am writing you to formally appeal the limited-access general category scallop allocation that I received for the new IFQ. The allocation of 9,000 pounds is...

Reading the election transition tea leaves.(A letter from James W. Balsinger)
December 1, 2008... As you read this column, it is a time of transition from this administration to the next, and there are many questions on the minds of the commercial fishing community as to what the future holds. No matter the election outcome, the core...

Big salmon.(In search of the simple life)
December 1, 2008... I don't know how your silver season is going, but mine is going just great. True, I haven't caught a fish yet, but I have them all but cornered. All that's needed is a little rain to push them up the fiver--and then they'll be on the bite. Yes,...

Halibut fleets find middle ground for charter bag limit: council's new plan lets quota determine daily catch, charter industry remains unsatisfied.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)(North Pacific Fishery Management Council)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A turbulent summer that began with NMFS declaring cuts to Alaska's Southeast charter halibut bag limits and led the charter industry to seek a court order striking down the limit has ended with a North Pacific...

PacifiCorp Klamath River dam licenses put on ice: regulators cite water quality violations.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
December 1, 2008... The company that owns four major hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River wants to extend its operating license another half century. But California regulators say its plan violates federal water quality standards and that other options must be...

Salmon checks in the mail, but just $100m disbursed: remaining $70 million adrift in politics.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
December 1, 2008... The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission has begun sending out disaster relief checks to West Coast salmon fishermen and businesses hammered by this year's salmon closure. "We had about 250 phone calls over the weekend and have filed,...

Bait shortage, sour economy make waves for lobstermen: first desperate for bait at peak season, fishery loses demand and dock prices slip to $3.(ATLANTIC)
December 1, 2008... In September, Maine lobstermen worried they wouldn't get the bait they needed to catch bugs as the busy fall season neared. By October, the nation's dire economic woes had them wondering if they'd be able to sell the lobsters they had. ...

Tacoma, Wash.(HOME PORT: Where we live)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... THE TOWN On the southeastern shore of Puget Sound, Tacoma is a gritty, urban port community with a population of about 194,000. The 19 commercial boats moor at Delin Docks on the Thea Foss Waterway. TOP FIVE SPECIES By value, 2007...

Fishery disaster declared for Chesapeake blue crabs: relief will be divvied from $75m package.(Around the coasts)
December 1, 2008... U.S. Commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez declared the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery a federal disaster in late September. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine are seeking federal relief for crabbers. Relief will...

Wildlife researchers tag, track Mediterranean's bluefin: satellite transmitters will document migration patterns to help managers prevent collapse.(NATION/WORLD)
December 1, 2008... Taking up a technique pioneered by American scientists, researchers with the World Wildlife Fund are using satellite data tags to track bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean, hoping to document migratory pathways--and perhaps help managers save the...

Dennis Kavanaugh: Rumson, N.J.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For a half-century, New Jersey clammers have seen pollution problems ebb and flood on the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, as baderia levels determined when they lost ground or regained some modest patches. To...

Linda Greenlaw is charged with fishing Canada's EEZ: fisheries officials fly over, board longliner.(NATION/WORLD)
December 1, 2008... Maine fisherman and best-selling author Linda Greenlaw was arrested by Canadian authorities in late September and charged with illegally fishing in Canadian waters. On Sept. 23, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada surveillance aircraft...

Bar-Maid: salmon gillnetter Dillingham, Alaska.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tyler Korthuis knew what he wanted hen he ventured north to fish his first salmon season at Bristol Bay two years ago. He worked as a deckhand, picked fish until his fingers were raw, and returned to Colorado for the...

Texas waterfront recovering slowly from Hurricane Ike: what remains of Galveston Bay area commercial fishing industry is seriously disrupted.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
December 1, 2008... The pictures don't begin to tell the story of Hurricane Ike, with much of the commercial waterfront in the Galveston Bay area destroyed or badly damaged and enormous amounts of debris from residential areas clogging the bay and offshore waters....

Nicaraguan rundown: Herman Ellis St. Petersburg, Fla.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Crew members on Black Jack I, a 50-foot longliner out of Madeira Beach, Fla., know they are going to eat well. Skipper Herman Ellis, a Nicaragua native who has lived in the United States for 29 years, has a love...

B-liners' quota could get boost from new assessment: N.C. fishermen fear cuts in 'anchor' fishery.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
December 1, 2008... North Carolina fishermen hope a new benchmark assessment for vermilion snapper, also known as B-liners, whizzes through the review process. "We've been told the new assessment shows that vermilion are not in as bad shape as previously...

New England.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(New England Fishery Management Council)
December 1, 2008... The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting recommendations on the development of a comprehensive catch monitoring program for the Atlantic herring fishery. The program must address the need to accurately estimate all catch in...

Western Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended a total allowable catch of 241,000 pounds of seven deepwater bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands for the fishery's Nov. 15 reopening. This TAC represents a 35 percent...

North Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(North Pacific Fishery Management Council)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... In accordance with fishery management plans submitted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, directed fishing for Pacific cod by pot catcher processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area has been suspended through...

Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)
December 1, 2008... To prevent harvest in excess of the total allowable catch, directed fishing for Pacific sardines for the allocation period Sept. 15--Dec. 1 will not take place. Any incidental Pacific sardine landings will be counted against that period's...

Gulf.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)
December 1, 2008... The Louisiana/Mississippi Habitat Protection Advisory Panel of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is meeting Nov. 13 in New Orleans to discuss fishery habitat issues. Topics will include: * the Donaldsonville to Gulf Levee...

South Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(South Atlantic Fishery Management Council)
December 1, 2008... Members of the public are encouraged to submit applications to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for advisory panel seats. Advisory panel members provide information and guidance in the development and implementation of federal...

Mid-Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)
December 1, 2008... At press time the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council was meeting in Kill Devil Hills, N.C. Agenda items included * discussion regarding prioritization and resolution of bycatch issues, including a final version of bycatch pamphlet...

Hey--have you heard the one about too few boats chasing too many fish?(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC SWORDFISH)
December 1, 2008... Even though North Atlantic swordfish stocks have reached the maximum sustainable yield threshold, U.S. fishermen still are unable to harvest the quota they are allowed under international regulations. Market dynamics are complex. The fish...

Landings pace and price pick up, but catch rate, fuel costs thin fleet.(NORTHEAST SURF CLAMS)
December 1, 2008... A years-long shakeout in the surf clam and ocean quahog business has claimed 22 percent of the East Coast sea clamming fleet, culminating in the May 2008 closing of the Eastern Shore Seafood clam plant in Mappsville, Va. By the third...

Prince William Sound humpies propel Alaska landings to exceed predictions.(NORTH PACIFIC SALMON)
December 1, 2008... With a total harvest just shy of 139 million fish for all five species, the 2008 salmon season narrowly exceeded the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's February predictions of 137 million fish. Alaska's salmon harvests have bounced from...

Gillnetters hope San Francisco fishery continues to build on '07-08 success.(PACIFIC HERRING)
December 1, 2008... H'erring fishermen gearing up for the San Francisco fishery are optimistic the 2008-09 season will be all that the 2007-08 season was. At least, some of them are. "Absolutely not," says veteran herring gill netter Ernie Koepf, laughing....

Program highlights: Qwest Field Event Center Seattle, Nov. 20-22.(Pacific: Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... KEYNOTE MARINE FISHERIES IN TRANSITION with Dr. James Baisiger Thursday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Keynote Area--Show Floor This is a time of transition. Yet it is also important to note that effective and appropriate...

2008 show listing.(Pacific Marine Expo)(List)
December 1, 2008... 2008 Show Listing Co. Name Booth # ABB Inc. BU Turbocharger 1053 ABS Americas 811 ACE Air Cargo ...

Marine silk: Green Lubrication Solutions.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 325 GreenLS.com, U.S. distributor for MarineSilk products, provides the ultimate marine engine treatment protecting against saltwater corrosion while radically reducing friction and heat. LubriSilk synthetic grease and hydraulic...

LX2 Helm Chair: Helmchair.com by Llebroc Industries.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Booth 213 The LX2 Helm Chair from Llebroc Industries is one of our four new Series 2 luxury pilot recliners for indoor/ outdoor use. Features include all aluminum construction, UltraLeather all weather material...

New anchor winch line: JK Fabrication/Nordic Products.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 552 New anchor winch line with standard features not found in the industry. Stainless steel or aluminum construction. Stainless fittings and tubing. Motor cover. Heavy duty motor and four-position hydraulic control valve. Winches are...

B29 easy open powerblock: Marco Global.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 1120 Allows quick haulback of interrupted sets. Large diameter sheave for use with herring, sardine, squid or salmon nets. Available with Powergrip, four sizes of motor, hydraulic swivel and swivel tilt options. [ILLUSTRATION...

MAS epoxies non-blushing system: Port Supply/Lifesling.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Booth 604 MAS Epoxies is a two-part epoxy system featuring a simple 2:1 mix ratio, with non-blushing, blendable hardeners and resins. Five specialized fillers make MAS Epoxies a complete system for just about...

First serial hybrid propulsion system: Steyr Motors.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 424 The environmentally friendly hybrid solution not only assures zero emission and low speed maneuvering in harbors, noiseless drive on inland waters and nature reserves, but also eliminates the need for separate generator units for...

Enhanced AMOT G-Valve--three-way rotary temperature control: W & O Supply.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 728 The G-Valve easily integrates into any application, accurately mixes or diverts fluids; engineered for high vibration environments, delivering precise temperature and flow control. Packaged in a compact design reducing...

GME-MT403 series 406 MHz EPIRBs: Whiffletree.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)
December 1, 2008... Booth 421 * Unrivalled in technology, reliability. * Groundbreaking patent-pending microprocessor based design delivers unparalleled performance. * Zero warm-up digital technology. * Highly reliable digital strobe. *...

Survival dry immersion suit: Whites Manufacturing.(NEW PRODUCTS: See these new products and more on display at Pacific Marine Expo)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Booth 6O6 Whites Manufacturing is now offering a newly certified immersion suit. As one of the largest military drysuit suppliers, Whites uses 50 years of experience to create the Survival Dry. A unique zipper configuration, Polytex seals...

Salmon set-up: the fleet is ready, but the fish--and the processors--get the last word.(Cover story)
December 1, 2008... The waters of Bristol Bay might pass for anywhere else in the vast near-shore waters of the Bering Sea if not for a curious array of specks--hundreds of drift boats--defining the gray waters of its fabled fishing districts. We're 1,400...

Puppy love: a consensus is emerging that it's time for a directed fishery for dogfish.(Fact finders)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the deck of the dragger Darana R, a crew of research scientists is counting fish on the inner continental shelf, documenting what fishermen have been saying for years: The spiny dogfish are back. "We actually...

Sound advice: getting a stereo system to crank tunes at sea requires thought and planning.(Boats & Gear: Audio equipment)
December 1, 2008... Don't tell me. The stereo system you bought at the auto parts store failed after less than one season. The speakers were the first to go, giving out a muddy, mushy sound and not long after that becoming unintelligible. And somewhere along...

Thoroughly modern outboards: the quest for speed and OMC's demise: outboards Part 2.(Boats & Gear: Engine history)
December 1, 2008... In 1936, after OMC purchased the Johnson Motor Co., all of the key players in the fledgling outboard industry--Elto, Evinrude, Lockwood and Johnson--were together under the same corporate roof. The new company dominated the market with some...

Front-end jobs: an Oregon boatyard has new wheelhouse installation down to a science.(Boats & Gear: Boatbuilding)
December 1, 2008... The call came into Yaquina Boat Equipment's Doug Alldridge. "I hope you have that house done, because we just split a [welded] seam," said the skipper on a steel trawler, in the middle of a storm somewhere off the Alaska coast. ...

Two Mass. boatyards merge; tuna boat is wheelchair kindly.(NORTHEAST)
December 1, 2008... In August, two New England boatyards, each with more than 100 years of hauling and repairing commercial fishing boats, joined forces. Fairhaven Shipyard & Marina in Fairhaven, Mass., bought out its neighboring shipyard, D.N. Kelley & Son, also...

Oregon yard gets biggest job; bulb makes seiner smoother.(WEST)(on the lengthening of 'Chellisa' by Giddings Boat Works, and on Seaview North Boatyard's repair of seiners)
December 1, 2008... In November 2007, Ray Cox, the owner of the boatyard Tarheel Aluminum in Charleston, Ore., bought the boatyard next door, Giddings Boat Works. The boatyard's name remains the same, and when Cox and his crew get done with their current project,...

New scalloper built in Florida; 'Bama yard recycles shrimpers.(SOUTH)
December 1, 2008... Duckworth Steel Boats of Tarpon Springs, Fla., just launched the third of four sisterships bound for the Atlantic scallop fishery. John W. Gilbert Associates of Hingham, Mass., designed all four boats. The recent launching was in August. It...

Furuno fishfinder goes digital: first for commercial sector offers better resolution and bottom reading.(Product roundup)(FCV1150)
December 1, 2008... Furuno's newest fishfinder,, the FCV1150, is also the company s first commercial-grade digital fish finder. "The digital part of it is a huge thing," says Furuno's Jeff Kauzlaric. The fishfinder's digital faltering presents a display with...

Three navigation systems in one: CrossRate filters misleading position data.(Product roundup)
December 1, 2008... A fisherman in a California harbor mounted a television antenna on his boat and coupled it to his GPS. The result? He jammed GPS coverage for the harbor. It took a month to figure out why GPS wasn't working in the area. "GPS has...

Performance Metals just introduced its Securecore Pencil Anodes for protecting engines and heat exchangers against corrosion.(At a glance)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PERFORMANCE METALS just introduced its SECURECORE PENCIL ANODES for protecting engines and heat exchangers against corrosion. Unlike other pencil anodes, Performance Metals' product is designed so anode chunks won't...

Alfa Laval has long been involved in designing freshwater generators.(At a glance)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALFA LAVAL has long been involved in designing freshwater generators. Its newest plate-based generator is the AQUA freshwater generator. It is the first to have 3-in-1 plate technology, where the evaporation,...

Shakespeare Electronic Products Group gives you a high-speed wireless connection with the compact, low-profile CruiseNet CN-1200.(At a glance)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SHAKESPEARE ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS GROUP gives you a high-speed wireless connection with the compact, low-profile CRUISENET CN-1200. Just connect a computer to surf the Internet, get e-mail or send photos and music with...

Marine Flotation Products has something for the marina or dock owner who is suddenly faced with a sinking boat.(At a glance)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MARINE FLOTATION PRODUCTS has something for the marina or dock owner who is suddenly faced with a sinking boat. It's the VESSEL RETRIEVER, which consists of two inflatable pontoons in a catamaran configuration. There...

Northrop Grumman is bringing out a new group of multisensor speed logs.(At a glance)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NORTHROP GRUMMAN is bringing out a new group of multisensor speed logs. The NAVIKNOT 600 series is being marketed under the SPERRY MARINE brand. The speed logs are based on a satellite speed sensor that yields dual...

J.K. Fabrication is manufacturing a new line of through-hull deck and bulkhead fittings.(At a glance)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] J.K. FABRICATION is manufacturing a new line of through-hull deck and bulkhead FITTINGS. Made from 316 stainless steel, the fittings are for high-pressure hydraulic oil, water or air. Standard sizes range from 1/4...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
December 1, 2008... DEC. 3-5 International WorkBoat Show Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans * www.workboatshow.com The International WorkBoat Show is the largest commercial marine trade show in North America. The offerings include 1,000...

Cape Cod Fisheries Trust.(ON THE MOVE)
December 1, 2008... PAUL PARKER, longtime executive director of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association in North Chatham, Mass., stepped down this fall to become the coordinator of the CAPE COD FISHERIES TRUST. The trust is a new program at the...

2008 marks the fifth consecutive year that the National Marine Manufacturers Association has awarded Alpharetta, Ga.-based Honda Marine with the Customer Satisfaction Index Award.(COMPANY NEWS)
December 1, 2008... 2008 marks the fifth consecutive year that the National Marine Manufacturers Association has awarded Alpharetta, Ga.-based HONDA MARINE with the Customer Satisfaction Index Award. The CSI AWARD recognizes companies that measure customer...

For the third straight year, Furuno has been honored with the National Marine Electronics Association's Manufacturer of the Year--Support award.(COMPANY NEWS)
December 1, 2008... For the third straight year, FURUNO has been honored with the National Marine Hectronics Association's MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR--Support award. "There is no way a company can win without the team effort of its employees, who consistently...

Point Reyes, Calif.(Last set)
December 1, 2008... Chuck Loeffler (left) and Cathal McDaid haul Dungeness pots aboard the Mr. Morgan, out of California's Half Moon Bay in December 2007. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]