National Fisherman articles from February 2004

National Fisherman archives from February 2004

Opportunity hammers.(Editor's Log)
February 1, 2004... From Maine to Alaska to Hawaii, many fishermen face an uncertain future, whether the reason is stock abundance, market forces or politics. Fishing has never been a sure thing, but at least, we thought, there was always tomorrow. Now we aren't...

Fishing back when.
February 1, 2004... 50 YEARS AGO this month The pastoral summer image of a lobster shack at Cape Porpoise, its side speckled with buoys, belies the harsher realities of Maine winter. Most fishermen have landed their gear for the winter, and in some harbors...

A rescue gone wrong.
February 1, 2004... You know what would he a refreshing change of pace? A commercial fishing related book that isn't about tragedy. If the general public knows nothing else about the fishing industry, they know that it is indeed the most dangerous occupation...

Mass. should rethink striped bass regulations.(Forum)
February 1, 2004... The Massachusetts commercial striped bass fishery in many ways is a model commercial fishery as it is conducted by size and species-selective gear type, offers equal opportunity, harvests a delicious and desired product from a robust resource,...

Men overboard.(Consequences)
February 1, 2004... Late one evening in mid March, a shrimp boat was fishing 40 miles northwest of Port Canaveral, Fla., when the captain told his crew to pull the nets up. During haulback, the captain noticed that a sugar line (which connects the lazy lines,...

Future ocean policy must include all resource users.(To the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Last November I attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., called "Managing our National Fisheries: Past, Present and Future." All the councils were very well represented, not to mention the commercial fishing industry. Fishing organizations from...

Surveyor has more advice for straightening shafts.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Re: "Staying in Line," NF Dec. '03, p. 48... A good article on the subject. I offer a couple of extra thoughts that may also help. Based upon sound engineering principles, the distance between tire forward end of the propeller hub and the...

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail Buoy)
February 1, 2004... The Cove is pretty much empty with everybody on winter hiatus. All 'cept Amos up at the store who stays open only one hour in the mornin', the rest of the time is by appointment only with a 10 percent overtime surcharge f'convenience. Best...

How the West was won.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... On Dec. 4, 2003, 92 fishing vessels stopped fishing for West Coast groundfish. Their owners are participating in-an industry and federally supported buyback program that means a much brighter future for those who will continue to fish, and a...

Reader seeks references to oily survival technique.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... While nut in offshore fishing, I nevertheless come form sea people of the Great Lakes, have 20 years on the water in Alaska and more recently live with my boats in Alameda, Calif. I read National Fisherman to slay abreast of matters political,...

State muscle now behind La. shrimp trade action: executive order issued to create board to oversee role in multi-state anti-dumping effort.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
February 1, 2004... Unexpected intervention by an outgoing governor threw the state of Louisiana's official weight behind plans for trade actions against shrimp imports, as lawyers in Washington, D.C., brushed finishing touches on their tariff petitions. Gov....

Return of 'black water' raises pollution concerns: fish scarce in dark mass in Florida Keys.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
February 1, 2004... Not quite two years from its first appearance, fishermen--and imaging satellites--have once again observed a puzzling "black water" incident in Southwest Florida. The October incident was short lived. But fishermen are worried and doubt...

Officials put lobster trap reduction plan on hold: Fla. harvesters win three-year moratorium.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
February 1, 2004... After three years of poor to mediocre spiny lobster landings, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agreed at a November meeting to temporarily suspend and re evaluate the state's lobster trap reduction program. The trap...

U.S., Canada sign treaty to protect whiting stocks: fishing industries in both countries work together to ensure fishery's future will be healthy.(Pacific)
February 1, 2004... Federal officials from Canada and the United States signed a treaty' at Fish Expo Seattle in November that promises a better future for the Pacific whiting fishery--one designed primarily by the fishing industries from both countries. ...

Buyback program thins West Coast trawl fleet: removes 92 vessels, plus related permits.(Pacific)
February 1, 2004... After years of work almost since the limited entry permit program went into effect nearly a decade ago--a federal groundfish buyback program removed 92 of the 263 trawl vessels from the West Coast fishery in November. It also brought...

Homeport: where we live: Shady side, MD.
February 1, 2004... THE TOWN Population: 5,600 Number of boats: 50 TOP SPECIES LANDED IN 2002 Maryland categorizes landings by where fish are caught (the bay, specific rivers), not by where they're sold. Top landings for the South and West...

Town wrestles with liquefied natural gas proposal: Maine fishing village would gain $8m annually, but lobstermen wary of project's impact.(Northeast)
February 1, 2004... A Proposal to build a $350 million liquefied natural gas terminal in Harpswell, Maine, has fishermen there pondering their future. Some fear the LNG tankers delivering at the proposed facility will destroy lobster gear and that the...

Corps prepares to blitz bay with native oysters: cites success seeding Chesapeake reefs.(Northeast)
February 1, 2004... When Doug Martin of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers referred to "carpet bombing" Chesapeake Bay at a statewide press conference on Nov. 21, he wasn't discussing military strategy. Rather, he was referring to spreading millions of disease...

John Guth: Vista, Calif.(Snapshot: who we are)
February 1, 2004... John Guth, 62, has been lobstering in Southern California for 40 years and has no plans on retiring anytime soon. Why should he? Lobstering has been and continues to be good to him. In late November, he had a few hundred traps set in and...

New loan fund will aid waterfront businesses: Maine project to aid coastal communities.
February 1, 2004... In November. Portland, Maine-based Coastal Enterprises Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation, announced the establishment of the Maine Working Waterfront Loan Fund, which provides low cost financing and technical resources to the...

Seiners head for court in Maritimes herring feud: blockades on Prince Edward Island mark battle with New Brunswick over boundary line.(Canada)
February 1, 2004... As the Maritimes herring season ended in early December, a fetid between Prince Edward Island inshore fishermen and New Brunswick seiners was hound for court. The dispute included blockades on Prince Edward Island of trucks carrying...

2004 quota is unfair, P.E.I. tuna fleet asserts: contend DFO tilts to Nova Scotia boats.(Canada)
February 1, 2004... Federal Minster of Fisheries and Oceans Robert Thibault's allocation of the 2004 bluefin tuna quotas for Atlantic Canada has riled Prince Edward Island fishermen. Thibault decreased Prince Edward Island's quota and increased the Nova...

Capt. Jack: shrimp trawler.(Boat of the Month)
February 1, 2004... Though a lot of wooden trawlers built in the old St. Augustine, Fla., shipyards during the heyday of shrimping are still towing nets in the South Atlantic, there are fewer of them every year. Fewer still haven't been C-Flexed or otherwise...

Fiber optic future ahead for stock assessments: 2,000 miles of cable to help monitor fish.(Canada)
February 1, 2004... A U.S.-Canada joint scientific ocean monitoring project aims to help better predict fish stocks in the future. Canada's portion of the North-East Pacific Time-series Under sea Networked Experiments, or NEPTUNE project, has received...

Circuit court rules Exxon settlement figure excessive: punitive damage sum for Valdez oil spill may now be just a fraction of $5 billion award.(North Pacific)
February 1, 2004... In what fishermen are calling the latest in a series of travesties barring them from rightful claims to punitive damages from Valdez oil spill, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a $5 billion settlement against Exxon is excessive....

Ketchikan plan includes funds far fish industry: $7m cold storage facility among projects.(North Pacific)
February 1, 2004... Ketchikan could make good use of $162 million to boost its commercial fishing industry, shipyard trades and tourist economy, according to recommendations outlined a recent maritime study. The $450,000 study, completed by TranSystems Corp....

Vension veg-all surprise: Chris McDowell, Juneau, Alaska.(Galley watch: at-sea cuisine)
February 1, 2004... This venison recipe makes good use of that white rice and those cans of corn and mushrooms that have been hanging around the galley forever. Concocted by Chris McDowell, a Bristol Bay salmon fisherman by summer and data guru with Alaska's...

NMFS conference message: U.S. can manage fish: three-day Washington, D.C., session touts agency's strides in governing nation's fisheries.(National)
February 1, 2004... Stocks come and go, but folks always like to talk fishing. Catchers, buyers and sellers of fish as well as advocates of all stripes convened in Washington this fall for NMFS' first national conference devoted to fisheries governance. ...

Satellite hookup helps Hogarth deliver address: Fish Expo speech beamed in from Ireland.(National)
February 1, 2004... NMFS director Bill Hogarth honored tradition by delivering the keynote address at Fish Expo Seattle. But he relied on a satellite feed to do so, and he almost didn't make it. Hogarth, who has been a regular at the Seattle trade show, was...

Northeast: blue crab: crustaceans crawling out of water illustrate ills ailing Chesapeake Bay.(Market Report)
February 1, 2004... Environmentalists ill Chesapeake Bay seeking an image to galvanize public opinion the way the Lake Erie fire in 1969 convinced people that something needed to be done to save the Great Lakes need look no further. Last summer blue crabs...

Gulf/South Atlantic shrimp: fleet hopes price pendulum is set to swing back in its favor in 2004.(Market Report)
February 1, 2004... Early 2004 is a wait and-see time for South Atlantic and Gull of Mexico shrimpers. Will the Southern Shrimp Alliance's efforts to "level the playing field" with imports succeed? If they don't--or even if they do--can American consumers be...

North Pacific urchin roe: high quality Russian product poses challenge to Alaska dive industry.(Market Report)
February 1, 2004... Facing stiff competition from Russia's urchin roe imports over mainstay out lets in Japan, Alaska's dive industry may have tough times ahead ill terms of liquidating product, much less raising market value. The strength of the Japanese yen...

Pacific pink shrimp: combination of factors indicate fleet will enjoy higher dock prices.(Market Report)
February 1, 2004... Shrimpers stung by low prices the past few years may be in for a pleasant surprise when the season opens again in April. A combination of lower production in 2003, fewer permit owners actively fishing and a new price negotiation tool in...

Fish tac-tics: Massachusetts longliners change course and opt for a total allowable catch.(Cod Blessed)
February 1, 2004... For the past few years, the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, based in Chatham, Mass., has been a vocal opponent of individual fishing quotas in the United States, condemning IFQs as the first step toward the corporatization of...

2 for the home team: Karen Bell of the gulf council and Cortez, Fla., from which she hails, have both stood up to adversity.(In Profile)
February 1, 2004... Florida's net ban might have meant the end of Cortez and its fishing community, which includes numerous boats, the families who own and operate them, and a long and proud tradition. And fishery politics might have cost Karen Bell, of the...

Crab crazy: Phil Lafata and the crew of the Andiamo just can't wait to fish the Puget Sound Dungeness grounds.(At Sea)
February 1, 2004... At 8 a.m. on a foggy fall morning near Bellingham, Wash., three men begin launching a load of crab pots from the stout 36-foot bowpicker Andiamo. Despite the fog, the calm seas offer perfect weather for opening day of the 2003-04 Puget Sound...

Power hungry: Maine's go-fast lobster boats require a few extra horses to be pulled out of a fisherman's engine.(Some Race)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... There's a Canadian Tractor-Pull competitor who, for five or six seconds, gets 5,000 hp out of air old diesel school bus engine. If you need something that will last a bit longer, maybe as much as a few hundred hours, and you have $78,000 lying...

Cleaner machines: marine diesel manufacturers are redesigning engines to comply with EPA emission requirements.(Some Pace)
February 1, 2004... Whether it's for practical el aesthetic reasons, many people question the use of diesel-powered cars. They might ask someone who drives one, "What is it you like about diesels? Is it the smell or the noise?" Beyond that, public groups are...

The will to win: what it means to put everything on the line for one of Maine's lobster-boat racers.(Boats & gear: diesels 2004)
February 1, 2004... Your heart is pounding. The noise in your head is almost as loud as the roar of the engine. As your white knuckles slowly release from the throttle, the announcement blurts across the radio: another first place victory. This happens many times...

Glenn Steel * Foxwells, Va.(Engine Switch)
February 1, 2004... Glenn Steel of Foxwells, Va., fishes the Hard Times a 43' x 15' x 5' Torrez fiberglass boat. from his fish house near the mouth of the Antiposion Creek, just a stone's throw from Chesapeake Bay. Steel works the vessel n the bay's deepwater...

2004 diesel lineup.
February 1, 2004... The horsepower ratings, weights and dimensions for each diesel depend on specific applications--reduction gears, PTOs, running gear, climatic conditions and the like. To determine the output rating that is most appropriate for your boat, we...

Tommy Tressler * Seward, Alaska.(Engine Switch)
February 1, 2004... When one of "Tommy Tressler's old D-343 Cats was nearing 45,000 horns and he saw a used one for sale in Petersburg, he bought and had it hauled north to his homeport of Seward. "The new one has real low hours, only about 8,000," says Tressler....

Richard Burgess * Gloucester, Mass.(Switch Engine)
February 1, 2004... Gloucester fishermen Richard Burgess decided to repower his 46-foot gillnetter, the Heidi & Heather, in early 2002 when its Detroit Diesel, which had been in the boat since it was built in 1979, blew up. It might have been possible to...

George Knight * Brunswick, Ga.(Switch Engine)
February 1, 2004... George Knight doesn't want to knock the venerable Detroit 12V-71, but after 25 years and 125,000 hours it was time for a change. "The other engine was pretty well worn out," says Knight, captain of the 64' 5" shrimp trawler Morning Star So...

Chris Young * Matinicus Island, Maine.(Switch Engine)
February 1, 2004... There are all sorts of reasons for repowering. Chris Young, a Maine lobsterman from Matinicus Island, says the reason he repowered is because "I needed to spend some money." Once that decision was made, he picked a new Cummins to replace the...

Rusty Higgins * Cordova, Alaska.(Switch Engine)
February 1, 2004... Though fuel economy has forever been a big factor in choosing marine power, extra ponies become paramount every time Rusty Higgins crosses through the breakers on his way home to Cordova. The trick to crossing the flats that separate the harbor...

All charged up: successfully monitoring your batteries can mean the difference between catching a tide or not having enough juice to run your bilge pump.(Boats & gear: voltage vigilance)
February 1, 2004... It begins with the batteries, every trip, every day's hauling. What if the batteries don't have enough charge capacity to start the engines? What if the alternator or regulator fails and your charging sources aren't supplying enough current...

Tracking progress: if you want AIS capability, black box flexibility or both, the latest generation of radars should have what you need.(Boats & gear: navigation)
February 1, 2004... The move to black-box radars, which liberate operators from stand alone units with a predetermined monitor size and position, is a continual trend in marine electronics. This year, more manufacturers are offering this option. In addition,...

Canadian boats sail to N.J.; lightweight 40-footer finished.(North)
February 1, 2004... There's no doubt about it, the McNulty's--Tom, Sr. and Jr.--of Cape May, N. J., like the boats built at the shop of Donelle Boat Builder in Shemogne, New Brunswick, Canada. In May, Tom McNulty Sr. took home the Miss Linda, a Donelle 35....

Wooden schooners repaired; 58-foot seiner gets new bow.(West)
February 1, 2004... In early fall, fishing boats turn away flora the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and head south for winter maintenance. Many of them steam into Puget Sound and make the trip through the Government Locks to tie up at one of the piers at the...

Desco hulls being built again; new skiff heads for Potomac.(South)
February 1, 2004... For a successful, long term boatbuilding business, diversification and remembering the things that made the business successful are important survival traits. Sometimes success comes from dusting off an old mold or two and going back to the...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... JAN. 20-22 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting Holiday Inn Select, Alexandria, Va. Contact: Marla Trollan, MAFMC 300 South New St., Room 2115 Dover, DE 19904 (302) 674-2331 * mtrollan@mafmc.org JAN....

Avoiding attachments: Prop Speed, from New Zealand, will help keep your metal surfaces barnacle-free.(Product Roundup)
February 1, 2004... Ever notice when you paint any metal--other than the hull--below the waterline, how the paint usually doesn't stay on? You end up with barnacles and other forms of sea life attached to the rudder, shaft and keel cooler. Of course, that ends...

Fisherman of the year.(Inside the Industry)
February 1, 2004... REID TENKLEY (far right) of Vancouver, Wash., and the F/V Chulyen was named West Coast Fisherman of the Year at Fish Expo WorkBoat 2003 in Seattle in November. Tenkley, winner of the knot-tying event, squared off against NENO ISAKOVIC (far...

The New England Seafood Producers Association.(On the Move)
February 1, 2004... The New England Seafood Producers Association has elected executive officials for 2004. CHARLIE DIPESA, president of F.J. O'Hara and Sons in Boston, will serve as president and TED HEIDENREICH, president of Packaging Products Corp., New...

Alcan Baltek.(On the Move)
February 1, 2004... ROB MAZZA, professional engineer and naval architect with mole than 30 years at experience in the design and construction of custom and production fiberglass boats, took over direction of ALCAN BALTEK'S global marine applications. He will be...

Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co.(On the Move)
February 1, 2004... MANKIEWICZ GEBR. & CO., Germany's 100 year old coatings manufacturer, is entering the U.S. marine market with its new ALEXSEAL coatings system, an above the water system of fairing compounds, primers and high-gloss topcoats. Spearheading this...

Dieslecraft Fluid Engineering.(Company News)
February 1, 2004... DIESLECRAFT FLUID ENGINEERING of Richmond, Va., is seeking a limited number of diesel powered equipment owners who have chronic fuel problems to test a new design of its fuel stabilizers. Test subjects will be supplied with a mechanical device...

Sea Tel.(Company News)
February 1, 2004... SEA TEL, Concord. Calif. based manufacturer of marine stabilized antenna systems, was awarded "Best of Show" at the 2003 National Marine Electronics Association Convention for the WaveCall Model 3000 voice and data marine satellite antenna...

Wellman Sports Marketing.(Company News)
February 1, 2004... WELLMAN SPORTS MARKETING recently became the newest addition to Turning Point Propellers' sales team. Wellman's territory extends from the upper Midwest and East to the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. A staff headquartered in the Minnesota...

Furuno.(Company News)
February 1, 2004... FURUNO, Carols, Wash,-based manufacturer of marine electronics, was honored with nine awards at the 2003 National Marine Electronics Association Convention in Fort Meyers, Fla. The company's FR2105 took top honors in the commercial radar...

Seaclear Industries.(Company News)
February 1, 2004... SEACLEAR INDUSTRIES, a division of the Tenacious Corp. has relocated its manufacturing facilities from Woodinville, Wash., to Las Vegas. Company president Scott Sperbeck says, "We took a long and hard look at the decision to relocate. With the...

Defend your vessel against the cold: Electro Plastics' Step Marine offers a warm reception for an icy boat.
February 1, 2004... There's nothing like a good coating of ice to add a lot of weight to your boat and ruin its stability. At the same time, the ice makes your decks slippery enough to bring a smile to the nearest personal-injury lawyer. The tried-and-true...

Anchor Concepts has developed a Hydrobubble Breakaway Anchor suitable for boats up to 30 feet.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... ANCHOR CONCEPTS has developed a HYDROBUBBLE BREAKAWAY ANCHOR suitable for boats up to 30 feet. The anchor will not release under normal forward pull when anchored, but will disengage with only 60-80 pounds of upward pull if the anchor becomes...

Valvtect has released Marine Premium Diesel Fuel specially formulated for heavy-duty marine engines.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... VALVTECT has released MARINE PREMIUM DIESEL FUEL specially formulated for heavy-duty marine engines. The fuel features BioGuard micro-biocide to eliminate bacteria. Special additives also disperse moisture, stabilize the fuel, lubricate, and...

Origo introduces a selection of Stainless Steel Sinks in various sizes and shapes for the marine industry.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... ORIGO introduces a selection of STAINLESS STEEL SINKS in various sizes and shapes for the marine industry. An exclusive feature on the sinks is a cutting board and hinged glass lid or countertop. The company says that the glass lid is not only...

Marineeast introduces the Max Flow Cyclodial Elbow to enhance the drainage of water from the cockpit and baitwell.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... MARINEEAST introduces the MAX FLOW CYCLODIAL ELBOW to enhance the drainage of water from the cockpit and baitwell. With a 100-degree elbow and the option of a 2 inch L head dram, the company says the speed of drainage can be doubled. Instead of...

Sea-Fire Marine now offers its new C-series "Clean Agent" Portable Fire Extinguishers containing FM-200 gaseous extinguishing agent.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... SEA-FIRE MARINE now offers its new C-SERIES "CLEAN AGENT" PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS containing FM-200 gaseous extinguishing agent. Sea-Fire's C-50 and C-100 portable extinguishers are available with 5 3/4 and 10 3/4 pounds of FM 200, which...

Rough Hand Repair has created a HAND OINTMENT designed for mariners and others whose activities or environment cause severe dryness in their hands or additional areas of the skin.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... ROUGH HAND REPAIR has created a HAND OINTMENT designed for mariners and others whose activities or environment cause severe dryness in their hands or additional areas of the skin. The company says their ointment can cut healing time by nearly...

Clean Seas Co. says its new OUTDRIVE CLEAR COAT prevents barnacles, oysters, clams and bacteria settlement from forming on the outdrive housing.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... CLEAN SEAS CO. says its new OUTDRIVE CLEAR COAT prevents barnacles, oysters, clams and bacteria settlement from forming on the outdrive housing. The environmentally-friendly antifouling resin utilizes a patented microbiological enzyme...

Steyr Motors now offers its model 236, 212-HP Turbocharged Diesel Engine with a six-cylinder, monoblock design and lightweight components.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... STEYR MOTORS now offers its model 236, 212-HP TURBOCHARGED DIESEL ENGINE with a six cylinder, monoblock design and lightweight components. The engine utilizes an electronically controlled management system and patented, two-stage unit injector...

West System's new 404 High-Density Filler was developed for maximum physical properties in hardware bonding where high-cyclic loads are expected.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... WEST SYSTEM's new 404 HIGH-DENSITY FILLER was developed for maximum physical properties in hardware bonding where high cyclic loads are expected. The filler is an off-white powder that, when mixed with epoxy, cures to an exceptionally strong...

Water Witch has released the solid-state electronic and automatic 257 Dual Pump Bilge Switch that will not pump hydrocarbons like oil, gasoline or diesel fuel into the water.(At A Glance)
February 1, 2004... WATER WITCH has released the solid-state electronic and automatic 257 DUAL PUMP BILGE SWITCH that will not pump hydrocarbons like oil, gasoline or diesel fuel into the water. Stainless steel sensors measure the dielectric constant of the liquid...

Gold for the golden years.(Finance)
February 1, 2004... Retirement is a primary financial planning issue. There are several myths on what retirement really is. We have been led to believe that retirement means that you are old, you stop working, your level of usefulness has diminished, your...

Last set.
February 1, 2004... SKIPPER JACK LAING of the driftnetter Jodan, a veteran of nearly 20 years in Southeast Alaska's gillnet fishery, picks king salmon (and avoids jellyfish) during an opening last summer. 2003 was the first time in the memory of some observers...