National Fisherman articles from February 2005

National Fisherman archives from February 2005

Outsmarted.(Editor's Log)(eating fish)
February 1, 2005... As Ronald Reagan might have said, here they go again. The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is arguing that fish are sensitive, intelligent creatures that don't deserve to be eaten. There's no question that fish respond to...

50 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
February 1, 2005... The Maine Legislature is expected to consider a bill that would prohibit lobster dragging in state waters. The bill has the support of the Maine Lobstermen's Association. Already filed are bills that would repeal a 25-cents-per-box fine for...

30 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
February 1, 2005... The U.S. Senate passes a bill to extend the U.S. fishing zone to 200 miles offshore. The margin of victory, 68-27, surprised even the bill's supporters. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Warren Magnuson (D-Wash.) is also expected to pass in...

10 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
February 1, 2005... Flexing her muscle, the salmon netter Alex H roars through the Naknek district of Bristol Bay, Alaska. The cover sets the stage for National Fisherman's annual issue paying homage to diesel engines. Users of marine engines are nervous about...

Cultivating a generation of fishermen.(Leaving Protection)(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... LEAVING PROTECTION By Will Hobbs HarperCollins, 2004 Hardcover, 178 pp., $15.99 The commercial fishing industry has no shortage of smart, knowledgeable veteran harvesters. But who's going to take their place someday? Take Alaska's...

Travails of the Modern Fisherman.(Dock Talk)(Poem)
February 1, 2005... Travails of the Modern Fisherman Fishing is not a job, To most pliers of our trade, We are caught up in sirens' songs, That we do not seek to evade. Circe and Calypso Are sirens marvelous to behold, And...

Improper attire.(Consequences)(Personal Flotation Device)
February 1, 2005... On Oct. 22, 2002, a crewman on a fishing vessel involved in a rescue on the Bering Sea was struck by a wave while securing a life raft. He disappeared over the side and is presumed drowned. The weather at the time featured winds from the...

Chesapeake Bay oyster solution is shortsighted.(To the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Recent articles in the news have discussed the extraordinary decline in Chesapeake Bay oyster stocks over the last 20 years, and proposed efforts to augment, if not completely replace, the native stocks with a foreign species. I don't know...

Shark fishery advocate says Atlantic industry in trouble.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... First, I'd like to congratulate Maureen Milne Donald on her article in the December 2004 National Fisherman titled "Shark Ravin' Mad" [p. 26], about how the Atlantic shark fishery has been tremendously affected by a complicated series of events...

Correction.(Mail Buoy)(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2005... In the December '04 Northeast Market Report on surf clams, a quote from James Weinberg, Ph.D., a research biologist at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Mass., should have read, "We have not crunched the numbers so we don't...

Setting goals.(A Letter from Bill Hogarth)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... It's a new year, time to set some goals for the future and to reminisce on the past. I expect to see the same kind of steady improvements in recovery of our resources as we also continue to improve our scientific understanding and management....

Cap'n Sane says ...(Christmas party)
February 1, 2005... In keeping with the political morals mood of the country our Christmas Party chairman, Beulah Banning, mandated that our Cove party this year would be more a religious and moral mug-up than the usual sneaky Gage rum punch affair. ...

Reserves offer hope for native Chesapeake oysters: scientists, harvesters have three productive sites in Maryland project to outfox diseases.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Facing historic losses from continuing parasitic diseases, oystermen and scientists in Maryland are trying an experiment: plant disease-flee seed in selected sites, let the filter-feeding bivalves grow past the legal cull size and perhaps boost...

Regulators stretch out northern shrimp season: strong recruitment leads to 70-day fishery.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... New England shrimpers received a welcome Christmas gift from regulators--a 2004-05 season nearly double that of the previous season. For 2003-04, regulators granted a 40-day season, but this time gave a 70-day season primarily because of a...

Managers reject effort to limit menhaden fleet: but will probe 'localized depletion' claims.(Northeast)(Omega Protein)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Already chased out of nearshore ocean waters by political pressure in some mid-Atlantic states, Omega Protein Corp. and its fishermen won a round when the menhaden board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission decided against...

New minimum size for bluefin targets Europeans: 14-pound limit intended to protect smaller fish in eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.(International)(International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' regulations)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Fishermen targeting bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea will be subject to higher minimum sizes for their catch under new regulations approved in November by the International Commission for the Conservation of...

UK, Irish look to boost supply of seed mussels: wild spat acquisition becoming a problem.(International)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Potential problems in securing enough wild spat for the mussel industry are driving efforts to develop a spat-hatchery technology in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Daniel O'Shea Sr., who with his son, Dan, owns and operates Adrigole...

Plant closure 'devastates' Newfoundland community: one resident in seven is out of work, union leader says, blaming global market for cod.(Canada)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The closing of the Fishery Products International processing plant in Harbour Breton, Newfoundland, is "devastating," says Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union. "This closing has put 350 people out of work in...

Home port: where we live: Pemaquid Village, Bristol, Maine.
February 1, 2005... THE TOWN Population: The population of Bristol is 2,682. Number of boats: About 30 LANDINGS IN 2003 Because of the small number of fish dealers in Pemaquid, NMFS does not release weight value information regarding individual...

Lawsuit filed to resolve herring boundary issue: P.E.I. suit seeks solutions to several disputes.(Canada)(Prince Edward Island)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A boundary dispute between Prince Edward Island inshore fishermen and New Brunswick herring seiners that ended in violence and vandalism last season is heading to court this year. Prince Edward Island fishermen maintain that the seiners are...

Alaska gives tanner crabbers shots in both arms: strong recruitment allows state to double bairdi quota, from 795,000 to 1.75m pounds.(North Pacific)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Double the quota. That's the best news in a long time for the tanner crab fleet plying the waters near Kodiak. This season's 1.75 million pound quota for tanners more than doubles last year's 795,000 pounds. It isn't that some didn't see...

Second time is a charm for crab-vessel buyout: NMFS, with new figures, reduces fleet.(North Pacific)(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The second attempt to cull the Bering Sea crab fleet came off successfully in November. The bidding process, part of a $98 million loan program, will reduce the fleet by 25 boats in time for 2005 opilio and red king crab seasons. The...

Federal habitat plan angers advocates for salmon: Bush administration would cut protection by 50 to 80%; also, Klamath River worrisome.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Scientists, fishermen and environmental groups were outraged after two incidents in November and December indicated changes detrimental to salmon populations. One was a report of Klamath River salmon showing widespread disease and...

Blackcod with Chinese mustard sauce: Karen and Eric Olsen, Seattle, Wash.(Galley watch: at-sea cuisine)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... This dish comes from a recipe that Karen Olsen found in a Seattle weekly publication about eight years ago. It has since been a favorite for days when the weather and fishing schedule call for firing up the barbie. She and her husband, Eric,...

Split Dungeness opening fuels fishery's frustration: meat recovery rates concern processors.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A split opening for Dungeness crab frustrated fishermen and processors as the primary ocean season opened Dec. 1. Negotiations in Oregon yielded a price of $1.50 a pound for the first 30 days, with the provision that the price would drop to...

Humboldt squid head north as waters warm: Calif. denizens surprise Washingtonians.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Unusually large numbers of Humboldt squid--a species most often found off California and points south--showed up on Washington beaches in early fall in 2004, surprising local residents. Dosidicus gigas, also called jumbo flying squid, is...

Red grouper closure catches fishermen by surprise: shift in effort following deepwater shutdown may have set the stage for NMFS' action.(Gulf/South Atlantic)(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Grouper fishermen were facing a bleak Christmas after the 2004 fishery ended unexpectedly early when NMFS ordered a six-week closure. Upon learning the red grouper quota had been filled, NMFS closed shallow-water grouper fishing from Nov....

Hurricane, deterioration close oyster beds in Ala.: harvesters call for state program for reefs.(Gulf/South Atlantic)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Progressive deterioration of Alabama's public oyster beds and storm surge damage from Hurricane Ivan have combined to shut down the Yellowhammer state's oyster harvest. While fishermen there say they welcome aid programs that could result...

Jack Knutsen Seattle, Wash.(Snapshot: who we are)(fisherman)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Jack Knutsen has been a halibut and blackcod fisherman based in Seattle for almost 50 years. He's been involved in fishing issues for nearly as long as a member of the Seattle-based Fishing Vessel Owners Association. "If you have something...

Electric 'fence' to keep Asian carp from Great Lakes: barrier should deny invaders, which threaten native stocks, canal that is their sole ingress.(National)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... To stop hungry bottom-feeding fish such as Asian carp from spreading into Lake Michigan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will build an underwater electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the only direct link between the...

White House is difficult to read on ocean policy: green groups uneasy; industry uncertain.(National)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Bush administration's response to recommendations for ocean policy changes contained in major reports released last year is perceived as less than energetic by some environmental groups, whose leaders question the extent of funding and...

Kit Kat too: Florida stone crabber.(Boat of the Month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... What really sets Kit Johnson's Kit Kat Too apart is its state-of-the art Caterpillar C18 inline six-cylinder engine. The 1,000-hp, electronically controlled twin turbo allows the crabber to get up and go with a heavy load. "I can jump up...

Lack of product could jump-start prices, but also fuels uncertainty.(Pacific: pink shrimp)
February 1, 2005... Though last year's pink shrimp season ended on a price that was about double that offered as the season started, both fishermen and processors are unsure of what to expect when the season opens again in April. Brad Pettinger, executive...

Weak market thinning diver ranks; sea otters thinning urchin ranks.(North Pacific: urchins)
February 1, 2005... Alaska's urchin divers can expect slimmer pickings, thanks to an abundant sea otter population, but other economic factors will have to change before anybody cries too loudly about otter-driven reductions in quotas and area closures to the...

Modest gain in Chesapeake catch doesn't eliminate concern for stocks.(Northeast: blue crab)
February 1, 2005... Blue crab landings for Chesapeake Bay watermen for 2004 were higher than in 2003, but scientists in the region aren't predicting a huge increase in either harvest or overall abundance. Instead, they foresee a continuance of current conditions...

Tariffs, by themselves, are viewed as unlikely to boost fortunes of fleet.(Gulf/South Atlantic: shrimp)
February 1, 2005... While fishermen wait and see if tariffs imposed on imported shrimp from six top exporting countries will help boost dock prices, marketing efforts to create greater demand for wild-caught U.S. shrimp are in full swing. In December 2003,...

Life in the shipping lane: dredginq projects and underwater gas lines are all in day's work for Boston lobsterman Ed Ferent and his crew.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... Ed Ferent stands at the helm of his 36-foot lobster boat, the Jennifer, a couple of hours before sunrise in September 2004. While steering his boat toward North Channel, one of the main passages in and out of Boston Harbor, he gestures to an...

Rebirth of the Tara Lynn: fourth-generation New Jersey fisherman Tom Schnoor Jr. looks to the future from the deck of an old vessel.(In Profile)
February 1, 2005... In late afternoon light washing across Compton's Creek, the bows of steel trawlers tower over the Tara Lynn's round wood wheelhouse and her low-slung 37-foot hull, painted in the same glinting blue-green shade that ducks flash when they flutter...

His father's boat: a California man tracks down a long-lost vessel.(Marine Research)(Angelo Ghio)
February 1, 2005... People search for lost pets. People search for children who have run away and for spouses who have disappeared. What people usually don't do is search for boats. People buy boats and they sell boats, but it's almost unheard of to search for...

A nifty 50-footer: the Renard, built for Dungeness crabbing and tuna trolling, packs a lot of large-boat features into a smaller vessel.(Boats & Gear)
February 1, 2005... At the start of Dungeness crab season, on Dec. 1, a new crab boat was picking pots along the Oregon coastline. The 50-foot Renard, a product of Fred Wahl Marine Construction, was not only built at the Reedsport, Ore., boatyard, but she was...

The revolution starts now: VHF radio fights growing cell phone popularity with a radical idea--offering enhanced services for the 21st century.(Communications)
February 1, 2005... Just a few short years ago, boat owners were awaiting a "revolution" in the new services that VHF radios would provide. In addition to the traditional boat-to-boat and marine-operator services, there would be encrypted, automatic voice and data...

Diesel Lore: when Atlas, Cooper-Bessemer, Fairbanks-Morse and Buda were kings.(Boats & gear: diesels 2005)
February 1, 2005... JACK KNUTSEN SEATTLE, WASH. If you could jump for the moment back into the 1950s and imagine that you're a 19-year-old working the wooden decks of the halibut schooner Grant, you might appreciate the daily rigors of tending to the boat's...

Power choices: new engines come with improved fuel systems and improved horsepower ratings.(Boats & gear: diesels 2005)
February 1, 2005... When it comes to new engines for fishing boats, there's a little bit of everything available. There are some high-power offerings and some not so well endowed. Pushed by new emission standards, there are choices among fuel systems, and some...

2005 diesel lineup.(Boats & gear: diesels 2005)(Illustration)
February 1, 2005... 2005 DIESEL LINEUP 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...

Diesel nightmares.(Boats & gear: diesels 2005)
February 1, 2005... WILLIS WILSON * Deltaville, Va. Until he retired in 1985, waterman Willis Wilson of Deltaville, Va., had been dredging crabs in Chesapeake Bay for 35 years on a 50-foot wooden deck boat that was powered by a GM 6-71 diesel. Wilson...

Judging 'iron': some key areas to check out when you're surveying engine.(Boats & gear: diesels 2005)
February 1, 2005... A boat's rig can be cranky and inconvenient and you can still haul in a day's pay. The hull can lurch, leak, and groan like a geriatric, but it may still limp out to the fishing grounds. But if the engine won't start, you are not going...

Dollar slide helps U.S. yards; Jonesporter is keeping busy.(North)
February 1, 2005... Every year, New England fishermen have been taking advantage of a favorable Canadian exchange rate for the U.S. dollar by going to Canada's Atlantic maritime provinces to buy boats. Needless to say, Canadians were not coming to the States to...

Boatyard changes its name; trawler gets extensive work.(West)(Baird Boats is now Haven Boatworks)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2005... Call the phone number in Port Townsend, Wash., looking for Baird Boats, and you get Haven Boatworks. A mistake? Call again and you still get Haven Boatworks. That's because, after about 15 years, Ernie Baird, who had earned an excellent...

Va. yard puts out a run boat; smashed-up vessel is rebuilt.(South)
February 1, 2005... There are few places on Chesapeake Bay where the terms "runner" or "run boat" are still used and understood. Evans Boats of Crisfield, Md., obviously knows what a run boat is because the boatyard just completed a 50'x 16'x 44" deadrise-style...

A reason to switch and bait: Norbait helps longliners catch haddock, avoid cod.(Product Roundup)
February 1, 2005... Ask most longliners what their preferred bait is, and you're liable to get as many answers as there are fishermen. It could be frozen herring or fresh herring, frozen cod, salmon tails, whole salmon that's cut up, squid, octopus, even...

Innovative Lighting Inc.(On the Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... JERROLD HANDSAKER, president of INNOVATIVE LIGHTING INC., received a 2004 regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year award. The company, a manufacturer of LED lighting products headquartered in Roland, Iowa, has increased its sales 842...

Honda Marine.(On the Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... HONDA MARINE has named JOHN FULCHER senior manager. His key responsibilities include strategic planning, sales and marketing, as well as service and parts for U.S. operations. Fulcher joins the marine team from Honda's e Business Division,...

Icom America.(On the Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ICOM AMERICA welcomes RODNEY GRIM as a new technical support manager. In his new position, Grim oversees a staff of six experienced technical support representatives and Icom America's land mobile training staff. Additionally, he will be...

Mastry Engine Center.(On the Move)(Carl Schlemmer, long serving employee)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... In 1979, CARL SCHLEMMER walked into MASTRY ENGINE CENTER in St. Petersburg, Fla., with his father, who needed work done on his sailboat, anti ended up filling out an application for employment. Now, more than 25 years later, Schlemmer has...

Furuno USA.(Company News)(National Marine Electronics Association Convention)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... FURUNO USA, of Camas Wash., received 10 awards at the 2004 National Marine Electronics Association Convention in Naples, Fla. This is the first time any manufacturer has received as many product awards in a given year. Furuno was recognized by...

KVH Industries Inc.(Company News)(National Marine Electronics Association)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... For the seventh year in a row, KVH INDUSTRIES INC., headquartered in Middletown, R.I., won Best Product awards from the National Marine Electronics Association in the satellite television and satellite telephone categories. The KVH TracVision 4...

Navigating new territory: Northstar's 972 system is a very big upgrade.(Product Roundup)(Northstar Avionics)
February 1, 2005... Sometimes when a marine electronics company comes out with a new product, you get one or two additional features beyond what the previous machine carried. Not so with the Northstar 972 navigation system. With chart plotting, radar and...

Filtakleen says its fuel filtering system is the world's finest bypass filtration system for diesel engine, transmission, hydraulic and numerous other types of oils.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... FILTAKLEEN says its FUEL FILTERING SYSTEM is the world's finest bypass filtration system for diesel engine, transmission, hydraulic and numerous other types of oils. The company estimates an 80 percent reduction in waste oil, with reduced labor...

SI-TEX announces Navmate GPS/WAAS chart plotter, a compact color LCD chart plotter that utilizes the advantages of C-MAP NT + electronic charts.(At A Glance)(Si-Tex Marine Electronics Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SI-TEX announces NAVMATE GPS/WAAS CHART PLOTrER, a compact color LCD chart plotter that utilizes the advantages of C-MAP NT + electronic charts. Featuring a 5.7-inch vertical sunlight viewable color LCD display and streamlined design, the...

Centek Industries has created a customized muffler that combines the main underwater exhaust outlet and bypass silencer into one compact unit.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... CENTEK INDUSTRIES has created a CUSTOMIZED MUFFLER that combines the main underwater exhaust outlet and bypass silencer into one compact unit. Therefore the muffler not only quiets the exhaust system but also helps route exhaust away from a...

E Paint Company has announced the release of SN-1 HP antifouling paint for aluminum vessels.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... E PAINT COMPANY has announced the release of SN-1 HP ANTIFOULING PAINT for aluminum vessels. SN-1 HP is a harder version of E Paint Company's flagship product SN-1, the only antifouling paint specified by the US Coast Guard, US Navy and US Army...

ACR Electronics has introduced the GlobalWatch2 AIS Transponder designed for all non-Safety of Life at Sea commercial vessels required to meet recent stringent port security requirements.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ACR ELECTRONICS has introduced the GLOBALWATCH2 AIS TRANSPONDER designed for all non-Safety of Life at Sea commercial vessels required to meet recent stringent port security requirements. Lightweight and easy to integrate with a plug-and-play...

FCI Watermakers has increased the output capacity of its MAX-Q Series Watermakers.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... FCI WATERMAKERS has increased the output capacity of its MAX-Q SERIES WATERMAKERS. The systems now produce 600, 1,200 and 1,800 gallons of water per day to accommodate a variety of applications. With exclusive Universal Reverse Osmosis...

Accon Marine says its new stainless steel square eye stands up to rigorous use to keep a pontoon boat's bimini top up and working.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ACCON MARINE says its new stainless steel SQUARE EYE stands up to rigorous use to keep a pontoon boat's bimini top up and working. Made of 316 stainless steel, the square eye end is available in two sizes accommodating the 1-inch or 1-1/4-inch...

Valvtect says its marine premium diesel fuel additive is specially formulated for heavy-duty marine engines and has been documented to increase performance, reduce fuel consumption and extend engine life.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VALVTECT says its MARINE PREMIUM DIESEL FUEL ADDITIVE is specially formulated for heavy-duty marine engines and has been documented to increase performance, reduce fuel consumption and extend engine life. Marine Premium Diesel with BioGuard...

Reverso Pumps has created an oil change kit that quickly and cleanly transfers oil specifically for MerCruiser engines.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... REVERSO PUMPS has created an OIL CHANGE KIT that quickly and cleanly transfers oil specifically for MerCruiser engines. The oil change kits, which simplify routine maintenance, are easily installed and include an oil transfer pump and the...

Floscan Instrument Co. now offers a free installation cd detailing the installation of its Series K fuel monitoring system for diesel engines.(At A Glance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... FLOSCAN INSTRUMENT CO. now offers a FREE INSTALLATION CD detailing the installation of its Series K fuel monitoring system for diesel engines. The new Series K system reduces installation time and cost by 30 to 50 percent over previous models....

Beware the 'Big Mistake'.(Finance)(planning)
February 1, 2005... What if you could buy insurance that would cover for the poor financial decisions you make in life? It would be the only insurance policy where you would collect before the accident. Think about it. With fire insurance you only get reimbursed...

Last set.
February 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: MENHADEN COVERED the deck of the trawler Little Ike when the vessel arrived at the pier at Compton's Creek in Belford, N.J. A vacuum pump does a lot of what shovels once did, but deckhand Jamie Stone...