National Fisherman articles from February 2008

National Fisherman archives from February 2008

February 2008: this month's highlights.(The hail)
February 1, 2008... What is the writer's ultimate reward? Fame? Fortune? It depends on the writer. For Spike Walker, I have no doubt that the reward is a story told as well as he can tell it, every word carefully chosen and placed, every sentence keeping...

Processors association tackles industry challenges.(Northern lights)
February 1, 2008... There are few sectors of the American economy more diverse and more heavily regulated than the fishing industry. There are also few issue areas as multi-faceted, politically charged and difficult to deal with than marine resource management....

Bill Hogarth's NMFS.(Editor's log)
February 1, 2008... A kid around town who mowed lawns took on more work than he could handle--this back in the 1960s before the proliferation of overpriced "hand-crafting" landscapers--and went looking for help. "The pay's not good," he told us, "but the...

Fishing back when.(NF classics)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rockland, Maine's 40-Fathom Fisheries fleet of six trawlers hauls in 20 million pounds of ocean perch in a year. With her five sisterships--Surf, tide, Wave, Squall and Ocean (are you sensing a theme?)--the trawler...

Japanese community on Canada's West Coast collects, honors fishing history.(Nikkei Fishermen on the BC Coast: Their Biographies and Photographs)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nikkei Fishermen on the BC Coast Their Biographies and Photographs Edited by Masako Fukawa Harbour Publishing, 2007 Hardcover, 298 pp., $39.95 www.harbourpublishing.com In 2001, three fishermen's sons realized...

Children's book illustrates life in oilers for woman who hauls Connecticut bugs.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lobster Lady By Vivian Volovar Illustrated by James A. Mitchell Flat Hammock Press, 2007 Softcover, 32 pp., $14.95 www.flathammockpress.com My nephew is completely preoccupied by trucks and truck books, so I've...

Take things into account.(From Another Perspective)
February 1, 2008... One of the most troubling problems with the Magnuson Act as it s been distorted in the last two reauthorizations is the designed-in inflexibility. This inflexibility, which has been forced by the campaigning of foundation-funded activists, is...

Polar freeze: fishermen vs. environmentalists.(From the town landing)
February 1, 2008... Fisheries politics almost never rise to the surface of presidential campaigns; their shadows swim in the murkier depths below--where fishermen and an increasingly skeptical public believe bottom feeders live. But now that the presidential...

Flexibility bill suited to new era of fishery management.(Dock talk)
February 1, 2008... U.S. fisheries management entered a new era with the passage of the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act: Overfishing is now illegal in the United States. Lingering concerns remain, however, regarding the preexisting Magnuson-Stevens...

Practice and quick thinking saves crew off Ketchikan.(Consequences)(Alaska)
February 1, 2008... A quick pace is nothing new to most fishing crews, and it doesn't take an experienced fisherman long to get the rhythm and routine of a new boat. If you know your safety and lifesaving equipment as well as you know your fishing gear, you will...

Is there fishing in aquaculture?(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... The last couple issues of National Fisherman had pieces by Neil Anthony Sims ("The aquaculture boat is in: Will you ride the wave?" NF Oct. '07, p. 10) and Bill Hogarth ("Wild-caught and farmed seafood can coexist" NF Nov. '07, p. 13) that got...

Farm-raised fish does not compare to wild seafood.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... This letter addresses the comment of Bill Hogarth, the former director of NMFS ("Wild-caught and farmed seafood can coexist" NF Nov. '07, p. 13). Mr. Hogarth has compared aquaculture and wild seafood with cattle/beef and agriculture...

Cattle, salmon farms have one commonality: problems.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... I must respond to Bill Hogarth's letter in the November 2007 issue of National Fisherman, "Wild-caught and farmed seafood can coexist." I am a salmon, halibut and blackcod fisherman of 30 years. I was first made aware of farmed salmon...

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail buoy)
February 1, 2008... There hain't many folks left in the Cove this winter. Most on winter vacations. But not all. Shorty Gage n'his cousin Slats Farnum are holed up in Short's workshop if'n you could call Short's smokehouse a workshop. Amos won't even let 'era...

Lawyer lauds column, offers advice to authors.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)(Column)
February 1, 2008... I very much enjoyed and strongly agree with Anne Hayden and Philip Conkling's From the Town Landing article in the December 2007 National Fisherman ("The precautionary principle" p. 13). I would recommend that you continue to bolster your...

War stories.(In search of the simple life)
February 1, 2008... Reading about the USS Grunion, the World War II submarine found and photographed off Kiska Island, Alaska, recently, confirming her identity and giving some relief to the families of those aboard, all 70 men lost. You can see what's left of her...

Thanks, and farewell.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)
February 1, 2008... Thank you, National Fisherman magazine and the industry you serve. By my count, this is the 64th column this magazine has published, and I thank you for the space to talk with your readers about many important fishery management issues over the...

Bucktown fleet back home at Lake Pontchartrain dock: struggle not over for fishermen and their day boats displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Signs of new hope emerged in Louisiana fisheries still struggling to rebound from the deadly 2005 hurricane season, when at least 25 boats of a historic tiny fleet reberthed at their docking place in a New Orleans...

N.C. lawmaker calls for flexibility on fish timelines: summer flounder woes galvanize support.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(North Carolina's Walter B. Jones)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2007 (HR-4087), introduced in November by U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.), would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act to allow regional fishery councils to extend the 10-year stock rebuilding...

NMFS aquaculture plan decried in New Orleans: Gulf council hearings discuss permits, study.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
February 1, 2008... At a Dec. 11 public hearing in New Orleans, before a standing-room-only crowd, speakers unanimously denounced NMFS' plan to issue permits for offshore fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Representatives from the...

Storm wreaks havoc on crabbers, processors and docks: hurricane-force winds and 40-foot waves stall Dungeness season in Oregon, Washington.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
February 1, 2008... A storm that brought hurricane-force winds to the West Coast on Dec. 2 and 3 resulted in some processors being shut down for days and crabbers being stuck in port during the first part of the season. The Dungeness season opened on Dec. 1,...

Where we live: Stonington, Conn.(HOME PORT)(Connecticut)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... THE TOWN Perched between Narragansett Bay and the eastern approach to Long Island Sound, Stonington's port shelters the last large fleet in Connecticut with about 25 boats and has the highest per-pound values of that seafood harvest. ...

'Deadliest Catch' captains criticize crab from Russia: rap fellow skipper's role in marketing ploy.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)(Keith Colburn, Blake Painter, Sig Hansen)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... "Deadliest Catch" captains Keith Colburn, owner and skipper of the Wizard, and Blake Painter, the greenhorn captain of the Maverick for ow+ners Rick and Donna Quashnick, packed a room in Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center at the 2007 Pacific...

Harold Ames: Bodega Bay, Calif.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)(California)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At 79, Harold Ames is still trying to retire. But he can't. He is having too much fun, especially since his grandson is now a salmon fisherman, too. Ames is what you call a true Californian, that rare breed born...

Fishermen help create an award-winning net design: innovative Yankees reap $30,000 for bycatch reducing trawl at Pacific Marine Expo.(NATION/WORLD)
February 1, 2008... Whether they developed gear to help reduce bycatch or demonstrated their professional skills, fishermen earned awards for their efforts at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Four fishermen--former New England...

Dad's favorites halibut sandwiches: Jeffrey and Jessica Yeoman: Homer, Alaska.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)
February 1, 2008... In the Yeoman family, Dad fishes his longliner for halibut in the Gulf of Alaska and Mom is one of the longtime brokers at the Auction Block--a Homer-based fishermen's marketing venue. So it may be no surprise that mom Jessica devised a halibut...

Hogarth departs NMFS after six years at helm: accepts interim dean post at Fla. college.(NATION/WORLD)(William Hogarth, National Marine Fisheries Service, University of South Florida )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Soon after William Hogarth became director of NMFS in late 2001, he told National Fisherman he hoped to occupy the post for no more than five years. His crystal ball was pretty accurate. Late in 2007, Hogarth announced he was leaving...

Seafood supplier disdains proposed rules on imports: cites abundance and cost of regulations.(NATION/WORLD)
February 1, 2008... Recent recalls of pet food and toys from China have sparked fears about the safety of consumer products and food. In response, the Bush administration has announced plans to tighten inspection of imports, including seafood, to protect consumers...

Shellfish Mariner: oyster reef restoration barge, Apalachicola, Fla.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1999, veteran towing master David L. Cole got the opportunity of a lifetime--the chance to design a purpose-built oyster-reef restoration tow vessel he would captain for the Florida Division of Aquaculture. "I...

U.S. is rebuffed on plea for moratorium on bluefin: Hogarth: "no doubt" stock has collapsed.(NATION/WORLD)(William Hogarth)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... With European Union countries embarking on a new plan to control Atlantic bluefin tuna catches in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, Joe Borg, EU fisheries and maritime affairs commissioner, says 2008 "will be a crucial year if we are to...

Fishermen questioned in Gloucester auction investigation: NOAA allegedly threatens $5,000 to $10,000 daily fines for captains lacking form letters.(ATLANTIC)(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A yearlong federal investigation that began in December 2006 when federal agents seized files and computers at the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction in Gloucester, Mass., is apparently focused on discrepancies between 2004 landing records and...

Western Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... To comply with federal regulations aimed at reducing pressure on deep ocean fish off Hawaii, the Aloha state is proposing new regulations, including more extensive fish catch reports and catch limits on commercial and recreational...

New England.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)
February 1, 2008... The New England Fishery Management Council is planning a one-day meeting on Jan. 24 at the Sheraton Ferncroft Hotel in Danvers, Mass., to consider allocation alternatives for Groundfish Amendment 16. These discussions will continue at the...

Gulf of Mexico.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council is running into opposition to its plans for stimulating generic fish farming in the waters of the gulf. The council hopes to stimulate commercial production of species already under council...

North Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to reduce the commercial catch limit on Bering Sea pollock for 2008 to 1 million tons, a reduction of nearly 30 percent from in 2007. The contention of scientists pointing to a declining...

Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Pacific Fishery Management Council is moving ahead with trawl rationalization, which will constitute Amendment 20 to the groundfish fishery management plan. The main rationalization alternatives being considered are individual fishing...

South Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has approved stock rebuilding plans for three economically important species found in the snapper grouper management complex. Amendment 15A to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan will...

Mid-Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Fluke quotas remain a hot button issue for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, with advocates like Lee Crockett of the Pew Charitable Trusts' Federal Fisheries Policy Reform Project calling stocks "far from healthy," while Raymond D....

Fuel costs, static dock prices will chill winter landings of thinned gulf fleet.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC: SHRIMP)
February 1, 2008... With fuel costs that make last year's $2 a gallon seem like the good old days and shrimp prices stagnant, the winter shrimp harvest is likely to be modest regardless of shrimp abundance. "Now we're at $2.70," says Ernie Anderson, president...

Hope for recovery in Chesapeake Bay looks shaky after dismal 2007 harvest.(NORTHEAST: BLUE CRAB)
February 1, 2008... With a 2007 Chesapeake Bay blue crab harvest looking like one of the worst in 62 years, fishermen and biologists have lost some hope that a gradual recovery is under way. Instead the bay's crab population dropped to an estimated 273...

Wild product's versatility could push price beyond $2 for Alaska dive fleet.(NORTH PACIFIC: SEA CUCUMBERS)
February 1, 2008... Ex-vessel prices surpassed the $2 per pound mark for Alaska's sea cucumber dive fishery in 2006-07, reversing a declining trend seen in recent years, though production at cuke farms in China could keep offerings there. Then again, as the higher...

MSC label, shift in Canadian exports fuel optimism for higher prices in '08.(PACIFIC: SHRIMP)
February 1, 2008... West Coast shrimpers should enjoy healthy recruitment of young stock into the fishery, plus new status under the recently awarded certificate of sustainability by the Marine Stewardship Council. And with Canada shipping more of its cold-water...

Staying alive: the story of two men, one sandbar, and 80 knots of wind, as only Spike Walker can tell it.(Adventure at sea)(Steve Gray, Dean Ellsworth)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Part one of two We sit in the large, expansive living room of the home of longtime commercial fisherman Steve Gray, 63, and his lovely wife, Karen, 48, near the fishing port of Ilwaco in Washington state, and...

Bungled on the bay: slow response to November's San Francisco Bay oil spill proved a setback for fishermen as well as the environment.(In analysis)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel the container ship Cosco Busan spilled in San Francisco Bay on Nov. 7 might have had far less impact on commercial fishermen to say nothing of the bay had fishermen been asked to...

Cost control: you can keep a handle on boatyard expenses.(Boats & Gear: Time and materials)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a general rule, people are leery of surprises--other than a winning lottery ticket or other such windfall. Unexpectedly shelling out a lot of money is the opposite of a windfall, and it can happen when you go into...

Fishing for efficiency: today's diesels strive to be reliable, environmentally friendly fuel misers.(Boats & Gear: Diesels 2008)
February 1, 2008... It should be obvious to anyone who spends time on boats that the engines developed in the past few years are more reliable, more efficient and better for the environment than their predecessors. Indeed, some might speculate that the development...

Check your oil, please: oil analysis is a good idea if you have a hot, high-revving modern diesel.(Boats & Gear: Engine TLC)
February 1, 2008... Everybody knows how critical good lubrication is to engines and machinery. Worn out, contaminated, or low-quality oil shortens time between overhauls and causes engine problems at sea. Not too long ago, the typical fishing boat engine was a...

Common rail now a common theme.(Boats & Gear: Engine TLC)
February 1, 2008... A few years ago the world of diesel fuel injection was delineated by pushrod-operated unit injectors and Bosch-type plunger pumps. Back then people seriously discussed the relative advantages of turbocharged versus naturally aspirated engines....

2008 diesel lineup.(Boats & Gear: 2008 diesels)(List)
February 1, 2008... 2008 DIESEL LINEUP The horsepower ratings and weights 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...

Kerry Abraham: St. Helena Island, S.C.(FUEL SAVING)
February 1, 2008... Faced with rising fuel bills, shrimper Kerry Abraham and his surviving colleagues are changing their operations to work more efficiently and reduce fuel costs. They don't spend time dragging if shrimp aren't abundant. "Drop the anchor, or go...

Shannon Green: Deltaville, Va. Bill Davenport Ocran, Va.(FUEL SAVING)(Virginia)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... As a way to reduce fuel and other fishing related costs, Virginia watermen Shannon Green and Bill Davenport are considering combining boats and working together in the winter gillnet fishery in Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. The two men...

Fred Hamilton: Craig, Alaska.(Boats & Gear: 2008 diesels)
February 1, 2008... Though he knew the new 6.8-liter John Deere would reduce vibration and noise during his salmon trolling and pot shrimping trips, Fred Hamilton says that appreciable fuel savings over the old Detroit Diesel 6-71 was the main reason for...

Wayne Magwood Mt. Pleasant, S.C.(Boats & Gear: 2008 diesels)
February 1, 2008... Shrimper Wayne Magwood has been experimenting with biodiesel in his 12V-71 Detroit Diesel since this past summer. "It runs fine on straight biodiesel," he says. At $2.15 a gallon from Southeast BioDiesel in North Charleston he saves about...

Yard builds its first 47-footer; steel dragger ends a dry spell.(NORTHEAST)
February 1, 2008... H&H Marine in Steuben, Maine, launched the Brahma Bull, one of their wide 42s, on Nov. 8, and the boatyard's first 47-footer was scheduled to go into the water in late December in nearby Milbridge. The 42-footer is for Cutler, Maine's...

Flood of gillnetters to be built; 58-footer proves to be popular.(WEST)(Freddy's Marine )
February 1, 2008... In May 2007, Freddy's Marine in Homer, Alaska, launched a pair of 30-foot fiberglass bowpickers for the Copper River salmon fishery. By this spring, Freddy's Marine will have built 13 more bowpickers from the same mold for Cop per River...

Scalloper joins company of 22; model a motor still pulls boats.(SOUTH)
February 1, 2008... John W. Gilbert Associates of Hingham, Mass., and Duckworth Steel Boats Tarpon Springs, Fla., teamed up to de sign and build three scallopers for Eastern Fisheries of New Bedford, Mass. The first boat, the Polaris, which measures 93' x 28'...

No such thing as good vibrations: Skydex unveils two new shock-absorbent decking options.(Product roundup)
February 1, 2008... It's often easy to spot an older fishermen who has spent too many hours, days and years on the deck of a boat, his body adjusting to quick, snapping rolls, bending and bracing as the bow pitches up on a head sea and then slams down into the...

A versatile stuffing-box packing: Duramax's new Ultra-X reduces shaft wear and leakage.(Product roundup)
February 1, 2008... A stuffing box has two basic functions: It keeps the propeller shaft or rudder shaft centered, and then its "stuffing" or packing material, closes off the gap between the box and the shaft to all but a few drips, preventing the ocean from...

Simrad just introduced its AP28 autopilot for smaller boats with outboards or sterndrives.(At a glance)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SIMRAD just introduced its AP28 autopilot for smaller boats with outboards or sterndrives. The autopilot has Simrad's Virtual Rudder Feedback technology, which eliminates the need for a rudder feedback unit. The AP28...

AFI is offering two waterproof wiper motors, the AFI 2.5 and the AFI 1.5.(At a glance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... AFI is offering two waterproof wiper motors, the AFI 2.5 and the AFI 1.5. Both motors are available in 1- and 2-inch shaft lengths. The 2.5 motor is used with AFI deluxe wipers up to 26 inches or 24-inch premier wipers. The motor has a stall...

MarineEast lets you keep hoses and cables out of the way with its new Cable Strap.(At a glance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MARINEEAST lets you keep hoses and cables out of the way with its new CABLE STRAP. It requires one mounting screw and uses the weight of the hoses and cables to lock the strap. This is a molded marine-grade...

Scantrol's new FishMeter is a wireless product that's perfect in limited space where power isn't available, and it gives you complete mobility when you are sampling fish.(At a glance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCANTROL's new FISHMETER is a wireless product that's perfect in limited space where power isn't available, and it gives you complete mobility when you are sampling fish. The FishMeter transmits to a mobile or PDA...

Tracer Products has a nifty gizmo that lets you inspect hard-to-see places and components.(At a glance)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TRACER PRODUCTS has a nifty gizmo that lets you inspect hard-to-see places and components. The COBRA and COBRA-PLUS are borescopes with UV LED and white-light LEDs for viewing fuel systems, pistons and intake valves...

Prospec Electronics designs its sound systems for the marine environment.(At a glance)
February 1, 2008... PROSPEC ELECTRONICS designs its sound systems for the marine environment. The newest product is the JBL MR140 AM/FM/CD receiver. This is a four-channel 45-watt stereo and receiver that can take an iPod, MP3 player, satellite radio or DVD. It...

Bulletin board.(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... FEB. 24-26 International Boston Seafood Show/Seafood Processing America Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston * www.bostonseafood.com The International Boston Seafood Show is North America's largest seafood exhibition....

National Marine Electronics Association.(COMPANY NEWS)
February 1, 2008... The 2007 NATIONAL MARINE ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION awards were handed out late last year at the NMEA convention and expo at Amelia Island Plantation, Fla. The Industry Awards are doled out by category. This year Raymarine took honors for its...

Bellingham Marine.(COMPANY NEWS)(Shilshole Bay Marina )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... BELLINGHAM MARINE of Bellingham, Wash., marks its 50th anniversary this year with the completion of the Shilshole Bay Marina reconstruction in Seattle. When the marina was originally constructed, Bellingham Marine supplied the docks, and...

Tests: new scallop dredge reduces habitat disruption: MIT rig will be tweaked to improve catch.(ATLANTIC)(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A lightweight scallop dredge that dispenses with the usual cutting bar and instead uses water jets to stir up the shellfish could reduce habitat disturbance on the seafloor. Designed by Cliff Goudey, director of the Sea Grant Center for...

Homer, Alaska.(Last set)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scott Heitman, an eight-year veteran of the Alaska Sablefish Inc. freezer-processor Judi B. gaffs a blackcod in the western Gulf of Alaska on the first trip of the season in April 2007.