National Fisherman articles from February 2009

National Fisherman archives from February 2009

February 2009: this month's highlights.(The hail)
February 1, 2009... One night 25 years ago, when I was running the Princess, a 65-foot eastern-fig, the burrs on an eye splice caught a crewman in the hood of his oilskin jacket as we were running the net off. It carried him head first into the trawl block on the...

Serving halibut pie.(VIEWS from Alaska)(halibut fishing)
February 1, 2009... How big is Alaska's halibut pie? Questions about the size of each "slice" have festered for more than a decade. Alaska's halibut charter growth and the proportional reduction in the commercial catch has been the flashpoint. Nasty confrontations...

Presumptions of guilt.(Editor's log)
February 1, 2009... The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would expand the universe of vessels that must be equipped with automatic identification systems, more commonly referred to as AIS, to include fishing boats 65 feet in length...

50 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Who says you need a boat for ocean fishing? More than 100 smelt shacks sit atop the icy crust of the New Meadows tidal river between Brunswick and Bath, Maine. Smelt fishermen are getting 35 cents per pound this year, and the fish are a bit...

30 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Alaska's Bering Sea king crab fishermen score with another banner year in 1978. The crew of the 110-foot American Star haul a trap with a promising load. In all of Alaska, crabbers bring to the docks 121.28 million...

10 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The annual diesel directory features a guide to repowering, including an illustrated check list that asks such important questions as: Will your new engine fit in the engine compartment, and is your shaft big enough for the horsepower increase?...

Toiling for turf: a quarter century in the life of a Mid-Atlantic fisherman.(Fo'c'sle library)(Wet and Hungry: An Atlantic Fisherman's Life)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... Wet and Hungry An Atlantic Fisherman's Life By B.R. Lynch Cambridge Books, 2008 Softcover, 358 pp., $17.95 www.cambridgebooks.us [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Beverly Lynch's lively book is the result of listening to 25...

Bitter cold, stormy seas and raw characters merge in mariner's novel.(Fo'c'sle library)(Courage)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2009... Courage By Alan Littell Thomas Dunne Books, 2008 Hardcover, 148 pp., $16.95 www.macmillan.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Courage Alan Littell puts his experience as a merchant mariner, a penchant for history and...

Beyond our scope.(From Another Perspective)
February 1, 2009... The American Prospect describes itself as "an authoritative magazine of liberal ideas..." With a Web site that attracts a million visitors daily and a paid circulation of 37,000 it's anything but inconsequential. Accordingly, I approached...

Kicking off the season in Seattle.(Dock talk)
February 1, 2009... When my husband called me, I had a feeling it was to announce a change in plans. George and the crew were out on the Washington coast, rigging the last hundred (of 500) crab pots in preparation for the start of the Dungeness crab season. I was...

Put the Coast Guard on call.(Consequences)
February 1, 2009... From U.S. Coast Guard reports Few seasoned vessels can boast they have never taken on water. When and if you and your crew are faced with a flooding problem, your best course of action to avoid a life-threatening situation is to identify...

Dear Mr. President: Save the small-boat fleets.(From the town landing)
February 1, 2009... Dear Mr. President, The nation's fisheries, as most Americans know, have been in decline for most of the past two decades. There are many reasons for the sorry state of our fisheries and lots of blame to go around, but we now have the...

Let's hold politicians to industry standards.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... The list of untrustworthy politicians grows longer and longer while their public approval rating goes lower and lower. Something must be done to reverse this trend! I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the state of world...

Virgin Islands association resists NMFS' takeover.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... The following is excerpted from a letter to Jim Balsiger, NMFS' acting assistant administrator for fisheries. Thank you for your response to our earlier communication about the Caribbean Fishery Management Council process for setting annual...

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail buoy)(Perc Sane)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Well, considering the mess the world's in, here at the Cove, we're downsizing. Last time Shorty Gage sold lobsters, 'bout a month ago, he got dealer $2 a pound, which didn't even cover his diesel fuel cost from...

NMFS charts a course for 2009.(A letter from James W. Balsiger)
February 1, 2009... As December was a time for reflection, January is a time for resolution and goal setting. In 2009 we will have a new administration, a new Congress, and new NOAA leaders. I expect this new leadership will be very supportive of strong...

Winter tales.(In search of the simple life)(fishing stories)
February 1, 2009... What do fishermen do in the winter? Sit in bars and tell lies? Not at all! Not lies, anyway. We call them "stories." Things are a little larger than life at sea--larger than the day-to-day commute to work, anyway. The closer you get to nature...

EU wrangles big tuna quota despite threat of collapse: conservationists seek restrictions through trade; North American delegation OKs cuts.(NATION/WORLD)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Critics say a stock collapse of eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna may be coming now that the European Union forestalled scientists' recommended cutback on fishing at the International Commission for the Conservation of...

Organic seafood standards one step closer to approval: recommendations limited to aquaculture.(NATION/WORLD)
February 1, 2009... There is currently no such thing as U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic seafood, but that may soon change. In November, the National Organic Standards Board's Livestock Committee made recommendations for organic aquaculture. They...

Nova Scotia lobstermen stage a two-day protest: low dock prices trigger shipment blockade.(NATION/WORLD)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Eldridge "Squid" Garron planned to sleep on his boat at Brier Island, Nova Scotia, so he could get an early start fishing on Wednesday, Dec 3. For two days prior, he'd taken part in an impromptu protest launched by lobstermen in southwestern...

Gulf of Maine shrimpers optimistic about long season: hope processors will gear up for six months of steady supply to expand market, demand.(ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The first day of December kicked off the longest northern shrimp season since the late 1990s, giving Gulf of Maine fishermen a full six months to catch them. Shrimpers hope a steady supply will bring back customers and the processing capacity...

Boothbay Harbor, Maine.(HOME PORT: Where we live)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... THE TOWN Boothbay and touristy Boothbay Harbor have a year-round population of about 3,200, according to 2007 census estimates. That grew nearly 9 percent from 2000 as Maine's permanent coastal population swelled eastward from the city of...

Bay crabbers get to work on oyster reef restoration: Maryland creates jobs after blue crab cuts.(ATLANTIC)
February 1, 2009... The state of Maryland has pledged to hire more than 520 commercial crabbers for oyster reef restoration work and another 84 watermen for land-based jobs to help ease the economic pain caused by governmental efforts to regulate Chesapeake Bay's...

Texas flounder fishermen ask for more data on '06 limit: recreational and commercial representatives urge the state to wait on closures, regulations.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
February 1, 2009... Texas flounder fishermen say the state's eye toward further regulation is premature, and that more time needs to pass before the effects of a 10-fish recreational limit enacted in 2006 can be assessed properly. The Texas Parks and Wildlife...

Salmon pate: Fred and Betty Bonin Naknek, Alaska.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Salmon pate has been a longtime family favorite for Fred and Betty Bonin, whose family has fished the beaches and offshore waters of Bristol Bay for three generations "maybe even four," says Fred, 61, of Naknek. The recipe, like many,...

Illegal nets confiscated in Alabama's Mobile Bay: Unattended, untagged gear set off marina.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Enforcement agents with Alabama's Division of Marine Resources confiscated four illegal gillnets on Nov. 22. After an officer accidentally ran over a net with a boat, he called for assistance, and the additional personnel located three more,...

Captain Damien: Jacksonville, Fla. Shrimp trawler.(BOAT of the MONTH)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By any standard, the 96-foot Captain Damien is an eye-catcher. With sleek, modern lines, a wraparound windshield, and giant sunflowers painted on the side of the deckhouse, it generates a lot of double-takes. ...

Bristol Bay fishermen make their case against drilling: panelists say annual income from fishing trumps potential petroleum and the risk of a spill.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Drilling for oil and gas off Alaska will have failed to pay its way if anything goes wrong, panelists at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle were inclined to agree. Now that President George W. Bush has lifted a 17-year moratorium, an offshore...

Bill Blue: Crab, salmon, blackcod: Morro Bay, Calif.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I am pretty much just a regular guy who fishes I for a living," says Morro Bay fisherman Bill Blue. "I'm nobody special. I am just a guy who is still doing it after a long time." Blue, who is 52 and has been...

Quotas to bear out forecast for 2 North Pacific species: pollock biomass seen growing after 2010.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Bering Sea pollock and Gulf of Alaska halibut quotas will take a tumble this year. For pollock, the 2009 harvest recommendations stand at 815,000 metric tons, down from last year's 1 million metric tons and in line with a trend that...

Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(National Marine Fisheries Service )(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... NMFS has published a final rule establishing an allowable harvest of 40,000 metric tons for mackerel in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific coast. If this total is reached, Pacific mackerel fishing will be closed to directed harvest and...

New England.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(fishing quota)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The council approved Framework 2 to the Joint Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, an action that proposes co redefine the stock status determination criteria for the species. The Mid-Atlantic council was expected to take final action on...

Gulf of Mexico.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... NMFS in December was conducting a referendum to determine if commercial grouper and tilefish fishermen favor a grouper/tilefish individual fishing quota program for the Gulf of Mexico. Referendum ballots were mailed to 301 eligible voters on...

Western Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Micronesian Island leaders concluded a two-day 10th Chief Executives Summit in Palikir, Pohnpei with the signing of a joint letter asking President George W. Bush to "refrain from designating any National Marine Monument in the [Commonwealth of...

North Pacific.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(Marine Conservation Alliance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Marine Conservation Alliance, a coalition of harvesters, processors and communities involved in the Alaska groundfish and crab fisheries, urged the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to adopt the recommendation of its scientific...

Mid-Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)
February 1, 2009... NMFS has established an inspection program for modified pound net leaders in the Virginia waters of the main-stem Chesapeake Bay. Current regulations require modified pound net leaders, as defined in the regulations, in a portion of the...

South Atlantic.(COUNCIL UPDATES: News from the regional management councils)(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, spearfishing)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... NOAA has charged two dive business owners in Pensacola, Fla., with illegally operating spearfishing charters without the appropriate permits in federal waters off the Florida panhandle. NOAA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation...

Fuel costs recede, dock prices rise as consumers turn to affordable shellfish.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC SHRIMP)
February 1, 2009... For the first time in years there is some good news for the hardcore remnant of the American shrimp industry that has survived absurd prices, ruinous fuel costs and devastating hurricanes. Shrimp prices have increased a bit in some...

Stock decline triggers Virginia closure, lawsuit to reduce bay's nitrogen levels.(NORTHEAST BLUE CRAB)
February 1, 2009... Another decline in Chesapeake Bay blue crab stocks resulted in a one third reduction to the 2009 harvest of female crabs, a decision by Virginia to close down its winter dredge fishery, and a baywide revolt among watermen and environmental...

Open quota and surging prices should entice harvesters to dive into fishery.(NORTH PACIFIC URCHINS)
February 1, 2009... Stronger ex-vessel prices, a healthy quota and the effects of an expanding sea otter population set the stage for a nearly extinct fleet of urchin divers in southeast Alaska this year. The quota for the 2008-09 season has been set at 5.44...

Dicey economic issues cloud forecast for 2009 after strong campaign in '08.(PACIFIC PINK SHRIMP)
February 1, 2009... Pink shrimp fishermen and processors had a roller coaster ride over the summer. The 2009 sea son is anybody's guess, they say, but the major influence will be the same thing affecting everyone: the economy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Drill, baby, drill: a dip in the pool highlights the value of New Bedford's fishermen safety training program.(Suit up)(Greater New Bedford Fishermen Safety Collaborative)
February 1, 2009... Allow me to introduce myself: l am a fish out of water. And on this October morning, I'm going to learn how to safely get in the water in an emergency at sea. Mind you, I am but a humble scribe. I work in an office, where the computer and...

Haddock hunter: by eliminating cod and flounder by catch, the Ruhle trawl enables New Englanders to target more abundant stocks.(Cover story)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Carl Bouchard has a haddock tow in mind: deeper water on the edge of Jeffreys Ledge. "We'll start there," Bouchard says, pointing at his plotter. "If we don't find 'era there we'll move up shallower)' Bouchard, 68,...

After thought: too often boat sink because of inattention to their stemmost section--the lazarette.(Boats & Gear: Safety)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Television has viewers captivated with the program "Deadliest Catch," about life aboard crabbers in the Bering Sea. The program takes its name from the fact that crabbing kills many fishermen. A program title...

Powerful advice: common sense is your ally when selecting an engine for your boat.(Boats & Gear: Diesels 2009)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First of all, let me explain something I don't claim to be an expert on anything. Anything at all. I'm just lucky to have witnessed a lot of things over the years when it comes to boats and engines--from my years...

Animal, vegetable, but not mineral: biodiesel offers better lubricity, lower emissions and the potential for lower fuel costs.(Boats & Gear: Diesels 2009)
February 1, 2009... Until Rudolf Diesel invented his internal combustion engine in the 1890s, industrial machinery was driven by inefficient and oversized steam engines. Diesel hoped to empower independent craftsmen, farmers and other small businessmen with his...

Engines of progress: if you're a diesel, the second tier is the place to be.(Boats & Gear: Diesels 2009)
February 1, 2009... Most engine manufacturers are continuing to strengthen their engine lineup with new horsepower additions or bringing in new engines to replace ones that didn't meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 air emissions standards. Down...

2009 diesel lineup.(Boats & Gear: 2009 diesels)(Table)
February 1, 2009... 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 most appropriate for your oat, we suggest you contact the...

Mike Athorn: Apalachicola, Fla.(CARING FOR BABY)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Mike Athorn's longevity strategy for his Detroit Diesel 6-71 is two-pronged: change the oil and fuel filers a lot, and take it easy on the throttle. "We seriously baby it" Athorn says. He feels this is just the smart thing to do "because...

Rufus Ruark Sr.: Urbanna, Va.(CARING FOR BABY)
February 1, 2009... Rufus Ruark Sr. and Rufus Ruark Jr. own and operate Shores and Ruark of Urbanna Va., an oyster growing, planting and crab picking operation on Robinson Creek off the Rappahannock River. The Ruarks will tell you up front that gasoline...

John Ludvick: Homer, Alaska.(CARING FOR BABY)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Few fishermen have gone the lengths of John Ludvick in their quest to gain fuel efficiency from the old iron chugging within the bilges. Though he talks of repowering the Viking with a smaller, more efficient engine someday, Ludvick, a salmon,...

Wendell Bryant: Cutler, Maine.(CARING FOR BABY)
February 1, 2009... Engine prices, like a lot of other things, have been going up the past few years. It's one reason Wendell Bryant does whatever he can to take care of the 660-hp Caterpillar in his Holland 38-foot lobster boat, 16th Avenue. "I always figured the...

A 47-footer has Mass. appeal; Maine builder buys Beal molds.(NORTHEAST)
February 1, 2009... H&H Marine is building several boats at its shop in Steuben, Maine, for commercial fishermen in New England, the West Indies and California. In December, the boat closest to being finished was for Peter Krzyzewski of Kingston, Mass. It...

Seiner gets major going-over; preparation key to sponsoning.(WEST)
February 1, 2009... The limit seiner and longliner Equinox was due to go in the water Jan. 3 after an extensive refurbishing at Platypus Marine in Port Angeles, Wash. The 58-footer looked worse for the wear when the boatyard's TraveLift picked the blue and...

'Bama yard builds a scalloper; huge gear shuts down railway.(SOUTH)
February 1, 2009... Williams Fabrication of Coden, Ala., is building a new scallop boat and converting a Gulf of Mexico shrimp er into a longliner. The scalloper's hull is completed and measures 90' x 27'. In early November, the crew at Williams Fabrication...

Put this EPIRB to the test: float-free device allows dry runs on the GPS receiver.(Product roundup)
February 1, 2009... Among Australia's more enjoyable exports to this country have been "Crocodile Dundee," Nicole Kidman and good beer. Granted, none of those will be much good to you if your boat is sinking, but the latest Australian offering just might be. A GME...

Submerged but not soaked: staying dry is no stretch in Whites' reinvented survival suit.(Product roundup)(Whites Manufacturing)
February 1, 2009... In February 2004, the Canadian fishing boat Hope Bay capsized and sank in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Sound. Within 45 minutes three of four crewmen had died. "They were wearing immersion suits that got very wet inside. They were...

Pow'rTran offers the Powr Jackplate, designed to help boost outboard acceleration, speed and fuel economy.(At a glance)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] POW'RTRAN offers the POWR JACKPLATE, designed to help boost outboard acceleration, speed and fuel economy. With 7.5 inches of vertical lift, the Powr Jackplate puts the outboard's prop exactly where it should be. The...

West System has a product for making fiberglass repairs.(At a glance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WEST SYSTEM has a product for making fiberglass repairs. The 855 VACUUM BAGGING KIT uses atmospheric pressure to deliver even clamping pressure over a new composite part or a repair. It can be used with numerous...

Simrad has introduced the MX510 and MX512 navigation systems.(At a glance)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SIMRAD has introduced the MX510 and MX512 navigation systems. Both use advanced PC-based technology and Intel processors to provide position data. Your position is shown in either lat/long, UTM, or a user-defined...

Shakespeare's newest antenna is the 5250-AIS Skinny Mini.(At a glance)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SHAKESPEARE's newest antenna is the 5250-AIS Skinny Mini. Its low profile design allows it to be worked into an already crowded antenna array. The 5250-AIS is a 36-inch tall, half-wave, end-fed stainless steel whip...

Marine Flotation Products' new salvage system, SalvageLift, eliminates the need to position cables or chains beneath the object you are raising, and brings it above the water's surface.(At a glance)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MARINE FLOTATION PRODUCTS' new salvage system, SALVAGELIFT, eliminates the need to position cables or chains beneath the object you are raising, and brings it above the water's surface. Weighing 40 pounds per 10-foot...

Sea-Fire Marine has an innovative fire-resistant sleeving for its manual MD Fire Suppression Systems.(At a glance)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEA-FIRE MARINE has an innovative fire-resistant sleeving for its manual MD Fire Suppression Systems. The SMAC DISCHARGE CABLE ASSEMBLY with the SMAC SLEEVING protects cables from heat up to 500 degrees. It is...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
February 1, 2009... FEB. 14-17 Mediterranean Seafood Exhibition The Expo Center, Rimini, Italy * www.medseafood.com The Mediterranean Seafood Exhibition is an international seafood forum with exhibitors and attendees representing the entire seafood...

Fisherman of the year contest.(ON THE MOVE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... National Fisherman's FISHERMAN OF THE YEAR CONTEST, held in November at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, played out in front of a packed house. Each of the four races awarded a winner with a crisp $100 bill, and the Fisherman of the Year also...

Ian Kinsey represented the Norwegian Fishermen's Union of Homer, Alaska, and took home the $100 cash prize for net mending with a time of 35.63 seconds.(ON THE MOVE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... IAN KINSEY represented the Norwegian Fishermen's Union of Homer, Alaska, and took home the $100 cash prize for net mending with a time of 35.63 seconds. The knot-tying winner--whipping out a bowline, figure eight and a sheet bend while...

Nantucket, Mass.(Last set)
February 1, 2009... Skipper Peter Taylor gaffs a haddock while deckhand Jeremiah Perry dresses fish aboard the 42-foot Bad Boys about 45 miles southeast of Nantucket on an early fail day. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]