National Fisherman articles from January 2002

National Fisherman archives from January 2002

Southerners, crossed. (Editor's Log).(shrimp fishery and loggerhead turtle issues)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Two hundred unhappy shrimpers met recently with NMFS representatives, near New Orleans, to discuss a new turtle excluder device the agency is proposing. A TED is a trap door designed to let turtles out of shrimp nets. The agency wants...

At Sea.
January 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: WANT TO KNOW WHY they call him "Tough Tim" Osmar? Just try to keep up with this Alaska salmon setnetter and Iditarod veteran, seen here with his crew, Ollie Cassels (left), Tawny Osmar, NF writer Charlie Ess...

NF's coverage of shark issue strikes a chord with readers. (Mail Buoy).
January 1, 2002... The shark attacks are based on National Marine Fisheries Service not letting the longliner fishermen catch these man-eating creatures. My husband goes in the ocean every day; he shrimps for a living. The sharks surround the back of the boat and...

An Alaska fisherman shares insights on satellite phones. (Mail Buoy).
January 1, 2002... In the September issue of National Fisherman, you had an article about handheld satellite phones titled "Long-Distance Calling" [p. 42]. As a very satisfied user of Globalstar in Southeast Alaska, I would like to respectfully disagree with the...

Cap'n Sane says ... (Mail Buoy).(Brief Article)(Short Story)
January 1, 2002... Saturday Cove, Maine The winter months were not my favorite times of the year growin' up with the Old Man long times ago. The fish weir had been put to winter rest, my friends the dory n'seine scow, punt n' sailboat Spike were hauled...

October mail buoy evoked a flood of fond memories. (Mail Buoy).
January 1, 2002... It was with real regret that I learned of Capt. "Junior" Magwood's death from your touching memorial ["S.C. fishermen mourn loss of `Capt. Junior' Magwood," Mail Buoy, NF Oct. '01, p. 6]. We became acquainted in the early '80s, but had not...

He's bullish on the future of New England aquaculture. (Mail Buoy).
January 1, 2002... Your recent coverage of aquaculture in the Northeast was informative and surely opened many eyes to the efforts of New England farmers. Rhode Island also has consistently made progress in responsibly increasing aquaculture's presence in the...

A fond farewell to those old radio days. (Forum).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... OK, I admit it, I'm resisting change. Suddenly it seems like the world of high-tech communications is taking over in the commercial fishing industry and, frankly, I'm missing the good old days. The good old days were when we could listen to...

Design flaw: from U.S. coast guard reports. (Consequences).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... It was big for a 24-footer. Designed for groundfishing, the boat measured 24 feet long by 8 wide. Its numerous below-deck compartments included space for a fuel tank, anchor locker and engine. On deck there was a pilothouse forward and a live...

The Sea's Bitter Harvest. (Telling the human story).
January 1, 2002... THE SEA'S BITTER HARVEST Douglas A. Campbell Carroll & Graf Publishers Softcover, 304 pages, $25 So far, I am not impressed with this new millennium. There's been a never-ending assault of horrible news in 2001. On Nov. 12, American...

S.C. shrimp harvest fades following initial rebound: still, Department of Natural Resources says fall landings turned out better than expected. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... After what was touted as an early rebound for South Carolina commercial shrimpers, catch estimates are now below last year's, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Larry DeLancey, who supervises the department's...

Florida community hopes to cast out cast netters: Marco Island official raises `conduct' issue. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Seven years after Florida voters approved a statewide gillnet ban, officials on toney Marco Island are trying to talk up a constitutional amendment that would throw out the cast netters. Fine, says Jerry Sansom, executive director of...

Passage expected of bill to label domestic catfish: legislation arising over Vietnam imports. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Relief is on the way for aquaculturists in catfish producing states, where federal representatives are making progress with legislation designed to make strong market distinctions between domestic fish and those imported from overseas. A...

Bristol Bay crab season proves short but deadly: new safety pact inked, but one crabber dies and others injured during three-day fishery. (North Pacific).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Bristol Bay red king crab season lasted only three days and eight hours, but the October fishery was hardly short on danger. A rogue wave pummeled the crabber Exito, sweeping veteran crewman Scott Powell, 37, of Springfield, Ore., to...

Judge's decision delays payments to fishermen: competing claims hold up salmon money. (North Pacific).(King Fischer Fisheries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Bristol Bay salmon fishermen who have been waiting more than a year for payout of nearly $1 million from the bankruptcy of King Fischer Fisheries were told by a judge in October they'll have to wait longer. The holdup stems from competing...

Court overturns award in Exxon Valdez lawsuit: labels $5.3 billion verdict as `excessive'. (North Pacific).(Exxon Mobil Corp.'s liability for tanker's oil spill damages)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Calling a $5.3 billion punitive damages verdict for fishermen, processors and landowners affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill "excessive and unwarranted," the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 7 overturned a 1994 lower court decision...

Home Port: where we live. (BILOXI, MISS.).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... THE TOWN Population: 53,000 Fleet size: Approximately 5.00 resident boats, the vast majority shrimpers TOP LANDINGS In 2000, 14.2 million pounds of shrimp, oysters and blue crabs, worth $35.5 million, were landed in...

Coast guard says give those Navy ships wide berth: 100-yard clearance zones implemented; areas around military bases are off-limits, too. (National).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the U.S. Coast Guard implemented 100-yard clearance zones around U.S. Navy vessels and new, larger security zones around military bases and other...

A settlement is reached in Great Lakes sinking: Gillnetter's family agrees to $3.3 million. (National).(BP Amoco settles)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A multi-million dollar settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit over the sinking of the Linda E may bring financial relief to one fisherman's family. A Milwaukee woman who lost her husband and father when their fishing boat sank in Lake...

Wild fish get shut out on organic designation: but some farmed fish may earn the nod. (National).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Wild fish don't qualify as "organic" food, but some farmed fish might, the National Organic Standards Board ruled in October. The board, an advisory body to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, disappointed seafood producers nationwide with...

New England Fish Chowder: Kurtis Briand, Montauk, N.Y. (Galley Watch At-sea cuisine).(Brief Article)(Recipe)
January 1, 2002... Before preparing Kurtis Briand's New England Fish Chowder, pay close attention to the list of ingredients, because it will take a mighty big pot to hold them all. You'll want to cook this at home, freeze it and then bring it on the next trip...

New Brunswick receives a new fisheries minister: fishing leader cautiously optimistic about premier appointing Rodney Weston to the post. (Canada).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... As part of a total cabinet reshuffle, New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord has appointed Rodney Weston as the new Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, replacing Paul Robichaud, who becomes Minister of Tourism and Parks, a new...

U.S. boat seized fishing on the continental shelf: jurisdiction likely issue in crabbing dispute. (Canada).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Canadian authorities seized an American fishing boat and arrested its captain in late September for allegedly fishing for snow crab on the continental shelf, according to Morley Knight, director of Conservation and Protection for the Department...

Tordenskjold: halibut and blackcod longliner. (Boat of the Month).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... One of Seattle's original halibut schooners, the Tordenskjold is still, even after 90 years, a strong producer in her annual migrations to Alaska. Her peak production, though, may have occurred during World War II, when high government demand...

Moves made to control spread of fisheries `pest': impact on mussel stocks unclear to DFO. (Canada).(Department of Fisheries and Oceans makes moves to control clubbed tunicate)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A fisheries pest known for fouling gear, hulls and lines, the clubbed tunicate, has shown up on the coast of Prince Edward Island, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has taken steps to control it. The affected area extends from...

Reductions continue to dog Pacific groundfish fleet: smaller hook-and-line boats suffer most as yelloweye ban, meager rockfish limits are set. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Groundfishermen were braced for further hits as the Pacific Fishery Management Council set the plan for the 2002 season in November, and when the smoke cleared, it appeared that the smaller boats in the hook-and-line fleet suffered the most...

Calif. fishermen critical of `no take' zone plan: cite failure to involve industry in design. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Commercial fishermen in California continue to fight a proposal to establish a network of 41 "no-take" zones along the state's 1,100-mile coast. Speaking at public comment sessions, fishermen have cited numerous concerns about the proposed...

Research center to honor Ore. trawlerman's efforts: Barry Fisher facility to focus on groundfish. (Pacific).(NOAA-based facility)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Construction of a $4 million NOAA-based research facility that will be dedicated to the improved research, rebuilding, and management of troubled West Coast groundfish stocks began this fall. The facility will be named for trawlerman Barry...

John Ludvig: Homer, Alaska. (Snapshot Who we are).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When Alaska Peninsula salmon prices fell down the basement stairs last summer, lifelong fisherman John Ludvig looked to his roots for answers. Luckily for Ludvig, 41, his grandfather fished Pacific cod near the Shumagin Islands in early 1900s...

Virginia watermen see late surge in blue crab catch: landings pick up after dismal start, but scientists still concerned over low spawning stock. (Northeast).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Virginia's blue crab landings started slow in 2001, but stronger August and September catches indicate that the harvest won't be as low as originally feared. Virginia watermen landed 7.2 million pounds of blue crabs from April 1 through...

Lawsuits arising in loss of New England trawler: families, nations are involved in litigation. (Northeast).(tanker says fishing boat caused collision)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The legal wrangling over the collision between the Russian tanker Virgo and the Starbound, a pair trawler that sank 130 miles east of Cape Ann in early August, confirm predictions made soon after the tragedy that things would get ugly once the...

Maine lobstermen stop trawl survey in protest: 17 boats surround vessel after traps cut. (Northeast).(research boat halted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... On Oct. 22, spontaneous activism by Maine lobstermen brought the state's inshore trawl survey to a halt. As the 55-foot research trawler Robert Michael, chartered by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, prepared to tow its net through rich...

Northeast Lobster: somber mood in wake of attacks causes market demand to slacken. (Market Report).(effects of 9/11 attacks on industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... September's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon shut down airports throughout the country and, for a short time, made it impossible for distributors to get lobster and other seafood to market. For Northeast...

Gulf/South Atlantic Snapper: fine weather, good fishing lead to market glut and low boat prices. (Market Report).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... With the February 2002 red snapper opening just weeks away, David Krebs, owner of Ariel Seafood in Destin, Fla., sees a couple of scenarios that could help elevate the dismal boat price snapper brought in October. One involves just enough bad...

Pacific sole: supply spike keeps ex-vessel price for `Cadillac of flatfish' in low gear. (Market Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... It's not just the Oregon Trawl Commission's promotional material that looks on petrale as "the Cadillac of flatfish," Food critics and gourmets rank it at the top of the sole varieties caught on this coast, recommending it in recipes with fancy...

North Pacific geoducks: live market's success may depend on shellfish poisoning test methods. (Market Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Alaska geoduck divers won't forget last season's disastrous ex-vessel prices anytime soon. While harvesters in years past have enjoyed prices in the realm of $4 per pound for the big clams, shipped to live markets in China, high concentrations...

Tomorrow's catch: industry observers make some educated guesses about the shape of things to come. (The Future of Fishing).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... The demise of the fishing industry has been proclaimed more than once, but in all likelihood, in 50 years our grandchildren will still be making a living from the sea and feeding an increasingly hungry world. However, the nature of the...

Standing by tradition: Mainer Walter Drinkwater has been catching lobsters his way for half a century, and he's not about to change. (In Profile).
January 1, 2002... At daybreak Walter Drinkwater motors out of the harbor of Spruce Head, Maine, to his lobstering grounds surrounding Graffam Island. To port and starboard bigger boats with powerful diesels steam by to begin fishing. Drinkwater waves to each of...

Diving into paradise: conch diving isn't wildly lucrative, but Andy Maldonado can enjoy life on a Puerto Rican beach by noon. What's not to like? (Under the sea).
January 1, 2002... The fishing fleet of El Combate, a small town on Puerto Rico's southwest coast, is barely visible in the late evening light. A massive armada, it's not: half a dozen open 20-footers, riding quietly at moorings in calm seas just off the town...

Miles to go before he sleeps. (Cover Story).(salmon fisher Tim Osmar)(Interview)
January 1, 2002... You can get lost, wet and hungry working in Alaska's setnet salmon fishery, not to mention tired. But to fisherman and dogsled racer Tim Osmar, if you snooze, you lose. We're tired. We're cold, and we're hungry. It's dark, and we're...

A purple heart for an old fish boat: using a favorite wood, the author keeps a West Coast boat away from the chain saws and part of the fleet. (Boats & Gear).
January 1, 2002... With the rising cost of insurance and the price of shipyard labor and materials, there are fewer and fewer older wooden boats fishing on the West Coast. In fact, never before have there been so many fishing boats in the Pacific northwest being...

Tools for the self-sufficient: when hardware stores don't have what you need -- or they are three days away -- you have to rely on yourself. (Boats & gear: homemade equipment).
January 1, 2002... In the lengthy job description of the commercial fisherman is the following passage: "exceedingly ingenious and inclined to use large amounts of elbow grease." And while the job requirements don't end there, the above statement is true....

A net to get on prawn: West Coast fishermen will cut bycatch, burn less fuel and put more catch in the hold with low-rise wide-opening trawls. (Boats & gear: trawl design).
January 1, 2002... "So you wanna catch some prawns?" I queried the phone caller. "All I want to know from you is how many horses, how deep and what kind of trawl door." The caller said he was fishing off the coast of California. He had 200 hp in a boat under...

The best of 2001: innovations that make a fisherman's life easier. (Boats & gear: year in review).
January 1, 2002... At the end of every year, we thumb through the issues for the previous 12 months and select the things that stand out as attempts by fishermen, boat designers and marine-industry manufacturers to come up with new and innovative ideas to help...

Dr. Granny now operating; Stanley builds lobster boat. (North).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When the Dr. Granny went into the water this past summer, it was the second fiberglass stern trawler that Cheticamp Boatbuilders of Cheticamp, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, had finished off for Cape Breton's Eskansoni tribe. The first boat was...

Midas bow is good as gold; storm benefits repair trade. (West).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The favorable exchange rate for Americans when they go into Canada has brought a number of U.S. fishing boats to British Columbia for maintenance and repair work. Two of the Seattle-based boats that made their way north to the Fraser Shipyard...

New crabber goes out West; oyster program gets garvey. (South).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Boatbuilders John Kinnamon and his son, John Jr., build fiberglass boats on Tilghman Island, Md., for commercial fishermen from New Jersey to Texas. The father-and-son boatbuilding team has two shops. One is set back from the water and...

Bulletin Board.(dates and details of industry events, exhibitions, and expositions)(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... MARCH 12-14 The International Boston Seafood Show Hynes Convention Center, Boston The International Boston Seafood Show is the industry's choice for sourcing and selling seafood. Buyers at IBSS find it is the most cost-effective way to...

A longline hauler designed to speed things up: Mustad says its SP 2000 overcomes snarls, knots and bent hooks, and with less maintenance. Product Roundup).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Automated longline equipment certainly has its advantages: You can set and haul more hooks in a day than you ever could by hand, and the crew doesn't need the skills necessary to fish on a boat with conventional gear. But it also has its...

Honda Marine. (Inside the Industry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... HONDA MARINE recently named RICHARD R. BURTON to manage a sales district encompassing the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Hawaii. Burton has been in the marine industry for more than 15 years, with...

North Carolina Fisheries Association. (Inside The Industry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES ASSOCIATION has appointed BILL HITCHCOCK to serve as communications director and editor. Hitchcock has more than 20 years experience as a television and documentary producer, syndicated columnist, publicist and...

Perkins Sabre. (Inside The Industry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... British-based manufacturer PERKINS SABRE has appointed BOB SMITH as the North American liaison officer for the company's line of marine diesel engines. He will provide technical and commercial support to boatbuilders and importers throughout...

Disaster loans. (Company News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... DISASTER LOANS. In the wake of the September terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon, the U.S. Small Business Administration is opening up access to funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. The loans are designed to...

Green light. (Company News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... GREEN LIGHT. Litton Marine Systems has received type approval for its Decca BridgeMaster E 180 and 250 flat-screen marine radars. The approval, granted by the United Kingdom Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, signifies that the flat-screen...

Approved. (Company News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... APPROVED. Richtec Inc., the U.S. distributor for Ottercom Communications products, has announced that Ottercom received full type approval for the STORM Global Wireless ISDN terminal using Inmarsat's Global Area Network of satellites. Ottercom...

Calendar. (Company News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... CALENDAR. The Virginia Marine Products Board is offering the 2002 Virginia's Watermen Calendar, celebrating the scenes and people of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries with photos by John Hurt Whitehead III. The spiral-bound calendar also...

Someday, a pump may be your best friend: Diesel America West's offering is portable and designed for salt water.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Pumps: You can never have too many of them once you've left the dock. There's the scenario when you want pumps to push water over the side -- as fast and as much as possible. This is the sinking emergency when you see the stern is going down...

Digital antenna. (At A Glance).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... DIGITAL ANTENNA recommends its new DA4000 CELLULAR PHONE RADIO FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER for the marine industry. It provides amplification of both transmit and receive signals for improved cell phone use, enhancing range and system access while...

Walker Engineering Enterprises. (At A Glance).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... WALKER ENGINEERING ENTERPRISES describes its new WALKER ALGAESEP as "an advanced, self-contained diesel fuel polishing system that removes water, algae and other contaminants from fuel either at the dock or while under way." The device is...

ACR Electronics. (At A Glance).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... ACR ELECTRONICS has introduced the LOW-PRO MOUNTING BRACKET, which fits both the Satellite 2 406 and the RapidFix 406 Category II manually deployable EPIRBs. The LowPro's small size allows it to be placed unobtrusively almost anywhere. At 7.5"...

Sea-shore Marketing Group. (At A Glance).
January 1, 2002... The SEA-SHORE MARKETING GROUP has redesigned its SEA-BLOCK SCUPPERS for 2002. The frame and door assemblies are now manufactured from a stronger nylon/fiberglass composition to withstand greater shock loads. The door hinge area has been...

Twelve Sprayon Lubricants and rust preventives. (At A Glance).
January 1, 2002... Twelve SPRAYON LUBRICANTS AND RUST PREVENTATIVES are now available from DIVERSIFIED BRANDS industrial distributors. The products are acceptable for use in federally inspected food processing areas, the company says. The line includes colorless,...

New nautical coatings. (At A Glance).
January 1, 2002... NEW NAUTICAL COATINGS recommends its SEA HAWK TROPIKOTE ANTIFOULING PAINT for year-round protection with less maintenance. The company has enhanced its original formula with a biocontrol algicide and grass eliminator. The paint is designed to...

Next generation power. (At A Glance).
January 1, 2002... Owners of boats under 30 feet in length often find generator sets too bulky and noisy to use conveniently, NEXT GENERATION POWER says. That's what they had in mind when they designed their 3,500 kilowatt ultra-compact UCM1-3.5 GENSET, housed in...

Wesmar. (At A Glance).
January 1, 2002... WESMAR introduces its MODEL RS250 ROLL FIN STABILIZERS, designed to provide vessels under 45 feet with the same stable ride as larger boats with stabilizers -- without sacrificing speed, reliability or power. "Our development of a low profile...

Nikon. (At A Glance).(night vision monocular)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... NIKON is offering a new night vision monocular, the NIGHTSEARCH -- and touts its compact, lightweight design, engineered to make many tasks easier at night without the need for artificial light. Utilizing Nikon's Generation II night-vision...

Sealand Technology. (At A Glance).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... To accommodate raised-platform installations, SEALAND TECHNOLOGY says, it is making its MAGNUM OPUS VACUUM TOILET available to boat manufacturers in a new, low-profile design beginning this month. Measuring three inches shorter than the...

Last set.
January 1, 2002... ACTING AS "NAIL," Eddie Cliff holds twine for Capt. Aubrey Roberts aboard the Royal City in October. A drum seiner, the Royal City had just returned from a chum salmon opening in Johnstone Strait, off British Columbia.