National Fisherman articles from January 2004

National Fisherman archives from January 2004

Dodging bullets.(Editor's Log)
January 1, 2004... It will be interesting to see what happens next in New England, where the fishery management council in November voted in support of a groundfish plan presented by an industry group. Given the complexity of the New England groundfishery,...

At sea.
January 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: FORMER LONGLINER Todd Corayer (left) brought Northeast Bureau Chief Dexter Van Zile along on a trip to the Narragansett Bay grounds to see the work that goes into raising oysters. (Story page 20)

Fishing back when.(NF Classics)
January 1, 2004... 50 YEARS AGO this month Mainers landed 240 million pounds of fish and shellfish worth $16.4 million in 1953, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports. This is 40 million pounds and $1 million less than they landed the year previous. The...

Biblical implications.(Sea Fire:Tales of Jesus and Fishing)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... SEA FIRE: TALES OF JESUS AND FISHING By Irene Martin Crossroad Publishing, 2003 Softcover, 224 pp., $19.95 Irene Martin is annoyed. One thing that bugs her, and which is appropriate during the Christmas season, is how Jesus is often...

The perils of midwater trawling.(Forum)
January 1, 2004... There are two extremely problematic issues plaguing today's commercial fishing industry. The first issue is management schemes that only consider the individual species being managed, with no acknowledgement of the overall ecosystem. The second...

Re-thinking re-rigging.(Consequences)
January 1, 2004... In September 2001, the crew of a 61-foot fishing vessel dragging scallops off Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, observed signs of a leak in the engine room. Weather at the time was good, with light winds, calm seas and good visibility. The...

Lobstermen need to do their own research.(To the editor)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... The Northeast lobster industry should wake up and realize the catastrophic threshold that its resource is facing. I have been a lobsterman in the Long Island Sound for 30 years and have experienced the "ups and downs" in catches just as all...

Former packer remembers Bristol Bay sailing gillnetters.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Many thanks, for your article in the 2003 Yearbook on the Bristol Bay sailing gillnetters ("Key Innovations in Boats and Gear," NF April 2003, p. 52). It brought back great memories. I am a native Astorian [Ore.] who worked for Columbia...

Cooperation nets results.(A Letter From Bill Hogarth)
January 1, 2004... As I write this column, the New England Fishery Management Council has completed its work on Amendment 13 of the multispecies fishery management plan on time, and with a design that appears workable. The council and industry stepped forward...

Cap'n Sane says ...
January 1, 2004... Saturday Cove, Maine The annual Cove Christmas Party went off without a hitch this year. There was plenty of grub, lots of presents and only two fist fights between Sam Wheeler n" hisself. Puddy Hall was the new organizin' Santa. Puddy...

Council groundfish plan attempts to walk tightrope: under deadline pressure, regulators try to protect weak stocks and give fishermen access.(Northeast)
January 1, 2004... The roulette wheel has slowed, but is still spinning for New England groundfishermen as NMFS reviews a stock recovery plan offered by the New England Fishery Management Council in November. The plan was developed over a long, tense week of...

Seiner set ignites clash over bluefin agreement: groups split on whether pact was violated.(Northeast)
January 1, 2004... Another ugly battle is shaping up in the bluefin tuna fishery, this time over the interpretation of an agreement penned between general category and purse seine fishermen in 2001. The battle was prompted by the late-season arrival of a...

Video survey captures thriving scallop resource: stock estimate tops 500 million pounds.(Northeast)
January 1, 2004... A video stock assessment of the Northeast's scallop resource has yielded a preliminary estimate of more than 500 million pounds of scallops ranging from the Mid-Atlantic to Georges Bank. Kevin Stokesbury, assistant professor at the...

Heavy rains help rob Chesapeake of oxygen: 100-mile 'dead zone' spans Md. and Va.(Northeast)
January 1, 2004... Heavy rains swept nitrogen and phosphorus into Chesapeake Bay this summer, which in turn fed algae blooms, closed beaches and helped create a 100-mile 'dead zone' stretching from Maryland to Virginia. Oxygen levels .in the Chesapeake hit an...

Herring fishery to open for first time in 25 years: West Behm Canal stocks rebound, pushing well past 6,000-ton minimum threshold limit.(North Pacific)
January 1, 2004... After a 25-year hiatus, the West Behm Canal herring fishery will open again next spring. Increases in biomass estimates since the late 1990s indicate the stock is well above the 6,000-ton threshold required for conducting a commercial...

Open hatch likely cause of Arctic Rose sinking: Coast Guard ruling ends extensive probe.(North Pacific)
January 1, 2004... Coast Guard experts investigating the 2001 sinking of the Arctic Rose recently ruled that an open hatch was the most probable cause behind what's been billed as the most tragic fishing accident in more than 50 years. Fifteen crewmen were...

Alaska divers' proposal hinges on survey results: horse clam abundance being assessed.(North Pacific)
January 1, 2004... Alaska divers hope to gain new digging grounds as the state conducts horse clam stock assessment studies around Kodiak Island. A $60,000 survey, which began in August, is part of a $1 million federal grant dedicated to nearshore fisheries...

Home port: where we live.(commercial fishing port of Leeville)
January 1, 2004... LEEVILLE, LA. THE TOWN Population: Leeville is not listed on the U.S. Census. Local estimates, depending on the time of year and the source, run from 60 (local fishermen) to perhaps 1,000 (Chamber of Commerce). Fleet size: As many...

Ocean policy commission extends report deadline: first draft slated for November release, but final report may not be ready until January.(National)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy has postponed again its target date for a final report to Congress and the president. Created in 2000 to develop a comprehensive national ocean policy, the 16-member commission was supposed to have a...

National system created to collect marine data: real-time information coming via Internet.(National)
January 1, 2004... What began in Maine as a data gathering system for the Gulf of Maine is about to go nationwide. The U.S. Senate has approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), to establish a national ocean observing system. Based...

Erin B. urchin and sea cucumber dive boat.(Boat Of The Month)
January 1, 2004... Longtime San Diego urchin diver Pete Halmay bought the Erin B in 1987 from a lobster and swordfish fisherman who had brought the boat to the West Coast from Maine, where it was built by Bruno and Stillman in 1979. "They manage very well,"...

Studies offer good news on tuna, swordfish front: suggest mercury levels not as dangerous.(National)
January 1, 2004... A pair of recent reports delivered support for U.S. tuna and swordfish industries in the debate over the effects of eating fish containing mercury. One was a Harvard Medical School study that showed pregnant women did indeed pay attention...

Complaints trigger delay in allocating Fla. funds: December meeting slated to address concerns over distribution of relief aid to shrimpers.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
January 1, 2004... Responding to complaints that a Shrimp industry disaster relief allocation plan presented by state officials is unfair and ignores small operators, the Florida Legislative Budget Commission delayed distribution for the state's $6.7 million...

Researchers keeping eye on spiny lobster virus: officials assessing threat to Fla. fishery.(Around The Coasts)
January 1, 2004... It's too early to tell whether a virus in the Florida Keys spiny lobster population is a real threat to the fishery, according to Douglas R. Gregory, marine extension agent with Florida Sea Grant. "The virus is a real concern to fishermen,"...

Calif. fishermen aiding research on industry's value: project to document socioeconomic impact of commercial fishing upon San Luis Obispo.(Pacific)
January 1, 2004... In hopes of more fully quantifying the fishing industry's value, commercial fishermen in San Luis Obispo County and two local harbor districts are contributing to an unusual socioeconomic research project. The project seeks to document the...

Memorial arch to honor Ventura area fishermen: ground is broken for 9' x 11' monument.(Pacific)
January 1, 2004... Ventura, Calif., area fishermen who have lost their lives at sea and the fishermen who head out of port each day will be honored by a new memorial that will be completed next spring. Ground was broken this fall for the Ventura Harbor...

Warm water, low flows take their toll on salmon: strong 2003 returns marred by fish kills.(Pacific)
January 1, 2004... One of the best years for returning salmon was also a year with some of the highest fish kills. Roughly 5,000 salmon died in Butte Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River, in August; in addition, 23,000 juveniles in White River in April...

Fried soft crabs: Bob Evans, Shady Side, Md.(Galley watch: at-sea cuisine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Bob Evans, who has been working full-time on a fishing boat in Maryland waters since he graduated from high school in 1971, is well known for his fried soft crabs. Evans, treasurer for the Maryland Watermen's Association. owns of the 43-foot...

Wayne Melton: Metlakatla, Alaska.(Snapshot: who we are)
January 1, 2004... Wayne Melton has a nose for money fish--and for good boats. Melton, 51, says he's spent most of his adult life on the water, commercial fishing from the coastline of Oregon to the northern extremes of the Bering Sea. Though he's racked up...

Prince Edward Island lobstermen seeking buybacks: Gulf of St. Lawrence harvesters lobby federal regulators to thin permits by 25% to 30%.(Canada)
January 1, 2004... Prince Edward Island fishermen and Ottawa agree: the lobster fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence is in bad shape. What to do about it is a different matter. "The whole fishery is down from last year," says Ken Campbell,...

Petrale sole: fishermen, processors seek ways to beat the glutted winter market.(Pacific)
January 1, 2004... As Scott Adams, production manager of Hallmark Fisheries' Charleston, Ore., plant says, "there's always a demand for petrale." However, Adams adds, "we get to this point: What are we going to do with all this petrale?" The question is...

Lobster: cold water shrinks Maine catch, but prices warm harvesters' hearts.(Northeast)
January 1, 2004... After several years of booming landings in the Maine lobster fishery, a return to normal may look like a catastrophe to outsiders. But for people in the business, this season's late start was merely an unwelcome blip--neither unusual nor....

Snapper: rising prices, additional days are well received by derby-weary fleet.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
January 1, 2004... When red snapper fishermen hit the water at noon, Feb. 1, 2004, for a 10-day opening, it may be after only a one-month layoff, a rare occurrence since the implementation of start-and-stop, quota-constrained derby fishing in 1991. This...

Misc. shellfish: Alaska's geoduck divers applaud change in shellfish testing protocol.(North Pacific)
January 1, 2004... Alaska's geoduck divers got some good news when industry groups and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation agreed to further tweak paralytic shellfish poison testing protocol. The change should yield a more consistent supply of...

By the light of the midnight sun: a British Columbia fisherman charts a course through the years with his vessel.(One Man One Boat)
January 1, 2004... Waves break over a reef just off the beach on Galiano Island, where retired commercial fisherman Norm Floe and his wife, Catherine, make their home. Downstairs, in the rec room, a painting of the Midnight Sun, the 80-foot seine boat owned by...

Cultivating his future: Todd Corayer is betting that raising oysters in Narragansett Bay will pay off in sustainable harvests--and profits.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Todd Corayer and Gary Thompson manhandle a stack of 10 plastic oyster racks over the rail of the New Hope, a 35-foot Atkinson fiberglass boat. They're aided by a winch and pulley attached to a gallows frame originally installed for use in the...

Market makers: David and Kimberly Chauvin are determined not to go down with the price of shrimp.(In Profile)
January 1, 2004... A little over one year ago, David and Kimberly Chauvin had no idea what would become of their boat, their business and their family's future. Like thousands of other American shrimp fish-families, they were overwhelmed by a price crash caused...

Patience pays off: Eastern Fisheries last bought a new boat 20 years ago. A pair of scallopers added to its fleet are worth the wait.(Boats & Gear)
January 1, 2004... TWO new scallopers joined the Eastern Fisheries fleet in New Bedford, Mass., expanding what was already the nation's largest scalloping operation. With the additions, the Eastern Fisheries fleet is at 14 boats, including some owned by the...

Upgrade your wheelhouse: more and more fishermen are installing computers on their boats, but you need to know which units work best at sea.(Onboard Computers)
January 1, 2004... Remember "Iron Mike," the silent helmsman? You'd just point him in the direction you wanted to go and he'd hold the course until Hell froze or you ran out of fuel. And what about the electronic chart plotter? You could just punch a couple of...

Pumping out the heat: a central-heating system might be the best way to bring some warmth to you and your boat.(Hot Topic)
January 1, 2004... Coming off a cold deck into the luxurious warmth of a heated cabin makes a tired body feel good. Problem is, on small boats, you're either huddled around a stove that somebody's drying their socks on, or revving an expensive engine for no...

Better and better: our "best of" for 2003 reminds us that you can't stop time, tide, or progress.(A Year In Review)
January 1, 2004... Several things don't change about commercial fishing. It continues to be one of the most dangerous and physically demanding occupations, and often enough provides not much more than a marginal return on your investment. That's why the boats and...

Report spurs questions over sea lice infestation: suggests wild salmon infect farmed fish.(Around The Coasts)
January 1, 2004... The debate over whether sea lice from farmed fish infest wild stocks was thrown off track in September after a Scotland report indicated-the opposite might be true. Researchers with the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust found, over four...

DFO officers confiscate Mi'kmaq boats, gillnets: spawns new Native fishing rights battle.(Around The Coasts)
January 1, 2004... Tempers were running high in October at Elsipogtog First Nation Reserve (Big Cove) after federal officers seized boats and gillnets belonging to Mi'kmaq fishermen catching salmon and striped bass in the Richibucto River. The fishermen say...

This uneasy feeling's mutual.(Finance)
January 1, 2004... Last year conflicts of interest were discovered among brokerage houses. Now it's the mutual fund industry's turn. In early September, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accused Bank of America, Bank One, Janus, and Strong of trading...

Reader seeks data to assist in educating S.C. industry.(Mail Buoy)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I Just wanted you and your company to know that I really enjoy the views that you've expressed in the past about the fishing industry. I'm also writing in hopes that you may have some ideas that might help me bring attention to the dying...

62-foot 'ice boat' launched; lobster boat gets metal deck.(North)
January 1, 2004... If you are asked to describe a boat built in Newfoundland in one word--at least a boat built by Universal Marine in Triton--"stout" would be a good choice. Take the 62' x 22' Ashton & Cody as an example. On the outside this is a fiberglass...

78-foot longliner heads west; Puget Sound crabber unveiled.(West)
January 1, 2004... At the end of the first week in November, the 78' x 20' tuna longliner Carolejgh steamed away from the dock at Fred Wahl Marine Construction in Reedsport, Ore., heading for Honolulu and then the Pacific tuna grounds. The boat's owners and...

NOAA R/V sent to Alaska; two 25-foot crabbers built.(South)
January 1, 2004... VT Halter Marine of Gulfport, Miss., launched the 208' x 49' x 19' NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson in October. The boat was named for the late Oscar Dyson, a North Pacific fisheries pioneer and an industry leader who was also a National...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... MARCH 14-16 The International Boston Seafood Show Convention Center, Boston * www.bostonseafood.com The International Boston Seotood Show is the industry's choice for sourcing and selling seafood. Buyers at the show find it is the...

A clean operation, naturally: the Chloropac from USFilter generates chlorine without the hassle.(Product Roundup)
January 1, 2004... The Starbound, a 248-foot factory trawler owned by Aleutian Spray Fisheries of Seattle, processes about 110 metric tons of pollock a day. The fish go through a filleting machine, then to a candling table to find any bones or leftover skin. Then...

Glacier Society.(On the Move)
January 1, 2004... STEPHEN M. JOHNSON, former president of New Canaan-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, AmeriCares, has been named vice president of development and communications of the GLACIER SOCIETY. The international Glacier Society,...

Maryland Department of Natural Resources.(On the Move)
January 1, 2004... KENNY KEEN has been appointed by Guy. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. as Deputy Director of Fisheries for the MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Keen has been a member of the Maryland Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission, which advises the director...

The National Marine Electronics Association honored George Lariviere of Northern Airborne Technology with its 2003 NMEA Lifetime Achievement Award.(On the Move)
January 1, 2004... The National Marine Electronics Association honored GEORGE LARIVIERE of Northern Airborne Technology with its 2003 NMEA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, which recognizes outstanding living individuals who have improved the public good through marine...

Hydra Pro.(Company News)
January 1, 2004... HYDRA PRO announces its representation of the SCANMAR product line in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Seattle. Scanmar offers wireless net monitoring to fishing fleets. Tim Tilleman will support the product line in Dutch Harbor, while Eddie Wood will...

Northstar Technical.(Company News)
January 1, 2004... NOAA has awarded Northstar Electronics' subsidiary, NORTHSTAR TECHNICAL, two contracts to supply NETMIND trawl monitoring systems. One contract is with Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the other is with National Marine Fisheries...

2003 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant Recipients.(Company News)
January 1, 2004... More than $2.75 million has been awarded to 75 community-based organizations and local governments selected as the 2003 CHESAPEAKE BAY SMALL, WATERSHED GRANT RECIPIENTS. The program improves the bay and its rivers by providing the necessary...

Maine State Planning Office.(Company News)
January 1, 2004... NOAA has awarded $2.71 million of support to the MAINE STATE PLANNING OFFICE for coastal zone management. The grant will provide funding to the office for continuing implementation of the state's federally approved coastal zone management...

Turning Point Propellers.(Company News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... TURNING POINT PROPELLERS, which manufactures propellers featuring the MasterGuard Hub system, has moved into a larger facility. The new 4,000-square-foot facility is located at 896 Cambridge Drive in Elk Grove Village, Ill. It has warehouse...

National Fisheries Institute Scientific Monitoring Committee.(Company News)
January 1, 2004... The NATIONAL FISHERIES INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC MONITORING COMMITTEE has been approved to harvest quota to raise funds for its cooperative research program, which expands an earlier survey of vessel tow comparisons. Fishermen from NFI-SMC will work...

Honda Marine.(Company News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... HONDA MARINE has announced 12 new dealerships, bringing its total to over 1,000. The new dealers include Lake Holiday Marina, Somonauk, Ill.; Riverside Sportland, Breckenridge, Minn.; Himel Marine/Lafayette, Lafayette, La.; Omega Marine,...

Furuno USA.(Company News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... FURUNO USA, Camas, Wash.-based manufacturer of marine electronics, was honored with nine awards at the prestigious 2003 National Marine Electronics Association Convention in Ft. Meyers, Fla. Furuno has received a total of 146 such awards since...

New England Seafood Producers Association.(Company News)(Awards presented.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The NEW ENGLAND SEAFOOD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION, representing the interests of the New England shoreside seafood industry, honored First Essex and Middlesex counties, Senator Bruce E. Tarr, and Susan Playfair, author of the book "Vanishing...

Chelton Ltd.(Company News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.K.-based CHELTON LTD, a member of the Cobham Group, comprising a global network of companies active in maritime and aviation industries, has acquired 100 percent of Austria-based Nauticast AG, an Automatic Identification System supplier....

No bones about it: Ryco's new filleting machine improves a classic design.
January 1, 2004... In the marine world, especially in commercial fishing, there's hardly ever a product that can be described as revolutionary. That's because the ocean's harsh and demanding nature doesn't allow for mistakes. And when equipment breaks down at...

FC1 Watermakers' new Universal Reverse Osmosis Controller software provides a user-friendly interface with customizable, automatic operation for the company's watermakers.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... FC1 WATERMAKERS' new UNIVERSAL REVERSE OSMOSIS CONTROLLER software provides a user-friendly interface with customizable, automatic operation for the company's watermakers. The control panel presents a full readout of system parameters on a...

Fastening Solutions says its Tools Leash prevents dropped tools on boats or over the side.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... FASTENING SOLUTIONS says its TOOL LEASH prevents dropped tools on boats or over the side. The Tool Leash utilizes a common snap hook, two plastic coiled leashes and a set of nylon tool rings to attach to hand or power tools, or parts up to 30...

West System's two-part treatment process, the 860 Aluminum Etch Kit, takes advantage of the fact that research has shown epoxy adhesion to aluminum is significant improved when the surface is properly conditioned.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... WEST SYSTEM's two-part treatment process, the 860 ALUMINUM ETCH KIT, takes advantage of the fact that research has shown epoxy adhesion to aluminum is significantly improved when the surface is properly conditioned. The 860 Aluminum Etch Kit...

Accon Marine offers Pop-Up Electric Bow Lights that connect to the boat's 12-volt system, fully pivot and are mounted at an angle to ward off water.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... ACCON MARINE Offers POP-UP ELECTRIC BOW LIGHTS that connect to the boat's 12-volt system, fully pivot and are mounted at an angle to ward off water. The actuator shuts off power after the light is in the full up or down positron, features...

MarineEast says its new series of Impact Vents feature an art deco design, fast and easy installation, and a multitude of uses.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... MARINEEAST says its new series of IMPACT VENTS feature an art deco design, fast and easy installation, and a multitude of uses. The louvers on the vents are convex, which allow maximum airflow. The vents are available in 1 3/4-inch and 3...

Yanmar Marine presents its new 16-Liter Yanmar 8SY-STP Diesel Engine, a 90-degree V8 designed for more power with less weight, maximized torque at low revs, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... YANMAR MARINE presents its new 16-LITER YANMAR 8SY-STP DIESEL ENGINE, a 90-degree V8 designed for more power with less weight, maximized torque at low revs, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. Optimum fuel flow is created with twin...

Davis Instruments now offers the Windscribe, a portable wind meter that uses patented ultrasonic technology to read current wind speed, maximum headwind and tailwind, temperature and wind chill.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... DAVIS INSTRUMENTS now offers the WINDSCRIBE, a portable wind meter that uses patented ultrasonic technology to read current wind speed, maximum headwind and tailwind, temperature and wind chill. It accurately measures breezes as low as 0.4 mph...

Sea Tel is introducing the new 04 Series Marine Stabilized TV Antennas, designed to deliver greater range, higher performance and more accurate stabilization.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... SEA TEL is introducing the new 04 SERIES MARINE STABILIZED TV ANTENNAS, designed to deliver greater range, higher performance and more accurate stabilization. The line consists of four different size models -30-, 40-, 50- and 60-inch antenna...

Quintrex has released the 168 Coast Runner Boat, measuring 16-foot 8-inches with a 7-foot 5-inch beam.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... QUINTREX has released the 168 COAST RUNNER BOAT, measuring 16-foot 8-inches with a 7-foot 5-inch beam. The coast Runner has a lightweight, aluminum hull engineered to maximize lift, and a Maxi 2 Transom designed to increase buoyancy by...

Wesmar's new ergonomically designed Remote Docking Handheld Controller allows captains to vary the thrust of the bow or stern thruster and sustain the power, moving port to starboard while maneuvering and docking.(At A Glance)
January 1, 2004... WESMAR's new ergonomically designed REMOTE DOCKING HANDHELD CONTROLLER allows captains to vary the thrust of the bow or stern thruster and sustain the power, moving port to starboard while maneuvering and docking. The company says it places...

Last set.
January 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: A CALM DAY was a rare and welcome treat last winter for Mark Young, of the Judy Marie, and other Maine shrimpers. Shrimping can be hit or miss in the Gulf of Maine, but with access to cod, haddock and...