National Fisherman articles from July 2007

National Fisherman archives from July 2007

The Chamber of Commerce is for you.(VIEWS from Alaska)
July 1, 2007... I recently read some figures provided by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute suggesting that the Alaska commercial fishing industry has developed into more than a $3 billion dollar industry. Over the past few years, there has been a lot of...

Dances with salmon.(Editor's log)
July 1, 2007... I don't keep a list of favorite cities, but if I did Seattle would be near the top. I don't know a lot about its history, nor do I know its neighborhoods, its best night spots (Kells will do for a starter) or local bands. But when I...

Fishing back when.(NF classics)
July 1, 2007... 50 YEARS AGO Skipper Jim Farrell of Owls Head, Maine, takes the 110-foot steel trawler Quincy out to Cashes Bank in his hunt for redfish. Those hardy souls who fish the banks--Georges, Cashes, Grand and the like--gamble, up to two weeks at...

Southeast Alaska fishing life at the heart of a dynamic story of fellowship.(Fo'c'sle library)(In the Company of Fishers )(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2007... In the Company of Fishers By Ken Boire Outskirts Press, 2007 Softcover, 212 pp., $14.95 www.outskirtspress.com From the first paragraph of this novel, the reader is drawn into the fishing culture of Southeast Alaska. The sights, sounds and...

Fisherman turned author exposes the truth behind the aquaculture machine.(Fo'c'sle library)
July 1, 2007... Swimming in Circles Aquaculture and the End of Wild Oceans By Paul Molyneaux Thunder's Mouth Press, 2007 Softcover, 344 pp., $15.95 www.thundersmouth.com In "Swimming in Circles," author Paul Molyneaux divulges his yearlong study of...

Battle royale is a waste of resources.(From Another Perspective)
July 1, 2007... In December's column ("'Astroturf' NGOs are the real enemy" p. 8), I wrote: "Recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen and all of the consumers who enjoy locally produced seafood are the real grass roots, not front people for agenda-driven...

The old days, just over the horizon.(Dock talk)
July 1, 2007... Reading about the old dorymen from the early days has me revisiting my vivid teenage memories of stepping into Blackburn's Tavern in Gloucester, Mass., in awe of the history surrounding me. You could feel the ghosts of these brave men still...

The complex art of vessel stability and loading.(Consequences)
July 1, 2007... From U.S. Coast Guard reports Stability tests for a 65-foot 61-gross-ton steel-hulled scalloper were conducted on Dec. 23, 2002, although they are not required for a fishing vessel shorter than 79 feet. Test results confirmed the vessel...

New England deserves better than it's getting.(From the town landing)
July 1, 2007... It's official: groundfish management in New England is a failure, at least according to the governors of Maine and Massachusetts, who have asked the federal government to declare their groundfisheries eligible for disaster assistance. Welcome...

Solution to shortage: don't export herring.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... In Kirk Moore's article on Northeast herring in your May issue ("NMFS wants midwater trawl fleet offshore, but can they take the bait?" NF May '07, p. 21), there seem to be some misguided conclusions about the economics of herring as lobster...

Should the Coast Guard continue HF broadcasts?(Mail buoy)(high frequency)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The U.S. Coast Guard has published a request for public comment concerning the continuation of HF radio broadcasts of weather forecasts. The notice concerns forecasts by radiofacsimile, voice and SITOR (narrow band direct printing). The...

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail buoy)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Saturday Cove, Maine Well, our native clam cop Bubba Beal is back from his annual salt patch n' evaluation school. Bub's been a clam copper f'nearly 30 years now n'never has arrested anyone. He's shot at a few with his standard issue China...

Rely on common sense, not government, at sea.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Living and fishing in Southeast Alaska for 30-plus years and reading your editorial ("Winter fishing" NF April '07, p. 6) makes me see red. I just got my four-man life raft back onto the boat. This amounted to a cost of $1,039.20 plus freight,...

One more pina colada.(In search of the simple life)
July 1, 2007... I finally made it to Hawaii, two weeks traipsing around the Big Island in a rental car, taking in the sights with my partner, Rocket Mary. The things we saw! Loggerhead turtles lumbering up the beach unabashed by the sunbathers or kids...

Battling to end overfishing.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)
July 1, 2007... Each year for the past decade, NOAA Fisheries Service has sent a report to Congress on the population and harvesting status of U.S. marine fisheries. We've reported on the results of management programs designed to restore fish stocks that were...

Alaska's king crab project celebrates successful hatch: scientific and fishing communities work together build up stocks of red and blue varieties.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
July 1, 2007... Alaska's scientific, commercial fishing and coastal communities have unified their efforts in a crab rehab venture. The goal is to rebuild red and blue king crab populations around Kodiak Island and the Pribilof Islands. Researchers...

Alaska P-cod boats sold via $35m buyback deal: three boats drop out, leaving fleet of 36.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
July 1, 2007... Alaska's small fleet of Pacific cod longliner-processors became three boats smaller in April as part of a $35 million buyback program to reduce the size of the fleet working the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands. The remaining...

Hawaii limits night fishery for reef fish to days only: bill to circumvent law given little chance.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
July 1, 2007... Hawaii's new restrictions on gillnet fishing limit it to daylight hours with nets of 125 feet in length in some areas, while prohibiting it altogether in other areas. But fisherman Carl Jellings says the overall effect is to "ban" the fishery...

Report: N.C. lost a third of its fish houses in six years: development of waterfront property and imported seafood lead to sinking profit margins.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
July 1, 2007... A new report finds that one-third of North Carolinas fish houses closed between 2000 and 2006. Just 78 fish houses remain, according to "An Inventory of North Carolina Fish Houses," a report funded by North Carolina Sea Grant and conducted...

Gulf fishermen's VMS case dismissed from Fla. court: industry associations may pursue the fight.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Vessel Monitoring System)(Florida)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Just when it seemed a lawsuit that challenged a new vessel monitoring law might at least survive to the legal argument stage, the Florida district court judge hearing the case did an about-face and dismissed the case at the request of the...

Home port: where we live Quinhagak, Alaska.(AROUND THE COASTS: News for the nation's fishermen)
July 1, 2007... THE TOWN Population: 650 year-round Fleet size: The Yup'ik village of Quinhagak, which lies about a half mile inland from the mouth of the Kanektok River on the Bering Sea coast, boasts of 83 commercial salmon permit holders. Most of...

Shrimp groups squabble over use of foreign payout; La. organization requesting tariff reviews.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
July 1, 2007... Long simmering tensions between the Southern Shrimp Alliance, of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and the Louisiana Shrimp Association, of Grand Isle, are close to the Dolling point. The Louisiana group accuses the eight-state alliance of improperly...

David Krebs Jr.: Destin, Fla.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)
July 1, 2007... Among David Krebs Jr.'s seven-vessel bandit fleet at Ariel Seafoods in Destin, Fla., is the 63-foot Jonathan T, a 1982 fiberglass Desco Marine vessel he fished in South America from 1989 to 1991. Krebs chased tuna and other species out of...

Fishing advocates cook up plans to aid the industry; meeting of Commercial Fishermen of America lays the groundwork for public outreach.(NATION/WORLD)
July 1, 2007... A nascent nationwide fishing organization held a fish fry for San Francisco-area fishermen and other marine stakeholders in mid-April, but seafood wasn't all the group cooked up. The Commercial Fishermen of America's recently elected...

Ice cream fried halibut: Jerry Branch, Pacific City, Ore.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... For the die-hard bachelors out there with bare cupboards, this simple little gem could be your foray into the culinary arts. You, a fisherman, may actually have all necessary ingredients in your pathetically stocked boat, house or car. At...

Loss of two fishing brothers in Canada leads to lawsuit; feds, builder blamed for vessel instability.(NATION/WORLD)
July 1, 2007... The family of two Newfoundland fishermen who drowned when their boat capsized filed a lawsuit against the Canadian federal government and the boatbuilder, maintaining that the vessel was unsafe and untrustworthy. The builder has blamed crew...

Peter R. Paynter: Oyster dredge boat.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
July 1, 2007... Still going strong in her 109th year, the dredger Peter R. Paynter is a boat of choice, whether the task is moving oysters or taking visitors out to see the survival of Delaware Bay's fishery. "She's an awesome boat," says Steve Fleetwood,...

Mass. governor seeks groundfish disaster declaration; filing with commerce secretary estimates regulations have cost $22 million in lost revenues.(ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Massachusetts fishing communities struggling under increasingly restrictive groundfish regulations are seeking financial aid from the federal government. In April, Gov. Deval Patrick flied a request for an economic disaster declaration...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Mid-Atlantic).(Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Mid-Atlantic)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Mid-Atlantic council in April voted to approve Framework 7 to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan for submission to the secretary of commerce. The framework is an administrative action that would allow the...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: New England.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The New England Fishery Management Council in April unanimously approved alternatives for inclusion in the Amendment 11 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, otherwise known as the Scallop General Category Amendment. ...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: North Pacific.
July 1, 2007... With a merger between Japan's largest seafood producer, the Maruha Group, and Nichiro Corp. in the works, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council was asked to analyze the effects on several communities as well as on pricing and ownership...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Gulf.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... NMFS and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council are seeking comments from the public on the draft supplemental environmental impact statements for Joint Reef Fish Amendment 27/Shrimp Amendment 14. The gulf red snapper stock is...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Western Pacific.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... As of May 15 (and ending Oct. 1) it has been against federal and/or state law to fish for, possess or sell seven commonly caught deep-bottomfish species within 200 miles of the main Hawaiian Islands. Known as the Deep 7, they consist of onaga...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Pacific.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Pacific Fishery Management Council's Groundfish Allocation Committee met in May to consider draft alternatives, preliminary analyses and other material for rationalizing the Pacific Coast limited entry groundfish trawl industry, and for...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: South Atlantic.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet June 10-15 at the Doubletree Grand Key Resort in Key West, Fla. Among agenda items are a meeting of the Economics Committee (June 11), and the Limited Access Privilege Program...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Caribbean.
July 1, 2007... The Caribbean Fishery Management Council meet Aug. 14-15 at the Carambola Beach Resort and Golf Club on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information please contact Diana T. Martino at diana_ martino_cfmc@yahoo.com or council...

Elephant Trunk harvest short, sweet; season opens with a rush of mollusks.(NORTHEAST SCALLOPS)
July 1, 2007... The 2007 sea scallop season began in a rush, as the rich Mid-Atlantic area known as the Elephant Trunk opened March 1 and closed to general category boats just two weeks later. Federal regulators say the fleet's part-time segment burned...

12 years after net ban, prices in small but stable Florida fishery rising slowly.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC MULLET)
July 1, 2007... Twelve years after Florida's gillnet ban wreaked havoc on inshore fisheries, the striped mullet fishery remains a small but stable component of the state's commercial fishing economy. Mullet stocks are healthy, according to continuing...

Health-savvy consumers may hold key to marketing catch of West Coast fleet.(PACIFIC ALBACORE)
July 1, 2007... Educating U.S. consumers about the virtues of pole- and troll-caught albacore could help lift ex-vessel prices out of the doldrums, according to Natalie Webster, administrator for the American Albacore Fishing Association, in Bonita, Calif. ...

Storms, icebound start slows supply, sending '07 opening prices sky high.(NORTH PACIFIC HALIBUT)
July 1, 2007... Weather-caused volume shortages and competition among buyers spiked ex-vessel prices off the charts for North Pacific halibut in the early part of the season. In the initial days after the season opened on March 1, deliveries fetched...

Heat waves: can the weather do something about Americans?(Essay)
July 1, 2007... Complete this sentence: Global warming is hotter than... flat-screen TVs? Asiago cheese? YouTube? Granted, the arbiters of what ought to be have changed the phrase from "global warming" to the less contentious "climate change," but maybe...

Tall order, under the wire: the state-of-the-art Western Venture likely will be the last big boat built for New England's pelagic trawl fishery.(Boats & Gear: Boatbuilding)
July 1, 2007... There's nothing like building a new boat, especially a big new boat, to get those who wander a port's docks and fish houses talking. Sometimes it's simple curiosity, sometimes appreciation for a boat's lines, and sometimes it's the curiosity of...

Sonars and sounders: improvements to the art--and mostly science--of finding fish.(Boats & Gear: Fishfinding electronics)
July 1, 2007... With its ability to share various forms of information with numerous displays, a networking system for wheelhouse electronics is something an increasing number of boat owners are interested in. That's probably why Furuno and Koden in this...

Wild about quality: if Alaska markets better salmon, ex-fisherman Mark Buckley says, the world will beat a path to its door.(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... The philosophical hard wiring of Alaska salmon advocate Mark Buckley commits him, as it does some scholars, on a path toward the ultimate goal of making contributions to the human race. Some say that trait plus his commitment to preserve the...

Keeping cool under fire: understanding fire is the best pre-emptive strike.(Boats & Gear: Fire safety)
July 1, 2007... There is one foolproof system of defeating the threat of shipboard fire: Don't let the fire start. The only catch is there's no system a fool can't make a mess of, which means there's no such thing as foolproof. A fire can break out on...

Underdog, Lorna R are primed for lobster boat racing season.(NORTHEAST)
July 1, 2007... "We are ready. We are armed. We are dangerous." That's Richard Weaver, the engine guru for Galen Alley's Lorna R, announcing the 30-footer from Beals Island is ready for its second season on Maine's lobster boat racing circuit. Prior to...

Cod quota buoys construction; Wash. yard upgrades longliner.(WEST)(Washington)
July 1, 2007... Early spring is when the halibut fleet gets ready to move out of its winter berths in Washington and Alaska ports, and point toward the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea for another season. Coming the other way are crabbers and some trawlers,...

Shrimp boats flood Ala. yard; bay snapper rigs down to three.(SOUTH)
July 1, 2007... Jemison Marine of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has a boatyard full of shrimp boats getting ready for the Gulf of Mexico's spring fishing season. In addition, Jemison Marine was working on several repossessed shrimp boats in early April that are going...

Innovative way to monitor belowdecks space: the Fire Control Panel warns of dangerous levels of heat, smoke and carbon monoxide.(Product roundup)
July 1, 2007... The skipper sends someone down to the engine room because an odd smell is coming up through the floor into the wheelhouse. The guy drops down the ladder. Opening the door, he lets a mass of air into the engine room, fueling the fire that...

Staying the course just got simpler: Simrad's autopilot corrects for compass errors and more.(Product roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... You are going to pay some money for Simrad's new AP50 Plus autopilot, but there are a couple of features that easily justify the price. For one, the AP50 Plus can take inputs from both a gyro and magnetic compass. A gyrocompass is pretty...

Notus Electronics improved its Trawlmaster and Seinemaster net-monitoring systems with a new long life Battery and intelligent Fast Charger.(At a glance)
July 1, 2007... NOTUS ELECTRONICS improved its Trawlmaster and Seinemaster net-monitoring systems with a new long life BATTERY and intelligent FAST CHARGER. The batteries for a trawl's sensors have twice the life of previous batteries. The charger can analyze...

Primedge, a product line of the Cozzini Group, features the ERGO STEEL II, a knife sharpener that can be mounted on a bracket or handheld.(At a glance)
July 1, 2007... PRIMEDGE, a product line of the Cozzini Group, features the ERGO STEEL II, a knife sharpener that can be mounted on a bracket or handheld. The Ergo Steel II consists of a pair of pivoting, hardened stainless steel, tempered rods. A spring...

The Servus brand of Norcross Safety Products has introduced an improved 12-inch White Knee Boot.(At a glance)
July 1, 2007... The SERVUS brand of Norcross Safety Products has introduced an improved 12-inch WHITE KNEE BOOT. The boot has better slip resistance and comfort qualities than previous styles. It features the deep angle cleat sole for more surface traction and...

Shakespeare's new Sirius satellite radio antenna, the SRA-25, makes it easy to take advantage of a number of commercial-free radio stations, including weather, news, sports and entertainment.(At a glance)
July 1, 2007... SHAKESPEARE's new Sirius satellite radio antenna, the SRA-25, makes it easy to take advantage of a number of commercial-free radio stations, including weather, news, sports and entertainment. The SRA-25 measures 3/4" x 2 3/8" x 2" and comes...

Sea Hawk Paints has introduced its Mission Bay antifouling copper-free paint.(At a glance)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... SEA HAWK PAINTS has introduced its MISSION BAY antifouling copper-free paint. This is an ablative, self-polishing paint that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, releases a non-metal biocide that dissipates in seconds. That helps prevent...

Exide Technologies released its Megacycle AGM-200 deep-cycle lead-acid battery.(At a glance)
July 1, 2007... EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES released its MEGACYCLE AGM-200 deep-cycle lead-acid battery. The battery is sealed with individual-cell safety pressure valves. Two power levels are available: XMC-31 with 925 cold-cranking amps with 200 minutes of reserve...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... NOV. 15-17 Pacific Marine Expo Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle * www.pacificmarineexpo.com Pacific Marine Expo has you covered from bow to stern with more than 450 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology in engines, electronics,...

NOAA's Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. presented an award to Sen. Ted Stevens (R.-Alaska).(ON THE MOVE)
July 1, 2007... NOAA's Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. presented an award to SEN. TED STEVENS (R.-Alaska), honoring the senator's Sen. Ted Stevens leadership and support of coastal conservation and awareness, as well as his efforts to protect the nation's...

Maryland Watermen's Association.(COMPANY NEWS)
July 1, 2007... The MARYLAND WATERMEN'S ASSOCIATION, Maryland's statewide commercial fishing umbrella group, voted to become an organization member of the Commercial Fishermen of America at the East Coast Commercial Fishermen's and Aquaculture Trade Exposition...

Maine lobstermen in league to keep their fishery afloat; group intervenes in right whale lawsuit.(ATLANTIC)
July 1, 2007... Once divided on regulatory issues, two Maine lobster groups are joining forces to prevent a ban on floating lines in their inshore fishery. In May, the Downeast Lobstermen's Association handed the Maine Lobstermen's Association a check for...

Ventura, Calif.(Last set)
July 1, 2007... The squid boat Challenger makes her way out of Ventura Harbor en route to finishing grounds off the Channel Islands. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]