National Fisherman articles from June 2004

National Fisherman archives from June 2004

The mercury's rising.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Sometimes it's hard not to be cynical about the advocacy of so-called environmentalists. Consider the ongoing issue of mercury. We have known since childhood, when the science teacher let us hold little blobs of mercury in our hands, that the...

Fishing back when.(NF Classics)
June 1, 2004... 50 YEARS AGO this month Maine Coast Fisherman finds space on the front page for Bailey. Islander Stan Baker and his crew. Baker was last year's highline seiner. In one set at Walter's Cove he took 25,000 bushels of sardines. Pictured are...

Examining management.(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... FROM ABUNDANCE TO SCARCITY: A HISTORY OF U.S. MARINE FISHERIES POLICY By Michael L. Weber Island Press, 2002 Softcover, 245 pp. Many environmentalists consider U.S. fishery management inept, bureaucratic and long since corrupted by the...

Fish, fishermen and wetlands.(Forum)
June 1, 2004... It's a crisp fall day on the Oregon Coast. Bob Rees and his client are battling a chrome-bright chinook salmon doing its best to shred the 25-pound test monofilament. The fish makes several runs, stripping out line at will, before Bob deftly...

Last call at Gray's Harbor bar.(Safety)
June 1, 2004... From the perspective of the human body, water cooler than 70 degrees Fahrenheit is cold. Moreover, in the water the body cools at a rate 32 times faster than the rate at which it cools on land. Clearly, immersion suits are necessary for...

U.S. should lead call for longlining moratorium.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... The decision in March by the U.S. government to close the last 1,500 miles of the U.S. Pacific to longline fishing does more than close a loophole flaunted by longline vessels shut out of Hawaiian waters since 1999. It offers a powerful example...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... On page 33 of the April NF, the common name for the Patagonian toothfish should have been referred to as Chilean sea bass.

Waterman shows gray areas in tier-two engine emissions.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... As an engine dresser and a commercial waterman, I would like to have the right answers to the tier-two engine emissions question. The people who tried to explain this to me worked with John Deere engines. I would like to try and explain it the...

Full agenda at fisheries summit.(A Letter from Bill Hogarth)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... As I write this column, NOAA Fisheries leadership is meeting with the chairs and executive directors of the regional fishery management councils. This annual meeting is an important one for us for many reasons, and this year it is doubly...

Cap'n Sane says ...
June 1, 2004... Stuff is hummin' here at the Cove. Beulah Banning just got a big order from L.L. Bean f'her polished feelin' stones. Beul don't have much overhead. She picks the raw stones from the beach n'then polishes them in her 1928 Easy washin' machine...

Scientists seeking better stock assessment method: Maine researchers aiming to improve accuracy of predictions of valuable lobster resource.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... You have to give scientists in Maine credit. They keep predicting a decline in the state's lobster landings. But when the declines don't materialize, they don't expect lobstermen and policy makers to act as if the science is...

Senator lifts funds ban for groundfishing plan: New Englanders expecting delay in B days.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... In a case of declaring victory in the face of defeat, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in March successfully lifted a ban on the enforcement of Amendment 13 on the groundfish management plan. Collins had introduced the ban because she said...

Virginia watermen pan proposal for pound nets: say NMFS restrictions won't help turtles.(Northeast)(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Chesapeake Bay pound net fishermen oppose a NMFS proposal designed to protect sea turtles by restricting pound netting during peak fishing season. NMFS proposes prohibiting pound net use on certain portions of the lower bay from May 6 to...

Rescue team monitors progress of a young whale: weather and rough seas hinder weeklong efforts to disentangle ensnared northern right.(Gulf/South Atlantic)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A whale rescue team continued to monitor a young right whale entangled in what appeared to be fishing gear off the mid-Atlantic Coast but was forced to postpone another rescue effort on March 26. "We have not given up," said Connie Barclay,...

N.C. pulls funding, ends maritime careers course: new education guidelines doom program.(Gulf/South Atlantic)(North Carolina)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... State funding has been pulled for a Marine Occupation course at two coastal North Carolina high schools, ending a 32-year-old program that prepared students to work on the water. Since 1971, the 3g-foot trawler Miss PCHS has been a floating...

Snapper fleet vote gives strong support for IFQs: 72% of permit holders favor quota system.(Gulf/South Atlantic)(Individual Fishing Quota )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... After years of waiting and lobbying, proponents of individual fishing quotas for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery finally saw some real progress in March as 72 percent of permit holders voted in favor of establishing an IFQ program. ...

'Seal bombs' detonate complaints from night divers: say the devices used to scare away seals erupt in frighteningly loud underwater blasts.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Adding another complication to commercial fishing in California, recreational night divers have begun complaining of horribly loud underwater blasts from seal bombs. Squid fishermen detonate seal bombs to scare away seals and sea lions....

Home port: where we live.
June 1, 2004... PORTLAND, MAINE THE CITY Population: 64,000 Number of boats: 180 TOP SPECIES LANDED IN 2003 By weight Hake--4.7 million pounds Monkfish (includes whole fish, tails and livers)--4.6 million pounds Pollock--3.6 million...

It's no joke--false call brings stiff fine, jail time: Wash. man must pay $194,587 for hoax.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Thirty-one-year-old Aberdeen, Wash., resident James G. Baldwin learned the hard way that sending a false distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard is no laughing matter. A federal judge ordered Baldwin to pay $194,587 in restitution to the...

Sea lions are eating salmon catchers' lunch: chew up an estimated $893,000 in kings.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... As if it's not enough that returning Columbia River salmon have to face dams and fishermen to get to their spawning grounds, they also have to get past hungry marine mammal gatekeepers: hordes of sea lions. Commercial fishermen are seeing...

IFQ share values snag crab boat buyback program: rising vessel prices may keep 260-vessel Bering Sea fleet from being thinned as planned.(North Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The latest glitch in reducing overcapitalization in the Bering Sea crab fisheries came to light as the $100 million federal crab vessel buyback program launched its first round of invitations to bid. Development of the Bering Sea crab...

Chris Hoeflinger: Ventura County, Calif.(Snapshot: who we are)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... With its high cost of living and environmental ethic, California has the reputation of being a hard place to be a commercial fisherman. But not all fishermen fight a constant uphill battle to make a decent living. Chris Hoeflinger, 44, is an...

Sea lion nabs fisherman from boat tied to dock: escapes clutches of 1,500-pound mammal.(North Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A King Cove fisherman went for a wild ride when a sea lion jumped aboard the family's fishing boat, grabbed him by the seat of the pants and pitched him over the bulwarks into the harbor. Ray Dushkin Jr., 19, is no stranger to danger on the...

Salmon burgers: Eric Weber, Palmer, Alaska.(Galley watch: at-sea cuisine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... When Eric Weber loads the crannies of his galley for a long trip to sea, the one staple he never overlooks is canned salmon--not just any canned salmon, but Alaska-caught, canned wild sockeye salmon. Weber, who's quick to expound upon the...

More patrols to eye nose and tail of Grand Banks: government allocates $17.5m to combat foreign fishing violations in northwest Atlantic.(Canada)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ottawa is planning to strengthen patrols of the Grand Banks--and it's backing its plan with serious funding. The Coast Guard and the Navy jointly will carry out increased patrols of the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. In early March,...

Native protest erupts over B.C. herring fishery: bands say roe fleet hurts stock, economy.(Canada)(British Columbia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The arrival of 40 commercial roe herring seine boats in the Bella Bella, British Columbia, area prompted protests and outraged local First Nations bands, which say herring are being overfished in the quest for roe. Commercial seine...

DFO reviewing proposal for a gray seal harvest: cull off Nova Scotia is due, group says.(Canada)(Department of Fisheries and Oceans)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is reviewing a proposal by the Gray Seal Research and Development Society for a gray seal harvest off Nova Scotia. The society, founded last fall, has members belonging to fishing and...

Fish Expo changes name, broadens maritime focus: Fishing industry still at the heart of Seattle show debuting as Pacific Marine Expo this fall.(National)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... In an effort to better serve fishermen and other commercial marine interests in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Fish Expo/WorkBoat Northwest is taking on a new identity this year: Pacific Marine Expo. The new event will serve all aspects...

Miss Alva: shrimp trawler.(Boat of the Month)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Named for Alva Magwood, matriarch of one of the pioneering South Carolina shrimping families, Miss Alva is a good example of wooden-hulled trawlers built by St. Augustine Trawlers during the heyday of South Atlantic shrimping in the 1970s. ...

Oceana delivers petition to protect coral, sponge: fishermen eye potential impact on fleet.(National)
June 1, 2004... An environmental group's quest to protect deep-sea coral and sponge areas in U.S. oceans has drawn a wary watch from longline fishermen and trawlers who want to know how far regulators will go to protect habitat they say they do not impact. ...

Dock price is rising, but regulations could give yellowfin fleet the blues.(Gulf/South Atlantic Tuna)
June 1, 2004... As longline fishermen outfit their vessels for the high season, fishing looks good in the Gulf of Mexico, but pending regulations and lawsuits threaten to chill the yellowfin tuna fishery. "We had a good run in February, a good run in...

Longliners tackling challenges are rewarded for their efforts.(Pacific Swordfish)
June 1, 2004... A number of problems keeping swordfish fishermen from accessing the fish and the markets haven't stopped them from trying--and succeeding. When NMFS ruled in March to prohibit swordfish longlining east of 150 degrees west longitude off the...

Rising U.S. demand, strong prices help squidders enjoy domestic bliss.(Northeast Squid)
June 1, 2004... At first glance, you might think it's a good thing squid harvesters in the Northeast don't live by exports alone. Exports of loligo pealei squid, the more valuable of the region's two squid species, have declined steadily since 1998. Back...

Efforts to reinvent industry yielding ways to boost wild product sales.(North Pacific Salmon)
June 1, 2004... As Alaska's salmon industry struggles to reinvent itself, some unlikely players will stay in the game--not by the merits of their production at sea but for their efforts at achieving vertical integration. For some, vertical integration has...

Drawing swords: new hooks tested off the East Coast bode well for longliners and turtles alike, but environmental advocates are wary.(In Analysis)
June 1, 2004... In this media age the plush, paneled halls of the National Press Club, not far from the White House in Washington, D.C., are a national street-corner soapbox, the place where all kinds of groups, from Native American tribes to neoconservative...

Lobsters California: they lack the claws of their Maine counterparts but are highly sought--and sometimes poached.(At Sea)
June 1, 2004... It is just about dawn on a Saturday morning in February, in a California beach town that likes to sleep late. The moon is full. Rows of recreational boats float motionlessly behind locked metal gates. With the sun just barely above the distant...

A world apart: life is a little different on Matinicus Island, Maine. And that's just fine with the people who live there.(Home Towns)
June 1, 2004... I am standing on the dock in Owls Head, Maine, at 6 a.m., waiting for a ride 20 miles out to Matinicus Island, the furthest offshore outpost on the coast. It's warm for late September; a hurricane moving up off the Eastern Seaboard has brought...

One-off a kind: a backyard builder scales down a plan and builds a lobster boat using unconventional materials.(Boats & Gear)
June 1, 2004... If you're building a boat in your backyard, the neighbors have to be tolerant, curious or both. If the folks abutting Wayne Monaghan's small backyard in Hingham, Mass., fell into the "curious" category, they got their fill--and more--watching...

Welds done: it doesn't take a boatyard to build boats. Just a truck and Larry Hilty.(Bellingham, Wash.)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... When the 1971 white Ford pickup makes its turn onto the Sawtooth dock at Squalicum Harbor, in Bellingham, Wash., commercial fishermen look up from their work and recognize the getup as well as they do their own boats. It's Larry Hilty, on his...

Fish or cut planks: David Peterson is a boatwright by birthright.(Eureka, Calif.)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... When I was 19 years old I did my first boat repair job. Jim Blum, owner of the 58-foot Tempest, hired me to scarf a plywood section into the starboard side of his flying bridge. The rot was limited to a small area where water had gotten into...

Unstoppable: Alvin Sibley could retire, but too many wooden boats need fixing.(Deltaville, Va.)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Alvin Sibley married into a Deltaville, Va., boatbuilding family in 1950 and learned the wooden boat trade from some of Virginia's most noted boatbuilders. Sibley, 74, is one of the last old-time builders in the area. He has built 95...

Spring coats: a good paint job requires an investment of time and technique. But you'll collect the dividends next season.(Cover Ups)
June 1, 2004... In early April it was time for New England lobstermen to start getting their boats ready for fishing season, and more than a few lobstermen would undoubtedly end up shaking their heads over the problem of bottom paint that just never seems to...

42-footer is built for safety; fast new hull makes debut.(North)
June 1, 2004... If you keep track of accident reports issued by the Coast Guard, you know that a lot of boats go down because of flooding that starts in the lazarette and then works its way forward. Sometimes the problem is a deck plate that's not watertight....

Yard builds in-house design; engines getting rebuilt in Ore.(West)
June 1, 2004... When the 58' x 23' Kodiak Isle was launched at Fred Wahl Marine Construction for Kevin O'Leary of Kodiak, Alaska, it was the first in-house design by the Reedsport, Ore., boatyard. Designed as a longliner and crabber, the steel boat has a...

Workboats, repairs sought; 50-foot buy boat being built.(South)
June 1, 2004... Boatbuilding is like any other business: there are fat times and there are lean times, and southern boatyards that had plenty of shrimp boat launchings are now finding that contracts for new boats are hard to come by. In some cases, New England...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... SEPT. 30-OCT. 2 Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, R.I. www.fishexpoatlontic.com * www.workboataflantic.com This biennial event serves the entire Eastern Seaboard, and is the largest East Coast...

Make sure there's gas in the tank--and more: Navman's new monitoring system can keep you off the bad end of a towing cable.(Product Roundup)
June 1, 2004... Every now and then, you read about a fisherman being towed in by the Coast Guard or another fisherman because he ran out of fuel. That has to be one of the more embarrassing reasons to call for help. Maybe the boat's operator just forgot to...

Alfa Laval Inc.(On the move)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BRENT SMITH was appointed president of the parts and service division of ALFA LAVAL INC., based in Warminster, Pa. Smith joined Alfa Laval in 2002 as vice president of human resources. He previously worked at Honeywell International six years,...

Mack Boring & Parts Co.(On the move)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... STEPHEN WAITE was recently promoted to vice president of operations of MACK BORING & PARTS CO. of Union, N.J. Write has nearly 30 years of experience with the company. Having held line and management positions throughout his career, Write is...

Blue Sea Systems.(On the move)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... LOU WALTON has been named Southeast regional sales manager for BLUE SEA SYSTEMS' expanding line of marine electrical system products and accessories. In his new position, Walton will be responsible for increasing original equipment manufacturer...

Henningsen Cold Storage Co.(On the move)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... HENNINGSEN COLD STORAGE CO., centered in Hillsboro, Ore., has announced its most recent promotions: MIKE KELLER has been named chief engineer of the Twin Falls, Idaho warehouses; BILL DANIEL is the new administrative services manager at the...

National Marine Electronics Association.(On the move)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The NATIONAL MARINE ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION announced the appointment of STEVE SPITZER as NMEA technical director. Spitzer will be responsible for the development, maintenance and support of NMEA standards, including NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183 and...

Northstar Technical.(Company news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... NORTHSTAR TECHNICAL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northstar Electronics, announced that it has signed an agreement with IMP Marine to act as its distributor for Netmind Systems throughout Canada and the Eastern United States. Northstar's...

Wolf's Divers Supply.(Company news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AB Marine Group of Benton Harbor, Mich., recently named WOLF'S DIVERS SUPPLY as its newest dealer, Ivor Heyer, president of AB Marine Group, made the announcement. The 30-year-old dealership, known as Lake Michigan's experts on inflatable...

Agvision.(Company news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Only three years after its creation, Northwest Farm Credit Services' AGVISION program was awarded the FCA Chairman's Commendation for Exemplary Young, Beginning and Small Producers Program at the annual Farm Credit Council Annual Meeting in...

Score on a BreakAway: staying intact is no fluke for the revised HydroBubble from Anchor Concepts.
June 1, 2004... For about two years, a distinctively marked Seattle longliner would periodically unload in Kodiak. Its distinctive mark was a Navy-style anchor that stuck out past the bow roller with only a single fluke. A crooked, mangled stub of a fluke...

Tappan has released a TM7050S stainless steel microwave oven that provides up to 700 watts of cooking power in less than a cubic foot of space.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... TAPPAN has released a TM7050S STAINLESS STEEL MICROWAVE OVEN that provides up to 700 watts of cooking power in less than a cubic foot of space. It has all the convenient functions of larger microwaves found in home kitchens, including...

Xantrex Technology introduced a new battery monitor for boats and recreational vehicles.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... XANTREX TECHNOLOGY introduced a new BATTERY MONITOR for boats and recreational vehicles. The Xantrex Battery Monitor provides complete information about battery status and is designed to help owners better manage onboard power and battery life....

MarineEast says its new multipurpose manifold accommodates up to six openings of various sizes, and reduces labor and parts costs for both boatbuilders and do-it-yourselfers.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... MARINEEAST says its new MULTIPURPOSE MANIFOLD accommodates up to six openings of various sizes, and reduces labor and parts costs for both boatbuilders and do-it-yourselfers. Each manifold has four, 1-inch internal, female threaded offset side...

Poly-Planar has released the MS-250 10-inch subwoofer that incorporates a water-resistant, marine audio amplifier.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... POLY-PLANAR has released the MS-250 10-1NCH SUBWOOFER that incorporates a water-resistant, marine audio amplifier. Delivering 50 watts of bass power, the MS-250 produces home-quality sound from even the most basic marine stereo system. The...

New Found Metals offers its new caulkless, lightweight and self-sealing Tri-Matrix port window with high-density, closed-cell foam that seals tightly to the cabin wall.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... NEW FOUND METALS offers its new caulkless, lightweight and self-sealing Tri-Matrix PORT WINDOW with high-density, closed-cell foam that seals tightly to the cabin wall. Compressed when the port is through-bolted, this seal creates a water-tight...

Ultimate security systems has released the marine Power Lock II Security System that is guaranteed to prevent hot-wiring.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... ULTIMATE SECURITY SYSTEMS has released the marine Power Lock II SECURITY SYSTEM that is guaranteed to prevent hot-wiring. Power Lock II attaches permanently to a vessel's starter motor and cannot be circumvented by cutting and jumping ignition...

Outboard Propulsion Systems says its new 275-hp gas JetPac propulsion system boasts low emissions, noise and fuel consumption.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... OUTBOARD PROPULSION SYSTEMS says its new 275-hp gas JETPAC PROPULSION SYSTEM boasts low emissions, noise and fuel consumption. This model combines a direct-injected, Chevrolet Vortec 5.7-fiter V8, a 10-inch, 316 stainless steel waterjet and a...

Pettit Marine Paint's new CPP Plus antifouling paint is an ablative paint with 38 percent cuprous oxide to protect against algae, barnacles and zebra mussels.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... PETTIT MARINE PAINT's new CPP Plus ANTIFOULING PAINT is an ablative paint with 38 percent cuprous oxide to protect against algae, barnacles and zebra mussels. The self-polishing paint constantly releases new biocide to provide excellent...

Algae-X International says its Algae-X fuel conditioners help to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, smoke and soot from diesel engines to comply with tougher air pollution laws, and also significantly enhance engine combustion.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... ALGAE-X INTERNATIONAL says its Algae-X FUEL CONDITIONERS help to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, smoke and soot from diesel engines to comply with tougher air pollution laws, and also significantly enhance engine combustion. The system lowers...

Norselight has developed a heavy-duty marine straightline window wiper system that features overlapping blades and tailor-made control panels for groups or separate wiper units.(At A Glance)
June 1, 2004... NORSELIGHT has developed a heavy-duty marine straightline WINDOW WIPER SYSTEM that features overlapping blades and tailor-made control panels for groups or separate wiper units. The fully sealed, watertight motor is integrated into the wiper...

Self-employed? There's a 401(k) for you.(Finance)
June 1, 2004... For small business owners, who comprise the backbone of the U.S. fishing industry, it's difficult enough just managing the day-to-day operations of a business. You also need to plan for your inevitable retirement, because neglecting these needs...

Reader seeks information on commercial cast netting.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Please refer to the March issue. The full-page photo on the Last Set [page 72] is of great interest to several people on this island. "Woose" Reed is still clamming in his homemade moccasins, and the dock at which the photo was taken is...

Wild fish may be good, but farmed fish is hard to beat.(Mail Buoy)
June 1, 2004... There was a time not too many years ago when wild fish of all kinds was of questionable quality. But in recent times things have taken a dramatic change for the better. Nowadays quality is of the utmost importance and there is absolutely...

Last set.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: TIME AND TIDE have caught up with the Miss Shem Creek. The old shrimper is named for the river in Mount Pleasant, S.C., (just off Charleston) in which she now rests. The creek is home to a sizable fleet of...