National Fisherman articles from June 2007

National Fisherman archives from June 2007

June 2007: this month's highlights.(The hail)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... One of the rewards of being editor of National Fisherman is working with a corps of knowledgeable writers like David Peterson and Robert Fritchey. Peterson is a Eureka, Calif.-based boat carpenter who has reverence for old wooden boats and...

Administration's offshore aquaculture bill unacceptable.(VIEWS from Alaska)
June 1, 2007... I recently reintroduced my offshore aquaculture bill, the Natural Stock Conservation Act of 2007. Of note, the bill includes the type of analyses that must be undertaken by the appropriate federal agency, with final approval of the plan by...

Seafood: keep it real.(Editor's log)
June 1, 2007... In a blow to the aspirations of open-ocean fish farmers, the Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board Livestock Committee in March recommended that fish raised in open net-cages and those using wild caught fish in their diet...

50 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists are stunned to discover yellowfin and albacore tuna just south of Nantucket this winter. The crew uses nylon longline aboard their exploratory ship, the Delaware, to reel in bluefin, albacore and...

30 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Skippers of sportfishing boats are reveling in the winter arrival of jumbo bluefish at North Carolina's Frying Pan Tower. The reef, off of Cape Fear, now is populated by a fleet of sportfishing boats turned commercial for the winter fishery...

10 years ago.(Fishing Back When)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Boatbuilders across the country find it increasingly difficult to get their hands on dry, straight lengths of wood for stringers and girders in fiberglass boatbuilding. As a result, many are switching from wood to foam cores. The weight savings...

Linda Greenlaw's fiction debut uncovers something fishy in Green Haven, Maine.(Slipknot)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... Slipknot By Linda Greenlaw Hyperion, 2007 hardcover, 272. pp., $24.95 www.hyperionbooks.com Linda Greenlaw fans have been anticipating a fiction offering from the best-selling marine writer, and they will surely find a compelling read in...

Collection explores fishing fixation with morsels of history and folklore.(The Fishing Fanatic Quotes and Brags from Experts and Wags )(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... The Fishing Fanatic Quotes and Brags from Experts and Wags Edited by Damian R. Rubino The Lyons Press, 2007 Softcover, 472 pp., $12.95 www.lyonspress.com Commercial fishermen take their business seriously, and a lot of folks out there feel...

Jaws meets scallops.(From Another Perspective)
June 1, 2007... Overfishing sharks has wiped out the bay scallops! That s the conclusion of a recent paper published in the March 30 Science magazine (Cascading Effects of the Loss of Apex Predatory Sharks from a Coastal Ocean) and widely reported by the...

Captain retires after 35 years of serving Maine island communities.(Dock talk)(David Allen)
June 1, 2007... As I write, it is deep winter on Matinicus Island, Maine. The population is down to its lowest point, with only 15 or 20 homes occupied. The wind screeches most of the time, and days fit to haul traps are few. That's when we especially like to...

Don't get roped in.(Consequences)
June 1, 2007... From U.S. Coast Guard reports The captain and deckhand of a 45foot fiberglass lobster boat operating out of Mount Sinai Harbor, N.Y., got underway on the morning of June 24, 2003. Both had worked aboard the vessel for about eight years and...

Toward ecosystem-based management.(From the town landing)
June 1, 2007... Ecosystem management, a strategy for improving our nation's fisheries, has been the Holy Grail for marine conservationists for years, but that doesn't mean everyone--or even anyone--agrees on what it might look like. The Magnuson-Stevens...

Groundfish stocks suffering from 'best' science.(Mail buoy)(Excerpt)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... The following is an excerpt from a letter to George Lapointe, chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The fishing public, both recreational and commercial, agree on a fishing related topic. To be sure, this is a very...

One fisherman's consensus: NF speaks for the industry.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... In regards to Mark Powell's letter "Who's afraid of the big bad enviros?" (NF Mail Buoy Feb. '07, p. 12), I've found that people with a Ph.D. who hold an audience are not the ones who stand up and say, "Hey! I'm a Ph.D., stupid." He appears to...

Cap'n Sane says ...
June 1, 2007... Shorty Gage called a special meeting up at Amos' store a few days ago. The notice was placed on Amos' 5cents-a-line bulletin board. Not too many showed up at the church t'hear Short's latest rave. Seems it was 'bout Maine versus Canadian...

One whale of a meeting.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... The International Whaling Commission is meeting this month in Anchorage, Alaska.As chair of the commission, I, along with the U.S. delegation, am ready for what may be a very lively meeting. Last year, Japan tried unsuccessfully to remove the...

North Carolina reader calls for solidarity in fishing.(Mail bouy)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... The exploitation of the coastal environment is killing the nursery grounds of many fish species. Bulkheaded estuaries, filled to accommodate construction of condominiums, vacation homes and sport boat marinas, destroy fish breeding grounds....

Pulling back the cobwebs.(In search of the simple life)
June 1, 2007... I've been spending a lot of time in the basement lately under the pretense that I'm cleaning it.What I m really doing is poking around old stuff, like the jaws of this mako shark covered in cobwebs on the window sill, a relic from a test...

Risky business, indeed: five saved as longliner sinks: Coast Guard helicopter plucks all hands from icy waters in high winds off Kodiak, Alaska.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
June 1, 2007... The March rescue of five crewmen from a sinking longliner off the coast of Kodiak will be remembered as a mission in which everything went right. But vessel owner and skipper Matt Shadle says it will take some time for him to get over the loss...

Fund for green fisheries makes strides in California: loans would bolster sustainable practices.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
June 1, 2007... California's Ocean Protection Council in February voted to establish what proponents hope will become a $17 million funding source for fishing reform projects. The California Fisheries Fund, which awaits a thumbs up from the state's...

In rare show of unity, 100 West Coast trawlers tie up: sole fleet hopes to force processors to table.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
June 1, 2007... West Coast trawlers agreed to tie up their boats on March 1 in hopes that their collective clout would force groundfish processors to raise exvessel prices and agree to minimum-price contracts. Fishermen from Washington, Oregon and...

Terrapin fishery, clamming method on the hook in Md.: one bill would outlaw hydraulic dredging while another would nix harvest of state reptile.(ATLANTIC: southern China's newfound appetite for turtle soup is behind the bill to outlaw the harvest)
June 1, 2007... Maryland legislators are considering one bill that proposes outlawing hydraulic clam dredging, and another measure that would ban harvesting of diamondback terrapins. Commercial watermen and recreational fishing groups are squaring off...

Bay Staters give thanks for $1.9m in red tide aid: nonetheless, relief falls short of 2005 losses.(ATLANTIC: southern China's newfound appetite for turtle soup is behind the bill to outlaw the harvest)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Massachusetts' share of federal disaster relief funds for the summer 2005 red tide outbreak falls far below the $10 million in economic losses that state officials estimated when shellfish beds were closed, initially disappointing some...

Where we live: Tilghman Islans, MD.(HOME PORT)
June 1, 2007... THE TOWN Population: 860 year-round residents Fleet size: 50 boats TOP LANDINGS Tilghman fishermen work in the central bay as well as the Choptank and Little Choptank rivers, oystering and crabbing, and using pound nets and...

Outer Banks displeased with king mackerel reduction: harvesters say council's action could result in fishery closure before most lucrative season.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Outer Banks fishermen want the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to take another look at a proposed reduction in the 2008 total allowable catch for king mackerel. Under Amendment 18 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics management...

Blue Angel: shrimp trawler.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
June 1, 2007... Despite high fuel prices and low shrimp prices, Freeport, Fla.-based shrimper Roy E. Rogers Jr., known to his friends as Bubba, is upbeat about both the shrimp business and his 42-year-old trawler, Blue Angel. Old Detroit Diesels aren't...

Old shrimp trawl design may aid snapper recovery: new tests will measure bycatch reduction.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
June 1, 2007... A bycatch-reducing shrimp trawl tested successfully years ago in Mississippi, but it never generated much interest. Now it may get a second chance as the brown shrimp season opens in June and regulators respond to a court ruling that spotlights...

Miss. shrimpers miss out on Katrina cleanup funds: bidding process favors private contractors.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
June 1, 2007... Left in shards by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mississippi's shrimp fishery now suffers splits within its ranks, while attempting to cope with a shape-changing relief plan now overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard. One contingent of fishermen in...

Crab dip: Pat Keenan, Homer, Alaska.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... When the hold is full of opilio crab and it's time for a snack aboard the Farrar Sea, Pat Keenan whips up a crew-pleasing crab dip. Keenan, who fishes for cod and crab out of Homer, keeps a healthy supply of cream cheese, red bell peppers and...

Ohio trapnetters fighting latest bill to scuttle fishery: measure would ban license transfers, triple annual fee, require monitoring equipment.(NATION/WORLD)
June 1, 2007... Ohio's Lake Erie trapnetters are back in Columbus, the state capital, where they're fending off the latest legislative attempt to dismantle their industry. Led by charter boat fishermen and the state's Division of Wildlife, recreational...

Craig Wenrick: Pacific City, Ore.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)(Oregon)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In these days of turbulence and heavy shore breaks, it takes some creativity to stay afloat--let alone ride high. Craig Wenrick, a former I firefighter, a family man and a longtime dory fisherman in the hamlet of Pacific City, Ore., has floated...

Fishermen are wary of bill that promotes aquaculture: U.S. pushing hard on open-ocean fish farms.(NATION/WORLD)
June 1, 2007... The U.S. Department of Commerce is bullish on offshore aquaculture as a means of reducing national dependence on seafood imports and providing jobs for coastal communities, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said at the International Boston...

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has approved a moratorium on entry to the halibut charter fishery.(North Pacific)
June 1, 2007... The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has approved a moratorium on entry to the halibut charter fishery, subject to approval by the Commerce Department. As the moratorium is structured, charter boat operators who made at least five...

The New England Fishery Management Council is expected this month to begin focusing on a new groundfish management regime that will take effect in the fishing year 2009, which begins next May.(New England)
June 1, 2007... The New England Fishery Management Council is expected this month to begin focusing on a new groundfish management regime that will take effect in the fishing year 2009, which begins next May. The council will weigh a number of...

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is feeling pressure from anglers who want commercial blackfish and lobster pots banned from artificial reefs.(Mid-Atlantic)
June 1, 2007... The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is feeling pressure from anglers who want commercial blackfish and lobster pots banned from artificial reefs off New Jersey. Recreational fishermen say the commercial gear threatens the viability...

In April the Pacific Fishery Management Council was taking up a proposal to allow a single vessel to fish in the West Coast exclusive economic zone using longline gear, which is currently prohibited by the highly.(Pacific)
June 1, 2007... In April the Pacific Fishery Management Council was taking up a proposal to allow a single vessel to fish in the West Coast exclusive economic zone using longline gear, which is currently prohibited by the highly migratory species fishery...

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council in March took delivery of a report it intends to use in its oversight of Hawaii's small-boat pelagic handline fisheries.(Western Pacific)
June 1, 2007... The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council in March took delivery of a report it intends to use in its oversight of Hawaii's small-boat pelagic handline fisheries, which date back to ancient times. Under particular consideration are...

An advocate for sport fishermen says NMFS' interim rule for red snapper is unfair.(Gulf of Mexico)(United States National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... An advocate for sport fishermen says NMFS' interim rule for red snapper is unfair, but he is urging anglers to abide by it until the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council comes up with new rules. "Though I don't agree with it, I will...

Elsewhere, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council wrestled with Amendment 15 to its snapper-grouper management plan, in March adding alternatives.(South Atlantic)
June 1, 2007... Elsewhere, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council wrestled with Amendment 15 to its snapper-grouper management plan, in March adding alternatives for allocations between recreational and commercial sectors as part of rebuilding plans for...

Post full-moon deliveries glut market; longline fleet monitors turtle bycatch.(PACIFIC: SWORDFISH)
June 1, 2007... Post full-moon deliveries, inadvertent turtle takes and worldwide import volumes to the eastern United States set the stage for the 2007 swordfish season in the Pacific. Winter weather hampered swordfish fishing efforts off the U.S. East...

Marketing for wild product pays off; managers forecast banner harvests.(NORTH PACIFIC: SALMON)
June 1, 2007... Strong runs await salmon fishermen plying the waters off Alaska, fishery managers predict, and dock prices should be equally robust. Ex-vessel prices for cohos, chinooks, pinks and chums last year increased significantly over 2005 prices....

The real giant is the market for squid; China, U.S. are driving global demand.(NORTHEAST: SQUID)
June 1, 2007... Robust demand matched by stronger supplies made 2006 a busy year for squid dealers in China and the United States. Both are growth markets linked by a complex global trade that shuttles frozen and reprocessed cephalopods across the waters...

Landings, price for top-grade fish help longliners rebound from stormy 2005.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC: YELLOWFIN TUNA)
June 1, 2007... Yellowfin tuna were plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic this past season. The fleet has at least partially recovered from the disruptions of the 2005 hurricanes, and landings are good. "It's been a pretty good year," says...

Fish fraud: industry and consumers both lose when seafood species are substituted to increase profitability.(Food flight)
June 1, 2007... When a seafood purveyor sells a product under another name, it's called species substitution. Although such "fish fraud" is against the law, it is rampant. Uncovering fraud in restaurants has proved a perfect fit for We're-on-yourside-type...

Infused with progress: a state grant is helping Maine's glass boatbuilders stifle the ill effects of styrene.(Boats & Gear)(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... Chemists call it [C.sub.8][H.sub.8]. The guy off the street who steps into a boat shop knows it as an instant eye and throat irritant. Fiberglass lay-up crews deal with it by donning gloves, suits, respirators and sometimes, caps, although some...

Fish house or town house? Mainers take steps to preserve working waterfronts.(Market forces)
June 1, 2007... The condominiums on the Portland, Maine, waterfront serve as a reminder of the development pressures that threaten commercial fishing dock space. Yet they also symbolize something else: that precious waterfront space can be protected. When...

Still talking after all these years: old caulking mallets and irons ring with life from boatyards of yore.(Boats & Gear: Wooden hull repairs)
June 1, 2007... As a boat carpenter working on wooden boats in the port of Eureka, Calif., I have to be familiar with caulking. Most years my work is above the waterline, and if I don't happen to recaulk any decks, I do relatively little caulking. Other years...

Collector's item: a father-son team adds a wooden conch boat to their assortment of overhauls.(Boats & Gear: Repair shop)
June 1, 2007... Jon Mick is up front about it: He and his son, Travis, just like boats. He'll also tell you the two of them have too many boats, more boats than most reasonable people would find acceptable. He'll also say they "just spend until it hurts, so...

Maine yard takes familiar job; steel stern trawler is a revival.(NORTHEAST)
June 1, 2007... For each of the past three years, H&H Marine in Steuben, Maine, has taken on a rebuild of a Repco 37-footer. The latest one was the Miss Lisa, which went back in the water the last week of March in Sorrento, Maine. Repco, which is long out...

Wash. is awash in 58-footers; bulbous bows for Delta boats.(WEST)
June 1, 2007... Westman Marine in Blaine, Wash., recently hauled a number of steel boats in the 58-foot range. The Decade, a dragger and longliner out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, was hauled on the boatyard's 300-ton railway for a sponsoning job. The hull...

Croatia snaps up shrimp boats; Va. builder choosy with wood.(SOUTH)
June 1, 2007... About a year ago, Russell Steiner of Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala., went to a federal auction and bought six used shrimp boats. Steiner has fixed up two of the boats and has sold them to fishermen from the Republic of Croatia....

A pocket-sized lifesaver: ACR's new PLB makes the perfect backup for an EPIRB.(Product roundup)(Personal Locator Beacons, Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons, ACR Electronics Inc.)
June 1, 2007... You were lucky to get off the boat. She had been acting weird: She'd roll down on a beam sea and was sluggish coming back up, and the stern was riding a little low. Skipper said it would be a good idea to unpack the survival suits. You had...

Devoted to keeping you dry: the Wedding Band kit secures a troublesome packing nut.(Product roundup)
June 1, 2007... It hardly seems right that a simple nut can be responsible for sinking so many boats, but that's what happens when the packing nut on the rudder port backs off. It doesn't take long before there's serious downflooding; a little longer, and the...

Yanmar.(At a glance)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... YANMAR'S new diesel, the 6BY260, is an electronically controlled engine whose fuel flow is regulated by a common-rail dual-injection system. The 6-cylinder diesel with a wastegated turbocharger and an after-cooler produces 260 hp at 4,000 rpm....

Dr. Shrink's latest product, the Rebag is the answer to, "What do I do with the shrink-wrap that's covered my boat all winter?".(At a glance)
June 1, 2007... DR. SHRINK's latest product, the REBAG is the answer to, "What do I do with the shrink-wrap that's covered my boat all winter?" Simple. Instead of throwing the shrink-wrap in the landfill, put it in the poly bag that comes with the Rebag. Slap...

Chemline, a manufacturer of spray-applied high-performance coating systems, has developed a corrosion and saltwater resistant coating for fish holds.(At a glance)
June 1, 2007... CHEMLINE, a manufacturer of spray-applied high-performance coating systems, has developed a corrosion and saltwater resistant coating for fish holds. CHEMTHANE 7015 is applied directly to plywood to create a seamless barrier. Chemthane is a...

Next Generation Power has introduced a new line of gensets, the Keel-Cooled Marine gensets come in eight models from 5 to 30 kW.(At a glance)
June 1, 2007... NEXT GENERATION POWER has introduced a new line of gensets, the KEEL-COOLED MARINE gensets come in eight models from 5 to 30 kW. They are powered by 1,800-rpm Kubota diesels in either 3- or 4-cylinder configurations. Standard features include a...

Si-Tex's new DSC-900 VHF radio has built-in digital selective calling capabilities that allow you to send a distress signal to the Coast Guard and other DSC-equipped boats at the push of a button with your own identification number.(At a glance)
June 1, 2007... SI-TEX'S new DSC-900 VHF radio has built-in digital selective calling capabilities that allow you to send a distress signal to the Coast Guard and other DSC-equipped boats at the push of a button with your own identification number. The DSC-900...

Hella Marine has come out with an ultra-bright navigation lamp that is energy efficient.(At a glance)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... HELLA MARINE has come out with an ultra-bright navigation lamp that is energy efficient. The NAVILED 360 series lamps have a 2-nautical-mile visibility. The lamps use LED technology, drawing less than 1.6 amps. A corrosion resistant housing is...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
June 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,...

Shakespeare Electronics Group.(ON THE MOVE)
June 1, 2007... Jim Bennett, president of Columbia, S.C.-based Shakespeare Co., recently announced the promotion of CRAIG WOODS to vice president of sales and marketing within the SHAKESPEARE ELECTRONICS GROUP. Woods joined the company in 1996 and most...

Woodinville, Wash.-based Wesmar has a new Mechanical Division president.(ON THE MOVE)
June 1, 2007... Woodinville, Wash.-based WESMAR has a new Mechanical Division president. PHILLIP L. WESCOTT will head up the division's production of bow thrusters, roll fin stabilizers and marine hydraulic systems. Wescott most recently was vice president of...

At the 2007 Miami Boat Show, Navionics and its co-sponsors--Raymarine, Northstar, Furuno, Fugawi, F.W.(COMPANY NEWS)
June 1, 2007... At the 2007 Miami Boat Show, NAVIONICS and its co-sponsors--Raymarine, Northstar, Furuno, Fugawi, F.W. Murphy, Lowrance and Hummingbird--hosted NAVAID 2, a charity concert benefiting the American Cancer Society and the Ian McWilliam Saints...

West Marine received the U.S. Defense Department's Patriot Award in recognition of the company's exceptional support of employees in the military.(COMPANY NEWS)
June 1, 2007... WEST MARINE received the U.S. Defense Department's PATRIOT AWARD in recognition of the company's exceptional support of employees in the military. A banquet in Greensboro, N.C., honored Washington, N.C., store manager Dean Barillaro and...

Kodiak, Alaska.(Last set)
June 1, 2007... Blowing snow obscures the mountains south of Kodiak Harbor on a late winter day as several fishing vessels await better weather. The larger vessel is the ferry Tustumena, which can deliver 210 passengers and 36 cars to the mainland.