National Fisherman articles from March 2003

National Fisherman archives from March 2003

The vision thing. (Editor's Log).(future of fisheries)
March 1, 2003... Years ago someone asked George Bush the elder about shifting his focus from a political campaign to governance. "Oh," he replied; "the vision thing." His remark was construed by the press as dismissive, but he'd raised a valid point: A...

Fishing back when.
March 1, 2003... 50 YEARS AGO this month The South Bristol, Maine, boatbuilder Harvey Gamage outdoes himself when he launches a new scalloper, the 78-foot Lauren Faye, and delivers her to her owner just three days later. She is powered by a direct-reverse...

A note to young readers.(The Lobster War)(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... THE LOBSTER WAR By Ethan Howland Front Street/Cricket Books Hardcover, 146 pp.; $15.95 In my youth, I read every book about going to sea I came across. Stories about fishing were a plus, but there weren't many of them, so I read "Captains...

Competition and unity can coexist. (Forum).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... With all the conflict in the fishing world lately, it's easy to call for "unity" as a way of papering over disagreement in the industry and presenting a front to the world. But different sectors of the industry have different needs and...

Parting ways. (Consequences).
March 1, 2003... Two deckhands were struck when a boom released and fell on them while they were hauling in a full net of salmon in Kitoi Bay, off Kodiak, Alaska. The Coast Guard responded with two HH-60 helicopters, and both men were airlifted for...

Mega-trawlers off Maine are destroying tuna fishery. (To the editor).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... My name is Chris Weiner and I have commercially harpooned bluefin tuna for almost my whole life (I am only 20 but I have put in a lot of time). I know that I am not alone in saying that fishing--in my case tuna fishing--is my life. ...

Recreational billfisherman questions NF bycatch story. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Regarding "Billfish bycatch puts sport tournaments in spotlight," [January, p. 13], the addition of a "heavy fly division" in the [International Game Fish Association] record books theoretically could account for 9 dead billfish if all 9...

A global perspective. (A Letter From Bill Hogarth).(american fisheries and world markets)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... International fisheries have many new challenges that change "business as usual" for U.S. fishermen and managers. We pride ourselves on producing, selling, buying and consuming quality seafood products, both domestically and...

Cap'n Sane says ... (Mail Buoy).
March 1, 2003... Bubba Beal our clam cop was missing nearly three weeks. We keep an eye on Bubba f'various reasons. F'instance, Shorty Gage f'snapper lobster sales, Puddy Hall f'peanut clams from the closed Richardson Flats. The rest of us like having Bubba...

Wards Cove closing stuns slumping salmon industry: `sustained, significant and accelerating' losses force shutdown of family-owned company. (North Pacific).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Alaska's beleaguered salmon industry took maybe its hardest hit yet on Dec. 12 when Seattle-based Wards Cove Packing Co. announced it was shutting down its canneries. The family-owned company, founded in Alaska in 1928, said it had...

Steller report's findings please groundfish fleet: says fisheries not depleting food resources. (North Pacific).(decline in sea lion population)
March 1, 2003... Fishermen in Alaska's massive groundfish harvests feel vindicated by a National Academy of Sciences report on the Steller sea lion decline. The December report says "most evidence indicates that... fisheries are not causing a range-wide...

Court rules Alaska owns Tongass forest shoreline: battle continues over Glacier Bay fishing. (North Pacific).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In motions sure to rekindle the debate over fishing in Glacier Bay National Park, the federal government has admitted that the State of Alaska owns much of the underwater shoreline within the Tongass National Forest. The December court...

Louisiana moves to facilitate direct sales of shrimp: lawmaker submits bill allowing wives to sell their husband's catch from home or dock. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Although their legislative session does not begin for another two months, Louisiana's coastal lawmakers took early steps to untangle a web of conflicting statutes that hampered attempts by shrimp fishermen to stay ahead of backsliding market...

Officials step up efforts to curb illegal fish sales: Florida commission establishes tip hot line. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is increasing efforts to stop unlicensed individuals from selling fish, a practice legitimate commercial fishermen say is persistent and widespread. "This kind of activity will come to...

Where we live. (Home Port).(Petersburg, Alaska)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... PETERSBURGH, ALASKA THE TOWN Population: There are 3,200 people in winter and about 4,500 in summer. Number of boats: 750 TOP FIVE LANDINGS IN 2001: By volume Salmon--50 million pounds Herring--7 million pounds Dungeness...

NMFS moves to lessen gillnet impact on turtles: restrictions target monkfish fleet's twine. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... To protect migrating sea turtles, NMFS recently implemented gillnetting restrictions upon large mesh gillnets in federal Atlantic waters. The closure is targeting nets larger than eight inches used by monkfish gillnetters. Sea turtles have...

Oil from growing Spanish spill hits coast of France: fears grow that the steadily leaking tanker will release its entire 20-million-gallon cargo. (International).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Oil from the sunken tanker Prestige spread to the coast of France in January amid fears that the vessel would release all of its 20-million-gallon cargo into the water. Experts were bracing for what was threatening to become one of the...

Who we are. (Snapshot).(Warren Rector)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Warren Rector Mount Pleasant, S.C. Warren Rector, 55, bought his first boat in 1965, the year he got out of high school. He's fished out of Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant ever since. But Rector found himself in unfamiliar territory...

European Union ministers slash whitefish harvests: North Sea cod, haddock quotas halved. (International).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... It wasn't a very merry Christmas for European fishermen. Just before Christmas, European Union fisheries ministers agreed to slash cod quotas in the North Sea by 45 percent and haddock and whiting harvests by 50 percent. Under the deal...

Newfoundland ports reopen to Estonia fishing boats: but concerns about Faroe Island violations of fishing nation coalition rules still unresolved. (Canada).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization members were in the news again as the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans reopened Newfoundland ports to Estonian vessels--but not to Danish Faroe Islands boats. Fleets from both countries...

Auditor general's report is critical of Coast Guard: doubts agency ability to protect fishermen. (Canada).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The federal auditor general's report to Canada's House of Commons is highly critical of the Coast Guard's efficiency, management practices, and ability to protect fishermen. In her December 2002 report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser...

Plunging price prompts crabbers to tie up--again: after a second strike and securing a price of $1.40 per pound, fleet returns to grounds. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A significant drop in the Dungeness crab price, from $1.40 to $1.25 per pound, prompted West Coast Dungeness crab fishermen to go on strike again in January before securing--at least for now--the $1.40 price. "We have a very major problem...

Steel Fin II: Albacore troller, swordfish gillnetter and shrimp trawler. (Boat of the Month).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Built to troll tuna in the wind-whipped waters of the tropical Pacific, the Steel Fin II has spent most of her adult life near the bright lights (giant gantry cranes and car-choked 10-lane highways) of the big city, her home port being San...

Channel Islands closure sparks coalition lawsuit: sport, commercial fishermen fight to lift ban. (Pacific).(California Fish and Game Commission)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Angry about the prospects of losing prime fishing grounds, sportfishing organizations and commercial fishermen in Southern California banded together in December and sued the California Fish and Game Commission. The coalition includes the...

Policy change sought at Fishermen's Terminal: port asked to allow fish sales from boats. (Pacific).(Port of Seattle)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Port of Seattle is considering a policy revision at Fishermen's Terminal that will allow commercial fishermen to sell processed fish, including smoked salmon, from their back decks. The current rule, which permits only the sale of...

Turtle decision could affect Mid-Atlantic scallop fleet: NMFS to rule on whether dredging threatens existence of federally protected creatures. (Northeast).(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... About the only thing worse than getting gear fouled in your propeller is finding your fishery running afoul of the Endangered Species Act. But that's a threat that scallop fishermen who work the mid-Atlantic may have to face. NMFS is set...

At-sea cuisine. (Galley Watch).(stuffies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... John O'Neil's stuffies Damon Ise, Wickford, R.I. When Damon Ise was a young boy, all old Irishman taught him about preparing wet stuffies, which feature less bread and more quahogs and vegetables than dry stuffies. "I think anyone who...

Researchers seek funds to analyze acoustic data: could clarify groundfish biomass picture. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Since the late 1990s, NMFS has been collecting acoustic data during its trawl groundfish surveys in the Northeast, but it has yet to tabulate and use the data in its stock assessments. That could change however, if outside researchers can get...

Canadian harvest is raining down on the West Coast fleet's parade. (Pacific Prawns).
March 1, 2003... Ask spot prawn fishermen and brokers on the U.S. West Coast what's driving the price of their catch and they'll point north to Canada. In British Columbia, 214 active vessels landed 4.6 million pounds in 2001 (most recent data). Meanwhile...

Prices, landings indicate a fishery on upswing; restrictions rethought. (Gulf/South Atlantic grouper).
March 1, 2003... The Gulf of Mexico grouper fishery has enjoyed relative prosperity for several years now, and--based on prices and landings late in 2002--prospects appear bright for 2003, too. Even some of the political intrigues that have dogged...

Stocks continue to rebound nicely, but market and prices are lagging. (Northeast Scup).
March 1, 2003... It's a tired cliche, but sometimes the good news-bad news scenario is the best way to explain what's going on. That's especially true for the current state of the scup fishery. The good news is the annual quota has increased...

Production dip reflects roe demand, with Togiak yielding shortest money. (North Pacific Herring).
March 1, 2003... Ex-vessel prices in Alaska's herring fisheries will likely remain in the doldrums, thanks to waning interest for the ripened roe as a specialty product in Japan. The decline in the value of the Japanese yen--and the subsequent cut in the...

Sunset for the Western: reflections on a fishing schooner's well-lived life. (This Old Boat).
March 1, 2003... Fishermen must bid farewell to yet another old-time vessel. The halibut schooner Western built by Sagstad and Moberg, in 1924, was dismantled and demolished on June 7 at Eureka, Calif. As I stood sadly watching the heavy equipment pick her...

The doctor is in: Richard Young, a skipper with a PhD., believes he has the cure for what ails the West Coast groundfish fishery. (At Sea).(Cover Story)
March 1, 2003... If we were all characters in an airport paperback I might say, "Climb aboard any fishing vessel and you will immediately know the man who runs it. You can see the captain's mood reflected in the faces of his crew, and his sense of order in how...

Conservation technology: the past meets the future in St. John's. (Gearing Up).(Memorial University of Newfoundland. Fisheries and Marine Institute research)
March 1, 2003... In the fall of 1979 I bought a traditional Maine lobster boat that had been rigged for dragging. I made my first set right in front of the harbor, where day boats had been getting a few flounders. A few is just what we had; few enough to...

In N.E., a team effort toward sustainability. (Gearing Up).(New England; separator trawl development)
March 1, 2003... A number of groups are working to develop groundfish trawls in New England that are species or size selective. Much of that work focuses on getting rid of cod as a regulated species bycatch. The Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in...

Gone to the dogs: restrictions make cod fishing tough enough. Having to discard thousands of pounds of dogfish makes it worse. (At Sea).
March 1, 2003... Dave Marciano walks into the wheelhouse of his 38-foot gill-netter, the Angelica Joseph, turns to his deckhand, Dean Home of Gloucester and asks, "Shall we do it?" "I'm ready," Home says with an enthusiasm that seems pretty unreasonable...

Sealant of approval: teaching new fiberglass to stick to old boats. (Boats & Gear).
March 1, 2003... "For the past three years, I couldn't leave the boat alone. I couldn't go anywhere," says Capt. Donald "Bruce" Holman, speaking of his wooden 58' x 19' reef-fishing boat, the Mary S. A floating landmark along the Northern Gulf of Mexico,...

Check then modify: consult your local naval architect before changing your boat's equipment. (Retrofits).
March 1, 2003... There has been a large increase in the number of fishing boats modified or converted to work in other fisheries. This is due in no small part to increasing regulations. With days at sea being cut and fishing licenses tied directly to the boats,...

Power drain: batteries that aren't properly charged cost time and money. (Charge Time).
March 1, 2003... You go down to the boat on a cold winter morning, hit the engine's starter switch and--click. The battery is dead. Several hours have to be wasted to take the battery ashore and get it charged. Somewhere in the process, you start wondering, "If...

A catamaran for lobstering; yard seeing repeat customers. (North).(A.F. Theriault & Son)
March 1, 2003... For whatever reason, lobstermen from Canada's Atlantic provinces are more willing to experiment with boat designs than are lobstermen from New England. Canadian lobstermen were willing to use water jets and the rudderless hull with a...

Alaska gillnetter being built; schooner Grant gets hauled. (West).
March 1, 2003... In Cordova, Alaska, Webber Marine and Manufacturing is building a 32' x 11' 6" gillnetter for a Copper River salmon fisherman. The boat is being built for Bill Webber Sr., the father of Webber Marine and Manufacturing's president Bill Webber....

New repair yard for Texas; Va. builder hauling since '30s. (South).
March 1, 2003... In 1977, there were 15 to 20 shrimp boats in the Matagorda Bay area around Palacios, Texas, and enough boatyards to maintain the fleet. Today, there are 350 boats and the boatyard capacity hasn't changed. At least it hadn't changed before...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... MARCH 11-13 The International Boston Seafood Show Hynes Convention Center, Boston * www.bostonseafood.com The International Boston Seafood Show is the industry's choice for sourcing and selling seafood. Buyers at the show find it the...

Shooting into cyberspace: KVH's TracNet 2.0 gives you more information, faster. (Product Roundup).
March 1, 2003... Walk along the docks and it's easy to see how the demand for electronic communications has increased by the number of antennas mounted on the tops of wheelhouses and fastened to masts, whether on lobster boats or factory trawlers. And one of...

World Trade Center Alaska. (On the move).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... GREG WOLF has been chosen executive director of WORLD TRADE CENTER ALASKA. Currently, Wolf is the director of the State of Alaska's Division of International Trade and Market Development. Prior to becoming the state trade director, Wolf was...

Simrad. (On the move).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SIMRAD, Lynnwood, Wash.-based manufacturer of marine electronics, expands its sales team with the addition of MICHAEL LYNN as its commercial sales manager, U.S. West Coast. Lynn will help Simrad dealers to facilitate sales to commercial...

Boattraderonline.com. (On the move).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... BOATTRADERONLINE.COM, a boating classified Web site, names PAULA LUMSDEN HAGGERTY as its new business development manager. Under Haggerty's leadership, the company says ft will expand its business development, sales, marketing and customer...

Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. (On the move).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... WILLIAM CHAUVIN, international seafood consultant and founding member of the LOUISIANA SEAFOOD PROMOTION AND MARKETING BOARD, has announced his retirement. The 1984, Louisiana Legislature created the seafood board and named Chauvin...

Distribution expanded. (Company News).(Seatronics signs with Radio Holland South Africa and Escort Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Two new distributors, Radio Holland South Africa and Escort Ltd. in Poland, have been appointed for Seascan, a ground discrimination system developed by Seatronics, of Aberdeen, England. Radio Holland South Africa says that many business...

New certification. (Company News).(NMEA 2000 interface)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The National Marine Electronics Association, a trade association of marine electronic professionals, announces it is introducing a Level B Certification for easier implementation of the NMEA 2000 interface, as well as implementation at a...

Radical radios: Simrad's newest VHFs come with unconventional features.
March 1, 2003... As marine electronics manufacturers changed the concept of electronic equipment from stand-alone units to highly integrated platforms that can display a multitude of different screens, the VHF radio always seemed to lag behind. After all, what...

Caterpillar presents the CAT C2.2 Diesel Generator Set, the first in a new line of small marine diesel gensets the company says is clean, quiet, compact and smooth running. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... CATERPILLAR presents the CAT C2.2 DIESEL GENERATOR SET, the first in a new line of small marine diesel gensets the company says is clean, quiet, compact and smooth running. The C2.2 utilizes an indirect injection, naturally aspirated 2.2-liter,...

C-MAP introduces Oceanview, a powerful chart database based on the comprehensive CM-93/3 that contains vector charts covering all navigable waters of the world, as well as a tide prediction function. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... C-MAP introduces OCEANVIEW, a powerful Chart database based on the comprehensive CM-93/3 that contains vector charts covering all navigable waters of the world, as well as a tide prediction function. The database wizard allows users to link...

Industrial Specialties now offers a wide selection of high flow Inline Plastic Filters manufactured in a variety of materials, micron sizes and end fittings to meet almost any specific design engineering requirements. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... INDUSTRIAL SPECIALTIES now offers a wide selection of high flow INLINE PLASTIC FILTERS manufactured in a variety of materials, micron sizes and end fittings to meet almost any specific design engineering requirements. Various housings are...

Alsphere touts the Displacement Glider Hull, a unique design that combines a displacement keel and planing surfaces so that most displacement occurs in the keel, which leads to less total resistance, less fuel consumption, higher speed and reduced wash compared to conventional hull designs. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... ALSPHERE touts the DISPLACEMENT GLIDER HULL, a unique design that combines a displacement keel and planing surfaces so that most displacement occurs in the keel, which leads to less total resistance, less fuel consumption, higher speed and...

Broadwater Marine Stoves says its Brigantine Marine Propane Stove is the largest on the market today. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... BROADWATER MARINE STOVES says its BRIGANTINE MARINE PROPANE STOVE is the largest on the market today. The stove is made entirely from stainless steel, copper and brass, which maximizes its durability. Other features include a...

Laitram Machinery presents a Warm Water Shrimp Processing System, consisting of a peeler and feed tank. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... LAITRAM MACHINERY presents a WARM WATER SHRIMP PROCESSING SYSTEM, consisting of a peeler and feed tank. Laitram's equipment yields within 1 to 2 percent of hand peeling, reducing product contamination to near-zero and conserving floor space....

Gougeon Brothers offers an adhesive that cures quickly and creates a strong bond. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... GOUGEON BROTHERS offers an adhesive that cures quickly and creates a strong bond. The G/5 5-MINUTE ADHESIVE pack is a two-part resin/hardener system for quick repairs. It also can be used for making temporary tools in the shop, for general...

Davis Instruments unveils its Vantage Pro Weather Station, a compact, portable system displaying barometric pressure, inside and outside temperature and humidity, heat index, dew point, wind direction and speed, wind chill, and even moon phase, sunrise and sunset. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... DAVIS INSTRUMENTS unveils its VANTAGE PRO WEATHER STATION, a compact, portable system displaying barometric pressure, inside and outside temperature and humidity, heat index, dew point, wind direction and speed, wind chill, and even moon phase,...

Wilson Distribution extends its line of Plastic Pontoons by adding 30-inch and 36-inch diameter pontoon modules. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... WILSON DISTRIBUTION extends its line of PLASTIC PONTOONS by adding 30-inch and 36-inch diameter pontoon modules. Plastic pontoons are more durable than fabricated, aluminum pontoons, and will not oxidize. Wilson pontoons are foam-filled with...

Raritan Engineering Co.'s new Lectrasan LST/Mc Waste Treatment System converts saltwater into a powerful bactericide to kill bacteria and viruses. (At A Glance).
March 1, 2003... RARITAN ENGINEERING CO.'s new LECTRASAN LST/MC WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEM converts saltwater into a powerful bactericide to kill bacteria and viruses. No harmful chemicals are discharged into the water. The system is a cost-efficient solution to...

Parasites gain ground on Chesapeake's oysters: lengthy drought favors spread of disease. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A three-year drought has spread two parasitic oyster diseases throughout Chesapeake Bay. And the resulting mortality rates of 50 to 100 percent may translate to a record low harvest in Maryland. The shellfish diseases--known as MSX and...

Fish farm lures anglers to reel in excess salmon: six auction winners cast lines into net pen. (Northeast).(Atlantic Salmon of Maine )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... If the fish are in a farm pen, is it still fishing? Six anglers who bid from $500 to $536 for the opportunity to cast into an Atlantic Salmon of Maine aquaculture pen think so. Fjord Seafood USA, Atlantic Salmon of Maine's parent...

Diesel expert may require help with his multiplication. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... While I am sure that Ben Evridge knows a hell of a lot about diesel engines, he appears to have been to the same math class as the poor suckers on the Albatross. From the December article about flywheels: "Flywheel fact: A boat traveling...

North Pacific rationalization demands greater coverage. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Are you blind? The most important story--the only story--in commercial fishing today is the fact that the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is changing everything--for all of us--right now. Rep. Gilchrist admits very specifically the...

Salt-treated wood references spark boatbuilding question. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Would you give me some idea how salt-treated wood for boatbuilding is made? In many of your articles you refer to salt-treated wood but I have not seen any explanation on how to do it. I have been using pressure treated but would like to try...

Reader seeking information on designer Nils Lucander. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Just today I learned of the passing of Mr. Nils Lucander who has had over the years numerous articles in National Fisherman magazine. I am writing you hoping to find out when he passed away and also the cause of his death? I had been...

Credit deserved for holder of pound net panel patent. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... I'm writing relative to the recent articles in National Fisherman and the Maryland Waterman's Gazette on the use of escape panels to release small trout and flounder from Chesapeake Bay pound nets. In case you aren't aware of it, from...

Last set.(shrimping)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SHRIMP BOAT CONSTRUCTION was booming at B&B Shipyard, among others in Bayou LaBatre, Ala., as the 21st century began. Shrimp is one of the last open-access fisheries, but farmed imports and fears of overfishing have slowed expansion.