National Fisherman articles from May 2006

National Fisherman archives from May 2006

May 2006: this month's highlights.(The hail)
May 1, 2006... My favorite writers are storytellers, because they look for the human interest in their stories and never stray too far. That's why I look forward to stories from Larry Chowning. He will take an ostensibly technical story, such as this...

An illogical label.(Editor's log)
May 1, 2006... Pardon me if I don't jump for joy about the Marine Stewardship Council's certification of the Pacific cod freezer longline fishery. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Sooner or later, this industry is going to see Marine...

The undersea world of Trevor Norton.(Underwater to Get Out of the Rain a Love Affair with the Sea)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Underwater to Get Out of the Rain A Love Affair with the Sea By Trevor Norton Da Capo Press, 2006 Hardcover, 400 pp., $25 www.dacapopress.com Today, he's a professor of marine biology at the University of Liverpool. But as a wee lad,...

The recipe for a fisherman's life, simple truths of seafood.
May 1, 2006... Off the Hook By Roger Fitzgerald, recipes by Susan Volland Ten Speed Press, 2002 Softcover, 232 pp., $16.95 www.tenspeed.com National Fisherman readers are learning what Alaska Fishermen's Journal readers knew for some time: Roger...

Who needs science?(From Another Perspective)(fish population depletion)(Column)
May 1, 2006... There's a new movement in the anti-fishing world. Most simply, it's "to hell with the science; we know what we know." This was articulated in a press release from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council about Daniel Pauly, part of...

50 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
May 1, 2006... Spring is in the air, and Lester Gray of Thomaston, Maine, is scraping the hull of the sardine carrier Mary Anne in anticipation of the 2006 season. Forty plants are ready to pack, and thanks to last year's short pack, there is almost no...

30 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
May 1, 2006... The arrival in New York Harbor of the converted brig Unicorn (she was built as a schooner in 1948 and rigged over in 1971) is the lead photo on the cover of the rather more eclectic May 1976 National Fisherman. Also in the news: a Soviet...

10 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
May 1, 2006... Highlights from National Fisherman's special safety section include: Self-righting life rafts (developed in the wake of a ferry disaster in which 852 perished, many in upside-down life rafts); a sleeping-bag-like seagoing hypothermia capsule,...

Breaking the cycle of conflict in fisheries management.(Dock talk)
May 1, 2006... The most important lesson in fisheries management is that it is less about managing fish than it is about managing people. For nearly 30 years, a conflict between three groups--fishermen, scientists and conservationists--has slowed the recovery...

The case for survival suits.(Consequences)
May 1, 2006... From U.S. Coast Guard Reports On June 6, 2000, a fishing vessel returning from a 3-day trip began taking on water and sank quickly by the stern. The vessel was lost approximately 17 miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth, along the coast of...

Florida fisherman urges review of ray history.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I read the reply from Jimmy Coite in Rhode Island ("R.I. fisherman suspicious of conservation motives" NF April '06 p.9). I went through his little tirade a few times to try to make sense of it all. In the end, I surmise that his response...

Opposition to Pebble Mine inspires letter to governor.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... As long-time fisherman in Bristol Bay, the proposed Pebble Mine deeply concerns me. Maybe I'm too late with this because the thing has already caused a lot of controversy: I don't trust our Gov Frank Murkowski in the least, even though the...

Cap'n Sane says ...
May 1, 2006... Well, it took a while, but we're now the Saturday Cove Port Authority. It was a dark n'stormy morning when a long black limo pulled inta Amos' store. Being dark n'stormy we were all ashore having breakfasts of salt pork scraps on Bakewell...

Reader likes new look, but says beard needs upgrade.(Mail bouy)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... The new look (March 2006) looks good. I liked the big, old magazine, too. One suggestion: Tell Nils Stolpe (p. 5) to get to work on his beard. Roger Fitzgerald's (pages 2 and 9)--now that's a beard. DERY BENNETT Fair Haven, N.J.

Time to raise striped bass commercial quota is now.(Mail bouy)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... It is time for commercial striped-bass fishermen to have a quota increase. Fisheries managers have allowed the recreational/commercial split in the two fisheries to get way out of whack. Recreational landings still exceed commercial...

Taking a global perspective.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... International meetings and bilateral consultations that improve fisheries management and our business relation ships are important to the future of our U.S. fishing policy. I wrote this column from Paris, where I recently completed separate...

A place in the sun.(In search of the simple life)
May 1, 2006... I just got an e-mail from Capt. Hollywood. The long-line season for winter cod is closing in two days, and he'll soon be home to relieve me of duty, that being the care, feeding and sometimes discipline of Little Holly wood, his son, my...

Control date could trim day boats from scallop fishery; smaller vessels that entered after Nov. 1, 2004, may be forced out to keep lid on effort.(ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2006... Nearly 150 scallop fishermen from as far away as Georgia and Massachusetts crammed into a room near Cape May, N.J., to hear why some of them may be forced from the business. The New England Fishery Management Council is looking to enforce a...

Males-only take proposed for horseshoe crab catch; Va. plan would protect seabirds, harvesters.(ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2006... Usually, Rick Robins is working with the overseas customers who make conch such an important catch for mid-Atlantic fishermen. But this winter, the export manager for Chesapeake Bay Packing, of Newport News, Va., has been on a domestic...

New DFO head bringing fishing experience to job; Loyola Hearn succeeds Geoff Regan to post.(ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Canadian federal election in January that brought the Conservative Party to power has resulted in the appointment of Loyola Hearn as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. A member of Parliament from St. John's South-Mount Pearl,...

Low salmon count places Klamath fishery in jeopardy; troll season in doubt as minimum threshold of 35,000 wild spawners is missed again.(PACIFIC)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Salmon trollers were surprised in February when federal scientists released information about the 2005 season and a forecast for 2006: The Klamath River fishery missed its 35,000 wild-spawner floor for the second year in a row. And even...

Court ruling lets Hawaii longliners keep fishing; tosses suit opposing swordfish reopening.(PACIFIC)
May 1, 2006... Hawaii swordfish longliners can continue fishing, thanks to a federal appeals court's dismissal of a lawsuit in February. On behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Ka 'Iwa Kua Lele and Turtle Island Restoration Network, Earthjustice...

Where we live: Crystal River, Fla.(HOME PORT)
May 1, 2006... THE TOWN Population: 3,604 in July 2004 Fleet size: Seven big boats and a couple of smaller ones, says Jimmy Kofmehl, stone-crabber and co-owner of Charlie's Seafood. TOP LANDINGS IN 2005 * Stone crab Blue crab Grouper...

Dockside oil spill spurs review of shipping rules; Coast Guard to study Cook Inlet dockings.(PACIFIC)
May 1, 2006... Though it spilled less than 100 gallons of petroleum products, the February grounding of an oil tanker in the ice-choked waters of Cook Inlet near Kenai rekindled fears that oil and fisheries don't mix. The Seabulk Pride, a 575-foot tanker...

Lobster salad: Charles Van Salisbury, F/V Spirit, Point Pleasant, N.J.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... New Jersey is not usually associated with lobsters, but fishermen there do all right. In 2004, the fishery was about on par with New Hampshire's and was worth $1.8 million in dockside prices. So this March, the Van Salisbury family was...

Association developing ideas to bolster NMFS budget; seafood tax considered to raise revenue for functions like annual fish stock assessments.(NATION/WORLD)
May 1, 2006... As Congress mulls the NMFS budget request for 2007, fishermen are developing a way to create funding sources for important fisheries management programs. The White House is requesting $81.1 million more for 2007 NMFS programs than was...

Anti-industry bill raises ire of Irish fishing fleet; minor offenses to bring criminal penalties.(NATION/WORLD)
May 1, 2006... Alarming new Irish fisheries legislation was amended somewhat before it passed Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, in late February. But fishermen still view the policies as unnecessarily harsh and anti-industry, says Sean...

Erik Fellows: Homer, Alaska.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE ARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Erik Fellows lives to fish Alaska's seine circuit. Fellows, 40, travels from his home port of Homer each spring, participates in the rough-and-tumble Sitka herring fishery, steams his 55-foot seiner, Valkyrie, north to fish the waters...

Administration gets D+ from ocean policy groups; report cites slow progress, limited funding.(NATION/WORLD)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Members of two commissions charged with examining U.S. oceans policies give the Bush administration a lackluster grade in a report card issued jointly. The administration gets a D+ on overall ocean policy reform, according to statements...

Fishermen say new regulations threaten N.C. fishery; tell NMFS chief Bill Hogarth they fear snapper/grouper changes could doom fish houses.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2006... Snowy-grouper fishermen fear new restrictions approved by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council could ring the death knell for fish houses in villages like Hatteras on North Carolina's Outer Banks. "Absorbing an additional 15...

Cortez festival educates Floridians about industry; youth learn of fishing's importance to town.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2006... Late in February, an estimated 20,000 visitors got a good look at a real Gulf of Mexico commercial fishing village at the 24th annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival. "It was great; it gets the younger generation interested," says...

Black Flag: skiff.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... "My boat is just a work skiff," says Black Flag owner Rodger Healy, a native Southern Californian. "There is nothing special about Jr. "What makes it interesting is the variety of fisheries he works. Healy targets spiny lobsters, whelk...

Right whale death spurs gillnet ban through March; affects 15 netters working federal waters.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Restrictions on use of gillnets in southeastern federal waters are under closer scrutiny after the January death of a right whale calf was attributed to the gear. Federal officials imposed a temporary ban in South Atlantic waters from...

Hawaii is offering statewide economic assistance workshops to fishermen affected by federal fishing restrictions and closures.(Western Pacific)
May 1, 2006... Hawaii is offering statewide economic assistance workshops to fishermen affected by federal fishing restrictions and closures, Pacific Business News reports. Affected fisheries "include Hawaii-based pelagic (coastal) fisheries, bottomfish...

In March, NMFS announced a permanent ban on bottom trawling in about 80 percent of federal waters off the Pacific coast, including in depths beyond 700 fathoms (about 4,200 feet).(Pacific)
May 1, 2006... In March, NMFS announced a permanent ban on bottom trawling in about 80 percent of federal waters off the Pacific coast, including in depths beyond 700 fathoms (about 4,200 feet). Trawling also would be banned in dozens of shallower areas...

Under a temporary rule, Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen were allowed to continue using limited tow times as an alternative to turtle excluder devices through March 20 in inshore and offshore waters from the Florida-Alabama border.(Gulf of Mexico)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Under a temporary rule, Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen were allowed to continue using limited tow times as an alternative to turtle excluder devices through March 20 in inshore and offshore waters from the Florida-Alabama border, westward to...

NMFS removed goliath grouper from the Species of Concern list in early February because a recent report showed a significant increase in abundance in the U.S. population segment.(Gulf and South Atlantic)(National Marine Fisheries Service )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NMFS removed goliath grouper from the Species of Concern list in early February because a recent report showed a significant increase in abundance in the U.S. population segment. The report also showed the species is re-establishing throughout...

NMFS has announced the availability of Amendment 17 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic and Amendment 25 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resource of the Gulf of Mexico.(South Atlantic and Caribbean)
May 1, 2006... NMFS has announced the availability of Amendment 17 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic and Amendment 25 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resource...

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council formed a committee to handle the issue of inconsistent records for saltwater charter boats.(North Pacific)
May 1, 2006... The North Pacific Fishery Management Council formed a committee to handle the issue of inconsistent records for saltwater charter boats, which are hampering efforts to map out halibut charter fishery regulation options for southeast and...

NMFS has issued 2006 specifications for Atlantic bluefish fisheries, including state-by-state commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit and recreational possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the east coast of the United States.(Mid-Atlantic)
May 1, 2006... NMFS has issued 2006 specifications for Atlantic bluefish fisheries, including state-by-state commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit and recreational possession limits for Atlantic bluefish off the east coast of the United States. The...

The secretary of commerce has proposed strict emergency measures to curtail overfishing this spring, superseding measures enacted by the New England Fishery Management Council.(New England)
May 1, 2006... The secretary of commerce has proposed strict emergency measures to curtail overfishing this spring, superseding measures enacted by the New England Fishery Management Council. The council voted in January to reduce the average days at sea from...

Summer closure of inshore grounds to trawlers to take effect next year.(NORTHEAST: HERRING)
May 1, 2006... A decision to close the inshore Gulf of Maine herring fishery to trawlers during the summer months and impose limited entry criteria on the fleet is reverberating through the Northeast. The June-to-September closure in Area 1A is a victory...

La Nina, new allocation system hold keys to success of seiners this season.(PACIFIC: SARDINES)
May 1, 2006... The 2005 sardine season in California progressed in fits and starts, says Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director of the California Wettish Producers Association. "It was not a good year," she says. Ex-vessel prices were average and...

Imports are proving more destructive than hurricanes to southern crabbers.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC: BLUE CRAB)
May 1, 2006... Despite some regional concerns about stock status, the market remains the greater concern as crabbers prepare for the summer harvest months in the South Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. In the marketplace, the dismal, repetitious story of...

Short supplies from the North Atlantic and Europe is good news for Alaskans.(NORTH PACIFIC: PACIFIC COD)
May 1, 2006... Thanks to a plethora of positive factors, markets for Alaska s Pacific cod haven't looked as favorable in years. For starters, shortages in supplies coming out of the European North Atlantic and from harvest areas along the Canadian and...

National Fisherman's 2006 Highliners.(Vito Giacalone, Jim Lovgren, David Karwacki)(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... It's been said that every job on a commercial fishing vessel supports seven jobs ashore, from lumpers to truck drivers to tax accountants. And that's not counting lawyers, bureaucrats or clam cops. But maybe the more relevant question...

Program highlights.(Fish Expo Workboat Atlantic)(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence April 5-6 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 Future of Passenger Safety Onboard Vessels Operating on Non-Federal Waters 11:00 am-12:30 pm, Room 553AB In the wake of the Ethan Alien casualty, this panel...

Special events.(Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic)(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... Wednesday, April 5 KEYNOTE PANEL Safety First: Lessons Learned That Can Save Your Life 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Keynote Area, Show Floor Headline Speaker: Rear Adm. David P. Pekoske. Commander 1st District, U.S. Coast Guard Human...

2006 Exhibitor listings.
May 1, 2006... 2006 Exhibitor Listings A & D Weighing 1213 www.andweighing.com A.F. Theriault & Sons Ltd. 405 www.aftheriault.com ABCO Industries Limited 516...

Fending off the bites: Bob Jones and the battle for Florida's fisheries.(Coast matters)
May 1, 2006... For 54 years, the Southeastern Fisheries Association has been at the forefront of promoting and defending the seafood industry's interests in the Southeast. While fishermen can join the organization individually, most join indirectly via their...

Following the fish home: on Cook Inlet, a southwest wind makes for a bit of a rough ride, but it has the salmon slapping into the Lady Lee's gillnets.(At sea)
May 1, 2006... With expanded fishing areas, an optimistic harvest forecast of around 4 million sockeyes, and new, high-end markets for fresh and frozen salmon, about the only deterrent for driftnet fishermen in Cook Inlet is uncooperative weather. And...

Different shellfish: a Texas shrimp boat is rigged for the Atlantic scallop fishery.(Boats & Gear: Lone Star conversion)
May 1, 2006... The adage "one man's loss is another man's gain" typifies what's going on now with the Gulf of Mexico shrimp boats and the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. Low shrimp prices, high fuel costs and hurricanes have crippled the gulf's shrimp...

Microprocessor power: electronically controlled engines have numerous advantages over their mechanical ancestors.(Boats & Gear: Engine talk)
May 1, 2006... Just a few years ago, most fishermen relied on mechanically controlled engines. They didn't trust electronically controlled engines and if one broke down, they didn't know how to repair it. Gradually, however, boat owners have accepted...

Easy riders: trawl components, such as doors, are being designed for less habitat impact.(Boats & Gear: Bottom maintenance)
May 1, 2006... Fishermen who think they don't have to pay attention to conservation issues are kidding themselves. That's doubly true for mobile-gear fishermen, especially those whose gear hugs the seafloor. Closed areas, fewer days at sea and bycatch...

Scalloper gets needed plating; Maine families keep traditions.(NORTHEAST)
May 1, 2006... The scallop harvesting and processing company Eastern Fisheries in New Bedford, Mass., has 14 steel boats in its fleet. On March 6, the company's newest boat, the 105-foot Friendship, went off the railway at Rockland Marine in Rockland, Maine,...

Rain brings work to a dribble; TLC for 1923 wooden tender.(WEST)
May 1, 2006... Northern California is well known for wet winters, but this winter, "the weather has been really bad," says Ted Long, general manager of Fashion Blacksmith in Crescent City, Calif. "For two months it's been nonstop rain." The weather is...

Watermen don't forsake wood; Va. oyster dealer rebuilds boat.(SOUTH)
May 1, 2006... Smith Marine Railway, a family-operated boatyard, in Dare, Va., specializes in rebuilding wooden boats. The railway has been hauling boats since the mid-1800s. A source of some new business has been wooden boat enthusiasts bringing...

Filter focuses on fuel conservation; FuelSaver aims to take sting out of rising diesel prices.(Product roundup)
May 1, 2006... In the early 1990s, after Descal-A-Matic sold its fuel-filtering system to a few Gulf of Mexico workboat operators, the FuelSaver seemed to have some success on the fuel lines of main engines and generators. In one case, fuel use on a...

A sharper fishfinder: Furuno's latest small-boat model has improved resolution.(Product roundup)
May 1, 2006... Early echo sounders were bulky, power hungry, expensive affairs, too large for small boats and not favored by most fishermen, who could not understand why they should put their trust in a machine when they had the lay of the land--or seabed, as...

Just-In Case Fire has a portable foam fire-suppression system for dockside fires.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... JUST-IN CASE FIRE has a portable foam fire-suppression system for dockside fires. The FIRE CADDY mixes water with a nontoxic, biodegradable foam additive for class A and B fires. A Honda 5.5-hp gasoline engine with a Davey single-stage pump...

Mustang Survival's newest inflatable personal flotation device is the Deluxe HT.(At a glance)
May 1, 2006... MUSTANG SURVIVAL's newest inflatable personal flotation device is the DELUXE HT. It has a Hammar hydrostatic inflator that triggers when it is 4 inches below the surface of the water. The inflator doesn't have to be serviced for five years,...

AR Engineering has released two fanless marine computers, the Alpha and the Reliant.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... AR ENGINEERING has released two fanless marine computers, the ALPHA and the RELIANT. Without fans, the Alpha and Reliant are not prone to overheating failures caused by dust buildup and corrosion from salt air. The Reliant, with an Intel...

Weems & Plath has an easy-to-use product that should take some of the guesswork out of nighttime navigation.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... WEEMS & PLATH has an easy-to-use product that should take some of the guesswork out of nighttime navigation. When you are in the wheelhouse and see a boat with an unfamiliar light pattern, a quick check of the LIGHTRULE should straighten things...

MarineEast's newest product, the Fire Port, lets you check a closed compartment to see if there's a fire inside, without opening a door or hatch, and feeding the flames with oxygen.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... MARINEEAST's newest product, the FIRE PORT, lets you check a closed compartment to see if there's a fire inside, without opening a door or hatch, and feeding the flames with oxygen. If you see flames, and do not have an automatic extinguishing...

Centek Industries helps you avoid fines and encounters with the Coast Guard with its Bilge Kleen System.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... CENTEK INDUSTRIES helps you avoid fines and encounters with the Coast Guard with its BILGE KLEEN SYSTEM. This is a bilgewater filtering unit that is said to remove 100 percent of all hydrocarbons without reducing the bilge pump's flow rate. The...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... MAY 9-11 European Seafood Exposition/Seafood Processing Europe Parcs des Expositions, Brussels, Belgium www.euroseafood.com Seafood buyers and sellers from all over Europe and the world will head to the European Seafood...

Spectro.(ON THE MOVE)(appoints Trevor Jackson)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... SPECTRO, the U.K.-based independent laboratory group that is a leader in the analysis of lubricants, fuels, hydraulic fluids, filters and debris, has appointed TREVOR JACKSON as its marine business development manager. Jackson will manage...

U.S. Coast Guard.(ON THE MOVE)(appoints Thad W. Allen)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Bush administration has appointed VICE ADM. THAD W. ALLEN to be the next commandant of the U.S. COAST GUARD. "Vice Admiral Allen distinguished himself in the way he handled duties assigned to him following the tremendous disasters in the...

Pelican Products.(ON THE MOVE)(appoints John Chesen)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... PELICAN PRODUCTS has named JOHN CHESEN as Director of International Sales, responsible for heading up Pelican's sales in East and South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Chesen brings more than 20 years of sales and general management...

J.D. Power and Associates.(COMPANY NEWS)
May 1, 2006... J.D. Power and Associates ranked HONDA MARINE's EFI engines Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Four-Stroke Engines. According to the 2006 study, the engines scored 913 out of a possible 1,000 points. The award was presented to John Fulcher,...

ValvTect Petroleum Products has named Charleston City Marina as its Marina of the Year and Brewer Yacht Yards & Marinas as its Marketer of the Year.(COMPANY NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... ValvTect Petroleum Products has named CHARLESTON CITY MARINA as its Marina of the Year and BREWER YACHT YARDS & MARINAS as its Marketer of the Year. Based in Charleston, S.C., the Charleston City Marina was cited for its exceptional facilities,...

Port Orford, Oregon.(Last set)(dolly dock)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The fishing fleet can't find shelter from a southerly breeze at Port Orford, but it's found the next best thing--a dry berth. Since 1935, fishermen here have hoisted their boats onto a so-called dolly dock for protection in an onshore breeze....