National Fisherman articles from May 2007

National Fisherman archives from May 2007

May 2007 this month's highlights.(The hail)
May 1, 2007... For those of us baby boomers who grew up wanting to become commercial fishermen, it was no big deal. We signed on with family members, or if we didn't have family in the business, we hung around the docks until we could elbow our way onto...

Hatching a plan for salmon enhancement.(VIEWS from Alaska)
May 1, 2007... Very few people can remember Alaska's first salmon hatchery program, which began in the late 1800s. It was entirely different from the salmon hatchery program operating today and, in general, failed to meet its goals. Since the early...

Bulldozing common ground.(Editor's log)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... I was disappointed, though not surprised, when I read a news account recently in which commercial clammers were accused of "strip-mining" Chesapeake Bay with their hydraulic dredges. A strip mine is an open pit in which a seam of mineral...

Flavors and heritage of Mystic Seaport are found in the pages of a cookbook.(Fo'c'sle library)
May 1, 2007... Consider "Mystic Seafood" your study guide to ordering, preparing, disassembling and devouring seafood like a native New Englander. Author Jean Kerr's recipes emphasize simplicity in preparation and flavor, but this book also is chock full of...

West Coast cod schooner lives again in a fascinating historical profile.(Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Most profiles of North American historic cod fisheries refer to New England and the Canadian Maritimes. But the story of the schooner Wawona is that of a West Coast lumber schooner that retired into the handline cod fishery. Wawona's crews used...

Fringe science.(From Another Perspective)(Column)
May 1, 2007... Swordfish,are severely overfished. Ninety percent of the "big" fish in the oceans are gone. We'll run out of fish by the year 2048. Barndoor skates are on the verge of extinction. Marine protected areas are the only way to save the oceans. ...

Fishing back when.(NF classics)
May 1, 2007... 50 YEARS AGO The Maine sardine season opens to 38 plants but with no fish in sight. When the fish do come streaming in, the sardine packs will be subject to tests at a new quality control lab in Bangor, and sardine packers will have access...

From roving bandits to area management.(From the town landing)
May 1, 2007... Earlier this month, Maine fishermen came together on the shores of Penobscot Bay for their annual meeting, the Maine Fishermen's Forum. The nor'easter that raged outside mirrored the industry upheaval being discussed indoors--except that the...

Debunking the 'Bambi syndrome' in sealing.(Dock talk)
May 1, 2007... When a management regime more than doubles a species' population (now approximately 5.4 million harp seals) while allowing fishermen to take their annual quotas, is it a conservation issue? No. Harp seals never have been listed either as an...

Vessel exams prevent flooding, the most common cause of sinking.(Consequences)
May 1, 2007... From U.S. Coast Guard reports At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2004, a gillnet-rigged fishing vessel out of Gloucester, Mass., began taking on water. The 38-foot 14-gross-ton wooden-hulled vessel had a crew of three, including the...

Mainer advocates for vessel layover in severe weather.(Mail bouy)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Is this just a fisherman's wife's point of view, or am I missing something? I am typically a quiet woman and usually let the cards fall where they may. However, not only are the new NMFS regulations hurting us financially, they are costing...

Beware of politics involved in rationalization programs.(Mail bouy)
May 1, 2007... All of the published letters I have read seem to gloss over the truth about crab rationalization. We should beware of anyone pretending to portray the interests of the entire industry, especially organizations with less than 20 percent...

Cap'n sane says ...
May 1, 2007... Everybody's back from winter vacations, n'we're all gettin' ready for another season of lobster bug huntin'. First off, we went over to the state capitol t'raise hell with the latest hogshead of fishcrat bills in the fishery hopper. We...

Administration touts offshore aquaculture.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)
May 1, 2007... The recently concluded International Boston Seafood Show had a special guest. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez toured the exhibit hall and spoke to a luncheon audience on March 12. Secretary Gutierrez delivered a compelling message to...

Poetry blast in Astoria.(In search of the simple life)
May 1, 2007... All I can say is you should have been there. Everyone was, or so it seemed, a gathering of the clans. If you ever felt fishing put you in touch with a larger force, among other things, a community of the similarly crazed, you'd have felt it at...

Calif. family attracts notice with eBay 'adoption' ploy: tongue-in-cheek auction was an effort to call attention to plight of West Coast fishermen.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
May 1, 2007... Members of the Pellegrini family never seriously intended for anyone to adopt them, like their ad on eBay, the Internet auction giant, suggested. The Eureka, Calif., fishing family was aiming to raise awareness of the difficulties they and...

Alaska's management is gold standard, report says: paper: future may hinge on climate change.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
May 1, 2007... While the management of Alaska's fisheries often invites dispute among various industry players, managerial and environmental interests, a recent report applauds the science behind setting catch limits, managers' adherence to those catch limits...

Surprise! Red grouper assessment finds stock healthy: unexpected results are prompting review group to study 2006 gag grouper report as well.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Gulf of Mexico red grouper has been managed under increasingly severe harvest restrictions since 2004, but a 2007 stock assessment shows stocks to be "in good shape, neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing, and current catches are at...

Alabama netters gear up for another net ban fight: CCA chapter taking aim at gillnet fleet.(Coastal Conservation Association's Alabama chapter)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... After running a blitz of emotional radio ads, Alabama's angling elite are going for the nets, again, and coastal commercial fishermen are bracing for a legislative dogfight. Members of the Coastal Conservation Association's Alabama chapter...

Home port: where we live Panama City, Fla.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... THE TOWN Population: 37,188 Fleet size: Approximately 30 vessels and smaller boats TOP FIVE LANDINGS IN 2005 * By value Red grouper--745,857 pounds worth $1.55 million Gag grouper--526,733 pounds worth $1.44 million...

Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit challenging VMS: decision backs fishermen on filing deadline.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2007... A challenge to the vessel monitoring system requirement for reef fish vessels remains alive as a U.S. district judge in Florida has declined to dismiss the case. The federal government has maintained that any challenge had to be filed...

Managers eyeing ecosystem approach for tuna stocks: U.S. officials attend first world summit, say European Union commitment vital to success.(NATION/WORLD)
May 1, 2007... A first ever joint meeting of the world's five tuna management groups in Kobe, Japan, could hold promise for greater cooperation, with an eye toward standardizing conservation measures. The agenda and goals--involving an "ecosystem"...

Nahanni Wills: Homer, Alaska.(SNAPSHOT: WHO WE WERE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Nahanni Wills, 22, has been studying hard as a junior at Eastern Washington University, in Cheney, Wash., with plans to attend medical school and major in dermatology. That's her scholarly side. Last summer, she came north for the chance to...

Seafood benefits babies' development before birth: study contradicts FDA consumption advice.(NATION/WORLD)
May 1, 2007... A new study suggests that pregnant women and new moms may be depriving their unborn or nursing children of optimal brain development by avoiding seafood and its beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, the effects may be lifelong. A...

Lobster bites: Tom Biesiadecki Sea Girt, N.J.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Lobster fisherman Tom Biesiadecki found a good use for those leftover small shedder lobsters when he decided to make a treat for his wife, Jacqueline. "She usually does the cooking, but I tried these. They're like lobster bites, like...

Maine lobstermen oppose bill to allow trawled lobsters: supporters cite exodus of draggers to Mass., which permits draggers to land crustaceans.(ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2007... Lobstermen say a proposed bill that would enable trawlers to land lobsters caught as bycatch in federal waters isn't the way to help Maine's groundfish fleet. Several hundred lobstermen who packed a public hearing held at the Augusta Civic...

Harbormaster: Salmon, halibut and tuna dory.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
May 1, 2007... Don't give Harbormaster any flak about its size. The 20-footer is a studly dory boat that launches from the beach, resists flipping in the surf, fishes and then returns home. "It is like a giant rowboat," says its owner and builder Jim...

Town conducts a study to save old N.J. fish port: aquaculture, co-op expansion are options.(ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2007... At New York Harbor's far southern shore, where fishermen share the waterfront with $500,000 condos and Manhattan commuters, New Jersey is spending $75,000 to figure out the best way to keep commercial fishing alive at Belford. Middletown,...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Gulf of Mexico.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A federal judge in March overturned a red snapper management plan the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council had approved in 2005 and set a deadline of nine months for the approval of a new plan. The judge based much of her reasoning on...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Mid-Atlantic.
May 1, 2007... The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking nominations for its annual Fishery Achievement Award. This award is intended to recognize individuals. entities, and fishermen in the Mid-Atlantic region who exhibit professionalism,...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Western Pacific.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in March agreed to a five-month seasonal closure, from May 1 through Sept. 30, for onaga, ehu, gindai, opakapaka, kalekale, lehi and hapuupuu (seven deepwater bottomfish species) harvested...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: North Pacific.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has nominated six Alaskans to fill two seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The governor sent the following names to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce: Duncan Fields, Jeff Stephan, Gale Vick, Beth Stewart,...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: New England.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The New England Fishery Management Council's Skate Committee was to meet April 6 to receive management advice from the skate plan development team on the status of skate stocks in the recent assessment. In addition. the committee will discuss...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Pacific.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Pacific Fishery Management Council has initiated development of a fishery ecosystem plan that will incorporate ecosystem-based fishery management principles. The plan is intended to serve as an umbrella plan over the four existing fishery...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: South Atlantic.
May 1, 2007... The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved Amendment 14 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan during its March meeting, creating eight marine protected areas in the South Atlantic as a means to protect deepwater...

Council updates: news from the regional management councils: Caribbean.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... There is a seasonal prohibition on fishing for or possession of mutton and lane snapper from 12:01 a.m., local time, April 1 through June 30 each year. This complies with regulations implemented under Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan...

The money is in the largest fish, but catches tend toward smaller grades.(PACIFIC: SARDINES)
May 1, 2007... The search for large sardines--and the development of stronger markets for smaller ones--continues along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The large 175-gram sardines, destined for Japan's longline bait markets, have...

Falling production around the world is driving demand, prices ever higher.(NORTH PACIFIC: PACIFIC COD)
May 1, 2007... Markets continue to strengthen for Pacific cod coming out of Alaska. Reduced production along the U.S. East Coast and in Europe is adding to a world shortage of cod and spiking consumer demand. According to various reports, regulatory...

Harvest up in La., North Carolina, but imports have sapped market's vitality.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC: BLUE CRAB)
May 1, 2007... In early 2007, blue crab production had improved over the previous season in both Louisiana and North Carolina, the two top producers in the Southeast, but chronic market problems trouble the business in both states. Louisiana crabbing...

NMFS wants midwater trawl fleet offshore, but can they take the bait?(NORTHEAST: HERRING)
May 1, 2007... With political battles over herring done for the moment, lobster fishermen are braced for higher bait prices, and trawler captains are learning the fine points of purse seining in the Gulf of Maine. Some predict the closure of Area 1A in...

Safe keeping: the loss of two New England draggers rekindles discussion about reducing risk to fishermen.(Cover story)
May 1, 2007... On a stormy night in December 2004, the fishing vessel Northern Edge rolled over and sank off Nantucket when one of its scallop dredges got snagged on the ocean bottom. Five of the six fishermen aboard the 75-foot New Bedford, Mass., scalloper...

The future of fishing: an Alaska summit prepares the next generation for a changing industry landscape.(Stock recruitment)
May 1, 2007... The inaugural Alaska Young Fishermen s Summit drew 70 participants to Anchorage in late January, many of them braving icy roads on the drive up from the fishing towns of Kenai, Soldotna or Homer. Others flew in from the salmon and groundfish...

Rozema repeats: the Washington boatbuilder is turning heads with his second aluminum crabber.(Boast & Gear: Boatbuilding)(Rozema Boat Works)
May 1, 2007... Most Dungeness crab fishermen in the state of Washington fish either Puget Sound or the coastline. Part of the reason is economics: Puget Sound boats generally have semi-planing hulls in the 25- to 35-foot range. That kind of boat is fine in...

Penetrating the depth: finding the right transducer will help you find the fish.(Boats & Gear: Electronics)
May 1, 2007... When working in tight, shallow waters or looking for fish, you depend on echo sounders, fishfinders or sonars. They have their differences, but they all work on the same principle--electroacoustics. And all comprise the same three components:...

Symmetry in motion: new trawl monitors help you keep your doors square to the net.(Boast & Gear: Fishing gear)
May 1, 2007... A fisherman from Alaska who once spent time in British Columbia chasing and capturing wild horses always claimed it was a bit like chasing groundfish. You had an idea where the horses (or groundfish) were and then set about trying to get them...

Paper core lightens tuna boat; mold adapts to beam demands.(NORTHEAST)
May 1, 2007... It's been a while in the making, but this spring, a lot of people could be talking about the Emme, a Northern Bay 38 tuna boat, when she is haule from the boatshop at Otis Enterprises Marine in Searsport, Maine, and slides into Penobscot Bay....

Twin bowpickers get twin jets; halibut fleet's annual checkup.
May 1, 2007... By the first week in May--just in time for the Copper River salmon opening--a pair of 30-foot fiberglass bowpickers will be leaving Freddy's Marine (formerly Freddy's Painting and Fiberglass) in Homer, Alaska, for sea trials. The two boats...

Tides slow down boat repairs; shrimper turned into scalloper.(SOUTH)
May 1, 2007... In February, many southern boatyards were busy getting commercial fishing boats ready for the Mid-Atlantic scallop fishery' which opens March 1. Smith's Marine Railway in Dare, Va., had the Stephanie B, an 86, x 24, wooden scalloper, on...

Correction.(Boats & Gear: Around the Yards)(Correction notice)
May 1, 2007... Around the Yards in March misstated several facts regarding the scallop boat Pursuit. The 3412 Caterpillar main engine produces 650 hp. The generators are 65 kW, and the winch engine is a 385-hp Caterpillar C-12. The boat's dimensions are 94' x...

Mainer develops bait for all season: horseshoe crab and herring enzymes give scent to Lobster Puck.(Product roundup)
May 1, 2007... At the Maine Fishermen's Forum, held in Rockport, Maine, in March, Bennett & Sons Seafood, of Kennebunkport, Maine, was showing a video of a lobsterman hauling traps with bait that hadn't been changed for a month. That bait was the Lobster...

This hand-held floats and drys its speaker: ICOM says its IC-M34, which will you allow you to designate favorite channels, is a first.(Icom America Inc.'s IC-M34 hand-held radio)
May 1, 2007... There are plenty of hand-held VHF radios whose manufacturers claim they are waterproof. After being dropped in the scuppers and swirled around the deck by boarding seas, these radios should still transmit and receive calls. However, what...

Ocens' newest weather analysis software the Metmapper takes weather maps, satellite images and ocean charts and lets you use them as map overlays with the vessel position, route and waypoint information.(At a glance)
May 1, 2007... OCENS' newest weather analysis software the METMAPPER takes weather maps, satellite images and ocean charts and lets you use them as map overlays with the vessel position, route and waypoint information. This is a television-like animation of...

Raritan's new U.S. Coast Guard--certified Type 1 marine sanitation device, the Electro Scan, is for boats up to 65 feet long.(At a glance)
May 1, 2007... RARITAN's new U.S. Coast Guard-certified Type 1 marine sanitation device, the ELECTRO SCAN, is for boats up to 65 feet long. Using saltwater, Electro Scan's twin chambers force waste into contact with specially coated electrodes that convert...

Beckson Marine has two U.S. Coast Guard--certified hand pumps for commercial use, the Thirsty-Mate 519CG#2 and the 519CG#3.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... BECKSON MARINE has two U.S. Coast Guard--certified hand pumps for commercial use, the THIRSTY-MATE 519CG#2 and the 519CG#3. The #2 model has a 2-inch intake and a 6-foot outlet hose, and #3 has a 10-foot outlet and 3-inch intake. Both pumps...

Northstar is introducing the Northstar Satellite Weather System to be used with Northstar's 6100i to put Sirius marine weather information on a chart display.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... NORTHSTAR is introducing the NORTHSTAR SATELLITE WEATHER SYSTEM to be used with Northstar's 6100i to put Sirius marine weather information on a chart display. That includes forecasts and warnings, sea surface temperature, surface observations,...

Furuno is also offering Sirius marine weather information on its NavNet vx2 navigation units running C-Map Max charts.(At a glance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... FURUNO is also offering Sirius marine weather information on its NavNet vx2 navigation units running C-Map Max charts. Furuno will introduce the BBWX1 Sirius weather receiver in late spring. It plugs into the NavNet vx2 network and produces an...

PowrTran's new PS100 and PS105 Power Steer are remote power steering units for the kicker motor when the big outboard quits.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... POWRTRAN's new PS100 and PS105 POWER STEER are remote power steering units for the kicker motor when the big outboard quits. Designed for outboards of up to 20 hp, the stainless steel Power Steer uses a push-button switch to let you steer from...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
May 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,...

Port of Seattle.(ON THE MOVE)
May 1, 2007... On Feb. 5, 2007, the PORT OF SEATTLE welcomed PHIL LUTES as the new deputy managing director of the Seaport Division. Most recently. Lutes was the director of marine operations for Westwood Shipping Lines, where he worked for 28 years.

National Marine Electronics Association.(ON THE MOVE)
May 1, 2007... The NATIONAL MARINE ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION has named MARK MITCHELL, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.'s Paradise Marine, as its 2006 Technician of the Year. Mark Young, NMEA chairman, presented Mitchell with the award at the association's Convention &...

SkyMate.(new vessel monitoring system)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Chantilly, Va.-based SKYMATE, an Orbcomm reseller, recently received NOAA full type approval for its enhanced vessel monitoring system. Orbcomm provides worldwide data communications services through its low-earth-orbit satellite network....

Samson Rope Technologies.(COMPANY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... In late 2006, Ferndale, Wash.-based SAMSON ROPE TECHNOLOGIES received a patent for its DPX technology, which uses a textured fiber on the surface of a fiber like Dyneema to establish a higher coefficient of friction in high-performance ropes...

Bill would spare watermen on aesthetics complaints: sponsors cite concern for Md. traditions.(ATLANTIC)
May 1, 2007... Generations of Maryland watermen who work Chesapeake Bay have recognized the importance of their seafood heritage. Now the state's waterfront communities and anthropologists are beginning to place a cultural value on the bay's commercial...

Chatham, Mass.(Last set)
May 1, 2007... Ben Bergquist, skipper of the 37-foot Saga, prepares to stow and reset a string of baited lobster traps off Cape Cod last July. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]