National Fisherman articles from November 2003

National Fisherman archives from November 2003

Rethinking the act.(Editor's Log)
November 1, 2003... National Standard 1 of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act says simply, "Conservation and management measures shall prevent overfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from each fishery for the United States fishing...

At sea.
November 1, 2003... SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND lobstermen have weathered a couple of tough years, but Mike Theiler (right) of New London, Conn., sees a brighter future. Northeast Bureau Chief Dexter Van Zile joined him aboard the Jeanette T. (Story, page 20.)

Fishing back when.
November 1, 2003... 50 YEARS AGO this month A new sonar device that fulfills the long-time dream of fishermen and marine pilots to be able to "look around" underwater and see ahead and to the side of their boats, as well as directly underneath, was...

When push comes to shove.
November 1, 2003... Most folks try to live their lives by whatever sense of right and wrong they've developed. Everyone has lines they just won't cross. But sometimes people are thrust into situations beyond their control and pressure builds. And they find...

A surprise attack.(Forum)
November 1, 2003... Like successful battle tactics, the presentation of a petition for a moratorium on bottom trawling surprised its audience of marine biologists. The five-day Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, held in August in Coos Bay, Ore., and hosted by the...

Success stories.(Safety)
November 1, 2003... A terrible run of misfortune is bound to lead fishermen to check their safety equipment just a little more often, to put a little more effort into the drills and instructions, to make sure those high water alarms are working right. But when the...

Sportfishing observation could stem bycatch.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... Oceana has recently petitioned NMFS under the Administrative Procedures Act to cap all bycatch, commercial and recreational. Will the observer program expand to include some of my old fishing holes on the American River where sport steelhead...

Internet article informative, but prices need to decrease.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... Thank you for Bob Bernstein's article, "Surfing at Sea" in the September issue [p. 40]. It looks like this technology will have to come down in price before I can handle it, but that's what I needed to know. This will give me more time to watch...

Cap'n Sane says ...(Mail Buoy)
November 1, 2003... Well, we had sort of a flare-up over the weekend here at the Cove with our clam cop Bubba Beat. Over the years we have supported Bub even tho' he has failed just 'bout every promotion exam. The state has a rule that three test-strikes...

Quota shares for processors wrong solution for Alaska.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... What business in America would have the gall to demand that Congress guarantee them a monopoly? It's fish processing. The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council continues to push for federal law to exclude all but a very few from...

Fielding feedback.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... As I write this column, NOAA Fisheries is halfway through a series of nine constituent meetings held in conjunction with the regional councils and in California. We have had good participation and we are hearing from all constituent groups. And...

Habitat, permit clashes occupy Atlantic scallopers: groundfish battle likely in Northeast as Mid-Atlantic fleet fights to keep 'day-boat' status.(Northeast)
November 1, 2003... Northeast and mid-Atlantic scallopers find themselves fighting different fishery management battles. In the Northeast, environmentalists are raising concerns about groundfish spawning habitat on Georges Bank in efforts to place more...

Portland council adopts groundfish resolution: city says cuts will cripple Maine industry.(Northeast)
November 1, 2003... Urging citizens and state and federal legislators to work to prevent Amendment 13 restrictions from being enacted by "all means legal and appropriate," the Portland, Maine, city council quickly ant unanimously adopted a resolution to sup port...

Cape May docks escape condo development bid: fishermen, public influence rezoning vote.(Northeast)
November 1, 2003... At its southernmost tip, the most densely populated state in the country also has the third most-productive fishing port on the East Coast. For now, Cape May, N.J., is resisting population and real estate pressures that are changing the...

Returned yellowtail tags can bring cash reward: program data to clarify mortality question.(Northeast)
November 1, 2003... If fishermen do the right thing and return tags they find attached to yellowtail flounder to NMFS, they could earn $100 or a chance at winning $1,000 while simultaneously helping to improve stock assessments on the species in the region. ...

Exxon seeks $25 million cap on punitive judgment: Supreme Court case fuels latest challenge to $5 billion award set for Valdez oil spill.(North Pacific)
November 1, 2003... Like a ball in a tennis tournament, the punitive judgment against Exxon Mobil Corp. for the 1989 spill of the tanker Exxon Valdez continues bouncing between the courts, leaving fishermen to wonder if they'll live long enough to reap monetary...

Home port: where we live.(Around the coasts: news for the nation's fishermen)
November 1, 2003... Kasilof, Alaska THE TOWN Population: It's S00 year-round, but triples, mostly near the waterfront, during fishing season in summer. Fleet size: There are 150 commercial fishing boats. TOP FIVE LANDINGS IN 2002 The port of...

Petition filed to obtain trade assistance benefits: seeks to qualify salmon harvesters for aid.(North Pacific)
November 1, 2003... Hoping to level the playing field in domestic markets awash in farmed salmon imports, the United Fishermen of Alaska have filed a petition to qualify fishermen for benefits under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Trade Adjustment Assistance...

Pacific Salmon Commission dodges funding bullet: U.S. will provide $1 million share needed to keep international regulatory body afloat.(Canada)
November 1, 2003... The Pacific Salmon Commission can take a deep breath, and relax. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee will keep the international regulatory body alive with a $2.25 million injection of funds. Earlier this summer the commission was in...

Island fishermen smiling over hot bluefin season: fleet quickly nearing 180-ton fishery limit.(Canada)
November 1, 2003... Prince Edward Island fishermen have something to smile about this year--an exceptionally good giant bluefin tuna season. "It's far and away better than last year," says Ken Campbell, spokesman for the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's...

50% quota slash angers Nova Scotia scallopers: say harvest limit not economically viable.(Canada)
November 1, 2003... Southwest Nova Scotia scallopers reluctantly decided in mid-August to fish a quota that was half as large as last year's. But dissatisfaction with federal Fisheries Minister Robert Thibault lingers. Scallopers from the Digby Full Bay fleet...

Coastal erosion poses dilemma for La. fishermen: they'll lose homes if problem isn't tackled, but solution could radically alter livelihoods.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
November 1, 2003... As the Gulf of Mexico's teeth of salt eat away Louisiana's fragile coast and surrounding lands sink lower each year, bayou state fishermen are trying to figure out which is worse, the cause or the cure. Potential windfalls of federal...

Bryan Riffe.(Snapshot: who we are)
November 1, 2003... Marathon, Fla. Over the 17 years he's been fishing, 39-year-old Marathon, Fla., fisherman Bryan Riffe has seen some big changes in the industry, and he'd like to see some more. "When I first started I was paying $300 a year to go...

McCorkle shrimp pizza.(Galley watch: at-sea cuisine)
November 1, 2003... Mike McCorkle, Santa Barbara, Calif. Mike McCorkle, 65, the president of the Santa Barbara Trawlers Association, often fishes alone on day-trips for salmon, ridgeback shrimp and sea cucumbers. On shorter trips, he usually brings snacks...

Wastewater dumping concerns Fla. harvesters: fear effects on Gulf of Mexico marine life.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
November 1, 2003... Commercial fishermen are concerned that a Florida Department of Environmental Protection disposal project that is dumping hundreds of millions of gallons of nitrogen- and ammonia-rich treated wastewater in the Gulf of Mexico is putting sea...

Marketing touted as key for mudbug industry: crawfish observers downplay tariff effect.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
November 1, 2003... The International Trade Commission's extension of crawfish tariffs this summer was good news for the U.S. mudbug processors. But tariffs alone don't appear to be enough to rescue the struggling domestic industry. Despite a trade effort to...

U.S. delegation to press European nations at ICCAT: American representatives to demand foreign countries crack down on quota violations.(National)
November 1, 2003... Advisers to the American delegation to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas say their often fractious coalition of commercial, recreational and conservation groups are sticking together for a second year on the...

Regional councils to host U.S. fisheries conference: November forum will take place in D.C.(National)
November 1, 2003... Fisheries management will be put in a national perspective in November as NMFS and the eight regional management councils host "Managing Our National Fisheries--Past, Present and Future" in Washington, D.C. The conference aims to educate...

Explorer: scallop dragger.(Boat Of The Month)
November 1, 2003... When Lars Vinjerud II bought the Rainbow and renamed it the Explorer in December 1996, it was sort of a homecoming. He had worked on the vessel as a skipper in the early 1980s and remembered it as a good heat to work on "I liked the boat...

Anger and distrust cloud San Francisco Bay fishery: herring fleet challenges scientific data driving Fish and Game commissioners' quota slice.(Pacific)
November 1, 2003... The California Fish and Game Commission, faced with a bad option and a worse one, chose the bad option, says San Francisco Bay herring fisherman Ernie Koepf. The commission in August voted for a 2,200-ton quota, down about one-third from...

Opponents dispute Bush role in salmon recovery: Klamath policy probe dogs president's visit.(Pacific)
November 1, 2003... President Bush's visit to Washington in August focused attention on salmon in the Northwest--even though critics say he's had little to do with the high returning numbers of fish this year. Improved ocean conditions in recent years provided...

Shrimp: processing predicament, shortened seasons plaguing Northeast fishery.(Northeast)
November 1, 2003... A few years ago, shrimp processors in Maine told managers that if the season were shorter than 90 days, they wouldn't bother setting up their peeling equipment and that fishermen would have a tough time selling their catches. That's...

Urchin: California harvesters anticipating better times ahead in fall, winter.((Pacific))
November 1, 2003... Coming off a few seasons of poor quality uni and low productivity, sea urchin harvesters were looking forward to better times in the fall and winter months. "We're anticipating in Southern California one of the best years in a long, long...

Oysters: heavy rains dry up production, but could cause prices to bloom nicely.(Gulf/South Atlantic)
November 1, 2003... Fresh oysters likely will be less plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico this year, but watermen may well see some very good prices as the fall season begins. Heavy rains that flooded the bays and bayous with fresh water could well hold down...

Groundfish: health-conscious consumers driving healthy demand for Alaska product.(North Pacific)
November 1, 2003... with health-conscious eating on the rise, and with it seafood consumption, markets for Alaska's shallow-water flatfish and deep-water rockfish should continue to enjoy strengthening demand. Campaigns like the Alaska Seafood Marketing...

Sound's iffy: a Connecticut lobsterman and his crew ride out some lean times.
November 1, 2003... Mike Theiler holds a small lobster in his hand, offering it as proof that not all is lost in the Long Island Sound lobster fishery. Sure, things haven't gotten much better since the die-off that hammered the western half of the sound in 1999....

Protecting the producers: a farmer's son, North Carolina Fisheries Association executive director Jerry Schill has great affinity for fishermen's way of life.(In Profile)
November 1, 2003... Jerry Schill, 55, holds a knife in the kitchen of the tidy, suburban home he shares in New Bern, N.C., with his wife Pare. Schill, who for 16 years has headed the North Carolina Fisheries Association, the state's largest trade and lobbying...

Living Proof: two Gulf Coast fishermen demonstrate that sometimes even an angry ocean doesn't keep what it claims.(Survivors' Tale)
November 1, 2003... The luxury of early warning is a saving grace for mariners and all others affected during hurricane months, when tropical cyclones suck the warm strength from summer waters. Whether through NOAA weather radio or other means, mariners can...

Longer liner: a veteran of the North Pacific gets 9 feet of midsection, a new Mustad baiting system, freezer plates and a superstructure.(Boats & Gear)
November 1, 2003... Last year, Prowler Fisheries of Petersburg, Alaska, was faced with a decision that many owners of older boats eventually must make. Should they sell the 23-year-old Prowler or rebuild her? She was designed and built to fish in the Bering...

Tough stuff: imported webbing from India is turning heads in Dixie.(Boats & gear: twine report)
November 1, 2003... Hey Harold, where's that ugly webbing everybody's been talking about?" the young Alabama fisherman asked. "You know, that stuff Joe's using on his boat?" We were sitting on a bale of that ugly stuff, in the warehouse of Tide Marine in...

Craning your deck: not all deck cranes are the same. Learn which is best for the job on your boat.(Boats & gear: heavy lifting)
November 1, 2003... There seems to be a general consensus among fishermen and other professional mariners that when it comes to deck cranes, more is better. Many of the same people figure that a crane built for shore use can work just as well with a boat as a...

Wrapped up in comfort: three things to consider when buying insulation: thermal protection, noise reduction and flammability.(Boats & gear: surround sound)
November 1, 2003... Talk to many fishermen about insulation and you are talking about the need to maintain a certain hold temperature. Yet insulation is just as important for reducing noise levels. The effect of excessive noise on a person's hearing is one...

Fish Expo beaming in Hogarth for conference: NMFS leader to appear via live video.(Pacific)
November 1, 2003... Not even attending an ICCAT meeting in Ireland will keep NMFS director Bill Hogarth from participating in one of two free keynote addresses when Fish Expo WorkBoat Northwest returns to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle...

Boat redefines multipurpose; kits abound at Maine yard.(North)
November 1, 2003... There are multipurpose boats and then there are multipurpose boats, like the one that's being built at Guimond Boats in Escuminac, New Brunswick, Canada. Pierre Paul LeClerc of Seven Islands, Quebec, is the boat's owner. The boatyard's...

Radon design remembered; Wash. yards ready for fall.(West)
November 1, 2003... If you're a designer or builder, probably the greatest compliment is to come up with a product that's still being built and used years after the original idea was turned into reality. In that regard, Rod Radon St., who died this past June, must...

Scalloper is a heavyweight; Texas job is an emergency.(South)
November 1, 2003... The 86' x 26' x 10' Cape May, N.J., scalloper Ruby's was working off Cape Henry, Va., near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, when its rudder was jammed up against the hull, and the boat had to be towed to Norfolk, Va. There wasn't a boatyard...

Bulletin board.
November 1, 2003... NOV. 20-22 Fish Expo/WorkBoat Northwest Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle www. fishexposeattle.com * www.workboatnw.com In addition to being the largest commercial fishing trade show in the world, Fish Expo and...

A sharp idea keeps props turning: Seattle-based Pacific Fishermen goes national with PropGuard.(Product Roundup)
November 1, 2003... It's flat calm, the catch is plentiful, and then suddenly you notice that the engine is running rough. Going down into the engine room, you're wondering what the problem is. That's when the engine stalls out. Looking over the transom...

Baltic Corp.(On the Move)
November 1, 2003... ERIC SCHWARTZ will manage operations and marketing of kitted core products for BALTIC CORP., a supplier of core materials for lightweight composite structures headquartered in Northvale, N.J. He will assume responsibility for all kit products...

Leblanc Brothers Boatbuilders.(On the Move)
November 1, 2003... LEBLANC BROTHERS BOATBUILDERS in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia, has recently hired CHRIS MAZEROLL as the new marketing and sales director for the new Forchu line of commercial trawlers and trawler yachts. Mazeroll is a recent graduate in business...

Bellingham Marine Industries.(On the Move)
November 1, 2003... BELLINGHAM MARINE INDUSTRIES, in Bellingham, Wash., has appointed MATTHEW HARDY to represent the company's Unistack and Unifloat product lines in the European marine industry. Hardy worked more than 10 years in the Southeast Asia marina...

National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Awards.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... The following products earned NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION INNOVATION AWARDS in their category at the 2003 Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show: Aftermarket Electronics: McMurdo Pains Wessex Fast Find Plus Personal Location...

Shipcom.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... SHIPCOM, headquartered in Houston, has announced new high fidelity, single sideband voice radiotelephone service from its station KLB, located near Seattle. For a limited time, ShipCom we will testing the system and offers mariners free...

Fishing with an eye in the sky: WeatherNet from coastal environmental sensing gives you a seat on a satellite.(Product Roundup)
November 1, 2003... A lot of fishermen still feel that weather is just something you have to accept. Unless the wind has pinned your boat to the dock, you untie the lines and go; it doesn't matter if it's raining, snowing, an ice storm, thick-of-fog or sunny--you...

SIMRAD's new TILTFRAME installation kit allows for flush-mounting of SIMRAD 40, 42, or 44 series instruments and adjustment of their angles up to 30 degrees while in use.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... SIMRAD's new TILTFRAME installation kit allows for flush-mounting of SIMRAD 40, 42, or 44 series instruments and adjustment of their angles up to 30 degrees while in use. Made of aluminum, the Tiltframe can be turned 180 degrees to accommodate...

FCI WATERMAKERS says its MAX-Q SERIES WATERMAKERS with Universal Reverse Osmosis Controller technology can produce outputs of 600, 1,000 or 1,500 gallons of clean water per day.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... FCI WATERMAKERS says its MAX-Q SERIES WATERMAKERS with Universal Reverse Osmosis Controller technology can produce outputs of 600, 1,000 or 1,500 gallons of clean water per day. There are no gauges or flow meters to replace, and all information...

DAVIS INSTRUMENTS intends its new EMERGENCY RADAR REFLECTOR AND ECHOMASTER to be back-up reflecting devices aboard larger vessels or primary reflectors on smaller boats..(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... DAVIS INSTRUMENTS intends its new EMERGENCY RADAR REFLECTOR AND ECHOMASTER to be back-up reflecting devices aboard larger vessels or primary reflectors on smaller boats. The emergency radar reflector's three planes reflect radar signals from...

COASTAL MARINE EQUIPMENT has added PUSH WIRE WINCHES to its line of deck machinery. The winches can hold 200 feet of 1.75-inch wire rope.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... COASTAL MARINE EQUIPMENT has added PUSH WIRE WINCHES to its line of deck machinery. The winches can hold 200 feet of 1.75-inch wire rope. They develop 47,000 pounds first layer pull and have a brake holding of 212,000 pounds. The units include...

ACCON MARINE now offers a revised 304 SLIM-LINE CLEAT featuring an enhanced bottom design for additional strength and a stainless steel backing plate rather than the original aluminum.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... ACCON MARINE now offers a revised 304 SLIM-LINE CLEAT featuring an enhanced bottom design for additional strength and a stainless steel backing plate rather than the original aluminum. Available in sizes of 4-1/2 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches and...

LAITRAM MACHINERY says its new CENTRAL COOKING SYSTEM provides a more efficient and less costly alternative to traditional distributed cooking lines for coldwater shrimp processing.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... LAITRAM MACHINERY says its new CENTRAL COOKING SYSTEM provides a more efficient and less costly alternative to traditional distributed cooking lines for coldwater shrimp processing. The complete system includes one CT100 cooker, a chilling...

AFI, a subsidiary of Marinco Recreation Group, has developed a new WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR specifically for harsh marine conditions.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... AFI, a subsidiary of Marinco Recreation Group, has developed a new WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR specifically for harsh marine conditions. The 3.0 Wiper Motor can handle up to 30" x 30" arm/blade combinations to accommodate wiper systems on medium and...

IMTRA now offers BESENZONI ALLOY TABLE PEDESTALS in North America.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... IMTRA now offers BESENZONI ALLOY TABLE PEDESTALS in North America. Among the Besenzoni range are gas-charged manual and electric/hydraulic table pedestals that permit raising or lowering tables with ease and simplicity. The T248 uses a...

ALLIANCE/CASTON II have designed CRANE SCALES for virtually any in-plant and out-of-doors weighing application and come in five standard models.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... ALLIANCE/CASTON II have designed CRANE SCALES for virtually any in-plant and out-of-doors weighing application and come in five standard models. Featuring an easy-to-read 1.2-inch LCD display and wireless remote control, the crane scales...

ITT STANDARD, the first U.S. manufacturer of heat exchangers to achieve ISO 9001 certification, offers two different types of AMMONIA CONDENSERS for efficient cooling in corrosive marine environments.(At A Glance)
November 1, 2003... ITT STANDARD, the first U.S. manufacturer of heat exchangers to achieve ISO 9001 certification, offers two different types of AMMONIA CONDENSERS for efficient cooling in corrosive marine environments. Shell-and-tube models offer a secure design...

Life insurance basics.(Finance)
November 1, 2003... Life insurance is an important part of any financial plan. Although a subject many people would rather avoid, it is necessity in order to provide support for your family. Here is my perspective on determining the adequate amount of coverage...

Disgruntled ex-shop teacher needs to look within himself.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... I'm a 59-year-old commercial fisherman who has lost a few fingers and had 2 or 3 pounds of malignant melanoma cut out of me. I'm still out on the sea catching fish every day. This is not my birthright or entitlement. It is what 1 love to do. It...

Global marine bycatch story misunderstood WWF report.(To the editor)
November 1, 2003... John DeSantis is one of your writers I'm less familiar with, but he apparently didn't even read the World Wildlife Federation report on global marine bycatch or he would have seen it makes exactly the point made by Bob Spaeth [NF Sept. '03,...

Last set.
November 1, 2003... CUSTOM SARDINES: Ian Brown (left) and Nathan Boutilier brail sardines aboard the seiner Pachena No. 1, near the northern tip of Vancouver Island. If the fish exhibit top quality and high fat content they mill be smartly packaged for the...