National Fisherman articles from October 2005

National Fisherman archives from October 2005

In appreciation.(Lee Makovich is no more)(Editorial)(Obituary)
October 1, 2005... This month's feature by Lee Makovich, "The Boats of Cannery Row," sadly will be his last. Lee, a maritime historian from Gig Harbor, Wash., whose passion for old West Coast fishing boats and the fishermen who manned them brightened the pages of...

Fishing back when.(Classics)
October 1, 2005... 50 YEARS AGO this month The president of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, Leslie Dyer, is asking fishermen not to haul traps for 25-cents-a-pound lobsters. Hard-shell lobsters in the Rockland area are commanding half a buck, but there's...

The view from up North.
October 1, 2005... Unlike many books that address the convoluted world of fisheries management from a radically narrow perspective, Dennis Brown's "Salmon Wars: The Battle for the West Coast Salmon Fishery" paints a broad and yet detailed picture of an intricate...

Connections.(FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE)
October 1, 2005... Going by what's being presented by the popular media, no one could be faulted for assuming that our fisheries and the system that manages them are going to hell in a hand basket. In recent years the doom and gloom observations and predictions...

Assisting displaced crab crews.(FORUM)
October 1, 2005... The reduction of excess fishing capacity, regulatory rationalization and buyback programs provide many benefits, including increased safety and better conservation. However, by decreasing fleet size, such programs also reduce the number of jobs...

Thin-skinned.(rescue)
October 1, 2005... On the morning of Jan. 14, 2003, a fiberglass 31-footer steamed out of Isles of Capri, on Florida's Gulf Coast, to fish for stone crabs. The weather conditions this day would have been described as fairly severe for a boat of this size:...

A ravishing recollection of bluefin speech.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I wasn't going to renew my subscription being close to 84 years of age, I don't go on the water anymore. Last time was 1993. NMFS made fishing such a disgrace that I sold my 35-foot fiberglass lobster boat to a guy with a paper bag full of 10%...

Cooking up support.(A Letter From Bill Hogarth)
October 1, 2005... NOAA recently participated in the Second Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. I was on hand to present Texas chef Randy Evans with his trophy and crown for his preparation of Texas shrimp to win the cook-off. Chefs David...

Cap'n Sane says ...(fish handling-in those years)
October 1, 2005... The changes in fishin' over the years have run the gamut from the haves t'the have-nots. The regulations now outnumber the fish, the fishcrats outnumber the fishermen, n'who knows? The compass may need some newfangled boxing pretty soon as the...

Oregon crabbers set record for Dungeness landings: catch exceeding 33.5 million pounds triples the normal average of 10 million pounds.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Oregon fishermen have shattered the all-time record for Dungeness crab landings--again. With two weeks left in the season, they had harvested about 33.5 million pounds worth an estimate $50 million, off the boat. To put this catch in...

California taking stock of its nearshore species: work may help state site marine reserves.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... In work that may play a deciding role in selecting which areas are set aside as marine reserves in central California, a team of scientists, naturalists, fishermen and water quality managers are taking an unprecedented inventory of marine...

Tape shows 'legal' net isn't so conservation friendly: test performed in cooperation with state officials reveals fishermen's net fished cleaner.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
October 1, 2005... Ten years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment banning gillnets and any net larger than 500 square feet in nearshore waters, the fight over fishing gear continues. But this time, there's a significant new twist to the...

Gulf 'dead zone,' defying forecast, fails to shrink: oxygen low across 4,500 square miles.(Gulf of Mexico)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... A massive, shifting area of oxygen-deprived water in the Gulf of Mexico has maintained its size this year, despite early predictions that it would be smaller than average. The area, known as "the dead zone," exists off Louisiana and Texas....

Shrimp size is an issue as season opens in La.: larger vessel owners had urged a delay.(Louisiana)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Tempers flared in Louisiana's bayou country when the state's secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries set an Aug. 1 opening date for the white shrimp season. Operators of larger boats complained that shrimp were not large enough and wanted the...

Larger male lobsters are keepers under new plan: 2004 restriction that sought to maintain breeding stock of troubled fishery is eliminated.(CANADA)
October 1, 2005... Harvesters are once again able to keep larger male lobsters under the 2005 Lobster Fishery Management Plan for Lobster Fishing Area 25 in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The plan, which took effect Aug. 9, lets fishermen keep more large...

Atlantic City, NJ.(places to find boats in New Jersey)
October 1, 2005... THE CITY Population: 40,000 Number of boats: Around 20, mostly large sea clam vessels TOP LANDINGS Confidentiality issues prevent NMFS from releasing Atlantic City landings data. However, surf clams and ocean quahogs are the main...

Commercial sector pans recreational cod decision: group favors small-scale directed fishery.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Commercial fishermen weren't keen on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' decision to allow a recreational cod fishery from Cape St. Mary's to inches) instead of 115. The height of the escape mechanism rises to 40mm (1.6 Burgeo. ...

Sockeye price rises even as catch tops expectations: Egegik catch nears a million for 4 hours as Bristol Bay passes 24-million salmon mark.(NORTH PACIFIC)
October 1, 2005... Ex-vessel prices were up and so was the catch in Bristol Bay this year. By the end of July, the harvest had passed the 24-million mark, not far from the 25.6 million sockeye salmon that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game had predicted. ...

Coast Guard and Alaska faulted in spill response: study also raps skipper of Selendang Ayu.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... An independent study gives state and federal government agencies government a less-than-glowing grade in their response to the grounding of the soybean freighter Selendang Ayu last December. The 738-foot ship lost power, drifted for two...

Shamrock: bandit rigged reef-fish boat.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Eric Schmidt's Shamrock was reborn after a hard hit from Hurricane Frances while tied up at Cortez, Fla., in September 2004. "I was over in Cameron, Louisiana," Schmidt says. "No time to move the boat. A sailboat came up and sort of beat on my...

NMFS to develop plan to protect nation's coral reefs: rejects Oceana effort to prevent trawl vessels from working in designated habitat areas.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Conservationists who favor strict management of coral reefs say the Bush administration thumbed its nose at the issue by refusing to honor a petition request from the advocacy group Oceana for expansion of northern Pacific protections already...

Mike Zamboni: Dungeness crab and salmon fisherman.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Eager, ambitious, successful, involved--these are a few words that describe Trinidad, Calif., fisherman Mike Zamboni. Zamboni, a California native, is making a solid six-figure salary as a Dungeness crab fisherman. "Everything is bought and...

U.S. women seen as OK on mercury, with caveat: CDC report examines exposure to chemicals.(NATIONAL)
October 1, 2005... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July released its third report on Americans' exposure to chemicals. As expected, the human body is churning with a slew of insecticides, herbicides, "plasticizers," heavy metals, solvents and...

Cookbook to feature your seafood recipes: NMFS backing public-awareness venture.(NATIONAL)
October 1, 2005... Galley gourmets, prepare to serve up a recipe for a new seafood cookbook being put together to showcase America's seafood industry. Fish for the Future Foundation, a nonprofit supported by NMFS, is preparing a Seafood Cookbook. It will...

Salmon with orange ginger sauce and coconut rice: Michael Macaluso, Homer, Alaska.(GALLEY WATCH: At-sea cuisine)
October 1, 2005... Who's to say that gourmet salmon dinners can't work their way to sea? This three-part recipe, donated by Michael Macaluso, a skiff man on the salmon seiner Lucky Star working lower Cook Inlet, came to him by way of Chris Alfano, a former...

Environmental links are seen as key to shell disease: scientists consider warmer water, other possible factors at a symposium in Rhode Island.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... An emerging consensus that warmer average water temperatures could be key to lobster shell disease has scientists seeking other environmental connections to what they agree is a virtual epidemic in Northeast waters. Moreover, lobster...

Commission to tackle menhaden cap request: activists want to limit the industrial harvest.(NORTHEAST)
October 1, 2005... The Atlantic Menhaden Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission was to meet in August to discuss a proposal to cap the commercial catch on Atlantic menhaden. Activists for Greenpeace and other recreational fishing...

Maine referendum aims to preserve waterfronts: "wharves and piers are disappearing fast".(NORTHEAST)
October 1, 2005... Despite a strong and stable fishery, access to the sea now threatens Maine's lobstermen. As fisheries reach their biologically sustainable limits, growth on the waterfront has come from non-fishing related real estate development, often driven...

October opening offers promise for real turnaround in Fla. fishery.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC STONE CRAB)
October 1, 2005... Will the 2005-06 Florida stone crab season, which opens Oct. 15, be the one that signals a real turnaround from the recent slump in Florida's stone crab fishery? Early indications are promising. The past season, which ended in May, brought...

California fishery gains momentum, works to cultivate domestic market.
October 1, 2005... California's sea urchin fishery rebounded in 2004 and has kept the momentum going in 2005, even though divers and processors were preoccupied with marketing issues and the rising cost of fuel. Both sectors continue working to develop the...

Rationalized fleet busy preparing to adapt to life under quota system.(NORTH PACIFIC CRAB)
October 1, 2005... All eyes are on the North Pacific crab fleet for the inaugural opening of the season under the new rationalized management regime. Last October marked the end of the last red king crab fishery under the derby system, and crabbers harvested...

The bigger danger, growers assert, would be the label of endangered.(NORTHEAST OYSTERS)
October 1, 2005... Red tide and bed closings made a rough spring for Northeast and Mid-Atlantic oyster growers. But the mollusks that fed early American appetites and fortunes are a long way from being endangered, growers told Congress this summer. Healthy...

A tale of two rivers: too little water and too few salmon in the Klamath River kept Oregon trollers at the docks this summer, despite a healthy Sacramento River run.(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... Under sunny skies in August, Seth Smith works on tuna gear on the Captor II in Charleston, Ore. Then he switches and baits halibut tubs on another boat. He smiles as he talks, explaining the different jobs he's held in the four years since...

Collaborating in Cape May: a venerable New Jersey fishing community is also home to a progressive alliance between science and industry.(HOME TOWNS)
October 1, 2005... One Thursday in February on the docks around Cape May, N.J., a confluence of weather and regulation brings together almost the entire fishing fleet in what might be called the "Great Loligo Squid Roundup." NMFS closed the first quarter of...

The boats of cannery row: John Steinbeck may have put his stamp on life in a sardine town, but at the heart of the fishery were some beautiful vessels.
October 1, 2005... There was a time, more than 50 years ago, when some of the world's most beautiful wooden fishing vessels were being launched in record numbers along the West Coast. California's sardine fishery was booming. And those big seiners were in...

Rebuilt to suit: a Maine fisherman sticks with his 28-year-old wooden lobster boat.(The Merganser)
October 1, 2005... In June, Donny Drisko was saying, "Both of us feel a little strange." Besides himself, he was referring to the Merganser. The Merganser is a 33' x 10' x 3' wooden lobster boat that Drisko, who lives in New Harbor, Maine, has fished every...

The rules on fuel: you can avoid mishap--or worse--if you understand filling tanks.
October 1, 2005... Some time ago, I was sailing as bosun on a tanker, carrying refined product from oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico to terminals in the Northeast. By tanker standards she was a small, "coastwise handy" ship, 660-feet long, 100-foot beam and...

Clean machines: outboard manufacturers are ready for tough new emission laws.(BOATS & GEAR: ENGINE OUTLOOK)
October 1, 2005... The California Air Resources Board, along with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, dragged, prodded pushed, and ultimately regulated outboard manufacturers into developing entirely new engines. The weapon of choice was a timetable for...

Strategic alloys: all bronzes aren't created equal, and some are better suited for use below the waterline than others.
October 1, 2005... Bronze alloys were for some 3,000 years--and for this writer, still are--the finest, most versatile and attractive marine metals to be found. Bronze came into use about 4,000 B.C. and launched the Bronze Age. Tools, weapons and armor made...

Wesmac 42 is one of many; yard offers finishing facility.(NORTH)
October 1, 2005... If you think boatbuilding is slowing down in New England, you need to check in with Steve Wessel, owner of Wesmac, a builder of fiberglass boats in Surry, Maine. Wessel has a contract list of nearly 30 boats, and most of them are...

Seiner given new rear deck; stability improvements made.(Patty J and The Pacific Fury)
October 1, 2005... The 58-foot purse seiner Patty J is fishing for salmon in Southeast Alaska, but it wasn't more than a couple of months ago that she was being lowered into the water after the crew at Lovric's Sea-Craft in Anacortes, Wash., had replaced her rear...

60-footer readied for fall; skiffs meeting fleet's needs.(SOUTH)
October 1, 2005... In July, the marine railway and boatbuilding shop at Jennings' Boatyard in Fairport, Va., were full. Tangier Island, Va., boatbuilder and fisherman Jerry Pruitt had the 60' x 18' Delvin K. on the rails getting ready for the fall oyster...

Bulletin board.(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... NOV. 17-19 Pacific Marine Expo Qwest Field and Events Center, Seattle, Wash. www.pacificmarineexpo.com Pacific Marine Expo, now in an exciting new location, brings you the largest gathering of commercial marine professionals on the...

Making some fine refinements: Northport Systems upgrades its Fugawi navigation software.(PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
October 1, 2005... Northport Systems started sending out Version 4 of its Fugawi Marine ENC navigation software in July. The first two versions of this PC software, which allows boat owners to use free NOAA vector charts, didn't create all that much excitement....

Carmanah Technologies Inc.(On the Move)
October 1, 2005... CARMANAH TECHNOLOGIES INC. has announced the appointment of RICHARD SOWTER to vice president of its U.K. and European sales and marketing operations. In this role he will lead the company's initiatives to fully develop the European market....

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.(COMPANY NEWS)
October 1, 2005... The office of the GULF OF MEXICO FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL has relocated to 2203, N. Lois Ave., Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. The new numbers are: tel. (813) 348-1630, fax (813) 348-1711. The e-mail and Web addresses remain unchanged:...

Dr. Shrink.(relocates to a larger facility)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... DR. SHRINK has relocated to a larger facility. The new office-warehouse will allow it to hold a larger inventory of shrink wrap. The new facility measures 59,000 square feet and holds over 800,000 pounds of shrink wrap at all times, a marked...

False Pass, Alaska.(a new boat harbor planned)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Construction of a new boat harbor in FALSE PASS, ALASKA, located on an important marine link between the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, could begin before the end of 2006, the Aleutians East Borough announced. The project would provide...

Innovations may yield net gains: an award-winning new gillnet design aims to reduce bycatch.
October 1, 2005... The good thing about gillnets is that when deployed properly, there's a good chance the nets will catch the targeted species. The not-so-good-thing about gillnets is that they also catch non-targeted species. Bycatch gets the fisherman with the...

Dieselcraft's new Technol 246 DIESEL SLUDGE DISPERSANT is designed to keep fuel tank contaminants from clogging filters.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... DIESELCRAFT's new Technol 246 DIESEL SLUDGE DISPERSANT is designed to keep fuel tank contaminants from clogging filters. It has been specifically formulated with non-metallic modifiers, solvents and emulsifiers to remove and eliminate diesel...

FCI Watermakers says its Neptune series of WATER MAKERS delivers 1,150 to 4,475 gallons of fresh water per day. Neptune's Universal Reverse Osmosis Controller technology offers an interface with customizable, automatic operation.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... FCI WATERMAKERS says its Neptune series of WATER MAKERS delivers 1,150 to 4,475 gallons of fresh water per day. Neptune's Universal Reverse Osmosis Controller technology offers an interface with customizable, automatic operation. Standard...

KVH Industries has introduced Sky Mexico-configured TracVision Satellite TV Systems.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... KVH INDUSTRIES has introduced Sky Mexico-configured TracVision SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS. Mariners can now obtain satellite television service in Mexico using an antenna as small as 18 inches in diameter. Sky Mexico's satellite provides English and...

Pelican Products, manufacturer of safety approved, technically advanced flashlights, is upgrading the RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES in its flashlights to nickel metal hydride.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... PELICAN PRODUCTS, manufacturer of safety approved, technically advanced flashlights, is upgrading the RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES in its flashlights to nickel metal hydride. The new recyclable batteries will double Pelican's rechargeable light run...

West System says its Brand 410 Microlight EPOXY FILLER is a low-density filler that makes smoothing and blending surfaces quick and easy.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... WEST SYSTEM says its Brand 410 Microlight EPOXY FILLER is a low-density filler that makes smoothing and blending surfaces quick and easy. The filler mixes easily and feathers to a fine edge to create a light, easily worked compound. It should...

U-Line Corp. offers the Echelon TWO DRAWER COMBO UNIT consisting of a refrigerator, freezer and icemaker in an under-the-counter, stainless steel, two-drawer design.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... U-LINE CORP. offers the Echelon TWO DRAWER COMBO UNIT consisting of a refrigerator, freezer and icemaker in an under-the-counter, stainless steel, two-drawer design. The adjustable top drawer is dedicated to refrigeration and also houses a...

Creative Sales Co. says its new Master Sharp Marine Series KNIFE SHARPENERS, which includes portable and stationary models, can put a razor-sharp edge on standard and serrated knife blades with a few strokes of their diamond-sharpened carbide inserts.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... CREATIVE SALES CO. says its new Master Sharp Marine Series KNIFE SHARPENERS, which includes portable and stationary models, can put a razor-sharp edge on standard and serrated knife blades with a few strokes of their diamond-sharpened carbide...

MasPower's latest MARINE GENERATORS feature Yanmar engines that produce a power range of 5.5 kW to 22.5 kW.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... MASPOWER's latest MARINE GENERATORS feature Yanmar engines that produce a power range of 5.5 kW to 22.5 kW. These quiet units feature stainless steel components, including a drip pan, belt guard, exhaust elbow and exhaust manifold with header...

Pipe-Light has introduced high visibility BOAT TRAILER LIGHTS that attach to existing 2-inch PVC boat trailer guides, putting the lights at a more visible level.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... PIPE-LIGHT has introduced high visibility BOAT TRAILER LIGHTS that attach to existing 2-inch PVC boat trailer guides, putting the lights at a more visible level. The mounting position also prevents submersion, which eliminates rust and...

Hella Marine's new LED COURTESY LAMPS feature a minimal mounting depth of 13 mm and energy efficient LED technology with advanced Hella lens technology to provide an even spread of soft light.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2005... HELLA MARINE's new LED COURTESY LAMPS feature a minimal mounting depth of 13 mm and energy efficient LED technology with advanced Hella lens technology to provide an even spread of soft light. The units are completely sealed, waterproof and...

Quittin' time ... almost.(retirement planning)
October 1, 2005... Want to retire early? I encounter many individuals who decide they do, regardless at what stage of their life and career. Early retirement is possible, but you need to know what you're up against. Let's look at the numbers. Suppose...

Horseshoe crab story pulls angry reader from dinner.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Although I am not a commercial fisherman, I have subscribed to and enjoyed your publication for over 25 years. I am a recreational fisherman and conservationist, but I enjoy your perspective on marine fisheries. However, I absolutely jumped up...

Mass. aquaculture company grows "Australian sea bass".(MAIL BUOY)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... There is a fairly new company called Australis Aquaculture, which has their aquaculture facility near Turner's Falls, Mass., and this fish farming operation is doing a tremendous job. These folks are raising a premium inshore game fish...

Homebuilt.(steel boats, Isaetta and The Little Ike)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: HOMEBUILT: Richard Isaksen built the 65-foot Isaetta at his home over the course of about two and a half years. The Little Ike is owned by his brother Robert. The two steel boats have menhaden in their...