National Fisherman articles from September 2003

National Fisherman archives from September 2003

On the bubble. (Editor's Log).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A Judge's order in a lawsuit is hanging over New England like the sword of Damocles, and compliance will mean cuts so deep that coastal communities, to say nothing of fleets, will implode. I'm not ready to write about the New England groundfish...

At sea. (Editor's Log).(Illustration)
September 1, 2003... ONCE SKEPTICAL about prospects for research involving NMFS, fishermen and conservationists, Vincent Balzano (right) of Portland is now committed to collecting data on fish and gear. Jerry Fraser joined him aboard the North Star. ...

Fishing back when. (NF Classics).
September 1, 2003... 50 YEARS AGO this month Harry B. Thombs of Castine, Maine, described by Maine Coast Fisherman as a "noted deep water man," poses at the tiller of the one-design sloop in which he is confident he can win the Retired Skippers Race off Mt....

Telling it like it was.(Centuries of Fish )(Video Recording Review)
September 1, 2003... CENTURIES OF FISH Produced by John Sabella www.johnsabella.com One hour, $19.95 As a New Englander, I must confess that I sometimes find it tiresome to listen to old Alaska hands wax about the wonders that fishery managers--and by...

Back to the beginning. (Forum).(importance of commercial fishing in food production)(narrative )(Column)
September 1, 2003... Some hotshot local kid in an outrigger canoe with a flip-up sail set a 20-foot mono gillnet a couple hundred yards off my bow. That's commercial fishing at its purest form, I thought to myself while sipping my first cup of coffee of the day....

A difficult lesson in fire safety. (Consequences).(fire prevention and preparedness )
September 1, 2003... To some mariners the prospect of a fire at sea is more frightening than the prospect of flooding. But a fire doesn't have to occur at sea to be dangerous--or fatal. One such fire occurred in the spring of 1995 aboard a 202-foot factory...

Former shop teacher tells fishermen to 'live with it'. (To the editor).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I am not a fisherman, commercial or sport. However I am greatly concerned with what appears to be the ostrich syndrome that commercial fishermen seem to gravitate to. How can so many people ignore scientific facts, backed by substantiated...

Homemade shrimp bandage could contain toxic bacteria. (Mail Buoy).
September 1, 2003... In the June issue, regarding the Mail Buoy letter about horseshoe crab ["Bandage made from shrimp could save mariners' lives," p. 9]: The point about the commercial product "Hem-Con," extracted from shrimp to induce human blood coagulation,...

Cap'n Sane says ...
September 1, 2003... My favorite fish is the mac'ral. Back in my boy fisherman days it was the fish that put bread on our table and money in our bank mayonnaise jar all summer long. Come summertimes the herrin' would be gone or never came. But the Old Man n'me...

A longtime council member is respectfully remembered. (Mail Buoy).(Wayne Lee)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As I stand here at my reel, a light northeasterly breeze blowing, memories of Wayne Lee are running through my head. We had just left the dock for a weeklong bandit fishing trip when news that he was no longer with us had been phoned to me...

Reviewing success and looking ahead. (A letter from Bill Hogarth).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Capitol Hill is now reviewing the Bush administration's recommendations for strengthening the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is being considered for reauthorization this year. I believe the recommendations build...

Tuna catchers mull suit to protect herring population: want 100% observer coverage of midwater trawlers fishing in groundfish closed areas. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The battle over herring is likely to heat up as Gulf of Maine tuna fishermen seek support among the region's ground-fishermen in their fight against midwater trawlers. Rich Ruais, executive director of East Coast Tuna Association says...

Ruling by federal judge hits Maine salmon farms: companies heavily fined, restrictions set. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... On May 28, U.S. District Court Judge Gene Carter brought the hammer down on Maine's salmon aquaculture industry. In a lawsuit filed by U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Carter fined two Norwegian-owned companies, Stolt Sea Farms and...

Mass. lobstermen derail plan to tighten trap limit: officials aim to cap effort, protect fishery. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Massachusetts lobstermen have successfully fought off an attempt to impose stricter trap limits on state permit holders put forth by the state's Division of Marine Fisheries. The proposal, among other things, would have reduced the number...

Task force will zone in on use of state waters: ocean policy could affect Bay State fleet. (Northeast).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As if the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy weren't enough, Massachusetts' Gov. Mitt Romney has set up an ocean task force of his own, albeit with a smaller mandate. Instead of trying to affect how the oceans are...

Council exploring longline options for Hawaii fleet: fishermen call for 'robust' experimental swordfish fishery with 100% observer coverage. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Fishery managers are exploring ways of protecting sea turtles while easing the financial burdens that have saddled fishermen since a 6-million square mile area north of the equator-was closed to Hawaii swordfish longliners in 2001. The...

River flow battle sparks tug of war over funding: Klamath council financing taken, restored. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Controversy over water flows through the Klamath River Basin in Northern California has prompted U.S. Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) to push for the elimination of federal funding for the Klamath Fishery Management Council. Stopping the...

Industry sees two sides to vessel buyback plan: $46m program is intended to halve fleet. (Pacific).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... NMFS is finalizing rules for a buyout program for the West Coast groundfish fleet. It is hoped that the $46-million program, three-quarters of which will be repaid by industry, will halve the 265-member trawl fleet. Mike Retherford, a...

Cortez, Fla. (Home port: where we live).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... THE TOWN Population: 4,491 Fleet size: There are 25 offshore boats, five purse seiners, eight stone crab and about 50 small inshore boats. TOP 5 LANDINGS IN 2002 (MANATEE COUNTY) Mullet (fish and roe)--1,099,371 pounds, worth...

Younes Foroozin: Sitka, Alaska (Snapshot: who we are).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... If home is where the heart is, Younes Foroozin seems to have found his aboard longliners plying the waters of Alaska. That's a long way from his home country of Iran. "I'm probably the only Iranian longliner in the fleet," says...

Seattle restaurant owner agrees to eat his words: apologizes for farmed salmon statements. (Pacific).
September 1, 2003... The tide turned on one Seattle restaurant owner who found out that it's not always easy promoting wild salmon over farm-raised fish. Duke Moscrip, owner of several chowder houses in the Seattle area, made a public apology in June to the...

B.C. judge raps DFO for prosecution of non-Natives: jurist questions enforcement practices, dismisses charges against 40 salmon harvesters. (Canada).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A British Columbia provincial court judge chided the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for a "lack of courage" in June when he discharged 40 non-Native Vancouver Island fishermen who participated in an illegal sockeye salmon fishery last year....

Bonnie Marietta: salmon troller, albacore hook-and-line boat. (Boat Of The Month).
September 1, 2003... The Bonnie Marietta has had many lives. Her first was as a hook-and-line rockfish boat, her second as a gillnetter. Gillnetting for rockfish, however, had no future. Her owner, Mark Tognazzini, president of Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen's...

Closings on land and sea buffet Newfoundlanders: court injunction forces plants to reopen. (Canada).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Newfoundland/Labrador fishermen have not had a good spring, to put it mildly. First, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Robert Thibault closed what was left of the cod fishery. Then crab processors in the province announced they...

Wild salmon catching fancy of B.C.'s palates: restaurants cite feedback from diners. (Canada).
September 1, 2003... Usually farmed salmon is the staple in many British Columbia stores and restaurants, even when fresh salmon is available. But in recent months wild salmon has been gaining favor in regional restaurants and shops. For example, Vancouver...

Officials' opinions differ regarding U.N. fish pact: debate impact on Grand Banks overfishing. (Canada).(United Nations Fish Agreement)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The European Union is poised to ratify the United Nations Fish Agreement. So the question arises--will the agreement stop overfishing on the Grand Banks? The answer you get all depends on with whom you talk. Federal Fisheries and...

Whaling commission to emphasize conservation role: move reflects body politic; 26 of 46 member nations oppose the harvest of cetaceans. (National).(International Whaling Commission)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A Press release recently issued by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), sums up the shift in thinking that's led the International Whaling Commission to focus on conservation instead of regulation. "The International Whaling Commission's decision...

Monkfish stew: Nino Randazzo, Gloucester, Mass. (Galley watch: at-sea cuisine).(includes recipe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Nino Randazzo came with his family to Gloucester from Sicily in 1972 at the age of 11. He's been fishing for most of the 31 years he's lived in the States, working first for his uncle Joe Saputo and then his father Peter Randazzo. "I...

Fisheries institute offers admonition on labeling: cites need for 'overwhelming' recordkeeping. (National).(National Fisheries Institute)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Agriculture's country-of-origin labeling requirement created by the Farm Bill of 2002 could create havoc for much of the seafood industry--and mandatory labeling is still a year away. Fishermen, processors,...

Global cetacean bycatch report angers fishermen: U.S. advocates question study's findings. (National).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... If Flipper and his relatives are getting caught up in fishing gear, some fisherman advocates say, don't blame the U.S. fleet. They were responding to new study results announced by the World Wildlife Fund, which suggests more than 300,000...

Deckhands to receive slice of groundfish quota pie: council to include provisions for crew members in Gulf of Alaska rationalization plan. (North Pacific).
September 1, 2003... Crew members not wanting to be left out of the Gulf of Alaska groundfish rationalization program have earned the recognition of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council as it forges ahead on a plan scheduled for unveiling in March 2004. ...

Back rent is demanded of Anchorage fish plant: beleaguered processor insists future bright. (North Pacific).(Alaska Seafood International)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Alaska Seafood International, the 202,000-square-foot, custom seafood processing facility in Anchorage, entered a financial scuffle when creditors owning the adjacent cold storage plant sent out a letter calling for money owed in back rent. ...

Shrimpers object to tenfold increase in docking fees: Brunswick, Ga., fishermen contend that the city is trying to force them off the waterfront. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Shrimpers who use a public dock facility specifically designated for their use in a government-funded project 27 years ago say the city of Brunswick, Ga., is now trying force them off the waterfront. At issue is an ordinance that raised...

New dock may tighten things up in Shem Creek: prospect of turning 'scares' one skipper. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(in Mount Pleasant, S.C.)
September 1, 2003... The clash of waterfront interests that has been a fact of life in one of the South Atlantic's top shrimp ports took a new turn recently. A developer has proposed building a 1,434-foot floating public dock on leased land on the north bank...

Flagging shrimp season, imports, fuel costs taking toll on N.C. fleet. (Gulf/South Atlantic: flounder).
September 1, 2003... Once again beneficiaries of the largest summer flounder quota (3,821,924 pounds) among Atlantic states, North Carolina fishermen anticipate the Nov. 1 trawl season opening with a bit less than a million pounds of fish left to harvest. ...

With supplies down, processors, harvesters pin hopes on fall's run. (Pacific: squid).
September 1, 2003... Squid production in California has been off--way off--this year and both producers and processors are counting on a better season and better markets to prevail this fall for the state's most profitable fishery. El Nino's to blame, says...

With stocks robust, the question is, can the market be built back up? (Northeast: weakfish).(or Cynoscion)
September 1, 2003... The recovery of weakfish is nothing less than astounding. But unfortunately for commercial fishermen, restrictions put in place to facilitate the recovery have decimated the market for the species. Worse still, the remaining restrictions...

Higher quota, labeling initiatives should fatten up product demand. (North Pacific: pollock).
September 1, 2003... A slightly higher quota, detailed product documentation and the hopeful endorsement of Alaska's pollock fisheries as sustainable should increase demand for trawlers throughout this year. Healthy biomass estimates prompted the setting of...

Pooling resources: fisherman and scientists team up aboard the Portland, Maine, dragger North Star. (Cover Story).
September 1, 2003... I once fished with a guy who always wanted to be rigged for something else. When he was dragging all he talked about was lobstering; when he was lobstering he wished he were tuna fishing, and so on. "Every fishery has its drawbacks," he...

Settled on the sea: the Acadians of Pubnico, Nova Scotia, remain close to their roots--and the fish. (Home Towns).
September 1, 2003... In Pubnico, Nova Scotia, old frame houses cluster with new modular ones. The road down the west side of the harbor is punctuated with a scattering of gas stations, a bowling alley, a baseball field, and D'eon's Bakery--where they sell rappie...

Showdown at Sitka: the real Alaska shootout gets under way. (At Sea).(opening herring season, aboard the Shadowfax )
September 1, 2003... SECOND OF TWO PARTS The author joined Jamie Ross, captain of the 53-foot aluminum seiner Shadowfax, in 2001 for tile explosive Sitka herring fishery. Accompanying the Shadowfax are Erik Fellows' Valkyrie, Randy Hansen's Mickey H., Ken...

Wild about salmon: Alexandra Morton is a fierce advocate for British Columbia's pinks. (In Profile).(scientist)(environmental impact of farm-raised salmon )(Interview)
September 1, 2003... Controversy attaches itself to Alexandra Morton like a lightning to a lightning rod. She tries to walk the line between the wild and farmed salmon industries but is successful only part of the time. People on both sides of the wild versus...

Three for three: a trio of Wilburs--two brothers and their cousin--take delivery of Dungeness crabbers. (Boats & Gear).(built by Curry Boats, Petrzelka Brothers )
September 1, 2003... One Pacific Northwest boat shop that is gratified by the amount of fishing vessel construction that has come its way this year is Petrzelka Brothers in Mount Vernon, Wash. In June, Petrzelka Brothers launched not just one, but three...

When rope float: fishermen and manufacturers are seeking answers to the problem of buoyant fishing lines. (Boats & gear: on line).
September 1, 2003... Every summer, right whales, an endangered species whose numbers seem doomed to dwindle, migrate up the Atlantic coast. And every year, it seems, at least one whale will become wrapped up in rope. Sometimes it's been fishing-related gear:...

Armed with hammers: keep a variety of them handy and you'll nail down lots of repairs on your boat. (Boats & gear: the tool box).
September 1, 2003... What does every fisherman have in common with the neurosurgeon, or the folks that build and maintain the space shuttles? It's simple. Each has a hammer in their toolbox. High technology is dependent on low technology. And no matter how...

'Surfing' at sea: there are a number of ways to access the Web from the fishing grounds. The question is, what works best for you? (Boats & gear: minding the Internet).
September 1, 2003... Surfing the World Wide Web at sea is no simple matter. It takes strength in the form of bandwidth, and not all transmission mediums have enough muscle. Every form of communication--voice, data, radio, TV, or facsimile--has an optimum mode...

Fast heavy-duty boat built; Duffy 42, 35 molds replaced. (North).(Little River Boatshop)(Atlantic Boat Co. )
September 1, 2003... Down East in Cutler, Maine, when Norbert Lemieux isn't hauling lobster traps, you can probably find him in his Little River Boatshop on Route 191. Lemieux recently finished off a Young Brothers 45 for Jeremy Cates, who also lives in...

115-footer hauled in Ore.; 'portable' yard finds work. (West).(repair work on boat Prowler by Fred Wahl Marien Construction)(Anderson Marine Repairs in Seattle )
September 1, 2003... When the 115-foot Prowler was launched in 1980, she was a house-aft boat that spent all her time in Alaska waters, hauling and setting crab pots. At some point she was turned into a longliner. This spring and early summer, the longliner concept...

Va. railway has long history; 70-foot hulls await buyers. (South).(Edwards Marine Railway)(hulls available from Steiner Shipyard )
September 1, 2003... Many Southern boatyards sprang from Ma shoreline full of marsh grass and fiddler crab holes. Edwards Marine Railway of Gwynn's Island, Va., most certainly came from that heritage. The busy boatyard with two railways is tucked away in the...

Bulletin board.(fishing industry trade shows, other events )(Calendar)
September 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...

Establishing a clear definition: with its new 25-kW RA55, Simrad offers a very discriminating radar. (Product Roundup).(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2003... Looking for a powerful radar that's designed to go on boats 40 feet and up that has plenty of range and the ability to discriminate among small targets? Take a gander at Simrad's just released 25-kW RA55 with a color LCD screen. Simrad had...

LFS Marine & Outdoor. (On the move).(appointment of Scott Barker as engineer )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... SCOTT BARKER, former owner of Barker Hydraulics, has joined the staff of LFS MARINE & OUTDOOR, and Barker Hydraulics is now a division of LFS. The merger will allow Barker to devote more time to custom hydraulic power unit design and...

Prospec Electronics. (On the Move).(recognition to sales representatives Craig Coatney, Dan Field)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... PROSPEC ELECTRONICS, a Mount Pleasant, S.C.-based source of JBL Marine, JVC, SeaWorthy, Infinity Marine and Millennia marine audio systems, recently honored two of its representatives. Marine rep CRAIG COATNEY with Derema Group was recognized...

Delta T Systems. (On the Move).(appointment of Michael Murray as sales manager )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Ventilation component manufacturer DELTA T SYSTEMS of Riviera Beach, Fla. has appointed MICHAEL MURRAY to the position of sales manager/engineer. Murray manages Delta T's sales activities and application engineering, including custom...

Advanced Remote Communication Solutions. (On the Move).(appointment of Steven H. Gardner as chief technical officer )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ADVANCED REMOTE COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS, a global provider of innovative remote communication solutions headquartered in San Diego, Calif., has named STEVEN H. GARDNER chief technical officer. Gardner co-founded Istari Design, a start-up...

Sea-Fire Marine. (On the Move).(company president Ernest E. Ellis Jr. receives Maryland International Business Award )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ERNEST E. ELLIS JR., president of SEA-FIRE MARINE, received a Maryland International Business Award. It honors individuals within a Maryland company for their entrepreneurial spirit, determination, creativity and cultural sensitivity required...

Second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference. (Company News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Dozens of international industry safety experts will present their research, observations and strategies at the SECOND INTERNATIONAL FISHING INDUSTRY SAFETY AND HEALTH CONFERENCE in Sitka, Alaska, Sept. 22 to 24. IFISH II will focus on the...

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Requirements. (Company News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Effective July 1, all vessels were required to comply with the International Marine Organization's revised INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA REQUIREMENTS regarding oil fuel arrangements and fire protection. SOLAS' Reg. II-2...

C-MAP/USA. (Company News).(online information service on electronic charting, navigation )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... C-MAP/USA, maker of electronic navigation charts in Mashpee, Mass., has updated its Web site with a new Internet message board concerning electronic charting and navigation. Visitors to www.c-map.com now can ask questions of C-MAP electronic...

Tides Marine. (Company News).(receives production quality certification ISO 9001:2000 )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... TIDES MARINE, a manufacturer of marine systems for propeller shafts, rudder assemblies and mainsail handling headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla., recently received its International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001:2000 quality...

Zap Enterprises. (Company News).(Northeast distributor for shrink-wrap supplier Dr. Shrink )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... DR. SHRINK, a supplier of shrink-wrap and installation accessories located in Manistee, Mich., has named ZAP ENTERPRISES, of Ontario, N.Y., its new Northeast distributor. Zap Enterprises has 15 years of experience in the shrink-wrap business....

Brunswick Corp. (Company News).(acquisition of marine electronics manufacturer Navman NZ)
September 1, 2003... BRUNSWICK CORP. of Lake Forest, III., has acquired 70 percent of the stock for NAVMAN NZ, a New Zealand-based producer of global positioning systems and marine electronics. Brunswick also now holds an option to acquire the remaining shares by...

A chart plotter that's easy on the eyes: interphase technologies' new 169CS gives you power with some comfortable features.
September 1, 2003... In July, Interphase Technologies started mailing out its newest chart plotter, the Chart Master 169CS. It's a unit with a number of attractive features. To start with, its 200-megahertz processor can move you around the display at a good...

At a glance.(new products for fishing boats )
September 1, 2003... WEST MARINE now offers its 1-million candlepower SPOTLIGHT for a portable, cordless and rechargeable light source. The light features a high-intensity halogen beam that projects intense light up to 1 mile. In cordless mode, the spotlight is...

Good--not great--news on taxes. (Finance).
September 1, 2003... At the end of May, President Bush signed the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. For individuals in the commercial fishing industry who are subject to capital expenditures, this new tax act provides enhanced incentives...

Restoration of sardine boat stirs one reader's memories. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Your mention of the restoration of the William Underwood by the Atlantic Boat Co. (NF June '03, Around the Yards, p. 50) reminds me of the many times in the 1950s that we loaded her (and her sister ship the Henry O. Underwood) with herring from...

Crab processor quota shares ruin competition, fair prices. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... The crab rationalization program was proposed to allow Bering sea crab fishermen to harvest in a safer, economically sound manner, drastically reducing mortality of bycatch and harvested product. By allocating a certain allowable catch to each...

Hats off to the anonymous, one-armed, gritty, crewman. (Mail Buoy).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Regarding "All in a Day's Work," May 2003 issue [p. 20, by Robert Fritchey]: Your article on Capt. Pete Tesvich Jr.'s Judith Ann and their well-orchestrated oystering techniques was' terrific. First mate Roland Deroche Jr., the savvy deck...

Last set.
September 1, 2003... FRESH MACKEREL! Jimmy Santapaola Jr. of the Amanda and Andy unloads the day's catch at Pigeon Cove Seafood in Gloucester, Mass. The boat belongs to Jimmy Sr. The Santapaolas lobster, gillnet, and tuna fish as well as fish-trap mackerel. ...