National Fisherman articles from September 2006

National Fisherman archives from September 2006

Our battle to save the wild salmon industry.(VIEWS from Alaska)
September 1, 2006... In December 2002, Alaska was rocked by the news that Wards Cove Packing, one of the largest seafood processing companies, was closing its salmon operations. With eight large processing facilities employing more than 1,000 processing workers and...

Freshwater blues.(fisheries)
September 1, 2006... Most Americans, readers of this magazine and otherwise, think of commercial fishing as a marine--seagoing--endeavor. Joe Smith of Sandusky, Ohio, would politely disagree. Smith, who is 37, has been fishing Lake Erie since he was old enough...

The life of a Gloucester lobsterman, as told through his eyes and lens.(Lobstering off Cape Ann: A Lifetime Lobsterman Remembers)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Lobstering off Cape Ann A Lifetime Lobsterman Remembers By Peter K. Prybot History Press, 2006 Softcover, 160 pp., $22.99 www.historypress.net/catalog northeast.php A commercial lobsterman for 46 years, Peter K. Prybot refers to his...

A quarter century of underwater exploration from Alaska to California.(Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest : A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes By Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby Harbour Publishing/Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., 2005 Hardcover, 400 pp., $69.95...

Time to cut fishing communities some slack.(From Another Perspective)
September 1, 2006... Fishing communities are in trouble. While it's tempting to blame this entirely on ineffectual management, that's only part of the story. In fishery after fishery the screws are constantly being tightened by the managers. Fisheries have...

50 years ago.(Fishing Back When)
September 1, 2006... Congress passes the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to establish an assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife in the Interior Department. As part of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the new Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will administer a $10...

30 years ago.(fisheries)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Portuguese navy training ship Sarges sails in the parade of Tall Ships-Operation Sail, an exposition of towering masts and billowing sails not seen in more than 50 years. As the sailing contingent of the U.S. bicentennial celebration, the...

10 years ago.(shark-fishing)(Benny Beal world's fastest lobster boat race )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The shark-fishing boom began in the 1980s, when NMFS encouraged fishermen to take shark to reduce pressure on other fisheries like tuna and swordfish. But regulation of the fishery didn't take a firm hold until 1993, because sharks are "tied...

Gaining strength in numbers.(Dock talk)
September 1, 2006... A year and a halt-ago a group of concerned fishermen and their delegates came together to organize a nationwide commercial fishing organization. The Commercial Fishermen of America was created to represent the working men and women of the...

Why isn't it enough to be equipped with safety gear?(Consequences)
September 1, 2006... From U.S. Coast Guard reports On July 8, 2003, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified of an ongoing search-and-rescue case involving the activation of an EPIRB in the vicinity of the western shore of Kruzof Island, Alaska. When a Coast Guard...

Consumer advocacy group declares fish safe to eat.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Nearly every day, Americans are treated to headlines informing us of the latest food scare. Issues like Alar in apples, acrylamide in potato chips and Mad Cow in beef have each dominated the news, even though any "threats" from these foods have...

Working Waterfront Festival celebrates industry's culture.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I would like to extend an invitation to National Fisherman's readers to come aboard as New Bedford, America's largest commercial fishing port, hosts the 3rd Working Waterfront Festival, a celebration of commercial fishing culture, on Saturday...

Cap'n Sane says ...
September 1, 2006... Well, we were all woke up pretty early the other mornin' by a belchin', coughin' noise coming from front of Amos's Store. We first thought that Amos was all afire, but seeing we ain't got no fire department, we let things just burn out, so's...

Government overlooking development, pollution.(Mail buoy)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Massive urban development is changing the ocean's environment. It is like an overflowing sewer system that is destroying everything in its path. The Santa Monica Bay, the vast bay that is located off Southern California, was polluted many years...

Celebrating the return of Gulf Coast seafood.(A letter from Bill Hogarth)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... At this writing, the Third Ammal Great American Seafood Cook-Off is right around the corner--Aug. 6 in New Orleans. The past two years have been very successful in getting our messages out regarding the importance of our domestic seafood...

Facing the heat.
September 1, 2006... I might as well admit it. I'm getting old. I won't take you through the symptoms--you'll get to know them soon enough--but they're not all bad. For one, you get to know the value of things and are a lot quicker to say to hell with the rest. ...

Tax relief sought should plaintiffs collect in Exxon spill; legislation would defer IRS, Social Security collections on retirement fund contributions.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
September 1, 2006... Should plaintiffs ever receive punitive damage settlement checks in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case, they may have the option of putting the money away for retirement instead of paying heavy income tax penalties. Sen. Lisa Murkowski...

Orca habitat designation looms over the Northwest; water quality and vessel traffic are issues.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
September 1, 2006... In a decision that could further restrict salmon fishing in the Northwest, NMFS has proposed designating "critical habitat" for endangered killer whales in Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Haro Strait and around the San Juan Islands....

Lawmakers play hardball seeking salmon fleet relief; 'hold' on Magnuson bill sways U.S. senators.(ALASKA and PACIFIC)
September 1, 2006... The salmon fishing crisis on the West Coast is getting national political attention after senators delayed passing the Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization and the Republican majority in the House refused to allow a vote on a disaster relief...

For Tarheel fishermen, if it isn't one thing, it's another; low market prices, high fuel costs exacerbated by a surge in development along N.C. coast.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
September 1, 2006... A surge in coastal development is exacerbating the impact of other problems, such as low market prices and high fuel costs, facing North Carolina's seafood industry, says Pam Morris, a member of the Carteret County Fishermen's Association. ...

Alberto interrupts fishing as grouper closure nears; storm costs boats a portion of their quota.(GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC)
September 1, 2006... The first named storm of the 2006 season was a pussycat compared with the lethal Gulf of Mexico hurricanes of 2005, but Tropical Storm Alberto still managed to waylay the fleet in the final days before the deepwater grouper closure. The...

Where we live: Beaufort County, S.C.
September 1, 2006... THE TOWNS Population: 47,298 * * Source: 2000 census, St. Helena Island plus towns of Port Royal and Hilton Head Fleet size: Approximately 37 active trawlers at scattered docks plus small oyster and crab boats TOP LANDINGS IN...

Salvadore Sutton: Wasilla, Alaska.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Fishing salmon at the family set net site in Bristol Bay goes a long way toward keeping an amateur boxer in shape, if you ask Salvadore Sutton, of Wasilla, Alaska. By winter, Sutton, 23, works out in weight rooms regularly, puts in long...

Fishermen dispute need for 'no fishing' zone plan; N.C. watermen to fight council proposal.
September 1, 2006... As plans for protected "no fishing" zones in South Atlantic waters continue to move forward, some North Carolina fishermen say such an exercise is neither needed nor welcome in their waters. "They need to back off," says Bill Greer, a...

Chesapeake crab price hostage to economic fortune; on the one hand, an abundance of product; on the other, a shortage of picking houses.(ATLANTIC)
September 1, 2006... Unusually low dock prices and high fuel costs are cutting into Chesapeake Bay blue crab harvesters' profits. The season began April 1. Blue crab prices are normally high when the season starts because of short supply and high demand. But...

New Englanders come up with plan for new buyout; industry to vote on--and fund--plan.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Another buyout program for struggling Northeast groundfish permit holders is in the works, but this time the industry plans to pay for it. A committee of fishing industry representatives, with guidance from the Massachusetts Division of...

American No. 1: Seattle-based trawler.(BOAT OF THE MONTH)
September 1, 2006... "It is beautiful," says Kris Mullan, a longtime commercial fisherman in Seattle who takes care of all repairs and unkeep of the magnificent American No. 1. "It is the biggest Marco built in the United States." At her 1979 christening, Sen,...

Elephant Trunk to reopen after three-year closure; opening could extend scallop fishery boom.(ATLANTIC)
September 1, 2006... About 1,000 square miles of scafloor oft the Mid-Atlantic coast will be reopened to scallop fishermen in January 2007, a move that could prolong the fishery's boom time. The opening of the Elephant Trunk--so called for its sinuous winding...

Chilean fish fry batter: Yubilam Ottermann Cape May, N.J.(GALLEY WATCH: AT-SEA CUISINE)
September 1, 2006... Keeping the crew interested in a seafood diet is just one of the many challenges of running a scallop boat. But Albert Carlson and his crew on the boat Capt. Bucky Smith love the all-purpose batter that Yubilam Ottermann brought aboard. ...

EU fund offers incentives to assist young fishermen; program would aid in purchase of first boat, but Irish fish auction owner skeptical of plan.(NATION/WORLD)
September 1, 2006... After years of industry-hostile fishery policies, European Union ministers agreed on June 19 in Luxembourg to set up a 4 billion euro fund (nearly $4.9 billion U.S.) that includes incentives for young European fishermen to buy their first...

Annual report cites gains in stock rebuilding efforts; conservationists still pan overfishing rate.(NATION/WORLD)
September 1, 2006... Barndoor skate is safe, contrary to reports of its imminent demise. East Coast bluefish are back, along are Bering Sea snow crab with golden tilefish, as and their tanner crab cousins on the Bering east side. The bad news: Georges Bank...

U.S. Commerce Department announces appointment of 29 to three-year terms.(regional fishery management councils)
September 1, 2006... The Commerce Department has announced the appointment of 29 members to the eight regional fishery management councils. "With passage of a reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act, the council's members will not only focus on continuing the...

Diminishing number of days at sea forces fleet to revise business plans.(NORTHEAST GROUNDFISH)
September 1, 2006... Back-to-back slams from federal emergency action this spring and oncoming Framework 42 adjustments will slash New England groundfish revenue by at least 32 percent this year. And that's just the broadest estimate NMFS is offering. The...

N.C. fishermen hope prices will offset quota reduction, increase in fuel cost.
September 1, 2006... If landings from states farther north haven't flooded the market when the North Carolina summer flounder season opens in November, fishermen may enjoy some very good prices. North Carolina gets the biggest share of the Atlantic summer...

Sustainability awards add to allure, but global market gets competitive.(Industry overview)
September 1, 2006... With two sustainability awards to its credit, Alaska's pollock industry should continue to enjoy increasing overall demand for its products. Last year the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska fisheries earned certification for sustainability from...

Global demand, product size working to advantage of California harvesters.
September 1, 2006... If early season landings are any indication, California market squid fishermen should enjoy another good year of fishing, with prices at or above the $500-per-ton mark. "It's been a banner season at Catalina," says Diane Pleschner-Steele,...

51 pick-up: March madness prevails again in Alaska as the 2006 Sitka sac roe herring fishery roars to life.
September 1, 2006... The fleet of 51 permit holders who attend the herring harvest every spring in Sitka, aren't just there for the money. The 15- to 125-minute non-cooperative venture resembles a hockey face-off, with folks who carry big sticks and wear scary...

On its own: the Gulf Coast seafood industry struggles To lift itself by its bootstraps.(One year after)(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... One year after hurricanes Katrina and Rita crippled the U.S. Gulf Coast, fishermen are still awaiting help to right their vessels and continue working, in the face of conflicting and confusing information. But aid for individual fishermen...

Weather resistance: despite considerable setbacks, three Louisiana shrimpers keep on fishing.(One year after)
September 1, 2006... "After Katrina blew off part of my roof and knocked two trees onto my house, Rita AL came and broke a levee back behind the house," explains Harold Pierce, owner of Pa Pa's Boys, a classic 65-foot wooden shrimper. "The water came up the street,...

Thin is in: if you think today's displays are impressive, wait until you see tomorrow's even slimmer screens.
September 1, 2006... Boats are run by looking at displays--radar, fishfinders, chart plotters, engine instruments and gauges, etc.--and increasingly, all this data is being consolidated through integrated and networked systems on one or more multifunction display...

Reaching for speed: in Maine's Moosabec Reach the mission is: go faster.
September 1, 2006... Pickup trucks are a common sight on Beals Island. A Maine fisherman wouldn't feel like himself if he didn't have a pickup for hauling bait, traps, pot warp and the occasional blown-up engine that ruins the day for all lobstermen, but especially...

Getting the words out: developments in VHF, satellite and cellular communications are worth talking about.
September 1, 2006... One old Norwegian I knew was perfectly satisfied not to call home once the boat left the dock. He had a VHF radio and single-sideband radio aboard, but his reasoning was, "A man's place is at sea, and a woman's place is at home." A radio call...

Newfie has infusion-built hull; job expansion for Maine shop.(Nova Scotia Power Corp.'s )
September 1, 2006... In early spring, Apple Island Marine in Ingomar, Nova Scotia, launched a crab and gillnet boat for a Newfoundland fisherman. The fiberglass hull was built by Aylward Fiberglass, of Barrington, Nova Scotia, using the vacuum infusion process, a...

Steel seiner gets new muscle; Alaska gillnetter has jet power.(WEST)
September 1, 2006... In Blaine, Wash., Westman Marine has had a steady line of fishing boats coming in for bottom cleaning, painting and new zincs, typical work before the start of every season. The boatyard also had one return customer, and another was due the...

Buy boat restored for seeding; yacht will survey Chesapeake.(SOUTH)
September 1, 2006... Jerry Pruitt of Pruitt's Boatyard on Virginia's Tangier Island certainly has e heritage for building and repairing boats. His great-grandfather, Raymond Thomas Pruitt, built 16- to 20-foot sail-powered crab skiffs on Tangier Island long before...

Bulletin board.
September 1, 2006... NOV. 16-18 Pacific Marine Expo Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle www.pacificmarineexpo.com Pacific Marine Expo is the largest gathering of commercial marine professionals on the West Coast. From workboats to commercial fishing...

EPCO.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... EPCO Vice President Johnny Risk announced that CHARLES A. PERRY & CO. will represent the Epco line of transom and gunwale tie-downs, which have been produced in the United States for more than 40 years. The Perry group will cover 14...

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute.(ON THE MOVE)
September 1, 2006... THE GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, based in Portland, and the University of Maine, Orono flagship, announced a collaboration hiring of marine ecosystem modeler ANDREW PERSHING to support fishery management in the Gulf of Maine region....

Si-Tex Marine Electronics President Ted Bodtmann announced the appointment of Pilot Marine as Southeast regional sales representatives for both the Si-Tex and Koden lines of marine electronic products.(ON THE MOVE)
September 1, 2006... Si-Tex Marine Electronics President Ted Bodtmann announced the appointment of PILOT MARINE as Southeast regional sales representatives for both the Si-Tex and Koden lines of marine electronic products. Pilot Marine manage sales and dealer...

Rich-Seapak, a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rich Products Corp., has announced its acquisition of Seattle-based WorldCatch LLC.(COMPANY NEWS)
September 1, 2006... RICH-SEAPAK, a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rich Products Corp., has announced its acquisition of Seattle-based WORLDCATCH LLC. With annual sales near $20 million, WorldCatch is a leader in the ready-to-cook and heat-and-serve seafood...

Integrated Marine Systems held its second successful Puget Sound area Refrigeration Workshop in the spring.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... INTEGRATED MARINE SYSTEMS held its second successful Puget Sound area REFRIGERATION WORKSHOP in the spring. Presented in conjunction with the Jefferson Educational Center and the Washington Sea Grant Program, the workshops teach commercial...

Coastal Villages Seafood, which operates wild salmon and wild halibut plants in five coastal Alaska fishing villages, has purchased a new Geneglace Ice Pack 340 ice plant for its Bethel processing and shipping facility.(COMPANY NEWS)
September 1, 2006... COASTAL VILLAGES SEAFOOD, which operates wild salmon and wild halibut plants in five coastal Alaska fishing villages, has purchased a new GENEGLACE Ice Pack 340 ice plant for its Bethel processing and shipping facility. Coastal Villages Seafood...

LCD and color make a difference: Furuno's new radars have a price break as well.(liquid crystal displays)(Furuno U.S.A. Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Cathode ray tubes used to be a primary component in most marine electronics. Then along came liquid crystal displays, which slowly started displacing CRT units. Now, the use of CRTs has shrunk to such an extent that if you want to build CRT...

An alarm that keeps your attention: WaterWitch's repeating bilge alarms are designed to defeat laziness.
September 1, 2006... Many boat owners take all possible precautions to keep their boat's bilges empty of water and to avoid sinking, including installing plenty of bilge pumps and alarms. And still boats disappear or go on the beach. More than likely, the...

Prospec Electronics has a stereo receiver with a faceplate to fit the most crowded control panel.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... PROSPEC ELECTRONICS has a stereo receiver with a faceplate to fit the most crowded control panel. The JBL MR18 measures 7 1/8" (wide) x 2 1/8" (high) x 6 3/4" (deep).The 180-watt unit has electronic shock protection. When the JBL MR18 starts...

Borel Manufacturing's new product for attracting tuna and swordfish, the Sea-Lume, is a self-generating light that uses the interaction of two dissimilar materials and saltwater to create flashing green and blue light.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... BOREL MANUFACTURING's new product for attracting tuna and swordfish, the SEALUME, is a self-generating light that uses the interaction of two dissimilar materials and saltwater to create flashing green and blue light. Its manufacturer says...

Lenco Marine has a product to help reduce the ever-increasing cost of fuel.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... LENCO MARINE has a product to help reduce the ever-increasing cost of fuel. Electric TRIM TABS are laser-cut from 12-, 10- and 7-gauge stainless steel and designed to improve fuel consumption by keeping a planing or semiplaning hull level, thus...

Accon Marine offers just the thing if you want to avoid snagging lines on cleats or tripping over them but don't feel capable of cutting open the deck to install a recessed cleat.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... ACCON MARINE offers just the thing if you want to avoid snagging on lines cleats or tripping over them but don't feel capable of cutting open the deck to install a recessed cleat. The 332-8 FOLDING CLEAT mounts directly to the deck. Just drill...

Si-Tex's latest charting system and its largest LCD display is the COLORMAX 15 that utilizes C-Map's Max charts.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... SI-TEX's latest charting system and its largest LCD display is the COLORMAX 15 that utilizes C-Map's Max charts. The C-Map charts offer a perspective view, real-time flashing color aids to navigation and a dynamic current and tide presentation....

Sherwin-Williams' new anticorrosive coating is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and high in solids.(At a glance)
September 1, 2006... SHERWIN-WILLIAMS' new anticorrosive coating is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and high in solids. The two-part epoxy paint works both above and below the waterline. SEAGUARD 5000 HS EPOXY can be used for painting a boat's interior and...

Senate passes Magnuson; House version still in play: quota language worries industry advocate.(NATION/WORLD)
September 1, 2006... Senate passage of the Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization--with the House version still a work in progress--has offered little comfort for fishermen concerned about potential imposition of quotas, and a shifting of control in the industry to...

Charleston, Ore.(Last set)
September 1, 2006... F/V Jeanette Marrie crewmen Tim Grout, left, and Jon Cunningham switch over gear from shrimping to trawling for Pacific whiting in this August 2002 photo. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]