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NOAA FISHERIES NAVIGATOR – February 2014
Insert to the February 2014 Commercial Fisheries News (Click Page to Download)
Maine Line — Dirigo II – New addition to Maine’s Marine Patrol fleet
Mother Nature must’ve liked the looks of the new Maine Marine Patrol vessel Dirigo II. The old gal saw fit to warm things up in the middle of what had so far been a bitter January, even clearing the ice out of Somes Sound for the 38-footer’s christening ceremony at the Henry R. Abel yard …
FISH SAFE – Winch safety study identifies crew hazards
by Ann Backus – Jan. 27 will mark five years since 53-year-old Bill Meldrum died off the coast of New Jersey aboard the 65′ Lydia J after being pulled into his vessel’s rotating drum winch. After that incident, I was determined that no one else would suffer that kind of death. In 2012, my colleagues …
NMFS grants sector boats access to Nantucket but not Closed Areas I or II
DANVERS, MA – Starting Dec. 31, groundfish sector boats will be allowed to fish in two different portions of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area for the remainder of the 2013 fishing year, which ends April 30. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced its decision in a Dec. 16 Federal Register notice but delayed the …
NJ bite stokes late-fall bluefin fishery
MANASQUAN, NJ – Bluefin tuna fishermen from Maine to North Carolina dropped everything and bolted for New Jersey and Long Island ports in early December as word spread that the big fish were biting in Hudson Canyon. In a stroke of good timing, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the week before that it …
Stock ‘collapse’ prompts 2014 shrimp moratorium
PORTLAND, ME – Faced with a stock that scientists said had technically “collapsed,” the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Northern Shrimp Section met here Dec. 3 and agreed by consensus to impose a moratorium on shrimp fishing for the 2014 season. The section took this extreme action after receiving a grim stock assessment update …
100-percent coverage on herring midwater boats desired by all – cost the problem
NEWPORT, RI – While pledging to revisit a number of issues related to catch monitoring on Atlantic herring midwater trawl vessels, the New England Fishery Management Council on Nov. 20 did not support the use of emergency action to prohibit the fleet from fishing pending 100% observer coverage. Back in September, council member Tom Dempsey …
Dogfish quota to increase in 2014 and 2015
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Even though the fishery has been “under-performing” and the fleet has landed a mere fraction of its 2013 quota, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted during its October meeting here to substantially increase the spiny dogfish annual catch limit (ACL) for the next two fishing years. The council took this action based …
CFRF whelk, scallop, lobster projects reveal surprises, climate change effects
SOUTH KINGSTON, RI – Fishermen got some surprising news about channeled whelk and engaged in a lively Q&A over Southern New England lobster nursery survey results during a shellfish research session hosted by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) on Nov. 7. Biologists from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) also presented findings from …
FISH SAFE: Take steps to avoid accidental EPIRB activations
by Ann Backus – Whether you fish commercially for lobsters, scallops, groundfish, or other species, you probably own an Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). These instruments are vital for helping the Coast Guard locate you and/or your vessel in times of distress. Both vessel and personal EPIRBs are now available at a reasonable cost. …
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