Category: September ’13

FISH SAFE: Take steps to avoid accidental EPIRB activations

Filed under FISH SAFE, Safety, September '13

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. …

Elver issues unresolved at ASMFC

Filed under Eels/Elvers, September '13

ASMFC still at odds over glass eel fishery ALEXANDRIA, VA – Maine elver fishermen left an Aug. 7 meeting here relieved that the threat of a coastwide fishery closure appeared to be off the table. But it now looks like sharp quota restrictions may be inevitable, and this has many of them worried. The meeting, …

ASMFC approves herring 10percent rollover, seasonal quota splits, closure triggers

Filed under Bait, Herring, September '13

ALEXANDRIA, VA – With no dissent and very little discussion, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Herring Section voted on Aug. 6 to approve Addendum VI to Amendment 2 of the interstate herring plan. The addendum: Allows seasonal splitting of sub-annual catch limits (sub-ACLs) for Areas 1B, 2, and 3, which up …

Buxton Boats launches wooden 38′ Seasong

Filed under Boats, People, September '13

STONINGTON, ME – “Yeah!” I was crouched in the stern of Peter Buxton’s Susan Marie, a 37′ REPCO that he completely rebuilt a few years back. A former lobster boat/gillnetter/dragger, the Susan Marie sees much easier duty these days, as Buxton takes out small charters after hours when his Buxton Boats LLC shop is closed. …

Fishermen, scientists investigate skate mortality in scallop dredges

Filed under September '13, Skate

NEW BEDFORD, MA – Skates are a nuisance on scallop boats, where sorting them from the pile and tossing them back overboard takes up valuable crew time. Nonetheless, several New Bedford scallopers have been participating in a study designed to better understand what really happens to these skates after they are discarded. It’s clear they …

Geir Monsen – Ardent industry advocate, Seafreeze co-founder

Filed under Business News, People, September '13

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – As the fishing industry got good news on river herring, it lost one of its strongest advocates. Geir Monsen, vice-president and co-founder of Davisville, RI-based Seafreeze Ltd., died unexpectedly on July 27 at the age of 62. On Aug. 9, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a finding that alewife and …