Editorial

Mac_web_editorial


Editorial - Relax. Sit a spell. Read this issue.
(11-29-2018)
As this issue was going to press, much of the region was getting its first real taste of winter.  Dooryards were filling up with gear and for many it marked the unofficial end of another season. It is a time, of course, to give thanks.  To c...


Editorial - Fishermen need to vote on November 6
(10-28-2018)
Fishermen need to vote on November 6 The message is simple.  Wherever you live, wherever you fish, on the first Tuesday in November get out and vote.   Yes, we know. Your senses are saturated from the endless barrage of political ads.  You j...


Editorial - Lessons from an island about life, death, and pressing on
(06-02-2018)
The words come hard.  Really hard. Earlier this month, as the pieces and parts of this issue began to fall into place, I had designs for a special editorial to fill this space. It was sparked by seeing the first photos of Drew Eaton's new boat...


Editorial - MLA elects new president; now Maine Fishermen's Forum must also
(04-02-2018)
There's a changing of the guard at the Maine Lobstermen's Association (MLA) that not only impacts the association's members, lobster fishermen and others all along the coast, but also the venerable Maine Fishermen's Forum. By now you have probably h...


Maine Fishermen’s Forum:  An annual ritual for many; CFN too
(02-27-2018)
Yep, no doubt about it.  It’s Maine Fishermen’s Forum time again.  Though the weather is likely to be snotty – it usually is – forum time means spring is just around the corner. Boats that were hauled for the winter will go back overboar...


EDITORIAL: Boats - Big ones, small ones, and a legend called Osmond
(01-30-2018)
Okay.  Stick another log on the fire and settle in. You’ve got some reading to do this month, just in time for these blowy February days. In this issue you will find our annual Year of New Boats review, sponsored by Furuno.  This special 16...


Editorial: To our friend, Robin - Our thanks and best wishes
(12-28-2017)
Earlier this month, friends, family, industry colleagues, and former employees gathered for an evening of celebration to mark the retirement of Robin Alden. Robin, as most of you know, has been a remarkable force in fisheries here in Maine and thr...


Editorial: Don’t miss - A pair of revealing, enlightening profiles in this issue
(11-28-2017)
You may think you know Wayne Hamilton. But the truth is, the quiet man behind the Hamilton Marine supply store powerhouse – currently celebrating 40 years in business – is fiercely private and certainly not given to self-aggrandizement. Whi...


Op-Ed: Fishermen file suit over Northeast Marine National Monument
(04-04-2017)
A coalition of New England fishing organizations filed suit in early March over former President Barack Obama’s designation of a vast area of ocean as a national monument – a dictate that could sink commercial fishing in New England. The orga...


EDITORIAL: This year’s new boats recap: Our own Dow Jones?
(01-30-2017)
As we swing into spring show season here in New England, it’s pretty well guaranteed that much of the discussion with readers and advertisers who stop by the Commercial Fisheries News booth at the upcoming Maine Fishermen’s Forum or Commercial Ma...


Editorial: New year, new president: What’s it mean to you?
(12-27-2016)
Whatever your politics, it’s a safe bet that you too are glad the presidential election is finally behind us and we can just get on with business, life, and moving forward. Yes, the country remains deeply divided and the waters we are about to c...


EDITORIAL: Thankful for the bounty of lobsters and scallops
(11-29-2016)
If you somehow missed the headlines, landings data in NOAA’s recently released Fisheries of the United States 2015 reminds us once again of the vital role lobsters and scallops play – not just in this region – but in the overall health and vita...


Engaging in offshore wind power process, projects
(08-30-2016)
Offshore wind power has gone from the drawing board and onto the water in a big way off the New England coast. As this issue goes to press, two wind power projects off the Massachusetts coast are ramping up survey work in preparation for selecting...


Editorial - Changing of the guard at New England council
(07-26-2016)
Effective the end of this month, Pat Fiorelli, who has been the public affairs officer for the New England Fishery Management Council for nearly three decades, is leaving to begin a new chapter in her life, retirement. Stepping into her shoes is f...


Editorial: Pat White - The curtain goes down on a class act
(04-26-2016)
There have been few times in the 40-plus years of Commercial Fisheries News that we have set aside this space to honor a fallen colleague. To do so is to risk slighting so many others who have passed without the special recognition. But I could...


EDITORIAL: A cause for celebration amid causes for concern
(03-29-2016)
Far be it from us to find the dark cloud in an otherwise silver lining … … But, as word spread around the recent Maine Fishermen’s Forum of record-breaking landings in the state again last year, the excitement was somewhat tempered. The n...


EDITORIAL: Tread cautiously before making lobster license changes
(03-01-2016)
It would appear, as this issue goes to press, that a controversial bill to change some elements of the Maine lobster licensing process may be stuck in committee. If so, we think that is probably not a bad thing. The bill, widely discussed and w...


EDITORIAL: Calling your attention to “must-reads” in this issue
(02-02-2016)
While we like to think every issue of Commercial Fisheries News is chock full of news and information that our readers want and need to read, every now and then it seems to makes sense to point out a couple of “don’t miss” pieces. In this is...


Farewell to the old, in with the new: Time to kick off the New Year
(12-22-2015)
This issue marks the kick-off of trade show season here in New England and our opportunity to connect face-to-face with many of you in the coming months. In late January, you will be seeing us – and this issue – at the Massachusetts Lobstermen...


Editorial: We need to know more about impact of warming ocean waters
(11-24-2015)
For years fishermen, fisheries managers, and the academic/scientific community have been trying to understand the near collapse of Gulf of Maine cod stocks and explain the apparent failure of decades of rebuilding effort. We all know the conversat...


EDITORIAL: Time to rediscover the spirit of Fish Expo
(10-28-2015)
When the trade show now known as Commercial Marine Expo (CME) returns to New Bedford next spring, organizers are planning an event reminiscent of the old Fish Expo gatherings. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Fish Expo, which in its heyday ...


Editorial: Shut down marine monument in NE now
(09-29-2015)
There are bad ideas. There are very bad ideas. And then there’s this. A current proposal to potentially create a marine national monument off the coast of New England is, in our view, one of the worst ideas ever. Environmental groups pr...


EDITORIAL: Find a solution now for at-sea monitoring cost
(09-01-2015)
The Northeast groundfish industry – what is left of it – and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are at an impasse over future funding of the at-sea monitoring program (ASM). NMFS is saying it is time to shift the cost burden to ...


EDITORIAL: No substitute for planning, training to fish safe
(07-28-2015)
In the words of a wise old Coast Guard veteran some years back, “There are only two times fishermen really take chances out on the water.  When they are making money, and when they’re not.” Cynical?  Maybe. But his point was well taken....


EDITORIAL: In defense of the council process
(06-30-2015)
How do you know when the New England Fishery Management Council has made a good decision? Virtually nobody is happy. Cynical?  Perhaps, but that has seemingly been the case with recent council actions that have spawned a firestorm of reactions...


EDITORIAL: Summertime – Another season of lobster boat racing
(05-26-2015)
By the time most of you see this, the pages of the old shop calendar will have turned to June.  And that means just one thing. The start of another season of lobster boat racing here on the coast of Maine … and by all early indications this one...


EDITORIAL: Barbs and bouquets – Some folks get it right, others have no clue
(04-29-2015)
From the newly-established Commercial Fisheries News (CFN) “awards desk” this month, a couple of well-deserved bouquets. First, to Laura Orleans and the board of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Inc. (FHC). Orleans’ name may alread...


EDITORIAL – It’s not the error, it’s how you handle it
(03-30-2015)
One look at this month’s cover and two thoughts quickly come to mind. Is that summer, really?  Will we ever see it again? And is that a woman we see working on deck in those oilskins? Yes it is.  And not just any woman. That is Shanno...


EDITORIAL - 40 years of ME Fishermen’s Forums: Why so special?
(03-03-2015)
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum and Trade Show, a notable milestone worthy of celebration, recognition, and a few moments of personal reflection. I haven’t been at all 40 forums – though I know several of ...


EDITORIAL - Boats, news, and more boats in this issue of CFN
(01-26-2015)
Christmas may have come and gone, but that’s not stopping us from giving readers a little something extra in this issue. As the cover “teaser” promises, this issue marks the return of our popular Year of New Boats review. This special 12-...


EDITORIAL – A heartfelt thank you for your support of CFN
(12-23-2014)
As the year draws to a close, it seems natural to take time to consider what we’ve accomplished, the challenges on the horizon, and the people who have helped us rise above life’s difficulties to become the best we can be. And that’s what we...


EDITORIAL – Whale rule change shows that cooperation works
(11-25-2014)
On Nov. 6, barely four months after announcing the latest adjustment to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a proposed rule to change the Massachusetts Restricted Area closure start dat...


EDITORIAL – Science must acknowledge climate change effects
(10-29-2014)
Populations of many fish species – summer flounder, butterfish, squid, black sea bass, cod, and bluefin tuna to name a few – are clearly being impacted by changing ocean water temperatures.  The challenge now is to realign fisheries stock assess...


EDITORIAL – Weigh in on the future of fluke management
(09-29-2014)
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) have launched an ambitious joint effort to fully assess and revamp their summer flounder management strategies in response to a number of factors,...


EDITORIAL - It’s your future: Prepare for habitat hearings
(07-28-2014)
Just when you thought things couldn’t get more complicated, they have.  The New England Fishery Management Council is gearing up for public hearings on proposed Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment 2.  Once finalized, this massive amend...


EDITORIAL – Time for a quota increase for western bluefin
(06-23-2014)
Summertime is when the thoughts of people in the bluefin business turn to fishing.  Chasing bluefin is potentially profitable, true.  But on that perfect day when the fish are biting or skimming the surface in a harpooner’s sight, it also can be ...


EDITORIAL – Creative financing can buoy fishing businesses
(05-27-2014)
The decline of the groundfish fishery, depressed lobster prices, the sluggish economy, and other factors have created serious financial problems for many fishing-related businesses in the Northeast.  Most everyone has heard the adage that “it take...


EDITORIAL – Butterfish: An assessment success story
(04-21-2014)
The latest butterfish stock assessment is a game changer, not just for the long-finned (Loligo) squid fishery, which has been stymied by a butterfish bycatch cap, but for the way some stock assessments could be conducted in the future. Published i...


EDITORIAL - Planning the future of Maine’s lobster fishery
(03-24-2014)
Given the fundamental importance of lobstering to the livelihoods of thousands of people, fishing communities, and the economy of the state of Maine, it makes sense that everyone involved wants to do all they can to safeguard the fishery’s future. ...


EDITORIAL - Safety matters: Time for a quick review
(02-24-2014)
Taking up the theme of fishing vessel safety can be a hazardous thing to do in a CFN editorial since it entails walking that fine line between helpfully calling readers’ attention to a fundamentally important topic and alienating them with nagging....


EDITORIAL - Disaster aid secured: Now, how to spend it
(01-27-2014)
A rare political thaw in January led to an encouraging turn of events as Congress managed to put aside seemingly intractable differences to agree on a fiscal year 2014 federal budget bill.  The bill, which was awaiting the President’s signature a...


EDITORIAL – Wind farms coming: It’s time to tune in
(05-01-2013)
With the crises enveloping the groundfish, scallop, lobster, and northern shrimp fisheries, everyone in the Northeast commercial fishing industry is exhausted.  It’s understandably difficult for people to even think about redirecting time and ener...


EDITORIAL – Northeast fisheries merit federal support
(11-19-2013)
The tremendous importance of Northeast fisheries to local, state, and national economies is the main message of “Fisheries of the United States 2012,” the latest installment of the annual report from the National Marine Fisheries Service that com...


EDITORIAL – Efforts to build US dogfish market could pay off
(10-21-2013)
Groundfish boats need something to fish on, and there are more than enough spiny dogfish around, along with a hefty 40.8-million-pound quota for the 2013 fishing year.  But, at 12-to-14 cents per pound, it’s a rare fisherman who can make a day’s...


EDITORIAL – Work, goodwill yield relief for gillnetters
(09-23-2013)
In a welcome turn of events, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to eliminate the consequence closure strategy it implemented in 2010 as an incentive for gillnetters to use pingers to keep harbor porpoise out of their gear. T...

To subscribe, or purchase back issues, please visit the shop or checkout with your shopping cart at right.


CFN-laptop