Saving Seafood

NEW JERSEY: Sea bass regs pass council, Tamaroa sinking delayed

April 21, 2017 — The black sea bass regulations were approved by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council approved the measures at its April 13 meeting.

They are almost identical to last year, except the 13-inch size limit — which was in place last fall —  is not returning.

The season’s first wave opens May 26 and extends through June 18 with a ten fish bag limit at 12 ½-inch size limit. It is then closed for two weeks.

The second wave opens July 1 through August 31 with a two fish bag and 12 ½-inch size limit. It will then close until Oct. 21.

The final wave of the season is Oct. 22 to Dec. 31. Fishermen will have a 15 fish bag limit and a 12 ½-inch size limit.

Bob Martin, head of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, has to sign off on them, a spokesperson from the department said.

Tamaroa sinking delayed

The sinking of he United States Coast Guard cutter Tamaroa, on an artificial reef was delayed this week by weather.

The vessel gained notoriety for its daunting rescue missions during the “Perfect Storm” of 1991, but she was originally the U.S. Navy’s Zuni, an ocean/salvage tug, commissioned in 1943. She is the last surviving vessel from the Battle of Iwo Jima.

She is destined for the DelJerseyLand artificial reef jointly shared by New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. At 205-feet long the vessel is expected to provide a lot of habitat for marine life that will make it a productive fishing and dive site.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Fishermen, dog rescued off New Hampshire coast

April 17, 2017 — Two men and a dog aboard a fishing boat were rescued Saturday night after it began rapidly taking on water about three miles off Hampton Harbor, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard and Hampton Fire Rescue helped those on board the Patricia Lynn II to shore safely.

Both men had put on survival suits and also put a lifejacket on the dog, according to the Coast Guard.

“These two men were smart to don their survival suits as soon as they realized their boat was taking on water,” said Kenneth Stuart, the command duty officer at Sector Northern New England of the Coast Guard. “With the water temperatures still dangerously cold, having the proper gear for themselves and even their dog allowed them to actively work to de-water their boat until help arrived. If they had ended up in the water — their chances of survival were much higher.”

No injuries were reported.

One of the men aboard used a VHF radio about 8:30 p.m. to report the boat was rapidly taking on water despite efforts to keep up using buckets and a bilge pump.

Station Portsmouth Harbor, Station Merrimack River, a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and Hampton Fire Rescue responders all launched to help.

Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader

Reality check for commercial fishermen

April 11, 2017 — Don’t put the injured on the raft first, they can slow down the evacuation.

Don’t stow survival suits below decks.

Don’t leave port without a Nerf football.

This was some of the wisdom imparted to a group of 35 commercial fishermen gathered at Coast Guard Station Menemsha on a gray, windy Thursday morning, where, appropriately, a storm front was bearing down on the Vineyard.

It was day one of two training days for commercial fishermen — along with sailors, harbormasters, and shellfish constables — provided by Burlington-based Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS).

The focus of the day one was safety and survival. Participants rotated among six training modules: man overboard procedure, firefighting and flares, survival suits, helicopter hoist operations, flooding and pump operations, first aid and CPR, and life raft equipment.

“Part of the success of this program is that it’s very hands-on,” Ed Dennehy, FPSS Director of Safety told The Times. “They will put out an actual fire. They will put on survival suits and get into the cold water. They control flooding and leaks in a simulator provided by the Coast Guard.”

FPSS has been providing this training all over New England, primarily in Massachusetts, for the past 11 years. The program has been so successful, it has spread beyond New England to New York.

Read the full story at the Martha’s Vineyard Times

Stonington fishermen, first selectman: Camera proposal violates Fourth Amendment rights

April 7, 2017 — STONINGTON, Conn. — A proposal from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could potentially require fishermen to purchase a camera monitoring system to ensure that they are adhering to regulations — a requirement that local fishermen and First Selectman Rob Simmons see as a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.

Based on a study done by the NOAA Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, electronic monitoring would potentially cost the fishermen around $500 per day per boat and require them to pay $60,000 for startup costs and annual maintenance of the equipment. While it’s less costly on a daily basis than the $700 per day cost of having a person doing at-sea monitoring on board a vessel, critics say the startup costs alone have the potential to put local fishermen out of business.

Aside from the costs of the proposed mandate, many see it as a violation of privacy.

Simmons, who’s been in touch with New Hampshire attorney Jason Crance, who has written legal papers on concerns with at-sea monitoring, said he feels this proposed mandate could potentially infringe on the Fourth Amendment rights of fishermen.

“I’m trying to see if there’s any sound legal argument into the intrusion of someone’s workplace because I believe this is a means of spying on Stonington’s fishermen,” he said. “They want to make sure the fishermen are complying with catch limit regulations but it seems like the government is assuming they aren’t complying. It’s like the state police putting a mini camera in my car next to a speedometer that monitors and notifies police when they go past 65.”

Read the full story at The Westerly Sun

Restaurateur accused of operating illegal seafood network

April 6, 2017 — A well-known Houston restaurateur has been accused of operating an illegal seafood network that allegedly funneled nearly 28,000 pounds of unlawfully-caught finfish through his restaurants.

Texas game wardens allege that Bruce Molzan, 59, bought and then sold the illegal finfish off the menus at Ruggles Green and Ruggles Black. Molzan hasn’t been associated with Ruggles Green since 2016 but still owns Ruggles Black.

In addition, another restaurant illegally sold shrimp to Molzan for use in his restaurants in violation of commercial fish wholesale regulations, according to investigators.

The illegal catches were made by a web of about a dozen unlicensed commercial fishermen and sold to the restaurants, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife investigators. Their catches consisted primarily of highly-regulated red snapper, along with other protected game fish species, including tuna, amberjack, grouper and red drum.

The investigation expanded significantly last April after U.S. Coast Guard crews stopped an unlicensed commercial fishing boat in coastal waters near Freeport with 488 red snapper weighing approximately 1,900 pounds. Texas game wardens and the National Marine Fisheries Service seized the fish, which were illegally caught in the Gulf of Mexico off Freeport and Galveston, and investigators were able to link the subjects with the illegal seafood operation.

“This is a big deal and exemplifies the critically important work our Texas game wardens do to protect the state’s natural resources,” said Col. Craig Hunter, TPWD law enforcement director. “Not only did these unscrupulous actors violate recreational fishing regulations at an extreme level for personal profit, but they also circumvented restrictions and rules governing the possession, safe handling and sale of commercial aquatic products intended for human consumption.”

Read the full story at WTSP

Texas game wardens bust massive illegal seafood network

April 6, 2017 — A Houston chef is being accused by state wildlife officials of participating in an illegal seafood network that funneled tons of unlawfully caught fish to his businesses.

The network is made up of about a dozen unlicensed commercial fishermen who caught fish off the Texas coast and sold them to Houston-area restaurants, state wildlife officials said. The catches included protected fish species, including red snapper, tuna, amberjack, grouper and red drum.

State investigators said they suspect the network began operating in 2013, and could be the largest of its kind in Texas history.

“This is a big deal and exemplifies the critically important work our Texas game wardens do to protect the state’s natural resources,” said Col. Craig Hunter, the department’s law enforcement director.

“That is not something we in law enforcement will tolerate and we are confident these individuals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent the law allows.”

A break in the investigation came in April 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard stopped a commercial fishing boat in coastal waters near Freeport. The boat was carrying 1,900 pounds of red snapper.

Read the full story at the Galveston County Daily News

NOAA Fisheries Announces an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting May 9-11, 2017

April 5, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) intends to hold a meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) on May 9-11, 2017, at the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.  The AP meeting and webinar will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, and from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, May 11.  A new member orientation session will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9. 

The meeting on Tuesday, May 9, Wednesday, May 10, and Thursday, May 11, 2017, will also be accessible via conference call and webinar.

Participants are strongly encouraged to log/dial in 15 minutes prior to the meeting.  NMFS will show the presentations via webinar and allow public comment during identified times on the agenda.  

The intent of this meeting is to consider alternatives for the conservation and management of all Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and shark fisheries.  We anticipate discussing Amendment 5b on dusky sharks; Draft Amendment 10 on Essential Fish Habitat; implementation of Final Amendment 7 on bluefin tuna management, including the upcoming three-year review; and progress updates on various other rulemakings, including individual bluefin quota transfer criteria effective dates, requests for regulatory changes received to date; domestic implementation of recommendations from the 2016 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and issues for 2017; progress updates regarding the exempted fishing permit request to conduct research in pelagic longline closed areas and white shark research; and updates on shark stock assessments.  We also anticipate discussing recreational and commercial fishing topics in specific breakout group sessions, including a detailed discuss of permitting, reporting, and compliance with recreational and commercial vessel requirements in response to several requests.  Finally, we intend to invite other NMFS offices and the United States Coast Guard to provide updates on their activities relevant to HMS fisheries.

Additional information on the meeting and a copy of the draft agenda will be posted prior to the meeting at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/advisory_panels/hms_ap/meetings/ap_meetings.html.

This email notice is a courtesy to Atlantic HMS fisheries interests to keep you informed about the fisheries.  Official notice of Federal fishery actions is made through filing such notice with the Office of the Federal Register.  For further information related to Atlantic HMS Management, please call (301) 427-8503 or see the HMS web page at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.  

Maine lobsterman denied bail in federal manslaughter case

April 4, 2017 — A lobsterman from Cushing will remain jailed until his manslaughter trial despite an impassioned plea to have him released to the custody and supervision of his parents.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Rich ruled Monday that Christopher Hutchinson, 28, should not be allowed bail since he already violated conditions when he used drugs and overdosed last month.

His parents, who sat in the courtroom during the hearing in Portland, cried as the judge read his decision. As Hutchinson left the courthouse in handcuffs, he turned to them and said, “I’ll be all right.”

Hutchinson is charged with seaman’s manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 1, 2014, deaths of Tom Hammond, 27, of Rockland and Tyler Sawyer, 15, of St. George. Investigators believe Hutchinson was under the influence of alcohol and opioids when he sailed his lobster boat, No Limits, into a storm, sinking it. Hutchinson was rescued by Coast Guard officials, but his crewmen, Hammond and Sawyer, did not survive.

Hutchinson was arrested in December after a lengthy investigation and posted $10,000 bail three days later with conditions that he not use substances. He violated those conditions on March 14, when he overdosed on heroin and needed to be revived with the drug Narcan.

His attorney, Michael Turndorf, said Monday that his client should be released to his parents, who would monitor him constantly and ensure that he be treated for his addiction. His mother had even taken a leave of absence from her job as a nurse.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank, however, argued that he didn’t think Hutchinson would be able to abide by any bail condition and the judge agreed, although he commended the parents’ commitment to their son.

“The court has no doubt they will do everything in their power,” he said.

The Hutchinsons declined to speak with a reporter after the hearing.

Frank, in addition to his belief that Hutchinson could not abide by conditions that he not use drugs, told the judge he had concerns that the defendant was still operating a boat, potentially putting other crew members at risk.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Trump wants to end grants that support Maine fishing jobs

March 20, 2017 — The national $73 million Sea Grant program, which includes about a dozen researchers affiliated with the University of Maine, could be eliminated if Congress approves drastic budget cuts proposed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by President Trump.

Funding for the state’s Department of Marine Resources and for collecting weather and climate data in the Gulf of Maine also could be put at risk by the president’s proposal.

Paul Anderson, director of the Sea Grant program at University of Maine, said Tuesday that the money NOAA has funded for the program has been “money well spent” because it has helped draw additional funding to Maine and has helped spur economic development.

“I think [Trump] has just got a fundamentally different attitude about government,” Anderson said Tuesday, without going into further detail. “What [people can do to try to protect the program] is write to our congressmen and senators.”

Trump’s administration already is considering slashing funding for the U.S. Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and for the Environmental Protection Agency, which provides about 20 percent of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection annual funding. Now, according to the Washington Post, the federal Office of Management and Budget is looking to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by 17 percent.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Rep. Moulton, lawmakers: Proposed Coast Guard cuts ’cause for concern’

March 16, 2017 — Opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed slashing of the Coast Guard budget to pay for the Mexican border wall continues to grow, with members of Congress arguing cuts would contradict the president’s goal of rebuilding the nation’s armed forces.

Nearly 60 bi-partisan members of the House of Representatives, including 6th District Congressman Seth Moulton of Salem, signed a letter Monday highlighting the folly of cutting about $1.3 billion, or about 14.3 percent, from the Coast Guard’s $9.1 billion annual budget.

The letter, addressed to the chairman and ranking member of the House subcommittee on homeland security, stated the Office of Management and Budget’s financial outline for the Department of Homeland Security — which includes the Coast Guard — is a “cause for serious alarm.”

“It is nonsensical to pursue a policy of rebuilding the armed forces while proposing large reductions to the U.S. Coast Guard budget,” the letter stated. “Without question, OMB’s proposed cut targeting the Coast Guard directly contradicts the president’s stated goals and should be dismissed.”

The letter points to the pivotal role the Coast Guard plays in the interdiction of illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants and its direct impact on border security and law enforcement. It said the proposed cuts severely discount the value and effectiveness of the U.S. Coast Guard in both areas.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times