Saving Seafood

Fish farm has 60 days to fix net pens outside Seattle as 1 million Atlantic salmon move in

October 10, 2017 — SEATTLE — Just a week after the state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved shipment of 1 million more farmed Atlantic salmon to Cooke Aquaculture’s fish farm near Bainbridge Island, another state agency says it has found a hole in the nets and corrosion in the structure of the facility.

The Department of Natural Resources on Monday notified Cooke that it is in default of the terms of its lease at its Rich Passage operation. It ordered the facility repaired within 60 days, or the department may cancel the company’s lease for the facility, which operates over public bed lands.

Cooke will proceed with the stocking the fish, company spokeswoman Nell Halse said in an emailed statement. “We are meeting all permit requirements.”

Read the full story at The Seattle Times

MARYLAND: Oyster sanctuary bill finds support in House of Delegates

March 20, 2017 — The House of Delegates voted 102-39 on Thursday in favor of a bill that would keep intact existing oyster sanctuaries on the Chesapeake Bay, a blow to the commercial fishing industry’s efforts to expand the state’s oyster fisheries.

Supporters and opponents of the bill, named the Oyster Management Plan, are both saying that their solution is best for the long-term health of the bay and its oyster population, which helps clean the Chesapeake by filtering nutrients like excess algae out of the water column.

“(The Oyster Management Plan) protects the fragile progress that has been made to date in recovering oyster populations,” the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said in written testimony to the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Feb. 24. “This bill would in no way impact (the Department of Natural Resource’s) ability to manage the public oyster fishery, including the development of rotational harvest management for public oyster bottom.”

Read the full story at the Washington Post

Maryland’s veteran crab manager fired after watermen complain to Governor Hogan

February 23, 2017 — Maryland’s veteran manager of the state’s blue crab fishery was fired this week after a group of watermen complained to Gov. Larry Hogan about a catch regulation that they contend hurts their livelihood — but that scientists say is needed to ensure a sustainable harvest.

Brenda Davis, crab program manager for the Department of Natural Resources and a 28-year state employee, said she was informed Tuesday that her services were no longer needed.

In an interview Wednesday, Davis said Fisheries Director Dave Blazer gave no reason for her summary dismissal. But it came after Hogan met last week with about a dozen Dorchester County watermen who had been pressing Davis and the DNR for a change in a long-time regulation setting the minimum catchable size for crabs.

“I was totally shocked. It was totally unexpected,” Davis said yesterday. “I was really surprised and a bit disappointed given my time there that re-assignment wasn’t an option, because I think I’m going to be short on being able to do full retirement.”

Read the full story at the Bay Journal

Robert Boyles new ACCSP Chair of the Coordinating Council

November 2, 2015 — ST. AUGUSTINE, Fl. — The following was released by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program:

Today, Program partners of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program’s (ACCSP) Coordinating Council (the ACCSP’s governing body), acknowledged the many accomplishments of outgoing Chair, Cheri Patterson of New Hampshire and elected Robert H. Boyles, Jr. as its new Chair.

In assuming the chairmanship, Mr. Boyles spoke eagerly about his new position, “It is with much honor that I accept the position of Chair of the Coordinating Council. To be elected by my fellow colleagues is humbling and I pledge to continue to advance the ACCSP as the principle source of dependable fisheries data on the Atlantic coast. In order to achieve this goal, I plan on guiding ACCSP through a successful governance review process to ensure that the ultimate decision is in the best interest of the Program. I also commit to working with ACCSP staff and Council members committees to upgrade ACCSP applications to the standards that our partners deserve.”

“My predecessor, Cheri Patterson, has paved a smooth path for me as I take on Chairmanship through what I know was countless hours of dedication to this Program. In two short years, Cheri has guided ACCSP through 67 recommendations that were a result of an Independent Review of the Program, ensuring that all recommendations were addressed for implementation through seven different vehicles. Additionally, Cheri oversaw a historic meeting at our last annual meeting in Mystic, Connecticut where the ACCSP’s Coordinating Council met jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board to decide on whether both groups, working with the Atlantic states, should move forward on conducting the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) portion of the Marine Recreational Information Program. The result was a unanimous vote to allow for state conduct of the APAIS beginning in 2016.

Mr. Boyles currently is the Deputy Director for Marine Resources with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. In this position, Mr. Boyles oversees the State of South Carolina’s marine resources research, management, and education operations. Mr. Boyles received his B.S. in Mathematical Economics from Wake Forest University and his M.S. in Marine Policy from the University of Delaware. In 1993, Robert was a Dean John A. Knauss Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellow, where he worked for the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program.

The Coordinating Council also elected Lynn Fegley from Maryland as its Vice-Chair. Ms. Fegley is the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service Deputy Director.

View a PDF of the release

Maryland DNR gets new fisheries director

October 2, 2015 — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a new director of fisheries, David Blazer, who has been on the job since Monday, Sept. 21.

Blazer, most recently before being hired as the director of fisheries, was the deputy director for harbor development at the Maryland Port Administration.

But it’s not his first go-around at DNR, as Blazer started his career with DNR as a sports fishing specialist. He established, coordinated and managed education and promotional programs before being promoted to legislation and regulation program chief, overseeing programs related to fin and sport fish in Maryland. He previously worked at DNR between 1990 and 1998.

Read the full story from The Star Democrat

Upcoming hearings could change Alaska’s salmon fisheries forever

August 9, 2015 — Two hearings this month could change the face of Alaska’s salmon fisheries forever.

On August 21, the Department of Natural Resources will hear both sides on competing claims to water rights for salmon streams at Upper Cook Inlet’s Chuitna River or to a proposed coal mine. If DNR opts for the mine, the decision would set a state precedent.

“It would be the first time in Alaska’s state history that we would allow an Outside corporation to mine completely through a salmon stream,” said Bob Shavelson, a director at Cook Inlet Keeper. “And the sole purpose is to ship coal to China. It is really a very dangerous precedent, because if they can do it here in Cook Inlet they will be able to do it anywhere in the state.”

Cook Inlet Keeper, along with the Chuitna Citizens Coalition and Alaska Center for the Environment, requested the hearing. They want to protect spawning tributaries of the salmon-rich Chuitna; PacRim Coal of Delaware and Texas wants to dewater the streams and dig Alaska’s largest coal mine.

DNR Water Resources Chief Dave Schade agreed that the decision is precedent setting, and it comes down to “saying yes to one applicant, and no to the other.”

The hearing is scheduled for August 21 at the US Federal Building Annex in Anchorage. Testimony is limited to participants in the case and no public comments are scheduled to be taken. A decision by DNR is expected on or before October 9.

Following the water rights hearing will be oral arguments before the Alaska Supreme Court on August 26 on the setnet ban proposed for Cook Inlet and five other “urban, non-subsistence” Alaska regions.

Read the full story from Sit News