Saving Seafood

HILDE LEE: Cod has special place in nation’s food history

July 11, 2017 — I have a certain curiosity about food, particularly seafood. I am not shy about asking, “Is the fish fresh? When did it come in?”

Thus, one day I got the definitive answer from one a man at one of our local grocery store fish counters. “Yes, the fish is fresh and we get it frozen. I only thaw out what I think will sell daily. Thus, the fish is very fresh.” Well, it may be fresh, but it was frozen. After all, we are not on the seacoast.

I like cod and the various members of the cod family — haddock, hake, pollock and Atlantic cod. The flesh of these fish is usually firm, making it ideal for a variety of dishes — broiled, baked, and stewed. Cod is also a good receiver of sauces, particularly tomato-based ones with herbs.

Just like the bison and the eagle, cod can be considered a symbol of America. It was here even before the first settlers came to New England, where cod was plentiful.

When Giovanni Caboto sailed from Bristol, England, on May 2, 1497, he, like Columbus, was searching for a western sea route to Asia. But Caboto — known as John Cabot, a Venetian navigator sponsored by King Henry VII — returned from his first voyage not with exotic spices, but tales of the sea. He told of the many fishes that could be caught simply by lowering weighted baskets into the water.

Even before Cabot’s reports of great schools of cod along the northern shores of the new continent, fishermen from Scandinavian areas had spent any years fishing the North Atlantic.

By 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold ventured south beyond Nova Scotia seeking sassafras — believed to be a cure for syphilis — but found French and Portuguese fishermen harvesting numerous fish along the Great Banks, an area 350 miles of coast south of Newfoundland. There, the cold Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream joined, creating ideal conditions for a variety of fish. Gosnold named the land, which jutted out to sea, Cape Cod.

Read the full story at The Daily Progress

GLOUCESTER TIMES: Saving a species in danger

July 11, 2017 — The revival of the right whale should be one of America’s great conservation success stories, standing alongside the grey wolf, the American bison and the bald eagle.

Once hunted to the edge of extinction, the right whale made strong strides toward recovery in recent decades, in large part due to conservation efforts. Today there are thought to be about 500 of the mammals swimming in Atlantic waters.

Recent events, however, show just how tenuous the species’ hold on survival really is, and make clear the need for continued, innovative conservation efforts. A new effort to educate recreational and competitive sailors about the dangers of vessel strikes is a step in the right direction.

Six right whales were found dead in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, late last month. Early evidence suggests two of the whales died after being struck by boats, and one after becoming entangled in lost or discarded fishing gear.

Meanwhile, fewer right whale calves have been born in recent years.

“Including the right whale killed by a ship strike in Cape Cod this past April, we have now lost seven right whales in a year where only five calves were born,” said Regina Asmutis-Silva, executive director of the Plymouth-based research and advocacy group Whale and Dolphin Conservation. “Only 20 years ago, over 500 (vaquita whales) swam in the Gulf of California but today only 30 remain because of human impacts. Where will the right whales be in 20 years if we do not make meaningful changes that reduce their threats of ship strikes and entanglements?”

Massachusetts researchers, who warned the species was in trouble last year, remain concerned.

Read the full opinion piece at the Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Cape Cod shellfish bed closures await lab results

July 10, 2017 — Shellfish growing areas in six towns that were closed by the state Division of Marine Fisheries on Friday remained closed Monday pending lab results of bacteriological water samples from the affected areas, according to Katie Gronendyke, spokeswoman for the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The state closed shellfish growing areas east of the Cape Cod Canal in the towns of Sandwich, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable and in Lewis Bay in Yarmouth because of extreme rainfall. Shellfish beds in Sandwich are open only from November through May, according to the Sandwich Department of Natural Resources.

Friday’s rain, which accumulated up to 4 inches in two to three hours in some areas, overwhelmed roads, parking lots and storm drain systems, Gronendyke wrote in an email. The flooding can cause contaminated water to accumulate and release into coastal waters, she wrote.

The towns in which the shellfish growing areas were closed received the heaviest rainfall, she wrote.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Police identify New Bedford man reported missing from Miss Shauna

July 6, 2017 — Police identified the New Bedford fisherman, who presumably fell overboard on Monday, as Thomas Quintin Jr.

The 55-year-old was born into a fishing family. Both his grandfathers were fishermen and both were lost at sea, according to police, who also said his father, two nephews and sister all fished.

Quintin entered the fishing industry at 17 and was the captain of a New Bedford-based vessel for more than two decades before working aboard the Miss Shauna, police said.

According to Quintin’s Facebook page, he received a 200 ton masters license from Northeast Maritime Institute in 2014-15. A deeply religious man, he graduated from Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in 1979.

The Coast Guard suspended a 28-hour search for Quintin on Wednesday.

Sabrina Clarke, of the Coast Guard, said a variety of reasons contribute to a suspension of a search including weather, water temperature and safety equipment the person may have been wearing.

The search for Quintin in the Atlantic Ocean began Monday afternoon after he didn’t report to his post when the Miss Shauna was about 25 miles south of Montauk, New York. He was last seen by the crew at around 4 p.m.

The vessel has since returned to New Bedford, according to an employee at Miss Shauna LCC at 1 Cape St.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and National Park Team Up to Present Something Fishy Camp

July 6, 2017 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, and the Whaling History Alliance have teamed up to offer a free summer camp at the Park for New Bedford children entering grade 4 in the fall of 2017.  Something Fishy Summer Camp is designed to give kids an introduction to the history and culture of the working port from whaling days to present day commercial fishing.

Camp activities will include hands-on marine science with fisheries scientists; storytellers; marlinspike ropework; arts and crafts; a harbor tour; and a fishing vessel tour. In addition, campers will explore the Park to learn about New Bedford’s whaling history and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to learn about present day commercial fishing from a fisherman.  They will also visit the Seaman’s Bethel, Casa dos Botes Discovery Center; and Buzzards Bay Coalition.

The camp curriculum is designed to engage local youth in learning abut the history and culture of New Bedford’s whaling and fishing industries. For campers whose families are connected to our working waterfront, these programs honor the lives and experiences of their families.  For those who are not directly connected to the port, the opportunity to learn about this part of our community is equally important. Unlike many waterfront communities that have lost their working waterfront to development, New Bedford remains a working harbor. Continued support and preservation of our working waterfront requires a citizenry that understands its’ essential value.  It is the children of today who will be shaping the port of the future.     

Campers were chosen by lottery for a one-week session. Sessions begin July 10th and July 17th. 

Something Fishy Camp is a collaboration between the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, and the Whaling History Alliance.  The 2017 camp program is made possible by grants from the United Way Summer Fund, New Bedford Day Nursery Foundation, the New Bedford Education Foundation, and support from BayCoast Bank.

Overdose suspected in fisherman’s death

July 6, 2017 — The death of a 26-year-old Maine fisherman, found aboard a vessel moored at the Jodrey State Fish Pier over the holiday weekend, is being categorized by the Essex District Attorney’s office as a suspected drug overdose.

Neither the state medical examiner’s office nor law enforcement authorities would confirm the identity of the man who was found aboard the FV/Titan at the fish pier off Parker Street early Saturday morning. A positive identification and definitive cause of death were, as of Wednesday, pending findings by state medical examiner’s office, said Carrie Kimball Monahan, spokeswoman for the office of Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.

Massachusetts state police from the DA’s office, following a call from Gloucester police, responded to a report of an unattended death. The troopers and Gloucester police found drug paraphernalia at the scene, indicating a likely overdose, Kimball Monahan said. There were no signs of foul play, and the DA’s office is not actively investigating, she said.

“If there is a presence of drug paraphernalia on or in the vicinity of the deceased, we will categorize that as a suspected drug overdose,” Kimball Monahan said. The DA’s office tracks overdose deaths each year for Essex County.

John McCarthy, Gloucester’s interim police chief, said Wednesday that police and the Fire Department’s rescue squad had responded to a call from an “unknown party” around 5:30 a.m. Saturday reporting an apparent drug overdose on the fishing boat Titan.

He said police and Fire Department paramedics found the 26-year-old man on the boat, and administered nasal naloxone, a drug that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose often known by its trade name, Narcan. 

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Watch Out For Whales South of Nantucket

July 6, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries announces that a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area – DMA) has been established south of Nantucket, MA to protect an aggregation of 3 right whales sighted in this area on July 3, 2017. This DMA is in effect immediately through July 18, 2017. Mariners are requested to route around this area or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

VOLUNTARY DYNAMIC MANAGEMENT AREAS (DMAs)

Mariners are requested to avoid or transit at 10 knots or less inside the following areas where persistent aggregations of right whales have been sighted. Please visit www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike for more information.

South of Nantucket, MA DMA — in effect through July 18, 2017

41 32 N

40 53 N

070 29 W

069 36 W

ACTIVE SEASONAL MANAGEMENT AREAS (SMAs)

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Great South Channel U.S. SMA — in effect through July 31, 2017

FOR RECENT RIGHT WHALE SIGHTINGS, VISIT:

www.nefsc.noaa.gov/psb/surveys/

DOWNLOAD THE WHALE ALERT APP FOR iPAD AND iPHONE:

stellwagen.noaa.gov/protect/whalealert.html

Questions? Contact Peter Kelliher at 978-282-8474 or peter.kelliher@noaa.gov.

Dogfish — it’s what’s for dinner on the Cape

July 5, 2017 — “Dogfish, you want to try the dogfish?” queried my companion as we eyed the menu at Provincetown’s Far Land on the Beach. With just $20 between us, we were wavering between sharing one $19 lobster roll, or each ordering our own $9 dogfish sandwich.

Dogfish, a small shark, was on the Memorial Day menu courtesy of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance Pier to Plate Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative promoting local, sustainably caught but relatively unknown fish.

Hungry from biking, we opted for the dogfish sandwiches. We were not disappointed.

Dusted in cornmeal and deep-fried, the white fish patty was meaty and moist without strong flavor. It didn’t flake like cod, but it was piping hot, slightly crunchy, and served on a buttery brioche roll with lettuce, tomato, and a caper basil tartar sauce. It hit the spot.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

Crew member overboard on New Bedford-based fishing vessel Miss Shauna

July 5, 2017 — The search for a man overboard on the New Bedford-based fishing vessel Miss Shauna continued for a second day Tuesday off Long Island, the Coast Guard said through spokesman Petty Officer Steve Strohmeier.

As of 9 p.m. Tuesday four Coast Guard units continued to search the Atlantic, with the help of some nearby fishing boats, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The unidentified 55-year-old man went overboard Monday afternoon when the boat was about 25 miles south of Montauk, New York. The crew member was last seen at 4 p.m., and according to the Coast Guard he was not wearing a life jacket. He was reported missing a half-hour later, The East Hampton Star reported.

The crew member did not report for watch, could not be found on the Miss Shauna, and was presumed overboard, the star reported.

The search was being coordinated from the sea and air and Coast Guard vessels, private fishing boats and Coast Guard aircraft taking part.

The Miss Shauna is a 51-foot vessel owned by Miss Shauna LLC, with an address on Cape Street in New Bedford’s waterfront, with Paul Weckesser listed as manager.

No one answered the phone at Weckesser’s office or Acushnet home on Tuesday afternoon.

The Coast Guard deployed a number of assets in the search for the crewmember. They include a 470-foot motor lifeboat from station Montauk; a second one from Station Shinnecock; an MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod; an HC-144 Ocean Sentry plan from Air Station Cape Cod; an HC Hercules plane from Air Station Elizabeth City; the Coast Guard Cutter Shrike; and the Coast Guard Cutter Juniper.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

A growing concern over great white sharks in Cape Cod

June 29, 2017 — An influx of great white shark sightings has residents and tourists worried about potential encounters in the water, especially during the heart of summer.

Senior Fisheries Biologist Dr. Greg Skomal told ABC News the increase in the great white shark population off the Massachusetts coastline is correlated to the gray seal population and that numbers are expected to rise even further.

“We’ve been studying sharks off the coast of Massachusetts for 30 years and our work with white sharks off Cape Cod is relatively recent,” Dr. Skomal said on “Good Morning America.” “The numbers we’re seeing on a relative scale are increasing, in 2014 we counted 80 individuals over the course of the summer and just last summer that went up to about 147. So there is a general increasing trend as more and more sharks recruit to the area.”

This season at least six great white shark sightings have already been reported, including a recent sighting off Wellfleet on May 9.

The National Park Service for Cape Cod has issued alerts to heed advisories at beaches to help ensure safety “particularly regarding white sharks.”

Skomal believes the influx of sharks is a direct result of the growing seal population. “We think it’s highly correlated with the growing presence of gray seals in the area. Big white sharks like to feed on gray seals. Over the course of the last 45 years, the gray seal population is a conservation success story. It has rebounded after protection was put in place in 1972 and that rebounding population now has reached levels that could be an excess of 20 to 30,000 animals in the area and white sharks are drawn to those areas to feed on them.”

Read the full story at WJBF