In Mixed Catch, NF Senior Editor Linc Bedrosian spotlights a wide range of commercial fishing-related news items from coast to coast.
Friday, 24 August 2012
Wednesday found Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) somewhere you probably wouldn't expect to find him — working on the deck of a shrimp boat.
Scott spent the day working as a striker on skipper Mike Adams shrimp boat Bag Boy as part of the governor's "Let's Get to Work" program. Reviving a tradition started by former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, Scott spends one day a month working at Florida businesses that mirror jobs he worked through the years. He kicked off the program a year ago working at a Tampa donut shop that was similar to the one he started and his mom ran in Kansas City.
This week, he met Adams at the dock in Ulee at 4:45 a.m. to begin a day of shrimping in the Bells and Jolly rivers. After helping load ice into coolers that would hold the day's catch, the Bag Boy headed for the fishing grounds. Scott listened to Adams talk about the pros and cons of being a second generation shrimper.
Scott spent the day helping Adams and his deckhand sort shrimp, pack it on ice for later delivery to market at the end of the day, and return any bycatch back into the river. Towards the end of the day he helped ready the fishing gear for the next day's work. And upon returning to the docks, he helped transport the eight 50-pound totes of shrimp into Adams truck for delivery to market.
According to the governor's website, one of the goals of the day of shrimping was promoting Florida's seafood industry, which has a $5.7 billion impact on Florida's economy, and provides 110,000 jobs.
"There are people like Capt. Mike, who work hard day in and day out to provide for their families and keep Florida's economy moving in the right direction," Scott said in a press release, "and I am proud to work alongside him today."
It'd be easy to shrug off Scott's day shrimping as nothing more than a nice photo opportunity that would gain him a little good publicity. An Associated Press story that appeared in Thursday's Miami Herald suggests he could use some.
Then again, it's good to see the governor of a state that's been less than friendly to its commercial fishermen over the years touting the merits of the Sunshine State's fishing industry.
According to the governor's website, anyone wishing to suggest jobs for the governor's "Let's Get to Work" days can send an email to RickScott@eogmyflorida.com. Would anyone like to take Scott out for a day of cast netting for mullet?
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
Over 500 lots of seafood processing equipment formerly owned by Adak Seafood will be sold at auction on Tuesday, June 18, starting at 10 a.m. Hawaiian-Aleutian Daylight Time at the Hilton Garden Inn in Anchorage Alaska.
The equipment is located in a recently updated 250,000 square foot state-of-the-art processing facility in Adak, Alaska. Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Hilco Industrial, which conducts 75 machinery and equipment auctions in a wide range of industries annually, will conduct the auction.
Adak Seafood opened originally as Ada Fisheries in Anchorage in 1986. The facility, updated in 2005, is located on the island of Adak, the southernmost city in Alaska near the western end of the Aleutian Islands. The facility processed cod primarily, as well as halibut, blackcod, crab and pollock, Hilco says.
Alaska fisherman and commercial fisheries activist Kevin Adams was elected chairman at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors meeting on May 9 in Anchorage.
The governor-appointed board consists of seven members: five seafood processors and two industry representatives actively engaged in commercial fishing. Adams was appointed to fill a harvester seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2004.
With 38 years of fishing experience in Bristol Bay, Adams has long been an active member in the Alaska fishing industry, ASMI says. He has worked for both the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, and represents Alaska fishermen on numerous boards.
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