It's bad enough that America's Atlantic tuna fishermen — including the Gloucester boats and captains featured in National Geographic's "Wicked Tuna" TV series — will be dealing with the same collective bluefin limit of 1,750 metric tons they faced this year, even when studies show the stock's biomass at 145 percent.
But New England and other Atlantic tuna fishermen have only foreign officials and scientists to thank that the limits by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas – or ICCAT — aren't lower than the current figures, again, in spite of the stock's documented growth. For that was the direction sought by NOAA chief administrator Jane Lubchenco, who, rather than representing the interest of NOAA's parent Department of Commerce, American fishermen, and other U.S. businesses tied to the tuna trade, instead pushed for the catch to be lowered, even in the face of science that showed there was no need to do so.
If this doesn't spur federal lawmakers and the Obama administration to give her the boot, we can only wonder what will. Lubchenco's calls at the recent ICCAT meeting in Morocco – thankfully ignored or refuted by respected scientists and government officials from other countries — are nothing short of a disgrace.
Read the full story at Gloucester Times
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
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.
The Northeast Regional Planning Body, a group of state, tribal and federal representatives from New England who are working to implement the National Ocean Policy and address critical New England ocean issues, is holding a series of public meetings in May and June.
The meetings are being held to discuss draft regional ocean planning goals and associated potential actions. The planning body seeks input on these goals and actions. Additional information on the group's progress can be found here.
The meetings will also provide an opportunity to review draft maps and products from initial efforts to gather information on the natural resources and diverse uses of the ocean, including fishing, transportation, energy and infrastructure, aquaculture, and recreation.
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