It's no secret that the vast majority of recreational anglers and charter boat captains in the southeast United States believe the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) lives off bad data, and as a result, anglers are forced to deal with shortened and closed seasons.
The NMFS is a department in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that handles the management of the fisheries.
Earlier this week, senators from the states of Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a review of how the Department of Commerce conducts stock assessments in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
The stock assessments conducted by the NMFS are critical in maintaining the vitality of the fisheries, the fishing communities and related industries in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Ocean.
"Stock assessments are the foundation of sound fishery management," said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a recent press release on his website. "It is vital that, as we work to preserve the waters and resources surrounding Florida and other states, we base our management decisions on sound science. The report we've requested today will shed light on the decision-making process within the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and will help us to determine the best path forward so that we can ensure the economic livelihood of the fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic and the industries that depend on them."
Read the full story at the Pensacola News Journal>>
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.
National Fisherman has been the industry standard for over 50 years. Readers from coast to coast depend on it to stay up to date on news, regulations, fish stocks, to research purchasing decisions and to stay informed of the newest vessel and product technology.
