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PRNewswireCornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, New York and the Long Island port of Northport, New York are the second recipients of a grant award from the Fishing for Energy initiative, a program which has provided commercial fishermen a cost-free way to recycle old and unusable fishing gear at 18 ports along the East Coast. The funds received will be used to locate derelict lobster gear in the waters off Western Long Island Sound. Once found, commercial lobstermen will remove the gear and put it in a Fishing for Energy bin located at the Harbor.Fishing for Energy is a partnership between Covanta Energy (Covanta), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, I...

A red-orange substance was reported in the water approximately 11 miles south of Half Moon Bay, California Friday afternoon and was determined to be an algal bloom by visual inspection.The organic material was reported to be in long ribbon-like strings by an overflying pilot.The Coast Guard Cutter Barracuda, an 87-foot patrol boat, arrived on scene and took samples of the organic material. A California Department of Fish and Game Marine Warden was on board the Barracuda when the samples were taken.California Department of Fish and Game officials determined that the red-orange substance was the result of decaying organic matter from an algal bloom. This is a seasonal event that commonly occurs in fall. An upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich water creates ideal conditions for algal blooms. When...

The average American ate 15.8 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2009, a slight decline from the 2008 consumption figure of 16.0 pounds, according to a NOAA Fisheries Service report out today. The US continues as the third-ranked country for consuming fish and shellfish, behind China and Japan. In total, Americans consumed a total of 4.833 billion pounds of seafood in 2009, slightly less than the 4.858 billion pounds in 2008. Shrimp remained the top seafood item of choice for the United States at 4.1 pounds per person, a level unchanged since 2007. The average 15.8 pounds consumed per person in 2009 was composed of 11.8 pounds of fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish, 3.7 pounds of canned seafood, primarily canned tuna, and 0.3 pounds of cured seafood, such as smoked salmon and dried cod. Th...

The Ocean Companies, including the four independent business units of Ocean Gold Seafoods, Ocean Protein, Ocean Cold and Ocean Express, recently joined forces with the Washington CoastSavers to explore ways to better support community understanding of our coastal resources and the impact of marine debris to our environment.The seafood company first collaborated with the CoastSavers when they co-sponsored the July 10 beach cleanup with Twin Harbor State Parks. Since then, the two groups have met to discuss how their shared interest in coastal resource management, sustainable fishing and community education might be better served as a partnership.“The fishing industry has a great deal of experience as stewards of the sea,” says Dennis Rydman, president of Ocean Gold Seafoods. “It is in our o...

By Bob TkaczA reasonably successful July Chinook troll fishery in Southeast Alaska was buoyed by a catch of more than 30,000 chum hooked in the Home Shore sector of Icy Strait, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game."I think catch rates were very good in some areas, especially this first few days, then the water deteriorated to the pint where it took a lot of people off the water," said Pattie Skannes, who took over as ADF&G Southeast region troll management biologist in the spring following the retirement of Brian Lynch. Grant Hagerman moves up to Skannes former post as assistant troll manager. Both will continue to work out of the department's Sitka office.Through July 16 fish tickets accounted for a catch of 65,600 Chinook. Skannes had expected a take of as many as 76,000 so...

By John HurwitzFinally, the California commercial salmon fisherman is being asked to help in assessing the condition of the different Chinook salmon stocks swimming off the California coast. It has been an interesting and exciting experience being able to fish for salmon again. There have been some great laughs (laughing at ourselves) as we set about sorting gear and once again staring up at the trolling poles, trying to remember which tagline goes through which insulator and so forth. It seems, for me at least, that I had forgotten everything I knew about salmon fishing. The season has been closed for two years, and the year prior to the closure, we couldn’t find enough salmon justify the effort.The powers charged with making this all possible are David Goldenberg (Big Kahuna), president ...

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has announced an extension of the disaster for California salmon fishermen due to the low numbers of spawning Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River and the subsequent reduction in commercial fishery revenues. Last week’s announcement continues the disaster declaration made in 2008 for the fishery.“Low Chinook salmon returns to the Sacramento River predicted again this year are causing significant economic hardship to commercial fishermen and their families in California,” Locke said. “Many fishermen are finding it extremely difficult to make a living during the limited fishing season this year.”Sacramento River fall-run Chinook are the backbone of commercial and recreational salmon fishing in California, and the return of adult fish every fall to...

Commercial fishermen who participate in the groundfish fisheries in Alaska sent a release today thanking Alaska Governor Sean Parnell for taking a strong position on the Endangered Species Act in regard to Steller sea lions. “The Pacific cod fisheries of the Aleutians should not be closed based on the fact that sea lion populations are increasing. This fishery is important for Alaska and we greatly appreciate that Governor Parnell has been so responsive in reviewing and opposing the federal government’s plan to close waters where the fisheries occur,” said Linda Kozak, a Kodiak based fisheries consultant.Governor Parnell has petitioned the federal government to remove the eastern stock of Steller sea lions from the endangered species list as a result of a strong population growth. The east...

More than a ton of fresh, whole troll-caught albacore was sold between two Whole Foods Markets on the 12th and 13th of August. The tuna, supplied by Western Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA)-member Pacific Seafood, was sold as part of the 3rd Annual Albacore Truck Sale coordinated by Whole Foods Select Fish in the Northwest.At Portland, Oregon’s Whole Foods Market Fremont, 1,000 lbs of whole tuna was sold in just 56 minutes and by noon, seafood was at 18.18% of store sales.The event surpassed everyone's expectations. It was so huge says Regional Seafood Coordinator, Mark Curran "In all my years, I have never seen anything like this!"In celebration of the local albacore season, Whole Foods Market brings fresh, line-caught, sustainably managed tuna to the West Coast. The natural and organic...

A coalition of 31 consumer, animal welfare and environmental groups, along with commercial and recreational fisheries associations and food retailers submitted a joint statement criticizing an announcement last week by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it will potentially approve the long-shelved AquAdvantage transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption.The engineered Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, which artificially combined growth hormone genes from an unrelated Pacific salmon, (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) with DNA from the anti-freeze genes of an eelpout (Zoarces americanus). This modification causes production of growth-hormone year-round, creating a fish the company claims grows ...