“We’ve made tremendous strides in undertaking our role as responsible stewards of this Nation’s great oceans.” – Beth Kerttula, Director of the National Ocean Council The first Report on the Implementation of the National Ocean Policy (passed in 2010) is out. Our regional planning ship is not only pointing down the channel in the right direction, but…
In February, 40 to 50 lemon sharks were observed aggregating off the shores of Jupiter Florida. (Image above is a lemon shark education card by the Jupiter Dive Center.) Over the next week all those sharks were caught by longliners. This “incidental take” happened when longliners were fishing something else. Shark fishery regulations that may…
Got Fish Tales? We’d like to hear from you to learn more about the importance of these New England fish, no matter where you live. The better decision-makers know fish, the better informed will be their decisions. These New England fish were illustrated by Dina Chapeau for the Ocean River Institute. How do they look?…
UPDATE: The preferred alternative Option B will establish Stellwagen Designated Research Area (DHRA) entirely within the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area. 55 sq. mi. about a fifth of the DHRA to become the Northern Reference Area (no-take). 0% private recreational fishermen reported in 2010 & 2012 fishing in the Northern Reference Area 29 is…
Yale E360 recently published an excellent article by Rebecca Kessler on how fish and other marine animals are responding to changing conditions in the Gulf of Maine. Particularly good news are reports of black sea bass moving into waters north of Cape Cod. Marissa McMahan, a doctoral student at Northeastern University in Boston. . .…
Newport, Oregon is one of the highest catch ports in the U.S. as well as a huge recreational, merchant, research and NOAA port. Tell Congress not to relocate the Coast Guard rescue helicopter between 90 and 130 miles away. Tell Congress that adding an hour flight time to Newport’s rescue helicopter is an irresponsible way…
Ocean Enemy #1 (Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.) is moving to block finalization of the government proposal to increase the number of streams and creeks that receive automatic protection under the federal Clean Water Act. The House measure (H.R. 5078) would prohibit the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers from drafting regulations and guidance needed…
Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter dropped all charges against Ken Ward and Jay O’Hara for blocking a coal shipment for nearly a day to the Brayton Point power plant in Somerset, MA. Holding high Bill McKibben’s Rolling Stone article, A Call to Arms, the D.A. said “I do believe they’re right, that we’re at…
