Ahab's Journal

Sea Grant, NOAA Seek 2010 Marine Fisheries Fellows

North Carolina Sea Grant and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are accepting applications for 2010 support of graduate students working towards a doctorate in marine fisheries research.

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NOAA Announces 2010 Student Scholarship Opportunities

NOAA is pleased to announce the availability of scholarships to students majoring in disciplines related to oceanic and atmospheric science, research, or technology, and supportive of the purposes of NOAA's programs and mission, e.g., biological, social and physical sciences; mathematics; engineering; and computer and information sciences.

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Alaska to refund nearly $70 million in commercial fishing fees

JUNEAU, Alaska - Fishermen from outside Alaska can expect nearly $70 million in refunds for commercial fishing license fees the Alaska Supreme Court says were unconstitutionally high.

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JLCSA Meets January 27 in Pine Knoll Shores

The Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, in the Soundside Hall meeting room at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 1 Roosevelt Blvd., Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina.

Conn. charity gets fishing vessels, jobs for vets

BOSTON—His father was a lifelong scalloper, his uncles are fishermen, and 23-year-old Chris Pinto realized as he got older that fishing is "in my blood." It just didn't look like it was in his future.

His father, Paul, died in June in an accident on his boat, which was carrying too much debt for his family to keep.

But a charity for military veterans, and a boat donated by a Westport lobsterman, are giving Pinto a chance at a career he thought he'd never have.

On Friday, the Work Vessels for Veterans charity presented a 39-foot-long fishing boat to Pinto, a veteran of two tours in Iraq as an infantryman. Pinto is joining the National Guard -- and expects to leave for Afghanistan next year -- so he can pay for a commercial lobsterman's license.

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Can they still make a living out there?

Oyster sanctuaries among state initiatives to keep watermen's bounty alive

There are still oysters out there in the Chesapeake Bay — probably 1.6 billion to 2 billion by some estimates. But that is still a small fraction of historical populations.

Now Maryland is hoping to bring a new way of growing and harvesting oysters to skeptical watermen who have done things the same way for generations.

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Body that washed ashore at Pea Island believed to be North Carolina fisherman

A body that washed ashore on the beach at the north end of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Nov. 21, is apparently one of three North Carolina commercial fishermen whose boat sank Wednesday night, Nov. 11, in a coastal storm off the coast of New Jersey.

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Seaweed surcharge hearing draws few people

MACHIAS, Maine — Just four people attended a public hearing Monday night at the University of Maine at Machias regarding a proposal to add a surcharge to seaweed harvests to fund research, enforcement and monitoring of the industry.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is suggesting that seaweed buyers pay a surcharge of $1.50 per wet ton of seaweed harvested. It would apply to anyone purchasing more than 10 tons annually from harvesters.

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Mislabelling drives skate to brink of extinction

PARIS — Due to an 83-year-old error of classification, a species of European skate could become the first marine fish driven to extinction by commercial fishing, according to a study released on Wednesday.

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NMSF Announces 2009 Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund Recipients

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation announced the award of seven grants ranging from $5,000 to more than $23,000 from the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund. These projects are dedicated to increasing public awareness of issues related to our ocean, including marine debris, human interaction with marine mammals, pollution, and the connection between the ocean and human health.

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Nantucket scallops open at $8 per pound

Harbormaster Dave Fronzuto reported at Tuesday's Shellfish and Harbor Advisory Board meeting that 440 bushels of the much sought-after shellfish were hauled in by 77 boats on opening day, and that 178 commercial licenses had been sold.

Island fish markets were paying scallopers $8 a pound for shucked meat, and charging $12 retail.

It was a far cry from last year, which saw slim pickings of classic adult scallops among heaps of nubs, the local term for adult-sized scallops missing the readily-discernible growth rings that indicate their having already spawned.

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Oysters bountiful in Tangier Sound; just 250 oystermen now work bay

DEAL ISLAND -- One month into this year's oyster season, watermen working in the Tangier Sound are finding a healthy and plentiful harvest.

"We've got about 200 boats working out there right now, and every one of them's catching their limit," said Capt. Art Daniels of Wenona, who has been working on the water for the past 72 years.

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EU Officials Warn of Disappearing Cod

The European Union's executive body is calling for sharp cuts in the amount of cod fishermen can catch next year, pointing to estimates that the fish is close to extinction in some major fishing areas around Europe.

Officials warned Friday that only steep catch cuts will prevent the disappearance of a species prized for centuries for its flaky white flesh.

The European Commission said recent studies showed cod catches in some areas are far outstripping the rate of reproduction. It is calling for up to 25 percent cuts in some areas.

Read "EU Officials Warn of Disappearing Cod"

Gigantic Greentail Shrimp

 Check out the size of this greentail that was landed by one of Hobo Seafood's boats working out of Swan Quarter October 14! 

Chatham scallop crop best in decades

CHATHAM — Bay scallops — enough to eat and sell — are back in town for the first time in decades, according to Shellfish Constable Stuart Moore.

The presence of the prized shellfish on the town's south side will be an economic boon for commercial shellfishermen this fall at a time when work is scarce.

"Some people will make some money and some people will have some to eat," said Moore, in the rare position of delivering good scalloping news to the selectmen this week.

Bay scallops, smaller and sweeter than the sea scallops harvested offshore, are a delicacy as prized as oysters and striped bass around the East Coast. They are also more expensive than sea scallops, which were selling for $14.99 a pound at Nauset Fish & Lobster Pool yesterday.

At the Orleans market, Marty Sletzinger of Washington, D.C., yesterday paid $29.99 a pound for Wellfleet bay scallops, "a real luxury," he agreed. He's been coming to Orleans for 25 years, but never late enough in the year to have bay scallops, he said.

Read "Chatham scallop crop best in decades"

Explore Coastal Issues at the “Shape of the Coast” Program

The North Carolina Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center will hold its Fourth Annual “Shape of the Coast” Program on Friday, Oct. 23 at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern. The program is part of the center’s continued efforts to educate the state’s legal community and others on coastal issues.

This year’s program will include a variety of topics — including water resources, coastal insurance and wind energy. In addition, attendees will hear an update on current issues before the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission by the panel’s Chair, Bob Emory.

Read "Explore Coastal Issues at the “Shape of the Coast” Program"

28th International Submerged Lands Management Conference Webinar Series

The 28th International Submerged Lands Management Conference will hold a webinar series in the fall of 2009. Hosted by the Florida’s coastal management program, the series will consist of 6 sessions. Topics include Working Waterfronts, Water Dependency, Wetlands Restoration, and Marine Spatial Planning.

Learn more here

Bluefin tuna ban rejected

The powerful bluefin tuna lobby has shown its teeth. Six of the 27 EU member states this week blocked a proposal by the European Commission to ban the international trade in this threatened fish species.

Among them is Spain, which two years ago reacted positively on a moratorium on tuna fishing, France, where even president Nicolas Sarkozy supported the trade embargo, and Malta, homeland of the EU fisheries commissioner Joe Borg where illegal trade practices and fraudulent fishery administration have been constantly in the media.

Read "Bluefin tuna ban rejected"

Virginia keeps limits on oyster harvesting

NEWPORT NEWS — State regulators agreed Tuesday to continue controversial oyster harvesting rules despite protests from watermen who said the restrictions are ineffective.

The rules, approved unanimously by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission limit where and when oysters can be taken from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

For example, the state will allow watermen to harvest oysters near Tangier Island from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Previously, watermen could work that area from autumn until spring.

Put into practice two years ago, commission members hope the rules will prevent watermen from overfishing sensitive areas and, therefore, keep the oyster population steady. The species, once the backbone of the state's fishing industry, has been decimated by disease, pollution and overfishing during the past 50 years.

Read "Virginia keeps limits on oyster harvesting"

Tuna Town in Japan Sees Falloff of Its Fish

Just a decade or two ago, each boat here could routinely catch three or four tuna a day, fishermen say. Now, they say Oma’s entire fleet of 30 to 40 boats is lucky to bring in a combined total of a half-dozen tuna in a day.

The problem, they say, is that all the fish are being taken by big trawlers that come from elsewhere in Japan, or farther out to sea from Taiwan or China. Some of these ships even use helicopters to spot schools of tuna, which they scoop up in vast nets or catch en masse with long lines of baited hooks. According to local newspapers, there have been repeated incidents of small fishing boats from Oma and other ports intentionally cutting such trawl lines.

“I’m furious at Tokyo’s bureaucrats for failing to protect our tuna,” said Hirofumi Hamahata, 69, the president of the Oma fishermen’s co-op, who has worked as a commercial fisherman since age 15. “They don’t lift a finger against the industrial fishing that just sweeps the ocean clean.”

Read "Tuna Town in Japan Sees Falloff of Its Fish"

Seaweed harvest dispute swirling

Landowners, science at odds with rakers

For Strongin and 14 others in Cobscook Bay, harvesting seaweed is their employment.

But for some bay landowners and others, controversy continues to swirl around the harvesting, which has been going on in the bay since 2000.

Industry regulations by the Maine Department of Marine Resources took effect for the first time last June, and although opponents say conditions around the yearly harvest are much better than in the past, they maintain the harvesting still should be banned.

Read "Seaweed harvest dispute swirling"

 

Sustainable lobster fishery aim of industry collaboration

ST. ANDREWS, N.B. - A sustainable lobster fishery in New Brunswick is achievable as a result of industry collaboration announced Sept. 3 in St. Andrews, where stakeholders in the Lobster Sustainability Foundation discussed developments resulting from their first annual general meeting.

"I am happy to announce, on behalf of the Province of New Brunswick, an initial contribution of $100,000 to the recently formed Lobster Sustainability Foundation," said Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet. "This foundation promises to achieve long-term solutions to ensure a healthy fishery for generations to come. This will be accomplished through the sharing of resources, the sharing of research, and the sharing of visions. In my view, a self-sufficient, healthy, and thriving fishery is within reach, thanks to the teamwork of this foundation."

Read "Sustainable lobster fishery aim of industry collaboration"
 

Weird things people do to money

Read "Weird things people do to money"

Happy Labor Day!

Mike Rowe, the host of "Dirty Jobs," tells some compelling (and horrifying) real-life job stories. Listen for his insights and observations about the nature of hard work, and how it’s been unjustifiably degraded in society today.

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.html

Lobster wars rock isolated Maine island

The shooting has shone a spotlight on a long-standing territorial system all along the ragged Maine coast that gives fishermen unofficial rights to specified waters. The rights are legally unenforceable but important and usually accepted.

Nowhere are they more strictly enforced than around Matinicus Island, home to a fleet of three dozen lobster boats whose crews have a reputation for outlaw behavior.

Read "Lobster wars rock isolated Maine island"

Lobster fishermen at war with trap robbers

Already reeling from record low prices at the dock, commercial lobster fishermen say they're under siege by a spike in trap robbers throughout the Florida Keys, but they're not going down without a fight.

Fishermen from Key West to Key Largo are pooling their money, boats and other resources in a broad effort to step up surveillance of suspected trap robbers. Talks include hiring private pilots to patrol overhead with volunteer fishermen in the cockpit to school them on how to catch the thieves. Other talks include sending teams of fishermen with cameras out on the water in small recreational boats.

"People are broke, and they're going to make it any way they can out here," said Tony Iarocci, a Marathon-based commercial fisherman. "I'm devastated. I've been fishing near the Seven Mile Bridge over 30 years and I've never seen it like this. It's a total nightmare this year." 

Read "Lobster fishermen at war with trap robbers"

Sea Grant Seeks Applications for Communications Fellowship

North Carolina Sea Grant is now accepting applications for its 2009-10 Science Communications Fellowship.

Read "Sea Grant Seeks Applications for Communications Fellowship"

Senator Ted Kennedy, Friend of the Fisherman, 1932-2009

Over the years, Senator Kennedy and his staff in Washington have been reliable allies and friends for fishermen and their families in New Bedford, Gloucester, the South Shore, and the Cape.  Just a few of his successes from the past decade are listed here.  He will be missed by working fishing families and all of his constituents.  Requiem aeternam dona eis, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Read "Senator Ted Kennedy, Friend of the Fisherman, 1932-2009"

Pew expands its presence in Washington

Since December, Pew has been moving much of its widespread Washington operation into a 10-story, refurbished building it bought at 901 E St. NW, across from the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

It is the latest and most concrete step by Pew to secure its position in Washington as a force on national and international issues, ranging from reforming foster care to protecting the world's oceans.

It is also a logical follow to Pew's decision in 2004 to legally change its nonprofit status from that of a foundation to a public charity.

As a public charity with a $3.88 billion endowment, Pew is now able to run programs it once only funded. As a result, it now has about 300 staffers in Washington, up from fewer than 20 in 2003. The new building will put most of those staffers under one roof.

Read "Pew expands its presence in Washington"

An opening for oysters in N.C.

The Nc Coastal Federation and the NC Division of Marine Fisheries have landed $5 million federal recovery act grant that will build more than 49 acres of new oyster reefs with 54,000 tons of limestone riprap mined near New Bern. The plan is to build two oyster sanctuaries -- permanently protected so as to provide a perpetual place where oysters can grow and spread to other areas.

Barges will begin delivering basketball-size chunks of limestone to two sanctuary targets in the next few weeks. One is Clam Shoal just inside Hatteras Island; the other is known as Crab Hole, south of Wanchese on Roanoke Island.

The plan is to place the stone in approximately 20 feet of water, leaving about seven feet of water above the tops of the reefs. That would leave these areas navigable for shallow-draft vessels. And while the oysters on those reefs will not be available for harvesting, the reefs should attract a variety of fish species attractive to hook-and-line fishermen.

The project also includes money to pay commercial fishermen to plant 40,000 bushels of old oyster shells in 19 spots from Ocracoke to Myrtle Grove Sound to boost smaller oyster restoration sites.

Read "An opening for oysters in N.C."

2 NJ lawmakers angling to help fishing industry

TRENTON, N.J. - Two southern New Jersey lawmakers are angling to help the state's commercial fishing industry.

Citing its importance to the state economy and the southern Jersey region, Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam recently introduced legislation that would establish a conflict resolution procedure , similar to the Right to Farm Act for farmers , to settle complaints brought against commercial fishing docks and fish processing facilities.

Read "2 NJ lawmakers angling to help fishing industry"

Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program Requests Proposals

NOAA Fisheries Service is requesting proposals for the FY 2010 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program.  This grant program seeks to provide financial assistance for research and development projects that benefit U.S. fishing industries.  Research priorities that have been identified for the 2010 funding cycle focus on a number of topics, including: aquaculture projects; improved utilization of harvested resources; studies to improve the socioeconomic aspects of fisheries; and conservation engineering projects to reduce or eliminate adverse interactions between fishing operations and non-targeted, protected, or prohibited species. 

Full proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. EST, on September 1, 2009 via Grants.gov.  For more information, including further details on the above priorities and details on how to apply, visit: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/News/NR0910/index.html The application package may also be downloaded from Grants.gov.

Request for Marine Mammal Reseach Grant Proposals

The Marine Mammal Commission Fund supports projects to identify, study, develop, and promote the implementation of more effective protection and conservation measures for marine mammals.  The Marine Mammal Commission, in cooperation with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is currently requesting proposals for research in five topic areas: (1) Marine Mammals and Climate Change in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea; (2) Calibration of New Methods for Surveying Marine Mammals; (3) Alternative Observer Coverage for Marine Mammal Species at High Risk from Fishery Interactions; (4) Building Capacity for Marine Mammal Research and Conservation in the Caribbean Region; and (5) Assessment and Conservation of Sirenians.

The deadline for submitting pre-proposals for this funding opportunity has been extended to August 19, 2009.  Information about this Request for Proposals is available online at http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Charter_Programs_List&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=13338 .

Avoiding Lobster Wars

formalized local management, which is already in place on two islands and under consideration on others, could minimize or even eliminate some of the conflicts.

In exchange for exclusive rights to fish off their coasts, lobstermen on both Monhegan Island and Swan’s Island have accepted much lower trap limits. Monhegan has the most stringent conservation zone. Only Monhegan residents can fish there, but they are limited to 300 traps each, much lower than the statewide limit of 800.

Despite the lower trap limits, the lobster fishery on these islands is more profitable than elsewhere, says Jim Acheson, a University of Maine anthropologist and author of “The Lobster Gangs of Maine.” Fishing fewer traps can eliminate wasted effort and cost and reduces gear overcrowding in the water, he said.

Read "Avoiding Lobster Wars"

 

 

Blast fishing killing Nicaragua's fisheries

On many nights at sea off this Pacific port, Aaron Medina drops bombs that cause dozens of fish to soar into the air.

Like a drug dealer advertising his goods, the 23-year-old fisherman rubbernecks to ensure no police are around before pulling a 1-pound bomb from his pocket. It's an old sardine can wrapped in a cement bag filled with gunpowder, sugar and sulfur. It is lit with a waterproof wick.

"It's the only way to survive in fishing today," said Medina, who has been fishing with explosives off Corinto, Nicaragua's largest port, since he was 12 years old.

Read "Blast fishing killing Nicaragua's fisheries"

 

"Deadliest Catch" seamen say fishermen not greedy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boat captains from the U.S. television show "Deadliest Catch," which chronicles the perils of Bering Sea crab fishing, say small commercial fishermen are unfairly blamed in the debate over declining fish populations. 

Read "Deadliest Catch" seamen say fishermen not greedy"

Rare orange lobster finds new home at Seabrook Station

Orange lobsters are supposedly so rare, they occur only once out of every 500 million lobsters, but that hasn't been the case this year.

For the second time this summer, an orange lobster was part of the catch that made its way to Brown's Lobster Pound in Seabrook, N.H.

The last time a rare-coloredlobster surfaced, it was a 11/4-pound male lobster colored a most unusual yellow, orange and black with a really white underside, caught by an Essex lobsterman in May. That lobster went to the New England Aquarium in Boston.

But no boiling pot will claim this anomaly of nature. It's residing at the Science and Nature Center at the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant, along with Chilly Willy, the center's famous blue lobster.

Read "Rare orange lobster finds new home at Seabrook Station" 

Could we be the generation that runs out of fish?

In the babbling Babel of 24/7 news – where elections, bailouts and beheadings blur into one long shriek – the slow-motion stories that will define our age are often lost. An extraordinary documentary released next week, The End of the Line, forces us to stop, and see. Its story is stark. In my parents' lifetime, we have killed 90 per cent of the world's fish. In my lifetime, we will finish off the rest – unless we change our ways, fast. We are on course to be the people who wiped fish from the earth. 

Read "Could we be the generation that runs out of fish?"

Sea change: Fishing ban reversed

ROCKLAND, Maine — In a reversal of its earlier decision, the state will allow Matinicus Island fishermen to be back in their boats tending their traps and earning their livelihood beginning Monday.

The Department of Marine Resources initially had suspended fishing around the island for two weeks in the aftermath of this week’s alleged shooting of one lobsterman by another in a dispute over fishing territory.

The decision to reopen the fishing grounds was reached Thursday in Knox County Superior Court in response to requests for preliminary injunctions against the state filed by two Matinicus lobstermen affected by the closing. The cases were settled before coming to trial.

Read "Sea change: fishing ban reversed"

 

CFCC Marine Technology program's status

The Dan Moore has been Cape Fear's loyal training vessel for the past 26 years, but she is well beyond her life expectancy. She is pushing 50 years old in a salt water environment, compromising certainty for safe sea voyages.

"We can get a new boat to replace the Dan Moore that would have much more capabilities. It would be an even better asset to the research community in the southeast United States, particularly, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, both up in Beauford in Morehead City, and UNCW in Wilmington," Rogers said. 

Read "CFCC Marine Technology program's status"

Matinicus resident says ban on lobstering punishes the innocent

DMR says action necessary to calm island situation

A Department of Marine Resources official said Wednesday afternoon that the length of the closure would depend entirely on how well the island’s lobstermen comply with the emergency restrictions over the next few days.

DMR ordered the closure Tuesday as an emergency “cooling-off period” after island lobsterman Chris Young was shot in the neck Monday allegedly by island lobsterman Vance Bunker, 68. The two men had been feuding over lobster territory, police officials said. The shutdown is to begin a half-hour before sunrise today.

Read "Matinicus resident says ban on lobstering punishes the innocent"

 

Divers freak out at squid invasion

SAN DIEGO Thousands of jumbo flying squids – aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles – have invaded the shallow waters off San Diego, spooking divers and washing up dead on tourist-packed beaches.

The carnivorous cephalopods, which can reach 100 pounds, came up from the depths last week.

Read "Divers freak out at squid invasion"

The End of the Line

"Imagine a world without fish"

Visit the website for the film

Rational noncompliance and the liquidation of Northeast groundfish resources.

"In a nationwide study, Drs. Dennis King and Jon Sutinen examined fisheries enforcement compliance rates and their associated financial implications. In a case study of the Northeast multispecies groundfish (NEGF) fishery, they found that given the conditions in the fishery and current levels of enforcement, there are high economic incentives for fishermen to violate regulations. They also found evidence that social factors that usually support voluntary compliance, including moral obligation and community pressure, are declining as the credibility of fisheries regulations among fishermen decreases and economic pressures increase. The authors call for a smart compliance program that focuses enforcement and penalties on frequent offenders, while strengthening the basis of moral obligations to comply."

Read More: "Rational noncompliance and the liquidation of Northeast groundfish resources"

Third of open ocean sharks face extinction: study

"PARIS (AFP) – A third of the world's open water sharks -- including the great white and hammerhead -- face extinction, according to a major conservation survey released Thursday.

Species hunted on the high seas are particularly at risk, with more than half in danger of dying out, reported the Shark Specialist Group at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Collapsing shark populations have already severely disrupted at least two coastal marine ecosystems, and could trigger even more severe consequences in the high seas, marine biologists warned at the same time."

Read "Third of open ocean sharks face extinction: study"

Report: Coast Guard law system serves mariners justice

"The U.S. General Accounting Office has found the Coast Guard's administrative law judge system to be a valid court operation that affords justice to mariners brought to trial.

The report serves to polish the image of a civil law trial system that was tarnished in 2007 by a report in the Baltimore Sun and hearings before a U.S. House subcommittee.

The newspaper reported that mariners stood little chance of winning cases brought by the Coast Guard into its administrative law system.

But the GAO study did not consider the standard of justice achieved in the system when it takes up cases brought against fishermen and industry merchants by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which contracts to have its charges tried in the Coast Guard courts."

Read "Report: Coast Guard law system serves mariners justice" 

Peta vs. Pike Place fish-throwers

"In an odd dispute between animal-rights activists and — of all people — veterinarians, "It's "gloves off," says PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk.

Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plan to protest a fish-throwing demonstration from the employees of Pike Place Fish at the opening ceremony of The American Veterinary Medical Association's annual convention, to be held July 11-14 in Seattle."

Read "Peta vs. Pike Place fish-throwers"

Shellfish predator's population surging

"SANDWICH - The five-armed creatures appeared by the thousands last Sunday at Scusset Beach State Reservation - spiny-skinned organisms so resilient that if one of their arms gets lopped off, it grows right back.

A starfish invasion is underway.

Enormous mats of the spiny creatures are infesting pockets of New England waters from Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod Bay this spring, charming beachcombers but tormenting some fishermen who worry they could devour the region's bounty of oysters, scallops, clams, and mussels."

Read "Shellfish predator's population surging"

Fisherman Greenlaw fined $31,500 in Canada

"Former Gloucester swordfisherman and author Linda Greenlaw — who survived the 1991 nor'easter that was the basis for the book and film "The Perfect Storm" — was hit with a five-figure fine yesterday for fishing illegally in Canadian waters.

A judge in St. John's, Newfoundland, imposed fines against Greenlaw of around $31,500 in U.S. currency for entering Canadian waters and fishing illegally last fall. The Canadian government also seized her swordfish catch."

Read "Fisherman Greenlaw fined $31,500 in Canada"

How tuna conquered the world

We swallowed it in sandwiches. We scoffed it as sushi. Now it's swimming straight towards extinction. How did the global appetite for tuna become insatiable?

"Celebrity chefs keep returning to a four-letter in their glossy recipe books: tuna. Gordon Ramsay offers sesame-encrusted tuna with watercress salad; Nigella Lawson knocks ups a time-saving tuna, crab and avocado wrap. Rick Stein? That'll be chargrilled tuna with salsa verde.

None of these dishes would have been in a best-selling cookery collection in the early 1990s. Tuna has become one of the great, healthy convenience foods of the modern age: unusual and expensive enough to be a treat; new enough to be fashionable, and easy to cook." 

Read "How tuna conquered the world"