National Fisherman

Is it doomsday?

April Forristall — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:59:26 GMT

These days New England groundfish fishermen are on quite a roller coaster ride.   First, a week ago, we learned that the loudest voice behind the catastrophic (for the Northeast) catch shares system, NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco, will be stepping down

Fish forward

April Forristall — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:07:20 GMT

On Tuesday this week, Election Day had local and macro effects on the fishing industry.   Oregon’s voters once again voted down a net ban proposal that would have pushed local salmon gillnetters out of the Columbia River completely. The ban

Taken by storm

April Forristall — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:05:38 GMT

Hurricane Sandy lived up to her name earlier this week.   Not only was she a superstorm, but she churned up and deposited acres of sand on the New Jersey coast. The tidal highs combined with the power of the storm

Will cute trump cod?

April Forristall — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:31:06 GMT

The controversy in Canada this week is over a proposed seal cull in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.   Fishermen are eager to try anything that will give the cod a fighting chance of rebounding. But some scientists and animal

Brian trust

April Forristall — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:23:03 GMT

There’s no task more daunting and more rewarding than naming our annual Highliner Award winners. I often feel unqualified to decide who should get the award among fishermen who have worked for decades in this industry. But I try to

It’s Expo time

April Forristall — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:59:30 GMT

It’s that time of year. We are hustling and bustling around our Portland offices preparing to ship our show issue that will arrive with us in Seattle for Pacific Marine Expo at the end of November. If you’ve ever wanted

Fishy, fishy, fishy fish

April Forristall — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:27:08 GMT

Last month, NSF International announced they were adding Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s chain of custody certification to their portfolio. The ASC is an independent body that has piggy backed on the globally accepted sustainability standards of the Marine Stewardship Council. The

Too big to fail?

April Forristall — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:03:00 GMT

U.S. fishermen have seen it many times over. The federal government intervenes with a poorly managed industry, and the results run the gamut. Sometimes, it's gangbusters, and sometimes it's a flop.   But when the government fails in a major way

Cue the violins

April Forristall — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:27:56 GMT

I have a 2 year old. I spend a lot of time asking him to use better manners and ask for things in a nice way instead of whining. When he whines, I tell him I can't understand him.   Today

A chunk of change

April Forristall — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 21:11:24 GMT

Yesterday, the Commerce Department issued federal disaster declarations for two disparate fisheries — Alaska king salmon and Northeast groundfish.   What is it about a disaster declaration that garners huge headlines? And yet, the fact that small boat fishermen are going

Net loss

April Forristall — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:26:53 GMT

This week three groups who supported an Oregon ballot initiative to ban commercial gillnetting in the Columbia River have pulled their support from the ballot measure. They are instead throwing their weight behind Gov. John Kitzhaber's proposed solution to restrict

Riding out another storm

April Forristall — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:31:02 GMT

Seven years from the day Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Isaac is back to test the fortified levees in and around New Orleans.   So far, flood waters are breaching 18 miles of levees in Plaquemines Parish,

Get your tail in gear

April Forristall — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:50:14 GMT

You know you’re invested when a story comes on the radio and you stop everything you’re doing to listen and then raise your arms and cheer when a voice you trust comes over the airwaves.   If you guessed that I'm

Tough odds

April Forristall — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:56:44 GMT

In my morning headline perusal, the confluence of two stories got me thinking. First was about the Midwestern chain of grocery stores promoting Gulf of Mexico shrimp and then I saw a headline about a new jackpot lotto winner in

Cod end

April Forristall — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:10:20 GMT

The Northeast groundfish fleet is on its knees and looking at a final, fatal blow in the form of severe cuts to key species and the possibility of closures relating to Endangered Species Act protections for some populations of Atlantic

Fishing is a fickle beast

April Forristall — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:41:39 GMT

Another week, another seafood glut, another strike.   Salmon fishermen in northern California have been enjoying a bountiful season of king salmon returns. It’s a true blessing after three years of shutdowns and minimal openings, but the blessing has become a

Buggy summer

April Forristall — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:51:04 GMT

It’s summertime in Vacationland, so all should be fine and dandy. In fact, so far, this is one of the most spectacular summers I can remember.  But today is Friday the 13th, and vacationers headed toward the state face a

Bottled rockets

April Forristall — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:53:33 GMT

This Fourth of July week, the biggest display of fireworks may well be at the NMFS' Seattle office of law enforcement. The boom could be heard in February when a report from Commerce Department Inspector General Todd Zinser revealed alleged

Cape Codder, with a twist

April Forristall — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:29:29 GMT

I was delighted this week to learn that William (Bill) Karp received his official appointment to head NMFS’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Mass.   Karp has been serving as acting director of the science center since January, and

Blank filling in at Commerce Department

April Forristall — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:33:31 GMT

So much for the John Bryson era as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. It began with his Senate confirmation in October and ended yesterday when he submitted his letter of resignation to President Obama, less than two weeks after the