Covid-related decline in US fishing and seafood in 2020
NOAA Fisheries has released a report analysing the effects of Covid-19 on the US seafood industry and for-hire fishing sector for 2020. The U.S. Seafood Industry and For-Hire Sector Impacts…
A halibut catch at St. Paul Harbor in Kodiak, Alaska
Million dollar fine for Alaska fisherman
Kodiak fisherman James Aaron Stevens was sentenced earlier this month to a six-month term in a federal prison and a $1 million fine after being found guilty of falsely labelling catches. The…
Image: WCPFC
Taiwan seeks consultation with US on IUU fishing
Responding to the NOAA 2021 report on Improving International Fisheries Management, the Fisheries Agency of Taiwan has stated that it will initiate the consultation with the US, alongside an investigation…
NOAA takes strong stance on IUU fishing
A new US report released by NOAA identifies 31 nations and entities engaged in IUU fishing and by-catch. The 2021 Biennial Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management, identifies…
US fishing and seafood have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Image: NOAA
Broad decline in US fishing and seafood due to Covid-19
The US fishing and seafood sector has generated more than $200 billion in annual sales and supported 1.7 million jobs in recent years, but experienced broad declines in 2020 as…
Sunrise over Santa Barbara harbour. Image: Getty Images
$65 million allocated for fishery disaster relief
Funds are to be provided to support US communities affected by fishery disasters between 2017 and 2019. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $65 million to communities…
Fishery observers Sean Sullivan and Virginia Taggert measure and record the size of fish. Image: NOAA
Keeping fishery observers safe from harassment
New outreach efforts underway by NOAA to ensure that fishery observers feel comfortable reporting harassment issues and ensure that fishing vessel crews, skippers and fishing company managers understand what constitutes…
Tony Borges in Sao Paulo’s wheelhouse. Image: NOAA
Electronic reporting to provide real time data and ecosystem understanding
New Bedford fisherman Tony Borges gets useful real-time information from monitoring. For 200 days of each of the past 44 years, Tony Borges has been setting out from New Bedford,…
New Bedford’s notorious Codfather will serve time in prison, pay stiff financial penalties and is out of fishing for life. Image: Wikipedia Commons
New Bedford’s Codfather gets life fishing ban
The US government’s case against New Bedford fishing kingpin Carlos Rafael has been concluded – with a $3 million financial penalty, a 46-month prison sentence with three years of supervision…