Category: Fisheries

The Deadliest Catches

| Posted in Fisheries

Today’s Press Herald includes a comparison of the rate of fatalities for ground fishing, scalloping and other fishing fleets.

In order to make valid comparisons, the study calculated death rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, or FTEs, in each segment of the industry. From 2000 to 2009, the rates were 600 deaths per 100,000 groundfishermen and 425 deaths per 100,000 scallop fishermen in the Atlantic, according to the study. That compares with a rate of 260 deaths per 100,000 in the Alaskan crab fishery.

Fish Exchange & Rising Tide Brewing

| Posted in Fisheries

Mainebiz has published an article on the challenges facing the Portland Fish Exchange.

Bert Jongerden, general manager of the fish exchange, maintains that the types of financial incentives offered to fishermen in the Bay State are desperately needed “to level the playing field” if Maine hopes to hold onto what’s left of its groundfishing industry. Those include such measures as allowing them to sell lobster bycatch (the lobsters that get caught in the groundfishermen’s nets) or passing a permanent rebate on the 5% diesel fuel tax.

The newspaper also includes a report on a new brewery in Portland called Rising Tide Brewing Company.

“It’s absolutely exciting,” says Sanborn as he works on setting up his new 1,500-square-foot space on Portland’s Industrial Way with beer barrels, fermenters and beer-making supplies. He has invested $30,000 of his own money to finance his passion for brewing after spending several years running Bush Fire Media, a graphic design and web development firm in Portland.

Fish Exchange & Rising Tide Brewing

| Posted in Fisheries

Mainebiz has published an article on the challenges facing the Portland Fish Exchange.

Bert Jongerden, general manager of the fish exchange, maintains that the types of financial incentives offered to fishermen in the Bay State are desperately needed “to level the playing field” if Maine hopes to hold onto what’s left of its groundfishing industry. Those include such measures as allowing them to sell lobster bycatch (the lobsters that get caught in the groundfishermen’s nets) or passing a permanent rebate on the 5% diesel fuel tax.

The newspaper also includes a report on a new brewery in Portland called Rising Tide Brewing Company.

“It’s absolutely exciting,” says Sanborn as he works on setting up his new 1,500-square-foot space on Portland’s Industrial Way with beer barrels, fermenters and beer-making supplies. He has invested $30,000 of his own money to finance his passion for brewing after spending several years running Bush Fire Media, a graphic design and web development firm in Portland.

Fish Exchange, Open Farm Day, Packing Salmon

| Posted in Events, Fisheries

Today’s Press Herald includes a visit to Upper Farm Alpacas in Pownal on Sunday’s Open Farm Day,

Greg and Nicole Carter, owners of Upper Farm Alpacas, said they began their business in 2005 with the intention of getting only a few alpacas for the fiber they yield. She said the more research they did, the quicker they fell in love with alpacas.

a Maine at Work column on prepping and packing Salmon,

Behind Malia, a half-dozen or so people were on the salmon-cutting conveyor belt line. One man chopped off the head and tail, then a fillet machine cut open the fish. More men trimmed the fillets, another machine deboned the fish, then someone else plucked out the peskiest bones using tweezers. The fish was then inspected before being packed.

and an article about a call for aid from the Portland Fish Exchange,

The city last week mailed a letter to the owners of more than 60 groundfishing vessels. The future of the Portland Fish Exchange is now uncertain, the letter says, and it needs increased fish landings to ensure its continued operation.

Food Cart Space Competition & Orange Lobster

| Posted in General News, Fisheries

The Portland Daily Sun published a report on the competition for prime locations among Portland food  cart vendors.

Most pushcart food vendors will tell you there’s an unspoken agreement among the 23 licensed sidewalk restaurateurs currently operating in Portland: Once you get a spot, stick with it, and no one will mess with you.

But this agreement can at times clash with the official stance of the city, which doesn’t recognize street cart vendors’ seniority. And some vendors say that competition, especially on Commerical Street, can get fierce.

The newspaper also includes an article on a rare orange lobster that’s on display at Harbor Fish Market.

Ben Alfiero, owner of Harbor Fish Market on Custom House Wharf, has seen a lot of lobsters over his 35 years in the business, but this is only the second orange one to have graced his tanks.

Food Cart Space Competition & Orange Lobster

| Posted in General News, Fisheries

The Portland Daily Sun published a report on the competition for prime locations among Portland food  cart vendors.

Most pushcart food vendors will tell you there’s an unspoken agreement among the 23 licensed sidewalk restaurateurs currently operating in Portland: Once you get a spot, stick with it, and no one will mess with you.

But this agreement can at times clash with the official stance of the city, which doesn’t recognize street cart vendors’ seniority. And some vendors say that competition, especially on Commerical Street, can get fierce.

The newspaper also includes an article on a rare orange lobster that’s on display at Harbor Fish Market.

Ben Alfiero, owner of Harbor Fish Market on Custom House Wharf, has seen a lot of lobsters over his 35 years in the business, but this is only the second orange one to have graced his tanks.

Sustainable Gulf of Maine Fishing

| Posted in Fisheries

An article in today’s Portland Press Herald describes progress Maine among Maine fishermen and consumers in supporting sustainable fishing practices.

Fishing regulations have increased nets’ minimum mesh size from 4 inches 30 years ago to 6.5 inches today, making New England’s net mesh sizes the largest in the world, said [GMRI’s Jen] Levin. The larger mesh has dramatically reduced the unintentional catch of untargeted fish species.

Today, many of the heavily regulated Gulf of Maine groundfish stocks are rebuilt or are on the rebound. “If it is caught by a Maine fisherman, you should feel really good about eating it,” said Levin.

Lobster Research

| Posted in Fisheries

Today’s paper includes an article about ongoing lobster research “to insure the future of the state’s most lucrative fishery.”

Even after millions of dollars and decades of study, much about the lobster is unknown, said Carl Wilson, lead lobster scientist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources. He is part of a three-member agency team that studies the fishery with the goal of someday being able to better predict its future.

Maine Lobstering & the Lobster Roll

| Posted in General News, Fisheries

The Boston Globe has published an article on how lobstermen in Maine and elsewhere in New England are experimenting with alternative ways to market their catch.

In Maine, there are 5,800 commercial lobstermen, many of whom are trying new marketing ideas. “Some go roadside and sell locally,’’ says Patrice McCarron, executive director of the 1,200-member Maine Lobstermen’s Association in Kennebunk. “There are people on Craigslist. Some sell on the Internet.’’

And in a state-by-state round-up of the 50 fattiest foods in the nation, Health magazine selected the lobster roll to represent Maine’s contribution. The funny thing is that rather than pick the roll from Red’s or Haraseeket Lunch & Lobster or Portland Lobster Company to base their dietary evaluation on, they reported the fat levels of lobster rolls from D’Angelo’s and Pap Gino’s.

Maine Lobstering & the Lobster Roll

| Posted in General News, Fisheries

The Boston Globe has published an article on how lobstermen in Maine and elsewhere in New England are experimenting with alternative ways to market their catch.

In Maine, there are 5,800 commercial lobstermen, many of whom are trying new marketing ideas. “Some go roadside and sell locally,’’ says Patrice McCarron, executive director of the 1,200-member Maine Lobstermen’s Association in Kennebunk. “There are people on Craigslist. Some sell on the Internet.’’

And in a state-by-state round-up of the 50 fattiest foods in the nation, Health magazine selected the lobster roll to represent Maine’s contribution. The funny thing is that rather than pick the roll from Red’s or Haraseeket Lunch & Lobster or Portland Lobster Company to base their dietary evaluation on, they reported the fat levels of lobster rolls from D’Angelo’s and Pap Gino’s.