Photo: Gulf of Maine Atlantic Cod, by Joachim S. Mueller Counting fish is a difficult job, and even the best stock assessment contains its share of uncertainty. The 2014 stock assessment update for Gulf of Maine cod found that, depending on the model used, the current spawning stock biomass might be as low as 2,100 […]
Young fishermen advocate for fisheries access in Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. To many Alaskans, it is not news that it is becoming increasingly difficult for new entrants to join the commercial fishing fleet. Fishery access permits and quota are being lost from rural Alaska communities. Studies show that the […]
Top photo: Linda Behnken, Kent Barkhau and canine friend on the water Fishery managers and fishermen recognize that good catch accounting is essential to sustainable fisheries. Collecting data on fish delivered to the dock presents one set of challenges; collecting data on fish captured at sea but then released or discarded for regulatory or market […]
Photo by John McMurray Every now and then, my wife and I will be talking to someone who doesn’t fish. Upon learning that we do, and that we own a boat, a typical reaction is something like “That’s really nice. You don’t have to go to the store to buy fish.” And one of us […]
Photo: two thumbs up from Ron Chamness and fishing buddy with a mid-Columbia River fall Chinook. Parked in a parking lot at the mouth of the Chetco River on the southern Oregon coast, the ocean was alive with migrating grey whales. They were spyhopping, finning, breaching and spouting for as long as we wanted to […]
Defunding Programs Could Harm Fisheries and Fishing Communities Last week many in the fishing community were talking about President Trump’s budget and its impact on climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the fish. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), more than 40 species have been rebuilt. […]
Photo: Winter Flounder It’s the end of March, and my boat should be in the water. At one time, it would have been. Despite cold and wind, I’d have been waiting for the weekend, because March 17—St. Patrick’s Day—was the unofficial start of the winter flounder season. I, and a horde of other anglers all […]
Photo: Migratory salmon need many healthy habitats for survival I just completed a 420 mile round trip to Southern Oregon. Having been born and raised in Northwest Oregon, as well as spending the vast majority of my professional life in this region, it’s easy to forget how diversified the greatest state in the union is. […]
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