Released Fish: Neither Discards Nor Bycatch

Released Fish: Neither Discards Nor Bycatch

Bluefish photo by John McMurray Language has power. Although words seem ephemeral, they have the ability to transform how we perceive every part of our world. Just consider the words “used car.” When you first hear them spoken, you might think of some hard-driven clunker sitting on a lot amid dozens of its kind, with […]

Steelhead, Snake River Dams and the Oregon Way

Steelhead, Snake River Dams and the Oregon Way

Whenever I lose faith in government, I default to episodes of the early 2000’s TV hit, The West Wing. I know it’s not reality, but the show has offered me some level of solace when things are going sideways at the national level, and they’re going sideways. From the president’s barbed State of the Union […]

Cod Is Down For The Count

Cod Is Down For The Count

Top photo: Cod such as this one caught by angler Steve Brustein may be a thing of the past unless NOAA implements rebuilding initiatives, says the Conservation Law Foundation Who doesn’t like cod fish? Its white, delicate meat is sold in fish markets and supermarkets, served in restaurants and prepared baked or fried as fish […]

We Must Take Action: Support Those Who Support Oceans and Fish

We Must Take Action: Support Those Who Support Oceans and Fish

Top photo: pilot whale with a rescue team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, FL. The ocean means a lot to a lot of people. Here’s why it means so much to me and how climate change and its impact on fish and habitat fit in. For years I had a scallop recreational fishing license on […]

Striped Bass & Menhaden Headline This Week’s ASMFC Meeting

Striped Bass & Menhaden Headline This Week’s ASMFC Meeting

Good news with menhaden, but it’s likely the Commission will fall short on striped bass Menhaden So, here’s the good news. It is highly likely, after a good 20 years of advocacy by anglers and environmental groups, that we’ll see menhaden managed in the context of its value as a prey species, by as early […]

Healthy Fisheries Need A Strong NEPA

Healthy Fisheries Need A Strong NEPA

The National Environmental Protection Act, more typically referred to as “NEPA,” was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970, after receiving unanimous approval in the Senate and broad, bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, where it passed on a 372-15 vote. As its name suggests, NEPA establishes a national environmental […]