Salmon, Served on a Bed of…What?

Salmon, Served on a Bed of…What?

Here’s something I thought I’d never do… After another fine shopping experience at my local Costco, I was feeling pretty proud that I got good value, on some good foods, for my family. That is, until I came across this story that tells me the double box of Honey Nut Cheerios is laden with pesticides, […]

How Should Fishery Management Councils Spend Most Of Their Time?

How Should Fishery Management Councils Spend Most Of Their Time?

Many fisheries conservation advocates were dismayed when, in October 2016, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) decided that it would not develop a management plan for shad and river herring, fish that some thought should be included as stocks in the Atlantic mackerel, squid and butterfish fisheries. Although I would have preferred to see the […]

Chain Reaction: How Far Will Our Fisheries Fall?

Chain Reaction: How Far Will Our Fisheries Fall?

Photo: Coho Salmon In sophomore chemistry class (one of my least favorite classes, but one of my favorite teachers), I got to witness the ping pong ball sprung from the mouse trap trick that really demonstrated the effects of a nuclear explosion. It was a pretty profound experiment, clearly demonstrating the true effect of a […]

Regional Ocean Plans Finalized

Regional Ocean Plans Finalized

After years of coordination with stakeholders the final products are out, but what does it mean for us? Late last week, the National Ocean Council released the nation’s first ocean plans. This may not sound like a big deal, but it is. Because really, it’s the first comprehensive effort to provide a holistic, regional look […]

How Did Fish Survive Before We Came Along?

How Did Fish Survive Before We Came Along?

I was attending the November meeting of New York’s Marine Resources Advisory Council when the topic of lobsters came up. The southern New England stock of American lobster has collapsed, and a state biologist was doing her best to explain just how far abundance had fallen and what the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) […]

The Hard Truth on Summer Flounder

The Hard Truth on Summer Flounder

Despite What Some Are Saying, We Have To Do Something with Fluke Over the years, I’ve written a lot about summer flounder… mostly using it as an example of how the conservation provisions of federal fisheries managed law (AKA the Magnuson Stevens Act – MSA) have worked to rebuild stocks… and subsequently provided access to […]