Sunset over Stellwagen Sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Anne Smrcina, NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary When various conservation organizations began pushing the concept of marine protected areas (MPAs) back in the late 1990s, I didn’t like the idea at all. Back then, the MPAs being proposed were, with few if any exceptions, so-called “ocean wilderness […]
Fire from an oil train derailment in Mosier, Oregon. Photo by Michael O’ Leary. I know, no-brainer, right? It’s been a busy week, and couple of months for that matter, here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems, despite domestic and world-wide market demand, coal and oil corporations are looking to the Pacific Northwest to export […]
As Conservation-Minded Anglers, We Should Support This Top Photo: Squat Lobster on Coral in Nygren Canyon. Credit: NOAA OKEANOS Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition Last year the Obama Administration announced that it was considering what could possibly be the nation’s first marine monument off the continental U.S. Of course, it touched off a […]
Photo: A day’s catch of seabass and lingcod Like many sportsmen, we rely on fall to fill our freezers and what oftentimes feels like an insatiable need to harvest. I’m not sure I can explain it, but before I had the ability to drive, let alone work a rod, reel or rifle, I poured copious […]
I know, such an over-coined phrase, but it certainly has some meaning in several different capacities. As we wrap up another successful halibut season off the Oregon Coast, it never ceases to amaze me how much there is to learn about our fisheries right under our noses. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but […]
For many years, reducing or eliminating “bycatch,” unwanted fish or other creatures incidentally caught by fishermen while seeking other species, has been a goal of fisheries managers. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens), defines “bycatch” as “fish which are harvested in a fishery, but which are not sold or kept for personal use, […]
As the Northeast releases a regional plan and the Mid Atlantic gets ready to release theirs, we should be paying attention Okay… This is not a sexy topic. And I hesitate to even write about it here, but damn if it isn’t important… For us… For everyone. And frankly, most of us, including myself up […]
Join our email list to receive occasional updates and priority alerts
