Gloomy Forecast

[swill88]

From the Washington Post. Not political.

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-fishing-wars-are-coming/2017/09/13/05c75208-97c6-11e7-b569-3360011663b4_story.html?utm_term=.400b191b9190

[day0ne]

Not Political??

[swill88]

I guess it's what your definition of political is.

Could say everything is political.

Steve

[foakes]

We supposedly have a 200 mile territorial offshore limit -- but I think it is only enforced to 24 miles by the USCG?

This was set up by agreement with the United Nations, years ago.

We should set our territorial limit at 400 miles -- then enforce it.

Forget about the UN -- just do it because if we wait for an agreement from the UN -- many of our fisheries will be gone -- and will not return in our lifetimes -- maybe never.

When a trawler comes through -- taking 300,000 tons of a certain species of fish -- not only is that resource impacted adversely -- but the seabed is scraped, and many other species of fish are also lost -- along with their habitat and breeding grounds.

Just my opinions.

Best,

Fred

[Tightlines667]

The 200 mile EEZ is enforced, and many steps have been taken to improve reporting, trackablity, and accountability for all international fishing vessels.  There are AIS, VMS and ither systems in place, as well as griwing observer programs collecting data on many of the internationsl fishing and transshipment vessels.  I have been involved with aiding international capacity building, and the development of programs to improve reporting.  llegal, unreported, and underreported fishing is still an international problem, but many strides have been made in the past decade plus.  I don't want to get into my or my agencies views on this issue because it is political, but it is an important issue.

http://globalfishingwatch.org/map/


Admins, feel free to delete any if these posts as you see fit.

[oc1]

Those Indonesians don't fool around.  Imagine the uproar if the U.S. scuttled a Chinese fishing boat.
-steve

[Cor]

The 200 mile EEZ is enforced, and many steps have been taken to improve reporting, trackablity, and accountability for all international fishing vessels.  There are AIS, VMS and ither systems in place, as well as griwing observer programs collecting data on many of the internationsl fishing and transshipment vessels.  I have been involved with aiding international capacity building, and the development of programs to improve reporting.  llegal, unreported, and underreported fishing is still an international problem, but many strides have been made in the past decade plus.  I don't want to get into my or my agencies views on this issue because it is political, but it is an important issue.

http://globalfishingwatch.org/map/


Admins, feel free to delete any if these posts as you see fit.

I had a good friend who was a retired marine scientist, who regularly went on trips on international fishing vessels as an observer.   He did once express the concern that perhaps he could "disappear" on one of these trips, officially lost at sea or fallen overboard as on some vessels observers were not entirely welcome.

[Tightlines667]

The 200 mile EEZ is enforced, and many steps have been taken to improve reporting, trackablity, and accountability for all international fishing vessels.  There are AIS, VMS and ither systems in place, as well as griwing observer programs collecting data on many of the internationsl fishing and transshipment vessels.  I have been involved with aiding international capacity building, and the development of programs to improve reporting.  llegal, unreported, and underreported fishing is still an international problem, but many strides have been made in the past decade plus.  I don't want to get into my or my agencies views on this issue because it is political, but it is an important issue.

http://globalfishingwatch.org/map/


Admins, feel free to delete any if these posts as you see fit.

I had a good friend who was a retired marine scientist, who regularly went on trips on international fishing vessels as an observer.   He did once express the concern that perhaps he could "disappear" on one of these trips, officially lost at sea or fallen overboard as on some vessels observers were not entirely welcome.

This happened to a friend of mine while working on a transshipment vessel off of the coast of Panama a few years ago.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2015/09/21/politics/coast-guard-investigate-american-peru-disappearance/index.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.revealnews.org/article/he-was-supposed-to-protect-the-sea-then-he-vanished-from-his-ship/amp/

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2017/03/03/father-remembers-keith-davis-fisheries-observer-lost-near-peru/98502954/

[foakes]

Be careful out there, John...

Best,

Fred

[Tightlines667]

Be careful out there, John...

Best,

Fred

I havn't been out on commercial longliners since 2009, and have no plans to go back out on these boats.  I will likely continue to train, brief/debrief observers, and provide support for those that are deployed.  Incidents such as this are extremely rare.  Although it is a hazardous occupation, our program has been instrumental in making it much less so.  We might have 1 USCG medivac something like every 1000-1500trips.  A typical career as an observer usually includes so.ewhere between 5 and 25 deployments. 

Actually, I saw there was a vessel sinking off of Cape Charles, VA with a USCG rescue of the captain/crew/observer yesterday though...

http://wavy.com/2017/09/12/coast-guard-rescues-5-from-sunken-boat-east-of-cape-charles/

[Rancanfish]

Wow, the poor guy with braids in his hair is definitely not dressed for soaking in a cold sea.

[Cor]

We actually never took this too seriously and joked with him about it.   He did always tell us that in most cases they were treated extremely well onboard, excellent food, very good quarters, and whatever facilities he needed was provided by the vessel.

Was a great mate, then last year he went and fell 8 mt down the mountain at one of our favorite fishing spots and did not survive.......

[Tightlines667]

We actually never took this too seriously and joked with him about it.   He did always tell us that in most cases they were treated extremely well onboard, excellent food, very good quarters, and whatever facilities he needed was provided by the vessel.

Was a great mate, then last year he went and fell 8 mt down the mountain at one of our favorite fishing spots and did not survive.......

Man... You never know.

I lost my roommate 3 years ago as well.  He was a commercial long line captain, who decided to take his life by jumping overboard.  We had an observer onboard, and the USCG was on scene (over 200nm offshore) in less then 20minutes.  Nothing was ever found.

We have had foreign crewmembers end their lives by jumping off of the vessel at sea, but this was the first captain.  He was in great spirits before this trip, and was excited to be running a new boat with the prospect of better pay. 

I suspect drugs may have been involved.

[Ron Jones]

Enforcement is very difficult. Please understand that I can't expand on this much, but I do know that many of the nations that are problems for others can't control there own waters, even waters that are under strict fishing controls.

WWIII will come in forms most of us won't recognize as combat and for reasons most won't believe. Access and resource management of the high seas is a very plausible reason for the balloon to go up. In fact, that is kinda why you all pay me to do my job.

God help us if we are around to see it.

Ron

[Cor]

Enforcement is very difficult. Please understand that I can't expand on this much, but I do know that many of the nations that are problems for others can't control there own waters, even waters that are under strict fishing controls.

WWIII will come in forms most of us won't recognize as combat and for reasons most won't believe. Access and resource management of the high seas is a very plausible reason for the balloon to go up. In fact, that is kinda why you all pay me to do my job.

God help us if we are around to see it.

Ron

At this very moment there are "violent Protests" taking place here because of reductions in commercial fishing quotas (the government has allowed the management of fishing resources to become totally politicised and no longer focused on sustainability)

Over breakfast this morning the wife said "the next war will be over resources, food water etc"   Then I see what you write here, coincidence?