fishmonger

E-mail article Print view Share: Digg Newsvine The reclusive owner behind the doomed ship By Jonathan Martin and Hal Bernton Seattle Times staff reporters PREV 1 of 2 NEXT JIM PAULIN / AP The Alaska Ranger at a port in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Five died when The Fishing Company of Alaska ship sank in the Bering Sea last Sunday Sixteen years ago in Anchorage, an auction for three factory fishing boats drew a gaggle of lawyers to the courthouse steps.Auctioneers had hoped to get at least $5 million per boat, but the attorneys balked at the financial risk. As they hesitated, a striking, dark-haired woman in snakeskin boots and a fur coat swept in, made her bids and walked away with two of the ships, at the fire-sale price of $4.5 million for both. It was an uncommon public appearance for Karena Adler, but an important one. The two boats bought that day in 1991 became workhorses for her Seattle company, The Fishing Company of Alaska, known as

My friends at the Mote Marine Research facility are producing the best sustainable sturgeon I have ever tasted. I payed them a visit in January, and here are some of the photos from that field trip. It all starts with fertilized eggs from Germany. I was told these three boxes are worth about 10 grand. Here Wade, my tour guide and commercial sales liaison explaining the grow out process. Here is the first step the fertilized eggs are placed into these receptacle and the presence of motion and oxygen duplicates what the natural environment would do. The source of the oxygen, a three story tall tank is used for the entire facility. These buildings are only a small fraction of the some 200 acres on site. Once the sturgeon are over an inch or so they are transferred to the first set of tanks. And then to the larger tanks as they reach larger sizes. The filtration medium looks like wagon wheel pasta. It works by increasing the surface area so that helpful bacteria can digest wast

The PFMC (Pacific Fisheries Management Council) claims that the reasons for the sudden collapse of the Sacramento fall Chinook stock is “not readily apparent.” “Ocean conditions have been poor, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong for salmon in freshwater, “ said David Artmann, Vice-Chairman of the PFMC. However, fishermen point to massive increases in water exports from the California Delta in recent years as the key factor in the decline, accompanied by dams, increasing water pollution, poaching, unscreened diversions, habitat loss and other problems. “There are many factors that went into our salmon decline, but none as significant as the loss of freshwater flows to the Delta and San Francisco Bay which are essential for maintaining the biological function of this estuary and sustaining native salmon and other fish populations,” said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, in a press conference held by a coalition of

Salmon decline could lead to widespread ban - Associated Press Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace - New York Times Fishing ban on horizon, groups say; Declining salmon population has anglers preparing for yearlong halt of season as best, perhaps only option - Contra Costa Times Salmon may be off-limits; Salmon fishing off California and Oregon may be banned. Shrinking numbers prompt consideration of the unprecedented step, which would hurt an already beleaguered industry - Los Angeles Times Salmon fishermen face dire choices - Sacramento Bee Salmon season: Brief or none; Most liberal of panel's 3 options allows fraction of normal catch - Santa Rosa Press Democrat Salmon collapse leaves fishermen high and dry - San Mateo County Times Prognosis negative for salmon fishing - Eureka Times Standard River salmon fishers expect at least a partial season - Redding Record Searchlight

This past month a new and ambitious website was launched with the objective of being a repository of knowledge of life on earth. The self stated description from the EOL website " Comprehensive, collaborative, ever-growing, and personalized, the Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world." Much to my surprise a good part of the website is populated with information on fish and sea life. This I came to find out is largely due to a partnership with fishbase , another excellent source of information. Encyclopedia of Life is much more ambitious and promises to be content and media rich. Whether you are a scientist, a student, or just curious I recommend taking a look.

Many indicators abound for less fish to be available in the coming year. From problems with the last years magic bullet frozen Chinese tilapia to the collapse of the California king salmon on the other end of the spectrum. Like every problem the limited output of the next years could spawn new ideas and new solutions. Here is one. By Stephen Leahy Dec 11 (IPS) - Catch less fish. Make more money. Could this be the solution to the global overfishing crisis? Australian economists writing in the current issue of Science magazine think so. Reducing fish catches in the short term will bring fishers big profits later. And that profit potential may finally persuade an intransigent fishing industry to agree to lower catch limits, they say. FULL POST HERE

Pacific halibut also called west coast halibut has a season that runs generally from mid March through October. This is the best time to enjoy halibut , because pricing can be 10%-25% less than its east coast cousin. The halibut is the largest of the group of fishes known as flatfish. These are flounders on steroids. Record catches for halibuts are in the hundreds of pounds. The Alaska Record Halibut weighed in at a whopping 459 lbs and was caught off the coast of Unalaska by commercial fishermen. HALIBUT - ( Hippoglossus stenolepis ) The most popular ocean going sport fish in Alaska. The Alaska Halibut has top billing for charter fishing guides and ocean going fisherman. The Alaska Halibut is one of the biggest sport fish available in Alaska. LARGEST HALIBUT EVER CAUGHT ON SPORT TACKLE IN VALDEZ, ALASKA 322.6 Pounds This beauty was caught August 25, 2001 by Larry Davis Retired Chief Master Sergeant US Air Force. Congratulations on this remarkable c

Alfonsino: New Zealand , related to red snapper. White flesh, 3-5# fish, oval- shaped like John Dory. --Barramundi: habitat: from northern Australia and Queensland; one of the largest and most important commercial fishes; also popular with sportsmen; found in brackish waters, lagoons, and mangrove creeks; returns to saltwater to spawn; season runs year-round, though most active in warmer months; caught with live lures, either cast or trolled; description : white flesh, soft and delicate, mild, low oil; filets are round and thick, and have only a few large bones; preparation : frying, grilling, bbq-ing, steaming; --Black cod: from North Pacific; 5-7 pounds, head off; “The white meat of the sablefish is fine-textured, oily, and succulent. The flavor is rich and distinctive; the fat content is high. The skin is edible;” --Blackfish: habitat: Nova Scotia to South Carolina, Pacific Ocean, especially Narragansett Bay (RI); season from April to June, then from October; 40

Salmon decline could lead to widespread ban - Associated Press Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace - New York Times Fishing ban on horizon, groups say; Declining salmon population has anglers preparing for yearlong halt of season as best, perhaps only option - Contra Costa Times Salmon may be off-limits; Salmon fishing off California and Oregon may be banned. Shrinking numbers prompt consideration of the unprecedented step, which would hurt an already beleaguered industry - Los Angeles Times Salmon fishermen face dire choices - Sacramento Bee Salmon season: Brief or none; Most liberal of panel's 3 options allows fraction of normal catch - Santa Rosa Press Democrat Salmon collapse leaves fishermen high and dry - San Mateo County Times Prognosis negative for salmon fishing - Eureka Times Standard River salmon fishers expect at least a partial season - Redding Record Searchlight

Soft shell crabs , Blue Crab, callinectes sapidus It seems as though these spring treats have arrived early this year. Some nice big jumbos, and whales are coming from Florida now. I just love soft shells, but if you can wait a few weeks the smaller primes and the decadent hotel sizes will become available. Soft shells are a seasonal spring treat that everyone should try at least once. Nothing is better than biting into a fully dressed soft shell crab sandwich with a tangle of glorious delicious legs protruding from the sides. You can also find some really good frozen soft shells during the off season, that are nearly as good as the fresh ones. Just remember that when you purchase fresh crabs, it is best to purchase live product. Soft shell crabs require a bit of preparation to be pan ready. The front of the shell (were the eyes are) needs to be clipped with sturdy scissors. The apron needs to be removed or cut off. The interior of the crab should be exposed and the lungs r

If the time change, and the coming vernal equinox are not enough then perhaps the arrival of the poorbeagle shark, and shad roe will get you excited. The first of the season shad roe are coming out of the south now, mostly from Georgia and North Carolina. Every year I make it a point to have my obligatory serving of shad roe, although I must confess that it is not my favorite food. I certainly would welcome a recipe that wows me. I do like shad roe, but not as much as some people I have met. Some people clamor like children at an Ice cream parlor when they see it on the fish stand. I am sure that when fried up with ample amounts of bacon grease it is great, but so is day old bread. Anyway, go get yourself some shad ro e it is spring after all.