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Captain Lou's Nautical News Headlines

Captain Lou's Latest Nautical News 6/17/18 PLYMOUTH HARBOR TO BE DREDGED BY 2020 The Army Corps of Engineers announced that they have allocated $13.5 million dollars to dredge Plymouth Harbor, and have the the work completed before 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth. Harbormaster Chad Hunter said, "For years the word on the docks was that no one would see Plymouth Harbor dredged in their lifetime, but that pipe dream will soon be a reality." SEARCH SUSPENDED FOR POSSIBLE MISSING KAYAKER Station Cape Cod Canal Coast Guard suspended its search in Cape Cod Bay after a mariner reported an unmanned kayak adrift two miles north of Sesuit Harbor in Dennis. However, since no one has been reported missing, it is assumed that the kayak somehow got loose and went adrift. There was no owner contact label on the kayak. If anyone has additional information or is missing a green kayak, they are urged to contact the Coast Guard. RARE PYGMY WHALE WASHED UP ON BEACH A rare pygmy sperm whale was found washed up on a North Shore beach near the mouth of the Ipswich River. When beach goers first found the animal, it was still alive. The marine mammal rescue staff from the Seacoast Science Center in New Hampshire responded to the calls for help, but could not save the whale. Authorities said the carcass would be transported to New England Aquarium's facility at the former Quincy shipyard for a necropsy. It was not clear why the whale beached itself. Sightings of pygmy whales are rare because they usually live far offshore. This 9 ½-foot long adult whale weighed about 800 pounds. $50 MILLION CONTRACT AWARDED FOR FISHERIES OBSERVERS AIS Inc., a scientific services company headquartered in Marion, Massachusetts, has been awarded a five-year, $50 million contract to provide fisheries observers for federal monitoring programs in the Northeast. The contract with AIS will begin on July 1st. During commercial fishing trips, the observers will collect information on kept and discarded catch, along with biological data and information on gear and fishing operations. AIS is an experienced fisheries observer service company and employs observers to monitor federal fisheries along the U.S. East Coast and in Alaska. NOAA Fisheries covers all costs for the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program, and will train the observers to collect the data the way they want it collected. MISLABELING FOUND IN FISH COMPANY’S TRACEABILITY REPORT The Associated Press reports it has found evidence that the company Sea To Table has mislead its customers about origins of its seafood. Sea To Table, founded more than two decades ago, claimed it sold fresh wild seafood caught by American family fishermen. The company offered complete traceability labeling stating when, where, and what boat caught the fish it was selling. However, according to the AP report just published on June 13th, investigators found that some of the boats listed hadn’t been to sea for two years, and that some species were not allowed to be caught in the locations listed. Furthermore, DNA tests suggested some of its yellowfin tuna likely came from the other side of the world, and not from American family owned fishing boats. The company's founder responded to the accusations stating that the company is “addressing these claims quickly and that Sea to Table is a family business dedicated to delivering the highest standard of seafood to our customers, and these allegations are frankly heartbreaking." The founder went on to blame a supplier that he no longer does business with and that Sea To Table did nothing intentionally wrong. NEWPORT TO BERMUDA RACE UNDERWAY Fifteen hundred sailors aboard 171 boats departed Narragansett Bay en route to Bermuda for a race called Thrash to the Onion Patch. The biennial Newport Bermuda Race is the oldest regularly scheduled ocean regatta since 1906. Despite its 113-year history, this year's 635 mile race marks a milestone. Multi-hulls are competing for the first time. LAST WEEK WAS SEA TURTLE WEEK Last week was Sea Turtle Week. Sea turtles are air breathing reptiles well-adapted to life in the marine environment. Although most of their lives is spent in the ocean swimming great distances, adult females must go ashore on to beaches to lay their eggs, returning to the same beach where they previously laid their eggs. Six of the seven worldwide known species are found in U.S. waters. and four of those six can be found in New England waters. Leatherbacks are the easiest to see and to identify because of their large size. They are the largest of all sea turtles weighing up to 1500 pounds. Sightings of Leatherbacks represent over 50% of the reports in the hotline database. The other species, loggerheads, green turtles, and Kemp's Ridleys are smaller and harder to see. Kemp’s Ridleys are the smallest and most endangered of all sea turtles in the world. Only juveniles have been reported in southern New England waters, where they range in length from 12 to 15 inches and weigh approximately 5 pounds. If anyone should see a sea turtle, you are urged to report it to the MassAudubon Sea Turtle Sighting Hotline 1-888-SEA-TURT.  CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ON RADIO STATION 95.9FM WATD Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou and crew Sunday mornings 11-noon (Boston time) on radio stations 95.9FM and 1460AM WATD. Also streamed around the world on www.959watd.com. Listen anytime to replay of recent shows at at www.NauticalTalk.com.  Recipient of 2018 Mass Boating & Yacht Clubs "Gannett Award" Winner of MASS/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW" Winner of Boston's Achievement in Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" award Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY" award Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service Nominated Boston's A,I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM" Judge of IBEX Innovation Products Judge of NMMA's Progressive New England Boat Show's Exhibitors 25 Year Retired Status U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary  Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council Member of South Shore Harbormasters Association Member of Mass Marine Trades Association Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Member of Mass Boating and Yacht Club Association Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association Member of Boat Writers International Member of Boat/US Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club

 

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS ON RADIO STATION 95.9FM WATD"

Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou and crew, Sunday mornings from 11 - 12 noon (Boston time) on radio station  95.9FM WATD, streaming around the world on www.959watd.com. You can also listen to a replay of recent shows anytime during the week a www.NauticalTalk.com.

* Winner of Mass/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW"
* Winner of Boston's Achievement In Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" AWARD
* Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY AWARD"
* Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service
* Nominated Boston's A.I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM"
* Judge of IBEX Innovation Products
* Judge of New England Boat Show's Best Exhibitors
* Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council
* Member of South Shore Harbormaster Association
* Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Association
* Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association
* Member of Boat Writers International
* Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association
* Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club