December 2017 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 21. U. S. C G N Continued from Page 7.


their care to Gloucester Emergency Medical Services personnel for evaluation. Finding the lobstermen to be in good


condition, another crew from Station Gloucester arrived in their government ve- hicle and brought the men back to the station to get warm. The Gloucester Fire Department crew


also reported visible signs of pollution being discharged from a vent on the lobster boat. The crew quickly mitigated and secured the source of the pollution with oil absorbing pads.


The boat’s owner is coordinating with


local salvage companies to remove the ves- sel during high tide. The Coast Guard reminds mariners of


the dangers that come with operating in high seas. Life jackets, donning survival suits in cold weather, operational VHF radios, EPIRBS (Emergency Position-Indicating Radiobeacon), and other safety equipment are vital to staying safe and receiving a prompt rescue during an emergency.


Coast Guard tows disabled fi shing ves- sel with 30,000 lbs. catch off NH coast


BOSTON — The Coast Guard towed an adrift 65-foot fi shing trawler to Gloucester Harbor after becoming disabled about 30 miles off the coast of New Hampshire, Friday.


Unable to receive help from a sister ship


and concerned about the impending weather, the captain of the vessel, BLACK BEAUTY, contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, at about 4:45 p.m. He reported their transmission stopped working, there were fi ve people aboard, and they had 30,000 lbs. of catch on board. Coast Guard Cutter Campbell respond-


ed to the distress call and got underway from their port call in Boston. The crew arrived on scene at about 3:30 a.m., Saturday, and took the vessel in tow. “Campbell’s crew performed excep-


tionally well under adverse off shore weather conditions early this morning,” said Cmdr. Mark McDonnell, commanding offi cer of Coast Guard Cutter Campbell. “They per- severed through 25-30 knot winds, 6-8 foot seas, and near zero degree wind chills to get to the Black Beauty and safely put her in tow. I am glad we could help bring the crew, boat, and catch home safe.” The cutter crew towed the vessel to-


M. C F N Continued from Page 20.


benchmark stock assessment process. It also addresses a suite of commercial manage- ment measures including allocation, quota transfers, quota rollovers, incidental catch, the episodic events set aside program, and the Chesapeake Bay reduction fi shery cap. In addition to its Amendment 3 delib-


erations, the Board set the total allowable catch for the 2018 and 2019 fi shing sea- sons at 216,000 metric tons (mt) with the expectation that the setting of the TAC for subsequent years will be guided by menha- den-specifi c ecological reference points. “Through adoption of Amendment 3


and the setting of the 2018 and 2019 TAC at a risk-averse level, the Board has demonstrat- ed its continued commitment to manage the menhaden resource in a way that balances menhaden’s ecological role with the needs of its stakeholders,” stated Board Chair Robert Ballou of Rhode Island. “While the Amendment maintains the current reference points, the Board placed the development of menhaden-specifi c ecological reference points as its highest priority. While the Board’s action was not supported by the majority of public comment received, it is still a conservative management action relative to our understanding of stock status and many of the positive signals we see in the current stock conditions. Specifi cally, the 2017 Stock Assessment Update indi- cated the resource remains healthy, with increases in abundance particularly in the norther states. Risks to the resource under our current reference points are well under- stood, while changes to the TAC under the general forage fi sh guidelines are not as well understood. Further, the approved TAC, which represents a modest 8% increase in the coastwide quota, has zero percent chance of subjecting the resource to overfi shing or causing it to be overfi shed.” Amendment 3 also changes fi shery


allocations in order to strike an improved balance between gear types and jurisdic- tions. The Amendment allocates a baseline quota of 0.5% to each jurisdiction, and then allocates the rest of the TAC based on his- toric landings between 2009 and 2011 (see table below). This measure provides fi shing opportunities to states which currently have little quota while still recognizing historic


landings in the fi shery. The Board also agreed to maintain the quota transfer pro- cess, prohibit the rollover of unused quota, maintain the 6,000 lb trip limit for non-di- rected and small-scale gears following the closure of a directed fi shery, and set aside 1% of the TAC for episodic events in the states of New York through Maine. “The Board worked collaboratively and eff ectively to forge an outcome that is fair and responsive to the needs and interest of all East Coast states” said Chair Ballou.


Table 1. Amendment 3 allocation per- centages based on a 0.5% fi xed minimum during the 2009-2011 timeframe.


State Maine


New Hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware Maryland


Potomac River Virginia


Fisheries Comm.


North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Total


Allocations (%) 0.52% 0.50% 1.27% 0.52% 0.52% 0.69%


10.87% 0.50% 0.51% 1.89%


1.07%


78.66% 0.96% 0.50% 0.50% 0.52% 100%


Finally, the Amendment reduces the


Chesapeake Bay cap, which was fi rst im- plemented in 2006 to limit the amount of reduction harvest within the Bay, to 51,000 mt from 87,216 mt. This recognizes the im- portance of the Chesapeake Bay as nursery grounds for many species by capping recent reduction landings from the Bay to current levels.


States must submit implementation


plans to the Commission by January 1, 2018 for fi nal implementation by April 15, 2018. The Amendment will be available on the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, by the end of November. For more informa- tion, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@ asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


F/V BLACK BEAUTY getting hooked up to a hawser from the USCG CAMPBELL.


wards Gloucester, where they met up with a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Gloucester. The boat crew took over the tow and is enroute to Gloucester Harbor. No injuries were reported. The catch was reported to be in good


condition.


BLACK BEAUTY is homeported in Scarbrough, Maine. The 270-foot Coast Guard Cutter


Campbell is homeported in Kittery, Maine with a crew complement of 100.


Coast Guard warns of cold water dangers CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard is re- minding mariners and outdoor enthusiasts, Monday, of the extreme dangers presented by cold water throughout the Great Lakes region.


Freezing air and water temperatures


signifi cantly decrease survival time for persons immersed in the water or trapped on the ice. Coast Guard Ninth District units


conduct hundreds of ice rescue cases and training events each winter. In the last two years, Coast Guard crew were employed in 142 ice rescue cases and saved or assisted 121 people. “Coast Guard boat crews in the area are now wearing dry suits whenever they


go out on the water, even though they drive some of the safest, most capable boats on the Great Lakes, and we encourage you to do the same,” said Capt. Joe McGilley, chief, Ninth District incident management branch. “A life jacket can keep you afl oat and dramatically increase your chances of survival if you fall in, but a life jacket is not enough in cold water.” Before heading out onto the water, remember the following: 1. Take precautions not chances. The


risk of death from accidental immersion during cold weather seasons is higher than in warm seasons. The water is colder and survival time is greatly diminished. 2. Dress for the water temperatures.


Cold water lowers body heat dramatically faster than cold air. Even if you are not plan- ning on entering the water, the possibility of that happening is very real. An unexpected fall overboard is one of the leading factors in boating deaths. 3. Every minute counts in a cold water


environment and preparation may mean the diff erence between life and death. Never leave without a VHF-FM radio or personal locator beacon and always be sure to tell someone where you’re going, when you expect to return and advise them of any changes in the plan.


EFFORT AND ART PRIDE AND JOY


SEA HISTORY ALIVE mysticseaport.org/stories


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