http://www.turnto10.com/news/1938636/detail.html

DEM Issues Permit To Russian Ship
Vessel Participates In Joint Venture With Local Fishermen

POSTED: 4:53 p.m. EST January 27, 2003
UPDATED: 6:15 p.m. EST January 27, 2003

Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management has issued a permit allowing a Russian fish-processing ship to anchor in Narragansett Bay through April.

The crew of the M/V Dauriya will buy up to 5,000 tons of Atlantic mackerel and 5,000 tons of sea herring from local fishermen. The fish will be processed on board, frozen and transfered to other ships to be taken overseas.

DEM officials said the operation is important to local fishermen because there is insufficient local capacity to process mackerel and herring, which are available off southern New England in surplus quantities. The operation is important to the Russians because of the relatively strong foreign market for the species.


The permit specifies that the ship must anchor, on a rotating basis, at two locations in lower Narragansett Bay: just south of the Jamestown Bridge and north of Dutch Island in the West Passage; and just south of the Newport Bridge and west of Rose Island in the East Passage.

There's also a limit on how much noise the ship can make.

The vessel is expected to arrive during the first week of February.

The ship made some noises and not too many friends last year and here it is again. Now if I remember correctly, it process different "SURPLUSS" herring from what we look for (alewives & blueback) but can anyone confirm that?

Thanks,

John

my understanding is that the ship processes "sea herring", which supposedly are different from bluebacks or alewives...and no, i don't know what the difference is...:p

i'm curious what the DEM considers "surplus" quantities...:confused:

Mostly Sea Herring(aka sardines) and Blueback Herring. I have a friend who captains a commercial boat out of Pt. Judith who fishes exclusively for Herring. Block Island is loaded with Herring now and as the water gets warmer they fish out of Gloucster. He says its rediculous how much Herring is out there in the winter. It either goes to Russia or its used for lobster bait. On a clear day you can see the draggers working the Island. That is one tough job, but I can tell you most of those guys love fishing just like we love fishing.

While in the CG I watched a video on one of these "factory trawlers" The name is really a missnomer. The foriegn vsl does no actual fishing they process what is given to them by U.S. flaged vsl's. Working in tandem 2 U.S. vsl's tow a single net I believe to be about a 100' long, both vsl's come along each side of the foreigner and pass off the net. Foriegn F/V's are prohibited from fishing our waters.Foreign vsl hauls back the "targeted catch" This is where I have a huge problem with letting foriegn factory ships in our waters. The amount of the catch is astronomical and the bycatch is notewothy.
The bycatch of HUGE DEAD Striped Bass was appauling. So big one man had problems "discarding them over the side.
I saw this video in the company of the Boarding Officer who thought the only reason they were going over the side was "we were there" These pelagic species targeted are the forage as we know for the Bass. It just doesn't make sense:af:

Welome pasngas its about time you came out of the closet:laughs: :laughs: :laughs:

Nothing wrong with the closet. Quiet, dark nobody bugs yah....