Oil Spill Near Woods Hole - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Blitzseeker · 04-28-2003, 08:41 AM

Not good:

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/28/cape_fuel.htm

Scotch Bonnet · 04-28-2003, 09:04 AM

One of these years they'll require double hulls. God knows theres enough money in the fuel industry to finance this.

JohnR · 04-28-2003, 10:18 AM

Not good at all

Quote:

Dave Whittaker, a senior marine fisheries biologist at the state Division of Marine Fisheries, said state officials were monitoring the situation closely and seeking information on the extent on the spill. They hadn't yet officially closed the area to fishing.

''We're not real happy about this barge leaking oil in Buzzards Bay,'' he said.

But he said that, as a precautionary measure, the state had already asked dredge boats that go after shellfish in deeper water in the area to come in.

Whittaker said the Buzzards Bay area is one of the state's best fishing areas, producing quahogs, softshell clams, scallops and oysters.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/118/...zards_B:.shtml

Any idead How this compares size wise with other area spills?

Thanks...

Slipknot · 04-28-2003, 10:35 AM

That sucks

I smelled diesel fuel this morning went I first went outside.

Scotch Bonnet · 04-28-2003, 11:19 AM

Their saying its a medium size spill. Its very light oil and the calm conditions are helping the skimming operation.

Fly Rod · 04-28-2003, 05:15 PM

What effect will the spill have on the striper population and fishing

The stripers are just starting to arrive. We may not know the full effect until later in the season. It could be devastating on the charter fleet

i hope that the river herring made it to the rivers. we had our first herring arrive this past friday.

Bigcat · 04-28-2003, 05:36 PM

I just came back from a recon mission, We parked at Silver Beach. I could see the clean up boat working a couple miles out.
Silver Beach was clean.

Squid Hound Bob · 04-28-2003, 05:56 PM

I went to Wilburs Point in Fairhaven there is oil washing up there its#6 fuel oil this will not evaporate it will tern to tar The air smells like creosole.This is A very bad thing.

shore manic · 04-28-2003, 06:11 PM

reports of oil washing up in westport and dartmouth! (redcrabber) any oil your way. 15,000 gals.on national news and one huge slick.let's hope they contain it but i'm doubting they'll get it all. 12'gash consistent with grounding.

Squid kids Dad · 04-28-2003, 06:18 PM

This really sucks..Owner was on tv saying he was sorry..Already found numerous loons dead....Sorry for hitting bottom??? Give me a break

JohnR · 04-28-2003, 06:44 PM

Quote:

"It's all over the bay," he said by telephone from a boat in the bay where scientists were taking water samples. The cleanup was complicated because the oil had broken up into floating "tar balls," he said.

"It's hard to clean up because it's so heavy and so dispersed," Rasmussen said.

At Fairhaven, harbormaster Gary Golas said he could see a slick just 500 feet off shore.

"I'm standing here, just watching it," he said. "I had some recreation fishermen coming in and it's definitely on the side of their boats -- very heavy dark oil, gooey, and sticky."

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/28/cape_fuel.htm

Goose · 04-28-2003, 08:37 PM

JohnR · 04-29-2003, 06:18 AM

This is really bad guys. The bass will be chasing the bait thru there real soon. With any kind of luck it will be later as opposed to sooner - hard to think of a time I'd say that...

Fortunately not a huge spill but probably couldn't come at a worse time. I think I read yeasterday that these are the same people that had the "accident" in the East River s few years ago...

Roop · 04-29-2003, 06:36 AM

This is a great example of when the government SHOULD be telling someone how to run their business.

Bigcat · 04-29-2003, 07:23 AM

It took 6 years for the clam flats around Wild Harbor to re-open after the last mess

JohnR · 04-29-2003, 07:25 AM

Double Hulls please!

JohnR · 04-29-2003, 09:10 AM

Here is some more ifo on this spill - this sucks!

http://www.buzzardsbay.org/oilspill-4-28-03.htm

Quote:

Bouchard Barge 120, carrying 865,200 gallons of Number 6 ("Bunker C") fuel oil started leaking oil Sunday night, somewhere outside of Buzzards Bay, possibly in Rhode Island waters. Because of sea conditions and to assist in containment, the Coast Guard directed the barge to anchor in central Buzzards Bay at Buoy 10 to facilitate the cleanup (about a distance of 18 miles). The barge reached this anchorage (also called "Anchorage Lima") on or before 5:30 AM Monday. The starboard storage tank reported ruptured on the bottom of the hull below the water, likely the result of striking bottom.

Buoy 10 is in central Buzzards Bay, about 5 miles WNW of Woods Hole in Falmouth and 3 Miles SE of West Island in Fairhaven. On Monday, the Coast Guard estimated more than 14,700 gallons had already spilled from a 12-foot by 2-foot crack or gash on the underside of the barge. This estimate has not been revised....

...Oil reported on shore

Monday afternoon we received a phoned in report from Oil was first reported onshore of Westport 1 PM Monday. Coalition for Buzzards Bay Director Mark Rasmussen: Oil on Barneys Joy Dartmouth and in the Slocums River, oiled birds in Westport. Oil also seen along the Elizabeth Island chain, believed to be coming ashore at Penikese and Nashawena. Mark reported what looked like "tar balls" floating in the bay, but this is a very viscous oil that looks like lumps when it floats on the surface. by late Monday, a command center was set up on the Causeway to West Island in Fairhaven where a considerable amount of oil washed ashore.

Slipknot · 04-29-2003, 10:24 AM

What a freakin nightmare

UserRemoved1 · 04-29-2003, 10:37 AM

i hope someone shuts these guys down. jerks.

SAD

UserRemoved1 · 04-29-2003, 10:58 AM

But did anyone notice the map here:

This shows some serious fishing spots....

Canalman · 04-29-2003, 02:50 PM

This sounds like REAL trouble here... I guess we can be glad the Bass are late this year. Does anyone know if there's anything we can do to help? I'm heading to the beach here in Westport now... I'll likely return with grim news/pictures

. This sucks!

-DAve

Slipknot · 04-29-2003, 03:08 PM

Dave, here is a number. 1-508-999-6363

The news said call if you want to volunteer.

I know if I were a shellfisherman I'd be blowing my top about now

redcrbbr · 04-29-2003, 04:33 PM

the end of gooseberry is coated with the crap. they closed the rivers here in town too. guess with the wind and the tides must have sucked some into the harbor.
you guys who know me and know where i fish. less than a 1/2 mile away the beach is black. i will be going down to check out my little piece of heaven shortly.. praying the wind turned before the sludge hit the beach.
i can remember going to the beach in the 70's and having to wash the tar off my feet with turpentine whenever we went swimming cause it just clings to everything.

JohnR · 04-29-2003, 06:46 PM

Very sad Red - I've been worried about that since BsJy was mentioned

Squid kids Dad · 04-29-2003, 07:00 PM

Red....I am so sorry to hear that..It saddens me to hear that..Actually it &^%^$$ sucks

Please let us know what is happening

castn4bass · 04-29-2003, 07:28 PM

This whole oil spill thing just plain sucks. Took a ride by Swifts beach this afternoon , and saw the telltale brown foam all along the beach, black oil all along the beach. No doubt the shell fishing in the whole area is ruined for the unforseeable future. I guess I can see my permit fee as a donation to the town! I 'd like to know if this company can be held liabe for the loss to private citizens also. Examples include ruined lobster pots , loss of privlage to harvest shellfish, permit fees etc ???? Are they gonna pay for my clams when I want them ? I realize that the big issue is the environmental impact, but these big oil haulers should be held responsible , a simple I'm sorry just doesn't cut it!

jugstah · 04-29-2003, 09:18 PM

this sucks.. majorly sucks... me and my brother just went and bought a boat to go striper fishing this year in falmouth and in the buzzards bay end of the canal but with this oil slick, it looks like it's going to suck for a while now... can't risk the outboards hitting those oily globs...

so what are you guys gonna do if you want to take your boat out fishing around those areas?

I hope Bouchard gets nailed hard for this travesty, and I think that the Mass gov has to step in, and say, Cape Cod is an pristine national environmental preserve and require all tankers in the area to be double-hulled, heck, why stop there, make 'em triple hulled!!!

BasicPatrick · 04-29-2003, 11:40 PM

guys,

I am not 100% sure and understand that Bouchard has a nasty reputation but the Barge was reported to be under tow. It may be them local Tug boat Operator who was responsible for dragging a barge over an area too shallow...

just a thought...

either way, it sucks and the government better get involved...

Squid kids Dad · 04-30-2003, 05:52 AM

I just heard on the 6:30 a/m news that some oil is in the wareham area....

FishermanTim · 04-30-2003, 09:00 AM

There was an article in the Herald today about the oil spill.
Apparently Bouchard Trans. Co claimed that they "took the lead"
in building double-hulled tankers a decade ago, yet only 9 of their 30 tankers are double hulled. I don't consider that "taking the lead", I call that "bullsh**".
Although I don't fish that region often at all, to have the livelyhood and recreation ruined for all of that region is horrendous. The company should have to pay up, considering the amount of damage this has and will continue to cause.
I hope for the best, but past oil spills give a good idea as to how bad it can get.