Not that kind of Lobster Chef, but it’s cute anyway
A chef in New York has been charged with stealing lobster tails from a restaurant kitchen by stuffing them down his trousers. Fellow workers at Junior’s restaurant in Brooklyn became suspicious and called the police when the food went missing from a walk-in freezer. Police searched Raymundo Flores and found the lobster tails stuffed down his trousers and hidden in bandages around his legs. He has been charged with possession of stolen property.

Cyclone Survivors
A Myanmar government-affiliated group denied rumors that fish from cyclone-ravaged areas were unfit to eat after supposedly feeding on human and animals corpses, local media reported Monday. Since Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta last month, some people in Yangon _ the country’s biggest city _ have been reluctant to eat fish because of rumors they were feeding on the bodies of storm victims. One rumor circulating was that some fish were found to have human fingers and pieces of jewelry in their stomachs. “This is not true. We can guarantee that,” Toe Nandar Tin, an executive member of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation, told the Myanmar Times newspaper. “(It) is total nonsense. The freshwater fish from delta come from fish farms, not from the rivers.” She said samples of fish were tested to prove they were safe for consumption. Toe Nandar Tin said the rumors also resulted in the suspension of orders by some foreign buyers, but she did not elaborate. The main buyers of Myanmar’s fish include China, Thailand and Singapore. The Myanmar Fisheries Federation is an organization representing the private sector, but it is affiliated with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. About 55 percent of the fishing sector in the country was destroyed, including 2,000 small boats and 329 offshore fishing vessels, according to the Times, a weekly English-language newspaper affiliated with the government. Massive waves from the cyclone also devastated 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) of shrimp farms and about 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) of fish farms, it said. The cyclone killed more than 78,000 people and left another 56,000 missing in the impoverished country.

Big DeDe the Lobster
While Big Dee-Dee the giant lobster is basking in fame, the family of fishermen who caught him has been toiling in anonymity, with good catches tempered by skyrocketing fuel prices and low prices. And while the century-old lobster is on the market for $1,000, the captain of the lobster boat The Wife And Kids earned $80 for the 22-pound, or 10-kilogram, lobster. “I never caught it for publicity,” Capt. Jerry Lord of Deer Island says. “I caught it to feed my family.” Lord, 36, fishes with his wife Angie and sometimes with his four-year-old son Kobe, and it was on a typical mid-June family fishing excursion that the lobster that came to be known as Big Dee-Dee was caught in the Bay of Fundy’s famed lobster fishing grounds. “We just hauled up and there it was,” Lord recalled yesterday. While initial reports suggested the lobster was attached to the outside of the trap and not in it, Lord can assure everyone the giant lobster did indeed somehow wiggle its way into the parlor of one of his traps, which is the section in which lobsters end up after they enter the trap and then try to get out. “Not only that,” Lord said, “but there was a 10-pounder (4.5 kilograms) underneath it.” The Bay of Fundy is famed for its large lobsters, but this was something else. Even Lord, who has been fishing lobsters for 14 years, had never seen such a specimen. “I thought maybe it would go 18 or 19 pounds (approximately eight to 8.5 kilograms.) I’ve caught them 15, maybe 16 pounds (6.8 to 7.2 kilograms,) but nothing that big.” Back at the docks, Lord alerted the lobster buyer that “I might have a big one in there,” and was surprised just how big it was when it was weighed. Not that it matters to him, but Lord thought Big Dee-Dee was destined to a biological station for examination. “Then someone pointed it out to me (in a newspaper) and said, ‘I think that’s your lobster.’” It was. Big Dee-Dee is now on display at Big Fish fish shop in Shediac, where visitors continued to show up to see him yesterday, his fame spreading like a wildfire thanks to local, national and international news coverage. Big Fish staff say they’ve received some inquiries and one serious offer to buy the lobster for the asking price of $1,000, but owner Denis Breau says the lobster is such an attraction that he won’t be sold for a few weeks yet. The lobster is so big that his dominant claw is bigger than a man’s size 10 boot, and his smaller claw is big enough to entirely cover a market-sized (large) lobster.

Empty Lobster Boat Warehouse
For the first time in 24 years of building lobster boats, Wayne Beal doesn’t have any job orders. He has a 42-footer under construction at his boatyard — but he’s building it for himself, so he can give up boat building and go lobster fishing instead. In Maine, where lobster is king, Beal and other lobster boat builders are braving tough times. With the lobster catch down and fishermen feeling an economic squeeze, boat sales have hit the skids. So even with the uncertainties facing lobster fishermen, Beal believes he’s better off doing that than sitting around and hoping for more boat orders to come in. “There’s not a lot of guys making the move to take on a new boat. And the economy is on its face, too,” Beal said in the cavernous, high-ceilinged boat shop where he has built scores of fiberglass boats over the years. “This is the first time I’ve had to lay crew off.” In Down East Maine, lobster boat building has a long tradition as a provider of jobs and money in a region that is short on both. Fishermen have been buying boats for as long as they’ve pulled lobster-filled traps from the cold waters off Maine’s rocky, seaweed-covered coast. In early times, fishermen used rowboats before graduating to larger motorized vessels. Over time, the lobster boat evolved into a simple design featuring a high bow, a small cabin and low gunwales making it easier for lobster men to lean over and tend their traps. In Jonesport, which some regard as the birthplace of the modern Down East lobster boat, there’s no doubt about the importance of the industry: Lobster boats and traps are stored in yards, some road signs are in the shape of lobster boats, and the Independence Day celebration features lobster boat races. Here and elsewhere, lobster boat builders enjoyed boom times as the annual harvest of Maine’s signature seafood more than doubled from the 1990s to more than 70 million pounds this decade. To catch all those lobsters, fishermen needed big new boats with powerful engines and fancy electronics that could run $250,000 or more. But the high times have been replaced by a sober-minded sensibility. Last year’s harvest was down 23 percent from 2006, and nobody knows what this year will bring. At the same time, fuel, bait, traps and other costs have surged for the state’s nearly 6,000 licensed lobster men. And with regulations limiting the number of fishermen and traps and requiring expensive rope to protect North American right whales, lobster men are in no mood to take on more debt. The result: Fewer orders for new boats and a weak market for used boats. Some boat builders — including many of whom have been around for decades and whose boats can be found all over the Northeast — have shut their doors. Others are seeing sharp drops in orders or turning to the pleasure boat market for business. Young Brothers, a well-known builder in Gouldsboro, closed last year after 31 years in business and 550 boat deliveries. At Holland’s Boat Shop in Belfast, lobster boat orders have evaporated for Glenn Holland, who is now making only recreational boats. On a recent day, more than a dozen employees were working on four boats inside H&H Marine in Steuben. Even though the yard looks busy enough, orders are on the decline, said co-owner Bruce Grindal. During the go-go years, H&H was making about 30 boats annually. Last year the number dropped to 15, and Grindal cut his work force from 24 to 16. “This year is anybody’s guess,” he said. The used boat market isn’t much better, Holland said. “For sale” signs can be found on many wharfs, and there’s no shortage of classified ads for used boats in commercial fishing publications. “And the prices keep dropping too,” said Holland. “Sooner or later they get to the point where they’re practically giving them away.” Maine’s lobster catch last year was valued at $243 million; in the peak year of 2005, it was worth $317 million. But the lobster industry is far bigger than that. Boat builders alone contribute tens of millions more dollars to the economy. There are perhaps a dozen or two companies that build hulls and tops of lobster boats, and dozens more people who finish off the boats. Wayne Beal is a typical lobster boat builder in many ways. He was pulling lobster traps by age 7 while growing up on Beals Island and became a full-time fisherman when he came of age. He later switched over to boat building and started his own business, Wayne Beal’s Boat Shop Inc. Since 1994, he’s built boats ranging from 32 feet to 46 feet long inside a 6,000 square-foot building that has a lingering smell of fiberglass resin. He’s now building the “Kendrick and Chandler,” named after his grandchildren, which he hopes to have in the water by July 4. Beal’s thankful he can at least return to fishing, given the downturn in the boat market. The phone stopped ringing with new orders last fall, but he can hardly blame the fishermen given the rising costs, the falling catch and the threat of new regulations. “It’s putting so much pressure on the fishermen that they’re holding off going into debt on a new boat,” he said. “And the young people coming up, you’re not selling anything to them because they don’t know if they can get into the fishery or not.”

Department of Wildlife Inspects Boat for invasive mussels
A first-weekend tryout of Bruce Shaffer and Dana Mason’s new boat was scuttled Saturday when inspectors working for county parks found possible signs of invasive mussels on the couple’s new ride. The larvae of the zebra and quagga mussels are too small to see with the naked eye, so inspectors at all Santa Clara County lakes on Saturday were combing through boats, jet skis and other watercraft, looking for any kind of water - even dampness - that could nurture the tiny mollusks. Inspectors found water in the bilge pump of the boat Mason and Shaffer bought used a week ago. It spewed onto the parking lot at Anderson Lake County Park when Mason cranked the motor. “So much for the maiden voyage,” she said, leaning over the prow. The inspections that ended the couple’s weekend boating dreams started May 23, when county officials initiated the special searches to keep the invasive mussels out of county waters. They can disrupt the food chain and clog the pipes that take water from reservoirs to homes. They can hitch a ride with excess water in a boat and end up in lakes and streams. The distantly related species were first found in Northern California this winter by a fisherman in a lake near Hollister. The tiny mussels quickly breed into large colonies. “We are talking about protecting pretty precious resources,” senior park ranger Mike Bacon said. But, he said, it is a careful balance between recreation and clean drinking water. “People get frustrated. They just want to use a public park,” he said. “But if these things get in the water, it is the public that is going to have to pay.” By 2 p.m. Saturday, inspectors at Anderson Lake had climbed into and crawled under about 56 boats. They sent about 13 away after finding water in the hull or the motor. Some were also sent back with other problems. Boats like the one owned by Mason and Shaffer will be in quarantine for five days. The couple can bring it back to county waters after it dries out. Boats that clear the inspection and are tagged as approved can slide back into county waters without an inspection. County parks and the water department are each spending about $250,000 on the program for the year. A $7 non-refundable inspection fee helps cover the labor costs of the outside contracting firm. Michael Mendoza likes to hit the lakes with his son Elijah and their chocolate lab, Choco. But with the new restrictions, he said Saturday, he brought a slightly dirtier boat than usual. No wet boats “If you keep it outside, you can’t hose it down anymore” to get rid of the leaves and stuff that gets into it, he said. If a boat is at all wet, inspectors will reject it. “Wet means wet,” Bacon said, adding that the mussels can live in any dark, wet place for up to 30 days. Because the regulations are new, Bacon said, some boaters are staying away. He hopes that the more they learn about the process, the more likely they’ll be to show up. But at least one boater in the know said the inspections weren’t much of a bother. “It’s really a piece of cake,” said Peter Carlino of San Jose. He’s been boating for about 20 years, and loves the serenity of being out on the water. He said he is willing to take the time to protect it. “Fifteen minutes of inconvenience is worth it to keep the mussels out of the water,” he said after his boat was cleared to launch. As for Mason and Shaffer, they had to make new plans for their Saturday afternoon. “We’ll dry out the boat,” Mason said, “and then maybe play with the dogs.” There’s always next weekend.

American Bison
The state Department of Livestock has hazed about 110 bison into Yellowstone National Park from private land. Board of Livestock executive director Christian Mackay says all the bison that were on Horse Butte are back in the park. He says enough snow had melted to conduct the operation safely and there was enough green grass for the bison to eat. Thursday’s hazing came a day after cattle ranchers went to court to compel the Livestock Department to move the animals back into the park. A federal-state agreement calls for killing or removing bison that migrate outside the park to prevent the spread of brucellosis, a disease that can cause cows to abort their calves. The property owners had said they didn’t want the bison moved, because no cattle are grazing in the area.

Isamu Kuroiwa, chairman of World Ocean Farm of Japan, along with nine accomplices, were taken into custody this week for alleged shrimp farm fraud. In addition to the 10 arrests, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is looking for eight more people tied to the case. According to Japanese news reports, World Ocean Farm, from 2005 to the time its headquarters were shut down in July 2007, accumulated more than $600 million in capital from some 40,000 individuals. Investors were told their money was being invested in a shrimp farm in the Philippines, from which they were paid dividends every 10 days. The operation went unquestioned until January 2007 when World Ocean gradually stopped paying dividends until it announced bankruptcy in July 2007. During the first half of last year, World Ocean still managed to amass some 30 clients. Kuroiwa disappeared soon after the company was shut down. Metro Police investigated the case upon investors’ complaints and also checked out the shrimp farm in the Philippines, which turned out to be much smaller than expected. A Metro Police investigator believes that no less than $6 million of the fund remained in the country. Some $45 million was transferred to a German bank’s U.S. branch in April 2007. It was then re-transferred to the personal account of a Japanese resident living in California. Upon re-transfer, the Federal Bureau of Investigation suspected money laundering and summoned Kuroiwa for questioning. Kuroiwa insisted he had appointed his friend to manage the money for a foundation under his control, Nippon Hoshi-Kai, which he claimed to be the president of. Unsatisfied with his response, the FBI froze the account soon after questioning, suspecting Kuroiwa’s affiliation with organized criminal activities.

Oil Spills Cause Wide Spread Destruction
The state Department of Ecology has fined Seattle-based Trident Seafoods $12,000 for causing an oil spill in a Tacoma waterway. Last summer, Trident crew was refueling one of its ships and opened two tanks already full, causing an overflow and spilling 90 gallons of diesel oil into the water off Commencement Bay. The department of Ecology says oil spills are especially harmful in heavy industrial areas such as the Tacoma waterfront, where the environment is sensitive. Trident Seafoods has 30 days to appeal the decision.

Plastic Harms More than just lobsters...
New studies are showing that compounds from plastics are being found in the bloodstream of lobster and scientists are linking this to lobster shell disease. As consumers begin purchasing more and more plastic because of low-cost and durability, it is critical that people take responsibility for the waste being generated and dispose of all garbage properly. If not, there can be harmful effects on marine species, humans, and specifically the lobster economy. At this time in our region, lobsters are the most crucial species to coastal communities. Whole communities are based around the lobster economy. Wharves are full of lobster boats, traps, and buoys. You cannot drive far across the Atlantic coast before stumbling upon a small fishing community, whether it be the actual fishing of lobster, or a community selling lobster, tending lobster in a pound, cooking or packing lobster, and finally, shipping it to countries all across the world. Any harm to these animals or their populations will have a very negative effect on coastal communities. Hans Laufer, a professor at the University of Connecticut, and his team of researchers, are studying the effects of plastic debris on lobsters. They have identified four different chemicals – from the breakdowns of plastics – in the bloodstreams of lobsters, and are linking this to lobster shell disease. The four chemicals found in the lobster’s bloodstream are alkylphenols used in the making of plastic and rubber polymer. Plastics are made from small plastic pellets, which are not biodegradable; therefore, these pellets remain on the ocean’s floor for long periods of time. Lobsters are scavengers. They either eat the plastic pellets directly thinking they are food – which can give them a false sense of being full and lead to starvation – or they eat other marine species contaminated by plastic chemicals from pellets they have eaten. Either way, the chemicals that make up plastic, upon entering the lobster, can remain there for their entire lifetime.

Typical Fish Farm
British Columbia’s Environment Ministry is investigating last week’s escape of about 30,000 Atlantic salmon from a fish farm 125 miles northwest of Vancouver operated by Marine Harvest Canada. Marine Harvest, the world’s largest salmon farming company, is cooperating with the investigation, Clare Backman, director of environmental compliance at the Marine Harvest office in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, told the Associated Press. “We, too, want to know the cause, and then they will determine whether or not there are grounds to go forward with charges,” Backman said. Company workers found that an anchor securing the net pen slipped into deeper water on Tuesday, pulling a corner of the pen far enough below the surface for the salmon to swim away. A seiner hired by the company recaptured fewer than 400 of the salmon, which were mature and weighed about 9 pounds each, Backman said. The 30,000 Atlantic salmon are valued at just under $500,000, and repositioning the pen and catching the escaped fish will cost about $200,000, he added. About 450,000 Atlantic salmon remain at the farm in Frederick Arm between the Broughton Archipelago and Desolation Sound on the mainland. The incident renewed calls by conservationists to end marine fish farming in British Columbia. “The B.C. government can’t continue to put our wild salmon and marine ecosystem at risk by pretending that they are addressing the problems of open net-cage salmon farming with tighter regulations,” said Catherine Stewart of the Living Oceans Society. “This latest escape is another example of the need for a better system for farming salmon and not another Band-Aid.” The Atlantic Salmon Watch Program run by the Canadian Fisheries Department reported that more than 1.4 million Atlantic salmon escaped into British Columbia waters between 1987 and 2002, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands’ most recent statistics reported 19,000 escaped fish in 2006.