Boiling Water: The Hidden Cost of Cheap Lobster

post from ThinkProgress on 22 July 2012 09:00:07 AM. © ThinkProgress

by Michael Conathan

It?s a good time to be a tourist in Maine. While the rest of the country is being ravaged by wildfires, sweltering away setting record numbers of record-high temperatures, or withering in the grasp of a drought that rivals the 1930s Dust Bowl, northern New England?s temperate climes are a welcome relief. And the cherry on top of that cool, soothing sundae is that the state?s signature seafood, lobster, is selling at rock-bottom prices?as little as $3.99 per pound in Portland.

The downside, of course, is that while epicures can sample their favorite crustaceans for less than they typically pay for bologna, most lobstermen are struggling to just break even at per-pound prices as low as $2?about half what they typically receive for their catch. This level is far below the break-even point Maine?s 5,000 commercial lobstermen need to cover expenses of fuel, bait, and wages.

The cause? It?s somewhat hard to pin down, but a major contributor is global climate change. And the lobster fishery isn?t the only one feeling the heat.

Lobsters, like all crustaceans, molt as they grow. Dust the cobwebs off your ninth-grade biology textbook, and you may recall the term ?exoskeleton??the external shell possessed by lobsters, crabs, and most insects. Lobsters typically shed theirs in the late spring and early summer, and for a period of time they are effectively snails without shells?the limpest of which lobstermen refer to as ?rags? because it best describes their consistency.

This year, rags started showing up early in traps, and many in the industry, including Bob Bayer who heads the Maine Lobster Institute, trace this to warming ocean temperatures. As Andrew Pershing of the University of Maine and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute asserted at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing yesterday, ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine in June were equivalent to average July temperatures. It?s no coincidence then that lobstermen are seeing rags a month early.

When it comes to the price crash, climate may not be the sole cause, but soft-shell lobsters contain less meat than their hard-shelled brethren and can?t be transported as far?you?ll never eat a rag in the Midwest?so their market is limited, and their value is lower.

Other factors that have driven lobster prices down include an unusually high volume of lobster caught in Canada this spring, which glutted Canadian processors? market and reduced the need for Maine?s product?as much as 70 percent of Maine?s lobster goes to Canada for processing.

One silver lining, however, is that Maine?s lobster stock is healthy too. In 2011 Maine lobster landings set all-time records, surpassing the 100-million-pound mark for the first time ever and grossing lobstermen more than $330 million?more than 80 percent of the value of all fish landings in the state.

There?s still no denying that the marine effects of climate change are already being felt in many of the world?s fisheries. A study published earlier this month in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences found ?rapid and consistent decreases? in the populations of sockeye salmon runs from Puget Sound, Washington, to the Yakutat Peninsula in southeast Alaska due to ocean warming. Warmer water provides more favorable conditions for less valuable species, including pink salmon, meaning they are more likely to out-compete sockeye in the ecosystem. And similar to lobster in Maine, salmon is big business in Alaska: In 2010 Alaskan fishermen landed $263 million worth of sockeye, a major component of a fishing industry that creates more than 80,000 jobs in the state.

Furthermore, as a direct result of our ocean?s ability to absorb much of the excess carbon in our atmosphere, the seas are becoming increasingly acidic, which makes it increasingly difficult for oysters, clams, and other creatures to grow their shells. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, is already having dramatically negative effects on ocean industries, including Washington state?s shellfish aquaculture operations.

Finally, recent work by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Janet Nye and her colleagues has shown that the overall geographic range of fish populations in the northwest Atlantic and the Gulf of Maine have shifted northward in direct proportion to warming ocean temperatures, meaning new species now live in regions that were previously dominated by other species.

Maine lobstermen don?t have to look very far to see what their industry will look like as the warming trend continues. As lobster populations have boomed in the colder, more northern waters of the Gulf of Maine?protected from the Gulf Stream?s warming by the outstretched arm of Cape Cod?they have crashed in the once lobster-rich areas of Long Island and Block Island Sounds.

The economic fallout from the climate-driven trophic shift will clearly be significant, particularly in areas such as Downeast Maine where lobstering is central to the regional economy. Yet the regulatory fallout could be even greater.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act, which governs our nation?s fishing activity, requires that all fisheries found to be overfished must be rebuilt to sustainable populations within 10 years by limiting the amount of fish that can be caught. Yet these rebuilding targets are based on historic species? abundance with no allowance for future oceanographic conditions. Until this provision is addressed, we?ll be punishing participants in even the best-managed fisheries as they take deeper cuts in a futile attempt to rebuild fish populations to levels that are unattainable through no fault of their own. While this rebuilding dilemma hasn?t yet affected the lobster fishery, there is concern that efforts to rebuild other species in the Gulf of Maine such as cod will be hampered by changing environmental conditions.

At yesterday?s House Natural Resources Committee hearing, Rep. John Fleming (R-LA), who chairs the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Insular Affairs, suggested that perhaps the money the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is spending on climate-monitoring satellites would be better spent on fisheries stock assessments or other data used directly to determine catch limits in our fisheries. While there?s no doubt we could use additional investment in fisheries science, the reality is there?s no way the two disciplines can be considered mutually exclusive.

Michael Conathan is the Director of Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/07/22/559211/boiling-water-the-hidden-cost-
of-cheap-lobster/

Digg this

On This Day In History July 22

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 22 July 2012 09:00:00 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

Cross posted from The Stars Hollow GazetteThis is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.Find the past "On This Day in History" here.Click on images to enlargeJuly 22 is the 203rd day of the[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.docudharma.com/diary/30414/on-this-day-in-history-july-22

Digg this

Mike's Blog Round Up

post from Crooks and Liars on 22 July 2012 09:00:00 AM. © Crooks and Liars

Alright, that's it for me -- it's been a pleasure, as always. See you next time.

If you'll excuse the egotism, a couple of recent posts over at my place: "Welcome to Lawrence Welkistan" and "Romney is still trying to lie his way to the top." I hope you enjoy them.

All Things Democrat: The Republican war on women and the wave of legislative challenges.

The Grey Matter: A few interesting tidbits about how wrong Republicans are.

Take My Country Back: So, what if Obama had exploited the military for political gain?

Just an Earth-Bound Misfit: So, what if you'd been armed at that Colorado movie theater?

Round-up by Michael J.W. Stickings of The Reaction (@mjwstickings).

Send tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/bluegal-aka-fran/mikes-blog-round-89

Digg this

Le Tour de France 2012: Stage 20 Rambouillet and
Paris Champs-Élysées

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 22 July 2012 08:29:09 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

The Tour de France 2012, the world's premier cycling event kicked off last Saturday with the Prologue in Liège, Belgium and will conclude on July 22 with the traditional ride into Paris and laps up and down the Champs-Élysées. Over the next 22 days the[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.docudharma.com/diary/30419/le-tour-de-france-2012-stage-20-rambouillet
-and-paris-champsélysées

Digg this

Sunday Morning Bobblehead Thread

post from Crooks and Liars on 22 July 2012 08:00:02 AM. © Crooks and Liars

Normally, I like to offer up a video and some small talk before we launch into the Sunday show line up, but this morning I want you to ponder the words of Jessica Ghawi, who survived a shooting at a mall in Toronto on June 2:

I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders? faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don?t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath. For one man, it was in the middle of a busy food court on a Saturday evening.
I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.

Only 24 years old, Jessica Ghawi, along with Alex Sullivan, 27; Micayla Medek, 23; Navy Petty Officer John Larimer, 27; Rebecca Wingo, 32, Matthew McQuinn, 27; Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6; Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse Childress, 29; Alexander Boik, 17; Alexander Teves, 24; Jonathan Blunk, 26; and Gordon Cowdon, 51, died on Friday in the Aurora, Colorado shooting.

May their memories never be shamed by the cowardice of politicians and the avarice of the NRA. And though the media won't cover it the same way, the gun violence that put this little girl in the hospital is just as egregious and just as inexcusable.

ABC's "This Week" - Aurora shootings: Gov. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo, Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan; Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. Roundtable: former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, ABC News' George Will, ABC News' Cokie Roberts, TIME Magazine political columnist Joe Klein, and The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin.
NBC's "Meet the Press" - Aurora shootings: Hickenlooper; Michael Chertoff, former secretary of Homeland Security Department; William Bratton, former Los Angeles chief of police; and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y. Roundtable: New York Times columnist David Brooks, former DC public schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, former senior adviser to the 2004 Kerry presidential campaign, Bob Shrum, and former senior strategist to the 2008 McCain presidential campaign, Steve Schmidt.
NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show" - Panel: Dan Rather, David Ignatius, Gloria Borger, Kathleen Parker. Topics: Will Friday's shooting elevate the political dialogue? Romney's VP pick: will he go for a boring running mate?
CBS' "Face the Nation" - Aurora shootings: Hickenlooper, Hogan, and Congressman Ed Perlmutter; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
MSNBC's "Up with Chris Hayes" - Gary Gensler, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Bryn Bird, Farming advocate; General Akil Hashem (Ret.), Former Syrian Brigadier now a military advisor to Syrian rebel groups; Josh Barro, Forbes contributor; Amy Goodman, Host of Democracy Now! Topics include: The Battle Over the Bush Tax Cuts, The US Drought and its Impact on Food Prices, The State of Syria
MSNBC's "Melissa Harris-Perry" - Chef Syrena Johnson; Jemele Hill, ESPN; Dave Zirin, Sports Writer; Donna Devarona, Former Olympian Swimmer; Alex Wek, Model and Activist; John Carlos, Former Olympian; Michael Ralph, New York University; Mark Quarterman, Enough Project. Topics include: The Olympics, Diaspora and the African American Connection, Black Chefs
CNN's "State of the Union" - Aurora shootings: Hickenlooper. Aurora shootings, Syria, Mitt Romney's upcoming overseas trip: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Virginia Senate debate: former Sen. George Allen, R-Va.; former Gov. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" - Private equity myths: Steven Rattner; implications of Greece leaving Eurozone: Niall Ferguson.
"Fox News Sunday" _ Netanyahu; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. Roundtable: Bill Kristol, Evan Bayh, Liz Cheney, Kristen Powers.

So what's catching your eye this morning?

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/sunday-morning-bobblehead-thread-180

Digg this

If You Can't Stop 'Em, Sue Their Murdering Asses

post from They gave us a republic... - Front Page on 22 July 2012 08:00:00 AM. © They gave us a republic... - Front Page

By @KYYellowDog

This is why giant corporations want "tort reform" that excludes citizens from the court system: because once corporations have bought our legislators, trial courts are the only place left where we can hold corporate criminals accountable.

Anthony Gucciardi at Nation of Change:

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the 'suicide belt', Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from "renewal" seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year's harvest.
The practice of using renewal seeds dates back to ancient times, but Monsanto seeks to collect massive royalties and put an end to the practice. Why? Because Monsanto owns the very patent to the genetically modified seed, and is charging the farmers not only for the original crops, but the later harvests as well. Eventually, the royalties compound and many farmers begin to struggle with even keeping their farm afloat. It is for this reason that India slammed Monsanto with groundbreaking 'biopiracy' charges in an effort to stop Monsanto from 'patenting life'.
SNIP
Will endless lawsuits from millions of seriously affected individuals be the end of Monsanto?

Probably not. But enough publicity might shame a few legislators into cutting back the most blatant free rides given the murdering motherfuckers of Big Ag.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheyGaveUsARepublic-FrontPage/~3/0a8FHs78TFU/if-yo
u-cant-stop-em-sue-their-murdering-asses

Digg this

Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: More on Citizens
United, BP oil spill and pertussis

post from Daily Kos on 22 July 2012 07:30:05 AM. © Daily Kos

newspaper headline collage ^{Visual source: Newseum}

Larry Sabato:

While it is fashionable for voters to call themselves ?independent? - both in how they respond to surveys or in their voter registration - polling data tell us that most people who claim to be independent really are not. A Gallup survey earlier this year noted that 40% of those polled identified as independents, but after ?leaners? toward one party or the other were weeded out, the percentage of real independents was only about 10%. That squares with a more recent report from Ipsos? Clifford Young, who pegged independents as 11% of the likely voters in the upcoming election. Political science research suggests that the real proportion of independents in the November electorate will be even smaller, perhaps 5% to7%.

Frank Rich:

Barack Obama has made his mistakes as a politician and as a president, but here is one thing he indisputably did right: pummel Mitt Romney with a volley of attack ads once Romney sewed up the Republican nomination. Obama was playing by the rules, honoring historical precedent in both parties, and pursuing the one must-do task before him in an election year (winning). And yet from the blowback that erupted once his Bain ad hit the fan?from his own camp, from the pious arbiters of Beltway manners, and, of course, from his adversaries?you?d think Romney was an innocent civilian under assault by a drone. What was everyone so shocked about?

Nate Silver:

Polls Show Forward Movement for Obama in Florida
As we mentioned last week, President Obama?s polling has been holding up reasonably well in Florida. The latest example was a SurveyUSA poll, released late Friday, that showed him five points ahead there among likely voters.

WaPo:

Third-party groups ready multiple ads attacking health-care law
Conservative groups are gearing up to spend millions of dollars over the next three months on ads attacking President Obama?s health-care law and Democrats who support it, but in many cases voters will have no way of knowing who paid for the barrage.

MSNBC:

Between January and April 2011, 186 dead bottlenose dolphins washed ashore between Louisiana and western Florida. Most alarmingly, nearly half of these casualties were calves, which is more than double the usual proportion of young to old dolphins found dead. Scientists now blame both natural factors and human catastrophe for the unusual die-off.
"Unfortunately, it was a 'perfect storm' that led to the dolphin deaths," study researcher Graham Worthy, a biologist at the University of Central Florida, said in a statement. "The oil spill and cold water of 2010 had already put significant stress on their food resources. ? It appears the high volumes of cold freshwater coming from snowmelt water that pushed through Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound in 2011 was the final blow."

Paul Krugman:

The first is that both in effect shrug their shoulders over the fact that for several days running the central theme of the Romney campaign has rested on a complete lie. I understand; going on about the dishonesty can get boring. But we should step back often to look at this remarkable spectacle. I really don?t think there?s been anything like this in American political history: a presidential campaign, with a pretty good chance of winning, that is based entirely on cynical lies about what the sitting president has said. No, Obama hasn?t apologized for America; no, he hasn?t denigrated achievement. Yet take away those claims, and there?s nothing left in Romney?s rhetoric.
The other thing that I think needs clarification is that it?s wrong to think of conservatives as having a single argument for their preferred policies. What they offer instead is more like an onion, with layers inside layers; every time you strip away one excuse there?s another one inside.

Romney lies all the time, as in every day. But our dear media doesn't have the cojones to call him on it every day. He knows it, which is why he lies.

Medical News Today:

The number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases registered in the state of Washington, USA, has risen considerably this year; in April 2012, the Washington State Secretary of Health declared an emergency. By 16th June there had been 2,520 reported cases of whooping cough across the state, an increase of 1,300% compared to the same period in 2011 - 37.5 cases per 100,000 people. A few days ago, Washington's epidemic passed 3,000 reported cases.
Health authorities report that the state now has the highest number of reported pertussis cases since 1942.
Health authorities say infants aged less than 12 months and children aged 10 years have been especially affected. Incidence among 13 and 14 year olds has also risen significantly, despite healthy vaccination rates in this age group for tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap). Experts say this suggests that immunity is declining earlier than expected.

I'm as hard on the anti-vax-ers as anyone, but the current outbreak is not due to non-vaccination, at least in its entirety. NBC:

The CDC is trying to figure out what's going on, but Schuchat said a couple of factors are clearly at work. The formulation for the whooping cough vaccine was changed in 1997, and kids hitting age 13 and 14 now are the first to have been fully vaccinated with five doses of the new vaccine. The new formulation causes less of a reaction, but it may also wear off sooner, Schuchat said.
The older vaccine was made using a whole pertussis bacterium. It was very effective, but it did cause swelling in some kids who got it, and sometimes caused a fever -- something that scared parents. It also was widely blamed for causing rare but serious neurological reactions, although Schuchat said studies have not confirmed this.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/OQcgzDyqkWg/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Ro
und-up-More-on-Citizen-s-United-BP-oil-spill-and-pertussis

Digg this

Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: More on Citizen's
United, BP oil spill and pertussis

newspaper headline collage ^{Visual source: Newseum}

Larry Sabato:

While it is fashionable for voters to call themselves ?independent? - both in how they respond to surveys or in their voter registration - polling data tell us that most people who claim to be independent really are not. A Gallup survey earlier this year noted that 40% of those polled identified as independents, but after ?leaners? toward one party or the other were weeded out, the percentage of real independents was only about 10%. That squares with a more recent report from Ipsos? Clifford Young, who pegged independents as 11% of the likely voters in the upcoming election. Political science research suggests that the real proportion of independents in the November electorate will be even smaller, perhaps 5% to7%.

Frank Rich:

Barack Obama has made his mistakes as a politician and as a president, but here is one thing he indisputably did right: pummel Mitt Romney with a volley of attack ads once Romney sewed up the Republican nomination. Obama was playing by the rules, honoring historical precedent in both parties, and pursuing the one must-do task before him in an election year (winning). And yet from the blowback that erupted once his Bain ad hit the fan?from his own camp, from the pious arbiters of Beltway manners, and, of course, from his adversaries?you?d think Romney was an innocent civilian under assault by a drone. What was everyone so shocked about?

Nate Silver:

Polls Show Forward Movement for Obama in Florida
As we mentioned last week, President Obama?s polling has been holding up reasonably well in Florida. The latest example was a SurveyUSA poll, released late Friday, that showed him five points ahead there among likely voters.

WaPo:

Third-party groups ready multiple ads attacking health-care law
Conservative groups are gearing up to spend millions of dollars over the next three months on ads attacking President Obama?s health-care law and Democrats who support it, but in many cases voters will have no way of knowing who paid for the barrage.

MSNBC:

Between January and April 2011, 186 dead bottlenose dolphins washed ashore between Louisiana and western Florida. Most alarmingly, nearly half of these casualties were calves, which is more than double the usual proportion of young to old dolphins found dead. Scientists now blame both natural factors and human catastrophe for the unusual die-off.
"Unfortunately, it was a 'perfect storm' that led to the dolphin deaths," study researcher Graham Worthy, a biologist at the University of Central Florida, said in a statement. "The oil spill and cold water of 2010 had already put significant stress on their food resources. ? It appears the high volumes of cold freshwater coming from snowmelt water that pushed through Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound in 2011 was the final blow."

Paul Krugman:

The first is that both in effect shrug their shoulders over the fact that for several days running the central theme of the Romney campaign has rested on a complete lie. I understand; going on about the dishonesty can get boring. But we should step back often to look at this remarkable spectacle. I really don?t think there?s been anything like this in American political history: a presidential campaign, with a pretty good chance of winning, that is based entirely on cynical lies about what the sitting president has said. No, Obama hasn?t apologized for America; no, he hasn?t denigrated achievement. Yet take away those claims, and there?s nothing left in Romney?s rhetoric.
The other thing that I think needs clarification is that it?s wrong to think of conservatives as having a single argument for their preferred policies. What they offer instead is more like an onion, with layers inside layers; every time you strip away one excuse there?s another one inside.

Romney lies all the time, as in every day. But our dear media doesn't have the cojones to call him on it every day. He knows it, which is why he lies.

Medical News Today:

The number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases registered in the state of Washington, USA, has risen considerably this year; in April 2012, the Washington State Secretary of Health declared an emergency. By 16th June there had been 2,520 reported cases of whooping cough across the state, an increase of 1,300% compared to the same period in 2011 - 37.5 cases per 100,000 people. A few days ago, Washington's epidemic passed 3,000 reported cases.
Health authorities report that the state now has the highest number of reported pertussis cases since 1942.
Health authorities say infants aged less than 12 months and children aged 10 years have been especially affected. Incidence among 13 and 14 year olds has also risen significantly, despite healthy vaccination rates in this age group for tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap). Experts say this suggests that immunity is declining earlier than expected.

I'm as hard on the anti-vax-ers as anyone, but the current outbreak is not due to non-vaccination, at least in its entirety. NBC:

The CDC is trying to figure out what's going on, but Schuchat said a couple of factors are clearly at work. The formulation for the whooping cough vaccine was changed in 1997, and kids hitting age 13 and 14 now are the first to have been fully vaccinated with five doses of the new vaccine. The new formulation causes less of a reaction, but it may also wear off sooner, Schuchat said.
The older vaccine was made using a whole pertussis bacterium. It was very effective, but it did cause swelling in some kids who got it, and sometimes caused a fever -- something that scared parents. It also was widely blamed for causing rare but serious neurological reactions, although Schuchat said studies have not confirmed this.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/OQcgzDyqkWg/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Ro
und-up-More-on-Citizen-s-United-BP-oil-spill-and-pertussis

Digg this

Six In The Morning

On Sunday U.S. Drug War Expands to Africa, a Newer Hub for Cartels ? By CHARLIE SAVAGE and THOM SHANKERWASHINGTON - In a significant expansion of the war on drugs, the United States has begun training an elite unit of counternarcotics police in[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.docudharma.com/diary/30418/six-in-the-morning

Digg this