Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Saturday, April 13th, 7 FFA members tempted the trout with a variety of offerings. Evidently our fishing license fees have kept the fish a little too well fed as they weren't interested. Either that or Saturday the 13th is bad luck. Any day fishing is a good day!
A nice day with not much wind
Larry and Doug
It's that time of year again!
Volunteers are needed to count the number of herring that are migrating in the Coonamessett River. You will become part of a wonderful group of folks who enjoy observing nature and contributing to the restoration of the Coonamessett River. Bring a friend, count some herring, and enjoy the River!
What do you need to do to count herring?
We need counters between 10 April and 1 June in the evening and during the day. For the evening, you commit to a one-hour block of time once a week (see open times below) and make three 10-min counts. During the day, you make one (or more) 10-min counts anytime you are at the river. Data is entered into an online data form.
The following times are available:
Mon- 9pm to 10pm
Wed - 7pm to 8pm, 8pm to 9pm
Thurs - 9pm to 10pm
Sat - 9pm to 10pm
Something new this year!
This year the Coonamessett River herring count is being given a boost by participating in development of a cutting-edge method to assess the size of herring runs! Volunteer counts are a critical component as they test the ability of a video camera and AI program to identify the herring - does the computer program 'see' as many fish as the counters do? An underwater video camera will record the herring as they swim by and deep machine learning or AI will be used to create algorithms to recognize and quantify the herring. We will always need volunteer counts to keep the program up-to-date and make sure the computer gets it right, however this could lead to a huge breakthrough by improving the accuracy of herring run counts as the camera can operate 24/7. This 2-year project is a collaboration between Drs. Linda Deegan (Woodwell Climate Research Center) and Sara Beery and Rob Vincent (MIT) and includes the Ipswich, Santuit and Coonamessett Rivers.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
crivertrust@gmail.com
Volunteer to help count Herring!
Volunteer monitoring has helped to demonstrate the success of completed restoration efforts along these runs:
FFA MEMBER AND GOOD FRIEND TIM PETRACCA ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED THE MASS STRIPED BASS AWARDS FOR 2023!!!
TIM GIVES MUCH OF HIS CREDIT TO MENTOR AND BASS GURU BILL ON THE GRILL PRODOUZ, WHO HAS UNSELFISHLY SHARED HIS WEALTH OF KNOWLE
CONGRATULATIONS TO TIM! GREAT JOB!
Club members, Kevin Cruse, Keith Roberts, Bob Hewitt, John Dillon, and Chris Bisanti, went
oystering on Sunday, November 19 in West Falmouth. It did not take long to fill their baskets
even on a high tide. It was a beautiful afternoon and a lot of fun.
Fresh Oysters, worth the trip. Homemade Onion soup, and a well deserved drink.
MassWildlife will stock approximately 61,000 trout in Massachusetts waters starting around mid-September. When stocking begins, visit mass.gov/Trout for daily stocking updates. With fewer crowds and cooler weather, fall is a great time to go fishing. Get fall-specific fishing tips for both trout and bass.
Freshwater Sportfishing Awards
For over 60 years, MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program has been recognizing anglers who catch exceptional fish across Massachusetts. A bronze pin is awarded to anglers who catch fish that meet minimum weight or length requirements. The goal of the Program is to foster a love of angling and for spending time outdoors. Judging from the smiles on the faces of these anglers, we are meeting our objectives! So far, about 1,600 bronze pins have been awarded—which is well above average for this time of year. The Program was expanded in 2023 with the addition of a Youth Catch-and-Release category and the addition of two new species categories—fallfish and white sucker. There is plenty of time to get involved in 2023! When you think you’ve caught a trophy fish, take a photo, weigh or measure your fish, and submit your catch – it’s that easy! Get all the details about entering your catch. Each week, the leader board is updated with the biggest fish caught in each category. Check out the current leaders.
Issue in brief: As part of the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, an effort APCC supports, Holtec International has proposed discharging over a million gallons of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection recently issued a preliminary denial of Holtec’s permit application to discharge the wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. The denial is based on the Oceans Sanctuaries Act state law, which prohibits new industrial discharges of pollutants into Massachusetts waters designated as ocean sanctuaries. APCC is fully committed to forcing Holtec to respect the law and to preventing the use of Cape Cod Bay as a dumping ground.
The draft denial cannot be finalized until after a 30-day public comment period. The comment period runs through Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. The public can submit comments electronically to: massdep.npdes@mass.gov or written comments can be submitted to: MassDEP Surface Water Discharge Permitting Program, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114.
The draft decision has it right, the Ocean Sanctuaries Act is clear, DEP’s action reflects the law and there is no other basis to do anything other than to finalize this decision. Send your comments to DEP by August 28th. Here’s a sample message.
___________________________________
Dear Commissioner Heiple,
I strongly agree with DEP’s draft determination to deny Holtec International’s permit application to discharge wastewater from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay. DEP’s permit denial correctly interprets the Ocean Sanctuaries Act, which explicitly states that discharges such as the one pursued by Holtec are prohibited under state law. I urge DEP to move forward in finalizing its draft decision based on state law requirements and issue a permit denial to Holtec that prevents Pilgrim’s wastewater from being released into the Cape Cod Bay Ocean Sanctuary.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
Help Us Surpass 5,000 Signatures!
I am happy to report that we are about to hit 5,000 signatures on our petition asking Holtec CEO Krishna P. Singh to not dump radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. AMAZING WORK EVERYONE!
To sign the petition please click on the link to Radioactive Water into Cape Cod Bay and check it out and leave a comment. To sign the petition please click on the following link: https://www.change.org/p/holtec-please-don-t-dump-radioactive-water-into-cape-cod-bay
We are making an impact with this petition and people in power are already starting to pay attention.
Ryan Collins started this petition to Holtec CEO Krishna P. Singh, Kelly Trice (President, Holtec Decommissioning International, and David Noyes (Holtec Senior Compliance Manager).
When my father and my uncles were growing up on the shore of Cape Cod Bay, just a couple miles south of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, they played witness to the construction of the power plant, and watched as the lush green coastline, which my father described to me as “paradise”, was turned into an industrial no-man’s land.
Today thanks to Holtec, the company responsible for decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, we have begun dismantling this eye-sore, and hopefully, cleaning up the mess which my generation has inherited, and that future generations to come will also inherit. I am most thankful that the decommissioning of this plant has begun, and I appreciate Holtec’s expertise in ensuring this project is done in a responsible manner.
However, to my astonishment, it appears that Holtec is considering to dump 1.1 millions gallons of contaminated wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. There are of course several other alternatives to dumping the water into Cape Cod Bay (like trucking it to an offsite facility) but dumping the water into the bay is by far the cheapest option.
On Monday January 23rd there was a meeting at Plymouth Town Hall of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP), which advises the Governor and educates citizens across the state on activities related to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station shut down.
To summarize the meeting, Holtec said they won't release the water until they receive a permit which allows them to do so. However, Holtec still wants to dump the water. During the meeting I heard many intelligent statements being made about what is legal and what is not legal. I also heard many intelligent statements being made about nuclear science, pollutants, and chemistry.
Nevertheless I feel the people from Holtec are missing the point. There is something here that is more important than the law. There is something here that is more important than the science. Though the proposed dumping is plainly illegal, and though the National Academy of Sciences concludes there is in fact no "safe" level of exposure to ionizing radiation (see the BEIR VII Report), the ultimate issue here is a moral one...
The people, the tens of thousands of residents of Plymouth and Cape Cod, and the million tourists who visit this area each year, have made it clear that we would prefer for this water to not be released into our beloved Cape Cod Bay. The wishes of people, the real human beings who live here in the shadow of the nuclear plant, ought to supersede all the science, the permits etc.
In fact, every Town on Cape Cod, every Town on Martha's Vineyard, as well as Duxbury, and Scituate, have either passed Town Meeting Articles or ballot questions opposing dumping. The Plymouth Select Board has been unanimous in its opposition. When we say the People are opposed, we are not simply opining on that matter; rather, the clear face of the electoral evidence demonstrates we are factually correct.
My goal in starting this petition is to kindly ask that Holtec CEO Krishna P. Singh retract his plan to dump the water into the bay. I am also kindly asking that he publicly announce that he will not dump the water into Cape Cod Bay, and instead truck it to another facility for disposal. I also ask that he please make this announcement before the the next NDCAP meeting on March 27th, 6:30pm at Plymouth Town Hall.
Thank you to the local groups, newspapers, and other organizations that have been working to bring this issue to light. Let’s all continue spreading the word and keeping a close eye on this. I will keep you all updated with any updates I receive on my end.
Thank you for reading and for signing this petition.
Tight lines!
Ryan Collins
PS. This issue has also been covered extensively in the news. I would recommend reading this recent article from WBUR if you would like to learn more about what exactly is going on https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/12/08/epa-holtec-contaminated-wastewater-cape-cod-bay-clean-water-act
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) manages the state’s commercial and recreational saltwater fisheries and oversees other services that support the marine environment and fishing communities.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries - Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MAMarineFisheries/
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries - Website
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-marine-fisheries
With over 1,500 miles of coastline, there is plenty of opportunity to fish in Massachusetts. Before you hit the water, be sure to get your fishing permit and check out the resources in the link below.
Marine fisheries regulations are updated throughout the year. Permit holders are responsible for remaining compliant with Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) rules and regulations. DMF receives its mandate from the General Laws of the Commonwealth. It authorizes the Director of DMF to manage the Commonwealth's marine fisheries, including how often, how many, when and where fish may be taken.
Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations
The information below describes the current recreational fishing limits for Massachusetts and was last updated on August 30, 2022.
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/recreational-saltwater-fishing-regulations
The fish and shellfish in Massachusetts coastal waters are public resources. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has the responsibility to manage these resources for all citizens, even those who do not fish. We use fisheries research to develop regulations that specify where, when, how, and how many fish can be caught each year.
Because many fish don’t stay in one place, DMF collaborates with other states and the federal government to ensure the regional or coastwide resiliency of fish stocks. Also involved in the fisheries management process are fishing industry members, environmental groups, municipalities, and other interested parties.
Advisories
DMF Advisories provide official announcements of updates to permits, public hearings, opening & closing of fishing seasons and other important news. If you want to stay up-to-date on current Advisories subscribe to the DMF listserv.
https://www.mass.gov/archive/dmf-advisories
Public Hearing Notices
Under the provisions of M.G.L. Ch 30A and pursuant to the authority found in M.G.L. Ch. 130 ss. 17A & 80, the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission schedule public hearings to accept comment on regulatory actions and proposed changes to 322 CMR.
Published in 2005, the fact sheet on "Public Rights Along the Shoreline" was developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).
Coastal managers are often asked, "Who owns the sea and shore?" If you have been curious, or perhaps a bit confused about what rights the public has along the shoreline, here's a brief primer on waterfront property law.
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/public-rights-along-the-shoreline
Vineyard Wind is well underway in developing the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind energy project over 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. The project will generate clean, renewable, cost-competitive energy for over 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth, while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year.
New England is shifting to clean, competitively-priced energy, and Massachusetts state law seeks to have 3,200 MW of offshore wind providing electricity to the Commonwealth by 2035, which could represent over 20% of electricity consumed in the state. Vineyard Wind is an important part of that goal, and will make a significant contribution to the Commonwealth’s aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while growing our economy and enhancing energy security and reliability.
Advisories and News Downloads
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