Chesapeake Bay News

In response to requests from the fishing community for hands-on participation in data collection, several states have implemented volunteer angler data collection programs to collect recreational data.

On Thursday, February 2, 2012, a one-day Volunteer Angler Data workshop will explore ways that these and future programs can be most effective.

This workshop, co-sponsored by the Council and the Marine Recreational Information Program (www.countmyfish.noaa.gov), will bring together the people who manage these state programs and other volunteer data collection programs to examine questions such as: “Which data needs are best filled by volunteer angler data?” and “How can programs establish and sustain angler enthusiasm and support?”

The meeting is open to the public and will be webcast. There will be opportunities for public participation from those attending in person as well as via webinar – webinar registration and additional information is available via the above link.

Details:

MAFMC Volunteer Angler Data Workshop

Thursday, February 2, 2012 – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Four-Points Sheraton, BWI Airport

7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, MD 21240

And via the Internet at:

http://www.mafmc.org/events/volunteerdata.htm

source: MAFMC

The 2012 Virginia Charter Boat Workshop will be held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science on Saturday, March 10, 2012.

The workshop will focus on charter business management with sessions on fisheries management, legal issues, insurance needs, marketing and finance tips and lessons learned from current charter operators. The workshop is open to all charter and head boat operators and marina professionals.

The registration form can be found online at: http://www.vims.edu/research/units/centerspartners/map/_docs/charterboat2012.pdf

Registration cost for the workshop is $15 and will cover lunch and resource materials. The pre-registration deadline is Friday, March 2, 2012. On-site registration will be limited and will increase to $30 the day of the workshop.

source: Virginia Institute of Marine Science

The artists of the Chesapeake Bay Art Association will be offering their work for sale in time for the Holiday Season. The exhibition will be held November 12-13 inside Pembroke Mall, in Virginia Beach.

All types of artwork will be on display and for sale, from paintings and pottery to jewelry and photography. Local Girl Scouts will be offering gift wrapping during the event.

For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Art Association, visit http://www.chesapeakebayartassociation.com.

For more information on the Pre-Holiday Show, contact Linda House at 407-6280 (cell). Facebook fans can view the event by searching for “Pre-Holiday Art Show”.

The Maryland Lighthouse Challenge will be held September 17-18, 2011 from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, both days.

Join the U.S. Lighthouse Society Chesapeake Chapter and the lighthouse organizations of Maryland as they host this educational and fun-filled weekend celebrating the lighthouses of Maryland.

Tour any number of the lighthouse attractions along the Challenge route and receive a special souvenir at each, with a specially designed “completer” souvenir for those who visit all.

For the 2011 Challenge, special guests will be appearing at various Lighthouses.

Mark your calendars now and continue to check www.cheslights.org for Challenge information and updates as they become available.

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin invites the public to paddle with members on the Potomac River for the Shepherdstown Brunch Trip Sunday, September 11, 2011.

NOTE : The event has been re-scheduled due to water conditions. The make-up date is set for Sunday October, 16 2011.

Spend a day on the Potomac paddling between the shores of Maryland and West Virginia.  The one day Ramble will start mid-morning on Sunday September 11th just below Dam 4 and end in cozy Shepherdstown, W.Va.  Along the way, paddlers will stop for an out-of-boat brunch and a couple of educational programs focusing on watershed issues.

The Potomac River Ramble is a canoeing and kayaking event that features environmental programming, restoration projects, festive meals, meetings with elected officials, and much more.

Novice and experienced paddlers alike enjoy a unique on-the-water experience that builds a strong environmental ethic, while having a lot of fun.  The Ramble aims to elevate awareness of the Potomac River’s importance to the region and to encourage local residents to play an active role in its restoration.

Experience with boats is not necessary.  Guides, food, and transportation will be provided.  Attendees can enjoy Potomac River scenery, presentations, food, camaraderie, and paddling.

For information or to register for the event, visit the River Ramble page on the ICPRB website.

The Third Maryland Streams Symposium and Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference will be held August 10-13 at Carroll Community College near Westminster, MD.

Stakeholders from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia will meet to discuss stream-related issues. The theme of the Volunteer Conference is Sustaining Volunteer Involvement in Water Quality Management: Key Roles to Play in Critical Environmental Issues.

The four days will include plenary sessions, informative presentations, hands-on workshops and field trips to local streams. Attendees will also learn about state-of-the-art stream restoration techniques and see natice freshwater fish.

The event is sponsored by Maryland DNR, Carroll Community College, The Maryland Water Monitoring Council, U.S. EPA, and The Maryland Local Watershed Implementation Service.

Each day will start with a plenary session (except Saturday) and the kickoff plenary session for the Volunteer Conference will be held on Thursday, August 11th.

Poster sessions, with authors in attendance, will be held throughout the symposium and conference. There will also be plenty of displays from local and regional watershed associations, governmental agencies, and educational organizations.

Stakeholders interested in attending should RSVP to Josh Davidsburg at 410-260-8002 or jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is partnering with dozens of restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania to promote Maryland seafood for a week-long celebration called “From the Bay, For the Bay Dine Out.”

The promotion will run October 2–9, 2011, with more than 150 restaurants already committed to participate. DNR anticipates that more than 300 total restaurants will take part in the celebration.

During the promotion, restaurants will feature unique presentations of fresh Maryland Seafood. Each restaurant has agreed to donate a dollar from every Maryland seafood dinner sold during the week to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a non-profit organization working to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population.

“October is prime time for Maryland seafood with many delicious fish and shellfish in season, including striped bass, blue crabs, oysters, flounder, dogfish, bluefish, lobsters and scallops,” said Tom O’Connell, DNR Fisheries Service director. “One of the key components of our From the Bay, For the Bay celebration is to encourage people from all over the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to try and enjoy the delicious seafood our State has to offer.”

For more information please visit dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fromthebay/

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on May 9 in the Fellowship Hall at the Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis to present and obtain input on several regulatory ideas, including:

-  Possible changes to the current commercial female blue crab closure periods and catch limits

- A new regulation for egregious or repeat crab or striped bass violations related to using illegal gear, harvesting during a closed season, harvesting from a closed area, exceeding harvest catch or size limits and violating, tagging and reporting requirements. This action will also add oyster poaching penalties.

- Elimination of a regulation that prohibits the commercial harvest of blue crabs on the second and third Thursdays in November.

- Removal of the requirement to list a vessel number on a commercial crabbing license.

- A clarification that all recreational crab pots are required to be marked with owner’s name and address.

- Allowing temporary transfers of frozen and male only limited crab harvester licenses.

- A clarification that oyster taxes only apply to oysters caught in the public commercial fishery.

- A requirement of an individual to declare their intent to commercially harvest clams

- Create consistency between regulations for the black sea bass, summer flounder and horseshoe crab commercial fisheries and allow some flexibility in coastal commercial permitting.

- To prohibit all recreational and commercial fishing for river herring beginning January 1, 2012.

- To allow leasing in sanctuaries on non-historic natural oyster bars.

Additional information on these agenda items is available at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/regulations/draftregulations.asp

Regulatory Scoping Meetings are held to discuss possible changes to fishing rules. Draft regulatory ideas are posted on the Fisheries’ Service website and comments are taken by email, fax, or mail by a specified date and at the Public Scoping Meeting.

Based upon public input, the Department will determine whether or not to proceed with these regulatory ideas, as presented or modified, by submitting a proposed regulation.

Sign language interpreters and other appropriate accommodations will be provided upon request.

You may submit comments on these regulatory ideas by going to the Fisheries Draft Regulations Website, faxing them to 410-260-8310 or mailing them to Fisheries Regulations, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 580 Taylor Ave., B-2, Annapolis, MD 21401.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars to inform interested parties about the Clean Boating Act and receive public input. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis, Md. on March 18 and April 29.

The EPA is seeking public comment from boaters and other stakeholders to help develop proposed regulations, as required by the 2008 Clean Boating Act, to reduce water pollution and the spread of invasive species in the nation’s rivers, lakes and other water bodies. As an alternative to permits required for commercial vessels, the act directs EPA to develop and promulgate management practices for recreational vessels.

The important input received through this process will help guide the development of proposed regulations to mitigate adverse effects from recreational boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff, that may contain substances harmful to water quality or spread invasive species.

The Clean Boating Act directs EPA to take steps to limit the impact of pollution and the spread of invasive species associated with the discharge from boats. As part of the public input, EPA is also seeking information from states that already enact standards to limit the impacts of boat discharges on waterways.

Based on the important input received, EPA will seek to develop appropriate management practices and performance standards that protect waterways while also working with the U.S. Coast Guard, which will establish regulations governing the design, construction, installation and use of management practices. Implementation of these management practices will allow boaters and other water enthusiasts to continue enjoying our nation’s water bodies while protecting water quality.

More information about the Clean Boating Act: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/vessel/CBA/about.cfm

Six junior chefs from Maryland competed for top honors in the 4th annual Junior Chefs Rockfish Cooking Contest.  The event, which was sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Marketing Program and the Sea Grant programs of the universities of Maryland and Delaware, took place on Jan. 29 as part of the 2011 East Coast Commercial Fisherman’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition in Ocean City.

The contest was part of the Maryland Rockfish Celebration, which is also taking place in Maryland restaurants and retail markets through the end of February.

The following are the results from each division:

Kids Division – Ages 7-12

1st Place: Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.
Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Fillets

2nd Place:  Adriana Maurer, 10, Galestown, Md.
Fancy Rockfish

3rd Place: Jack DiPietro, 12, Timonium, Md.
Jack’s Rockin Rockfish Cakes

Junior Division – Ages 13-17

1st Place: Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.
Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

2nd Place: Brian Miles, Jr., 16, Burtonsville, Md.
Mexicali Rockfish

3rd Place: Mason Mauerr, 16, Galestown, Md.
“Off the Hook” Rockfish

All participants received a plaque and cash prizes of $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. The winning recipe for each category follow:

Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Filets
Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillet
dash paprika
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine to taste
1 cup cold water
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 lemon
1 package frozen corn
4 tablespoons butter
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing/Wet Mixture:
1 pound fresh lump crab meat
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons salad mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

TO MAKE THE STUFFING: Mix all wet ingredients together to make a wet mixture. In a separate bowl, add crab meat, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper and toss lightly. Add wet mixture and gently mix together.

TO STUFF ROCKFISH: Place one rockfish fillet on pan, top with deviled crab meat mixture. Take another rockfish fillet and slice lengthwise in the middle as to make a place for the stuffing to show through. Top rockfish with roasted pepper slices and sprinkle with paprika in a frying pan. Add dry white wine, cold water and melted butter and lemon slices. Add rockfish, cover, and cook until done.

Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce
Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillets
homemade pasta (below)
homemade pesto (below)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt/pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup orange bell pepper
parsley
basil leaf for garnish

Pasta Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons softened butter

PASTA PREPARATION: Place eggs, water, flour and salt in mixer bowl. With flatbeater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2. Exchange beater with dough hook and knead for two minutes on speed two. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead one to two minutes.

Process into sheets with rollers. (Contestant’s dish had ravioli approximately 3 to 4 inches across.)

Pan fry rockfish in olive oil and garlic. Set aside to make pesto.

PESTO PREPARATION: Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor and mix at high speed. Add cheese and butter and process just enough to incorporate into the basil mix. Before spooning over the dish, mix in 1 tablespoon of the hot pasta water if necessary for thinning.

RAVIOLI ASSEMBLY: Combine ricotta, egg and parmesan. Add orange bell pepper and parsley to ricotta mixture. Cut rockfish into 1-inch pieces and add to ricotta mixture.

Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto a sheet of pasta dough. Place another sheet of pasta on top and seal ravioli. Boil ravioli for 4-5 minutes. Place four ravioli on a plate. Pour or drizzle pesto sauce on top. Garnish with basil leaf.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture press release