Latest news with #fishing
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Watch: Tourists 'totally outraged' by fishing crew's brutal act at sea
Tourists on board an eight-metre viewing pontoon were horrified when one of the creatures they had hoped to see in the wild was hauled out of the water by a group of nearby fishermen. Tour leader Denis Richard told Yahoo News Australia the incident left his group feeling 'totally outraged'. In a video shot by his Water Planet USA colleague in waters off Florida, a helicopter can be heard circling overhead as five men work to haul the endangered manta ray onto their boat. 'It was circling, and circling, and circling, which was not normal behaviour. It was there for a good 20 minutes, and that's what attracted my attention, so I drove towards that location,' Richard said. The angler was strapped to the boat and described as 'pulling like crazy'. At first, Richard thought the man had accidentally hooked the animal because it is a protected species that's listed as endangered. Then they brought out a net, and their intentions became clear. 'It took them over a half hour to bring the manta ray to the boat. I was yelling at them, asking if they were going to release the animal, and they said no, we have a permit,' Richard recalled. Related: 😳 Late-night beach find highlights dark side of Aussie state's $88 million tourism pledge Local media have confirmed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the men in the video had a 'special' licence to capture the animal under a program that facilitates activities including the exhibition of marine animals, education and scientific research. Richard believes the manta ray was being acquired for the commercial aquarium trade and will be shipped overseas. Yahoo News has contacted an organisation licensed to capture marine life for display, but it did not immediately respond. Moments earlier, Richard's tour group had been enjoying a swim close to wild dolphins, and they had ventured towards land in search of manatees, sting rays and manta rays that are known to inhabit the shallows in waters off Shell Island, near Bay County. He's furious that rather than getting to enjoy watching the manta ray in the wild, his group had to see it caught on a line instead. Had he known they were intending to capture the animal, Richard said he would have jumped into the water and cut the line. Once he understood their plan, he initially wasn't sure whether they were acting legally or not. 'Some people have guns and they will shoot you. So I was a little bit concerned, that's why I remained polite," Richard said. "Even though I was very firm, I did not insult them. But they did not respond, they remained very professional, and did not seem to want to respond.' 🏝️ 1.5 million travellers warned of hidden health risk on popular holiday island 🐭 Australia called out for 'failing' two rare species facing extinction 🎣 7.3-metre fishing vessel at centre of 800kg fishing operation Richard is now concerned about the animal's welfare following the stressful event. But there's one positive that has come out of the incident. 'It was enlightening for the tourists. I'm glad they could witness it, so they can do something with their outrage. They can investigate, they can talk to their friends, their representatives about an injustice that allows the capture of endangered species, especially for public display,' Richard said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
Warming rivers prompt fishing restrictions in western Montana
Nearly a dozen rivers in western Montana and a handful of rivers inside the borders of Yellowstone National Park are under restrictions or closures as biologists seek to reduce angling-related sources of fish mortality. On July 9, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced that portions of Upper Rock Creek, the Clark Fork River, the Bitterroot River and the entirety of Silver Bow Creek are closed to angling after 2 p.m. to protect fish during the hottest hours of the day. The previous day, hoot owl restrictions were announced for sections of the Ruby, Big Hole, Beaverhead and Smith rivers and for the entirety of the Jefferson River. The Sun River and the Madison River, perhaps the state's most popular angling destination, were placed under hoot owl closures particularly early this year — July 2 for the Sun River and June 19 for the Madison River above Hebgen Lake. FWP initiates hoot owl closures when river temperatures reach 73 degrees for three consecutive days and uses angler pressure and flow-based criteria when considering full closures. Trout are particularly susceptible to disease spread and other sources of mortality from late July through late August, when meager flows, rising temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels converge. Water temperatures above 77 degrees can be lethal to trout. On July 11, Yellowstone National Park initiated full fishing closures to protect aquatic ecosystems inside its boundaries. The Madison, Firehole and Gibbon rivers and their tributaries are closed to all fishing. Park officials consider closing rivers inside its border to fishing when water temperatures hit the 68-degree mark and will revisit the closures when those temperatures cool and flows return to 'more typical summer conditions.' Additional closures may be coming, park officials noted. The announcements come about a month after FWP hosted a virtual town hall to alert the angling public to rapidly declining streamflows across much of the state. Biologists attribute diminishing streamflows to the loss of much of the state's near-average wintertime snowpack in May. 'As things continue to drop … we'll continue to work with water users on where we can find conservation measures to keep as much water as we can in the river,' Region 3 Fisheries Manager Mike Duncan said at the June 11 meeting. Conditions are shaping up to be very similar to 2021, he added. That year, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte issued a drought-related disaster declaration on July 1 and more than 15 rivers were subject to some form of angling restriction or closure by mid-August. Other FWP biologists observed that several reservoirs in the state never filled this spring and cautioned anglers and fly-fishing guides to prepare for limited access to reservoir boat ramps at places like the Tiber and Gibson reservoirs. As of July 14, approximately 20 rivers in western Montana were within the 10th percentile for low flows, including blue-ribbon fisheries such as the Big Hole, Blackfoot, Madison and Missouri rivers as well as the Clark Fork and one of its largest tributaries — Rock Creek. The Dearborn River stream gauge near Craig, which has 55 years of records, was sitting at an all-time low, producing just 16 cubic feet per second of flow. Rivers across the state are experiencing near-record-low flows with additional challenges expected. In a follow-up conversation with Montana Free Press on Monday, Duncan noted that water quantity and fish health are closely linked. 'When we have water, almost all of these fisheries respond favorably,' Duncan said, going on to describe suboptimal flows as one of the 'major limiting factors' in overall trout population trends. Duncan added that additional restrictions and closures could be announced as rivers around the state continue to dwindle and heat up. FWP's Current Restrictions and Closures page is the best source of information for most of the rivers in the state. Yellowstone National Park notices angling closures inside its borders on the Plan Your Visit section of its website. About one-third of the state is in moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. On Wednesday, the Governor's Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee will meet in Helena and virtually to discuss current conditions and drought mitigation measures. ___ This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Independent Singapore
Sarawak man survives crocodile attack by poking its eyes to escape
Photo: Freepik/kuritafsheen77 (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: A 39-year-old man in Sarawak narrowly escaped death after being attacked by a crocodile while fishing with his family in a lake in Marudi. According to the Malay Mail, Dennis Karon was fishing with his brother and other villagers on Sunday morning (Jul 13), when the incident occurred. The group had crossed the lake by boat to fish and later stopped to have a meal on the shore. At around 10 a.m., they noticed bubbles on the water's surface and initially believed they were caused by schools of fish. Dennis' niece recounted that when Dennis cast a net toward the bubbles, it became entangled. He and his brother jumped into the lake to free it. Moments later, his brother resurfaced, but Dennis was missing. The group immediately became alarmed, boarded the boat again, and began slapping the hull to create noise. Soon, they saw Dennis struggling to rise to the surface in the middle of the lake and realised that he had been seized by a crocodile. See also Bidding on Jho Low's S$344 million yacht ends November 28 Dennis managed to fight off the crocodile by poking the crocodile's eyes and escaped with his life but sustained severe injuries, including a broken right arm and multiple wounds to his head and body. At 4:38 p.m., the Sarawak Civil Defence Force received an emergency call and immediately dispatched a rescue team to the village. They located Dennis at the ferry terminal and rushed him to the hospital for treatment. Dennis' niece added that this was not the first time villagers had encountered such danger. She said there have been three reported cases of crocodile attacks in the area, and in each case, the victims survived by targeting the crocodile's eyes. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Alaska, Florida, Delaware Are Top 3 States For Fishing, New Study Says
A fisherman kneels with a 24-pound inconnu caught at the Pah River in 1986 in Alaska, which, according to new research, is the best state to go fishing. (Photo by International Game Fish Association via Getty Images) Getty Images Alaska is the best state to go fishing, followed by Florida and Delaware, according to new research by a fishing industry company. Alaska has the longest coastline of any state — nearly 33,900 miles — and more than 94,000 square miles of freshwater, says FishingBooker, which conects fishers to guides and charter boat trips. FishingBooker ranked the quality of fishing in 50 states based on 17 criteria, including water access, number of marinas, number of bait and tackle shops, affordability, fisher reviews and charter availability. Nearly 60% of Alaskans hold a fishing license, 'which speaks volumes about the amazing fishing locals and visitors enjoy,' FishingBooker says. The state is 'a salmon mecca where you can chase all five species of Pacific salmon, along with barndoor halibut and some of the biggest rockfish you'll find anywhere.' A swordfish is brought aboard near Islamorada, Florida, a state that's No. 2 in the country for fishing, new research says. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) Getty Images Florida ranks No. 2 'and is synonymous with supreme saltwater fishing,' FishingBooker says. 'The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico hug over 8,400 miles of coastline, with more game fish in these crystal clear waters than we can count.' Ranking No. 3, Delaware 'has equally good freshwater and saltwater action,' says FishingBooker, which calls itself the world's largest online travel fishing company. 'Whether you cast your line in one of the numerous inland watersheds, the productive Delaware Bay or the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, you won't be disappointed. Bass, crappie and muskellunge are the most common freshwater catches. In the saltwater realm, striped bass, flounder, black seabass, sharks and bluefin tuna are on the menu.' Michigan ranks No. 4 for fishing, and Wisconsin and Minnesota tie for No. 5. Michigan provides access to four of the five Great Lakes, 'which makes it the nation's epicenter of freshwater fishing,' FishingBooker says. More than 40% of the state 'is covered in water, spanning more than 40,000 square miles.' Some of Michigan's most popular catches are walleye, trout, salmon, bass, northern pike and muskellunge. Wisconsin has Lake Superior to its north, Lake Mic higan to the east and thousands of lakes and streams. Catches include coho salmon, rainbow w alleye, pike, bass and perch, and, in winter, there's ice fishing for crappie, lake trout and yellow perch. Minnesota, known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, is one of the world's best places for muskellunge, walleye and northern pike and one of the best ice fishing destinations, FishingBooker says. This is the third year FishingBooker has researched the quality of fishing in all 50 states. The company noted that New Jersey dropped from No. 21 in 2024 to No. 28 this year. 'There's no question that New Jersey offers some phenomenal angling, especially along the Atlantic Coast,' says Vukan Simic, the CEO of FishingBooker. 'But with lower scores in affordability and fishing infrastructure, the data shows that the state isn't competing as well as it used to. FishingBooker's research points out that 15 of the 25 states with the lowest rankings are landlocked. That compares with six landlocked states among the 25 states with the highest rankings.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
2 Missing Brothers Found Dead Near Rhode Island Coast After Falling into Water While Fishing: Reports
Two men were reported missing in Little Compton, Rhode Island, on the morning of Saturday, July 12 The victims' families identified them as brothers Aldino A. Centeio, 27, and Valdir A. Centeio, 31 The siblings, who were reportedly fishing in the area, were found dead on Sunday, according to local media outletsThe bodies of two men who went missing while fishing near the coast of Rhode Island have been found, according to reports. At around 8:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, July 12, police received a 911 call from the Warren's Point Beach Club on Atlantic Drive in Little Compton alerting them that a man had fallen into the water and another man had jumped in to save him, CBS News and NBC 10 WJAR reported. A third unidentified person also entered the water but was unsuccessful in retrieving the two men, according to the outlets. "We saw one gentleman standing on top of the rock behind me, screaming and yelling, waving his hands, sort of prostrating himself on the rock, crying,' witness Bill Lancaster said, per CBS News. 'We figured, obviously, someone had gone over into the water." The two men were found at around 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, after the search was suspended overnight, according to the outlet. Family members identified the pair as brothers Aldino A. Centeio, 27, and Valdir A. Centeio, 31, local outlet WPRI reported. The pair, who were both from Stoughton, were allegedly found not far from the rocks where they were last seen fishing, per the outlet and NBC 10 WJAR. Local Rhode Island dive master and scuba instructor Chris Trainor said a probable explanation for the tragedy could've been 'tough conditions' in the water. He told NBC 10 WAJAR that there was a lack of visibility in the area. The victims' family spent over six hours watching the search for the missing brothers from the shore on Saturday, according to WPRI. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Little Compton Fire and Rescue was joined by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) amid the search. According to NBC 10 Boston, Middletown, Tiverton, Newport, and Little Compton marine units also assisted. 'The members of the Little Compton Fire Department would like to thank the Warren's Point Beach Club for providing sandwiches for our members and mutual aid partners during the marine incident this afternoon,' the Little Compton Fire Department wrote on Facebook. 'We would also like to thank all of our mutual aid partners for assisting us during the search,' they concluded. Little Compton Police Department, Little Compton Fire Department and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Tuesday, July 15. Read the original article on People
