ookstore 



Seafood Plant Poster 



Hygiene is a top priority in any food 

 industry, including seafood processing. 

 But in the day-to-day rigor of doing their 

 jobs, workers sometimes forget basic 

 cleanliness rules. 



That's why David Green, N.C. Sea 

 Grant's seafood technology specialist, 

 developed a poster listing 10 important 

 hygiene tips for seafood plant personnel. 

 Written in English and Spanish, the 

 12-by-24 inch poster reminds workers of 

 the importance of plant and personal 

 cleanliness. 



The eye-catching poster, which is 

 accented by line drawings, will lure em- 

 ployees to read the helpful tips. Green 

 recommends hanging it in a processing 

 plant break room or entrance hall. And 

 the Spanish translation can be helpful for 

 processors who employ Mexican migrant 

 workers. 



The poster was jointly produced by 

 the Sea Grant College Programs in North 

 Carolina, Puerto Rico, Alaska and Texas. 

 For a free copy, write N.C. Sea Grant. 

 Ask for UNC-SG-93-03. 



In the Belly of a Whale 



Last December, a 28-foot sperm 

 whale washed ashore at Wrightsville 

 Beach. The emaciated female marine 

 mammal soon died in the surf. 



When veterinarians and biologists 

 performed the necropsy, they found the 

 whale's belly full of marine debris — 

 nylon rope, a plastic gallon bottle, a plas- 

 tic bag and a fishing float. Veterinarians 

 believe the whale starved to death be- 

 cause it couldn't get enough "real" food 

 into its stomach. 



Now, N.C. Sea Grant's marine edu- 

 cation specialist Lundie Spence, under- 

 water cinematographer Bill Lovin, Envi- 

 ronmental Media and the N.C. Big 

 Sweep have joined forces to make the 

 whale's death an unforgettable lesson 

 about the dangers of marine debris. A 

 17-minute video, "The Death of a 

 Whale," examines why the marine mam- 

 mal died and the implications of its death 

 for the health of our marine environment. 



"The video poignantly points out 



how marine debris threatens and kills 

 our wildlife," says Susan Bartholomew, 

 executive director of N.C. Big Sweep, 

 the nation's largest statewide waterway 

 litter cleanup. "Students or adults who 

 watch 'The Death of a Whale' will be 

 affected by what they see and will better 

 understand why we ask people not to 

 litter." 



"The Death of a Whale" is suitable 

 for use in junior and senior high school 

 biology, marine science or environmen- 

 tal study classes; 4-H clubs; Scout 

 groups; and college classes. 



For North Carolina educators, the 

 cost of the video will be $9.95 plus ship- 

 ping. For others, the cost is $24.95 plus 

 shipping. For ordering information and 

 shipping costs, contact Environmental 

 Media at 1-800-ENV-EDUC (1-800- 

 368-3382). 



A Catch of a Video 



Shrimping is the most profitable 

 commercial fishing venture in the 

 Southeast. But when the nets are hauled 

 back, along with the shrimp comes an 

 unwanted mixture of sea creatures 

 called bycatch. Despite fishermen's 

 efforts, most of the bycatch dies before 

 it can be culled and tossed back in the 

 ocean. 



In recent years, bycatch has created 

 controversy, especially between recre- 

 ational and commercial fishermen. Rec- 

 reational anglers claim that many of 

 these "unwanteds" are juvenile fish that 

 are filling the bellies of gulls instead of 

 swimming in the ocean as tomorrow's 

 catch. 



To solve the problem, N.C. Sea 

 Grant Marine Advisory Service agents 

 have been working with fishermen and 

 netmakers to design nets and devices 

 that will reduce bycatch. And Sea Grant 

 has documented this effort with a new 

 video, "Reducing Bycatch: The Fishing 

 Issue of the '90s." 



For a copy of this 14-minute video, 

 write Sea Grant and ask for 

 UNC-SG-93-08. The cost is $12. 



Skimming 



the Video Shelves 



In another fishing video, N. C. Sea 

 Grant agents describe their work with the 

 skimmer trawl, a net configuration used by 

 Louisiana watermen to net shrimp in shal- 

 low bayous. 



Sea Grant agent Bob Hines tested the 

 skimmer trawl, a cross between a butterfly 

 net and a Vietnamese "chopstick" rig, to 

 see how Bayou technology worked in Tar 

 Heel estuaries. 



The findings were favorable. 



The skimmer caught significantly 

 more white shrimp than the traditional 

 otter trawl used by North Carolina shrimp- 

 ers. And it reduced bycatch. Now fisher- 

 men are adapting the skimmer for catching 

 pink and brown shrimp too. 



To follow the skimmer trawl project 

 from its conception to its findings, send for 

 the 1 1 -minute video, "Shrimping with the 

 Skimmer." It's available from Sea Grant 

 for $12. Ask for UNC-SG-93-09. 



All Aboard 



for Recycled Plastic 



A Virginia Sea Grant specialist re- 

 cently tested the use of recycled plastic for 

 bin boards in fishing vessels. Bin boards 

 and bin shelving are used to contain and 

 support ice-stowed fish and shellfish in the 

 holds of fishing vessels. 



Traditionally, yellow pine or spruce 

 lumber was used to build the bins. But the 

 wood sometimes caused product contami- 

 nation, and an alternative was needed. 



Virginia Sea Grant specialist Robert 

 Fisher decided to give recycled lumber a 

 try. After comparing the recycled lumber 

 to yellow pine, Fisher found the plastic 

 was more efficiently cleaned and sanitized 

 and was preferred by fishermen. The re- 

 cycled lumber was also cost-efficient be- 

 cause it required little maintenance or re- 

 placement. 



To learn more about this study, send 

 for Virginia Sea Grant's new publication, 

 The Use of Recycled Plastic for Bin 

 Boards in Fishing Vessels. It's available 

 free from Virginia Sea Grant, Marine Ad- 

 visory Program, Virginia Institute of Ma- 

 rine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062. 



COASTWATCH 25 



