David L. Lunt of Frenchboro, Maine, has passed away
David L. Lunt, a lobsterman, entrepreneur, patriarch, optimist, and lover of the open road who emerged from humble beginnings to become an iconic coastal figure and powerful voice for Frenchboro, the remote island fishing village where generations of his family worked the sea, has died. He was 86. David was born on an island mired in post-Depression poverty that lacked basic conveniences such as running water, electric lights, and telephones, but worked steadily to pull the community into the modern era, while also pushing forward-thinking programs to keep it alive. He took a lead role in nearly every island decision for roughly six decades, working by gut instinct in a quiet, confident manner-he never flashed anger or frustration. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:47
Trump keeps ‘Day One’ promise to squash offshore wind projects
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day calling for the suspension of all offshore wind leases in federal waters of the Outer Continental Shelf for an indefinite period. The withdrawal reiterates Trump’s mantra, “Drill, baby, drill,” for oil and gas and demonstrates his preference for using fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, to address what he called the country’s national energy emergency. In the executive order, Trump cites demand for reliable energy, marine life, the fishing industry and costs for Americans as the reasons to temporarily withdraw energy leases, effective Jan. 21 and until he revokes the order. It also states there shall be no new offshore wind energy leases or renewals. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:54
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 50′ Steel Scalloper/Longliner, 500HP Iveco C13 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 17 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:30
NH Gov. Kelly Ayotte joins Maine in rejecting new lobster regulations to protect industry
New Hampshire has joined Maine in rejecting new regulations that would increase the minimum length of catchable lobster this summer. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) that oversees lobster caught by New Hampshire and Maine fishermen, stating New Hampshire would not comply with the guidelines set to go into effect July 1. The new regulation requires an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length, determining whether they can be caught or must be released. Lobstermen measure the size of a lobster by gauging its carapace (shell) from the eye socket to the tail. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:36
St. John’s business leaders waiting to see if Trump moves on tariffs as presidency begins
As U.S. President Donald Trump begins his second term in office, the president of the FFAW says she’s playing the waiting game to see how threatened tariffs will take shape. FFAW President Dwan Street voiced concern about how a proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods — including fish — could affect local markets. For example, she said, 90 per cent of snow crab exports from Newfoundland and Labrador go to the United States. “A 25 per cent tariff, we see it as being absolutely devastating,” Street said Monday. An official with Trump’s administration confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Trump will hold off on tariffs for now but will direct agencies to “investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations. The majority of Canada’s premiers, including Andrew Furey, have said they’ll stand against any tariffs. “Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
Commercial fishermen express frustration with late open to Dungeness crab season
Last week, commercial Dungeness crab fishery began in Humboldt County. On Wednesday, Jan.15, after a 10-day delay, the season opened throughout the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Northern Management Area, a region spanning from the coast of Sonoma County to the Oregon border. Many commercial fishermen in Humboldt County expressed frustration with the wait — and with these types of delays becoming a perennial problem. They say frequent delays to the opening of a crabbing season that once relied on December holiday sales have left fishermen feeling squeezed. “The biggest downhill path for our fishery began five years ago when the state of California, in their lack of defense of the most lucrative fishery on the California coast, settled a lawsuit with the Center for Biological Diversity,” Rotwein said. “We’re on a trajectory to … being regulated out of business. Economically, I don’t know if the fleet can survive … Every single year since then has been something — a season delay, season closure.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:15
Coast Guard, good Samaritans, rescue crew of sinking vessel near Gloucester Harbor
It was a race to the rescue for U.S. Coast Guard officials and good Samaritans when a fishing vessel began sinking on Friday. According to authorities, the crew of the F/V Miss Sandy issued a mayday call 7 nautical miles off Gloucester Harbor, when the boat began flooding rapidly with 4 to 5 feet of water in the engine room. Exhaust fumes also started filling the space, making the situation more dangerous. Within 30 minutes, officials say the CGC William Chadwick, along with local partners and good Samaritans, were on the scene, fighting to save the boat and its crew. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:00
A rundown of Trump’s executive actions
President Donald Trump wasted no time announcing steps to implement many of his campaign pledges, including on immigration, energy, the military and federal workforce, casting many as reversing the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. “We will immediately restore the integrity, competency and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said in his inaugural address on Monday (Tuesday AEDT). “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America, and the revolution of common sense.” While Trump is still signing more orders on Monday night in Washington, here’s a brief rundown of what we know so far that his administration plans to initiate, taken from his speech, public information about the orders, briefings by incoming officials and public statements. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:23
Quin-Sea takes a flamethrower to the ASP as it departs fisheries group
A dispute that’s smoldered for weeks in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry has erupted into an inferno, with Quin-Sea Fisheries dropping a metaphorical hand grenade as it cuts ties with the trade association that represents most seafood producers in the province. In a strongly worded news release issued Monday morning, the St. John’s-based company said it was withdrawing from the Association of Seafood Producers, saying it could no longer tolerate the ASP’s “internal strong-arming and mistreatment” of members. The decision comes after many months of strained relations between Quin-Sea and the ASP and is more fallout from a contentious period in the fishery dating back to last winter, when harvesters protested in a bid to bring more free enterprise to the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:38
President Trump returns to power after unprecedented comeback, emboldened to reshape American institutions
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President Monday, promising a “revolution of common sense” and taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions. He pledged to “completely and totally reverse” the actions of his predecessor. Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government. Declaring that government faces a “crisis of trust,” Trump said in his inaugural address that under his administration “our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced.” Video, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:14
Wild-caught prawn trawling is changing to reduce its environmental impact
Therese Murphy and her family are proud of their part in improving the environmental reputation of Australia’s prawn trawling industry. Australian Ocean King Prawn’s 11 trawlers work a sandy seabed where there is no reef or seagrass, 120 kilometers off the coast of Gladstone. Compulsory satellite tracking and turtle excluder devices, which allow turtles, sharks and rays to safely escape, are standard equipment on every boat. The Urangan-based business independently adopted the additional environmental measure of installing electronic monitoring cameras, including lenses pointed at the ocean floor. In 2023, the Murphy’s made history by becoming Queensland’s first state-managed fishery to earn accreditation from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC ), an international non-profit association aiming to set standards for sustainable fishing and end overfishing. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:12
Brexit fishing row heads for trade court showdown
The humble sandeel is set to take centre stage in the first courtroom trade battle between the UK and EU since Brexit. The UK has banned European vessels from catching the silvery fish species in its North Sea waters to protect marine wildlife that depend on it for food. But the EU is challenging the move, arguing it discriminates against Danish vessels that fish sandeel commercially, breaching the post-Brexit trade deal. The dispute is now heading for a three-day trade tribunal hearing, after formal talks to resolve the wrangle failed. Without a last-minute compromise, it will mark the first time the two sides have gone to arbitration under the 2021 trade agreement agreed by Boris Johnson. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:33
Massachusetts offshore wind project that Biden visited is no more as Trump retakes office
A $300 million offshore wind cable plant development project in Somerset that President Biden visited in July 2022, ushering in the country’s transition to clean energy, is off the table after its Italian developer walked away from it. The Prysmian Group backed out of its nearly three-year endeavor of gaining necessary local and state permits on Friday, days before President-elect Trump retakes office, saying it wouldn’t purchase the land needed for the effort. Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss called Prysmian’s decision to walk away from its submarine cables factory at Brayton Point “disappointing and discouraging.” “Donald Trump has unraveled (the) promise of good jobs by threatening a moratorium on offshore wind,” Auchincloss said in a statement Friday night, “generating so much uncertainty that companies pull back investment.” The Prysmian Group did not explicitly connect its withdrawal from the project to Trump’s cutdown threat. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:32
‘The only winner here is China.’ How DFO invested in and then killed Canadian eel aquaculture
An aquaculture project that would have seen elvers grown to adulthood in Atlantic Canada rather than China has been thrown into disarray by DFO’s quota reallocation. Despite millions in investment, over a decade of research and the potential to increase profits for all involved ten-fold, federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier won’t even respond to NovaEel’s letters. “The undermining of NovaEel means for the foreseeable future, or forever, there will be no domestic capacity to exploit our natural resource, and we will be 100 per cent beholden to foreign entities to realize value,” said Mitchell Feigenbaum, a commercial elver licence holder and investor in NovaEel. “Those entities are not going to invest in eel farms in North America and they have demonstrated the willingness and ability to support the trade of unlawfully caught eels without any hesitation.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:07
Dozens protest wind farms and impact on whales in New Bedford
Dozens of protesters gathered in New Bedford Saturday, demanding an end to offshore wind projects immediately. The protest came one day after final federal approval for the Southcoast Wind Project, 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Protesters said they were outraged over potential impacts on the environment, coastal neighborhoods, and the commercial fishing industry. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
Notice to Lobster Fishers and Mariners: Large Aggregation of North Atlantic Right Whales Present on Jeffreys Ledge
Seventy-five endangered North Atlantic right whales (NARW) were observed this week just off the western edge of Jeffreys Ledge, centered approximately near position 43° N, 70° 07’ W. There is a substantial amount of lobster gear in the immediate vicinity that poses an acute entanglement risk to the whales. DMF strongly urges any lobster fishers with gear in the vicinity of Jeffreys Ledge to move their gear to another area as soon as possible and keep away from this area until surveys indicate that the whales have moved on. This large surface-active group of NARW’s is also at a substantial risk of a vessel strike. charts, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:56
Save Our Fishermen’s Future RALLY!
Maine did it! So can New Hampshire! Save Our Fishermen’s Future Rally! Atlantic States Maries Fisheries Commission ASMFC ruled that lobster fisherman must throw back any lobster under one to one and one-quarter pounds, a new government regulation. The last time lobster length was increased was in 1983 and for the following three years the industry almost collapsed. If this increase is implemented on July 1st this year a good chunk of our fishermen will not survive.Come and meet the men and women who risk a lot to fish our oceans and are the economic drivers of much of our seacoast economy. Let’s help them by attending the Save Our Seacoast Economy event at the New Castle Town Hall Conference Room 49 Main St. New Castle, NH at 6:00 PM. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:42
Tensions flare as Channel seiners clash
The crew of UK-flagged, Urk-owned seine netter F/V Henk Senior are accused of hostile actions towards Boulogne seiner F/V Rose de Cascia in an incident that Xavier Bertrand describes as being ‘of exceptional gravity’ and as crossing a ‘critical threshold.’ Reports are that the 30-metre Henk Senior’s crew grappled the 19-metre Rose de Cascia’s seine rope, hauling the French vessel backwards before the seine rope parted. Rose de Cascia was able to retrieve its gear. He states that this goes significantly further than the usual problems of co-operation between fishermen in the wake of Brexit, and that this incident is an example of ‘the tensions in the Pas-de-Calais region since Brexit and the reduction in fishing areas.’ more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:31
Public Hearings on ASMFC Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4
Hello Northern Shrimp Stakeholders. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved for public comment Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The Draft Amendment considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and implementing management triggers. Management trigger options include biologic and environmental triggers comprised of indicators that would signal improvement in stock conditions and the potential to re-open the fishery. There are three public hearings scheduled for Maine stakeholders. info, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:46
Trump Could Put an End to Biden’s Offshore Wind Vanity Projects
One of the early decision points to be faced by incoming President Donald Trump will be what to do about the Biden administration’s costly and destructive offshore wind vanity projects in the northeastern Atlantic. The Biden White House decided to make federal subsidization of and rapid permitting for a growing array of these big industrial installations a top priority early in the administration, and the results thus far have been halting, and in some cases disastrous. Acting to suspend the installation of hundreds of gigantic wind turbines in the midst of known whale habitats and prime commercial fishing waters is apparently a priority for Trump and his team. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R.-N.J.) announced on Monday that he has been “working closely” with Trump to draft an executive order that would invoke a 6-month moratorium on offshore wind construction with an eye towards a permanent suspension. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:25
Big Abe’s Net
One calm September morning in 1971, Big Abe LeBlanc got ready to go fishing on Lake Superior. This was something he often did in secret, under the cover of darkness, hiding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. But on this particular day, Big Abe called the DNR before he left. “I just remember him saying that, you know, ‘This is where I’ll be, and if you want me, come get me,’” said his son, Sonny LeBlanc. It was 1971. And Big Abe, who’s Ojibwe, was preemptively turning himself in for two crimes, at least according to Michigan law. The first crime: commercial fishing without a license. The second: fishing with illegal equipment. After Big Abe hung up, he went out on the lake, set his nets and waited for the officers to come. What happened next changed fishing in the Great Lakes forever. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45