A loose coalition of offshore wind opponents is forming from North Carolina to New England to the Great Lakes to question or challenge the expanding list of proposed projects. The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy has affiliated with the coalition, with our concerns over Dominion Energy Virginia’s proposed 5,280 megawatt project basically being economic. Massive worldwide economic forces are behind this push, most of them positioning the company to earn substantial profits from energy ratepayers. The Virginia State Corporation Commission, basically under orders from the General Assembly to approve the offshore wind proposed by Dominion, has estimated the all-in consumer cost of the Dominion project at more than $37 billion. It accounts for about a third of the $807 annual increase in residential electric bills the SCC has projected by 2030, with the power provided dependent on unreliable wind. >click to read< 11:55
Category Archives: Inland Fisheries
The Great Lakes-Iceland connection through the 100% Whitefish effort
While Great Lakes fish populations are constantly in a state of flux, one species has declined precipitously in the last decade: lake whitefish. But Great Lakes leaders and fisheries managers are looking ahead in planning to do more with less. And in the case of whitefish, a lot more. The search for a way to preserve an industry with a shrinking natural resource brought the Iceland Ocean Cluster (IOC) into focus. IOC was founded by Thor Sigfusson in 2012 with a dozen companies on-site. There are now 70. So, what is it? And could it work as a model for the Great Lakes’ new whitefish initiative? >click to read< 17:09
Commercial fishermen issue demand to start netting lake trout on Lake Michigan
Commercial fishermen have intensified their push to establish a commercial harvest of lake trout on the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan. Though the idea has been discussed since 2016 and in February a formal request was made by commercial interests, Department of Natural Resources fisheries managers have not introduced a proposal to allow netting for the species. As a result the Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board at two meetings this year reemphasized its strong desire for action on the topic. “It’s absolutely time (for a commercial lake trout rule to be implemented),” said Charlie Henriksen, a commercial fisherman from Sturgeon Bay and chairman of the board. “I mean there’s just no reason that this isn’t happening.” >click to read< 12:13
‘This is the death rattle for Irish fishing’: dozens of trawlers to be decommissioned in State scheme
Up to 80 trawlers from the country’s 180-strong offshore fishing fleet could be destroyed if all their owners are accepted onto the Brexit Voluntary Decommissioning Scheme. “People don’t seem to realise what is happening here. “This is the death rattle of the Irish fishing industry. “If all those 82 ships are taken out of the fleet, that will leave just 78. Alan Carleton, who has applied to decommission his family’s trawler Syracuse, said he could no longer afford to be a fisherman.“Two years ago, I would spend around €2,360 for fuel for an eight-day fishing trip. “That cost is now €13,200 for the same trip.” >click to read< 17:54
‘Follow the Fish’ to learn about tugs at GLMHC on Thursday
“Follow the Fish” to learn about the evolution of commercial fishing vessels in the Great Lakes. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Archaeologist Cassandra Sadler will examine the historical development of the traditional Great Lakes commercial fish tug. “Fish tugs and fishing vessels were immensely important to the Great Lakes fishing industry,” Sadler said. “There aren’t many of the fish tugs left … there’s only a handful of active commercial fish tugs, and many are in museums. So, we’re just trying to document them before they all disappear.” Photos, >click to read< 08:28
Everett’s Fisheries adds to fleet; Avis J comes aboard for 70th anniversary
For the past 70 years, the crews of the Everett’s Fisheries of Port Wing have plied the frigid waters of Lake Superior, wresting nets full of cisco chubs, lake trout, herring and whitefish from the big lake. A third generation of the Port Wing fishing clan established by Everett Johnson continues to fish and produce the smoked fish and Jeff Johnson intends to keep that tradition alive. To back up that determination, he recently purchased a new fishing boat, the Avis J, to add to Everett’s two-vessel fleet. Well, new to them at least. Photos, >click to read< 18:15
Four Generations at Hickey Brothers Fishery
When Hickey’s grandfather, Martin Hickey, sold land to build the town hall, he moved the Kilgore house, built in 1860, to a site across from The Ridges Sanctuary. The Hickey family still owns it. The Hickey family’s history of fishing in Baileys Harbor goes back to the mid-1800s. Martin Hickey Sr. began fishing hooks for lake trout using a 20-foot, wooden, flat-bottomed boat. He later purchased a Burger-built, gill-net boat named the Pathfinder. His son, William, continued in the business, and William’s sons, Dennis and Jeffrey, are the third generation of fishers in Baileys Harbor. They began working with Winegar, fishing alewives during the 1960s after duty in the U.S. Navy. Dennis’ daughter and son-in-law, Carin and Todd Stuth, joined the business after graduating from college in 2000. Photos, >click to read< 15:23
Fishermen sentenced for poaching paddlefish in MS lake
Two commercial fishermen from Kentucky illegally harvested paddlefish and paddlefish roe from a Mississippi lake, and it cost them their livelihood for five years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi announced. James Lawrence “Lance” Freeman, 27, of Eddyville, Kentucky, and Marcus Harrell, 34, of Murray, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act,,, According to prosecutors, Freeman or Harrell would take roe they harvested from paddlefish in Moon Lake back to Kentucky to sell to commercial processors, falsely claiming that the paddlefish had been caught in the Ohio River,,, >click to read< 17:34
Inland Fisheries: Michigan Fish Producers Association says it’s settled lawsuit with DNR
The Michigan Fish Producers association has said its class-action lawsuit against the state Department of Natural Resources has reached a settlement. Details of the settlement have yet to be made public. The fish producers association sued the DNR over regulations that producers claimed interfered with their livelihoods. Michael Perry is an attorney who represents the association. Although the settlement amount is still undisclosed, Perry said commercial fishers are satisfied with it. “The association’s board of directors, members who participated in that were pleased with the result of the mediation,” said Perry. >click to read< 16:23
Inland Fisheries: Can Illinois turn Asian carp into Chilean sea bass? State to announce new name
A new name for the much-maligned fish will be announced Wednesday by state officials who hope the rebrand will shed the negative image of a muddy tasting bottom-feeder and inject the truth — they’re top-feeding plankton eaters that taste quite good. The “Big Reveal” will be hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,,, State officials hope the rebrand will lead to more people eating the fish, which would lead to more commercial fishing operations to pull them from the Illinois River and, ultimately, decrease their numbers and the risk that Asian carp could eventually make their way into the Great Lakes. >click to read< 17:37
Inland Fisheries: Meet the Last Commercial Fisherman of Washington Island
My dad asked me one day if I wanted to go fishing. I thought he meant sport fishing, so I headed for the fishing pole. He says, ‘No, not that kind, commercial fishing,’” Ken Koyen says of his start as a fourth-generation fisherman. “I said, ‘Commercial? Can I do it?’ He says, ‘Hold out your hands.’ So I held them out. He says, ‘They’re big enough!’ And that’s exactly how I got started.” That was when he was 17. Now, about to turn 70, Koyen is the last of his kind on Door County’s Washington Island. Most mornings, Koyen wakes up around 6 a.m. and makes his way to his fishing tug, the Sea Diver, docked in Jackson Harbor by 8 a.m. The 48-by-13-foot tug, built in 1950, is his daily companion. Though he fishes solo, he says he never feels alone because he senses the presence of his father with him. >click to read< 13:12
Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office continues search for fuel theft suspects
The Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Department thinks high fuel costs may have motivated someone to siphon gas from a commercial fishing operation last week. On Thursday, a gas spill occurred on the eastern shore of Lac La Belle. Deputies from the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene. “When we got there we discovered approximately 20 to 30 gallons of fuel had spilled into Lac La Belle,” Keweenaw County Sheriff Curt Pennala said. Pennala said suspects snipped the fuel lines of a mostly empty 275-gallon fuel tank attached to a parked commercial fishing boat. According to Pennala, they managed to escape from the scene with some fuel, while the rest leaked into the lake. Pennala said he suspects a potential motive may be related to continued high gas prices. >click to read< 21:41 stolen fuel
Inland Fisheries: ‘It’s in the blood’ for Lake Erie commercial fishermen
It’s about 6:25 a.m. on Tuesday, March 29 on the pitch-black calm of Lake Erie. The Lady Anna II is pointed due south, about 10 miles due south of Kingsville and five miles northwest of the north shore of Pelee Island. In the wheelhouse, Captain Mike Mummery has slowed the Lady Anna II to a one-knot crawl. Craig Adamson and Josh Mummery are at the starboard midship “picking” station, removing 2,000 pounds of pickerel from the more than one-third of a mile of net hauled aboard just 35 minutes ago. James “Marty” Martin and Curtis Mummery stand by at the open sliding doors of the port stern hatch. “Marty” is facing the stern, just forward of the “roller”; a metal spool mounted vertically on a metal pole. At his feet are boxes loaded-up with 160-yard-long sections of empty, clean net. The end of one of those boxes of net is draped over the roller, towards the stern. > Click to read < 10:53
Aboard the Lake Erie fishing tug Lady Anna II (Part 1)
It’s 4:35 a.m. in the early-morning pitch-black of Tuesday, March 29, at the edge of Kingsville harbour on the north shore of Lake Erie. The wind whistles in from the north. The thermometer in my truck reads -5°C. It feels more like -20°C. Tied to the dock on the glassy-calm waters of the harbour is the Lady Anna II. I already feel cold. Gazing at the Lady Anna II makes me feel even colder. I imagine that inside must feel like being in a tin can in a freezer turned to maximum cold. I’m supposed to meet Captain Mike Mummery and his crew at 5 a.m. for a day of fishing – to see what the Lake Erie commercial fishery is really like. And then, at 5:05 a.m., a white pickup truck roars up to dock-side and out pour the captain and his crew: Craig Adamson of Leamington, and James “Marty” Martin, Curtis Mummery and Josh Mummery, all of Wheatley. They all are all business. >click to read< 09:46
Captain hurt in Commercial Fishing Boat crash
A commercial fishing vessel captain is hospitalized after a Friday morning boating accident in Gills Rock. Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department Chief Chris Hecht says the “Heather J” crashed into rocks on the shoreline around 10 am. Door County Emergency Services assisted firefighters in extracting the captain from the vessel, who was then taken to a Green Bay hospital. To be updated. >click to read< 10:19
Ribbon Cut on Aurora Facility for Asian Carp Processing
New England faces a 70 million pound lobster bait shortage this year and the bait problem isn’t going away – neither are the invasive Asian Carp on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. Brian Colgan founded Colgan Carp Solutions to provide a private sector answer to the Asian Carp problem. Their business models Asian Carp into a sought-after commodity with opportunities for entry into various markets. From bait to fertilizer, pet food and human consumption…there are numerous entry points for Asian Carp. To start, Colgan is turning Asian Carp into Lobster Bait. >click to read< 09:31
Commercial fishing out of Wheatley Harbour is like ‘farming on the water’
On a foggy March 9, I followed the 15-mile-long County Rd. 1, the Wheatley Road, due south from Tilbury. Except for two bends, that skinny ribbon of two-lane asphalt shoots arrow-straight and pancake-flat across the see-forever farmlands connecting Tilbury to Lake Erie’s north shore and to Wheatley, the world’s largest commercial, freshwater fishing port. So it was with Lady Anna II. I heard the low purr of a slow-turning diesel engine before I saw her. When I first spotted her, she looked like a small, grey box suspended over Lake Erie. And, before I knew it, her bow slicing the glassy-smooth water at a cruising speed of nine knots, Lady Anna II was at the mouth of Wheatley Harbour. >click to read< 22:00
‘Never-ending battle’ for creel fisherman as Jenni Minto MSP seeks support after ban
A creel fisherman based at the Clyde continues to feel ignored and neglected as an MSP has asked the Scottish Government to consider “all options” to support families affected by a ban. Jenni Minto, SNP MSP for Argyll and Bute, has written to the Scottish Government to ask for support to be considered for fishermen impacted by a closure in the Clyde. Despite the MSP’s action, creel fisherman Paul McAllister said he continues to feel “purposefully ignored” by the Scottish Government and “weighed down”. Last week, the Scottish Government said the ban would have “short-term costs” to protect the cod population. >click to read< 08:27
Sheboygan history: Fishing boats from yesterday and today in photo’s
The J.B. Nelson is docked at the Sheboygan riverfront, Saturday, November 20, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis. According to Harvey Hadland’s online history of fishing vessels of the Great Lakes, the J.B. Nelson was built by Burger Boat Co. in 1937 for Leonard A. Nelson, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The 40 ft. x 11 ft. all steel vessel was equipped with a 45-54 hp. Kahlenberg oil engine. In 1981 ownership went to another Nelson, Mark Nelson, in Sheboygan, Wis. The boat’s power plant has been replaced with a Cummins diesel. 12 photos, >click to read< 16:13
Opposition Forms from N.C. to N.E. to Great Lakes over ocean industrial development all-in consumer cost
Hurricane Ida: Moving north into the Gulf, expected to strengthen to Cat 4
Ida, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to make landfall late Sunday or early Monday. Sunday is the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Watches and warnings are in effect for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Saturday could be rainy in south Louisiana, making storm prep and evacuations more complicated, forecasters said. The rain is not from Hurricane Ida but from another disturbance moving over the state. Lots of details, >click to read<, to be updated. Life-threatening winds, storm surge, flooding and tornadoes from Hurricane Ida are expected Sunday. 11:04
The last in a long line of Milwaukee commercial fishermen sets course for Alaska
The men have always started their day wondering whether a load of fish is straining the nets that they set the day before. Today their compass doesn’t point them toward any nets at all. The boat’s rumbling 855 Cummins diesel pushes them down the muddy Kinnickinnic River and under the Hoan Bridge. This is the moment when their eyes normally train on the open waters ahead. But today, the 52-year-old man notices his dad, Alvin, is glancing back. I think this is probably going to be the last time I see Milwaukee from the water, 77-year-old Alvin Anderson says. Yeah, his son, Dan, replies glumly. Then Milwaukee’s last working commercial fishing tug – the Alicia Rae – glides through the north gap of the Milwaukee Harbor breakwater. And it is gone. 20 photo’s, >click to read< 08:10
Converted Great Lakes Fishing Tug makes fishing possible for the disabled
A specially designed boat is connecting those with physical challenges to the joys of fishing on the water. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe it took so long for someone to come up with this idea,” Sean Ferry of Erie said about At The Lake Ministries in Erie. The nonprofit group converted a former commercial ship into a fishing boat that accommodates wheelchairs.,, Now they have a large ship that can handle groups of people who are facing similar challenges and spend a day outdoors.,, Volunteers, including some who are trained welders, electricians and painters, worked to convert the 53-foot ship into a passenger watercraft. It was built in 1980 and was the last commercial fishing vessel built by Paasch Marine Services (200th hull). The ship was formerly owned by the Munch family of commercial anglers and they named it the Jo-Ann M in honor of the family’s matriarch. Wilson said it’s only fitting the name stays with the ship. Video, photos, >click to read< 08:08
Tributes paid to Scot fisherman Lachlan Robertson, who died after falling overboard.
Lachlan Robertson, 61, passed away in the tragic incident after being pulled from the water in the Sound of Rum, near the Isle of Skye. The fisherman, and another man working on the boat, was recovered from the water by a third crew member. But Lachlan, also known as Lachie, was pronounced dead at the scene. Now heartbreaking tributes have been posted on social media following the tragic news. >click to read< 10:07
The bird people are willing to let them die for Offshore Wind Farms. The responsible wind farms, that is!
There is no shame when it comes to ignorance! “Renewable energy sources, including wind power, are essential to saving the lives of countless birds, in addition to saving our coasts.” – As the country takes stock of the first months of the Biden Administration, the waters of New England are playing host to the epicenter of one of the major climate commitments made shortly after the president took office. The largest U.S. offshore wind project to date, Vineyard Wind, has received the green light to start building off the coast of Massachusetts, promising to deliver 800 megawatts of energy to over 800,000 homes. As conservation organizations that are committed to the protection of birds and the ecosystems,,, >click to read< 08:42
We’re losing fishing grounds – Trump says Vineyard ‘will never be the same’ after Vineyard Wind Farm
Will Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first permitted commercial-scale wind farm, change island life in Massachusetts forever? Former President Donald Trump thinks so. On the day that the massive wind farm planned off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket won the federal approval from the Biden administration that it had been fruitlessly seeking from Trump for years, the former president weighed in with a touch of sarcasm. The project, however, still has opponents, including the commercial fishing industry and some environmentalists worried about how the farm will impact the migratory patterns of rights whales and other marine life. >click to read< 10:01
Does Biden have an ocean policy? – Climate change and ocean industrialization!
Days after taking office the president signed an executive order to fully conserve 30 percent of the nation’s land and 30 percent of its waters by 2030. One of the world’s strongest supporters of 30×30 is special presidential Climate Envoy John Kerry. Biden also pledged the U.S. will generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.,,, To keep its quickly-evolving ocean strategy salty, the White House has put some top marine people in charge. They’ve brought in Jane Lubchenco, Climate Czar Gina McCathy, nominated NOAA Chief Scientist Rick Spinrad to lead NOAA, and Monica Medina as assistant secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science. >click to read< 10:49