Category Archives: International News
Five people from Maine arrested in Nova Scotia for illegally fishing baby eels
The federal Fisheries Department, (DFO), says five people from Maine were arrested in southwestern Nova Scotia last weekend for illegally fishing for baby eels. In a news release, the department says the arrests occurred April 20 and in the early hours of April 21 in the Meteghan area of Digby County. The release didn’t say whether they would face charges, but it notes that fisheries officers seized nearly 3.5 kilograms of baby eels — also known as elvers — a vehicle, three dip nets and one fyke net. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:14
Rumours of soaring crab prices cause N.L.’s newest processor to hit pause
Lloyd Nash was all ready to start accepting the first loads of crab at his new processing plant when the market was thrown into a tizzy over the weekend. The owner of Uncharted Seafood in St. John’s obtained a crab licence this season, after fish harvesters successfully lobbied the provincial government to issue new licences. He was even prepared to offer a little more than the $3 per pound that was agreed upon by the associations for producers and harvesters after a protracted battle over pricing. But then, rumours ripped through the industry that some of the larger processors were preparing to offer as much as $4.50 per pound. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
Cornwall planning: Statue honouring hundreds of Cornish fishermen is a step nearer
A planning application has been submitted to place an 8ft bronze statue in St Ives to honour the hundreds of fishing folk who have lived and worked in the town. The Mariners’ Memorial, designed by renowned local sculptor Tom Leaper, will overlook St Ives Bay if approved. In 1844 a total of 400 pilchard fishing boats operated from the port of St Ives employing 735 fishermen, with a further 100 engaged in other types of fishing. In order to accommodate this huge fishing fleet, a series of earlier improvements to the harbour were made including the construction of Smeaton’s Pier in 1770. It is now hoped the memorial will be placed on the terrace known as The Castle at the end of Smeaton’s Pier, becoming a landmark destination in the town. more, >>CLITCH TO READ<< 14:18
Reason why RNLI declined to give stricken trawler a tow to port except as last resort
A disabled scallop trawler was forced to jettison its fishing gear as it drifted towards shipping lanes off Anglesey. An all-weather lifeboat (ALB) from Moelfre put to sea for eight hours after answering an emergency call for from the trawler. The 14-metre vessel found itself at the mercy of the currents after suffering a mechanical failure around 12 miles north of Puffin Island. Concerned about posing a risk to ships, its crew issued a Pan Pan call – a request for urgent help while not being in immediate danger. The RNLI crew discovered the vessel’s derricks (lifting gear) were stuck down and its scallop dredges were hanging some five meters beneath the surface. These are heavy-duty metal framed nets that are pulled over the seabed to harvest scallops. Photos, more, >>CLICK TP READ<< 19:18
How the death of a mega-turbine rattled US offshore wind
When GE Vernova confirmed that it was canceling one of the largest wind turbines ever designed, it signaled a pause in an arms race that for years had led manufacturers to go higher, longer and wider when building towers, blades and other components. Now, that decision is reverberating across U.S. efforts to build wind projects in the Atlantic. New York canceled power contracts for three offshore wind projects last week, citing GE Vernova’s decision to abandon its largest turbine model, a massive 18-megawatt machine. The timing could hardly be worse. Offshore wind is the keystone of New York’s plan to generate 70 percent of its power with renewable energy by the end of the decade.“Using the lower-capacity turbines means that each developer would need to buy 12 to 13 additional turbines to build a project of the same capacity,” Jain said. “That also means more foundations, cables, days hiring expensive installation vessels and so on, significantly raising total project cost assumptions.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:24
France and its fishermen speak out against the United Kingdom and its marine protected areas
Taking the objectives set by the Kunming-Montreal Agreement at face value, the United Kingdom has strengthened the protection of its marine protected areas. An ecological decision that French fishermen and the Government took for them. France and its fishermen speak out against the United Kingdom and its marine protected areas or “trolling” fishing activities would be prohibited. If this new diplomatic conflict between France and the United Kingdom is far from being the first in the history of these two countries, its cause, the protection of biodiversity, differs from previous ones. On March 22, after a public consultation initiated in 2022, an order (1) published on February 1 by the British government’s Maritime Management Agency (MMO) strengthened the protection of thirteen pre-existing marine protected areas (MPAs). more, links, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:27
In the Shadow of the Volcano
It hasn’t been an easy few months for the inhabitants of Grindavík, the fishing port on the south coast of Iceland that first found itself in the shadow of a volcanic eruption at the end of last year. Today Grindavík is not considered inhabitable, and the town’s inhabitants have been dispersed mainly to neighbouring communities, the majority of them thrown into Iceland’s difficult rental market as they have scrambled to find places to live. There has been a level of uncertainty as to whether or not it might be possible to return home at some point. Fishing gear company Veiðarfæraþjónustan was fortunate enough to be provided with a temporary refuge at Hampiðjan’s net loft in Reykjavík, before finding a new home in Hafnarfjörður. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:47
From tiny river eggs to ocean prey, filmmaker aims to capture life of salmon
As a child fly fishing on New Brunswick’s renowned Miramichi River, Nick Hawkins used to daydream about being able to peer under the tea-coloured water and see where the salmon were. Hawkins is one of nine winners of 2024 grants from the Trebek Initiative, named for the late quiz show host Alex Trebek. He’s getting $97,674 from two organizations that Trebek supported, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and National Geographic Society, to film the migration of Atlantic salmon — “from their home rivers in Canada to their feeding grounds in the icy fjords of Greenland” — and to document “the passionate efforts of those trying to reverse the species’ precipitous decline.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:17
The Evolution of Auctions: Peterhead Fish Market Considers Electronic System
In the heart of Aberdeenshire lies Peterhead, the UK’s largest fishing port, where age-old traditions meet the winds of change. At its bustling fish market, buyers have long engaged in the lively ritual of the “shout auction,” where bids for boxes of fish echo through the air. However, the familiar cadence of voices may soon give way to the quiet hum of technology, as the Peterhead Port Authority finds the possibility of introducing an electronic auction system. This potential transition seeks to adapt to modern realities and enhance efficiency in fish trading. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
The last Cornish fishing lugger of its kind sets sail for repairs around the British Isles
An historic Cornish lugger has sailed out of Newlyn for the start of a 1,000-mile journey to the Scottish Highlands. Barnabas is the only surviving fishing vessel of her kind in the world and is on a six week round trip to fit out new masts at Ullapool. 30 volunteer sailors from the Cornwall Maritime Trust are taking it in turns to crew Barnabas during different legs of the journey across the Celtic nations of the British Isles. Toby Floyer the Chair of the Trustee is the first to be the ship’s skipper. He says sailors will get to experience what it would have been like for generations of people who “got their living from the sea”. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:43
3 New York wind farms scrapped – Cost implications for Mass., Conn., and R.I.
New York pulled the plug Friday on three offshore wind projects that encountered pricing problems after GE canceled the development of a larger turbine that the developers had been counting on. The decision is a setback for the US offshore wind industry and may have some cost implications for Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, which are in the midst of a joint procurement for offshore wind power. The three wind farms proposed for the coast off New York were all tied to a plan by GE Vernova to start producing giant 18-megawatt turbines at a facility on the Hudson River to be subsidized by the state. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:04
New documentary reveals Scottish Government believe Rockall dispute over fishing rights could be resolved
The sovereignty of the rock has been the source of a long running dispute between Ireland and the UK. The UK authorities claim Rockall is part of its territory lying within its territorial seas – a claim not recognized by Ireland. Ireland has not claimed ownership of the rock and does not recognise the British claim of sovereignty on the basis that uninhabited rocks should not be claimed by any state. The British Navy annexed Rockall in 1955 – hoisting the Union flag and cementing a brass plaque on the summit. It later sought to incorporate it into part of UK law in 1972. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12
Man accused of assaulting conservation officer after elvers bust in downtown Dartmouth
The alleged incident took place one week ago — not on a remote rural stream, but on the Shubenacadie Canal in downtown Dartmouth. The federal Fisheries Department and the provincial Department of Natural Resources called police to the 100 block of Alderney Drive shortly before 10 p.m. local time on April 10. A spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Police, Const. Ann Giffin, said a 39-year-old man was arrested and is due in court at a later date. James Nevin maintained he did nothing wrong. He claimed conservation officers did not identify themselves and that he was sprayed with bear spray in the course of his arrest at Martins Park. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:09
A submerged concern: offshore wind cables
As offshore wind turbines undergo construction in waters south of the Vineyard, and with some already standing and delivering power, the debates on the Island regarding the industry continue. John Keene, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, told the Times that some in the fishing industry are nervous about how the electromagnetic field from the cables can affect marine life. Keene said the concern is that the fields emitted from cables could act like a fence, particularly for migratory species, and impact the behavior of marine species. “There’s a lot of unknowns,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:14
Whitby Seafoods Buys Scampi Trawler
Whitby Seafoods is celebrating the purchase of Portavogie based fishing boat The Golden Ray. The Golden Ray B963 is a scampi trawler skippered by third generation fisher Darren McClements who has been fishing for over 37 years. Darren will join Kilkeel Seafoods, the Northern Ireland based company that is part of the Whitby Seafoods Group, as Fleet Operations Director. Darren was a ‘Fisherman of the year’ winner at the 2023 Fishing News Awards, nominated for ‘undertaking leading work for the industry’, which included collaborating with Whitby Seafoods and SafetyNet Technologies on ground-breaking gear trials. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:19
Atlantic fisheries body confirms cyber incident after 8Base ransomware gang claims breach
A fisheries management organization for the East Coast is dealing with a cyber incident following claims by a ransomware gang that it stole data. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) — an 80-year-old organization created by Congress and made up of officials from the Atlantic coast states — said this week that its email system is down. The organization was forced to create a temporary email address and provide a phone number people can use to contact the information. Tina Berger, director of communications for ASMFC, told Recorded Future News that they are currently “responding to a cyber incident affecting our systems” but did not respond to further questions about whether they are dealing with a ransomware attack. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:04
More things to worry about by Jerry Leeman
Wind energy in the Gulf of Maine is going to be a great challenge to all varieties of commercial and recreational fisheries. What disturbs me the most is, in all my travels along the coast in the four major fishing ports in New England, very few commercial fishing Captains were aware of the new talks on changing the management stock areas and the reallocation of codfish. This is a concern for many now that they are aware. This raises the question, if no Captain’s that fish inside the Wind Energy proposed areas were not aware of this future action, then how can the last comment periods on the proposed sights be accurately sighted? Charts graphs, more, >>click to read<< 13:16
Fishermen net benefits of being out of CFP as new figures show Scots vessels account for 96% of all landings
Fishermen are continuing to net the benefits of being out of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) after new figures show Scots vessels accounted for 96% of all landings into Scotland last year. The statistics for 2023, published by the Scottish Government for the first time, show vessels based in Scotland accounted for 43,717 landings across the year. The figures come after Peterhead Port set a new record for annual fish landings, with £226 million-worth of catches traded across the quaysides this year. more, >>click to read<< 08:52
22 fishermen rescued as vessel sinks in Tuvalu waters
The FV Marielle, a purse seine fishing vessel owned by the Caroline Fisheries Corporation in Micronesia, put out a distress signal on Saturday night after one of its engines caught fire and the boat began taking on water. Fisheries observer Tupa Taoa, who was on board the vessel, put out a distress signal Saturday late afternoon. He reported a fire in one engine broke out and while the vessel had no engine power while the crew was working to put out the fire, the vessel took on water, causing the crew to put the vessel’s emergency skiff into the water and get in it, fearing the fishing boat would soon sink. The Marielle was in Tuvalu waters when it sent out the distress signal Saturday night. more, >>click to read<< 07:32
Commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Hauraki Gulf, 27 on board
A commercial fishing vessel has run aground at The Noises, in the Hauraki Gulf. The Harbourmaster has confirmed the incident happened just before 3:45am. There are no reports of injury. The Police Eagle helicopter was at the scene. “There are 27 crew on board, and they are all safe. The Harbourmaster’s team is onsite at the moment and two tugboats are on the way to remove the vessel. More to come, >>click to read<< 17:27
Never mind the pollacks: ministerial direction signed for fishing scheme
Environmental secretary Steve Barclay has issued a ministerial direction authorising the creation of an aid package to help the South West fishing industry deal with restrictions on catching Pollack. The measures will see around 50 boat owners directly compensated because of a “zero” total-allowable-catch for the fish in Western Waters, called for by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas. The advice, which is designed to ensure long-term security of pollack, means the fish cannot be directly targeted by crews. more, >>click to read<< 13:37
KZN High Court upholds appeal against seizure of commercial fishing vessel
In a dramatic turn of events, the KZN High Court upheld an appeal against the seizure of a commercial fishing vessel belonging to a well-known local commercial fisherman, Mr Naraina (Harris) Naidoo, who operates out of Rocky Bay. The Scottburgh Magistrates Court had on August 4, 2022, ordered that Mr Naidoo’s vessel, ‘Lee-Ann’, be forfeited to the state as part of a sentence relating to violations of the Marine Living Resources Act. Mr Naidoo was overjoyed with the court’s decision as he estimated that replacing his vessel would cost in the region of R1 million. more, >>click to read<< 06:50
Allowing Outside Buyers in Fishery Won’t Fix Issues in Processing Sector, Says Advocate
A longtime advocate for the inshore fishery says measures taken by the provincial government won’t do anything to break what he calls the “cartel” running the local processing sector. Harvesters are vowing to return to Confederation Building on Monday to rally for changes that will give them a greater share of the price fetched by crab and other species. The province is now allowing outside buyers to purchase product from harvesters, but Ryan Cleary told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that doesn’t go far enough. more, >>click to read<< 10:44
Pioneering decarbonisation
Following his initial experience of the Pilothy project, a feasibility study into converting trawler Anita Conti to run on hydrogen, Loctudy trawler operator Julien Le Brun went back to naval architect Coprexma for another decarbonisation project. The 17.50-metre trawler L’Amour de la mer (ex-Magali) is to serve as a technological platform to test hybrid electric propulsion and equipment systems. The Startijenn Up project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of existing decarbonisation options that can be integrated on board. The vessel will be outfitted with two Caterpillar generators, providing power to the electric propulsion motor, the electric winch motors and for on-board consumption. Depending on the requirement, consumption will be optimised by running on one or both groups. 100% electric mode can be used for part of the operations. more, >>click to read<< 09:20
NUTFA shuts down
The New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association (NUTFA), the only body dedicated to supporting small scale fishing in England and Wales, is to close down, according to director Jerry Percy. While it was always going to be a difficult decision to close, I’m not getting any younger and to be honest, I refuse to be party to what I see as the ongoing destruction of the under ten fleet,’ he said in a closing statement. ‘I think it is a tragedy that the 80% of the fleet that are under ten metres have been treated so shabbily by administrations going back decades that has in turn resulted in such a lack of fish on the inshore grounds, the almost complete lack of effective management especially in terms of effort, the deafening sound of cans being kicked down the road when exactly the opposite approach is needed, and the lip service paid to the under tens by other organisations.’Photos, more, >>click to read<< 19:35
Yukon River Panel hears fishing moratorium on Yukon River chinook may be ‘too little, too late’
A new international agreement on chinook salmon stoked at times emotional debate at the Yukon River Panel meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, this week, and while many appeared to approve of the pact, others seemed to cast doubts. Duane Aucoin, a member of the Teslin Tlingit Council in the Yukon, said it’s taken the collapse of the chinook population to finally do something, but the natural world doesn’t work that way. “One thing we’re afraid of is, is this too little, too late?” he said. “Western policies, Western politics, Western science is what helped get us into this crisis, into this mess. Traditional knowledge will help get us out.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:02
Historic Hastings fishing boat is removed from outside the station
The clinker built boat Dorothy Melinda had been on display on an island outside Hastings railway station for the past 15 years. It was the first thing visitors to Hastings see when they arrive in the town by rail. But Hastings Borough Council said the condition of the boat was seriously deteriorating and claimed it could become a potential hazard. In addition, the lease for the roundabout, which belongs to South Eastern Rail, had expired. She was due to be removed and demolished at the end of January, due to her deteriorating state, but local man Peter Carney launched a campaign to have her restored and put on display in Hastings old Town, setting up Go Fund Me appeal. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:00
Versatile Inshore Boat for the Basque Country Fleet
Although the general trend in the fishing sector in the Basque Country and the rest of Spain is to export or decommission, some owners from the town of Arminza, in the province of Vizcaya (north of Bilbao), decided to build a new vessel. Made of GRP, Beti Itsasoko has a 14-metre length and a beam of 5 metres, it has a number of features that set it apart from the boats with which it shares its fishing grounds. To begin with, it has an unusual modern design for Spanish waters, with an inverted bow, designed for more comfortable operation by minimising pounding as it cuts through the waves. On the other hand, the vessel measures 14,7gt and is configured to have two independent engines, which gives it greater maneuverability as each drives its own shaft, propellers and rudder. It also has a capacity for 8000 litres of fuel and a hold with space for almost 9 tonnes of fish in the chilled fishroom. Photos, more, >>click ti Read<< 16:66
OFFSHORE WIND AND WHALES – A collection of articles from fisherynation.com By Jim Lovgren
After over forty-five years as a commercial fisherman out of Point Pleasant NJ, I sold my boat the Shadowfax, and retired, moving to California. My experience as a fisherman began in the early 1970’s, and I observed and learned an encyclopedia of knowledge concerning fishing, the environment, and fishery management, including politics. As I observed the continuing massacre and the lies denying them by government and media puppets, I under took an effort to expose the truth concerning offshore wind. The following articles are listed in order of their appearance in Fisherynation.com, and are best understood by reading them in order. Just click on the title of an article you’d like to read. more, >>click to read<< 15:09
Growing Interest in Fishing for Crab
In The Netherlands there is a cautious but growing interest for crab fishing. Since January 2023 there are five vessels commercially fishing on North Sea crab (Cancer pagurus), all operating from northern ports such as Den Oever and Lauwersoog. In 2010 there was just one vessel fishing on North Sea crab. A year later another, Orion UK-163, made a start but finished within one year. In general, enthusiasm was quite low, but the last couple of years, as vessel owners seek to broaden operating patterns and to avoid restrictive measures, a few small-scale fishermen are showing interest. This is also because a number of Irish and English crabbers have been operating the German Bight above the Dutch Wadden islands for some years. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:51
