Category Archives: International
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 141′ RSW Steel Stern Trawler, 1650HP CAT
To review specifications, information, and 43 photos’, Video, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:33
Floating device would likely not have saved fisherman, inquiry hears
A fisherman who fell overboard from a local whitefish trawler is unlikely to have survived even if he had worn his personal flotation device (PFD) correctly, an inquiry into his death heard on Tuesday. Edison Lacaste died after falling into the water while carrying out repairs to fishing gear on the twin rigger Copious in the early hours of 18 February 2021. The crew instantly responded to the incident by throwing a floating mooring rope but the 45-year-old Philippine national became unresponsive within two to three minutes. The second day of a Fatal Accident Inquiry held at Lerwick Sheriff Court also heard that the owners of the fishing vessel, 60 North Fishing (Shetland) Ltd, had complied with all necessary maritime health and safety requirements, and had held and recorded man overboard drills on a regular basis. more, >>click to read<< 16:17
NOAA/NMFS Ignores Dangerous Sound Levels from Pile Driving – By Jim Lovgren
A new recently released report from Rand Acoustics, LLC scientifically documented that the stated sound levels created by the pile driving of wind turbine stanchions into the seafloor is much louder than the NOAA approved levels. In a study dated November 2, 2023, the researchers used acoustic listening devises to record the underwater sounds being created from piledriving by the crane ship “Orion” in the Vineyard wind BOEM lease area OCS-A 0501 southwest of Nantucket Island. Prior to this research, Rand Acoustics documented the underwater sound levels being produced by some of the research vessels using sonar and seismic devises to examine and document the seafloor prior to turbine construction. This research proved that the sound levels produced by these research vessels exceeded the stated sound levels approved by NOAA/NMFS to protect marine mammals and resulted in the documentary film “Thrown to the wind”. more, >>click to read<< 11:28
New Design Scalloper offers Economic Operation
Although the original brief had been for a sister vessel to Eternal Light, which has been fishing successfully since its delivery in 2019 to Fraserburgh company Whitelink Seafoods, the choice went to a new design scalloper that would provide more deck and gear space, better crew conditions and greater economy. The new design, developed with Macduff Ship Design to incorporate a more efficient hull form and a new stern gear package designed to improve fuel efficiency. The 19.98-metre Eternal Promise has a beam of 7.40 metres and a fishroom capable of holding 33 tonnes of bagged scallops. This is an addition to Whitelink’s growing fleet and is designed to operate year-round in UK waters. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:03
Skipper recalls man overboard incident as fatal accident inquiry begins
The Skipper of a local whitefish trawler told an inquiry at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Monday how he was unable to hold on to a fellow crewman who fell overboard while carrying out repairs. The body of Edison Lacaste was recovered from the waters by the Sumburgh based search and rescue helicopter 30 miles southeast of Sumburgh in February 2021. During the first day of a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of the 45-year-old Philippine national, skipper of the Copious LK 985 Andrew White recalled the events that led to the tragic loss. The twin rigger was hauling its nets in the early hours of 18 February, when the crew became aware that a hammer lock on one of the wires attached to the net had failed and needed to be replaced. more, >>click to read<< 14:50
Something Is Starting to Smell Fishy About the Global Seafood Supply Chain
The past half year has seen a steady stream of disturbing reports about serious human rights abuses tied to industrial fishing. The story about conditions at the shrimp plant in India come against a broader backdrop. The same week that the whistleblower documents were published, the Corporate Accountability Lab, which is an advocacy group of lawyers and researchers, released a report detailing severe cases of captive and forced labor as well as environmental concerns often tied to wastewater at a variety of other shrimp plants in India. It’s worth remembering the history here. Labor abuse tied to seafood is not a new problem. And yet, here we are again: the seafood problems previously highlighted in Thailand are now being widely revealed in China and India. more, >>click to read<< 08:05
Scots fisherman who sold langoustines to Queen, Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell up for prestigious award
Ian Wightman, who brings in his catch at Largs Pier, North Ayrshire, has made a name for himself in the sector by specialising in pioneering sustainable methods. He’s now been nominated in the Under 10 Metre Fisherman of the Year category for the 2024 Fishing News Awards, which spans the UK and Ireland. Ian works the Eilidh Anne GK2 vessel with his main catch being Scottish langoustines. The prize is awarded to a UK or Ireland-based fisherman in an under-10m vessel who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the industry. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:36
Time to save the Right Whale from the Green-Left
Back in the sixties and seventies, “Save the Whales” was the exclusive domain of the political left. As Bob Dylan might say, “The times they are a changin.” Three major “conservative” organizations – the National Legal Policy Center, Heartland Institute, and my organization, the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow – recently filed a major lawsuit in a Washington, D.C. federal court to save the Right Whale from facing potential oblivion. Why aren’t the larger Green groups, unlike the grassroots ones, rallying around the efforts of these organizations to save Right Whales? Good question. Whales are being threatened by the Biden Administration’s fast-track plans to hurriedly place 30,000 MW of wind power generation off the Eastern coast, and doing so without the proper sort of environmental impact assessment they might otherwise perform for, say, offshore oil. more, >>click to read<< 11:11
Storm Kathleen ties up Irish trawlers amid lucrative prawn fishery
It is the first weekend of April and the lucrative prawn fishery on the Porcupine Bank closes in three weeks for Irish trawlers. The bank is 200km off the west coast. Porcupine prawns are a prized catch, a delicacy. Irish trawlers should be flat out, but Storm Kathleen has forced them to tie up in ports like Castletownbere. Around 40 Irish boats fish for prawns on the Porcupine Bank. This weekend, two dozen of those trawlers are tied up in Castletownbere in west Cork. The remainder are taking shelter in other ports along the west coast. Video, Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:35
‘I’m a fisherman in East Lothian and I am fighting for my survival’
An East Lothian fisherman has warned that his industry could ‘disappear’ if governments do not address funding issues. Barry Brunton, 49, who was born and bred in the fishing town of Dunbar, has said fishermen feel let down, angry and fed up at the treatment they have experienced from both Holyrood and Westminster. Despite this, Barry argues that financial support has been non-existent from politicians and he fears that if it is not forthcoming then Scotland could lose one of its oldest industries. “We are fearing for our future. There are four boats that are up for sale in Dunbar since storm Babet which is unheard of. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:42
Walmart, Aldi linked to contaminated shrimp from India
NBC News, in partnership with The Outlaw Ocean Project, has released a knee-buckling report on a shrimp factory in southern India that distributes products to stores like Walmart and Aldi here in the U.S. At the center of the story is the former manager of Choice Canning Joshua Farinella, who worked at the factory for four months and left after discovering the company had allegedly engaged in several abhorrent practices, including the use of “peeling sheds” that were offsite and unsanitary, using antibiotics with shrimp in violation of U.S. food safety law, and mistreating workers. The revelation from Farinella has the attention of Congress. In mid-March ranking Democrats in the House Committee on Natural Resources wrote a letter calling for documents related to Farinella’s claims. more, >>click to read<< 15:11
Canada, Alaska suspend fishing of Yukon River chinook salmon for 7 years
In a bid to help the recovery of the Yukon River chinook salmon run, the federal government and the State of Alaska have agreed to implement a seven-year moratorium on fishing the species. The suspension, in effect for one full life cycle of a salmon, includes commercial fishing and recreational angling in the Yukon River mainstem and its Canadian tributaries. Representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game signed the agreement on Monday. The number of chinook salmon crossing the international border into Canadian waters has for years plummeted, with the last two years yielding some of the worst tallies recorded on the Yukon River. more, >>click to read<< 09:06
Irish MEP Calls for “Use It, or Lose It” Principle for EU Fishing Regulations
Following the announcement by EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius that he has ordered a “full evaluation” of the Common Fisheries Policy and reports that 43,000 tonnes of fish were uncaught by Member States, other than Ireland, European fishing regulations under the CFP should have a “Use It, or Lose It” principle according to MEP, Billy Kelleher, whose constituency includes coastal communities in Munster and South Leinster. . more, >>click to read<< 06:52
Fishing Trawler Copious: Fishing boat refloated after running aground in Lerwick harbour
A local whitefish trawler has been refloated on the rising tide in Lerwick Arbour after running aground earlier this afternoon (Wednesday). Coastguard teams, Lerwick lifeboat and Lerwick Port Authority’s pilot boats Knab and Kebister all rushed to the scene after the Copious LK985 became stuck on rocks near the town’s power station. Shetland Coastguard confirmed a short while ago that the Knab, Kebister and the lifeboat managed to get her afloat and assisted her alongside Mair’s Quay. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 19:01
Jersey fishing community’s fight for revival after storm
Members of a Jersey fishing community have told of their path to recovery after the “worst weather conditions in 25 years” wreaked havoc on their bay. A storm in late February caused extensive damage to boats and boatowners’ huts at Bonne Nuit Bay. Nigel Carré said two of his boats on the breakwater were damaged by gusts of up to 60mph (96km/h) and high seas. Neil Cotillard, from the Bonne Nuit Boat Owners’ Association, said at the time that the “worst weather conditions in the bay in 25 years” had caused “utter carnage”, with five fishermen’s huts ripped off their foundations. Among the floating casualties was Mr. Carré’s boat Helen of Lee. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 16:34
Fishing boat runs aground in Lerwick harbour
A rescue operation is underway this afternoon (Wednesday) after the local whitefish trawler Copious LK985 ran aground in Lerwick harbour. The incident happened in the shallow waters between the fishing industry hub at Mair’s Pier and the town’s power station. The Copious has seven crew on board. It is understood the the 25 metre vessel, which was delivered only last year, is not taking on water. Coastguard, Lerwick Lifeboat and the Lerwick Port Authority are all at the scene assessing what best to do. Photos, more to follow, >>click to read<< 11:45
Grindavík’s Harbor Sees First Trawler Return Since October
The first trawler to dock in the town of Grindavík since October 24, when the town was evacuated due to a powerful swarm of earthquakes, arrived in the harbour yesterday morning. In an interview with RÚV, Sigurður Jónsson, captain of the freezer trawler Tómas Þorvaldsson, stated that it was important for the town’s spirit to see life in the harbour, as the fishing industry was the lifeblood of the community. He admitted that he had gotten “dust in his eyes” as he sailed towards Grindavík. The vessel was fishing for just under four weeks. more, >>click to read<< 08:45
Alaska fishermen and processing plants are in limbo as a state-backed seafood company teeters
The fishing fleet in the Southwest Alaska town of King Cove would have been harvesting Pacific cod this winter. But they couldn’t: Skippers had nowhere to sell their catch. The enormous plant that usually buys and processes their fish never opened for the winter season. The company that runs the plant, Peter Pan Seafoods, is facing six-figure legal claims from fishermen who say they haven’t been paid for catches they delivered months ago. King Cove’s city administrator says the company is behind on its utility payments. And now, residents fear the plant may stay closed through the summer salmon season, which would leave the village with just half of the revenue that normally funds its yearly budget. “We should be fishing right now,” said Ken Mack, a longtime King Cove fisherman. more, >>click to read<< 09:36
East End fishermen uneasy over wind farm South Fork Wind
Late last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul called South Fork Wind, which is projected to eliminate hundreds of millions of tons of carbon emissions annually, a “major milestone” in the state’s “nation-leading effort to generate reliable, renewable clean energy. “But at least one East End community remains staunchly opposed to wind farms: commercial fishermen — who say that the massive, 50-story turbines could irreparably damage the local marine ecosystem and displace them from areas they’ve fished for decades or even generations. more, >>click to read<< 08:12
Fisherman missing in water off Hawke’s Bay coast, colleagues join search
The colleagues of a fishing vessel crew member missing off the coast of Hawke’s Bay were on the water aiding search efforts more than 17 hours in. The man was reported overboard from a boat around 11km offshore of Waimārama, around 8pm on Easter Monday. Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre was running the search, which included rescue helicopter services from Auckland, Gisborne and Hastings, Coastguard Hawke’s Bay and other vessels in the area. Coastguard Hawke’s Bay president Henry van Tuel said the vessel from which the man had gone missing was the Pacific Challenger. more, >>click to read<< 06:48
Oregon seafood industry calls on Gov. Tina Kotek to halt offshore wind energy development
A coalition of independent fishing boat operators, seafood companies and industry groups is calling on Gov. Tina Kotek to ask the federal government to stop a planned auction for floating wind energy projects off the Oregon Coast. In a letter to Kotek on Tuesday, the more than 100 signatories said she should stop the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from moving forward with its plan to auction offshore wind site leases until the state has finalized its own roadmap for offshore wind development. “We’re saying no auction until the roadmap is complete,” said Heather Mann, executive director of the Newport-based Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, which signed the letter. more, >>click to read<< 12:43
New Beamer Hits The Water
A year on from the launch of Interfish beam trawler Admiral Gordon at Parkol Marine Engineering’s facility in Middlesbrough, the yard has launched sister vessel Admiral Blake PH-440 for the same customer. The yard’s newbuild no 60, Admiral Blake was wheeled out of the fabrication shed and craned into the Tees. Sister vessel Admiral Gordon was delivered last year and was the first beam trawler over 20 metres in length to be delivered by a UK yard for more than thirty years. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:23
Gulf’s next wind auction puts focus on Louisiana after Texas shuns renewables
After the Gulf of Mexico’s first-ever offshore wind lease auction drew zero bids for sites in the waters off Texas last year, federal regulators plan to tilt the second auction toward Louisiana. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed two new lease areas, totaling about 200,000 acres, in federal waters south of the Texas-Louisiana line, an area that may strike a balance between the stronger winds near Texas and the more welcoming politics of Louisiana. “Texas leaders said some inflammatory things about offshore wind right before the last lease sale,” said Jenny Netherton, a program manager for the Southeastern Wind Coalition. “That strongly suggested to some investors that Texas wasn’t the best bet.” more, >>click to read<< 08:18
Offshore wind threatens centuries of fishing
Many people today think that offshore wind power will be able to give us abundant (long-lived?) clean energy. The water in the Gulf of Maine is very deep, any turbines sited there will be on floating platforms anchored to the seabed with giant chains. It is important to remember that the Gulf of Maine is the life blood of all our coastal fishing communities. I participated in an interesting project some years ago when the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association was formed. We worked with Island Institute to document how each fishing community extended far out to sea. Each community has traditional grounds that have been worked for centuries by fishermen from those communities. Fishing sustains coastal New England. If offshore wind industrialization is allowed in these fishing grounds the communities connected to these areas will suffer. by Glen Libby, more, >>click to read<< 10:52
Exhibition celebrates town’s lifeboat heritage
A new exhibition celebrates the “very intrinsic part” a lifeboat station has played in the history of a town in the west of the island. The display at the Leece Museum in Peel features images of key figures over the years, the lifeboats that have served the station, and stories of rescues carried out. Tony Quirk of Peel Heritage Trust said the town, which was “known for its fishing industry over the years” was “never short of fishermen and sailors willing to go to sea and rescue the stricken boats”. The exhibition has been designed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:40
Fishermen displaced by offshore wind farm apply for compensation
Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind developer, is constructing a 62-turbine wind farm in the federal waters south of New Bedford, the nation’s most lucrative fishing port. Uncertainty around whether it’s safe to fish inside offshore wind farms have soured many fishermen to the industry, even as wind developers offer new sources of income to fishermen willing to take on surveying, navigation and safety work. At the meeting at the port authority, a recently retired fisherman consulting for Vineyard Wind acknowledged this tension upfront. “I know how a lot of people feel about offshore wind,” said Fred Mattera. “Believe me, if I could click my heels and it’ll all go away, I’d be clicking my heels like you can’t imagine.” “But it’s not,” Mattera said. more, >>click to read<< 08:29
What You Didn’t Know About the Andrea Gail and ‘Perfect Storm’ Location
In the fall of 1991, a catastrophic storm swept the northeastern coast of the U.S., wreaking havoc along the coast of Massachusetts. The Andrea Gail set out from Gloucester on what was meant to be a month-long fishing trip off the coast of Newfoundland, covering a total of 900 miles. What they didn’t know was that the storm heading up the coast would take the lives of 13 people and cause millions of dollars in damage from Florida all the way up to Nova Scotia. Winds from the storm reached strengths of 120 miles per hour, and when no communication was heard from the 72-foot Andrea Gail, which was right in the center of the storm, the search was called off in a matter of ten days. To this day, the trawler, and its crew, have never been recovered. Here’s what you never knew about the Andrea Gail’s last communication, speculation about what exactly happened, and the haunting clues that have surfaced since. more, >>click to read<< 09:49
Expert To Examine Case of Arklow Vessel Which Developed Serious Stability Issues
The European Ombudsman may be asked to examine the case of the Mary Kate, the fishing vessel which developed serious stability issues after it was bought by an Arklow family. An Oireachtas committee has also agreed to appoint an expert to examine information surrounding the case. Representatives of the departments of transport and agriculture, food and marine may then be invited before the committee after the expert report is completed. The Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen has proposed to take these actions after an initial hearing on the case in late February. Arklow fisherman CJ Gaffney was invited to outline his experience, where he was left with debts of 1 million euro. more, >>click to read<< 08:48
UK authorities backtrack on under-10 medical requirement
The UK government has announced a partial reversal of its policy on medical certification for fishermen. This follows an extensive campaign by the NFFO, and now anyone fishing for four weeks or more on a UK under-10 vessel between 30th November 2021 and 29th November 2023 is exempt from the requirement to hold a medical fitness certificate. ‘This is a welcome outcome and desperately needed. It is a total reversal in the government’s position on the under 10m fleet and will benefit thousands of fishermen,’ an NFFO representative commented. more, >>click to read<< 06:50
New Bedford – True North Seafood to shut down city plant
One of the city’s largest seafood processors is shutting down its waterfront facility, laying off as many as 94 local workers as the company consolidates its production in Virginia. True North Seafood, a subsidiary of Canadian seafood giant Cooke, announced the sudden decision to its staff at a floor meeting Thursday morning. The company is a leading distributor of imported fish, processing more than 16 million pounds of salmon each year, according to its website. Cooke has both harvesting and processing operations spanning 15 countries and over 13,000 workers. Its revenues are north of $4 billion, according to a recent interview with CEO Glenn Cooke. more, >>click to read<< 20:16
