Category Archives: New England
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
Biden administration plans to tee up offshore wind across the nation’s coastlines
The Biden administration is planning to boost offshore wind energy production, announcing up to a dozen opportunities for industry to bid on chances to build wind turbines in U.S. oceans over the next five years. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is slated to announce the lease sales at a conference in New Orleans. The 12 potential opportunities Haaland is announcing include sales in the central Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, the New York Bight and off the coast of Oregon, California, Hawaii and a yet-to-be-determined U.S. territory. These sales were described as potential sales that could occur rather than ones definitely slated to happen, and if former President Trump wins election, he may want to cancel them. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:56
Predators take big bite out of declining Atlantic mackerel population
Predators ate at least twice as many Atlantic mackerel as commercial fishery landings in the decade leading up to Canada’s region-wide moratorium, according to new research by Canadian and American scientists. The study also found seals are a major predator, lending credence to what many fishermen have long claimed. The modelling study was published this month by the federal Fisheries Department and the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. The top predators were gannets, grey seals, dogfish and bluefin tuna. In the most conservative estimate, predators removed between 21,000 and 29,000 tonnes annually between 2012 and 2021 — at least two times greater than Canadian commercial landings reported as 11,000 tonnes per year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:26
‘Codfather’ boat sunk, sleeps with the fishes in artificial reef off the Jersey Shore
The Axel Carlson Reef off the Jersey Shore has a new structure that was once part of the fleet of the infamous “Codfather” Carlos Rafael, a commercial fisherman who went to jail for mislabeling fish in 2016. When he went to jail, his entire fleet of boats worth millions of dollars was seized by the IRS and sold off. One of those boats was the Carrabassett, a 90-foot steel dragger. It was purchased by a New England commercial outfit that ran the boat aground, cracking the hull open. The boat then caught fire at drydock and was going to go on the scrap metal market when New Jersey’s artificial reef program coordinator Peter Clarke was able to secure it in order to add it to the Axel Carlson Reef, a man-made reef that sits 2.1 miles off the coast of Point Pleasant Beach. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:34
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 68′ Steel Shrimper/Scallop Dragger, Cat 3406
To review specifications, information, and 5 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 08:41
Bankruptcy filing by former CEO latest twist in Lobster 207 legal saga
Former Lobster 207 CEO Warren Pettegrow filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Florida, one day before he was court-ordered to forfeit money, properties, business interests and guns to Lobster 207 toward a $1 million judgment awarded after arbitration in June 2020. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker had ordered the forfeiture after nearly five years of court proceedings in federal court in Bangor. The judgment arose from a civil lawsuit Lobster 207 filed in December 2019 alleging Pettegrow, as CEO of Lobster 207, embezzled nearly $2 million over roughly two years in a price-fixing arrangement. The Maine Lobstering Union Local 207, part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, opened the Lobster 207 co-op in 2017 and hired Pettegrow as CEO, an arrangement that was part of the sale to Lobster 207 of the wholesale side of Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:41
Warming Waters Heat Summer’s Feast Well Before It Gets to the Kitchen
An ever-warming planet is playing havoc with the intricately interconnected web of marine life. Just as climate has long stressed human populations and driven migration, marine populations are stressed and in search of survivable climates too. In New England, scientists and lobstermen alike are studying and living the impacts. Tim Alley has been lobstering in Maine’s coastal waters for 40 years. “There’s been a trend in recent years related to temperatures,” he says. Alley is steeped in the traditions of his home state’s biggest industry and recently dusted off a short film from 1972 in which he starred at age 12, “Alone in My Lobster Boat,” filmed in South Bristol and New Harbor, Maine. Like most lobstermen, he would call himself an environmentalist: they live on the water, they live from the water, they thrive on the water. But they reject the notion that a species – the right whale – is failing because of them. Over 40 years, he says, he has seen exactly one right whale. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:50
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
Commercial Fisherman Carl D. Schwab, of Port Clyde, Maine, has passed away
Carl D. Schwab, 89, died peacefully, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at the Sussman Hospice House following a brief period of declining health and a lengthy fight with Alzheimer’s disease. He spent his last days surrounded by the love of his family. Born in New York City, November 10, 1934, Carl was the son of Irving and Bessie Schechter Schwab. A few mentors and friends in particular helped set him on his path as a man of the sea, not the city: Levi Hupper, Bertie Simmons, Stanley Stone, and Alfred Stanley. He spent most of his working life as a commercial fisherman on many boats, of many types, including dragging, seining, and lobstering. Carl is one of the founding members of the Port Clyde Fisherman’s Co-op, where he has served as president, vice president, and as a member of the board of directors for many years. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:36
Governor Mills Directs Administration to Prepare to Distribute $60 Million in Storm Relief as Soon as Funding Becomes Available
Governor Janet Mills today directed her Administration to take the steps necessary to distribute the $60 million in storm relief as soon as the money becomes statutorily available. $50 million of the funding will be distributed in grants by the Maine Department of Transportation through the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund, which was created by the Mills Administration and the Legislature in 2021. $10 million in funding, added by the Legislature to the Governor’s original proposal, will be distributed to small businesses by the Department of Economic and Community Development through the Business Resilience and Recovery Fund. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:30
Fishery council considering Mayor Mitchell’s plea to open Northern Edge to scallopers
On Tuesday, Mitchell delivered testimony to the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC). He cited challenging years ahead for the scallop industry, which is being strained by a slump in prices and fewer days at sea for fishermen; and he stressed the importance of the scallop fishery as a foundational part of the port’s economy. “The industry would benefit greatly by adding these areas to its available fishing grounds.” The region under consideration is the northernmost portion of the broad and productive fishing grounds called Georges Bank. In 1994, the Northern Edge was closed to commercial fishing to protect habitat for spawning cod and other bottom dwelling fisheries. Thirty years later, scallop representatives told the council, groundfish populations like cod have continued to decline while the area has remained locked up to scallopers. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:14
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
Mayor Mitchell advocates for scallopers
Mayor Jon Mitchell is advocating for the New England Fishery Management Council to open the Northern edge scallop grounds to New Bedford commercial fishermen. In a letter to Chairman of the Board, Eric Reid, Mitchell said that making these areas available would benefit the industry greatly and create a “key new source of scallops.” “While there are multiple species that are harvested by New Bedford fishing vessels, scallops are the prime drivers of economic activity within the Port of New Bedford,” Mitchell wrote. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:54
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 57′ Aluminum Dragger, Cummins KT-1150, State and Federal Permits
To review specifications, information, and 25 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:18
Fishermen Feeding Mainers awarded $750K in federal funds
Fishermen Feeding Mainers, a program of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, will be receiving $750,000 in federal funding thanks to an appropriations request submitted by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). The successful request will provide funding for the program through Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine. The Fishermen Feeding Mainers program began in October 2020 in response to the collapse of local markets and rising food insecurity in Maine. Initially funded by an anonymous foundation, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association partnered with Good Shepherd Food Bank to distribute donated fish to food pantries, meal sites and additional hunger-relief organizations located throughout the state. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:25
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
Massachusetts Record for Largest Lobster Caught
The price for fresh New England lobster changes frequently depending on the time of year, market conditions and suppliers. The price fluctuates so often that many seafood dealers and restaurants don’t even include it on their menus or websites. On April 1, 2024, Boston’s James Hook & Co. was advertising fresh lobster claw and tail meat at $85 per pound, fresh knuckle lobster meat at $90 per pound, and fresh lobster salad at $85 per pound. The Massachusetts Lobsterman’s Association claims the record for a lobster caught off the Massachusetts coast was “Big George,” caught off Cape Cod in 1974. The Association says George weighed 37.4 pounds with a total length of 2.1 feet. more, >>click to read<< 10:06
The meaning behind Ed Parker’s painting, The Lobster Trap – Thief of Tradition
In the painting The Lobster Trap by Ed Parker, a Maine lobsterman lowers crates into the water while, unbeknownst to him, a large sea monster intertwines itself with the line. The calm water and blue skies suggest a peaceful and idyllic day, juxtaposed with the strange creature just below the surface. “[The painting] is an image of the state of Maine,” said Parker in a telephone interview. “The culture is in as much jeopardy, I think, as the fishery itself. They’re so interlinked and younger people don’t see a lot of future in it.” more, >>click to read<< 11:19
IS THE G.A.O. SLOWWALKING ITS INVESTIGATION OF OFFSHORE WIND IMPACTS? By Jim Lovgren
On June 15, 2023, Congressman Chris Smith issued a press release touting the acceptance by the General Accountability Office [GAO], of a request by the House Natural Resources Committee to investigate a wide range of issues related to the development of offshore wind. The Committee letter, signed by Chairman Bruce Westerman, was submitted on May 15 th , 2023, almost a year ago. I bring this up because the average time-length of most GAO investigations is three months. Which begs the question; Is the Biden administration “slow-walking” the GAO investigation? Slow-walking is the act of purposefully delaying action by stalling, stonewalling, making excuses of how hard it is to do, and other whiney efforts at delaying an investigation until it fails because it is too late. It is the bureaucrat’s favorite weapon of choice when forced to disclose vital information, that their politician benefactors don’t want exposed. more, >>click to read<< 06:10
An ocean of ambition
One by one, a trustee listed the assets up for sale: eight commercial fishing vessels and 48 federal fishing permits. It was a fire-sale liquidation for bankrupt Blue Harvest Fisheries — one of New England’s largest seafood companies — and the largest bundle of groundfish permits in recent history to come available on the market. Bids, the trustee announced, would start at $10 million. Cassie Canastra was first to act: “$11 million,” she said, without skipping a beat. There was a brief pause, as a team representing O’Hara Corporation, part owner of New Bedford-based scallop giant Eastern Fisheries, huddled to discuss their options. They raised the bid to $11.25 million. “$12 million,” Canastra responded, showing no sign of relenting. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:03
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
Lobster harvesters in Atlantic Canada to vote on increasing minimum legal size this year
At stake is maintaining access to the United States market. “It will be an individual vote. That’s a big decision that every single enterprise and owner has to look at from their own business,” said Heather Mulock, executive director of the Coldwater Lobster Association, which represents fishermen in lobster fishing area 34 (LFA 34). In late May or June, the 979 licence holders in the area will be asked to vote on whether to match increases in allowable U.S. catch measurements that will come into effect Jan. 1, 2025, and again in 2027. Live Canadian lobster that fall under the new limits would not be allowed into the U.S. That includes bonded shipments of lobster under the new minimum in the U.S., according to an information package sent to fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia. That could block trucking of “undersized” Canadian lobster across the border for flights to Asia from airports in Boston or New York. more, >>click to read<< 08: 57
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
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
Overspreading Since the Seventies
NOAA Fisheries has been overspreading their nets since they changed from a side trawler to stern trawler back in the 1970s! On the Delaware side trawler, the wires were put together on the side of the boat and on NOAA’s Stern Trawler Bigelow, the wires are off the stern of the boat which is 32 feet apart. This is causing NOAA’s over-spread nets. Now NOAA has been working with a restrictor-rope on the doors, to stop the doors from over spreading the nets. more, >>click to read<< By Rocky Novello
“Stand Clear the Line: Swordfishing on the SouthCoast. – New Swordfishing Exhibit at New Bedford Heritage Center
No one thinks much about commercial swordfishing and the Port of New Bedford, but 50 years ago or so, that line of work was fairly prominent on the waterfront. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, located at 38 Bethel Street, is reviving those memories with a new exhibit, “Stand Clear the Line: Swordfishing on the SouthCoast.” Ritter said many of the fishermen who helped with the exhibit also went after swordfish back in the day. “We’re going to have a number of photos, artifacts, and media displays for people to explore the change of gear and technology used by local fishermen as they transitioned from harpooning to long-lining,” he said. more, >>click to read<< 11:51
First, the lights flickered. Then the internet disappeared – 400,000 without power as deadly Nor’easter slams New England
When the power and internet went out, they would flicker back on and off, and when it did, the power stayed on, letting the furnace run, and with a semi normal life, with the exception of our internet provider, who finally came back on last night. A deadly Nor’easter storm left hundreds of thousands of people without power into Friday morning while floods and heavy snow disrupted travel. More than 280,000 people remained without power in Maine and another 111,400 in New Hampshire as of early Friday morning, according to poweroutage.us. more, >>click to read<< 06:21