Daily Archives: March 6, 2016

Late night welding is the suspected cause of New Jersey boat fire

POINT PLEASANT BEACH – A fire that damaged a commercial fishing vessel on Sunday off of Baltimore Avenue and Channel Drive may be the result of welding work, authorities said. The fire broke out on the fishing boat  about 3:30 a.m. Sunday at Laurelton Welding Services on Channel Drive, State Police Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Williams said. “Welding work had been completed earlier in the morning, right after midnight,” Williams said. Read the rest here 22:24

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting , March 7-11, 2016, Jekyll Island, GA

The public is invited to attend the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to be held in Jekyll Island, GA, at the Westin Jekyll Island. Read the Meeting Agenda Click here, Briefing Book – September 2015 Council Meeting Click here Webinar Registration: Listen Live, Click here  19:44

£26k (28,600 US) fine for ‘under cover of darkness’ scallop fishermen

13804490TWO French fishermen who regularly illegally dredged for scallops in Jersey waters after sneaking in ‘under the cover of darkness’ have been fined a total of £26,000. Arnaud Delalonde (46) and Tony Mesnage (43), from Cherbourg, pulled up almost ten tonnes of the highly prized shellfish inside the three-mile limit from Jersey’s shores which is reserved for local fishermen. But their secret evening and night-time raids on Island fish stocks came to an end in November 2014 when Delalonde’s vessel, Pescadore, was boarded by fisheries protection officers during a stealth operation after being monitored using state-of-the-art tracking technology. Read the rest here 18:36

Massachusetts Fishermen need Attorney General Maura Healey’s help

When touring the North Shore a year and a half ago, then-candidate for attorney general Maura Healey made it a point to mention her family ties to Gloucester, Newburyport and the region’s fishing industry. The implication was that, if she were elected, fishermen would have a powerful ally on Beacon Hill, or at the very least someone who understood the unique difficulties facing the industry. Now, Healey is well into her second year as attorney general, and it is time to make good on her promise to protect the industry from federal overreach. We are talking specifically about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s at-sea monitoring program,,, Read the rest here 18:00

‘Codfather’ arrest exposes empire’s potential impact on fisheries

AR-160229553.jpg&MaxW=315&MaxH=315An affidavit filed by IRS agents in support of the federal criminal case against New Bedford fishing fleet owner Carlos Rafael offered “a rare, candid look” inside the operation of the top groundfish fisherman in the region and the single largest fleet owner in the United States, according to Peter Shelley, senior counsel for the Conservation Law Foundation. But the 24-page narrative filed in U.S. District Court last Friday also exposed the shortcomings of fisheries enforcement, which seemed tantamount to an honor system, with gaps in oversight so big Rafael was allegedly able to navigate safely through them for 30 years, which, if true, may have had a profound effect on fish stocks and how their health is assessed. All the ENGO “big’s” are quoted! Peter Shelley fought for this. Read the rest here 12:39

Saving the World’s Fisheries – One investment firm thinks sustainable fisheries and Wall Street profits can go hand in hand.

A new plan to save the ocean is coming from somewhere surprising: Wall Street. An investment firm thinks they can nurture sustainable fisheries in developing countries and make a buck at the same time. Some are calling it a big deal. Others think they’re naïve. The reality is, fish are in bad shape. The United Nations says about 30 percent of world fish stocks are being harvested at an unsustainable pace. Some researchers think that figure is as high as 45 percent. Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s philanthropic organization and the Rockefeller Foundation tapped Encourage to develop an investment strategy as part of Vibrant Oceans initiative. Same old catch share crap, same old names. Read the rest here 11:12

Overnight commercial fishing boat fire in Point Beach

l_12828466_1170242852993553_5193544034253494341_oA fire broke out overnight in a Point Pleasant Beach commercial fishing boat that recently drifted into a railroad bridge, authorities say. Police, fire, and emergency medical services were dispatched to the fishing docks near the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and Channel Drive shortly after 3:30 a.m. today, according to Jerry Meaney, a local first responder who posted a video of the scene on his Barnegat Bay Island, NJ Facebook page. Responding units discovered heavy smoke with flames showing from the fishing vessel “Ocean One,” Meaney said. Link  10:25

Tofino whale watching tragedy rescuers honoured by Lifesaving Society

Ten people who helped rescue victims after a whale watching boat capsized off the coast of Tofino in October, 2015 have been awarded medals for their bravery by the Lifesaving Society – BC and Yukon. Included in the group were Etienne Herold and Trinity Jezierski, both guides, working for Jamie’s Whaling Station aboard the Leviathan II when it sunk. “You can’t even fathom it,” said Herold “It’s like an action movie.” After getting knocked into the water they were able to deploy a life raft and pull other victims into it. Read the rest here 09:25

Native Fishermen’s Group Seeks To Close Unalaska Bay To Commercial Trawl Fishing

adfg-logoA proposal to permanently close Unalaska Bay to commercial trawl fishing is up for discussion at an upcoming Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting. The statewide meeting takes place the second week of March in Anchorage, and Qawalangin tribal president Tom Robinson will be there to testify. He will be speaking on behalf of the  (UNFA). Robinson says this is UNFA’s third attempt since 2008 to get the proposal – numbered 194 – passed by the Board. In 2013, the Unalaska City Council passed a resolution supporting the plan to close Unalaska Bay to groundfish fishing with trawl gear year-round. Read the rest here 08:29

New Bedford fisherman’s arrest puts spotlight on industry’s quota questions

AR-160309730.jpg&MaxW=650When local fishing kingpin met last June with undercover agents posing as members of Russian organized crime, Rafael named an incredibly lofty price for his commercial fishing operation. $175 million. The price covered more than 40 boats and the Carlos Seafood business on New Bedford’s waterfront. It’s one of the largest groundfish and scallop operations in the country, and has been a fixture in the northeastern fishing industry for decades. But the agents were curious about the price, because Rafael showed them financial documents reporting annual income of just $3 million to $4 million from 2011 to 201. Read the rest here 07:39