Daily Archives: April 16, 2017

Easter Sunday marks the fourth day of Canadian Fisherman Richard Gillett’s hunger strike.

The vice-president of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) set up camp in front of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans headquarters in St. John’s on Thursday. One of Gillett’s requests is a meeting with Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, to ask for an independent review of science and management at DFO. “Up until right now we haven’t heard anything from Minister LeBlanc,” Gillett said. Gillett said he thinks the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador is close to extinction. click here to read the story 17:25

Fishers, St. Vincent Harbour Authority pleased with ice breaker response time

“They did marvelous” says St. Vincent’s Harbour Authority’s president Jake Hunt. ‘They’ are the icebreaker crew who opened up the waters around Hare Bay this week. With cold temperatures and Mothers Nature’s latest snowstorm, the ice in Hare Bay was thick and frozen together. It would be a while for the ice to break apart and worse still, cause a delay before fisherman could get to work. With the crab season opened since April 6th, it would be difficult for local fishermen to set their crab pots. The seal fishery is also underway. An ice breaker became the best option. click to continue reading the story 14:00

Poor season drives a black market for crabs in Qld

Poor weather over summer has resulted in a lucrative black market for the sale of mud crabs in Queensland. Recreational fishermen have been caught taking to websites such as Facebook, eBay and Gumtree to illegally sell mud crabs for up to $50 to try to reap the benefits of a poor crabbing season. It comes as the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol was preparing for a busy long weekend as thousands of people were taking to the water over the Easter break. Fishers and crabbers have also been found resorting to illegal activities such as keeping undersized and female mud crabs after a dry summer saw fewer mud crabs being caught in Queensland’s waterways. Earlier this year, a man was fined $3100 after pleading guilty to five crab-related offences, click here to continue reading 13:24

Coast Guard, locals help fishermen, dog after boat floods off Hampton Harbor, NH

The Coast Guard and Hampton Fire Rescue helped two people and a dog to shore Saturday after their boat started taking on water about three miles east of Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire. Aman aboard the fishing boat used a VHF radio to contact watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The man reported the Patricia Lynn II was rapidly taking on water and the two men aboard were using buckets to dewater the boat. He also said they were using a bilge pump but it was not keeping up with the rate of flooding. The man said both men aboard had donned survival suits, and put a lifejacket on a dog that was also aboard the boat. click to continue reading the story 12:18

From Port to Plate: A journey of New Bedford’s most profitable product

Who knew that a silver dollar-sized scallop could provide such bang for a buck? As the most profitable item turned over in the most profitable port in the country, this milk-colored mollusk has almost been solely responsible for the re-birth of New Bedford’s working waterfront since the turn of the century. While other New England ports have shrunk or been gentrified from a working waterfront to high rise condos and upscale restaurants, New Bedford has thrived. OUT AT SEA- Captain Earl Chor Sr. described an early 12-day April trip to the Elephant Trunk Flex Access Area as “smooth” despite working around a few days of harsh weather.,, TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER- In the damp and hollowed display room of BASE there are dozens of tall cardboard bins filled with ice and bagged scallops, known as lots, lining the room.,, SPANNING THE GLOBE- click here to read this big story 08:51