Daily Archives: September 1, 2017

Chinese fishermen jailed for massive illegal fish and shark haul in the Galapagos Islands

A group of Chinese fishermen have been jailed and fined a whopping $7.5 million just weeks after shocking photos emerged of their ship’s hull filled with endangered sharks. Twenty Chinese fisherman were sentenced to between three and four years jail time in Ecuador after authorities found 272 tonnes of frozen marine animals apparently from the Galapagos Marine Reserve, including protected sharks.,,  “There were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of sharks,” Mr Salinas recalled. “This is going to be historic. The biggest seizure of sharks in the history of the Galapagos, for sure.” Photos, click here to read the story 19:22

Accused drug smuggling kingpin flown to US after living in Queensland

Alleged US marijuana smuggling kingpin Peyton Eidson is locked up in a California jail cell after 30 years on the run as a fugitive in Australia. Eidson’s American lawyer, Erick Guzman, hopes the 72-year-old is offered leniency by US prosecutors.,, US authorities have described Eidson as “the leader” of a sophisticated operation using fleets of vessels to secretly ship large quantities of high-grade marijuana from south-east Asia to northern California.,, Two co-accused, Mark Gayer and Mark Wolosky, attempted an elaborate scheme in 1989 to fake their deaths by sinking a fishing boat off California, but the duo was captured (read about it) in California in 2000 and sentenced to 11 years’ jail. click here to read the story 15:58

Conditional discharge awarded to Grand Bank fisherman

Wayne Meade was in provincial court in Grand Bank Aug. 31, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. The charges stem from comments Meade made to Fish, Food and Allied Works (FFAW) union representatives Dwan Street and Roland Hedderson during a meeting in Fortune Nov. 1, 2016. An agreed statement of facts presented to the court states Meade was aggressive when he attended the meeting, he continued to pound the table with his fists, and at one point told the representatives, “I will rip your heads of and shit down your neck.” Council for the accused said Meade told police he did not intend to cause harm to either Dwan Street or Roland Hedderson. “This is a very frustrating time in the lives of fishermen,” said Randy Piercey. click here to read the story 14:02

FISH-NL’s request for immediate vote denied by Labour Board; inshore harvesters, the most controlled labour group in western world

“It’s impossible to enjoy the Labour Day Weekend when upwards of 3,000 inshore harvesters are being crucified by oppressive union representation, and a government that allows it to continue,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “What’s more, provincial legislation blocks harvesters from taking part in free enterprise in that outside fish buyers aren’t allowed in. Where else in the democratic world would this be permitted? Harvesters are the most controlled labour group in the province, country, and western world.” FISH-NL wrote David Conway, the new chair of the province’s Labour Relations Board, on Aug. 15th, requesting the board proceed with an immediate vote to determine which union they want to represent them. In an Aug. 31st response letter, CEO Glenn Branton pointed out the investigation into FISH-NL’s application for certification — which was presented to the board on Dec. 30, 2016 — is ongoing. click here to read the press release 12:50

Vietnam builds first modern fishing ship for Canada

Ha Long Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, held a keel laying ceremony on August 31, for a fishing ship named Fishing Trawler (SBA01) built for its Canadian partner Hill Enterprises. The Canadian market is a completely new market for Vietnam’s shipbuilding industry and this is the first time Ha Long Shipbuilding Company has carried out such a project with a Canadian partner. Fishing Trawler is a medium-range vessel which is 29.1 metres long, 10.3 metres wide and 5 meters high. This latest generation of fishing ship is an offshore fishing ship which will be used off the coast of Northern Canada. click here to read the story 12:07

What Google Employees Had Shipped Into Burning Man

This week, Burning Man is in full swing. Since 1986, the annual festival has grown from a hippie-dippie solstice party filled with only two-dozen people into an event that sees 70,000 people descend upon Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The quasi-bohemian event gets bigger and bolder each year, as attendees try to outdo the past events, and now a group from Google has executed one of the biggest, boldest achievements yet: fresh lobster dinner in the desert. Apparently, the group had a 10-pound box of lobsters delivered to the Nevada desert from Lobster207, a company located just a hop, skip, and jump over in—Maine. (Yes, you read that correctly.) click here to read the story 11:13

Hurricane Irma holding steady as Category 3 storm in Atlantic

Hurricane Irma was holding steady Friday morning (Sept. 1) as a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said. It’s unclear what impacts Irma might pose to land. Models are notoriously unreliable more than five days away, and Irma is not expected to near the Leeward Islands until sometime next week. The Leeward Islands are part of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea. As of Friday morning, the storm was about 840 miles northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and about 1,665 miles east of the Leeward Islands. It’s moving northwest at 12 mph. It’s expected to turn west again Friday night, followed by a turn to the west-southwest on Saturday. click here to read the advisory 08:29

Crab-fishing boat runs aground on Rose Spit

A crab-fishing boat ran hard aground on Rose Spit this morning (8/31). All four people on board the boat, the Prince Rupert-based Carmanah Light, managed to get to the beach safely wearing survival suits. No injuries have been reported. Search-and rescue volunteers with Archipelago SAR drove to Rose Spit and picked up the stranded crew. Masset Marine Rescue, BC Parks, DFO, Haida Fisheries and the Canadian Coast Guard are also responding on land and water. Masset Mayor Andrew Merilees, also a volunteer with Archipelago SAR, was the first on scene. click here to read the story 07:29