Daily Archives: July 18, 2018

It’s a-boat time Pacific City celebrates unique maritime heritage with Dory Days Festival

For more than 100 years, dory boats have gone out to sea from Pacific City. And for the locals, dory fishing is not only their heritage, their pride and their way of life — it’s also their addiction of sorts. “When I haven’t had a dory I was going through the D.T.s,” said Skip Bailey, who has been dory fishing for nearly 40 years. “We grew up as dory people and we live and breathe that stuff.” He’s not kidding, according to other dory devotees. “Sometimes in the winter I just go and sit inside my dory and have a beer — it’s so nice,” said Capt. Mark Lytle, who runs pacificcityfishing.com. “Every person who has a dory will understand, because they do the same thing.” >click to read<20:17

Opinion: Fisheries act is a chance to build trust

There’s a little something for everyone to hate in the House’s proposed renewal of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Commercial fishermen feel it gives too much to recreational fishermen and environmentalists. Recreational fishermen say it goes too easy on their commercial counterparts, and the environmental lobby says the measure, which passed the House last week along largely partisan lines, will undo years of progress in restoring fish stocks. We are left with what we have had for decades — a pitched battle among competing interests, with no end in sight. Congress must do better to help guarantee that the science behind management decisions is sound and easily understandable. >click to read<19:25

North Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson appointed minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard

The last seven federal fisheries ministers have represented ridings in Atlantic Canada and one of them, Gail Shea, was appointed twice. But today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed a B.C. MP, Jonathan Wilkinson, to take over this portfolio from Dominic LeBlanc. Wilkinson was first elected in 2015 to represent North Vancouver in Parliament. The last B.C. fisheries minister was Herb Dhaliwal, who held this position from 1999 to 2002. He was preceded by another B.C. MP, David Anderson, who was fisheries minister from 1997 to 1999. Wilkinson is also the minister responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard. >click to read<18:51

DFO closes more fishing zones after right whale sighting

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has closed portions of four fishery grids after right whales were spotted in the area. The affected grids are in the extreme south of the speed reduction zone and will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday. The closure marks the 20th fishery closure this year related to the North Atlantic right whale. No right whales have been found dead in Canadian waters since last year but a right whale was spotted last week off Miscou Island partially entangled. It has not been spotted since. >click to read<18:33

Lucrative seaweed pits Canadian company against Maine homeowners in court battle

Cheryl Sawtelle grabs her binoculars – one of three pairs scattered on her living room couch – and peers at the water below her house on Cobscook Bay. “Look, they’re out there again,” she says. “We’ve lost. I’m telling you, it’s too late.” The objects of her distress are two wide skiffs, practically motionless on the buttery surface. In the boats, Kenny Sulkowski and Eric Newell are sweating as they tug at 10-foot rakes to cut and pull heavy seaweed aboard. They clamber atop a growing mound of the rubbery green weed as they work. To Sawtelle, the presence of the men is a dire sign that landowners along the nation’s most northeastern coastline are losing their battle over who owns the seaweed. It’s a peculiarly Maine battle. >click to read<15:05

Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 76′ Steel Dragger, Detroit 12-V-71, with federal/state permits – Price Reduced

Specifications, information and 15 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >Click here< 13:41

Two rescued after shrimp boat capsizes during storm in Pamlico Sound

The two-man crew of a small shrimp boat from Carteret County were rescued by the Coast Guard early Wednesday after their craft capsized in the Pamlico Sound during a thunderstorm. The Mad Lady II from Marshallberg was reported overdue Tuesday evening, after reportedly running into generator problems while trying to reach Englehard.,, A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City located the Mad Lady II capsized off Hog Island around 6:20 a.m., and a Good Samaritan also reported finding debris nearby, Kendrick said. At 7:32 a.m., the captain and mate were found by the helicopter crew clinging to debris about seven miles from where the boat went down. >click to read<10:26

Offshore Wind Projects’ Impact on Fishing Grounds off the Ocean City Coast Discussed

After hearing a strong presentation from a noted expert on the impacts of wind farms on commercial fishing, the Mayor and Council seem inclined to strengthen opposition to the wind farms off the resort coast in general.,, Monday’s presentation was spearheaded by Meghan Lapp, who is the fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., a Rhode Island-based company that is the largest producer of sea-frozen fish on the east coast. The highly-decorated Lapp also serves on numerous fishery management councils up and down the east coast including the mid-Atlantic region. Joining Lapp during Monday’s presentation to the Mayor and Council were a handful of local commercial fishermen, most of whom have been working the seas off the Ocean City coast for generations.  >click to read<09:46

Seafood Industry should Organize, File National Class Action Lawsuit Against Anti-Commercial Fishing 501(C)’s, private companies

Every Seafood Industry related trade association in America should join hands and file a National Class Action Lawsuit  against certain 501(C) organizations and private companies that have de-humanized the Commercial Fishermen in the United States by reducing the non-boaters share of the Federal Fishery Resources. The lawsuit should be filed in the District of Columbia Federal Court on behalf of the hundreds of millions of non-boaters who depend on access to the nations fish at restaurants and retail markets through the labors of Commercial Fishermen. By Bob Jones >click to read<08:32