Daily Archives: May 17, 2019

Fed up shrimpers may look to state for oversight

Missed payments, cash draws against the future and unpaid bills. Shrimp fishermen and plant workers from Newport to Eureka are feeling the financial pinch as a deadlock with processors continues. “They’ve got to get the plants open,” said Newport shrimper Ted Gibson, a key fisherman’s representative in price talks. “This is really hurting communities financially. I don’t think people have any idea how much money is not coming into Oregon because of this.” Unable to agree on a price for Pacific pink shrimp, some 60 boats are holding fast to the dock,,,>click to read<22:46

Brixham fishing crew honoured with first ever ‘Life Saver Award’ after miracle rescue

It was dark, it was cold, it was stormy with 70knot winds and waves 20ft high when young fisherman Reegan Green was lifted off his feet and washed overboard from a Brixham trawler 25 miles off the Devon coastline. Experienced air and sea rescue personnel who spent an hour looking for Reegan in the dark knew one thing – they had never before pulled a fishermen alive and conscious from the sea in similar conditions. But this time things were different. >click to read<18:01

A declaration to close Herring Area 1A – Effort Control Measures for June – September 2019

The Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), with the approval of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, has issued a declaration to close the commercial sea herring fishery in Management Area 1A during the period of June 1 – September 30 (Declaration Notice). During this period, it shall be unlawful to fish for, retain or land any sea herring taken from Management Area 1A without explicit authorization from DMF. The 2,000 pound incidental trip limit no longer applies. >click to read<15:50

Maine lobster fishery agrees to deep cuts to protect whales

After a long and difficult week in late April in which the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Mammal Take Reduction Team met to address protections for the endangered right whale, the Maine lobster fishery now has a sense of what the future holds. There were some hard battles along the way, in which we lobster industry advocates fought to ensure a viable Maine fishery, both for today’s lobstermen and for future generations. By Patrice McCarron >click to read<14:39

Competing interests – “The farmer and the cowman should be friends,” according to Richard Rodgers’ lyrics in “Oklahoma!” Can a similar peace pact be visited upon Maine’s lobstermen and the advocates of whale safety? >click to read<

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 17, 2019

>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<13:28

BREAKING: Woman says she was hit in the face on Biernacki’s boat

A Toledo woman who says she was aboard a tuna boat piloted by Captain Stephen Biernacki last August has come forward to recount the man hitting her in the face with a microphone and trying to confine her to the boat’s bunk area after the two fought over a radio call she made to try to get another boat to take her back to shore. “He grabbed the mike and hit me in the chin with it and said, ‘you just lost your privileges,'” said Kelli Sullivan,,, >click to read<11:14

Widow recounts boat’s tragic trajectory – >click to read<

FISH-NL expects NDP to be tail that wags Liberal dog regarding inshore fishery

The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) says the province’s New Democratic Party is positioned to force changes to the Liberal agenda, including $20 million targeted for seismic blasting, and sea-cage aquaculture off the south coast. “The NDP is poised to be a powerful tail within a minority government to wag the Liberal dog,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “We need that tail to follow through, and take a stand for the inshore fishery.” In response to a FISH-NL questionnaire leading up to the May 16th election, NDP Leader Alison Coffin outlined specific issues regarding the inshore fishery that “they will champion in the future.” >click to read<10:47

Fisherman pulls monster bass from Annapolis River after tidal station shutdown

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, striped bass used to spawn in the Saint John, Annapolis and Shubenacadie river systems on the Bay of Fundy. The causeway built across the Annapolis River in 1960 and the Annapolis Royal Tidal Generating Station that opened in 1984 have been widely blamed for driving the fish from that river. Meanwhile the Saint John population dropped off after the Mactaquac Dam was built in 1968. But after decades of protests,,, >click to read<09:50

Alaskans enjoy the journey of the first Copper River salmon of the year

Thursday morning Skip Winfree from 10th & M Seafood climbed into an Alaska Central Express plane along with a Channel 2 crew to chase the salmon in Cordova. Excitement filled the air. After a 45 minute flight over snowcapped mountains the plane landed at one of the fishing capitols of Alaska. How many salmon would be caught? How big would the kings be this year? Text messages starting rolling in from fishermen with 60 North Seafoods. It was good news. click to read<09:22

Commercial fishermen gain skills for sea survival at annual training

To help save lives and prevent injuries, a group from Massachusetts is on a mission to travel around New England and train commercial fisherman on what to do in emergencies. They were in Tenants Harbor Thursday. “Anything you can do to make it better and that much safer for anybody by being out here is totally worth it.” “We’re giving them enough information to take back to their boat and share it with their shipmates, and then practice using it. Hopefully they are running the drills and using the equipment,” said safety training director, Ed Dennehy. >Video, click to read<08:10