Daily Archives: May 18, 2019

‘Get Off The Boat’ — Women In Commercial Fishing Industry Fight Sexual Harassment

When Robin McAllistar worked in the commercial fishing industry in the 1970s and 1980s, she was often the only woman on the boat. Once, she said she was stuck on a boat with a captain who was constantly drinking. She said he assaulted her in her room, and she had to fight him off. “I mean physically grappling and trying to get through and get out and get away,” she said. “I wasn’t raped, but that was only because I got out.” The next day, she hopped onto another boat to get away. Roughly 15% of commercial fishermen in Alaska are women. >click to read<20:23

‘We’re all her sons’: Harbour manager Sheila Eastman is like family to North Lake fishermen

Sheila Eastman is a statistician, an adviser, a traffic cop and sometimes even a nurse to hundreds of fishermen in North Lake, P.E.I. As the longtime harbour manager, she’s helped guide thousands of fishermen for almost two decades in and out of the second largest port in the province. Being responsible for the safe passage of 90 boats making three to four trips each day, she has a big job. And the fishermen have a deep respect and affection for her. “She’s the heartbeat of the harbour of North Lake,”,, >click to read<18:52

Lawsuit against Bristol Bay fish marketing group dismissed

The Bristol Bay Six case against Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has been dismissed. Alaska Superior Court Judge Yvonne Lamoureux said that the association is within its rights to spend money fighting the Pebble Project, which the association feels could harm the fishery of Bristol Bay. The six fishermen who had sued had said that BBRSDA was working in areas far from its mission, spending some $250,000 of fishermen’s money on contracts with groups opposing the Pebble Project. >click to read<13:55

Mom of doomed Mary B II skipper calls him experienced seaman for whom safety was ‘paramount,’ contradicting other witnesses

In day five of the Coast Guard hearing into the January capsizing of the Mary B II fishing vessel, the mother of the captain described a man vastly different from the one depicted throughout the week by other witnesses. Mary B. Anderson, managing member of the Mary B II LLC, bought the former Bess Chet last fall, after her son, Stephen Biernacki, convinced her it would be a good business opportunity. >click to read<13:06

Gulf of Mexico: Containment System Complete at MC20 Oil Release Site

The U.S. Coast Guard and contractor Couvillion Group have successfully installed a containment system to capture oil leaking from Taylor Energy’s Mississippi Canyon 20 well, despite a lawsuit brought by Taylor to halt the intervention. The installation marks a major milestone in the USCG’s efforts to address the spill, which has been ongoing for 14 years. >click to read<11:18

‘It was like somebody pulled the plug on the drain’

Earlier this year, the San Francisco Port Commission commended a boat captain for safely delivering 23 passengers from danger during a “tidal event,” an honor so rare it hasn’t been bestowed in at least 20 years. Even more unusual is that many questions surrounding the event, which broke chains, nearly sunk a moored boat and endangered lives, remain unanswered. Commendations from the commission have been so infrequent that Port staff were unable to find records detailing when and why the last one was issued. Captain David Crumpler has become the first in recent memory. >click to read<09:15

Cleanup complete after fishing boat catches fire, washes ashore near Bandon

Crews including a helicopter have finished removing major debris left off the Oregon coast after a 64-foot fishing boat caught fire while at sea and later washed ashore. The crew abandoned the Ann Kathleen and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. >click to read<The wood and fiberglass boat caught fire south of Bandon and washed ashore May 2 in a remote area of beach north of Floras Lake at low tide, according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. >click to read<08:08