Daily Archives: May 5, 2020
Boat fire sends fishermen scrambling
His boat catching fire wasn’t the hot start to the commercial fishing season Jerry Matzen III was hoping for, but the 34-year-old Ilwaco fisherman was glad his boat was saved from the flames to fish another day. Matzen’s boat was already billowing smoke from the port side when Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department arrived at about 8 a.m. Friday, May 1 to the Ilwaco Boatyard. Within minutes the fire crew doused the flames and cut out a charred chunk of wood siding to prevent the fire from spreading further. The burnt section was about 3 feet long and a foot tall. Fortunately it was above the waterline and in a straight spot before the curve of the stern, making for a less complicated repair with no structural damage, Matzen said. Matzen bought the boat in early January, his first as the sole owner. “It’s where my crab money went, to starting my own business.” 6 photos, >click to read< 17:04
It’s Russia vs. USA For Bering Sea Crabbing Bragging Rights
It’s a rivalry that never dies – from the Cold War to Olympic hockey games to accusations of presidential election interference. Russia vs. the United States is a part of both nations’ pulse – for better or worse. The feud has spilled into the Bering Sea’s lucrative crab fishery in this season’s ongoing Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch, which continues with new episodes into this month with an intriguing new storyline. The twist: Russia has cracked down on the country’s trend of illegal fishing and revamping its crab quota, which would dramatically drive up the market price for prized king crab. >click to read< 14:44
North Atlantic Right Whale: State must secure incidental take permit within 90 days to to avoid fishery closures
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani said that Massachusetts has done the most of any state in the country to keep endangered North Atlantic right whales from becoming entangled in lobster pot and gillnet lines.,, In her April 30 decision, Talwani postponed ruling on closing fisheries, but gave the state just 90 days to obtain an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. On Monday, a federal judge in Maine ruled that a similar suit could proceed, denying NOAA’s motion to dismiss. Both injunctions were brought forward by Richard “Max” Strahan, a longtime and controversial right whale activist with several prominent cases over the past two decades who sued under the Endangered Species Act. >click to read< 11:35
Opinion: Fish union’s delay tactics appalling
It is disgraceful what is happening in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our government declared our food supply essential weeks ago. Those involved had to step up, despite the pandemic, to maintain the food supply. Most industries were ordered to close, a societal lockdown the likes of which we have never witnessed before. The closest comparison is past world wars. The global economy has been thrown into mayhem. Soon after, Newfoundland and Labrador seafood processors mobilized their people to prepare for COVID-19.,,, The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW) was kept fully informed, through 15-plus Zoom meetings and numerous phone calls over six weeks. By Gabe Gregory, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s >click to read< 10:53
Salmon fishermen in Oregon to face brief closure that could help them later in the year
The commercial salmon season started just two weeks ago, but Tuesday is your last day to fish until the season opens up again May 26th. The executive director of the Oregon Salmon Commission says the season normally sees closures but at a different time. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, fishermen are catching Chinoock salmon but having a hard time selling them. That was behind the push to change the closure time from Cape Falcon south to the California border for this season. “Were basically closed for the markets in May,” said Nancy Fitzpatrick, the executive director of the Oregon Salmon Commission. “But it gave us more open days in July and August when we might typically be closed.” >click to read< 08:54