Monthly Archives: May 2020
St. Lawrence family, residents devastated by deaths of well known fishermen whom perished at sea
Eileen Norman broke down in tears as she spoke about the three St. Lawrence men, her family members who perished at sea. She was referring to her brother-in-law, Ed Norman, 67, his son Scott Norman, 35, and his nephew Jody Norman, 42, whose bodies were recovered Tuesday morning from the frigid waters off the coast of the Burin Peninsula on the province’s south coast. As of The Telegram’s deadline, one man was still missing, Isaac Kettle, who is said to be in his early 30s. The four men left St. Lawrence in Ed Norman’s 36-foot fishing vessel, Sara Anne, about 12:30 a.m. Monday to go crab fishing, Eileen Norman said. >click to read< 09:25
F/V Orin C Lawsuit – Lawyers say Samaritan, mayor threatened consultant
On Dec. 3, 2015, Capt. David “Heavy D” Sutherland died in the water after his disabled slime-eel boat, the Orin C, sank while under tow by the Coast Guard back into Gloucester Harbor. Now, an ongoing federal lawsuit filed by two surviving Orin C crew members and Sutherland’s estate has erupted with accusations of witness tampering involving Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and fisherman Philip Powell of Swampscott, the good Samaritan who is a co-defendant in the case and whose vessel F/V Foxy Lady was the first to come to the aid of the Orin C. The witness is Gloucester Harbormaster T.J. Ciarametaro, who through his Five Fathoms Consulting firm, is retained as an expert witness by plaintiffs’ attorney, Joseph M. Orlando Jr. of the Gloucester firm Orlando & Associates. Orlando’s motion also accuses Gloucester lobsterman Arthur “Sooky” Sawyer, the current president of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, of contributing to a pressure campaign against Ciarametaro, a Coast Guard veteran. >click to read< 08:05
Please, Donate if You Can to the San Francisco fishing fleet fire recovery fund
An early morning fire destroyed Pier 45, Shed C on May 23. While we were fortunate not to lose any lives in this tragedy, San Francisco fishing men & women have lost millions of dollars in fishing gear. We are asking for any help you can give at this time. Donated funds will be used to reequip fishing businesses with the gear necessary to continue working and bringing fresh seafood to San Francisco. As a community, we have lost approximately 2/3 of the capacity to harvest the fresh seafood that is delivered to San Francisco and the essence of our livelihoods. Crab traps and salmon tanks and hydraulic blocks and herring nets and buoys and black cod traps and shrimp traps and replacement transmissions and spare parts and tools and extra propellers and forklifts and and… and… please, >click to read<, and donate if you can! The Crab Boat Owners Association is organizing this fundraiser. 23:30
Average forecast as shrimp season opens May 27 in South Carolina
Commercial shrimp trawling will open in all legal South Carolina waters at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Georgia officials have not yet set an opening date for trawling season in their state waters. Shrimping season in South Carolina typically starts in spring with the opening of a small subset of waters, called provisional areas, that allow shrimpers to take advantage of the harvest offshore while still protecting the majority of shrimp that have yet to spawn. This year, following a mild winter, South Carolina’s provisional trawling areas opened unusually early, on April 15, 2020. >click to read< 22:38
YouTube Cancels Michael Moore Produced Green Energy Documentary, “Planet of the Humans”
Finally, YouTube has found the flimsy pretext it needed to cancel the controversial Michael Moore-produced eco-documentary which has been infuriating greenies with its anti-renewables message: ‘copyright infringement.’ Planet of the Humans, the documentary executive-produced by Moore and written and directed by his friend Jeff Gibbs has racked up over 8 million views on YouTube since its launch last month. But now — in what Gibbs says is a “blatant act of censorship” — YouTube has taken down the video. Filmmaker Jeff Gibbs is surely correct when he says that YouTube’s cancellation of the documentary is politically motivated. >click to read<16:43
Michael Moore and Driessen agree! Wind, solar and biofuel energy are devastating Planet Earth – Never in my wildest dreams did I envision a day when I’d agree with anything filmmaker Michael Moore said – much less that he would agree with me. But this new film, Planet of the Humans, is as devastating an indictment of wind, solar and biofuel energy as anything I have ever written. The documentary reflects Moore’s willingness to reexamine environmentalist doctrine. >click to read<
UPDATE: Bodies of three St. Lawrence fishermen recovered, one fisherman still missing off Newfoundland’s south coast
The Canadian Coast Guard has recovered the body of a third fisherman missing off the coast of St. Lawrence, and crews are still searching for one other missing man. One man’s body was found at 4:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday, the second man’s body was found at 11:15 a.m., and the third man’s body was found at 11:40 a.m. Crews continue their search and rescue mission this afternoon. Five fishing boats are involved in the search, along with the coast guard vessel Ann Harvey, a Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft. >click to read< 14:24
One man still missing, search and rescue efforts continue – The bodies of Ed Norman, 67, his son Scott, 35, and his nephew Jody, 42, have been recovered off the province’s south coast following a marine accident that occurred after the men, along with an Isaac Kettle left the Burin Peninsula community’s harbour at 12:30 a.m. Monday. Kettle, thought to be in his early 30s, is still missing and search and rescue efforts to locate him are continuing. >click to read< 14:29
Stolen Grand Manan Boat Found In Maine
A possible joy ride into American waters causing shock and upset for a Grand Manan fisherman who discoved his lobster boat missing on Monday morning. Sherman Kinghorne of Special K Fisheries owns “Grampa’s Legacy” and he noticed the boat was gone about 4 a.m. as he was leaving to go fishing. “The vessel was not at the wharf. We thought someone may have been playing a prank. We looked to the wharf to the left of us, no vessel. At that point, we started calling RCMP, Fundy Coast Guard radio, Fundy traffic.” Kinghorne said.,, “It wasn’t 20-25 minutes after putting that call out, an American lobster boat spotted her.” Kinghorne said. >click to read< 12:10
Alabama: Shrimpers having tough spring season
The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused the price of shrimp paid to fishermen to plummet, causing many to stay home. Those who are on the water say they are not having much luck finding shrimp. The season began on Monday, May 18, and only a sparse number of boats can be seen dotting the waters. Dock operators and shrimpers say COVID-19 caused restaurants to sell few shrimp, and this has meant processors haven’t moved much product. The low demand for new shrimp has dropped the normal $1.85 per pound for larger shrimp down to $1.05. Smaller shrimp, normally fetching near a dollar per pound, has dropped below $.50. Morris Liner, a shrimper of 42 years, said that the windfall that the lower oil prices could have brought has not materialized. >click to read< 11:14
UPDATED- Search Underway. Breaking: 1 body found, 3 still missing in search for commercial fishermen near St. Lawrence
The Canadian Coast Guard has recovered the body of a fisherman off the coast of St. Lawrence, and crews are still searching for three other missing men. The four men went missing in the mouth of Placentia Bay, after leaving from St. Lawrence shortly after midnight to fish crab, and were due back before 8 p.m. Monday evening, but did not arrive. “We found some debris in the water, and obviously the crew member, so we know whatever happened is tragic and probably happened quickly,” said Mark Gould, the regional supervisor at the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre in St. John’s. “But, y’know, we’re still searching. We’ll search until we’ve exhausted all measures and possibilities.” >click to read< 09:58
Three others still missing, search and rescue efforts underway – “We’re in complete shock,” St. Lawrence’s assistant town clerk Eileen Norman,,, Her brother-in-law, Ed Norman, 67, went out in a 36-foot fishing boat with his son, Scott Norman, 35, and nephew, Jody Norman, 42. The other man, Isaac Kettle, is a friend in his early 30s, she said. >click to read<
NOAA – Their mission
Back in the sixties when I was fishing with my dad we would fish about a one hundred miles east of New Bedford for whiting in the spring. We had a ninety foot dragger. And there were Russian vessels there that were three hundred foot and they were using a small mesh net that caught everything in the water. At the time there was no 200 mile limit. The Russians and other foreign vessels could come into our waters and were restricted to within fifteen miles of our coast. Today no one knows how much damage they did but our fisherman would eventually pay the price. Finally in 1978, we enacted the 200 mile limit. That was great so we thought, but we created a monster. That being NOAA. >click to read< Thank You, Sam Parisi 08:52
Process local lobster first, say Val Comeau fishermen after devastating processing plant fire
Steve Ferguson said he wonders what will happen next as they wait to see if the buyer they deal with at Les Pêcheries de Chez-Nous factory will be able to help them out. While a large part of the plant was destroyed in a fire, a portion of the processing plant not damaged is set to resume processing lobster this week with about a third of the staff. The company said 331 people were working at the plant at the time of the fire, and 100 lobster fishermen sold their catch to the plant. Local fishermen want to make sure their catch will take priority over lobster being brought in from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. “At the end of the day, if they can’t produce our lobster from here, why are they bringing so much from other provinces. >click to read< 15:15
Coronavirus: NOAA Cancels Five Large-Scale Fishery Surveys
NOAA announced Friday that it will cancel five out of its six large-scale research surveys in Alaskan waters this year due to COVID-19. The canceled surveys include the Aleutian Islands bottom trawl survey, the eastern Bering Sea bottom trawl survey, the northern Bering Sea bottom trawl survey, the Bering Sea pollock acoustics survey, and the Fall Ecosystem Survey. The Alaska Longline Survey is not affected. “We determined that there is no way to move forward with a survey plan that effectively minimizes risks to staff, crew, and the communities associated with the surveys. For instance, conducting the key groundfish and crab surveys in a limited timeframe would require extraordinarily long surveys, well beyond standard survey operations,” >click to read< 11:47
After cancellation of the third Copper River period, ADF&G okayed a 12-hour opener on Memorial Day
Light winds, fog and rain spread over Prince William Sound as veteran harvester Bill Webber headed out to sea on the eve of the Memorial Day opener for the famed Copper River wild salmon fishery, hoping perhaps that the third time’s the charm. The third time, that is, because the first opener on May 14, and the second opener on May 18 proved so below the forecast that Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists halted the anticipated third opener on May 21, then decided on May 22 to go ahead with a third 12-hour opener on Monday, May 25. “The wind isn’t bad, maybe 15 miles an hour, a little foggy, a little rainy,” said Webber, owner of direct-to-consumer Paradigm Seafoods, from the helm of his boat, >click to read< 10:57
Con groups propose total lobster fishing ban
According to the Center for Biological Diversity and several other plaintiff conservation groups, the area “has increasingly become important right whale foraging and socializing habitat in recent years.” The conservation groups filed their request last Friday, three weeks after the judge ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) violated the federal Endangered Species Act when it continued to allow lobster fishing with gear that used fixed vertical buoy lines in which whales could become entangled. As a practical matter, a ban on the vertical lines that connect traps on the sea floor to marker buoys on the surface would amount to a total prohibition against lobster fishing in the area south of the two Massachusetts islands. While scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a few others have experimented with “ropeless” lobster trap gear (laughter and scorn, erupts from the crowd),,, >click to read< 09:18
Lars Petter Austnes: Longtime commercial fisherman was known for his big heart, Viking spirit, has passed away
Lars Petter Austnes of Edmonds, Washington passed away on April 29, 2020 at the age of 64. Lars was born October 2, 1955 in Ålesund, Norway, the third child of four to his parents Edvin and Henrikke Austnes. In 1985, he moved to Ballard in Seattle, Washington to work with other Norwegian fishermen in the growing Alaskan Pollock industry in the Bering Sea. Upon arrival, he began his long employment for Glacier Fish Company, owned by the heroic leader and friend, Erik Breivik. He started on the company’s Northern Glacier Catcher/Processor as a Bosun. Lars Lars married Kim Starwich of Ballard October 19, 1991. Lars and Kim have been residents of Edmonds since 1990 and have two daughters, Annika (25) and Kristin (24). He loved and cherished his wife, girls, and dogs dearly. >click to read< 21:20
NPFMC meets online to resolve halibut issues
Federal fisheries managers met online in mid-May to approve emergency action necessitated by the impact of the novel coronavirus,, The session, announced in late April, allowed for harvests, processors and other fishing industry entities until one day in advance of the May 15 meeting to submit written comments through links on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s agenda on five emergency requests. Those requests ranged from allowing all holders of individual fishing quota to make temporary transfers of that quota to eligible hired masters during the pandemic to increasing IFQ end-of-year rollover provisions. The council approved the transfer for the rest of the 2020 season for quota shares owned by all halibut and sablefish IFQ holders, based on a request from 11 industry leaders. The council also recommended to the International Pacific Halibut Commission, a request from the halibut charter industry,,,>click to read< 18:34
‘A drink and a good yarn’: Neils Harbour man reveals the secrets to a life well lived, as he turns 100
Ron Ingram of Neils Harbour will celebrate a love of hard work, a life at sea and the occasional ‘nip of rum’ when he celebrates his 100th birthday later this month. It won’t be quite the celebration he’d hoped for. Ingram’s family had planned an open house. Ingram, who still lives on his own, was hoping people could drop by. Those visits from friends are what he misses most during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ingram moved to Neils Harbour, a small fishing village in northern Cape Breton, about 75 years ago. Born and raised in Grand Bruit, N.L., he started fishing when he was nine, according to daughter Kathy MacKinnon. He moved to North Sydney at 18. Newfoundland was part of the British Empire then, he said, and he had no choice but to continue fishing. photos, >click to read< and Happy Birthday, Ron Ingram!
Dramatic footage reveals full extent of damage from massive fire that tore through warehouse on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf
Dramatic photos have revealed the full extent of damage from a fire that engulfed a warehouse on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf early Saturday morning. Pictures taken after the blaze was extinguished show the structure destroyed by the fire, with its walls and roof collapsed. The blaze broke out shortly before dawn, sending a thick plume of orange smoke out across San Francisco Bay. Later in the morning, dozens of firefighters were seen surveying the smoldering building as smoke continued to billow across the city. lots of photos, video, >click to read< 13:52
Presidential order on aquaculture draws environmental concerns over proposed fish farm, like pollution and escapements?
The federal waters of the contiguous United States are free of aquaculture farms, but a new executive order from President Donald Trump could hasten attempts by fish farm companies to take the plunge. Southwest Florida could be at the forefront of the push for more farms as a pilot program works through a permitting process. Environmental groups worry the order will greenlight offshore operations, creating concentrated sources of pollution and putting wild species at risk. The executive order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth was signed May 7,,, Ocean Era, formerly Kampachi Farms, is waiting on permits for its pilot finfish farm, Velella Epsilon. The farm will be about 41 miles southwest of Sarasota in the Gulf of Mexico and raise 88,000 pounds of almaco jack fish each year. >click to read< 10:45
Ahoy! Boat accident on State Road
A boat landed on State Road late Friday morning. Mariner Jason Gale told The Times he was hauling an old bay scallop boat, the Double Digit, when someone cut him off, and he was forced to lock up his brakes. Gale said the boat hurtled partway off the trailer it was on, and when he turned into the parking lot of SBS, it fell completely off onto the road. Gale asked SBS owner Liz Packer for a helping hand. 3 photos, >click to read< 07:56
Fire Tears Through San Francisco’s Pier 45 Fishing Offices, Equipment at Fisherman’s Wharf
The four-alarm fire at San Francisco’s Pier 45 will put a real strain on the fish and crab industry that’s an important part of Fisherman’s Wharf. Several dozen fishing businesses are located on the rear of the pier, including offices, vehicles and equipment. Hundreds of thousands of crab pots were lost at a cost of more than $300 apiece, leading to a burned plastic smell in the area. The fishermen and crab fleet keeps most of their gear at Pier 45. “It’s a complete wipeout for the majority of the crab fleet there,” California Coast Crab Association President Ben Platt told KCBS Radio. >click to read or listen< 22:31
Here’s What Cast Members of ‘Wicked Tuna’ Make per Episode
The Wicked Tuna cast members’ salaries look a whole lot different than when the show kicked off back in 2012. And crew and deckhands always make far less than captains, or crew members who have risen to stardom either because the network saw potential, or their personalities stood out for TV. When it first aired, the crew reportedly pulled in between $2,000 and $3,000 per boat, per episode, separate from whatever fish they hauled in. As of 2019, that figure was up to $10,000 per episode — but some of the longstanding series stars may make up to $100,000 per show. >click to read< 17:46
“I’m in fear of my livelihood,” “They really don’t listen to us.” Florida shortens stone crab season over industry objections
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the shortened season and other new limits are necessary to sustain Florida stone crabs,,, The agency’s scientists said many crabs don’t survive their claws being removed, and crabs have been overharvested since the late 1990s. Its data, challenged as inaccurate by the industry, showed the fewest pounds of stone crab claws harvested since 1986 during the season that ended last year. Wholesale claw prices in some areas have tanked from low demand, as diners avoid restaurants and consumers reduce spending amid concerns about the economy. The commission said Gov. Ron DeSantis may reduce the amount of money crabbers must pay for next season’s trap certificates as part of a crab-industry bailout related to the virus. >click to read or listen< 15:14
This is very cool! Happy Birthday! Celebrate the Lobster Lady’s 100th birthday on TV
The Rockland Historical Society will bring its June program to everyone at home this year. The program will be a documentary film, “The Lobster Lady,” based on the lifelong career of Virginia Oliver who started lobstering with her older brother when she was eight years old. Oliver will turn 100 June 6. She is, no doubt, the oldest licensed lobster fishing person in Maine and probably the World. With 92 years of experience, Oliver is looking forward to starting a new season. She lobsters with her son, 77-year-old Max Oliver. Weather permitting, they go out three times a week. Both have their own traps. Oliver has 200 traps of her own. >click to read< , >click to watch the film< 12:05
Alaska: Commercial fishermen struggle in coronavirus pandemic
“We tied the boat up, hoping and waiting for things to stabilize a little bit,” said Jim Hubbard, who has been commercial fishing for nearly 50 years. Hubbard’s vessel, Kruzof, has been docked for two months during the coronavirus pandemic. With many restaurants shut down or operating at a limited capacity, it wasn’t worth it to fish. “We learned that about 80% of our seafood goes to the restaurant trade and the species we target, more the commodity-based fish species. It’s really basically gutted our markets,” Hubbard said. “We’re not making money, tourist people aren’t making money, the restaurants aren’t making money, and it just keeps going down,” said Cory Harris. Harris owns the F/V Tribute and just returned to Seward from a recent fishing venture. He wants to make whatever money he can even if the prices aren’t great. >click to read< 11:05
Ireland: Warning fishing industry is on brink of collapse due to lack of Coronavirus support
Ireland’s €1.2 billion fishing industry is on the brink of collapse, according to industry representatives who say it has been decimated by the collapse in domestic and EU markets since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. But they also say the government’s lack of appropriate help could prove to be the final nail in the coffin. The representatives point to the fact that Agriculture Minister Michael Creed recently announced more money for harbour repairs than for packages to help fishermen and women. They also say a scheme he announced last week to help pay the costs of boats that can’t fish because of the crisis is “not fit for purpose”. >click to read< 10:25
BREAKING: Crews battle 4-alarm fire at San Francisco’s Pier 45 at Fisherman’s Wharf
Crews are battling an enormous fire a San Francisco warehouse on the city’s iconic Pier 45 at Fisherman’s Wharf Saturday morning. Firefighters told our sister station KGO-TV that additional structures and the SS Jeremiah O’Brien ship are threatened. The ship is one of two remaining fully functioning Liberty ships launched during World War II. It’s unclear what ignited the flames. Crews say no one has been hurt. The fire was first reported around 4:40 a.m. local time. As of 5:49 a.m., the fire department said crews were making progress on the flames. >click to read< 09:22
Two survivors of 42 days adrift at sea struggle to return home to Marshall Islands
Two Marshallese men who survived a six-week, 1,640km drift are well and awaiting their return home from Weno, an island in Micronesia. A third man, who was in the boat when it left Marshall Islands on April 2, reportedly jumped into the sea 17 days into the 42-day open ocean drift. Earlier this week, the Micronesian government’s patrol vessel transported the two men from isolated Namoluk Atoll to Weno for medical check ups. “The sea was rough and my husband kept telling Junior to remain on the boat, but he jumped from the front end of the boat,” she said of her phone call. >click to read< 08:42
