Daily Archives: October 19, 2020

Joe King Hockema – Career Commercial Fisherman

Joe Hockema, 67, of Bend Oregon, formerly of Newport Oregon, passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 7, 2020. His death is attributed to his 2015 diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Joe was born December 18, 1952 in Albany, Oregon to Everett and “Dottie” Hockema of Newport, Oregon. Following graduation Joe attended OSU, then joined the Army and served as a MP at the Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington State. Subsequently, he did a brief stint as a logger before embarking on a lifelong career as a commercial fisherman. Joe is survived by his mother, “Dottie”, wife, Carla “Lill”, children, Sarah, Chance, Chandler, Kodiak, siblings; Rex Hockema, and Hal Hockema. >click to read< 19:18

‘We are not racist’: Nova Scotia fishing communities call for action again from feds to resolve lobster fishing dispute

By daybreak, they numbered in the hundreds. Men and women from coastal communities throughout southwestern Nova Scotia gathered in the parking lot of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans building in Barrington Passage on Monday morning to once again ask for action from the federal government to resolve the ongoing lobster fishing dispute with Sipekne’katik First Nation. They also wanted to set the record straight. “We want to have dialogue. We need to have dialogue and that’s not happening. In my mind it’s the federal government that is painting us as racist and First Nations. That is not us. That is not on us. We want to be able to prosecute the fishery under the same rule of law.” >click to read< 16:54

Indigenous Services Minister says Mi’kmaw fishermen in Nova Scotia being ‘let down’ by police

“We must also recognize that once again, as evidenced by the scenes of violence, Indigenous people have been let down by the police, those who are sworn to protect them,” he told a news conference in Ottawa this morning.,, Miller was joined by Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.,, The Sipekne’katik fishery operates outside the federally mandated commercial season. Commercial fishermen say they worry about its impact on lobster conservation, an argument Sack is trying to discredit. Colin Sproul,,, “The real gulf between Chief Sack’s position and mine is this: we respect and support Indigenous fishery access rights, which was ratified by the Marshall decision, but we respect the entire decision,” >click to read< 16:02

Cook Rescued From Air Pocket in Capsized Fishing Vessel, 11 Fishermen Rescued, Two Perished

Last week, Turkish rescue divers saved a crewmember of a fishing vessel who was trapped in an air pocket when the boat capsized off Samatya, Istanbul. Local government reported that the fishing vessel Kumsal-55 capsized about one mile off Samatya Beach, Istanbul at about 0430 hours on October 10.,, the fishing boat flipped while attempting to hoist a fully-laden net and its catch over the side. The vessel’s cook, Cemal Agabey, was below decks at the time of the casualty and was trapped in an air-filled compartment within the hull. Video, >click to read< 13:51

Despite an uncertain start to the fishery’s season, Maine lobster rolls on as the industry pivoted to new markets

Stonington lobster fisherman John Williams usually hauls his boat out in February for annual maintenance and paint in preparation for the start of the spring fishing season. “Then COVID started,”  The health emergency was worsening and the economy shutting down. That included one of the lobster industry’s biggest markets — restaurants. The large cruise ship and casino markets also slammed shut. International freight and shipping to China, emerging as a large consumer of lobster, had nearly stopped. “I got thinking about it and said, ‘This doesn’t look very good. We won’t have any market,’” Williams says. >click to read<  10:31

New F/V Ocean Challenge a massive boost to Skerries

The arrival of a brand new state of the art whitefish trawler at the outlying community of Out Skerries has been described as a major boost to the small community by skipper Leslie Hughson. Built at Mooney Boats yard in Killybegs the Ocean Challenge arrived in Lerwick at the weekend before heading to her home port of Skerries for the naming ceremony on Sunday. Back in Lerwick on Monday to take on gear ahead of fishing trials later this week, Hughson said sailing the new vessel home to Skerries had been a “proud moment”. >click to read< 09:31

Spanish freezer trawler on fire in South Atlantic

Freezer trawler FIGARO on Oct 19 is reported on fire in South Atlantic some 12 nm off Angola coast, 23 north of Lobito Port, Angola. No other information available at the moment. As of 0700 UTC Oct 19 AIS was still on. Waiting for updates. Crew should include dozens of fishermen, because it’s a fishing vessel, and a factory. Freezer trawler FIGARO, IMO 8905725, GT 741, flag Spain. >click to read< 08:47

Cabinet ministers request emergency debate over Nova Scotia treaty dispute

Four cabinet ministers and the NDP have requested an emergency debate in the House of Commons over a treaty dispute between commercial fishermen and Mi’kmaq fishers. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan says parliamentarians should have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the violence that’s erupted over the dispute about Mi’kmaq treaty rights to fish for a “moderate living.” She and three other ministers requested the debate in a letter to the House Speaker last night. >click to read< 08:24