Daily Archives: December 4, 2020

‘The Crown’s honour is at stake’:Indigenous chief makes appeal to Justin Trudeau as fisheries deal rejected

A first draft memorandum of understanding was sent by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to the Sipekne’katik last week,,, The proposal, which was received with optimism, included the capacity for the Sipekne’katik to legally sell its moderate livelihood catch, which has been problematic for the band. But according to Chief Mike Sack, the government offer fell far short of what he had expected, In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday, Sack wrote: “Although we had tempered our response of this first draft as a potentially groundbreaking and historical understanding, Sipekne’katik remains very disappointed in the draft documents’ intent and content.” “The Crown’s honour is at stake, >click to read< 18:47

Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman missing from capsized vessel off Cape May

The Coast Guard has suspended the search Friday for a man reported missing after an overturned 32-foot fishing vessel was discovered near Cape May on Thursday. Coast Guard crews searched more than 30 hours and over 700 square miles for the missing man. An inquiry into the name identifying the vessel was made, and is F/V Conch RD. Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center received an alert from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon at approximately 2 p.m. Shortly afterward, a good Samaritan reported a capsized vessel in the area of the alert. The good Samaritan retrieved one person from the water,,, >click to read< 15:00

Haines Landslide. Two Haines residents still missing as four of six are found safe

There are still two missing residents. Jenae Larson and David Simmons have been missing since Wednesday afternoon’s mudslide. They lived at the same Beach Road property now buried in rock, mud and debris. His father, Randall Simmons, spoke to him about two hours before the landslide. >click to read<  Four of six feared missing in Haines landslide found safe – Searchers suspended operations late Wednesday as the slide continued to move. Six people were originally feared missing, but four were found safe by Thursday morning. Troopers said there were nine feet of mud and trees covering the area. Surrounding homes were evacuated, and a helicopter planned to deploy at sunrise to continue surveying by air. >click to read<   Juneau salmon hatchery forced to destroy fish because of landslide damage>click to read< 13:11

Relief and disappointment: Bristol Bay reacts to Army Corps of Engineers Pebble permit denial

Pebble Mine has been stopped, likely for good. The debate around the mine has consumed Bristol Bay for more than a decade. Now the people who live here are coming to terms with the news. “I was ecstatic. I was elated. I was so happy to hear that it was finally over,” said Billy Trefon, Jr.  from Nondalton,,, But for those who backed the project, the decision comes as a harsh blow. Sue Anelon works for the Iliamna Development Corporation. Iliamna is another community close to where the mine would have been. Anelon says the area is economically depressed. She sees the Army Corps’ denial as a bad decision for the state as well as the Lake Iliamna region. “I’m very worried right now, because there’s a lot of people without jobs — they’re depending on the government,” she said. >click to read< 11:31

Obituary: Jeffery Matthews – He was a hard-working, old-school fisherman.

Jeffery Matthews, 55, sank with his crew and went to heaven as a legend fisherman on Nov. 23, 2020, while he was at sea, doing what he loved. Jeff, above all things was a family man. He lived and breathed for his three children and grandkids. He was the definition of selfless, always giving, helping and doing for others. If he wasn’t at sea fishing, he was with his family, whether it was helping to fix a car, teaching his grandchildren how to ride a bike, or giving his time to anyone who needed help. Jeff spent over 35 years as a commercial fisherman. Some people might say he enjoyed being on the water more than he did being on land. Fishing was his life and soul. He was a hard-working, old-school fisherman. He was always there to help his crew no matter what the circumstances were. >click to read< 09:49

Mississippi DMR hearing public comments on spillway relief funding

The 2019 openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway are still being felt here on the Gulf Coast a year later. NOAA has allocated about $88 million in relief funding due to the spillway impacts, and a little more than $21 million is coming to Mississippi. “Everything from the fin fish, to the crab, to the oysters, to the shrimp. Any type fish in the Gulf, it covers that,” said Joe Spraggins, “We’re not going to have that without our commercial fishermen. We’ve got to have them,” said Spraggins. “It’s a matter of whether you stay in business or not, and if these companies leave, if they ever leave us, we’ll never get them back, If these oyster fishermen shrimpers, crab fishermen, we’ll never get them back.” Video, >click to read< 08:56

Clearwater Seafoods dropping MSC certification for its Canadian offshore lobster fishery

The blue MSC eco-label tells consumers the seafood they are buying is sustainably caught and has been a point of pride for North America’s biggest shellfish producer. Clearwater’s offshore lobster fishery off southern Nova Scotia was the first fishery on the Eastern Seaboard to receive MSC certification in 2010. The current five-year certification expires at the end of the month.,, The Marine Stewardship Council declined to directly comment on Clearwater’s decision to drop its lobster certification. >click to read< 06:54

Coast Guard searching for missing man near Cape May from capsized fishing vessel

The Coast Guard is searching for a man who entered the water when a 32-foot fishing vessel capsized near Cape May, Thursday afternoon. Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center received an alert from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon at approximately 2 p.m. Shortly afterward, a good Samaritan reported a capsized vessel in the area of the alert. The good Samaritan retrieved one person from the water and reported that another person had been aboard the capsized vessel at the time of the incident. >click to read< 05:32