Daily Archives: April 26, 2021

Right whale spotted in Canadian waters, DFO imposes 15-day crab fishing closure

The first North Atlantic right whale of the season has been sighted in Canadian waters, triggering an early and localized snow crab fishery closure in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Observers flying in a plane spotted the whale Sunday afternoon northeast of the Magdalen Islands in the Cabot Strait.,, DFO said Monday it has responded. “This sighting has triggered a 15-day fishing closure in crab fishing area 12F,” the department said in a statement. Fishing area 12F is east of the Magdalen Islands. >click to read< 17:44

Obituary: Thomas Kezar of Cape Porpoise, supplying bait to New England fishing boats for 45 years.

Thomas (Todd) Joseph Kezar, 70, of Cape Porpoise, lost his battle with ALS April 23, journeying home to be with the Lord, joining his parents Thomas F. Kezar and Josephine D’Ascanio Kezar. Growing up here on the ocean, he loved to fish. After finishing school he spent a couple of years fishing and scalloping up and down the Atlantic coastline. He decided he loved what he did, his surroundings, his hometown, the fishing communities, the local people and fishermen he met, so he stayed, started his own business, found his niche running bait up and down the New England shoreline supplying the fishing boats. This was his world for 45 years. >click to read< 16:01

New Bedford Fish processing workers worried about respiratory health

Workers are complaining of respiratory issues due to a fish processing machine that releases vapors.  Worker advocacy groups sent a letter last week to a city seafood processing facility detailing concerns about worker health.  The letter, delivered April 19 in person and by email to North Coast Seafoods, discusses “troubling symptoms and illness” among current and former workers. The workers believe it is caused by a machine they say cuts and debones fish with hot water and pressure.  “It produces and releases a smoke-like vapor that contains fish particulates. There has been some effort to channel the vapor out of the building, and while filters are used, they are often clogged,” >click to read< 14:25

Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation supports LD 101 to pause offshore wind development in state waters

Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation (PMFHF) is supporting LD 101 which would pause all wind energy projects in state waters. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham R- Winter Harbor.,,, Right now, lobstermen and women face a three headed sea monster (Right Whales, Aquaculture, Offshore Wind) and the outcomes could be ugly.  As a result, the inshore fishery is about to get even more crowded. Lobstermen and women have been talking about leaving the offshore fishery which is beyond the three-mile line and coming inshore because of the changes around right whale regulations. >click to read< 11:45

You can cook seal a lot of ways, and they’re actually delicious. Honest.

Seal meat is hard to describe. It’s dark and marrowy, gamy and fishy all at once. While the fat in pork and beef is marbled and intramuscular, seal fat is an omega 3-laden liquid oil that permeates the meat, which means the whole thing is rich in nutrients and has a silky-smooth texture. The market for seal meat is relatively small. Thousands of seals are killed for pelts, and that healthy seal fat is transformed into oil and capsules, but only pockets of people are enjoying the meat. My instinct, when presented with a flipper, is to make a pie. >click to read< 09:26

F/V Tyhawk: wreckage of the fishing vessel has been located

Members of a community-led search team have spotted the wreckage of the fishing vessel Tyhawk that capsized off the Nova Scotia coast at the start of snow crab season earlier this month. The boat is in more than 70 metres of water. Craig (Jumbo) Sock, the boat’s captain, has been missing since the accident on April 3. He has not been located. The search team used an underwater camera to locate the boat. It is in an area where the boat was last reported. Volunteer searchers made the discovery Sunday. >click to read< 07:58

Mount Pleasant, S.C. Blessing of the Fleet honors late founder Wayne Magwood

For 34 years, The Blessing of the Fleet has honored Lowcountry fishermen. This year’s event focused on the life and legacy of late organizer and Captain Wayne Magwood. The community and family members say they remember the years of work their father put in to the one thing he adored. “He was always wanting to mentor younger generations. He would take anyone out on his boat with him just so they could see the hard work and dedication he put into his job,” says Melissa Magwood, one of Wayne Magwood’s daughters. The event honored dozens of boats, full of fishermen for their season ahead. This years event was the first without Captain Magwood who started the event. Video, >click to read< 06:59