Daily Archives: August 12, 2021

Louisiana sues NMFS over ‘devastating’ rule for its shrimpers

Louisiana has sued the National Marine Fisheries Service in New Orleans federal court to stop it from implementing a regulation that obliges certain shrimp fishermen to install devices that keep endangered sea turtles out of their catch. In a Wednesday complaint, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the rule that took effect on Aug. 1, about a week before the beginning of the state’s shrimping season, will have “devastating consequences” on the fishermen’s already thin profit margins, and has sowed confusion with fishermen unable to find enough suppliers of so-called turtle-excluder devices for their fishing nets because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the supply chain. >click to read< 19:38

What Happened To the F/V Saga? Here’s what’s going on.

“Deadliest Catch,” is currently knee-deep in its 17th season and rapidly approaching the 300 episode mark. In that time, the series has taken viewers on expeditions across the Bering Sea,,, For the first few episodes of “Deadliest Catch” Season 17, The Saga was nowhere to be found. Some fans questioned if Captain Jake Anderson’s vessel finally sank, and others pondered whether or not it was merely being repaired for unknown reasons. All of this speculation was put to bed when it reemerged in the episode “Restricted Zone,” which aired on May 25, 2021, with its absence never fully explained. >click to read< 15:43

Former Senator Scott Brown to return to the political arena

New Hampshire Primary Source has confirmed that Scott Brown, the former Massachusetts US Senator who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate from New Hampshire in 2014, has reactivated his political action committee and intends to help Republican candidates from New Hampshire and elsewhere who share his desire to end partisan gridlock in Washington. That’s according to a letter of resignation Brown sent Wednesday to New England Law-Boston, where Brown had served as president since 2019, when he returned from New Zealand and Samoa, where he served the Trump administration as ambassador.  “In the months ahead, I look forward to re-engaging in the political arena in support of candidates and causes who share my vision of rebuilding the Republican Party,” Interested in your position on offshore wind farms, Scott! >click to read< 13:59

Fishermen Protest Upcoming Bid for Wind Farms in New York Bight

With the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management preparing to open more lease areas on the Continental Shelf to wind farm developers by the end of the month, the fourth and last meeting between fishermen and BOEM officials took place Aug. 6 in New Bedford, Mass. with fishermen calling for a halt to leasing until more science on potential environmental impacts could be completed. The New York Bight is a triangle in the ocean between Montauk Point at the end of Long Island and Cape May at the southern tip of New Jersey. A total of eight leases will be for sale there. The larger portion of the lease area is located 35 miles off New Jersey and can’t be seen from shore, but it does pose hazards for fishing ships transiting the area and impacts the quahog, surf clam, squid and scallop fisheries. >click to read< 12:02

Potter’s Seafood carries on the “historic heritage” of Southport

The small yellow building tucked in the corner of Southport’s Yacht Basin represents what’s left of the once prominent and bustling seafood industry in the town. The building is home to Potter’s Seafood, an institution in Southport that’s been selling local seafood since 1899. Royce Potter is carrying on the family tradition as the fifth generation of Potters to catch and sell seafood along the waterfront of Southport. The town, located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, once revolved around the fishing industry but now relies on tourism and Potter’s is the last of its kind. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:22

New Zealand: Reparation sought for family of man who died on Sanford factory trawler

New Plymouth man Steffan Antony Stewart, 26, was discovered fatally injured on the factory deck of the San Granit on November 14, 2018, after becoming trapped in a piece of machinery aboard the New Zealand-registered deep-sea factory trawler. The deckhand immediately raised the alarm, but after Stewart was removed from the accumulator the ship’s medic found no signs of life. The 67-metre vessel, which had been trawling 102 kilometres east of Banks Peninsula, immediately returned to Timaru’s port, arriving about 4pm that day. Representatives of Maritime New Zealand and Sanford appeared before Judge Tony Couch in the Timaru District Court on Thursday. >click to read< 09:25

Converted Great Lakes Fishing Tug makes fishing possible for the disabled

A specially designed boat is connecting those with physical challenges to the joys of fishing on the water. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe it took so long for someone to come up with this idea,” Sean Ferry of Erie said about At The Lake Ministries in Erie. The nonprofit group converted a former commercial ship into a fishing boat that accommodates wheelchairs.,, Now they have a large ship that can handle groups of people who are facing similar challenges and spend a day outdoors.,, Volunteers, including some who are trained welders, electricians and painters, worked to convert the 53-foot ship into a passenger watercraft. It was built in 1980 and was the last commercial fishing vessel built by Paasch Marine Services (200th hull).  The ship was formerly owned by the Munch family of commercial anglers and they named it the Jo-Ann M in honor of the family’s matriarch. Wilson said it’s only fitting the name stays with the ship. Video, photos, >click to read< 08:08