Daily Archives: March 22, 2022
Fisherman from N.S. witnesses heavy damage as he delivers aid in Ukraine
A Nova Scotia fisherman has arrived in Ukraine to help deliver aid to his homeland during the Russian assault on the country. Lex Brukovskiy has a family and lobster-fishing business in Meteghan, N.S., but comes from the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where his mother still lives. He raised money in Nova Scotia earlier this month and is now volunteering to deliver aid to people. “Last trip, for example, we delivered medications to Kharkiv and picked up one wounded soldier and a couple of women and children. They also wanted us to load some dogs and cats, but we ran out of room,” >click to read< and listen to the audio report. 19: 15
Crack Pot Alert! MSC HQ sprayed blood red a year after Seaspiracy documentary
Nearly a year after the landmark ‘Seaspiracy’ documentary sparked debate around eating fish, demonstrators from Animal Rebellion spray painted the central London headquarters of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) They held placards that read ‘MSC – Stop Certifying Destruction’ and ‘Protect the Seas – End Fishing’. The group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, are calling for all fishing to be stopped in a bid to end ‘ocean destruction’. >click to read< 14:17
Rule change calls for monitoring of all groundfish trips – Not everyone is on board.
The most significant proposed change is a monitoring coverage target of 100% aboard eligible trips, which is higher than present monitoring levels. The change is meant to remove uncertainty surrounding catch. This and other changes, known as Amendment 23, to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan were developed by the New England Fishery Management Council. According to a NOAA Fisheries fact sheet, the changes, if approved by NOAA Fisheries, would give groundfish vessels the choice of a human observer or using one of two types of electronic monitoring to meet the increased monitoring requirements, provided the sector has a corresponding approved monitoring plan and a contract with an approved service provider. >click to read< 12:37
Long-Awaited Cordova South Harbor Project Is Finally Underway
“We’ve been needing it for a long time; the harbor that is being replaced was being built in 1981 when I first came here and was expected to have about a thirty-year lifespan,” says fisherman Jeff Bailey of the FV Odyssey and FV Miss Margeaux. “Now, it’s on year forty.” Bailey adds, “Every year, more floats become waterlogged and roll over, and the cleats on the dock have broken loose with a number of larger vessels… It’s not uncommon for floats to break loose with boats attached, and we have to go corral them.” Though the state originally built Cordova’s South Harbor, it later turned it over to the community, which became responsible for maintenance and repairs. “As fishermen, we invest in our equipment every year, building new boats and new fishing nets and making modifications and improvements, but the harbor didn’t evolve in this same way,” >click to read< 11:55
‘Eat on the Wild Side’: The nation’s first registered apprenticeship program for commercial fishing
It’s called “Eat on the Wild Side.” It started as an idea by leaders of the Deep Sea Fisherman’s Union to recruit, train and retain a skilled and more diversified workforce. In July 2021, they contacted the Workforce Development Department of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO for help in setting up this new training program. And by December, they had created the nation’s first registered apprenticeship program for commercial fishing. The program, also known as the DSFU Inbreaker Program, began accepting applications in January and almost immediately had more applicants that they had boats/employers to handle the demand. >click to read< 09:21
The Texas oyster industry is struggling as the state’s reefs close for harvesting
At Johny Jurisich’s family dock in Texas City, more than a dozen empty oyster boats with names like Sunshine and Captain Fox lazily float in the marina on a recent Monday morning, an odd sight for what is normally peak oyster harvesting season. Currently, 21 of the state’s 27 harvesting areas are closed, with three more areas set to close Tuesday. Alex Gutierrez, who owns a few oyster boats and has worked as an oyster fisherman for 35 years, said he usually hires between 10-15 people to work with him each season. But recently he’s been dipping into his savings and doesn’t think he’ll be able to afford the annual maintenance on his boats. >click to read< 08:31
