Tag Archives: Jr.

Commercial Fisherman/Innovator Joseph J. Avila, Jr., 86, of Dartmouth, Mass. has passed away

Joseph J. Avila, Jr., 86, of Dartmouth, passed away Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at CareOne of New Bedford. He was the devoted husband of Dorothy (Costa) Avila with whom he shared 62 years of marriage. Born in Dartmouth and a lifelong resident, he was a son of the late Joseph J. Avila, Sr., and Mary (Motta) Avila. He proudly served in the United States Coast Guard. Mr. Avila was a pilot and commercial fisherman and served as president and CEO of Potpourri Marine Enterprises. He was an innovator, always had cutting-edge technology on his boat, and was one of the first people to use an airplane to spot swordfish back in the sixties. >>click to read<< 09:33

Toughest Cast Members From Deadliest Catch

It’s easy to fall into the trap of beginning to think that just because “Deadliest Catch” is on television, there’s no way that the producers or the network could possibly let anything happen, but here’s the thing: The Bering Sea doesn’t really care who’s watching, and one slip-up can mean the end of a life. Those who go out, do so prepared to face the worst. That said, not all crew members are made of the same stuff. There are some that have been forged in fire, come out the other side, and then gone on to spend months at a time in one of the most unforgiving landscapes in the modern world. That takes a kind of toughness that can’t be measured … and it’s one that’s not always about who can bench-press the most. >click to read< 11:02

Gov. Murphy’s “Green” Policies Are Killing N.J. Wildlife

In 2019, Governor Murphy signed an executive order to massively increase New Jersey’s offshore wind dependency. Since then, the state has sold two massive contracts to build the state’s first offshore wind turbines, covering nearly 200,000 acres (covering a distance roughly the same length as Wildwood to Philadelphia) of ocean. As sonar testing began on these projects, whales started washing up on New Jersey beaches in record numbers unseen in fifty years. These die-offs, according to Gov. Murphy and the “experts,” are merely a coincidence — but you and I know better: this is all part of Governor Murphy’s energy disaster plan. >click to read< 10:05

Commercial Fisherman William Van Druten, Jr. of Frisco, NC has passed away

Bill was born in Passaic, NJ on March 11, 1942 to William and Trina Van Druten.  His life was driven by his love for the sea. The depth of his life was immense; from playing basketball at Rider College, to pursuing his career as an educator, and ultimately moving to Frisco, NC to achieve his lifelong dream of being a commercial fisherman.  It is the sea that called to him throughout his life and he instilled a love for it in so many.  Realizing this dream was one of many pearls in his life.  Being known as “Tall Bill” in the fishing community delighted him and brought him great contentment. >click to read< 10:40

Deadliest Catch: Capt. Keith Colburn Talks Loss, Rifts, And Nearly Losing F/V Wizard

Captain Keith gave us a shockingly honest reveal of his mindset of the fleets’ captains, and also spills about the recent trashing of the Wizard that nearly killed his brother Monte. And as for Captain Keith Colburn of F/V Wizard, he will still be competing with his fellow Dutch Harbor crabbers, some of them friends, others not so much. In season 17, Discovery says that “half the crab boats of the Bering Sea fleet are tied up in Seattle” while “an existential threat faces the fishermen who make the long-haul trip to Dutch Harbor, Alaska,” because they face “a potential closure of the entire fishery” for the 2021 season. The crab survey conducted during the summer by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game didn’t happen because of Coronavirus,,, >click to read< 10:50

F/V Scandies Rose: Investigation Takes a New Look at Crab Boat Stability

Last week’s hearings on the tragic sinking of the ill-fated fishing vessel Scandies Rose have raised questions about the stability booklet requirements for crab boats, which are routinely exposed to severe freezing spray in Alaskan waters. Many crab boat sinkings have been blamed on ice buildup and loss of stability over the decades, but the U.S. Coast Guard design standard for ice accumulation relies on an IMO rule that was not formulated with crab vessels in mind, leading several naval architects who testified last week to question whether it is time for a revision. >click to read< 09:19

A century before civil rights, Black oystermen in Suffolk forged economic independence

One by one, 6 feet apart, the many granddaughters and friends of Marie Hill climbed the three brick steps of her porch in mid-February to pay their respects. They waved through the front door of the Suffolk home where Hill had lived for more than 80 years. “Happy birthday to you. Happy 100th birthday to you,” For multiple generations, Hill’s family, including her husband, Ernest Hill, Jr., had oystered out of Chuckatuck Creek. At its peak in 1910, the village was home to nearly 500 people. With money earned working farms and once-prosperous oyster beds, Hobson residents were able to live in relative independence. photos, >click to read< 17:32

Commercial Fisherman Richard “Buffalo” B. Wetherell, Jr. of Jamestown, R.I has passed away

Richard “Buffalo” B. Wetherell, Jr., 70, of Jamestown, passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2020. Born at Quonset Point, he was the son of the late Richard B. Wetherell and Helen L. (Tucker) Wetherell. Richard worked as a commercial fisherman for over 50 years. He enjoyed surfing, skiing, boating, and being on the water. He leaves his brothers, Robert Wetherell, David Wetherell and his wife Susan; his nieces and nephews Chelsea Wetherell Ursillo, Gerek, Bryn, and Spencer Wetherell. Richard was also the uncle of the late Jarod Wetherell. All services will be private. >click to read< 08:17

Trawl limit plan divides lobstermen at hearing

A Department of Marine Resources proposal to change the way some lobstermen fish in a large swath of water around Mount Desert Rock drew vocal opposition at a meeting in Ellsworth May 22 despite a unanimous vote in the Zone B Lobster Management Council. At issue is a proposal to limit the number of traps that can be linked together in a single “trawl” in an area of about 300 square miles. The roughly rectangular area in waters that are part of Lobster Management Zone B stretches about 10 miles seawards from a line drawn six miles off the coast that extends roughly between Schoodic Point in the east and the southern end of Marshall Island in the west. >click to read<11:54

‘Deadliest Catch’ Faces Its Own Extinction – The crabs are missing in the Bering Sea, and the series may soon have nothing to film.

If Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” is in trouble, it’s climate change – not ratings – that may hasten the show’s demise. Over the last year, temperatures rose about four degrees in the Bering Sea, which is 50 times the global average. As filming began for the 13th season of “Deadliest Catch,” which premieres Tuesday night, the show’s fishermen had to contend with a serious problem: With warming waters, the crabs have moved elsewhere. “The first thing that you need in order to film a show about crab fishing are the crabs,” said executive producer R. Decker Watson, Jr. “If the crabs don’t show up, then we’re all out of business.” The Alaska Department of Fish and Game sets an annual quota system on crab fishing, depending on a survey they take in the spring and summer. This past year, they found that half the crab was missing, and quotas were cut across the board.“We didn’t know if we were even going to be on the water long enough to film the 20 hours of ‘Deadliest Catch’ for the season,” Watson said. “It became a much more difficult fight for each skipper… It worries me for the future of the fishermen, they’re really having to fight to save their way of life. But it makes for great television.” Indeed, the fishermen’s struggle became a major part of the story this season. click here to read the story 20:03

Huge USF&WS investigation in northern Michigan and Northeastern Wisconsi- probe Great Lakes commercial fishing – Video

The targets included members of numerous tribes in Wisconsin and Michigan, including the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The investigation also includes non-natives.  Read the rest here 10:35

BushBama’s Executive Order 13547 on National Ocean Policy is Obscene and Illegal

Background

Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13547 on July 19, 2010, formally adopting the recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Report regarding the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes; and directing the agencies to implement those recommendations under the guidance of a National Ocean Council. By doing so, Obama assumed legislative powers not granted to him under the Constitution and…….Read more