How a death spurred change for a SouthCoast fleet
In the summer of 2021, a Mayday call went out from the captain aboard a fishing vessel who needed Narcan to help save a life due to an overdose on board. There happened to be another vessel in the vicinity that was able to respond, and they tossed a box of the over-the-counter drug on board. The captain administered one dose, but nothing happened. He gets back on the radio. A second vessel was carrying Narcan and tossed it on board. The captain, after the fourth dose, sent his crew member back onshore alive. “That day there were three fishermen first responders that saved a life at sea,” said Debra Kelsey, with Fishing Partnership Support Services. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Baffin Fisheries’ new ship stranded in Athens after engine fails on maiden voyage
Crew members aboard Baffin Fisheries’ Inuksuk II have spent more than 14 days docked in Athens, Greece after an engine failure stalled the fishing vessel on its first voyage. “We are very disappointed. This was entirely unexpected,” Baffin Fisheries CEO Chris Flanagan said in an interview. “We knew there would be some break-in period and glitches with a brand-new vessel. There always are and that’s expected. But we didn’t expect anything like this to happen.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:12
Ocean City, fishing clubs and Thrasher’s French Fries sue federal government over offshore wind project
Ocean City, Maryland, neighboring towns, counties, sportfishing groups, hotels, amusement parks and boardwalk staple Thrasher’s French Fries have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for approving a massive wind farm approximately 10 miles off the tourist town’s coast. Last month, on Sept. 5, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the U.S. Interior Department, announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. It’s the nation’s 10th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project, according to the Biden Administration. The list of plaintiffs includes the mayor and city council of Ocean City, the mayor and town council of neighboring Fenwick Island, Delaware, and commissioners of Worcester County, Maryland, where Ocean City is located. Other plaintiffs include developers, hotels, commercial fishermen and seafood markets, the parent company for Ocean City’s Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, the Save Right Whales Coalition and the parent company for Thrasher’s French Fries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:42
Fire heavily damages fishing boat at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham
A 68-foot fishing boat was heavily damaged by fire early Sunday as it was moored in Squalicum Harbor. Bellingham’s fireboat the Salish Star is moored in the marina nearby and poured water on the blaze, Michaelis told The Bellingham Herald in a phone call. “The Salish Star made the initial attack and its crew was able to get it mostly out,” he said. The boat, called the Alaskan Girl, suffered heavy damage to the top deck, cabin and galley, Michaelis said. It remained afloat. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
“A Total Shock” – Japanese Sardines Detected in U.S. Waters
Genomic sequencing of Pacific sardines in 2022 and 2023 uncovered the presence of not just one, but two distinct sardine species in the California Current. When research scientist Gary Longo first reviewed the results of his genomic analysis of sardines, he thought he must have mixed up his samples. Besides the Pacific sardines common on the West Coast, many of the fish appeared to be another species. “It was a total shock,” he said. Then he compared their genetic code to other known species. “That was the ‘aha moment’ when we realized we were looking at a second species of sardine.” The analysis shows that of the 345 sardine samples collected during NOAA Fisheries’ 2021 and 2022 Coastal Pelagic Species Surveys, all of the fish in 2021 were Pacific sardines, but those collected in 2022 were a mix of Pacific sardines and Japanese sardines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:50
Could offshore wind plan hurt scallop fishermen? New Bedford official has ‘grave concerns’
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr has “grave concern” for the scallop fishing industry in the face of a potential new call area to be leased out to offshore wind projects. The 13,476,805-acre area off of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, dubbed the “Central Atlantic 2” call area, encompasses a large portion of key scalloping grounds, Carr wrote. Scalloper Keith Uzzell, who’s fished out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for 16 years, says he and others that frequent fishing grounds around the northeast started noticing “more survey boats, more offshore wind vessel activity” around the same time they noticed an uptick in things like dead whale sightings and empty scallop shells. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
Why are we so fixated on offshore wind?
As we await the finalization of Gov. Maura Healey’s new offshore wind contracts, the Massachusetts Interagency Offshore Wind Council has requested public comments on these plans to implement offshore wind in Massachusetts. Many residents, especially from Cape Cod, have registered strong opposition. Eco-Nuclear Solutions is concerned that the reliance on offshore wind will deprive the Commonwealth of more reliable, affordable, and ecologically acceptable sources of electricity. There are also still many unanswered questions about offshore wind. Construction costs have massively increased, and we seem captured by this one technology. Why aren’t we assessing other energy solutions? When will we know the total costs, including transmission and delivery, of offshore wind and the total amount of subsidies? more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Do you know where your fish comes from? It’s probably not Hawaiʻi
Fish is a significant part of Hawaiʻi’s food culture, and residents eat up to three times more of it per capita than the rest of the U.S. But where does all that fish come from? That’s information local commercial fishers and their advocates want more people to know. In Hawaiʻi, there’s a growing push to require stores and restaurants to label fish as locally caught or imported, including the country of origin. “I think a major misconception is what is portrayed as locally made (or) freshly made, but it’s not, and the fish is not from Hawaiʻi,” said Eric Kingma, the executive director for the Hawaiʻi Longline Association. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
Classic Boat Review: Frey CT 137
Launched as Boy Ken TT 70, this Noble’s stalwart was built for scalloping – as well as prawn trawling and herring and sprat pair-trawling – and 52 years later, she’s a fixture of the Manx scallop fleet. Being a west coast sort of person, there is always a sense of allegiance in writing about those very few boatbuilding yards on the west coast. In the postwar era of fishing vessels, you can almost count the west coast yards building in wood on one hand. And always it is the Girvan yard of Alexander Noble that stands out as the leader of the field. By Mike Smylie, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:34
The 10 Wildest ‘Deadliest Catch’ Moments, Ranked
Since its premiere in 2005, Deadliest Catch has thrilled audiences by pulling back the curtain on the perilous world of Alaskan crab fishing. The icy waters, unpredictable weather, and extreme physical demands show how the Bering Sea can be one of the most dangerous workplaces in the world. The grueling nature of the show, therefore, has produced some of the wildest moments ever caught on camera over the years. Episodes featuring deadly waves, boat fires, and catastrophic sinkings like that of one of the F/V Destination serve as grim reminders of what working at the sea can be like! more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:04
2024 Maine Scallop License Lottery Winners Announced
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has announced the latest winners of the state’s scallop license lotteries. Each winner is responsible for applying for a license within 30 days of notification. The new licenses are the result of a limited entry system established by the legislature and implemented through regulation in June 2018 that allows someone who did not hold a scallop license in the previous year to be eligible for one. This year there were 74 entries for dive licenses and 1,095 entries for drag licenses. With $35 of each lottery entry fee deposited into DMR’s Scallop Research Fund, a total of $40,915 was raised to support scallop research and management. The winners include the following. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:24
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can indeed be harmed — and killed —by offshore wind farms. BOEM also warned commercial fishing could be disrupted by wind farms. The report is an environmental impact statement BOEM was required to conduct of these six existing wind farm sites that were previously approved off New Jersey/Long Island. Wind turbine construction actually does increase the risk of injury to whales, particularly the underwater noise from pile-driving during construction, the federal report found. Turbine construction can permanently damage whales’ hearing. Turbines can also lead to an “increased risk of individual injury and mortality due to vessel strikes” and entanglement in fishing gear. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:36
California delays commercial Dungeness crab season
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday cited a large number of humpback whales and recent entanglements as the reason for the postponing the state’s commercial Dungeness crab season. The affected area ranges from the Sonoma-Mendocino county line in Northern California to the U.S.-Mexico border. Originally set to open Nov. 15, a new start date is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1. However, that’s dependent on a November risk assessment and the fish and wildlife director’s determination of risk for Dungeness crab fisheries. The northernmost fishing zones, from the Oregon-California border to the Sonoma-Mendocino county line, can’t open until Dec. 1 and weren’t included in Friday’s decision. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:43
Fishing boat Captain Craig Sock honoured for Bravery
Craig “Jumbo” Sock, the Elsipogtog fishing boat captain who lost his life while rescuing members of his crew in 2021, was honoured Thursday with the Governor General’s Medal of Bravery. The Governor General’s office said in a news release that Sock was one of 38 Canadians to receive the Medal of Bravery during a ceremony in Ottawa Thursday. The award was presented to his widow, Sue Ann Sock, and their children, Tessa and Tyrone Sock. “On April 3, 2021, Captain Craig Sock lost his life rescuing the crew of the fishing vessel Tyhawk,” the citation from the Governor General said. “During a storm at sea, the boat capsized, trapping Sock and a crewmate in the wheelhouse. He freed his crewmate and then found the remaining crew on the overturned hull. Captain Sock re-entered the water to rescue an unconscious victim, pushing him to safety moments before disappearing underwater. Sadly, the captain did not resurface. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:50
Right whale population grows 4%, but extinction remains a threat
Conservationists are calling on the government, shipping and fishing industries to save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction despite an increase in its population. Researchers studying the whales said this week that the population increased to an estimated 372 in 2023. That’s an increase of about four percent from 2020, and “heartening news” after the whale’s population fell by about 25 percent from 2010 to 2020. The population of the right whale, which can weigh up to 150,000 pounds (68,039 kilograms) and lives off the East Coast, plummeted in the 2010s. Stressed by global warming and vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear, their numbers fell to fewer than 360 by the early 2020s. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:29
Red king crab harvest looking ‘very good’ so far for Bristol Bay fleet
The Bering Sea’s biggest and most lucrative crab fisheries opened last week, and so far, fishing is looking good. “Fishing has been very good for the [Bristol Bay red king crab] fleet this season and the crab delivered so far has been of high quality — new shell, large size, good meat-fill,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Management Biologist Ethan Nichols. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 29% of the total allowable catch (TAC), for the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery had been harvested, according to Nichols. He said so far, reports from captains and from observer catch reports show signs of productive fishing. Nichols said 14 vessels had landed about 680,000 pounds of king crab. The average weight is 6.84 pounds, and the catch rate is 35 legal males per pot. Both of those numbers are up slightly from last year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
Wild Things: State of the Commercial Fishery
At its monthly meeting in Madison Wednesday, Door County’s Charlie Henriksen told the state Natural Resources Board that the Lake Michigan and Green Bay commercial fishery is still struggling, with some bright spots but many ongoing concerns. Henriksen, chair of the state’s Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board, said the ecological challenges of the last 20 years have not abated, and added that fishers are still overcoming the effects of the economic difficulties from the pandemic that limited their opportunities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<08:17
EU to demand continued fishing rights in British waters
The European Union (EU) will demand to keep its fishing rights in British waters, the bloc’s Brexit negotiator has told MEPs. The post-Brexit deal agreed by the EU saw its fishing quota in British waters cut by 25 per cent, but European fishermen were allowed continued access to parts of the UK’s coastal waters. As the deal nears its expiry in 2026, the EU is keen to start negotiating as soon as possible to keep its access to the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends by up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. Government officials fear the EU will only renegotiate the Brexit trade agreement – a key part of Labour’s manifesto – if the UK guarantees European fishermen full access to its seas after 2026. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
New Bedford Port Authority Expresses “Grave Concerns” Over BOEM’s Proposed Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Development Area
The New Bedford Port Authority (NBPA) has submitted a formal response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the recently proposed Central Atlantic 2 Call Area (Docket No. BOEM-2024-0040), raising significant concerns about its potential impact on the commercial fishing industry. As the nation’s most profitable fishing port and home to the first large-scale offshore wind marshaling port, New Bedford is deeply invested in both renewable energy development and the preservation of vital fishing grounds. “BOEM has painted with too broad a brush. As the port where the fishing and offshore wind industry intersect more than anywhere else, New Bedford is committed to the successful coexistence of both industries. We believe that the new Mid-Atlantic call areas must be cut back from existing scallop and other fishery access areas, which still would leave ample room for nearby states to achieve their offshore wind capacity goals,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:39
Offshore wind looked like a sure thing for Oregon — until it wasn’t.
A push to bring floating offshore wind technology to the Southern Oregon coast was gaining momentum. The Oregon Department of Energy saw floating offshore wind playing a critical role in the state’s, and the region’s renewable energy goals. The Biden administration had ambitious national goals for developing offshore wind, and the Oregon Coast played a key role. For the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, the years-long process of identifying areas for development and selecting potential bidders to see if the technology would work off the coast was coming to a close. And then, in a single week in late September — after years of effort, and less than three weeks before BOEM officials expected to choose a company to develop offshore wind — everything fell apart. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:09
Bayou La Batre mayor hopes new label law causes consumers to demand locally-caught shrimp
The leader of the “Seafood Capital of Alabama” says imported shrimp is destroying Bayou La Batre’s economy. Mayor Henry Barnes says it’s gotten to the point that he questions how much longer the small fishing community can remain a city. He says tax revenue is down 40%-50%. “I’m probably the last mayor because the way it looks, the city’s dying. We’ll probably wind up under the county if it keeps going like it’s going,” said Barnes. The flood of foreign seafood gained attention this week when a third-party commercial seafood consulting company, SeaD, said only one out of five vendors tested at the recent shrimp festival in Gulf Shores was selling Gulf wild-caught shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:46
Grounding and loss of the F/V Ocean Maid on Cairnbulg Point, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 24 October 2022
At 05491 on the 24 October 2022, the UK registered fishing vessel Ocean Maid grounded on Cairnbulg Point to the east of Fraserburgh, Scotland. The four crew evacuated to a liferaft and were subsequently rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Two of the crew sustained minor injuries and the vessel later broke up and sank. There was no significant pollution. The investigation found that: more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:27
Gov. DeSantis Announces $1 Million To Rebuild Fishing, Aquaculture Infrastructure Damaged By Hurricanes
Governor Ron DeSantis announced today the allocation of $1,000,000 from the Florida Disaster Fund to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. The funding will be used to repair fishing and aquaculture infrastructure in the Big Bend region that was severely damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. “The Big Bend’s fishing industry took a direct hit from hurricanes Debby and Helene, and so did the hardworking Floridians who make their living on the water,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today’s investments will help to rebuild critical waterside infrastructure and help get Floridians in the fishing and aquaculture industries back to full operations.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09
It’s Time to Abandon UMaine’s Offshore Wind Scheme in Favor of Cheaper Alternatives
The federal government this week blocked a proposal that would have allowed the Mills Administration and labor unions to bulldoze Sears Island into an industrial wind power port. Although this hard-fought victory is good news for fishermen, ratepayers, taxpayers, and the environment, it’s only temporary. The Mills Administration has given no indication that it will stop its relentless pursuit of expensive and unworkable offshore wind schemes. Depending on how Election Day turns out, the Legislature could be back at the drawing board devising other ways to enrich the wind turbine industry and destroy pristine ocean environments. So it’s worth remembering how we got here, and how Maine’s institutions and media became witting and unwitting pawns in an expensive game of crony capitalism. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:35
The fatal truth about commercial fishing
A note from the authors: Dear readers, we have wanted to cover this story for a long time. Given the fishing tragedies this province has endured, we acknowledge this is a difficult subject. This reporting honours those lost at sea, doing what they loved most: fishing. We recognize the collective grief of families, communities and the entire province. We hope this work illuminates what’s going wrong on the water and helps bring more fish harvesters home safely. Inshore harvesters dealing with trauma after incidents like the ones we describe can access PTSD coverage through workers’ compensation (WorkplaceNL). For anyone else, 811 can connect you with mental health supports in your community.
“My god, what are you doing to me?” says Brenda Gould, remembering the words she shouted into the sky that fateful day in 1989. The Port au Choix woman had just learned that her 22-year-old son Brendan, known as Ben, drowned while fishing off the coast of the Northern Peninsula. It wasn’t the first time tragedy knocked at Gould’s door. Eleven years earlier, in 1978, her husband Gabriel, 35, also drowned while fishing. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:41
Groundfish: Council Signs off on Amendment 25; Prepares for December Final Action on Framework 69 Under Cod Phase 1
The New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) when it met September 24-26, 2024 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Council is now focused on Framework Adjustment 69 to the FMP. The framework is being developed to establish measures for the 2025 groundfish fishing year and, for certain stocks, 2026 and 2027 as well. The Council is scheduled to take final action on the framework at its December 3-5, 2024 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. The 2025 groundfish fishing year begins on May 1. Charts, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
More Vineyard Wind blades must be removed, repaired
Vineyard Wind must remove an unknown number of blades that have already been installed south of Martha’s Vineyard while it repairs others, the company announced Wednesday. The project also received permission from the federal government this week to resume blade installation after it removes and repairs the components in the coming weeks. The latest announcement suggests investigations found more defective blades similar to the blade that failed in July and comes after the project quietly delivered at least four turbine blades from New Bedford to Cherbourg, France, where GE Vernova operates a blade manufacturing plant. >more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:48
For more than a century, a fish plant fueled King Cove’s economy. Without it, can the community survive?
Five months ago, King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson wrote an opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily News. The headline was stark: Fighting For Our Lives in King Cove. Peter Pan Seafood Co., the owner of a plant that had served as the economic engine of the Southwest Alaska town of about 800 for more than a century, had just announced it would cease operations. “As King Cove’s mayor,” he wrote at the time, “it hurts my heart to say that it has taken only a few short months for me to no longer recognize my world. Events have conspired to threaten our very existence.” The seafood industry around the world has been devastated by low fish prices, high interest rates, oversupply in some markets and poor fish returns in others. In Alaska, according to a recent report from NOAA Fisheries, profits fell by half between 2021 and 2023. Few Alaska communities have felt the pain of the seafood industry crisis more than King Cove. With the plant’s owner out of business, residents are left to wonder if their community has a future. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:43
Poll Finds Offshore Wind Projects Not a High Priority for N.J. Voters
Offshore wind projects are not a high priority for New Jersey voters, including those who support wind turbines, according to a Stockton University poll released Tuesday. Cape May County mounted a legal battle to oppose a wind farm project that would have included nearly 100 giant turbines 15 miles off the coast stretching from Atlantic City to Stone Harbor. Elected officials representing Cape May County and its beach communities asserted that the project would have caused devastating economic and environmental damage to the tourism industry, commercial fishing, migratory birds and marine life such as whales and dolphins. The developer, the Danish energy company Orsted, scrapped the project last year, blaming inflation, rising interest rates and supply-chain disruptions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 70′ Williams Shrimp Trawler
To review specifications, information, and 46 photos’,>click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:24
