Editorial: State law needed to protect consumers, Gulf shrimpers
State Rep. Terri Leo Wilson’s bill requiring restaurants to disclose whether they serve domestic or imported shrimp is a necessary and reasonable step against a species of consumer fraud that’s abetting the demise of a local industry. Other members of the Texas Legislature should work to make House Bill 749 the law. The law would require restaurant operators to disclose on menus and in other ways visible to consumers the origin of the shrimp they serve. The bill echoes Federal Trade Commission warnings issued last year threatening fines and other action for advertising or even using imagery that falsely implies operators are serving local seafood. The proposed law is necessary to protect consumers from misleading advertising and might help a struggling domestic industry, Leo Wilson said. “We have a shrimp industry that’s really suffering,” the Galveston Republican said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:05
Public Hearings on ASMFC Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4
Hello Northern Shrimp Stakeholders. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved for public comment Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The Draft Amendment considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and implementing management triggers. Management trigger options include biologic and environmental triggers comprised of indicators that would signal improvement in stock conditions and the potential to re-open the fishery. There are three public hearings scheduled for Maine stakeholders. info, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:46
Trump Could Put an End to Biden’s Offshore Wind Vanity Projects
One of the early decision points to be faced by incoming President Donald Trump will be what to do about the Biden administration’s costly and destructive offshore wind vanity projects in the northeastern Atlantic. The Biden White House decided to make federal subsidization of and rapid permitting for a growing array of these big industrial installations a top priority early in the administration, and the results thus far have been halting, and in some cases disastrous. Acting to suspend the installation of hundreds of gigantic wind turbines in the midst of known whale habitats and prime commercial fishing waters is apparently a priority for Trump and his team. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R.-N.J.) announced on Monday that he has been “working closely” with Trump to draft an executive order that would invoke a 6-month moratorium on offshore wind construction with an eye towards a permanent suspension. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:25
Big Abe’s Net
One calm September morning in 1971, Big Abe LeBlanc got ready to go fishing on Lake Superior. This was something he often did in secret, under the cover of darkness, hiding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. But on this particular day, Big Abe called the DNR before he left. “I just remember him saying that, you know, ‘This is where I’ll be, and if you want me, come get me,’” said his son, Sonny LeBlanc. It was 1971. And Big Abe, who’s Ojibwe, was preemptively turning himself in for two crimes, at least according to Michigan law. The first crime: commercial fishing without a license. The second: fishing with illegal equipment. After Big Abe hung up, he went out on the lake, set his nets and waited for the officers to come. What happened next changed fishing in the Great Lakes forever. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
Trump’s tariff threats loom large over Newfoundland’s crab fishery
Even though Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab season at least eight weeks away, Doug Trainor is hard at work getting ready for this year’s fishery. His boat, D.R.A Enterprises, is hoisted up on dry ground in Petty Harbour, where he’s replacing the engine and working with his son on other upgrades. It’s a big investment – tens of thousands of dollars – but after last year’s unrest in the crab fishery, which saw big protests at the Confederation Building in St. John’s, he says he felt like this season would be more predictable, safer and profitable. “We figured it would be good this year, this was going to be the year,” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, Trump came out.” U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threats of steep tariffs on Canadian products entering the United States has stirred a lot of industries in the country, but Newfoundland’s fishery is particularly susceptible. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:43
Canada’s largest fishing vessel arrives home
Inuksuk II didn’t get off to an easy start. Handed over to its owners at the end of September, it sailed from Yalova in Turkey in October but suffered a main engine malfunction a few days into its delivery trip. The new trawler was towed to port in Greece, before a second tow took it back to the yard in Turkey for the main engine problems to be addressed. Now it has made a belated landfall in Canada and is being prepared to start fishing operations a few months later than had originally been planned. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Video: Coast Guard, others rescue 2 fishermen near Kodiak, Alaska
The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen after their vessel capsized near Kodiak Wednesday afternoon. Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress alert from the fishing vessel F/V Tanusha’s emergency position indicating radio beacon at 9:48 a.m. Wednesday. Watchstanders directed the launch of a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and requested assistance from the Alaska State Troopers. The watchstanders also made attempts to contact vessels near the location of the distress signal via radio. Crewmembers aboard the fishing vessel F/V Victory received the request for assistance and navigated towards Tanusha’s last known location. The crew of the Victory located the Tanusha capsized and two fishermen in a life raft. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew hoisted the two fishermen with the help of the Alaska State Trooper vessel Stimson, and transported them to awaiting emergency medical services personnel in Kodiak in stable condition. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:38
Trump to Rescue Maine’s Lobstermen
The end is coming for overregulation – including fisheries. Good ideas can become excessive, necessitating curtailment, and a restoration of balance. Maine’s lobstermen – pounded by regulations – represent a shocking example of industry overregulation. Trump is about to save them. Even before last week, Maine’s lobstermen were suffering. In my youth, growing up in Maine limits on who, how, and where one lobstered were largely self-set, lobstermen knowing well where they put their traps, respecting others, one trap per line, and no overfishing. The reason for respect among lobstermen, no overfishing, limits what was kept (no breeders, no shorts), how many traps, when seasons started and finished, was self-preservation. Boats were handed from fathers to sons, sometimes daughters, with respect for the sea. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:21 By Robert Charles
Crane barge set to lift and recover fishing boat wreck in Kawau Bay
A barge crane will recover a fishing boat which sunk off Moturekareka Island in Kawau Bay. The boat was returning home when its skipper reported the vessel taking on water off Moturekareka Island, in Kawau Bay north of Auckland. The fishermen turned the vessel towards land to investigate but the boat sank before they could do any more. Auckland Harbour Master Andrew Hayton said a crane barge is on its way to the wreck and is expected to recover the vessel later today. “A wreck buoy was placed above the location of the sunken fishing vessel in Kawau Bay on Wednesday morning to mark its position to passing vessels so they can keep clear,” he said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:31
Shoaling in Montauk Inlet an ‘Emergency’
Right after Tuesday’s East Hampton Town Board meeting, at which Councilman David Lys once again spoke of the urgent need to dredge the shoaling Lake Montauk Inlet, he got an assist from Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, who that day wrote to Col. Alex Young of the United States Army Corps of Engineers asking him “to utilize emergency funding to dredge the Montauk Inlet and deepen the channel to at least 17 feet.” “While dredging is scheduled for the inlet sometime in the future, the problem is now,” the county executive wrote. “Some of the Montauk fishing fleet have been landing their catch in Port Judith, R.I., rather than risk the passage of the Montauk Inlet. This has economic consequences for New York State. Currently Montauk is the state’s largest fishing point. Landing fish in Rhode Island could result in New York State getting lower fishing quotas.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:41
NEFSA defeats menace to iconic Maine lobster
Lobstermen in Maine are breathing a sigh of relief after regulators walked back a plan that would have put many fishermen out of business. The state of Maine will not cooperate with a dangerous regulatory proposal to raise minimum allowable catch size for lobster after a spirited hearing on January 9th. The size increase would have deprived lobstermen of their most popular products, further straining their multi-generational businesses and historic communities. “Lobstermen everywhere are relieved that the Maine Department of Resources stepped back from the brink,” said NEFSA COO Dustin Delano, a fourth generation lobsterman. “Raising the minimum catch size would have driven countless lobstermen off the water and opened our market to foreign competitors.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
Proposed federal whale rule that would have devastated NC businesses has been withdrawn
A federal rule proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) that would have dealt a devastating blow to businesses and tourism along the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida and including North Carolina, has been withdrawn by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, proposed by NOAA, would have restricted vessels greater than or equal to 35 feet (10.7 m) and less than 65 feet (19.8 m) in length to 10 knots (roughly 11 mph) along much of the Eastern Seaboard during the whales’ migration and calving season, from November to May. NMFS said it withdrew the proposed rule in light of numerous and ongoing requests from the public for further opportunities to review and engage with the NOAA on the proposal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:43
Local fishing boats depart for Alaska
A number of the larger commercial fishing boats that call Newport’s Yaquina Bay their home headed out last week for the annual trek to Alaska’s Bering Sea. It can take eight to 10 days for them to make the journey up north, depending on the weather. Boats from Newport will be docking either at Dutch Harbor or Kodiak, where they will be based while fishing for pollack and cod, a fishery that generally lasts for several months. The Port of Newport’s International Terminal was hopping with activity last week as boat owners and their crews made final preparations. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:32
Trump on Track to Halt Wind Farms Approved Off LBI
A local grassroots organization is continuing its battle in the courtroom to have offshore wind farms off Long Beach Island and Brigantine scrapped in perpetuity without a chance of being revived in the future, even as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to deliver on his campaign promise to permanently stop offshore wind energy projects off the East Coast under his administration. A presidential executive order halting wind turbine activity off the East Coast is expected to be finalized in the first few months of his second presidency. “These offshore wind projects should never have been approved in the first place,” Congressman Jeff Van Drew said Jan. 13, adding he has been working closely with Trump to draft the order, which also lays the groundwork for permanent measures against the projects. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:32
Setting the Record Straight on Louisiana’s Shrimping Challenges
Against this diverse backdrop, the shrimping and energy industries stand out as particularly significant pillars of this economy, but ones that some environmentalists have increasingly tried to play at odds against each other. While the energy industry in Louisiana continues to grow, shrimpers have unfortunately struggled. Just a few years ago, local shrimpers were fetching nearly four dollars per pound of shrimp. But last year, locals said they were lucky to sell shrimp at $.80 per pound. As Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper said, “shrimping is a way of life passed down through generations. It offered decent pay at one time, enough to provide for a family.” Never to let a good opportunity go to waste, environmental activists have taken to national news outlets to smear liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies for these issues, inaccurately accusing them of hindering local shrimping operations and running fishermen out of business. But the reality is that massive seafood imports mostly from Asia, not LNG projects, are the true cause of shrimpers current woes. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:02
Trawler sinks off Moturekareka Island in Kawau Bay – warning for boaties to watch out for debris
Two fishermen have been rescued after their trawler rapidly sank near Kawau Island. The trawler was returning home when its skipper reported the vessel taking on water off Moturekareka Island, in Kawau Bay north of Auckland. The fishermen turned the vessel towards the nearest land to investigate but the boat sank before they could do any more.Kawau Volunteer Coastguard crew was alerted at 8.49pm yesterday and launched within 35 minutes, thanks to a quick response from volunteers. The Coastguard unit transferred the fishermen from the yacht to a waiting trawler, with both men shocked but unharmed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:41
NH and Maine lobstermen push back against new size rule amid economic fears
The regulation involves an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length to determine if they can be caught or must be released. The new rule, however, has received blowback from local lobstermen. Maine has opted not to implement the change in response to concerns from the lobster industry, while lawmakers in New Hampshire are advocating for their leaders to make a similar decision. State Rep. Aboul Khan, R-Seabrook, warns that the new rule could lead to a loss of a third of lobstermen’s catch this year, adding to the challenges already posed by existing regulations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
Jan. temps put summer shrimp haul at risk. What’s behind SC’s decision to help?
Jeff Brunson, the state Department of Natural Resources’ crustacean fisheries manager, said the general trawl zone will close at 7 p.m. Wednesday, except for certain provisional areas located at the outer edge of inshore state waters, which will close Jan. 31. Shrimpers can still fish in deeper federal waters. The reason for the closure of the inshore state waters is cold water brought on by continued below-average temperatures. “As water drops, they migrate out farther to areas where it’s a little warmer,” Brunson said. “We’re trying to protect those overwintering shrimp and their migration this time of year is largely driven by water temperature.” Protecting these young shrimps is critical because they develop into adult white roe shrimp up to 8 inches long. And it’s those adult shrimps that make up the valuable spring and summer harvest. The value of the state’s entire shrimp harvest averaged $8 million between 2019 and 2023. “It’s our highest value fishery,” Brunson said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Peter Kass Lobster Boat, 700HP CAT C-18
To review specifications, information, and 16 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:03
Memorial to be unveiled in Kirkcudbright to mark 40th anniversary of fishing boat tragedy
A memorial will be unveiled in Kirkcudbright next month to mark the 40th anniversary of a fishing boat tragedy. The trawler Mhari-L sank in the Irish Sea on February 20, 1985. All five men on board – William Maxwell, Stuart and Keith Campbell, George McKend and Mark Amos – lost their lives. Mark’s daughter, Donna McKnight, has been working with other family members on a ceremony and the unveiling of a memorial in Kirkcudbright next month. “I contacted someone from each of the other families and asked if they minded if I organised this and a ceremony for the anniversary and they were fine with that. The ceremony will take place at Kirkcudbright Harbour Square at 2pm on Saturday, February 22 and everyone is welcome to attend. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:30
Local Fishermen Are Ready For Crab Season
Following a delay as a result of conflicts of interests in regard to state regulations, local crab fishermen are now preparing for commercial crab season, which is to open this Wednesday. I had the chance to speak with Jesse Beer, a local crab fisherman, on how long the season is expected to last. “We’re going to start pulling our gear on Wednesday, and it’ll last for us as long as we’re doing good and making money. We’re going to keep fishing. Unless it gets shut down for some reason, for the whale entanglement issues or something. We’re just going to go until we’re not making money anymore. That’s our plan.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<12:07
NOAA’s “no evidence” that wind kills whales violates the Information Quality Act
NOAA persists in claiming there is no evidence that offshore wind development is causing whale deaths. This is a false claim that is repeated endlessly in the press. There is lots of evidence some of which I have documented over the last two years. It is actually illegal for Federal agencies to make false claims like this. There is a 25-year-old law called the Information Quality Act (IQA) enforced by OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. IQA mandates that agencies provide accurate unbiased information. Here are the two key definitions from NOAA’s IQA guidance,,, Unfortunately, NOAA’s repeated claim that there is no evidence of wind development causing whale deaths is neither accurate nor unbiased. It is false and typical of NOAA’s actions biased in favor of development. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
New law aims to support La. seafood industry
A new law is now in affect across the state requiring restaurants to provide transparency on where they are sourcing their seafood. Louisiana Law Act 148 became effective on Jan. 1 and requires restaurants that serve seafood to have the origins of their seafood listed on their menus. “We actually love the new law because we have been serving Louisiana crawfish and gulf shrimp our entire operation,” said Paige Vidrine at Steamboat Bill’s. “My mom started selling shrimp on the side of the road from shrimpers that were coming in from Hackberry and she bought her first dock there. That’s how Steamboat Bill’s came to be – from shrimping. So, it’s something integral in our culture and it’s something we will always love to support our local American farmer.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:533
Maine Reverses Course on Regulation Increasing Minimum Legal Lobster Size
Following a meeting in Augusta this past Thursday where dozens of lobstermen voiced strong opposition to the rule change, Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher issued a statement announcing the decision. “Last night, after hearing loud and clear from Maine lobster industry members that they are unified in their opposition to a proposed rule change that would increase the minimum gauge size starting in July of this year, with approval from Governor Mills I decided to pull the regulation,” Commissioner Keliher wrote. “I called up the governor on the way in. I explained to her what the risks were associated with compliance with the ASMFC,” Keliher said later during the meeting. “She agreed with me that we should withdraw the rule.” Short clip, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:44
Here’s when commercial Dungeness crab season opens in WA
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the commercial Dungeness crab season will open on Jan. 15 from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Oregon. This includes the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. The opening date for the remainder of Washington’s Pacific Coast is still pending. Dungeness crabs represent Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery. The 2023-24 coastal commercial Dungeness crab season yielded state landings valued at $66.8 million, second only to the $88.2 million record set during the 2021-22 season. The fish and wildlife departments of Washington, Oregon, and California collaborate annually to determine season openers as part of a tri-state agreement to manage the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. Opening dates are based on test fishing results, which can be found at psmfc.org/crab. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:52
Our Henry II arrives in Whitby
The futuristic new 14m Cougar cat Our Henry II WY 21 made its way up the river in Whitby last week after making passage from the Audacious Marine yard in Ramsgate, where the vessel was fitted out. Skipper Luke Russell was greeted in the harbour by friends and family, who were on hand when the boat was formally named and christened with the customary bottle of champagne. The 14m by 6m catamaran, named after Luke’s son Henry, replaces his previous vessel, Our Henry, a smaller cat also designed by Dave Sutton and built by Audacious Marine in 2020. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:12
Supreme Court Declines To Hear Challenge Of Vineyard Wind
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the challenge of Vineyard Wind brought by the Nantucket-based nonprofit ACK For Whales, effectively ending the group’s legal effort to stop or delay the wind farm under construction southwest of the island. The effort to bring its case to the nation’s highest court was a long shot – as the U.S. Supreme Court accepts only 2 percent of the 7,000 cases brought to it each year – and on Monday the court informed ACK For Whales that it had declined to hear its petition for certiorari. ACK For Whales had alleged that the federal agencies that permitted the Vineyard Wind project violated the Endangered Species Act by concluding that the project’s construction likely would not jeopardize the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. The group also asserted that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by relying on a “flawed analysis” from the National Marine Fisheries Service. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:35
Electric lobster boat nears launch by Indigenous fishery in Cape Breton
Sydney, Nova Scotia is the province’s northernmost port, situated on the rocky shores of eastern Cape Breton Island. The Membertou First Nation, located in Sydney, operates a licensed fishery. Now, it is on the cusp of a technology breakthrough. The First Nation is leading the development and build-out of an all-electric lobster fishing vessel, Lektrike’l Walipotl. Membertou partnered with Allswater, ship designers in Bedford, N.S.; Halifax-based vessel-to-grid company, BlueGrid Energy; and Oceans North Conservation Society in Ottawa to develop the electric lobster fishing vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:59
FFAW Calls for Transparency and Accountability in Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre
FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street is calling for the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre (FRC) to operate with transparency and accountability. The FRC, a nonprofit governed by a board of directors providing dockside monitoring services to fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, has refused to call a board meeting and provide members with important information regarding the organization’s operations. “Our elected Inshore Council has been calling for increased transparency and accountability regarding the boards our Union participates on,” says President Dwan Street. “Specifically, they’ve asked us to ensure board seats are representative of the current industry and elected leadership. Despite repeated attempts to engage the FRC over the last year, Executive Director Velma Pike and Chair Bill Broderick refuse to be transparent about their operations,” Street explains. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:02
NJ congressman Van Drew drives offshore wind freeze
For years, President-elect Donald Trump has furiously criticized renewable energy sources, including offshore wind farms. To freeze the offshore wind industry, Trump asked Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd) to draft an executive order — something presidents’ issue without action from Congress — on the topic, Van Drew said. “I’ve spoken with the president about the wind turbines, and he told me to have my people draw up an executive order. We got it done in forty-eight hours,” Van Drew said in an interview with NJ Spotlight News last week. His office, Van Drew said, passed the text on to officials within the Trump transition team including Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for Interior Department secretary. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:56
