A federal judge has moved the Makah Tribe a big step forward in its 16-year-quest to resume hunting gray whales. U.S. Coast Guard administrative law judge George Jordan largely rejected animal welfare groups’ complaints that the hunt sought by the Makahs would endanger the whales of the eastern North Pacific. He recommended that the Makah Tribe be allowed to conduct a hunt largely as the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has proposed, though he proposed new restrictions on hunting in the winter and spring to protect a small subpopulation of whales that occasionally wander from the Asian side of the Pacific Ocean into waters off Washington state. >click to read< 10:36
Ex-lobbyist enlists former Fish & Game official to fight charges of illegal seining
The 12-hour purse seining opener began at 7 a.m. on September 2, 2021 in Silver Bay. Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited five people on four vessels for allegedly fishing in closed water. Robert Thorstenson Jr., who goes by Bobby, was among a group of seiners cited on September 2 during a 12-hour opener in Sitka’s Silver Bay Terminal Harvest Area. “The last thing I wanted was a ticket,” the Juneau-based fisherman said. “So I call the trooper to me and I asked him where I could legally fish, and he told me where I could legally fish. So I went over there and set there, and then he came over and wrote me a ticket.” >click to read< 09:16
A day in the life of a Georgia shrimper
Capt. Eddie Poppell, 61, arrives with his crew, sons Bubba, 40, and Jake, 24, to start outfitting the F/V Sea Fox for a day of shrimping in the shallow coastal waters of Georgia. Ice is shoveled into bins that are dragged from the fish house to the Sea Fox in anticipation of the boat’s refrigerator-sized coolers being filled with shrimp by day’s end. They throw some provisions for the day onto the boat — snacks, water, sodas and cigarettes — and do a routine systems check. The three men go about their tasks quietly, but with the sureness only countless trips can hone. photos, >click to read< 08:03 Additional COVID financial relief is available to members of Georgia’s marine fishing-industry – >click to read<
Mills Administration Granted Intervenor Status to Support Maine’s Lobster Industry in Lawsuit
Governor Janet Mills announced today that a federal judge has granted her Administration’s motion to intervene in the pending litigation Center for Biological Diversity v. Ross in the U.S. District Court in the D.C. Circuit. “Intervening in this case is a critically important step in the state’s efforts to support Maine’s vital lobster industry,” said Governor Mills. “A court decision in the plaintiff’s favor could close Maine’s lobster fishery altogether – a completely unacceptable outcome that would be devastating to our lobstermen and their families and devastating to our coastal communities and our economy. We will fight tooth and nail to prevent that from happening.” >click to read< 07:09
Many Questions Unanswered Following DEP Statement on Fish Die Off at Black Island
A Maine Department of Environmental Protection statement on the massive of die-off of nearly 116,000 salmon at pen sites off Black Island in mid-August raises more questions than it answers, according to groups concerned about industrial-scale aquaculture in Maine waters. The die-offs were discovered at the Cooke aquaculture pen sites on August 16 and weren’t reported to the DEP for almost two weeks. In a news release today, the DEP said that it had found no permit violations associated with death of the fish. Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Executive Director Crystal Canney said, “So the obvious question is – what killed the fish? You won’t find answers in the statement issued today, and we are still waiting to hear from the Department of Marine Resources, the primary regulating agency on net pen salmon. DMR was very quick to say that it was a dissolved oxygen issue, but the DEP has already ruled that out in its statement today.” >click to read< 16:48
Valuable crab populations are in a ‘very scary’ decline in warming Bering Sea
The forecast for the 2022 winter snow crab season is bleak. At best, it is expected to be considerably less than 12 million pounds. That would be down from a 2021 harvest of 45 million pounds,,, The iconic Bering Sea red king crab, which can grow up to 24 pounds with a leg-span up to 5 feet, also are in trouble. In a big blow to the commercial crabbers, many of whom are based in Washington, the October harvest for these crab has been canceled, something that has only happened three times before. Overall conservation measures are expected to wipe out most of the value of the annual Bering Sea crab harvest, worth more than $160 million during the past year, according to Jamie Goen, executive director of the Seattle-based Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers. >click to read< 13:54
Lobster Fishing Association Files Lawsuit Against NOAA Whale Plan
A lobster fishing group based in Maine filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Monday charging new rules designed to protect whales are not based on the best available science. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the rules, designed to protect North Atlantic right whales, in August.,, The Maine Lobstermen’s Association has pushed back against the rules,,, >click to read< 11:27
US Lobster Market Price Trends 2021: Industry Overview, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast Till 2026
The United States lobster market is currently witnessing moderate growth and expects the market to continue its moderate growth during the forecast period (2020-2025). We are regularly tracking the direct effect of COVID-19 on the market, along with the indirect influence of associated industries. These observations will be integrated into the report.,, The increasing consumer inclination towards a protein-rich diet, including seafood variants, is currently driving the demand for lobsters in the United States. Furthermore, the rising availability of canned, frozen, and processed product,,, >click to read< 08:55
Hurricane Ida: Hard-hit fisheries deserve a helping hand from Washington
Hurricane Ida was among the most powerful storms ever to make landfall in Louisiana, and certainly the most destructive to take direct aim at one of the state’s key resources: its fisheries. Some fishers spent harrowing hours riding out the storm on their boats, but the nightmare didn’t end when the winds died finally down. Ida obliterated property, including boats that fishers couldn’t afford to insure, and it decimated the habitat and the infrastructure that supports the industry. >click to read< 07:46
GreenHorn
Come ride along with the Greenhorns on the F/V Chasina during their 2020 Southeast Alaskan salmon hunt. This edit is beautifully crafted and well worth the view. Via YouTube: I spent a summer commercial salmon fishing up in SE Alaska. It was an experience, to say the least. >click to watch< 17:26 JuneauTek
Locally sourced seafood attracting crowds to the fishing boats in Half Moon Bay
Commercial trawlers pan for bottom-feeders at least three miles from shore. Purse-seiners use nets closer to the surface, while traditionalists fish the way the Egyptians did with hooks and lines. Nothing causes a bigger commotion than Dungeness crab in late fall, when eager customers line the docks like going to the DMV. The crustacean has joined turkeys as a Bay Area staple of the holiday dinner table. “All the crab pots are like little money banks that you just pull up and dump out the money,” Hassan said. Weekend dock sales have become integral to survival for anglers like Hassan. Smaller boats don’t catch enough to supply wholesalers, so they bypass the supply chain for direct sales. >click to read< 13:31
Mr. Common Resources, Meet “Miss-Management”
The contradictions in redundant multi-agency management and layers of regulation of common resources have made management paralyzed. The need for management revision stretches across the entire spectrum of resource providers from agriculture in the heartland to fishing on the coast and energy production everywhere between. This problem is compounded by an onslaught of nonprofit and NGO lobby influence/infiltration. A narrative was created to indoctrinate the public. The narrative of resource providers being the problem of ecosystem failures is a deflection of accountability to manage. Common resource management or “conservation” was reinvented. The influence of NGO’s installed a term called “precautionary management.” The title is Marine Mammal “Protection” Act, it should be the Marine Mammal “Management” Act. By Jeff Crumley >click to read<,video, and a link to a short 10 question survey 11:39 #seaotter, #usfws, #seaurchin #ESA #MMPA
Prince William Sound harvests exceed 69M salmon
Late season harvesters were still pulling in coho salmon in in mid-September, with the preliminary Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s estimated harvest rising to 224,000 silvers, up from 199,000 a week ago. The Copper River district has been the biggest contributor to the coho catch to date, with 132,462 fish caught in drift gillnets, followed by 33,607 fish brought in Eastern Prince William Sound purse seiners and 16,436 fish from Prince William Sound Southwestern purse seiners, according to ADF&G updates. The average weight of Copper River,,, >click to read< 07:48
No Matter How One Connects the ‘Green Energy’ Dots, America Needs Pebble’s Copper
If President Biden sees electric vehicles in everyone’s future, he ironically will have to rely on copper mines to get there. Consider the current bipartisan infrastructure package, a $1.2 trillion mishmash of boondoggles and eco-centric priorities ostensibly designed to alleviate the “climate crisis,”,, If the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package doesn’t grind your gears, the accompanying $3.5 trillion budget bill surely will. This monstrosity includes another laundry list of ‘green energy’ projects and demand. The simple fact is for every one of those projects, priorities, regulations, jobs and traditional energy transition plans, America will need to have copper. And it just so happens that my home state of Alaska has plenty of copper to support those initiatives, if Biden would just move forward with the Pebble Mine Project. By Rick Whitbeck >click to read< 13:54
Roberto Gonzalez of Key West, Florida has passed away. He found and lived the American dream
Born to his parents, Maria Paula Oliva and Pedro Gonzalez on the 31st day of March, 1933, in Quiebra Hacha, Cuba. At the tender age of 2, he lost his beloved mother, and, shortly after his father followed, leaving him an orphan at the age of 6. At the age of 23, Roberto met his love Benedicta Herrera. Building their home together in Key West, where he worked as Commercial Fisherman for Stock Island Lobster along side of Peter Bacle. After hard work and sacrifice, in 1979, Roberto purchased his pride and joy, a 43ft. Torres, The Thunderbird, which is still up and running, and one of the most well known boats among the industry. >click to read< 10:39
Benedicta Herrera de Gonzalez – She met the love of her life, and later married her best friend, Roberto Gonzalez in 1956. She met the love of her life, and later married her best friend, Roberto Gonzalez in 1956. Together they voyaged into freedom, Although, she and Roberto separated they remained family, involved in their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren’s everyday lives, celebrating all their events together. They were a forever family. >click to read< 11:47
Fishermen take aim at Emmanuel Macron over proposals for wind farms
Protestors had gathered on Friday in an attempt to voice their concerns against the plans for the wind projects. The protests took place in Le Havre and Cherbourg, with the protestors being made up of predominantly fishermen. The protestors believe that the plans for these wind projects are an ecological disaster, having an impact on both marine biodiversity and their economic activity. “They are going to kill everything. They are going to kill an artisanal industry, it’s catastrophic. Marine Le Pen also took to Twitter to stand in unity with the fishermen of France. “All my support for the fishermen who courageously oppose offshore wind projects. “Elected President of the Republic, I will immediately deconstruct wind farms on land and at sea and remove all subsidies for wind power.” >click to read< 09:23
Louisiana: Young fishermen face uncertain future after Hurricane Ida
Devin Verdin kept his boat tied near one of the camps along Bayou Grand Caillou during Hurricane Ida. Despite the widespread destruction, Verdin remains certain he’ll remain a shrimper. Along with Evan Solet and Elise Garibotte, Verdin was heading up to David Chauvin’s Seafood Company to gather ice as they prepared to go shrimping Tuesday night. The company is one of few in Dulac able to operate since Ida hit Aug. 29. Seth Billiot said he has tried to apply for help from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration but was told he doesn’t qualify. >Click to read< 08:16
It’s another fine FishyFriday in Newlyn.
Last few hours for the netting fleet before they leave their berths to take ice and head away for the next tide… with fine weather comes fine fishing and the auction was full of inshore landings this morning… lots of photos, >click to read< 22:09
Nova Scotia fishing industry granted intervenor status in Mi’kmaw treaty rights case
The ruling Friday afternoon by Supreme Court Justice John Keith gives the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance standing in a proceeding against the Canadian government by the Potlotek First Nation. The Cape Breton band is seeking an injunction to prevent the Department of Fisheries and Oceans from interfering with its self-regulated moderate livelihood lobster fishery. It wants a court declaration that enforcement of the federal Fisheries Act infringes on its treaty right to earn a moderate living from fishing. In an oral decision, Keith said UFCA’s intervention would not unduly delay, prejudice or politicize Potlotek’s case. He said as a group representing fishers using the same shared and finite resource, UFCA has a direct interest in the case. >click to read< 17:45
USCG medevacs 2 crewmen from fishing vessel 3 miles off South Padre Island, Texas
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 10:34 a.m. from the commercial fishing vessel F/V Miss Verna stating that two crewmen were unconscious after entering a confined freezer space. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew launched to assist. Once on scene, the boat crew worked with South Padre Island Fire Department personnel to remove the crew members from the confined space and transfer them to the RB–M. Both men were conscious but exhibiting labored breathing. >click to read< 16:16
Delay Implementation of Gear Marking & Modification in Right Whale Rule
In a letter today to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Governor Janet Mills urged swift action by NOAA Fisheries to reduce the unnecessary economic harm to Maine fishermen that the recently announced Federal whale protection rule will cause. “I don’t believe this rule, as written, should take effect at all, and, at the very least, I urge you to direct NOAA Fisheries to delay the rule’s implementation of gear marking and gear modifications (including both trawling up and insertion of weak points) to July 1, 2022,” wrote Governor Mills. “It is entirely unfair that Maine lobstermen continue to be the primary target of burdensome regulations, despite the many effective mitigation measures they have taken and despite the data showing that ship strikes and Canadian fishing gear continue to pose significant risk to right whales,” >click to read< 14:38
Caretakers of a legacy – 1932 H.C. Hanson
Alaska-based fisheries biologists David and Darcy Saiget feel it was fate that brought the U.S. Forest Service ranger boat Sea Bear to them. Today, they see themselves as caretakers of a legacy rather than as boat owners.,, Sea Bear was originally named Forester. She was built in 1932 for the U.S. Forest Service ranger boat fleet in Alaska, where she served from 1932 to 1964. Designed by the famed boatbuilder H.C. Hanson, she has purple heart stem and keel, 5.5-inch-thick oak ribs on 13-inch centers, and Douglas fir decks and planks. In 11 years, Sea Bear will be 100 years old. We hope to be around for that, and hope to continue preserving her in the spirit of H.C. Hanson, the shipwrights past and present, and dedicated caretakers like Bill Clapp. photos, >click to read< 13:12
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for September 24, 2021
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 12:13
New Jersey fishing industry wonders if it can coexist with Biden’s planned massive wind farms
Clammers like Charlie Quintana are back from two days at sea on the Christy. Quintana worries about climate change: He says he’s noticed a change in the fisheries because of warming oceans. But he also worries that the hundreds of thousands of acres of wind farms planned for the East Coast will limit where he can catch clams,,, Surf clams were the first seafood to be regulated by the federal government, leading the way for what has become one of the most regulated industries in the nation. Where, when, how and how much are harvested is strictly monitored and enforced.,, “We are literally fighting for the existence of the clam industry to remain in the port of Atlantic City.” >click to read< 10:36
300-pound stingray attacks man off NY coast
A boat crewman was jabbed by a 300-pound stingray off the New York coast, forcing the U.S. Coast Guard to launch a daring helicopter rescue in the dark late Sunday. It happened about 40 miles southwest of Montauk, according to a news release. The man was working aboard the Shelby Ann, a commercial fishing boat, when he “was struck by a stingray barb below the knee” and began going into shock, officials said. Video >Click to read< 09:16
Ross Tiger goes digital as visitors can take a virtual tour of Grimsby trawler
Grimsby’s historic trawler the Ross Tiger has gone digital as you can now take a virtual tour around the boat. The new initiative from Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre lets you explore the ship from the comfort of an armchair. A 3D replica of the ship allows you to see the iconic trawler in new ways, including areas usually hidden below the water line. “The new tour allows users to explore Ross Tiger in a unique way using incredible new technologies which bring the vessel to life through a combination of exciting visuals, interactive activities and information.” >click to read< Visit Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre >click here< 08:34
Wicked Tuna’s Tyler McLaughlin
National Geographic’s show “Wicked Tuna” has captivated and entertained audiences who not only revel in some good ol’ reality television but are also interested in what life at sea really entails. The show has had a successful run (10 seasons) and people just can’t get enough of these New England tuna fishermen who risk their lives for a promising salary and prestige. One of the show’s favorite OG fisherman is tuna fishing expert and New Hampshire native Tyler McLaughlin. McLaughlin has been on the show since day one ,,, >click to read< 07:50
Should the next fisheries minister come from central Canada?
On election night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first cabinet casualty came early as Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan tumbled to defeat in Nova Scotia’s South Shore, St. Margarets riding. Her defeat means her successor will inherit the unresolved dispute over Nova Scotia’s Indigenous moderate livelihood lobster fishery. And that potentially means a clean slate for negotiations between all parties involved. And the chief of the band at the centre of that fishery says maybe the best way to establish that clean slate would be to enlist a fisheries minister from the interior, rather than the coasts, where they would be exposed to the pressures of their community. >click to read< 20:33
Celebrating 140 years of the Fishermen’s Mission
A charity which looks after the welfare of fishermen and their families is celebrating its 140th anniversary with a special eBook. The Fishermen’s Mission was founded in 1881 and has been looking after fishing communities since then. As part of its 140th anniversary the charity has produced am online eBook which looks back to the early days of the charity as well as focussing on their essential work today of caring for UK fishermen and their families. The Fishermen’s Mission 140th eBook can be found here >click to read< 14:12
Search expert applauds provincewide push to keep looking for missing N.L. fishermen
A retired coast guard search and rescue coordinator says he’s impressed with the effort now going into the search for two fishers who went missing off the coast of Labrador last week. Merv Wiseman says the provincewide outpouring of support for the fishermen and their families is likely what pushed officials to bring in so many resources to keeping looking for the men and their vessel. Marc Russell and Joey Jenkins left the small Labrador community of Mary’s Harbour last Friday aboard the Island Lady fishing vessel and never returned home. >click to read< 13:03
