Images of Oregon Coast Crabbers Aglow from Outerspace!
As commercial crabbing on the Oregon coast opens on time for the first time in several years, the state’s crabbing fleet makes an impression in outer space. A satellite from the National Weather Service (NWS) managed to capture an enormous pattern of glowing dots skirting the edge of the state’s shoreline, turning out to be a spectacular shot of Oregon crabbing boats from several miles up just beyond our atmosphere. The NWS sent out the photo this week after checking its satellite feed, finding not just the usual, unmistakable glow of city lights in the valley towns, but a bundle of dots just offshore. >click to read< 11:31
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for December 3, 2021
Shocked or Not, You Should Be Disgusted! Prior to the November MFC meeting, when the draft Shrimp FMP would be voted on, the following post was made by ” Rick S ” on social media.,, 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< 09:43
Fishermen charged in Truck Beach trespass case say delay in proceedings violates right to due process
EU is getting tangled in a net of its own making with Killybegs row
Whatever else is happening in the fishing port of Killybegs, Co Donegal, openness and transparency is not part of the playbook. Killybegs may be a long way from Dublin, or Brussels for that matter, and fishing may be Ireland’s forgotten industry, but rules of fairness and justice should still apply. A huge row over the weighing of fish is threatening to make unviable an industry that is already facing huge challenges. On one side is the EU. In 2018 it identified what it claims were serious deficiencies in the Irish fisheries control system. >click to read< 22::30
‘Deadliest Catch’: Here’s How Captain Sig Decides Where To Set Crab Traps
Commercial fishing is sometimes like a game of cat and mouse. The fish obviously move, so you can’t always count on one spot when it comes to setting crab pots out in the Bering Sea. Sig Hansen said there are ways to look for patterns in the fishing migrations. By tracking these things throughout the season, it’s easier for the fishermen to determine where to drop their crabbing pots. The Northwestern captain explains this to >Fishing.net, click to read< in a recent interview about where and how to track the good fishing. >click to read< 19:37
F/V Carrabassett: Free at Last! Five-day grounding on Truro beach ends Saturday morning
A 78-foot fishing boat out of New Bedford that grounded early Tuesday off Longnook Beach was pulled back into the water Saturday morning, ending a five-day ordeal for owner Blue Harvest Fisheries in New Bedford. At the moment the tug boat pulled the Carrabassett toward the water, and the vessel appeared to respond by floating along behind the tug, cheers from well-wishers at the beach went up. “You don’t see it every day,” Provincetown resident and commercial fisherman Joel Carreiro said Saturday morning,,, As the Carrabassett was pulled out into the water by the tug, two excavators stood by on the beach, and then began to move south once the vessel was fully floating. photos, >click to read< 14:27
UK Fishing Industry Statistics
The fishing industry of the UK was progressing quite successfully, but within the last few years, there has been a decline in the number of workers and overall landings by the fishermen. This can be due to many reasons such as the environmental problems that affect the breeding of the fishes, excessive fishing, the tough lifestyle of fishermen with the many risks involved, change of tastes and preferences of the consumers, etc. The following stats depict the same in terms of numbers. >click to read< 12:59
Stunned Still: Offshore Wind Farm Power Cables Leave Crabs Mesmerized & Motionless
Seabirds, whales and dolphins aren’t offshore wind’s only victims – crabs are being mesmerized by the electromagnetic fields produced by the power cables that connect turbines to each other and to the grid. A scientific study has found that the magnetic fields generated by these cables attract crabs that then remain in place, fixated on the magnetic field, effectively immobilizing them. For a creature that needs to move over large distances over the seafloor to feed and breed, offshore wind farms may well amount to a death sentence for an entire species, over the longer term. >click to read< 11:27
Is the Port of San Francisco trying to put an 80-year-old crab company out of business?
The Alioto-Lazio Fish Company, opened in the 1940s on San Francisco’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf, is the last of five fishing businesses started by Tom Lazio. Opened with relatives Frank Alioto and Sal Tarantino, it was a beacon to local fishermen who unloaded fresh fish and crab, sold directly to the public at wholesale prices. Granddaughters Annette and Angela started helping out in their teens, mostly in the back office. When Lazio passed away in 1998 at the age of 92, wife Annetta Alioto Lazio took over and, when she passed away in 2003 at age 98, “the girls,” as they’re known on the wharf, took over the day-to-day operations. >click to read< 09:50
Holtec has decided to dump radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay
The company decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it plans to start discharging radioactive water from the plant into Cape Cod Bay sometime within the first three months of 2022. Just a week earlier, Holtec spokesman Patrick O’Brien told a Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel in Plymouth there were other options, including evaporating the million gallons of water from the spent fuel pool and the reactor vessel and other plant components or trucking it to a facility in Idaho. >click to read< Pilgrim nuclear plant may release 1M gallons of radioactive water into bay. What we know – One of the options being considered by the company that is decommissioning the closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is to release around one million gallons of potentially radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. >click to read< 08:15
California: Dungeness crab season opens on time, but it’s off to slow start
Dan Schmidt has been fishing off Ten Mile Beach for the past six or seven years. The F/V Condor harvested a fraction of what it normally gets for the first pull of the season on the first day of Dungeness crab season Wednesday. With fuel and bait costs, it wasn’t very lucrative, and Schmidt said he’s shifting to black cod and lingcod, which are more cost-effective, unless the season picks up later. “I’ve talked to a lot of other guys that have fished from up here to Shelter Cove and it’s kind of the same scenario,” Schmidt said. “Apparently Crescent City and Eureka have some good volumes of crab, but down here it’s not the same.” >click to read< 16:53
Supreme Court denies lobstermen’s bid to halt Gulf of Maine fishing restrictions
The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request by lobster fishers to halt environmental protections that restrict fishing in a large swath of the Gulf of Maine. The application, filed earlier this week by a lobster fishers’ union and two lobster fishing companies, was rejected without comment by Justice Stephen Breyer, who handles emergency matters arising from the region. >click to read< 13:13
Judge dismisses case to ban lobster lines, but opens door to future right whale protections
A federal judge may have delivered the legal roadmap to ban lobstermen from using vertical buoy lines in a long-awaited ruling this week. The case centered around concerns that the lines, authorized by the state of Massachusetts, entangle and kill critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. But Judge Indira Talwani dismissed the case because, she wrote, the plaintiff Max Strahan, a controversial whale advocate, had questionable credibility in some instances and failed to prove that he has a personal stake, or standing, in the case, a critical component of the lawsuit. >click to read< 12:37
Netherlands to ban live boiling of lobsters, crabs
Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture wants to ban the live boiling of lobsters and crabs. She will also look into what can be done in the Netherlands to ensure that the animals are not cooked alive.,, This follows a recent study commissioned by the British government that found strong scientific evidence that crabs, lobsters, and octopuses can suffer and experience pain. Britain, therefore, added them to the animal protection legislation. Animal welfare organizations want the Netherlands to do the same. >click to read< 11:38
FFAW Calling on DFO to Cease Plans with Weak-Rope Policy
The FFAW is once again calling on DFO to immediately cease its plans to implement a weak-rope policy for harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador. The policy is being introduced across Atlantic Canada to help save rare and endangered North Atlantic right whales from entanglement. The whales are surface feeders and are prone to ship strikes and drowning after becoming entangled in fishing gear. The weak-rope policy is being brought in to allow the creatures to break free. >click to read< 10:55
Inquest recalls fishing disaster – Wexford fishermen’s trawler sank “extremely quickly”
Two fishermen drowned after their trawler capsized and sank “extremely quickly” while they were hauling scallops on board in January of last year, an inquest has heard. Verdicts of accidental death as a result of drowning have been returned in relation to the deaths of William Whelan (41) and Joe Sinnott (65) whose trawler, the Alize, sank while returning to the south Wexford coast on 4 January 2020. The two men had been fishing for scallops since the previous morning, an inquest in Wexford heard today. >click to read< – Inquest recalls fishing disaster which claimed two lives off the Wexford coast – Just a few weeks from the second anniversary of the fishing disaster which claimed their lives, the families of Wexford men Joseph ‘Joe’ Sinnott (65) of Seaview, Kilmore, and William ‘Willie’ Whelan (41) of Gurteens, Saltmills, arrived at Wexford Courthouse today (Friday) for the finalisation of the inquests into the fishermen’s deaths. >click to read< 10:04
Gloucester fisherman get shout-out at Gotham Awards
Gloucester and one of its fishermen received a shout-out at the 31st Gotham Awards, the annual New York independent film celebration that serves as a boozy kickoff to Oscar season. “First off, I’m absolutely handless right now,” Kotsur said through sign language, shaking his hands, when his win was announced. “Everyone from Gloucester Massachusetts, that entire community was so involved and supportive of our movie and helped make it happen.” “And thank you to Paul, the fishing boat captain on the boat that we used in ‘CODA’,” he continued, referring to Paul Vitale and his dragger Angela & Rose. >click to read< 09:05
Oregon: Dungeness Crab season begins
Newport crabbers were treated to great weather, a rare on-time start and a high opening price as they kicked off what will likely be a historic Dungeness crab season this week. The season opened Dec. 1, the first on-time start in six years, with a starting price of $4.75 per pound at the Newport docks. Good weather also let many of the smaller fishing vessels set out at the same time as the large ones, allowing many to bring in their first hauls late Wednesday night and Thursday morning. >click to read< 07:44
Recently released salmon eggs likely bore the brunt of record breaking rains in the Pacific Northwest.
Standing outside his house in Blanchard, Washington, water up to his thighs, Kevin Morse watched in awe as a few salmon, usually found in a nearby creek, swam across his driveway. Morse is just one of thousands of people across western Washington and British Columbia who experienced severe flooding in mid-November.,, As communities turn to cleanup efforts and brace themselves for yet more rain, experts say that the flooding could have both positive and negative ecological impacts on salmon. >click to read< 22:01
Sheboygan history: Fishing boats from yesterday and today in photo’s
The J.B. Nelson is docked at the Sheboygan riverfront, Saturday, November 20, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis. According to Harvey Hadland’s online history of fishing vessels of the Great Lakes, the J.B. Nelson was built by Burger Boat Co. in 1937 for Leonard A. Nelson, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The 40 ft. x 11 ft. all steel vessel was equipped with a 45-54 hp. Kahlenberg oil engine. In 1981 ownership went to another Nelson, Mark Nelson, in Sheboygan, Wis. The boat’s power plant has been replaced with a Cummins diesel. 12 photos, >click to read< 16:13
Lobstermen ask Supreme Court to halt restrictions meant to protect whales
The protections in question restrict the use of lobster traps in nearly 1,000 square miles in the Gulf of Maine between October and January. They are intended to protect the North Atlantic right whale,,, In the emergency application, the union and fishing companies said the restrictions would curtail fishing by more than 100 of the state’s “largest and most productive” boats, many of which only fish in the restricted area. “These fishermen and their communities have no other means to make a living except by fishing in these waters during this specific time of year, and even the loss of one season will see their vessels repossessed and their gear obsolete due to changing regulations with no funds to update them,” the application states. >click to read< 13:16 Lobstering union petitions U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Gulf of Maine closure – The Maine Lobstering Union has filed a petition asking to plead its case before the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to reopen the area, which is slated to be closed through January – and every subsequent October through January – in an effort to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. >click to read< 17:20
Tributes paid to ‘patriarch of Newlyn’ Billy Stevenson
The family and friends of Billy Stevenson have paid tribute to the ‘patriarch of Newlyn’. William ‘Billy’ Stevenson was one of the fishing port’s most emblematic figures, known for successfully growing and running the family business and for his lifelong passion for Cornwall’s fishing industry and its people. Billy began working as a fisherman out of Newlyn when he was 15 in 1943. His whole family has been involved with the industry and W Stevenson & Sons remains one of the largest suppliers of fish in the South West. The Stevensons have been fishing out of the West Cornwall town for over 100 years and now run a core fleet of 10 beam trawlers. >click to read< 10:35
New Bedford Vessel Runs Aground on Longnook Beach
Part-time Truro resident Lynda West went with her father-in-law, Jock West, to Longnook Beach on Tuesday to take photos of the calm waters with his drone at low tide. “When we got here, I turned to him and said, ‘You hit the jackpot,’ ” Lynda said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” At the bottom of the steep slope below the beach parking lot was a 78-foot blue-and-white groundfishing boat, the F/V Carrabassett, beached on the sand with one green light on and its radar dish spinning. “That’s not a good situation there,” said Provincetown fisherman Chris King, looking at the boat from the parking lot. >click to read< 09:48
Lobster season opens in southwestern N.S. on Dec. 1 after two-day delay
Even on the day the postponed lobster fishery opened in southwestern Nova Scotia, it still had one more delay to contend with. Instead of leaving their ports at the traditional 6 a.m. start time on Wednesday, Dec. 1, the boats and crews in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 left at 8 a.m. The two-hour delay, coming on the heels of a two-day postponement of the season, was decided on during a 4 a.m. industry conference call on Wednesday morning as crews waited for confirmation of whether the season would see a Dec. 1 opening. >click to read< 08:35
50-Year Sitka Troller ‘Friend of the Fleet’
Longtime Sitka troller James Moore has won formal recognition for his work in developing salmon hatcheries in Southeast, promoting a troll fleet logbook program, and many other activities supporting Southeast fisheries. After five decades as a salmon troller in Southeast waters, advocating for the fishery all the while, Moore has been honored by the Alaska Trollers Association as a Friend of the Fleet. Moore, skipper of the F/V Aljac, received his award from the trollers association on Oct. 11. He’s particularly proud of his efforts to increase the take of chum salmon. “If you have an opportunity to do some good then you do it… But what is the best thing I’ve done? It’s difficult to say, and it’s hard for me to take credit for it too,” >click to read< 07:29
New Regulations for Whelk and Horseshoe Crabs a Challenge for Commercial Fisheries
New state regulations intended to rebuild the whelk and horseshoe crab populations in the Long Island Sound could substantially limit the catches of local fisherman. Davis said that the department had done surveys trawling different areas of the Long Island Sound each year. Asked about the proposed regulations, Bob Guzzo, a commercial fisherman out of Stonington who catches whelk, said he thought the regulations were unnecessary, and that the department shouldn’t be involved in making them. He said that the whelks come and go in cycles. Guzzo said he believed the trawl surveys were inaccurate. >click to read< 14:16
CT DEEP Proposing New Rules For Lobster, Striped Bass, Others – The proposed regulatory changes are intended to address the “depleted state of these ecologically and economically important species in Long Island Sound,” according to DEEP officials. >click to read< 17:02
Plan to move grounded trawler off Truro is in the works
A plan to salvage a 78-foot shrimp trawler that ran aground Tuesday near Highland Light was in the works Wednesday, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Briana Carter. The Coast Guard and Truro police received a report of the grounding early Tuesday. Five people were aboard the boat, and there were no reported injuries, Carter said. On Wednesday, Truro Harbormaster Tony Jackett described the trawler, the New Bedford-based F/V Carrabassett, the owner planned to attempt to dislodge the boat at high tide Wednesday evening, Jackett said. >click to read< 12:36
It’s not easy being the family left onshore when the lobster fishery starts
The knot in my stomach started as soon as I read the post that dumping day in the southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishery was a go for the next day. Part of it was due to the fact that it was not a unanimous vote during that morning’s LFA 34 lobster industry conference call. Eleven port reps voted in favour of a Dec. 1 opening following a two-day delay, but seven were opposed. Truthfully, though, even if it had been a 100 per cent unanimous ‘yes’ vote, the knot in my stomach and the lump in my throat would still be there. How do I know? Because it’s there every single year. photos, >click to read< by Tina Comeau
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 49’11″x 20′ Novi Dragger, 543HP Mitsubishi, Kubota aux
To review specifications, information, with 31 photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 10:19
North Coast Fishermen Hopeful for a Good Dungeness Crab Season
For the first time in years, the North Coast Commercial Crab Season will open on December 1st. In 2020, issues with domoic acid levels, migrating whales and price negotiations delayed the start of the season to early January 2021. But the stars have seemingly aligned with whale migration, price negotiations and “pretty much zero traces of domoic acid”, according to Harrison Ibach, the president of the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association,, All good news for local fishermen who are hopeful that the recent lulls of the industry will continue to rebound. “Last year was probably the worst year in many decades,” said Ibach, who is also the Captain of F/V Oceana. >click to read< 09:06
