The Bluefin Tuna Trophy angler season closed in March. Normally it would last into June.
Challenges abound, but lobstermen say they’re in it for the long haul
Around 2 a.m. each morning, a parade of trucks from around the region begins the journey down to the Stonington docks, marking the start of another day of lobstering in Maine. In short, a large part of coastal Hancock County and beyond depend on lobster. One of the locals that has made her living off lobster is Julie Eaton, a member of Stonington’s 300-plus lobster boat fleet. She’s been at it for 39 years now and to her it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life. Every fisherman has their own story, but almost all of them say they got into the business because they love working on the ocean. 
For the hundreds of lobstermen in the region, things are going pretty well at the moment, even with the pandemic. While things are going well, if you talk to almost any Downeast lobstermen about the future of their industry, the conversation will come to two things: right whales and wind turbines. >click to read< 13:28
Customs Crackdown: U.S. blocks Fiji fishing boat from unloading, citing forced labor and debt bondage
Customs officials have blocked a commercial fishing boat from bringing tuna and other seafood into the United States, citing what they said was the use of forced labor by its operator, a company based in Fiji. The Customs and Border Protection agency said on Wednesday that it had found that operators of Hangton No. 112,a long-liner owned by the Hangton Pacific Co. Pte Ltd., had withheld workers’ wages, kept their identity documents and subjected them to debt bondage. If the vessel tries to dock at a U.S. port, or distribute its cargo in the country, officials said, its cargo would be held until its operator could prove that the fish were not caught using what the agency has described as “modern-day slavery.” >click to read< 10:35
Investigation finds Co Wexford boat capsized due to loss of stability
The FV Alize sank on January 4th, 2020, near the end of a 36-hour trip dredging for scallops. The two men on board were Joe Sinnott from Kilmore Quay, and William Whelan from Saltmills, Co Wexford. Shortly before 11pm, Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter R117, and a Dunmore east RNLI lifeboat were tasked with responding to an emergency beacon, about 12km off Hook Head.,, Less than two hours before the boat capsized the skipper called a family member and told them they had 29 bags of scallops on board, and were on the final trawl, after which they would be returning home. >click to read< 09:31
Cargo vessels endanger North Atlantic right whales off Port of Savannah
Cargo vessels operating off the increasingly busy Port of Savannah are the primary violators of speed limits intended to protect the critically endangered right whales,,, The report comes as North American Right Whales again experience a declining population. NOAA lastest report on conservation efforts, issued December 2020, cites two leading causes of injuries and death as: A vessel strike, meaning the whales’ bodies may be sliced or chopped by ships’ propellers; and getting tangled in fishing gear,,, Canada has joined the U.S. in issuing rules intended to protect right whales from ship collisions. >click to read< 08:41
Clayton Wyatt Smalley, in Coffman Cove, Alaska – “The man John Wayne wanted to be.”
Clayton died suddenly in his home of 45+ years in Coffman Cove, Alaska. He was born in Santa Barbara, CA, and shortly after birth moved to Alaska when his mother, Marcella Smalley “Opheim,” returned home. While not born in Alaska he was the essence of an Alaskan man, hardy, handy, possessing the inner strength and will to conquer whatever came his way. He was raised in a fishing family, spending summers at the family fish camp on Prince of Wales Island with his siblings and grandparents, Roy and Maude Opheim, while mom worked at the Waterfall cannery near Hydaburg. Each of us had our own skate and enjoyed the challenge of going alone to set and pull our gear. Camping on the beach every night, up before dawn to troll, gillnet or check our skate engrained a strong work ethic that few folk sleeping in a warm cozy bed can understand.,,, I know this is long but I hope you understand how hard it is to put the life a a man who lived like he was invincible and could do anything on one page. >click to read< 07:48
Banning fishing in ‘monument’ a grave mistake
I was a founding partner of Boston Sword & Tuna, which today employs over 180 Massachusetts residents with good wages and benefits. The company processes and distributes swordfish and tuna harvested by American vessels in the waters off New England and the mid-Atlantic. After selling my ownership in the company several years ago, I decided to return to my origins as an owner-operator of commercial fishing vessels. But that future is at risk from a proposal in Washington. Last month, the Washington Post (I’m sure WaPo wants the re-closure!) reported on a confidential memo sent by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to the White House, urging President Biden to enact a full ban on sustainable American fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. By Tim Malley >click to read< 18:48
Crackpottery? A Ropeless Future for Lobster Fishing, they say!
The object thrown overboard was not in fact a trap but a ropeless fishing system deployed in a demonstration for passengers on the boat, including a film crew, a reporter and three people who study or advocate for right whales. Zack Klyver chartered the boat and arranged the demonstration. Through his consultancy, Blue Planet Strategy, he has been working as an intermediary between manufacturers, whale advocates and lobstermen, who find themselves on various sides of a regulatory survival equation as the federal government moves to protect endangered right whales. In ropeless fishing, Klyver sees a potential win for everyone involved, but getting there may take time and a fair amount of persuasion. Some funky photos, >click to read< 17:40
Proposed Halifax infill threatens the loss of lucrative lobstering grounds
An Eastern Passage lobster fisherman says some of his best catches come from a spot slated for infilling in Halifax’s Northwest Arm. Justin Stewart said Andrew Metlege’s plan to infill (make land) 45 metres out into the Arm in front of a home the developer,,, Stewart doesn’t want to lose the lucrative lobstering area to landfill. “It just sucks because when something like that is lost, then I’ve got to go in and split another place with somebody else. There’s lots of boats around.” He was a tad reluctant to talk about how good the lobster fishing is on the Arm for fear of attracting more competition. “There’s me and one other person and I think most people think we’re kind of crazy up there. But it works pretty good. photos, >click to read< 14:40
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 104′ RSW Lobster/Crabber/Seiner, 850HP Cat, 2 Deere Auxiliaries
To review specifications, information, and 51photos, >click here<, Vessel in good condition, and would make a great salmon tender seiner or west coast crabber. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:28
Offshore Wind Farms: NJ forcefully tips its hand, as we read this stuff delivers a fraction of its total capacity!
Governor Phil Murphy has set a goal for 7500 megawatts of offshore wind-generated electricity by 2035. It is an ambitious goal. It is also a goal that leaves little time for the niceties of public engagement and dialogue. The state clearly showed that it has a plan, and it is going to implement it regardless of public acceptance. Two state actions this month make that abundantly clear. >click to read<, as we read today, Wind Turbines & Solar 
Panels Deliver Tiny Fraction of Their Total Capacity – There’s a yawning gulf between what wind turbines and solar panels are capable of delivering and what’s actually delivered. Sunset and calm weather will do it every time. wind and solar advocates always overstate the output of wind turbines and solar panels; and then, only in terms of pointless averages. The subterfuge is as much about omission as embellishment. >click to read< 10: 09
As Salmon and Squid Seasons Rebound, New Questions
Over the last few months, hundreds of boats have been fishing off of, or transiting along Santa Cruz County’s coastline. Industry analysts report plenty of bright spots in both the salmon and squid markets this season. But after some scientific studies were scuttled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, and other research couldn’t be completed due to wildfires, fisheries management is still undergoing its own pandemic comeback, as climate change fears remain ever-present. “It’s definitely been a good season,” Scotts Valley resident Hans Haveman, the CEO of H&H Fresh Fish at the Santa Cruz Harbor says during a late-June interview. “Unfortunately, regulation from the state and feds have shut us down right when it’s goin’ good.” video, >click to read< 08:50
Lobster Economics in Knox County – Lobster catch carries on maritime tradition, fuels economy
The lobster industry is a vital one for the region, earning harvesters $111 million in 2020 with a catch of slightly more than 25 million pounds. Statewide, nearly 97 million pounds of lobsters were landed in 2020 in Maine with harvesters paid $406 million. Lobsters account for 79 cents of every $1 of seafood landed in Maine. The overwhelming bulk of the lobsters are caught from July through November. The $111 million paid to Knox County harvesters in 2020 is down from the $143 million earned in 2019. >click to read< 08:05
Coast Guard medevacs fisherman near Grand Isle, La.
The Coast Guard medevaced a fisherman Tuesday from a vessel 4 miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from the 67-foot commercial fishing vessel, F/V Miss Melissa, that one of their crewmembers was suffering heat attack-like symptoms. photos, >click to read< 22:12
Poole family in support of proposal to restore fishing trawler Pacific Venture in Laurieton.
Australian film director Damien Lay has previously announced intentions to restore the historic trawler and make it the subject of an international documentary. The vessel was built by residents and became a key boat in the extensive Camden Haven fishing fleet during the 1960s and 1970s. It is now the only remaining vessel intact in the area. Former owner Kim Poole, 65, the son of original boat owner Donald ‘Jock’ Poole, said he began working on the boat when he was 13-years-old. “It wasn’t the last boat built in Laurieton, but it supplied the fish coop for many years in the 1970s and 1990s, and there were some record catches made onboard. photos, >click to read< 21:38
Pandemic, labor , product shortages, and supply chain issues disrupt Dungeness Crab market
Seafood distributors, sellers and processors point to a number of factors that converged to create a perfect storm: the coronavirus pandemic, labor shortages, product shortages, supply chain issues and market demands. All have contributed to drive prices up from the usual $25 or so per pound to as much as $52. This season was difficult for many in the industry. It opened late and yielded a mere 12 million pounds to date, compared to last year’s 20 million. On average, commercial crabbers land around 16 million pounds in Oregon, though the fishery can be cyclical, with boom and bust periods. >click to read< 19:13
Invasive pink salmon populations are increasing throughout native Atlantic salmon waters
Fisheries biologists have been wringing their hands for decades in cold-water regions of the Pacific Ocean due to the proliferation of farmed Atlantic salmon and the threats they pose to native fish and the health of inshore waters, both in North America off the coasts of the U.S. and Canada, and in South America, where salmon farms are common off the coast of Chile. The threats are real, and there are lots of them,,, But, until recently, the presence of Pacific salmon in the North Atlantic hasn’t moved the “environmental disaster” needle much. That’s changing, thanks to an invasive Pacific salmon that is showing up in larger numbers in traditional Atlantic salmon rivers in Scandinavia, as far south as the British Isles and even to the east coast of Canada. The culprit in question is pink salmon, the smallest and most numerous of the Pacific salmon family. >click to read< 13:20
From the Time of Christ and Paul
A major artifact illuminating Christ’s story is the so-called Jesus boat found in the mud near the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. While not really a boat that Jesus sailed in, coin and ceramic evidence indicate that this kind of boat was in use during the time of Christ and is typical of those used by His disciples. This wooden boat, 7.5 by 27 feet, was in use from about 50 B.C. to A.D. 50. Pottery and nails (along with carbon dating) secure the date of the boat to the time of Christ. This boat gives a good sense of what sailing on the Galilee was like in the days of Jesus and His disciples. >click to read< 12:31
Lobstermen are opposed to this. Stopping American Aquafarms is your fight, too
The project will include 30 in-water fish pens, 150 feet in diameter; dozens of generators to power pumps and lights day and night; barges for feed and waste, and vessels ranging in size from 50 to 150 feet to process the fish and haul fish waste, fish food and thousands of gallons of diesel fuel. The threat to the bay’s waters and ecosystem from water pollution, fish escapes and disease is alarmingly real. Lobstermen who have fished these waters for generations also are opposed to this project. All 26 lobstermen who fish out of Bar Harbor presented a statement of opposition to the Town Council recently, and fishermen from around the bay are following suit. By Dennis Damon, >click to read< 11:19
Board of Fisheries has denied two emergency petitions from Kenai Peninsula setnetters
Two setnetters, Chris Every and Paul Shadura II, submitted similar petitions to the board, asking that the department reopen the setnet fishery just out to 600 feet below mean high tide. They argue that the evidence shows that the 600-foot fishery harvests very few king salmon and allows them to harvest the nearshore sockeye, controlling escapement and providing fishing time without seriously risking kings. >click to read< 09:40
UPDATED: Harrowing details of fatal Seacor Power capsizing – ‘All hell broke loose’
The captain of a vessel that was near the Seacor Power when it capsized in the Gulf of Mexico in April, leaving 13 men dead, said Monday that he never heard an emergency radio call from the lift boat as it toppled in a ferocious storm. “I heard Mayday calls from some of the other boats, but I never heard any Mayday calls from the Seacor Power,” said Ted Duthu. In emotional testimony Monday afternoon, independent contractor Dwayne Lewis described a harrowing escape,,, Lewis, who can’t swim, said he bobbed for three hours in the Gulf before a shrimp boat rescued him. “You’re getting beat up, and you’re just begging God to please calm the seas,” he said. >click to read< 08:44
Listen to SEACOR POWER USCG Marine Board Public Hearing-The USCG and NTSB Joint Formal Hearing examining the cause of the capsize and loss of life onboard the SEACOR POWER that occurred on April 13, 2021.
Filey RNLI officially launch new lifeboat paid for entirely by supporter who left money in her will
The late Mrs Shepherd, of Stamford Bridge near York, left enough money in her legacy to entirely fund a new Atlantic 85 lifeboat for Filey’ s RNLI station. The new vessel, which arrived last week, has now been named in honour of the crew’s late supporter, who also left gifts to other charitable causes in her will. The new craft replaces the slower Mersey class boat which left Filey in April, having served the town since 1991. >click to read< 07:58
How lobster fishing began in southern Maine
“Until the twentieth century lobsters could be pulled out from under the rocks,” the preservation society said. “The smaller ones of two pounds or less were often thrown away. Men in a variety of boats, dories, peapods and recently the easily recognized lobster boats powered by motors, set traps along the ledges. Increasing numbers of pots have been attached on a line to a buoy on which each man’s colors can be identified. Most lobstermen spent the winter months making traps, painting buoys and knitting bait bags. Lobstering was usually done in the summer when lobsters moved into warmer waters.” photos, >click to read< 21:37
Commercial Atlantic Sea Herring Fishery in Management Area 1A to Close
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has projected that the Management Area 1A Atlantic herring fishery will have harvested 92% of its Season I (June 1 – September 30) quota allocation by August 3, 2021. Accordingly, effective at 0001 hours on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the directed Atlantic sea herring fishery in Management Area 1A will close through September 30, 2021. Unless explicitly authorized, the possession, retention, landing, and sale of Atlantic sea herring taken from Area 1A is prohibited during this closed period. >click to read< 1645
Historic ‘Fifie’ fishing boat Reaper restored, will open to the public on Wednesday
Inspired by Viking longship design and powered by wind alone with their huge, heavy, square lugsails stretching over 3,355sq ft and sleek hulls, ‘Fifies’ became the most popular fishing vessel on Scotland’s North Sea coast during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Karen Seath, Chair of the Scottish Fisheries Museum Trust, said: “The Reaper is a stunning and extraordinary vessel and a significant part of Scotland’s rich national maritime and fishing heritage. She’s a rare survivor of the golden age of sail and our booming herring industry of the past. >photos, click to read< 11:51
Commercial salmon fishers reeling from sweeping closures
Fourth-generation fisherman Jordan Belveal of Nanaimo was ready to head north on his boat Blue Bayou to catch coho July 1 in Dixon Entrance, between B.C. and Alaska, when he heard about the widespread closures. Although he says he doesn’t mind keeping his boat tied to the dock if it means preserving some runs, Belveal opposed the closures, saying some fisheries with a good abundance of salmon have been cancelled. Losing the 
coho fishery has had a “major effect on us,” said Belveal, who operates Island Wild Seafoods with wife Catlin, selling hook-and-line caught sustainable wild seafood to Vancouver Island customers. Belveal is now counting on the Aug. 12 chinook fishery off Haida Gwaii, which would normally have opened in June but was delayed to allow fish to head to their home rivers on Vancouver Island and to the Fraser River, >click to read< 09:56
When interlopers bullshit ignorant politicians! – Offshore wind experts testify in Washington
At a virtual hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber hosted by U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-Bourne, offshore wind experts gave testimony on the progress of the industry to date and what would benefit its ongoing development in America. Keating prefaced the hearing by describing offshore wind as a “burgeoning, clean, and job-creating energy industry.” Keating called the hearing an opportunity for learning and cooperation and noted America is positioned to establish offshore wind farms thanks to “monumental achievements” made by European pioneers, starting with a 1991 Danish farm, Europe’s first. >click to read< 08:52
Light shows to honor Gloucester fishermen’s wives
Twenty years ago on the morning of Aug. 5, Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, was attending to the final details of the public dedication celebration of the 12-foot Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial on Stacy Boulevard along Gloucester’s historic harbor. Her joy would soon turn to utter despair. “We had a wonderful event planned but it was very painful because we lost a boat that day,” she recalled. Early that morning, the Gloucester fishing vessel Starbound was struck by a freighter; one crewman survived and three died at sea. “It wasn’t easy that day but we carried on and we wanted to acknowledge the pain of the widows. As women in the fishing industry, we carry on to help with the needs of fishermen, their families and the community. That comes with the title of being a fisherman’s wife,” >click to read< 07:50
Kyle Richard Craig 37, of Sedro Woolley, WA, a Commercial Fisherman, has passed away
Kyle was born on February 6, 1984 in Seattle, WA to Rick and LoRayne Craig of Lynnwood, WA. Kyle was raised in Lynnwood, where as a youth, he enjoyed playing baseball, hockey and earned his athletic letter in golf while attending Edmonds-Woodway High School. Kyle’s love of fishing began as a child while on camping trips with his family to Jameson Lake. Trout fishing on the lake and participating in “Karen’s Fishing Derbies” led to a career as a Commercial Fisherman, fishing for crab in Alaska’s Bering Sea and black cod and halibut in the Gulf of Alaska. He loved the sea, his work, and appreciated his crewmates. >click to read< 19:45
Wind farms: Where are all of the ocean saviors?
The precautionary principle has deep roots finding expression in sayings such as ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ or ‘better safe than sorry’. The use of the precautionary principle in ecosystem management is especially important,,, Repeated failures of management highlighted by the collapse of northern cod off Canada, the California sardine fishery, and herring, sandeels, blue whiting and capelin stocks in the North Sea have demonstrated the need for this approach in order to help address scientific uncertainty. Yet when it comes to protecting huge swaths of ocean,,, Clog 
our near shore and offshore waters with hulking (approaching 1,000 feet tall today, who knows what’s in store for tomorrow?) structures supporting huge rotors with tips moving through the air at velocities approaching 200 miles per hour? So what? Festoon our sea beds with electrical cables carrying huge amounts of electricity, And what of undersea server farms,,, >click to read< 15:43 Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet USA. © 2021 Nils E. Stolpe, July 31
