Two weeks ago, a fisherman from Bay Center was lost at sea when the crabbing boat he was working on started to sink. Since then, Washingtonians have shown up in droves to help his loved ones search the area in Pacific County. Unfortunately, Bryson Fitch, 23, has still not been found, according to his sister Kelsea Broddy. “We still would love to bring him home, no matter what the condition is,” Broddy said. “That’s just our main goal, is to find him, so we have answers.” Fitch is both a beloved husband and a father of three young children. The boat he was working on, the Ethel May, capsized on Feb. 5 due to rough sea conditions. He reached for the life raft, and he and his two crewmates struggled to get on. Video, >click to read< 11:18
Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Deadliest Catch Got Us All Fooled with Faking a Storm, and Nobody Noticed
A reality TV show is supposed to show us, well, reality. After all, it is in the name. But when actual events fail to be sufficiently exciting to the audience, creative editing of footage may come to the rescue. Take, for example, Deadliest Catch on the Discovery channel. Deadliest Catch is a long-running reality show, currently 18 seasons have been made. The name is half-misleading. But on the other hand, being a fisherman in a crab fishing boat on the Bering Sea is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world thanks to the severe weather conditions, including frigid gales, rough waves, ice floating around the boat and forming on it, as well as to the need to operate heavy machinery on the rolling boat deck. >click to read< 11:31
Trawler decommissioning scheme ‘needs to be better funded’
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue needs to put additional funding into the State’s decommissioning scheme for fishing trawlers to make it viable, industry representatives have said. His comments follow the news that the owners of just 20 fishing boats had so far accepted State offers to decommission. The scheme was originally capped at €60m, before Mr McConalogue later increased that to €75m. However, Mr Murphy said the funding is inadequate. “Europe was originally told the scheme could cost €96m but he went for a smaller amount. The decommissioning scheme has proved unpopular as boat owners accepted for decommissioning will only get a proportion of the total value of their boats back. >click to read< 09: 47
Holy Island fishing ban set to be dropped after outcry
The government had been exploring designating it a Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMA), which would have seen fishing halted. But fears were voiced it would devastate the local economy. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it would designate its first English HPMA later this year. Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan tweeted a copy of a letter she received from Environment Secretary Therese Coffey stating her department would not designate Lindisfarne (Holy Island) an HPMA. Local fishermen warned they were worried about the future and in September local councillors said pressing ahead with the proposal would turn the area into a “museum”. >click to read< 08:37
Federal court hears arguments from Maine lobstermen appealing right whale regulations
A federal appeals court heard arguments Friday from the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, which is challenging a government plan to regulate the fishery and conserve endangered right whales. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association had promised to take its latest appeal of federal fishing regulations all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. But lobstermen hope they’ll avoid that prospect, especially with Paul Clement, an attorney with more than 100 past Supreme Court appearances, representing Maine. >click to read< 07:22
Black Sea Bass fishing return
Locally caught black sea bass may be back on the menu in the Golden Isles from November through April during calving season for North Atlantic right whales. The Georgia Conservancy has spent the past two years in a research project funded by UGA Marine Extension Service and Georgia Sea Grant to study the innovation of on-demand traps in an effort to eliminate the threat of fishing gear entanglement of the whales. Black sea bass fishing off the Georgia coast has been banned during calving season for more than a decade to help protect the whales. >click to read< 15:24
New Jersey Congressman Wants a Moratorium on Offshore Wind Projects as State Seeks Leading Role
Republican Congressman from New Jersey Jeff Van Drew has announced plans to hold a local hearing on offshore wind projects along with plans to introduce legislation seeking to put a stop to offshore wind development, a key component of the Biden Administration’s efforts to expand renewable energy production to combat climate change. If Congressman Van Drew gets his way, he will put a stop to it. This month, he announced plans to introduce legislation that would place a moratorium on all existing offshore wind projects, as well prohibit all future projects. “The unknown impacts of these offshore wind projects raises serious concerns, especially after 18 whales have washed ashore near where surveying is taking place along the East Coast, six of which have been in New Jersey,” said Congressman Van Drew. >click to read< 12:31
‘It’s a shocker’ – Fishermen stage demonstration in Whitby to raise awareness of shellfish deaths on Yorkshire and North East coast
On Thursday, February 23, around 100 fishermen, environmental activists, and local business owners gathered in Whitby to raise awareness of thousands of dead crustaceans that have been washing up on the Yorkshire and North East coast since 2021. The demonstration included a lively march through Whitby with music and drums as well as beach art and speeches. Local fishermen have said that their livelihoods are at risk due to significantly reduced catches which they blame on dredging in the Tees, and have called on the Government for further testing. >click to read< 11:41
Ireland: Only 20 fishing boat owners accept State’s decommissioning offer
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has admitted the low uptake in a statement issued to mark the opening of today’s Skipper’s Expo trade show, which it sponsors. Although the statement centred around the publication of its two-year study on the fishing industry’s carbon footprint, it mentioned the controversial decommissioning scheme in passing. Of the take-up and the fact that less than half have gone for it, BIM simply said: “Some 57 letters of offer have been issued with total funding of €75m. To date 20 owners have accepted.” The current scheme and a number of tie-up schemes over the past two years were designed to help mitigate against the quota and financial losses Irish fishers sustained because of Brexit. >click to read< 10:16
Bristol Bay drift gillnetters face boat inspection
Bristol Bay commercial salmon drift gillnet permit holders have been advised by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers of upcoming inspections during the summer fishery to determine whether participating vessels are adhering to current vessel length regulations and if crews are fishing legally. Ongoing efforts by some participants in this fishery to amend current regulations to allow innovations that give them a harvesting advantage have yet to be approved by the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and no more proposals will be considered by the board before that season begins. Current state fisheries regulations limit drift gillnetters to 32 feet in overall length with few exceptions, which were carefully identified in a letter sent to every gillnet permit holder in the Bristol Bay fishery. >click to read< 09:27
Radical Wind Farm Activists Blame Blue-Collar Fishermen for Whale Deaths
Dead whales are washing ashore on the East Coast at a disturbing clip. But many radical environmentalists, purported friends of the poor sea creatures, are hard at work deflecting blame from the possible culprit – the late surge of offshore wind farm development in the Atlantic. Lobstermen and commercial fishermen are the favored scapegoat of the dark money environmental lobby. There have been almost 20 “large whale strandings” on the east coast since Dec. 1, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s too premature to assign blame to any particular cause. Despite these disturbing trends, Biden environmental regulators are obsessively targeting lobstermen, citing the supposed threat they pose to endangered whales. >click to read< 08:08
Cawthron boss told he should have expressed himself better
Cawthron Institute chief executive Volker Kuntzsch was expressing his personal opinion when he told an industry symposium that New Zealand had no future without fishing, the institute’s chair says. “I don’t think he’s expressed them in the way that he should have expressed them,” says Meg Matthews. “I think he was challenging the status quo. I think he was hoping to shift mindsets.” It comes amid concerns from academic leaders and environmental groups that Kuntzsch has undermined the independence and scientific credibility of the institute, with his claims about the sustainability of the seafood industry, and his criticism of the carbon emissions of farming and plant-based protein. >click to read< 19:24
Crabbers seek solutions as harvest closures impact business
An amount of emergency relief is being sent to help crabbers affected by the historic closure of the Bering Sea snow crab fishing and the Bristol Bay red crab harvest in Alaska. However, the Washington-based fisherman says more long-term care, research and action is needed to preserve the industry as a sustainable way of life for small businesses for generations. Mark Casto owns the fishing boat Pinnacle and says he’s been fishing since graduating from high school in 1986. “I grew up in it, when I was a kid, I used to do it when I was growing up, it was in my blood and it was just my way of life,” said Casto. He’s been grappling with the same teammates for years – some decades – and they’ve become a team that can predict each other’s next move. When the Bering Sea snow crabs were cancelled, they were scattered – all forced to find other ways to make a living during the season. >click to read< 16:50
EU running riot in British waters as UK fishermen ‘betrayed’ over broken Brexit promises
UK fishermen have lashed out at the Government and accused it of “betrayal” over broken Brexit promises, with European vessels still allowed to run riot in British waters. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party Government had promised fishermen they would be fully protected in the event of any trade deal with the European Union. This was signed at the eleventh hour on December 30, 2020, with fishing rights, which had been a major bone of contention in often bitter negotiations between the two sides, one of the last issues to be resolved. >click to read<
Part II: F/V St. Jude – A Taste for Tuna
Joe Malley has reeled in a lot of different fish in his over 40-year commercial fishing career, but tuna has a special place in his heart. And on his plate. “When I’m fishing halibut, the last thing I want to see on my plate is halibut,” he said. “If I’m fishing salmon, I don’t want even a beautiful King salmon. But when I’m fishing tuna, you can serve it to me all day, every day.” Tuna doesn’t have a big statement to make, Malley said. “It’s the perfect American fish – odorless, colorless, and tasteless. And tuna can be incorporated into dishes in so many ways; for instance, you can stir fry it just like chicken. ”For Malley, his wife Joyce, and their five-person crew, tuna is a way of life. The F/V St. Jude crew spends 12 months a year on a quest for albacore tuna — from the North Pacific in summer to the South Pacific in fall. >click to read< 12:37
Stonington Fisherman’s Dock to Receive Federal Funding for Infrastructure Upgrades
Stonington is home to the Connecticut’s last commercial fishing fleet and, now, its aging dock will undergo much needed upgrades. Included in the 2023 federal budget is $900,000 to support major maintenance and upgrades to the dock’s North Pier. Rep. Joe Courtney requested the targeting funding. “This project, which made it all the way through last year’s congressional appropriations process, really stood out as a smart one-time investment that can really result in years of good jobs and economic activity,” Courtney said during a visit to the Town Dock Wednesday. Video, >click to read< 11:12
NOAA, ADFG, Bering Sea Crabbers Teaming Up On Red Crab Fishery Research
Tempestuous weather and icy seas make winter research on Bristol Bay red king crab challenging. This winter, crab fishermen are working together with scientists to make it possible. The Bering Sea crab industry is partnering with NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to meet a critical need for winter data on Bristol Bay Red king crab. Scientists and fishermen will work together on the month-long field research, set to launch in March. The research responds directly to data requests from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to inform their management decisions. Photos, >click to read< 10:12
Marine Safety Alert: Engine Room Exhaust Hazards on Fishing Vessels
This Safety Alert addresses the importance of installing noncombustible materials in machinery space boundaries with dry exhaust systems. A recent marine casualty resulting in an engine room fire onboard a commercial fishing vessel identified significant hazards associated with main engine dry exhaust systems coming in direct contact with combustible materials, such as general-purpose resin on a wood Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) vessel. >click to read< 09:14
Proposed bill would make offshore wind developers create compensation fund
The fund would provide compensation if construction or operation of a facility damages fisheries or the marine environment, and if the developer creates fewer jobs than promised in an agreement. Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, co-introduced House Bill 5223 with four Democratic state representatives, while three Republicans and two Democrats are co-sponsors. “This is new territory,” Somers said. “It’s an industrialization underneath the ocean that we have not seen before, and we do not have the data.” Somers’ district has the last commercial fishing fleet in the state, in Stonington, and she said “if the impact is such that they can no longer fish or their career is not viable, it was important for us on the committee to not prioritize one industry over another.” >click to read< 08:02
‘Our fish first!’ Post-Brexit fisheries deal signed by Macron sparks furious Frexit calls
Calls for France to leave the EU have reignited as Emmanuel Macron’s government fails to safeguard the interest of French fishermen after Brexit. Brussels has been accused of “organising the disappearance of the small-scale fishing industry” in France as a post-Brexit deal signed by Emmanuel Macron will force French fishermen’s catches out of their own markets to the advantage of British ones. Emmanuel Macron’s government has agreed to open up the Breton fish markets to fish caught by British vessels, something that infuriated French right-wing politicians. >click to read< 15:47
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Wayne Beal Lobster Boat, 500HP Cummins
To review specifications, information, and 30 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:39
Woman captain joins ‘Wicked Tuna’ for 12th season
Filmed on location in Gloucester and on the North Atlantic Ocean, the show follows experienced fishermen from the nation’s oldest seaport, chronicling their triumphs, challenges and the ones that get away. Of the eight captains, four are from Gloucester, two are from Beverly and two are from New Hampshire. The newcomer up against the veteran competitors is Capt. Michelle Bancewicz of the 31-foot No Limits, who joins the fleet with her first mate Lea Pinaud. Bancewicz had an epic catch in October 2021 that made the news and went viral around the globe when she single-handedly brought in an 800-pound tuna. Bancewicz, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, has been fishing recreationally since she was a youngster. Photos, >click to read< 10:52
The Adventure of an Unconventional Career
Joe Malley keeps a faded but well-loved copy of the December 1, 1999 edition of the Magnolia News as a reminder of his family’s commercial fishing journey over the last two-plus decades. The photo and headline above the fold features Malley, his wife Joyce, and their young son Liam (now 24) standing in front of their new (at the time) fishing vessel, moored at the Port of Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal, as they prepared to embark on a new journey. The St. Jude, a 95-foot-troller, still makes its home at Fishermen’s Terminal today. Some things haven’t changed in the 23 years since the Magnolia News article was written. The St. Jude crew still fishes 12 months a year, chasing Albacore tuna from the North Pacific in summer to the South Pacific in fall. In between journeys they sell their catch off the St. Jude at Fishermen’s Terminal. >Photos, Video, click to read< 09:17
Trawler which sank after colliding with Condor ferry off Jersey’s coast to be raised
The wreck of the F/V L’Ecume II fishing trawler is to be raised from the seabed, the government has announced. During a media briefing to provide an update on three major incidents that recently struck the Island, senior civil servant Richard Corrigan said that the decision to raise the vessel had been taken for both ‘evidential gain and for humanitarian reasons’. The trawler, skippered by Michael Michieli, sank after colliding with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast at around 5.30am on Thursday 8 December. >click to read< 08:05
Search for Missing Fisherman Off San Diego Coast Hampered Due to Storm: USCG
An incoming storm forced the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to suspend its search for a fisherman reported missing off the coast of San Diego two days ago. Sunday afternoon, USCG San Diego received reports that the 42-foot commercial fishing vessel “Defiance” was adrift and unmanned roughly 19 miles west of Point Loma. The Defiance was found around 4:30 p.m. Sunday by a friend of the missing fisherman, according to PO1 Adam Stanton, a spokesperson for USCG San Diego. At USCG’s request, the man searched the vessel for his friend but did not find him, according to Stanton. >click to read< 07:29
Offshore Wind Supporters Angered by ‘Misleading’ Information from R.I.-Based Opposition Group
A handful of property owners in the East Bay has been publicizing a torrent of data arguing against offshore wind projects, causing alarm and anger from oceanographers, environmental regulators, and climate activists who say the group’s arguments are wrong, misleading, and tainted with negative innuendo, false linkages, and guilt by association. The small group, called Green Oceans and organized last December as a nonprofit, believes offshore wind projects are the “industrialization of the ocean” and “100% destructive,” said one member, Bill Thompson, who owns a house in Tiverton. The group includes five other members, four of whom own houses in Little Compton and one with a Boston address. Green Oceans has produced a white paper against offshore wind, presenting 31 objections:,, >click to read< 21:00
Flooded market has Dungeness crab prices way down
After waiting more than six weeks for the Dungeness crab season to finally open in early January, customers have no doubt noticed that prices are lower than they have been in recent years. At H&H Fresh Fish Co. in the Santa Cruz Harbor, which prioritizes sourcing crab from local fishermen, the price for cooked Dungeness crab is $15 per pound and $9 per pound for live crabs. That’s half as much as the 2021-22 crab season, when the price for live crab hovered between $14 to $18 per pound and rose above $20 around that holiday season, while cooked crab was around $18 per pound. An excess of Dungeness crab in the California market is lowering prices, explains Hans Haveman, a co-owner of H&H Fresh Fish Co, especially on the north coast. >click to read< 12:06
In Cod’s Shadow, Redfish Rise
In the North Atlantic, the trajectory following fisheries collapse has not been forgiving. Even decades after overfishing drove seemingly inexhaustible species like Atlantic cod off a precipice, many populations—most notably, of Atlantic cod—have remained stubbornly low. But in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, an exception to the rule is emerging from the depths. Redfish, a deep-dwelling species found in the western Atlantic from Baffin Island to New Jersey, is an unlikely hero: a scarlet groundfish the length of a bulldog sporting a faintly outraged expression and a line of spines sharp enough to draw blood. More to the point: aside from readers of Dr. Seuss, who’s even heard of a redfish? >click to read< 10:10
How Many More Whales Need To Wash Up Before We Wake Up? NOAA Shrugs Responsibility Regarding Spike In Whale Deaths
If you’ve taken the time to read anything the NOAA has published to address the spontaneous spike in whale deaths, and whales washing up on East Coast beaches, you may have noticed that the report skirts around the cause of the whales’ deaths. While they do acknowledge the public’s concerns connecting the whales’ health and the recent establishment of offshore wind energy development, they say, “At this point, there is no evidence that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales, and no specific links between recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys.” (All sources are linked below – I highly encourage you to look into them!) >click to read< 08:41
Mother Jones Joins the Anti-Maine Lobster Bandwagon
Mother Jones magazine, a cornerstone of the progressive establishment, ran a lengthy piece today entitled: “To Save Whales, Should We Stop Eating Lobster?” The 2,300-word article can be seen as a reconsideration of the radical environment push to “red list” and otherwise boycott the iconic Maine fishery, and it included some surprise praise for the industry from a federal regulator. But the Monterey Bay Aquarium, sponsors of the left-wing group Seafood Watch, which red-listed the Maine lobster as non-sustainable last summer, is pressuring NOAA to come down harder on the lobster fishery. >click to read< 07:52
