Wind energy companies Ørsted North America and Atlantic Shores have plans to build offshore wind turbines 10 to 15 miles off New Jersey’s shoreline. Atlantic Shores plans to build at least 111 wind turbines across 183,353 acres at three different sites off New Jersey by 2027. Construction for Danish wind company Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 projects is set to begin next year, with at least 99 turbines fully operational by 2025. Gov. Phil Murphy has said he supports offshore wind for its ability to create jobs, reduce the garden state’s carbon emissions and generate renewable energy. He has set an offshore wind goal for the state of 11,000 megawatts by 2040. But residents and local government officials have been critical of the plans. >click to read< 09:12
Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Whale hell looms in Massachusetts
The first of the monster offshore wind arrays is ready to roll, with construction to begin in May. The acoustic hammering on the whales and other sea critters will now escalate from sonar survey blasting to the incredible noise of pile driving. Each huge wind tower sets on an enormous monopile that has to be driven into the sea floor. The project bears the happy name Vineyard Wind but there is no vineyard. Here is how they put it: “Vineyard Wind is currently building the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind energy project over 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.” There are 62 enormous wind towers, each among the world’s biggest at 13 MW. >click to read< 12:54
New leaders of FFAW and ASP pledge to work together for 2023 snow crab season
The Fish, Food & Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers have long butted heads over issues related to the fishing industry but say they’re facing historic challenges this season and want to avoid any problems from the outset. “In light of the challenges we are facing this year, we have agreed that our best approach is to collectively discuss the challenges the crab fishery is facing and to seek support from both levels of government to ensure that we have a successful crab fishery in 2023,” said Paul Grant, board chair of the seafood producers’ board, in a press release ahead of the media availability. >click to read< 11:41
New Bedford fisherman pleads guilty to evading more than $431,000 in federal income taxes
Victor M. Cruz, 43, pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion in federal court in Boston on Tuesday. A warrant was put out for his arrest in August of 2021, and in July of last year he was arrested in Brownsville, Texas, a shrimp fishing port on the southernmost tip of the U.S.-Mexico border. Court records show how Cruz failed to report his wages over seven years working for “various commercial fishing vessels” on the Port of New Bedford. The companies were not named. >click to read< 10:26
2 whales found dead along Atlantic Coast were likely hit by boats, NOAA says.
Necropsies on two whales found dead along the Atlantic coast this week revealed that both marine mammals showed evidence of vessel strikes. Both whales, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and a humpback, were already beginning to decompose, but preliminary results show internal injuries consistent with the blunt force trauma of a vessel strike, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. The deaths are among a flurry of 21 whale deaths along the length of the Atlantic coast since Dec. 3. >click to read< 09:20
Oregon’s Late Dungeness Crab Seasons Create Challenges for Crabbers, Restaurants, and Diners
The impact is felt strongest by Oregon’s 423 commercial crabbers who depend on Dungeness for a substantial portion of their annual revenue. Tim Novotny, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, said that Dungeness is easily the most profitable of Oregon’s fisheries, and while many crabbers are able to harvest shrimp or rockfish in the off-season, the uncertainty heading into the critical crab season in December is especially stressful. “They’ve got to try to find a way to keep their crew busy and fill out the payroll,” Novotny said. “It’s very harrowing during that time period. They’ve gotten used to these delays, but it’s still very uncomfortable and full of angst.” >click to read< 08:32
‘Everybody deserves to come home safely’: Commercial seafood industry launches national safety program, Sea Safe
“Working at sea and around water is inherently high risk. Most risks can be managed through education and the use of safe practices. FRDC has invested in fishing and aquaculture safety programs and projects throughout Australia, over many years including FRDC-funded programs such as Sea Safe and FishSafe that have been instrumental in shaping the new Sea Safe program,” Dr Hone said. “FRDC is proud to extend our commitment to safety through our investment in Sea Safe. We want all people who work and play in, on or near the water, to be safe and go home to their families, so having a national Sea Safe program will help build a safer culture for all our stakeholders.”
Are cod ‘severely depleted’ in the Gulf of Maine? Fishermen, scientists view ocean depths differently
When fishermen and women look at the gray Atlantic waters off New England, they see a marine environment literally swimming with cod, the popular white fish prized around the world for its mild flavor. Scientists, on the other hand, say Atlantic cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine are severely depleted and possibly vulnerable to extinction. The question of how fishermen and marine scientists employed by government agencies can view cod numbers so differently has puzzled Micah Dean, a marine biologist with the state of Massachusetts, for years. While a doctoral student at Northeastern University, Dean believed he came up with an answer. >click to read< 19:00
F/V Miss Ally remembered: 10 years since tragedy claimed five Shelburne County fishermen
It will be 10 years ago on Feb. 17 that life forever changed for the families and friends of five Shelburne County fishermen, forever known as the crew of the Miss Ally. Caught in a huge storm with waves larger than 10 metres and hurricane-force winds, the 45-foot fishing vessel was on its way into port from a halibut fishing trip when it ran into trouble about 120 kilometres southeast of Liverpool on Feb. 17, 2013. The vessel’s emergency locator beacon was activated at 11:06 p.m. The Canadian Coast Guard was dispatched. But to the heartbreak of families and friends – and communities in southwestern Nova Scotia – there would be no rescue. None of the crew came back home from that fishing trip. Photos, two stories. >click to read<
Miss Ally remembered: ‘Would do it again in a heartbeat’ says diver who searched capsized vessel – >click to read< 16:10
Portugal: Fishermen ‘betrayed’ over wind farms request urgent parliamentary meeting
The movement of fishing associations that has emerged from the government’s latest wind farm policy has described today how it feels utterly betrayed. “We feel that the government has betrayed the fishing sector” by setting the country on course to have what he believes will be “the largest oceanic desert in the world”, all in the name of renewable energies. Yes, wind energy will be produced – but at the cost of the livelihoods of traditional fishermen who will be banned from fishing their usual routes, even if the fish remain available. As reports have explained at stake is the proposal (currently under public consultation) to create five areas for off-shore wind farms near Viana do Castelo, Leixões, Figueira da Foz, Ericeira-Cascais and Sines. >click to read< 14:47
Valentine’s Day drama at sea as trawler sinks off coast of Cornwall
A Royal Navy helicopter on a training flight stood ready to act as a trawler crew abandoned their sinking boat off the coast of Cornwall yesterday evening. Sennen Cove Lifeboat ultimately rescued the crew-of-four as their Belgian fishing boat rapidly sank beneath the waves south of Land’s End. The alarm was raised at around 6pm by the trawler’s skipper. Sennen’s RNLI volunteer were scrambled by Falmouth Coastguard following a mayday call from the 24-metre fishing vessel taking on water approximately two miles south of Porthgwarra. >click to read< 13:20
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 95′ Raised Forecastle Steel Dragger, 1400HP Detroit 12V-149
To review specifications, information, and 28 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:10
Ocean City calls for a halt on wind farm development after latest whale death
Ocean City officials are demanding answers tonight and calling for a halt on wind farm development. This comes after yet another dead whale washed ashore along the East Coast. The dead North Atlantic right whale washed ashore on Virginia Beach over the weekend, the fourth such case across the region this year, and while the cause of death hasn’t yet been released, the Town of Ocean City is urging both State and Federal officials to get involved. Mayor Meehan said other areas along the East Coast are also taking steps in an effort to halt the projects, citing conversations he’s had with other mayors who share the same concerns. >click to read< 09:56
Republicans Want to Defend Maine Sovereignty Over Lobstering Waters, Punish Lobster Boycotters
Republican leaders in the Maine House and Senate are taking aim at those who target the state’s iconic lobster industry by introducing legislation to repeal tax exemptions on equipment for companies that “red-list,” or otherwise boycott the products of Maine industry, they said in a joint press conference at the state capitol Tuesday. Together with this bill, another legislative initiative calls on the state to restore Maine’s sovereignty out to the 12-mile mark offshore. Currently waters beyond three miles are considered federal domain. >click to read< 08:46
Republicans take aim at Whole Foods’ tax incentives after chain pulls Maine lobster off shelves – >click to read<
Scottish fishers blast Holyrood for ‘scandalous’ marine policy tantamount to ‘greenwashing’
Mike Park was speaking as the clock ticks down on a Scottish Government consultation on its controversial proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). Another industry leader, Elspeth Macdonald, branded the plans as “greenwashing”. And Banff and Buchan Tory MP David Duguid claimed they were “the biggest threat to the north-east fishing industry for decades”. But the government hailed its proposals as “a step change in the protection of our marine environment”. It aims to have at least 10% of Scottish waters designated as HPMAs by 2026. >click to read< 07:45
Fishing Crew Rescued After 1 month at Sea in Thailand
A Phuket fishing crew survived for nearly one month at sea after their boat, the Soi Sakul Petch, suffered engine failure a week after it departed from the island in southern Thailand on January 19. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) launched a huge search operation after losing contact with the boat, combining marine and air searches, and reached out to authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia in case the boat has entered their territorial waters. >click to read< 17:51
Concerns over fishing industry risk from proposed offshore wind farm in South East SA
Residents in a small South Australian coastal town are concerned a proposed offshore wind farm could impact on the local fishing industry. Off its coast, the Southern Ocean has some of the most productive southern rock lobster waters in the country. Offshore wind developer Blue Float Energy has announced plans to build a 77-turbine wind farm between 8 kilometres and 20km out to sea, which the company says would generate 1.1 gigawatts of clean energy. Fisher and farmer Brodi Milstead said he was not only worried about his industry. “No matter what their studies say, we know it’s going to affect our businesses, our environment, our whales, everything that lives there,” he said. >click to read< 16:02
Family of Labrador fisherman lost at sea take calls for inquiry into vessel safety to Ottawa
Jeanette and Dwight Russell met with a variety of ministers in a series of meetings earlier this month. Their son, Marc Russell, and his crewmate Joey Jenkins were reported missing Sept. 17, 2021, when their vessel, the Island Lady, did not return to report. The search was clouded with allegations from the families of a lack of co-ordination by governments and that the search was ended too soon. The RCMP called off the search after 10 days. Now the couple has met with several MPs, calling for a federal commission of inquiry into fishing vessel safety. “I don’t think we’re going to get there without an inquiry,” Jeanette said. “This is the hill I’m prepared to die on.” >click to read< 11:16
Calls to salvage Port Lincoln’s historic fishing vessel, the Almonta, as it rots on seabed
When a historic Port Lincoln wooden fishing boat sank on its moorings at Snooks Landing more than a year ago, its owner Mario Antolini cried. He watched from the shore 100 metres away, unable to help as 60 years of stories and memories sank to the seabed. Cars of people soon arrived and in his grief Mario saw they too were crying. The Almonta was an early wooden vessel in the local salmon and bluefin tuna fleets of the 1960s. It was a favourite for those who worked on its rich timber deck and netted huge catches of fish from the rolling southern ocean. Photos, video, >click to read< 10:27
Three Men Cited for Commercial Fishing Violations in East Baton Rouge and St. Martin Parishes
Agents cited Calvin P. Chenier, 22, of Churchpoint, and Calvin P. Simoneaux, 63, of Churchpoint, for taking or selling commercial fish without commercial fishing licenses and taking commercial fish without commercial gear license. Agents also cited Chenier for illegal possession of game fish. Jimmy Fruge, 83, of Breaux Bridge was also cited for buying commercial fish from an unlicensed fisherman and failing to maintain public records.
>click to read< 9:29
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for February 13, 2023
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 I definitely still have a lot to learn about fisheries management and I certainly do not always listen to what I preach. But one thing I do know is that fisheries management is a slow process and I think James 1:19 is a good way to approach it, especially when it comes down to the people involved. >click to read< 08:50
Fishermen gather in D.C. to press Congress for ‘catch share’ changes
fishermen from each corner of the country descended on the nations capital last week banding together to confront what they describe as a predatory regulatory system that treats fishing rights “like stocks on Wall Street.” The group of more than a dozen fishermen make up a loose organization known as the Catch Share Reform Coalition. They presented a proposal to several U.S. senators, members of Congress and the head of NOAA Fisheries to rework regulations that they say have enabled investors to amass large amounts of fishing permits, cornering parts of the industry at the expense of local fishermen. Members of the group each fish out of different ports, using different types of gear and fishing for different species. But they said they are all united in their goal to keep fishing rights in the hands of local fishermen. >click to read< 07:06
Spanish fishing captain returned for trial – to stay on his boat rather than be held at Cork Prison
A Spanish fishing captain has been returned for trial by a judge and jury after being charged on Monday with 25 alleged breaches of European Union fishing regulations in Irish waters off the southwest coast. Ramon Novo Martinez (57), Master of the Spanish owned but German registered Ortegall Tres, was brought before a special sitting of Bandon District Court following the detention of his vessel by the LÉ Samuel Beckett for alleged fishing offences in Irish waters. Mr Martinez, with an address at Corosopalmeira, Riberia, La Coruna, Spain, was charged with a total of 25 fishing offences on various dates between a date unknown in December 2022 and February 3rd 2023 while fishing within the exclusive fishing limits of the State. >click to read< 19:05
Deadliest Catch Captains Admit They Went to the Wrong Graveyard When Burying Phil
Back in 2010, along with his coworkers, family, and friends, fans of Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch,” were shocked to learn about the untimely death of Captain Phil Harris. Producers of the show were able to capture the emotional and heart wrenching moments of Harris’s hospital stay, eventual death, and how it affected not only his family, but also the entire fleet. Sometime later, when fellow captains came together to memorialize the late leader of the Cornelia Marie, they told a humorous story about the funeral procession heading to Harris’s service. >click to read< 15:01
Last of broken down boats leaving old Port Royal dock. Now new construction can begin
At a Thursday auction, ordered by a federal court, an old shrimp trawler sold for $50. It will be moved shortly, Town Manager Van Willis said. The town previously removed the oil and fuel from the vessel. A sailboat also was up for sale at the auction, Willis said, but there were no bidders. As a result, Willis said, “It’s officially ours now.” The town plans to scuttle the sailboat. The town’s plan to replace one of the few publicly owned commercial fishing docks remaining in South Carolina comes as Safe Harbor Marinas begins its initial work in a major redevelopment that will transform the town’s waterfront. >click to read< 13:23
With a coast guard research vessel facing decommission, N.L.’s fisheries union has concerns
On Thursday, the Canadian Coast Guard announced the research vessel CCGS Alfred Needler is being decommissioned after 40 years in service due to “significant mechanical and structural failures” in late 2022 and early 2023. “The coast guard determined that the ship was beyond repair and further investment would not allow it to return to reliable and safe service,” Gary Ivany, assistant commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Atlantic region, said Friday. The decommissioning causes problems for DFO scientists, whose job is it to determine how much shrimp and cod should be fished each year. >click to read< 12:09
Amputations, broken bones among the injuries caused by winches on fishing boats
For crews working on fishing boats in Alaska, danger lurks in a helpful and possibly innocent-looking device: the winch. Winches are hauling devices on which cables are wound. On fishing vessels, they are used to lift anchors, nets and other objects. The combination of speed, force and close quarters on deck can lead to accidents involving them. In most cases, the injuries happened when body parts were caught in or compressed by winches or the cables attached to them, the study said. Hands, wrists and arms were the body parts most frequently injured, though there were also injuries to other body parts, including skull fractures. Amputated fingers were among the most commonly reported injuries,,, >click to read< 10:10
Biden bureaucrats and woke environmentalists are regulating Maine lobstermen out of existence
Have you been shopping recently and suffered from severe sticker shock on household staples? Sure, inflation and supply chain issues are contributors to soaring costs, but something deeper and more long-term is also going on: regulators and radical environmentalists are working in tandem to turn staple consumer products into luxury goods beyond the reach of most Americans. The flare-up over banning natural gas-powered appliances is a great example of the kind of regulation some would like to impose on ordinary Americans. But similar radical regulatory moves with devastating effects for consumers are already happening across several industries. In Maine, for example, the families who have harvested the iconic seafood commodity from American waters for centuries may soon find themselves regulated out of existence. >click to read< 07:33
Issues raised over Highly Protected Marine Areas
Scottish Government plans to designate at least 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are the “biggest threat to the north-east fishing industry for decades”, a MP has warned. Mr Duguid said the Scottish Government’s plans to install HPMAs and offshore wind, to a larger extent than elsewhere in the UK, is causing concerns of “spatial squeeze” and will be detrimental to the Scottish fleet. It follows concerns from organizations including the Scottish Fisherman’s Federation (SFF) which described the plans as “government greenwashing” while “prioritizing political objectives over good policymaking and decision-taking”. >click to read< 15:45
More Length, Capacity and Space
Once the decision had been taken to lengthen F/V Sara Karin, Oddgeir and Erik-Andre Krag went back to the original designer, Marin Design, for the design work on how this could be achieved – and they started looking for a Norwegian yard that could do the job at a competitive price. The outcome turned out to be that the Hirtshals Yard in Denmark, a thousand miles to the south, was selected as the main contractor, with much of the steelwork carried out by another yard in Hirtshals, Vestkajen. While F/V Sara Karin has been at the yard for almost a year, its quotas have been caught by F/V Mosken 2, which the family bought together with its quotas in early 2022. 8 Photos, >click to read< 12:30
