Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Keeping It Working – Maine’s working waterfronts
Maine’s harbors may seem quieter this time of year, but you might be surprised how much activity continues along our working waterfronts in the dead of winter. Marine terminals, ferries, mailboats, and fish-processing plants continue their daily operations. Shipyards are working on repair jobs put off during the busy summer and fall. The hardcore offshore lobstermen are still fishing, while others are rerigging for winter fisheries like scallops, mussels, urchins, and seaweed. Just what constitutes a working waterfront? In Maine, as in the rest of the country, the definition includes all-tide access, so that vessels don’t have to time their arrival and departure schedules strictly around the tide. >click to read< 17:26
Victory! After a 2 week stand down, Kodiak’s Tanner crab strike is over
Each of Kodiak’s four canneries offered slightly different deals – Alaska Pacific Seafoods agreed to $3.35 per pound plus a retro payment – which can boost the final payout to fishermen after the season. Pacific Seafood also agreed to $3.35 per pound with a possible retro to fishermen. OBI settled with crabbers for $3.25 plus profit sharing, and Trident Seafoods stayed at $3.25 per pound. It wasn’t exactly the deal Kodiak crabbers were hoping for, and some boats from Kodiak may still take their crab out west where processors are offering slightly more per pound. But ultimately, 80% of those in attendance at Saturday’s meeting agreed, it was time to go fishing. “We stuck together, we’re gonna roll this thing out together, and we’re looking at it as a victory,” >click to read< 13:11
Where Does the Camera Crew Sleep on Deadliest Catch’s F/V Northwestern?
Filming a reality show can be hard going; not just on the people who star in the production, but on the crew that must capture it all. The skippers and fishermen who appear on the “Deadliest Catch” are well aware that they’re not the only people in danger while catching crabs. For instance, in 2012 the official “Deadliest Catch” YouTube page posted a video about Shane Moore, a cameraman who would go to extreme lengths to get just the right shot for the show, sometimes to the bemusement of the skippers he worked with. >click to read< 11:24
Go wild and get hooked at Ecola Seafood Restaurant and Market
Jay and Cindy first met in the summer of 1978. While Jay was attending Beaverton High School, at the age of 15 he and his friend John purchased a dory and began commercial fishing off the beach at Gearhart. They had no idea what they were doing, but followed a group of local fishermen as they launched into the surf. After living in other states, Cindy’s love of the north Oregon coast led her back to this area. They were married in 1991, with their first child Ashley born in 1994. In 1993 they were selling their catch to various businesses, including Ecola Seafood in Ecola Square Mall on Hemlock Street. The owners were tired and ready to call it quits. Jay and Cindy became the new owners of the small Ecola Seafood fish market and restaurant. >click to read< 09:47
Skipper in court on 12 fishing regulation charges
The skipper of a Spanish-owned fishing vessel which was detained by the Irish naval authorities has appeared in court in relation to 12 alleged breaches of fishing regulations. The appearance in court by 55-year-old Juan Pablo Docal Rubido, from Coruna in Spain, followed the detention last Monday of the German-registered, Spanish-owned, Pesorsa Dos in Irish fishing waters. The vessel was detained by the LE George Bernard Shaw off the southwest coast and escorted to port at Castletownbere in west Cork, where it remains at the moment. >click to read< 08:04
Fairhaven Fire Department and Harbormaster responds to diesel fuel spill in harbor
The fishing vessel F/V Jack M reported an equipment malfunction that spilled an unknown quantity of diesel fuel into the harbor. The spill located at Union wharf extended as far North as the Seaport Inn and Marina. The spill impacted Fairhaven Shipyard, Blue Harvest Seafoods, Pease Park Boat Ramp, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Seaport Inn. The vessel’s owner is cooperating and has contracted with Frank Corp Environmental, located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to complete the cleanup. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Coast Guard Pollution Control is investigating the cause of the malfunction.” >click to read< 07:11
Grupo Arbumasa’s New Fresher Trawler
Huafeng 882 is the third of six trawlers ordered in 2021 by Dalian Huafeng Aquatic Products, part of Grupo Arbumasa. Earlier in 2022, Contessi launched the first two vessels, which have already been successfully fishing during the recent season. Like its sister vessels, Huafeng 882 is a 24-metre fresher trawler, designed to fish not only Argentine red shrimp but also the several other species outside the shrimp season. Huafeng 882 is a double-decked ship mostly made of steel, with an aluminium superstructure. A fresquero, it does not have freezing capacities, but it has an insulated fishroom, provided by Nautiplast, for landing catches fresh in ice, and a chiller supplied by PM Refrigeración. Video, photos, >click to read< 17:25
Offshore Wind? At Any Scale Safe, Reliable & Affordable Nuclear Is The Natural Energy Choice
There are 30 countries where you’ll find nearly 450 nuclear reactors currently operating, including the French, Americans, Canadians, Japanese and Chinese. Another 15 countries are currently building 60 reactors among them. Nuclear power output accounts for over 11% of global electricity production. But not a lick of it in Australia, thanks to an idiotic legislated ban put in place by a Liberal government back in 1998. STT promotes nuclear power because it works: safe, affordable, reliable and the perfect foil for those worried about human-generated carbon dioxide gas, because it doesn’t generate any, while generating power on demand, irrespective of the weather, unlike the forever unreliables: wind and solar. >click to read< 12:16
Killybegs-Based Fishing Reps say Norway is Holding EU Fishing Deals to Ransom
Irish fishing representatives have accused Norway of stalling EU quota talks because they failed to secure privileged access to blue whiting in Ireland’s EEZ (European Economic Zone) waters. “Norway has a track record of overfishing blue whiting and mackerel ,” says Aodh O Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO). “So, they should not be rewarded with new and additional access to Ireland’s waters to catch their blue whiting quota.” “They already have an inflated 25% of the total catch for blue whiting, compared to just 3% for Ireland. The Irish Box (a key part of our fishing zone) has some of the richest blue whiting grounds – worth around €160m. This is why Norway is targeting our waters. They are still not offering any meaningful reciprocal deal to Ireland in return for our blue whiting.” >click to read< 10:36
Fishing crew catches rare, brightly colored petrale sole
A fishing crew working for a Morgan Hill-based seafood company reeled in “the catch of a lifetime” in Moss Landing Harbor when they pulled a brightly colored petrale sole with a rare skin condition onto the boat, according to the company. The crew was fishing on the F/V Noah’s Ark vessel for Lusamerica Foods,,, “I’ve never seen anything like that, ever, and neither has my captain. And we’ve been fishing for over 100 years between us,”In an industry noted for superstition, Lusamerica and the F/V Noah’s Ark are taking the catch as a “good omen.” Adame said the Jan. 24 expedition was the boat’s first time unloading in Moss Landing, >click to read< 09:47
Simmons Seafood Market Sells Direct to Community in Damariscotta
Simmons Seafood Market opened its doors at 49 Main St. in Damariscotta this month, bringing customers fresh seafood purchased directly from fishermen and processed in house. A grand opening at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 3 and continued expansion will bring prepared meals, wholesale, and local boutique offerings in coming weeks. Owners Amy and Gregory Simmons, of Friendship, have been at work on the former Fisherman’s Catch storefront since early January, along with their three daughters, ages 5, 10, and 12. Gregory Simmons, a fifth-generation lobsterman and all-around fisherman, said opening the market was the result of a snowball effect throughout his years working on the water. >click to read< 08:41
Coast Guard pursues civil penalty for AIS violation
The Coast Guard is pursuing a civil penalty Friday with a maximum punishment of $41,093.00 against a commercial fishing vessel for violating Automated Identification System (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River Dec. 3, 2022. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River detected a commercial fishing vessel deactivate its AIS while underway near the mouth of the Columbia River in violation of 33 Code of Federal Regulations 164.46(d)(2). The captain declined to accept the Notice of Violation, issued for $5,000. Now the case has been referred to a Coast Guard Hearing Officer, with a maximum penalty of $41,093.00. As this remains an active investigation, the Coast Guard is not currently releasing the name of the suspected violating vessel. >click to read< 19:29
How offshore wind developers are working around the Jones Act
The U.S. is going to need between four and six gigantic wind turbine installation vessels to support President Joe Biden’s 30 gigawatt-by-2030 offshore wind goal, according to a new Energy Department national lab-led report out this week. It currently has zero finished vessels that comply with the Jones Act, which requires that vessels carrying shipments between points in the United States be owned and crewed by U.S. citizens, registered under the U.S. flag, and built in the United States. Project developers have therefore used, or are planning to use, Jones Act-compliant “feeder” barges to transport wind components from domestic ports out to the project site, where the components are then transferred to a foreign-flagged vessel capable of installing them. >click to read< 14:21
“We’re solid. We’re unified” – Inside Kodiak’s crab standoff
The nearly 6-million-pound quota was the highest in decades. And some people spent more than $100,000 to buy a permit to fish this year, said Kevin Abena, one of the leaders of the Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative. But fishermen’s hopes for a banner season are now in limbo, as the 130 boats in the Kodiak tanner crab fleet are on strike, holding out for higher prices from the seafood processors that typically buy, package and resell their catch. But processors and industry experts say the fishermen are fighting larger market forces that make it unlikely they’ll get much more than the $3.25 a pound that Kodiak-based plants have already offered, less than half than last year’s $8 a pound price. >click to read< 10:48
Full on fish landings this #FishyFriday in Newlyn.
Good Morning from Newlyn! 22 photos and a nice video! >click to review< 09:47
Elections and electronic logbooks; SEA-NL AGM set for Feb. 25th
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) has scheduled its first annual general meeting (AGM) for Saturday, Feb. 25th, at the Albatross Hotel in Gander, and will feature an election for a new president and regional representatives. “Nominations open today for enterprise owners willing to step up for their fleets and the future of the inshore fishery,” says Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. “The leaders we need must not be bought and paid for or out for themselves but focused on the overall health and direction of the inshore as a whole.” The election of a new SEA-NL president was trigged earlier this month with the resignation of Jason Sullivan, SEA-NL’s first president elected at the 2022 founding convention. >click to read< 08:37
Southern portion of Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opens
Commercial Dungeness crab fishing opens Feb. 4 on the remaining southern portion of Oregon’s coastline from Cape Arago (just south of Charleston) to the California border. The earliest a crab season may start is Dec. 1 pending meat fill and biotoxin results. This year, the season opener was delayed due to crab in some areas with low meat fill or high domoic acid levels in crab viscera (guts). It opened Jan. 15 from Cape Falcon to Cape Arago and opens Feb. 1 from Cape Falcon to the Washington border. While the announcement today opens the season Feb. 4 from Cape Arago south, the BMZ location and timing will be dependent on results of on-going biotoxin testing. >click to read< 07:41
Naval service detains Spanish trawler off the south-west coast
A German-registered Spanish vessel which was involved in a confrontation off the Scottish coast over two years ago German-registered Spanish vessel has been detained by the Naval Service off the south-west coast. The 26m Pesorsa Dos was detained last Saturday, January 21, by the LÉ George Bernard Shaw, but it took several days to haul its gear before it could be escorted into Castletownbere, Co Cork today. The same vessel from La Coruna in northern Spain was previously detained in the Irish exclusive economic zone, 250 miles north of Donegal’s Malin Head, in July 2020. It’s understood the 1974-built 27m long fishing vessel, which left the Spanish port of La Caruna on January 2, had shot gill nets and was fishing in deep water for monkfish. >click to read< 17:32
Council Presents 2022 Award for Excellence to Maggie Raymond
The New England Fishery Management Council honored Maggie Raymond, former Executive Director of Associated Fisheries of Maine and a 25-year participant in the Council process, by presenting her with the 2022 Janice M. Plante Award for Excellence. Council Chair Eric Reid called the recognition “long overdue.” “Maggie represents the epitome of someone dedicated to both the commercial fishing industry and sustainable fisheries management,” said Chair Reid. ““Today we’re highlighting Maggie’s contributions to our own Council process,” said Chair Reid, “but her work for fishermen and the fishing industry was not limited to the Council. She was a key member of the New England fishing community for over 27 years and continues to make contributions even in her supposed ‘retirement.’” >click to read< 13:50
Fishing licence plan ‘bordering on naive’
The government’s plan to prevent French fishing boats depleting stocks in Jersey’s waters is ‘bordering on the naive’, according to local fishermen – as temporary licences allowing European vessels access to local waters expire next week. Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said he feared the 136 French boats licensed to fish in the Island’s territorial waters might decrease in number over time but retiring boats would be replaced by larger, more efficient vessels. These boats would quickly be able to wipe out rich grounds around the Island, such as scallop beds near the Minquiers, leaving Jersey fishermen with little to catch, Mr Thompson told the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel yesterday. >click to read< 12:37
Biden needs to help California fishermen in our dispute over dangerous fish farms
When people think of California, they think of our coasts. Our vibrant ocean sustains a robust seafood industry, as well as many hospitality, tourism and recreation businesses. But in recent years, our coastal enterprises have faced a litany of challenges; pollution, climate change and development along the coast have made it difficult for independent businesses to survive. Now in 2023, another threat is looming: The National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration is scoping out Southern California as a new site for industrial-scale finfish farms. Last spring, NOAA identified 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas off the coast of Southern California. These areas are deemed ideal for offshore fish farms, despite the fact that two of them are in close proximity to a Superfund site where 500,000 barrels of the banned pesticide DDT were dumped. >click to read< 10:00
Lawsuit threatens to shut down Southeast salmon troll fishery
An ongoing lawsuit by a Washington State environmental group is threatening to shut down the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery in the summer and winter to help endangered Puget Sound orca whales, and has prompted the trollers to ask the City of Sitka to help pony up for legal bills. The Seattle-based group Wild Fish Conservancy filed suit last year and a federal court ruled last August that the National Marine Fisheries Service had violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in approving salmon harvests in the Southeast troll fishery, which catches chinook salmon, a key food source for the Puget Sound orcas. In the meantime, lawsuits and rulings are continuing. >click to read< 08:36
No auction at Peterhead Fish Market after boycott by processors
The Aberdeenshire town is the biggest white fish port in Europe and the market is one of the largest. The dispute centres around Peterhead Port Authority’s decision to stop certain buying practices which it said are anti-competitive. It operates as a traditional shout auction with processors bidding for boxes of fish landed at the harbour. Until recently, as part of that, the practice of so-called bid sharing or ringing was commonly used, which is when buyers sometimes bid in groups rather than individually. However, Peterhead Port Authority, which runs the market, is putting a stop to this. >click to read< 07:29
Commercial Fisherman Alf Ludvig Forde of Mukilteo, Washington has passed away
Alf Ludvig Forde (80) died peacefully at home in Mukilteo, Washington in the early morning January 4th, 2023 of natural causes. Alf was born November 9th, 1942 to Alf and Odney Forde in Ketchikan, Alaska. Alf was an Alaskan commercial fisherman. He started fishing on his dad’s boat at a young-age, eventually owning 2 halibut longliners and 3 Bering Sea crab boats. Alf built his business through hard work and honesty. He was respected as an extremely fair person not only with partners, but also among crew, fish buyers and professionals throughout the industry and beyond.
Alf’s greatest personal achievement was his family. >click to read< 15:26
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 47’X18′ 2010 Novi Lobster, Gillnetter, Tuna – Open Stern/Split Wheelhouse
To review specifications, information, and 44 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:01
It’s been more than a week, and Kodiak’s Tanner crab stand down continues
Crabbers in Kodiak still haven’t come to an agreement with the island’s canneries on prices for this year’s harvest. And this weekend, the fleet voted again to continue standing down – with no plans to meet again until they get a better offer from processors. Kodiak’s fleet voted down an offer from local processors for $3.25 per pound for Tanners on Friday. Canneries had initially offered $2.50 per pound ahead of the season. And Sunday night, crabbers voted to press pause on the season altogether until they get a price from canneries they think is fair. “We all thought we were going to be fishing, but we all understand why we aren’t fishing,” said Kevin Abena the secretary and treasurer for the Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative, which represents permit holders in the fishery. “So, we’re just waiting.”>click to read< 10:59
Why Are Island Scallopers Struggling To Sell Their Catch On Nantucket?
It’s the peak of Nantucket’s commercial scalloping season, but one of the island’s long-running scallopers, Bob DeCosta, isn’t on the water. And he’s not the only local fisherman whose dredges are dry these days. “I’m not fishing because I have no place to sell them,” DeCosta said. “This is a new thing. It’s unfortunate because there’s still plenty of scallops out there to be caught.” Despite what fishermen have described as one of the best seasons in recent memory, DeCosta and some other island scallopers are struggling to sell their catch on Nantucket. There were already limited options on the island, and with the recent closure of Glidden’s Seafood for several months, a number of fishermen in the island’s fleet have been unable to find buyers for their scallops. >click to read< 09:53
Whale deaths in NC and along the East Coast have officials searching for answers
On Jan. 7, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale calf was found dead, wedged under a pier in Morehead City. In the previous month, three humpback whales washed up on beaches between Beaufort and the northern Outer Banks. The four North Carolina deaths are part of at least 14 whales that have washed up on East Coast beaches since Dec. 1. Federal officials, scientists and conservation groups have said there could be multiple factors contributing to the rise in whale strandings, including an increase in the population of the Western North Atlantic humpback whales. But one idea that’s gained traction online and among some coastal residents and politicians is that huge offshore wind farms planned off many East Coast states, including North Carolina, could be harming the marine mammals. >click to read< 08:46
Nova Scotia cracks down on lobster operators to protect industry’s ‘integrity’- Suspensions issued at 2 lobster pounds
In August 2018, Fisher Direct in Shag Harbour, N.S., was caught with lobster harvested under an Indigenous licence, which bars selling the catch. The pound, which has annual sales upwards of $20 million, had received a shipment of 1,400 kilograms of lobsters the day before federal fisheries officers descended on the facility. Inside the 31 crates, officers found 48 lobsters tagged for Indigenous food, social or ceremonial purposes that the department had previously microchipped. Meanwhile, a larger operation in southwestern Nova Scotia is also facing at least one licence suspension. In 2021, Atlantic ChiCan on Cape Sable Island was convicted for illegally shipping American lobsters to China, claiming they came from Canada. >click to read< 07:16
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel near Dutch Harbor, Alaska
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew, forward deployed to Cold Bay, medically evacuated a mariner from a fishing vessel near Dutch Harbor, Tuesday morning. The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew hoisted the 47-year-old man from the 310-foot fishing vessel F/V Northern Eagle and transported him back to Cold Bay for a wing-to-wing transfer with LifeMed Alaska personnel. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 17th District command center, in Juneau, received the initial request for the medevac Tuesday at 5:55 a.m. from the vessel’s crew that a fellow crew member had injured his right hand. >click to read< 20:52
