Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Regulators see hard years ahead for the scallop fishery, New Bedford’s cash cow
Scientists report that young scallops off the eastern seaboard have been struggling to grow to maturity for nearly a decade now, constraining one of the nation’s most lucrative fisheries to its lowest biomass in more than 20 years. In a presentation before the New England Fishery Management Council on Wednesday, the council’s scallop analyst Jonathon Peros projected that the latest regulations adopted by the council will cap next year’s scallop harvest at 25 million pounds, a steep drop from a record harvest of 61 million pounds recorded just four years earlier. >click to read< 09:45
The search for three fishermen is under way for a second day after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jersey.
The captain and two crew members of the L’Ecume II are missing after it was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill ship just after 05:30 GMT on Thursday. Jersey Coastguard confirmed its tug, the RNLI and the Channel Islands Air Search plane was involved. Local fishermen also offered to assist in the search after the fishing vessel sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. The decision to resume the search was made after reviewing the footage from a remotely operated underwater vehicle that was used to examine the sunken vessel. >click to read< 08:40
Jersey: Fears grow for missing fishermen who vanished along with their boat
Hopes are fading for the crew of a fishing boat who went missing off the coast of Jersey in the early hours of this morning. A major search has been under way throughout the day after a trawler collided with a cargo ship and sent three people overboard. Specialist divers have been involved in a search and rescue operation, but it has been suspended for the night. Efforts will resume in the morning around the area where the fishing vessel L’Ecume II disappeared in 40-metre-deep water. One of the missing men has been named locally as Michael Michieli, the skipper of the Jersey-registered vessel. It struck the Commodore Goodwill, a 120m freight carrier with a tonnage of 11,166, at around 5.30am this morning. >click to read< 19:24
Maine Republicans want to end tax breaks over lobster bans
Legislation expected to be filed by the GOP minority for consideration in the next session would prevent Whole Foods, or other groups that ban lobster sales from getting tax breaks available to Maine businesses. Last week, Whole Foods announced plans to stop selling lobster caught in the Gulf of Maine at hundreds of its retail stores across the country. During the Tuesday briefing on the proposal, Republican lawmakers framed the issue as one of survival for the state’s storied lobster industry, which they say is struggling amid labor costs, foreign competition and costly federal regulations aimed at preventing whales from becoming entangled in fishing gear. >click to read< 14:54
Bering Sea crab collapse spurs push for stronger conservation measures
For Bering Sea crabber Gretar Gudmundsson, December is a month for preparing his two boats for the winter harvest season. But not this year. For the first time, the winter snow crab season has been scuttled. The move has upended seasonal rhythms, and the financial stability of a crab fleet already slammed by a two-year shutdown of the fall harvest of red king crab. “We didn’t ship up any groceries. We didn’t recruit any crew. We’re not laying on fuel. Nothing is happening,” Gudmundsson said. Crabbers are pressing for more restrictions on pollock fleets, which deploy large cone-shaped trawl nets to scoop up more than 3.2 billion pounds annually of this fish in the biggest single-species harvest in North America. >click to read< 11:55
Fisheries minister pushes for joint Canada-U.S. management of depleted Atlantic mackerel stock
“We don’t support the fact that we had closures because the stock was in critical condition and the United States were fishing essentially that same stock,” Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray told a parliamentary committee Friday. Murray’s remarks are a more public stance on what has been a quiet effort by Canada to persuade the United States to jointly manage a species both countries say is in trouble. Murray said she expressed her concerns in a virtual meeting earlier on Dec. 2 with her U.S. counterpart, Richard Spinrad, who leads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA. “He wants to invoke the precautionary principle, which in my view, wasn’t happening adequately. We agreed that we share our approach to this and in two months there will be meetings between NOAA and DFO to discuss our assessments and build a better approach to rebuilding mackerel.” >click to read< 10:03
California’s Dungeness crab season delayed yet again, this time until Dec. 30
California Fish and Wildlife officials on Wednesday evening announced another postponement in the commercial Dungeness crab season for the entire state coast — the third delay this season. There are two geographically based reasons behind the decision: From the Sonoma/Mendocino County line south to the Mexican border, a risk assessment undertaken Wednesday determined there is still a high concentration of migrating whales that could get tangled in fishing gear. It’s the fourth consecutive year of delays to protect the humpbacks. On the far north coast, whales have moved south from Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties, but state officials said testing of crabs caught in these waters showed low meat quality, hence the continued ban there. >click to read< 08:56
Commentary: Fishing rules are strangling honest, hard-working, blue-collar fishermen
I’m not a fortune teller; I’m just a fisherman. I have no vested interest, other than it’s a job. My job employs thousands, and that keeps those lives turning. When the last fish is landed, it’s all over. Men and women will not and should not go to sea and risk their lives for nothing. I truly wish people with any sense at all would stand up and push against this. But they’ve created a problem where there wasn’t one, and the chain that binds us all will break shortly. Video, >click to read< 08:03
Wreck of trawler which collided with Condor freight ship ‘located on seabed’
The wreck of the trawler involved in a collision with the Commodore Goodwill has been located on the seabed in up to 50 metres of water, according to the head of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association. The vessel went down off the west coast after colliding with the freight ship at about 5.30am. Jersey Coastguard has confirmed that the vessel has sunk. A major search and rescue operation involving more than a dozen boats and aircraft is under way for three missing fishermen. >click to read< 07:03
KFO to Highlight Litany of Festering Problems Facing the Fishing Sector
Morale in the Irish fishing industry is at an all-time low as rocketing fuel costs, shrinking quotas and the lingering legacy of Brexit are all proving extremely problematic. This will be the message brought to an Oireachtas Committee later today by the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation. KFO Chief Executive, Seán O’Donoghue, said the challenges facing the sector are manifold. And, although complex, his members have presented and agreed solutions to all of the key issues which are realistic, credible and based on scientific evidence. >click to read< 15:46
Crabs have evolved five separate times—why do the same forms keep appearing in nature?
Charles Darwin believed evolution created “endless forms most beautiful.” It’s a nice sentiment but it doesn’t explain why evolution keeps making crabs. Crabs belong to a group of crustaceans called decapods, literally “ten footed”, since they have five pairs of walking legs. Some decapods, like lobsters and shrimp, have a thick, muscular abdomen, which is the bulk of the animal that we eat. With a quick flick of their abdomen lobsters can shoot off backwards and escape predators. Crabs, by contrast, have a compressed abdomen, tucked away under a flattened but widened thorax and shell. This allows them to scuttle into rock crevices for protection. Evolution repeatedly hit upon this solution because it works well under similar sets of circumstances. Five groups of “crabs”,,, >click to read< 14:10
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Young Brothers Lobster Boat, 750HP John Deere
To review specifications, information, and 23 photos’, Video, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 09:44
BOEM and NOAA announce joint strategy for fisheries surveys
BOEM and NOAA Fisheries are announcing a joint strategy to address potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys. The Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy underscores the agencies’ shared commitment to the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy goals of responsibly advancing offshore wind energy production while protecting biodiversity and promoting ocean co-use. “This joint strategy will help ensure the quality of NOAA’s fisheries surveys and data are maintained while the nation develops offshore wind energy,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries,,, >click to read< 08:57
‘Looking at the years to come’: Pacific Seafood strategizes for the future
After coming off a remarkably successful year in 2021, Oregon’s commercial fishing industry is working through new challenges in 2022 and preparing for what’s ahead in 2023. In 2021, Oregon experienced its best crab year since 2013. Commercial fishing revenues jumped by 29% to $206 million, according to the Oregon Employment Department. In recent years, total fishing harvests have averaged about $165 million, making 2021 a year that stands out among the rest. Tyson Yeck, vice president for corporate key accounts with Pacific Seafood, said it was a phenomenal year for commercial fishing due to record-breaking prices and strong landings – meaning excellent catches. >click to read< 08:11
Fishers struggling to get lobsters to take the bait
Most fishers have their own bait recipe for what catches lobster. The season opened last week in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 33, which runs from Shelburne County, N.S., to Eastern Passage, and according to Brett Young, the lobsters have not been taking the bait. “We were doing a little better last year. I think the catches are down a little bit from last year,” said Young. Fishers in Eastern Passage have a few theories on why their catch might be down and one is because of post-tropical storm Fiona. Video, >click to read< 06:59
Busted! – Coast Guard, NOAA seize illegally caught fish near Homer, Alaska
A Coast Guard law enforcement boarding team seized illegally caught fish near Homer, Alaska, Wednesday. The Naushon crew seized the catch and escorted the vessel to Homer where a NOAA OLE representative took possession of the catch upon arrival at the pier. A Coast Guard Cutter Naushon boarding team discovered halibut aboard a commercial IFQ halibut vessel that was not documented in the vessel’s logbook. Additionally, the halibut was filleted to where the size and number of fish could not be determined. >click to continue< 15:49
Maine lobstermen warn Biden Administration is trying to put them out of business with harsh eco rules
Industry groups and both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Maine are sounding the alarm that a pending federal environmental regulation would crush the state’s vaunted lobster industry, The proponents of Maine’s nearly $1 billion lobster industry have argued that federal rules aimed at protecting the endangered right whale species from fishing equipment in federally managed waters are unfairly attacking blue-collar lobstermen who rely on the resource to make a living. They have warned that the regulation threatens the livelihood of thousands of Maine lobstermen and individuals employed in supporting industries. Video, Photos, >click to read< 14:00
Latest round of Dungeness crab testing to conclude Tuesday
The second round of domoic acid and meat-quality testing for Dungeness crabs in Oregon, Washington and California is scheduled to conclude Tuesday as the commercial crabbing industry waits for an opening date. The results, which Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say are likely to be published by Wednesday, will determine if the coast’s commercial Dungeness crab season will open, or if the industry can expect more delays. >click to read< 09:58
New incentive program for Mississippi shrimpers
There’s a new incentive program for Mississippi shrimpers! “The goal of it is to have shrimpers remove marine debris, any single-used plastics, old fishing gear that they come across as they do their regular shrimping throughout the year. So, we’re incentivizing them to remove that and bring it and dispose of it properly at any of the harbors down here.” Shrimpers can sign up through Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United or Mississippi State University Extension Center. Video, >click to read< 09:17
‘We’re the easiest target’: Maine lobstermen snap over regulations row
When French President Emmanuel Macron was treated to butter-poached Maine lobster at President Joe Biden’s first state dinner, the gesture was hailed 500 miles to the north. It was seen as a gesture of solidarity with an industry that is reeling from the latest in a series of blows in recent years. Having survived the pandemic and a trade war with the Chinese during the Trump years, Maine’s 10,000 lobstermen hoped brighter times were ahead. But in mid-November, the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent sustainability policeman, stepped in, triggering a clash between lobstermen, environmentalists, and the upmarket Jeff Bezos-owned Whole Foods grocery chain. >click to read< 07:34
Decline of Bering Sea snow crab fishery demands swift action
Billions of crabs have vanished off the coast of Alaska, and with them, the fishing season for the Bering Sea crab fleet. This is grim news for a fleet that has fished crabs under science-based catch limits for years, providing healthy wild-caught seafood to the world and bringing jobs and income throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. It’s also bad news for the communities of the Bering Sea, like St. Paul Island, where the economy is almost entirely dependent on the snow crab fishery. >click to read< 20:44
All for one and one for all – With Jerry Leeman
Well, if NOAA goes through with these cuts this coming year to groundfish stocks I’m afraid there won’t be a fishing season next year. They have created choke species thru faulty assessments. I don’t know why I say assessments because they really haven’t done enough to make any logical cuts to any stock. To my family and friends who are lobstermen. You will watch the bait prices double overnight once the last groundfish boat is done. No more bait will be landed thru the groundfish efforts. That’s right no redfish racks, no hard bait and no skates. This will happen. I’ll do my best to argue everyone’s circumstances and the errors of their data and sampling methods using on the job experience offshore for 14 years at sea in the last 21 years. The entire groundfish fleet Captains are united in this argument that the data is corrupt and wrong in many ways. All offshore fishermen spend more time trying to avoid fish due to the made-up choke species brought to us by bad science and lack of know how. >click to continue reading<, 15:03
IN PHOTOS: Dec. 5 opening to LFA 34 lobster season after weeklong weather delay
Following a weeklong delay, the LFA 34 commercial lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia got underway on Dec. 5. Instead of opening on the last Monday of November, the season opened on the first Monday of December as forecasted winds last week pushed the opening back. Fishing crews were greeted on dumping day with light winds and calm seas The neighbouring LFA 33 district opened its season on Nov. 29. >click to read< and view 23 photos! 12:54
Virginia Regulators to Consider Changes to Menhaden Fishing Regulations
Virginia regulators will consider changes to commercial menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay following requests from recreational anglers to put an end to the fishery. The proposals follow repeated requests from the Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association to stop menhaden fishing in the Bay, including a petition of 11,000 signatures that was presented to the office of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this year. Reedville-based Omega Protein, the lone player in the Bay’s menhaden reduction fishery, which processes catches into fishmeal or fish oil, says the new regulations take away available fishing grounds that include uninhabited areas. Taking operations completely out of the Bay into less safe conditions in the ocean would ultimately force the company to stop operating. >click to read< 11:51
Feds: Whales Must Be Protected from Turbines
Soon after a group of opponents to proposed East Coast offshore wind projects hired a law firm with environmental regulation expertise, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a new plan to protect North Atlantic Right Whales and put it out for public comment. The opponents, with Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy as part of the coalition, had been pointing to the impact of the project on the whales for months and this protection and mitigation plan admits the problem is significant. One apparent result of that will be a major delay in publication of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on Dominion Energy Virginia’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project off Virginia Beach. >click to read< 09:48
Trawlers Unplug after 380% Increase in ESB Bills
Killybegs trawler owners have plugged out of an innovative harbour-side electricity source after they were told their bills would almost quadruple. The €1.7M ‘shore power’ system to allow fishing boats to connect to electricity when in Killybegs Harbour, thereby cutting out harmful emissions from diesel generators, was only launched in November 2021. However, a notice was posted on the harbour last week informing owners that a government agreement with ESB would end on November 30. “As of December 1, every one of us is back using the diesel generators, and we are not even getting a fuel subsidy. >click to read< 08:15
Finally! Lobster season kicks off in southwestern Nova Scotia
One the country’s most profitable lobster fishing areas opened for the season Monday after being held back by weather-related delays. The Coldwater Lobster Association says opening day, referred to as dumping day, for Nova Scotia’s lobster fishing area 34 officially began at 6 a.m. The area was slated to open for the season this past Monday, but it was postponed due to storm and wind conditions. >click to read< 07:33
Santa makes early visit to Rockport
Santa and Mrs Claus didn’t let brisk winds and threatening rain stop them from making an early visit to Rockport on Saturday. The couple arrived aboard the lobster boat William G. Drohan at T Wharf on Rockport Harbor after a ride across Sandy Bay. Santa and Mrs. Claus were accompanied by a crowd down T Wharf and Broadway to the First Baptist Church, led by a Rockport Forest Fire Truck and the local Cub, Boy and Girl Scouts. There, he posed for photos with children, and checked in to see if they were naughty or nice. >click to read< and enjoy 13 photos! Merry Christmas, Santa! 20:17
Mi’kmaq First Nation, environmental group work on creating electric lobster boat
An environmental charity and the Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton are partnering to create electric lobster boats on the East Coast, saying it’s the way of the future if Canada is to meet its zero-emission targets. Hubert Nicholas, the director of fisheries at Membertou, said in an interview the new boats will likely be costlier than diesel-powered vessels at first, but he said it’s expected there will be savings in maintenance and fuel costs. Nicholas estimated the cost of lobster boats is about $600,000 to $700,000, adding that an electrical boat would have higher, yet-to-be-determined costs for its engine and other components.>click to read< 13:11
