Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Fears capsized trawler is spilling pollutants into Burnett River
A sunken trawler that has leaked pollutants in Bundaberg’s main river could pose a danger to people’s safety and the environment, a commercial fisherman and environmentalist says. The capsized boat was first noticed in the Burnett River last week and the boat owner has been given until December 9 to move it. Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) said it had deployed a floating boom around the trawler to prevent pollutants entering the waterway. It said it was inspecting the vessel twice a day and adjusting the boom to ensure it was effective. >click to read< 08:40
IN PHOTOS: Lobster boats head out from Eastern Passage as fishery opens
It was dumping day Tuesday for lobster fishers in Nova Scotia’s zone 33, which runs along the province’s south shore between Halifax and Shelburne. Vessels heavy with gear and their crews’ hopes for a lucrative season set out before daybreak to set their traps. Zone 34, the larger area with about 980 licences compared to 635 in zone 33, has had its opening delayed by bad weather. Photos, >click to read< 07:47
MCIB Investigation: Trawl door in wrong position causes serious injury
The Irish Marine Casualty Investigation Board published its reports regarding a serious injury onboard on the fishing vessel FV Marliona, while alongside Greencastle Harbour, Co Donegal, on 3 February 2021. At approximately 14.00 hrs the Skipper (Casualty) and crew were working the fishing gear onboard the vessel for the day and were getting the gear ready for the next voyage to sea. The Casualty was working in the wheelhouse, when he was asked by Crewmember B to slack out the starboard winch as he and Crewmember C were changing a chain-link on the starboard trawl door. Photos, >click to read< 16:32
Forcing fishermen to pay for the privilege of being monitored
Imagine you live somewhere in small-town America where residents routinely exceed the posted speed limits. To address this problem, the town council votes to require a police officer to ride along with each member of the community every time they venture out in an automobile. You might think something like that could never happen. Yet that is precisely the position into which the Department of Commerce has placed the nation’s deep-sea fishermen. For more than 30 years, the Magnuson-Stevens Act has authorized the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to require commercial fishing boats to carry observers with them to monitor their adherence to federal fishing regulations. When NOAA ran out of the money it needed to keep this program going to the extent it deemed necessary in the U.S. Atlantic Coast herring fisheries, the agency decided without congressional authorization to shift the responsibility of paying for these third-party observers to the fishermen themselves. >click to read< 14:54
Video: Coast Guard medevacs commercial fisherman 40 miles northwest of Johns Pass, Florida
The Coast Guard medevaced a 65-year-old man from a commercial fishing vessel 40 miles northwest of Johns Pass, Florida, Monday. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew responded and safely transported the man to Tampa General Hospital in stable condition. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a VHF marine radio call on channel 16 at approximately 2:23 p.m. from the fishing vessel F/V Rachel Nicole, stating the captain was suffering from abdominal pain. A sister vessel met the Rachel Nicole and escorted the rest of the crew back to port. “Having an VHF-FM radio on board allowed us to get our resources to the correct location within ample time,” said pilot Lt. Weston Dodson. >Video< -USCG- U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Tampa Bay
The Honolulu Fish Auction Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary
Commercial fishing in Hawai’i was banned during World War II and slowly resurfaced by the early 1950s. The United Fishing Agency launched the Honolulu Fish Auction on Aug. 5, 1952, and it celebrated its 70th anniversary this year at Honolulu’s Pier 38. The agency says it’s the only fish auction in Hawaii and the only large-scale tuna auction in the Pacific this side of Tokyo. Michael Goto, who has been running the auction for a decade, says seafood is a much bigger industry in Hawaii than many people might realize. >click to read< 10:42
Twin-rigging yields results
Brim’s fresher trawler F/V Akurey is fishing now on the Hali grounds and according to skipper Jón Frímann Eiríksson, they were a few days into the trip before the weather improved enough to work both trawls. ‘To start with there wasn’t weather for fishing, practically blowing a storm, but it’s dropped away now. Today it’s been fine. We’ve been able to tow two trawls all day and fishing has been good,’ he said, and estimated that the catch so far is around 80 tonnes. The bulk of the catch is cod, plus some other species such as saithe. >click to read< 09:24
N.S. lobster season kicks off in one fishing area after one-day delay
The lobster season kicked off in one of Nova Scotia’s most lucrative fisheries Tuesday morning after a one-day delay. Opening day, referred to as dumping day, was delayed Monday in Lobster Fishing Area 33 due to bad weather. LFA 33 extends from Cow Bay in Halifax County south to Port La Tour, in Shelburne County. Lobster boats were finally able to leave Eastern Passage, N.S., and Sambro, N.S., before sunrise Tuesday. Lobster season is still delayed for at least another day in Lobster Fishing Area 34 due to weather conditions. >click to read< 08:51
Port Orford has $2.3-million for dock cranes upgrades project
Port Orford’s port is looking for a new dock crane or two, and it’s planning to spend more than $2,000,000 for upgrades. The Port says its crane replacement project involves two 50-ton cranes used to launch vessels going to sea and retrieve them when they return. The project also includes new product handling hoists and other seafood product handling equipment. The Port says it, “lands an average $5,000,000 in ex-vessel value seafood each year, contributing an average of $7,000,000 to Oregon’s economy, and employing approximately 30% of the local workforce in commercial fishing, processing, and related jobs.” >click to read< 08:05
Ongoing Legal Battles Put Maine Lobster Fishery in Crosshairs, Results in Suspension of Marine Stewardship Council Certification
An ongoing legal dispute between environmental activists and the federal government has led Maine Lobster’s Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fishing certification to be suspended. An independent auditor conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the fishery earlier this year and determined that Maine Lobster is a well-managed and sustainable fishery according to MSC fisheries standards. Shortly after this assessment, a court ruled that regulations issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service to govern the management of North American right whales (NARW) do not meet the requirements of federal laws to protect endangered species. As a result of this court ruling, while the industry has complied with all regulations in good faith, the independent auditor suspended the MSC certificate of the fishery. >click to read< 18:02
Fishing Vessel Review: Euroclydon – Scottish Designed Vivier Crabber Delivered to Devon Owner
Macduff Ship Design of Scotland has confirmed the recent completion and delivery of a new crab fishing vessel to owner Stuart MacDougall of Devon-based fishing company Euroclydon. The newbuild, which is also named Euroclydon, is the second Macduff-designed crab fishing vessel built for the same owner in the space of only three years. Euroclydon features many similarities to MacDougall’s first vessel, Levanter, with a similar arrangement throughout. However, with increased length, beam, and depth, the newer vessel provides noticeably more space all around to enhance crew comfort, seakeeping, and fishing activity. Photos, specifications, >click to read< 16:41
Opening days delayed for Canada’s largest and most lucrative lobster fisheries
The opening days for two of Canada’s largest and most profitable lobster fisheries have been delayed because of bad weather. The federal Fisheries Department says it is delaying by one day — to Tuesday — the opening of Lobster Fishing Area 33, which extends from Cow Bay in Halifax County south to Port La Tour, in Shelburne County. Meanwhile, the department has yet to announce the opening day for Lobster Fishing Area 34, which extends from Shelburne County around to the southwest coast of the province, because Environment Canada is forecasting gale conditions into Tuesday. Video, >click to read< 14:10
Maritime apprenticeship program seeks to fill labor gap
The students began training with the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship, a four-year program that will arm them with skills and experience and provide desperately needed labor to the maritime industry in the county, said Deb Granger, apprenticeship training coordinator. Students in the program attend one night class a week and one Saturday workshop per month, from October through May, to learn about 12 marine-specific technical training subjects, including equipment and gear installations, boat design, electronics, building materials, rigging and safety. At the Landings at Colony Wharf in Bellingham on Nov. 12, students learned about “docking, hauling and blocking” with one of the boatyard’s owners. Photos, >click to read< 12:43
‘Rock the Shrimpers Relief Benefit’ – Shrimpers explain difficult process with boat removal
The community came together Sunday to raise money for shrimpers who lost everything during Hurricane Ian. The Rock Shrimpers Relief Benefit was held in Cape Coral at the Torched Bar & Grill. Hundreds gathered in the parking lot to show support for shrimpers who were majorly devastated by Hurricane Ian. Shrimpers have a major impact on the local economy and everyone in attendance hoped the money raised will help the rebuilding process. Video, >click to read< 11:25
‘Rock Shrimpers Relief Benefit’ held to help Fort Myers Beach Shrimping industry recover from Ian – Shrimpers on Fort Myers Beach are eager to get their fleet back on the water, but unfortunately, most of the 45 boats on the island are still inoperable. But the community is coming together to help the shrimpers. Video, >click to read<
Dumfries and Galloway trawler boss who told crew to keep fishing after colleague injured fined £13,500
A callous trawler boss who told a crew to keep fishing instead of seeking medical help for an injured colleague has been fined £13,500. Thomas Nicholson insisted crewman Joel Quince, who had been knocked unconscious and was bleeding heavily from a head wound, needed only painkillers and a hot drink. As a result, there was a delay of almost 12 hours before the scallop dredger Philomena headed back to shore. Even then the injured man had to phone a seaman’s mission to arrange transport to hospital. >click to read< 08:28
Boothbay Harbor lobster boat sinks, raised with lots of help
In the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day, Andy Page’s boat, F/V Sea Star sank at the Boothbay Harbor town dock. Efforts to raise the boat were not able to happen until Friday morning. Bruce White of Sea Tow along with many fellow fishermen worked through the morning placing airbags and eventually pumps to re-float the vessel. The first attempt was unsuccessful as an airbag failed. Photos, >click to read< 07:37
Jerry Leeman – Why it is wrong to assume anything
I’ll use this photo to prove a point. NOAA uses a computer to pick where their assessments on fish stocks will take place. Here lies the problem. It’s in random spots, and they never make the same tow again at the same time of the year because they use a computer model that knows nothing of fishing. NOAA is taking the assumption that fish live everywhere. That’s pretty funny because if you knew anything about fishing at all, fish species don’t hang on every piece of bottom all day and night. They just don’t. Not only do fish have tails, but they also swim up into the water columns and travel with the feed and breeding cycles and changes of the seasons. >click to read the rest< by Jerry Leeman.16:16
Icelandic trawler caught one hundred tons of cod in just 48 hours
It was Brim’s trawler “Akurey” that sailed west along the south coast of Iceland after a successful trip to the fishing grounds east of Iceland. According to skipper Eiríkur Jónsson, the catch is around 105 tonnes after almost two days of effective fishing. “We went east from Thorlákshöfn, where we landed last time, and sailed on to the first tow on Wednesday morning. The final move was on deck at five o’clock this morning. These are all fine cod, and I’m guessing that the average weight is about three kilos each,” says the skipper, >click to read< 15:31
‘The seafood industry is significant to Maryland’s economy and identity’
Maryland’s seafood industry has long been the envy of markets around the country, providing more than $600 million each year to the state economy. Stone Slade, seafood marketing director for Maryland’s Department of Agriculture, said it isn’t hard to locate a “fresh catch” and the industry plays a key role in shaping the state’s identity. “The seafood industry contributes $600 million to the state’s economy, employs thousands of workers, has annual commercial landings averaging over 56 million pounds, and an annual dockside value of $95 million.” >click to read< 11:20
Boats Damaged After Trawler Incident at Dingle Marina in County Kerry
A marina pontoon and several small craft berthed at Dingle Harbour in County Kerry were damaged on Saturday, November 26th, by a trawler manoeuvring in the harbour. Local reports say the visiting trawler was reversing at the time of the incident, as captured in this video below by YouTuber Tommy B. Several small motorboats, RIBs, and the southern section of the marina infrastructure were capsized or damaged in the collision with the trawler. >click to watch< 10:19
Lobster buoys mark the spot of lives spent fishing on the Maine coast
The colors, as varied as they can be, abundantly dot the blue surface of Maine waters like an Easter basket brimming with brightly painted eggs. They look alike for the most part, but are in many ways distinct and different, just like people. And with an imminent storm approaching by way of more regulations aimed at protecting whales, I fear for the worst and hope for the best as I remember the first time I watched fishermen work the water one summer Down East. The buoy is a fisherman’s calling card. It is also his note to self of where he was yesterday and where he will be going tomorrow. But more importantly, it is his signature of a life lived on the water. >click to read< 09:07
Australian Seafood industry on ice
A great Australian tradition is seafood at Christmas time. We have some of the best fresh seafood in the world. The need for the reminder is becoming more important. Over the past few decades Australia has closed massive amounts of oceans and rivers reducing the amount of seafood available to all Australians. The result of all these fishing bans has not been to save the environment, we have instead just imported seafood from other countries with poorer environmental practices. We instead import most of our seafood from China, Thailand and Vietnam who all extract fish from their oceans much more intensively than we do. The numbers are shocking. >click to read< 08:04
A Great Wall – In the Sea
Fishermen are being excluded from the debate relating to windfarm development in the North Sea, according to Job Schot of Eurocutter Job Senior Z-201, who has been prominent in questioning the rapid changes taking place. ‘I’m opposed to windfarms,‘ he said. ‘I’m a fisherman and this has a huge effect on how we make our living. But we have to accept that this isn’t going away.’ Since the first wind turbines appeared in the North Sea a couple of decades back, the rate of change has increased, and today fishing grounds are disappearing at breakneck speed, with little attention paid to those who question this. Photos, >click to read< 18:20
Jerry Leeman: Fishing is my life. Somewhere, people forgot to listen to the generations before us.
I’ve spent all my life on the ocean. My family and friends are fishermen and lobstermen. I grew up on an island in Maine and almost everyone was in some form of fishery, whether it be groundfishing, gill netting, seining and lobstering. We even had shrimping till that was mis managed away. I grew up watching these men and women harvesting the ocean. Rules were put into place to harvest the ocean responsibly and sustainably for future generations. Most people in this nation know little to as of why our fish stocks became depleted. Other nations like Russia and other European super trawlers were allowed to pillage our waters along the New England coast. They were eventually banned, but the destruction had been done. We’ve spent years restricting ourselves fishing, going out of our way bending backwards to rebuild our fish stocks. >click to read< By Jerry Leeman 11:19
Old Port Royal shrimp boat is sunk off Hilton Head Island. It’s now being put to good use
A 70-foot shrimp boat, once docked in the town of Port Royal, has joined New York City subway cars and other unusual materials that make up a man-made reef off of South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, where black sea bass, grouper and barracuda and other fish hang out. On Oct. 25, the Palmetto Pride, a shrimp boat with Beaufort-based Sea Eagle Market, captained by Cameron Reaves, towed the Buccaneer to Betsy Ross Reef, 16 miles east of Hilton Head, where it was sunk the next day, said Craig Reaves, Cameron’s brother. Craig Reeves sees it as a “win win,” he said, because the older shrimp boat will benefit both the environment in its new life and Port Royal’s efforts to remove old boats from its water prepares as it prepares to build a new shrimp dock and processing facility. Video, >click to read< 09:05
Nova Scotia: Government Urges Safety as Southwestern Lobster Season Starts
Lobster fishing season begins Monday, November 28, in Southwestern Nova Scotia. Dumping Day, as it is known in lobster fishing areas 33 and 34, brings excitement and opportunity – but also great risk. Boats are often loaded with traps and gear, and crews must be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. “Boarding boats in the cold and dark, at the mercy of the weather and the sea, makes fishing dangerous work. Safety is a crucial priority,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Steve Craig. “One tragedy is one too many, so we urge fishing captains and crews to make sure they follow their safety training and take every precaution, so they are able to come home safely to their loved ones.” >click to read< 08:07
Monkfish win for Scottish fleet after UK-Norway talks
A deal struck between the UK and Norway will help to offset “over-precautionary” catch advice affecting monkfish catches in the North Sea. The bilateral talks between the two countries have delivered fishing opportunities for the Scottish fleet in 2023. Agreements on access and quota exchanges of fish stocks were signed. Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: “Reaching this deal provides certainty and clarity between the parties for the year ahead. “Due to over-precautionary catch advice from Ices… that industry considers to be unjustified, the inward transfer of monkfish from Norway is to be welcomed. >click to read< 18:02
Coast Guard pulled 4 men from shrimp boat taking on water 11 miles south of Jamaica Beach, Texas
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a notification at 1:20 a.m. from Coast Guard Station Galveston watchstanders reporting a 31-foot shrimp boat taking on water with three people aboard. Once on scene, the RB–M crew reported that the shrimp boat, the F/V Captain Alex, was 86 feet in length and had four people aboard. The shrimp boat, which reportedly sank, is reported to have a maximum potential of 17,000 gallons of diesel aboard. 5 photos, >click to read< 14:50
Here’s why the West Coast Dungeness crab season has been delayed
Oregon’s most valuable commercial fishery, Dungeness crab, will have its season delayed from its traditional Dec. 1 start date because of low meat yields. Testing shows the crabs in some ocean areas off the West Coast don’t have enough meat in them to satisfy the commercial market. In some areas, testing also showed elevated levels of the naturally occurring toxin domoic acid, which can make the crabs unsafe to eat. ODFW conducts tests out of six major crabbing ports in partnership with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Oregon, California and Washington coordinate on commercial season opening dates, and the other states will also be delaying their crab season until at least Dec. 16. >click to read< 12:10
Mi’kmaw fisher hopes his treaty rights will prevail at trial
Matt Cope has already told the court that he was harvesting lobster in August 2020 when he was charged. While the fisher from Millbrook First Nation admits to that – Cope, 36, says his treaty rights should protect him from a conviction. Cope appeared at the provincial court in Digby, Nova Scotia where the Crown proved he violated the fisheries act. Officials with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, also known as DFO, testified that on Aug. 28 and 29, 2020, they seized 90 lobster traps from the Bay of Fundy. Video, >click to read< 11:09
