Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
No Fluke: Locals Fight Offshore Wind Power Project That Threatens Mass Whale Wipeout
If the wind industry gets its way, it’s curtains for the already endangered Atlantic Right Whale. Taking giant industrial wind turbines offshore threatens whales of all shapes and sizes, including the Atlantic Right Whale. Whales already have plenty of offshore industrial activity to contend with. However, where oil and gas extraction, international shipping, and commercial fishing have obvious embodied economic benefits, the only economic benefit derived from wind power is the subsidies it attracts. No subsidies. No wind power. It’s that simple. >click to read< 12:55
Focus on Alternative Fuels
The Padmos Shipyard is taking part in this year’s Holland Fisheries Event, with the spotlight on future-oriented fishing projects. That means less energy consumption, lower CO2 emissions and alternative fuels. The yard is based at Stellendam in the south of Holland and specialises in newbuilds, repair and maintenance of fishing vessels. The company is currently designing conversions of existing fishing vessels to diesel-electric propulsion methods or alternative fuels, according to director Walter van Harberden. Photos, >click to read< 11:07
Donegal seafood sector “hopeful” on fuel aid
Fishing and seafood organisations say the are “hopeful” that the Minister for the Marine is about to announce a national fuel aid scheme for the Irish fleet. They believe the Minister now agrees that escalating fuel costs are causing serious difficulties for the industry. EU funding is already in place to support such a scheme, but to date, Ireland had failed to implement one. Aodh O’Donnell of the Killybegs-based Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) said: “The survival of the entire fishing sector is at stake. >click to read< 08:14
Hurricane Ian: How will the stranded shrimp boats on Fort Myers Beach be cleaned up?
“You come and you see your business sitting on land when it’s supposed to be in the water,” said Tacey Gore, the owner of the shrimp boat Lexi-Joe. Over the last three weeks, Gore and her husband haven’t been seeing anything but their boat on dry land. Unlike the boats scattered along San Carlos Boulevard that are mangled and in the mangroves, cranes aren’t picking the ships up and it might be awhile before they do. “The cranes are massive,” Gore said. “They have to come in parts and get put together. They’re basically going to have to set up a makeshift boatyard here.” Getting a crane that big is just part of the problem. Getting it through the Matanzas Pass is another problem. Video, >click to read< 15:06
Letter to the Editor: Stan Fox writes in about lobstering regulations and whales
I am 73 years-old and hold a non-commercial (NC) lobster license. NC licensees are limited to five traps, and the lobsters caught cannot be sold. Today, traps cost roughly $100 each; that is to say, I have $500 invested my gear – that’s nothing. A commercial lobsterman, however, fishing the 800-trap limit will have invested $80,000. To save the whales, I have seen that the ropeless traps proposed cost $4000 apiece and they require special on-board electronics. Instead of $500, my traps would cost $20,000, an untenable price for me. But for the commercial lobsterman with 800 traps, the cost would be $3.2 million dollars! Perhaps someone will come up with less costly technology, but for now it seems that someone wants to put lobstermen out of business. >click to read< 12:10
I Am a Small-Scale Fisherman Fighting to Save the Coasts of South Africa
I am Christian Adams and I am a fourth generation small-scale fisher. I grew up in a small town called Mamre. My grandfather was a very successful fisherman during the 1960s and 70s. He provided employment for about 60 families. He had 28 rowboats and employed two people on each boat. During lobster season, they would go camp at a place called Bokbaai and they would fish about 60 tons of lobster per year. In 1972, when the Apartheid government was planning to build Atlantis, they interviewed him and he said: “The only thing that we need is a proper road, some electricity in the phone line. We do not ask for anything else, because we are already thriving in our business that we have here.” None of that was provided and the Apartheid government instructed him to stop fishing at Bokbaai. Photos, >click to read< 10:06
Lobster industry supporters planning rally in Augusta
Lobstermen and women and supporters are holding a rally in Augusta this Sunday. The group Downeast Housewives for the Fishing Industry invite anyone to join them at Capital Park from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.. They say there are speakers scheduled at the rally against regulations and red listing. Others are welcome to tell their story during the rally, too. >click to read< 08:38
Here’s the Untold Truth of “Deadliest Catch Captain Rip Carlton
Carlton denied “Deadliest Catch” producers’ access to his boat numerous times, claiming that the show would slow down his operation. With the Red King crab season closed in the 2021 to 2022 season, Captain Rip Carlton joined the show to show us how Golden King crab fishing is done. As stated in his bio on the Patricia Lee’s website, Rip “is the captain of one of only five boats that harvest Golden King Crab,” which positions him as “one of the world’s foremost authorities on Goldens.” The F/V Patricia Lee’s “long lining” fishing style is a major factor in its dominance. On top of Carlton’s experience in Golden King crab fishing, his boat discharges up to 50 pots at one time, while most other boats only drop one at a time. When pulling up this string, the pots come up every 90 seconds. >click to read< 20:06
Why Did 11 Billion Alaskan Snow Crabs Suddenly Disappear?
Earlier this month, Alaska announced that it had canceled the entire snow crab harvest for the year. The news heralded a catastrophic population collapse for the animals, in which nine out of ten died out between 2018 to 2021. It’s a terrible development for those who make a living harvesting the crabs in a region of the world that’s warming unusually fast because of its proximity to the North Pole. (Alaska officials also canceled the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest for a second year in a row.) This isn’t a small industry; Alaska’s crab fishing is worth more than $200 million a year. The sudden shutdown has left the state, well, shell-shocked. >click to read< 12:04
Canadian Lobster Fishermen Move Towards Electronic Declarations
Electronic logbooks for fisheries are essential for timely processing and analysis of capture declarations and the sustainable management of Canadian fisheries. Since 2018 in Québec, fishermen using JOBEL have demonstrated that their fishing activity is compliant with national and international requirements. Also, Department of fisheries and Oceans, the fishermen and scientists now have the information needed to evaluate the durability of the Québec lobster fishery. Indeed, lobster fishermen in the Gaspe area greatly benefited from being able to provide the Marine Stewardship Council with accurate information on the impact on other species during the certification process for their spring fishery. >click to read< 11:29
Commercial fishermen accused of raiding fellow fisherman’s lobster traps in the Keys
Three commercial fishermen were arrested this week after being accused of raiding another commercial angler’s traps and stealing at least one spiny lobster. Their arrest Tuesday came five days after plainclothes Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers said they observed them from land checking the other boat’s traps off Long Key and taking one lobster. Aniel Sanfiel Vallalonga De La Fe, 51, from Miami, Ricardo Daiz De La Cruz, 32, from Boca Raton, and Yumar Gonzalez Ruiz, 49, from Homestead, each face two counts each of felony trap tampering and one count each of theft of the contents of another harvester’s traps, a second-degree misdemeanor. >click to read< 10:32
Shetland completely cut off from mainland as phones, internet and computers hit by blackout
Communications in Shetland have been completely shut down with phones, internet and computers in a total blackout after the south subsea cable between the islands and the mainland was cut. Police have declared a major incident and are patrolling to try and reassure residents, telling them they still may be able to call 999 in an emergency even without signal. ‘We don’t know the cause yet. These things have happened in the past with catastrophic effect. ‘It is not unknown and usually it is because a trawler picks up the line on the seabed and pulls it up and breaks it. >click to read< 09:19
Commercial fishermen form Point Loma Commercial Fishing Alliance
Point Loma commercial fishing businesses and tenants at Driscoll’s Wharf launched a new Point Loma Commercial Fishing Alliance at an Oct. 13 press conference at the wharf, which included wine and lobster rolls. The group formed as an effort to draw attention to the significant role commercial fishing plays as the “front door” to San Diego’s fishing industry. The alliance seeks to advocate and represent commercial fishing activities along the Point Loma working waterfront, known as America’s Cup Harbor and Shelter Island. “As most of you know, we’re trying to save Driscoll’s Wharf,” said Tom Driscoll. “I want to keep this going. But more importantly, for commercial fishermen in this area, this facility is really needed for them. So, the commercial fishing alliance was formed.” >click to read< 08:35
Alabama’s Oyster Harvest Off to Great Start
The state’s oyster season opened on October 3, and the oyster catchers are busy plucking those delicious bivalves from the reefs in coastal waters. Scott Bannon, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Director of the Marine Resources Division, said both the number of catchers and sacks of oysters harvested per day are up from last season. “To my knowledge, we had a record number of catchers for an opening day at 243,” Bannon said. “The max we had last year on any given day was 211. Last year, we averaged 180 catchers a day. This year, we’re averaging 220. “The harvest is going well. We averaged about 800 sacks a day last year, and we’re averaging about 1,200 sacks a day this year.” >click to read< 07:42
BBC documentary examines mass crab die off on Teesside coast and what has happened since
A TV documentary examining the impact of the mass crab and lobster die off on the Teesside coast is set to air. We Are England: Trouble at Sea looks at the events of last October and what has happened since. In it, film makers speak to fishermen, conservationists, the Tees port authority PD Ports and scientists to document the effects of the worrying occurrence, the subsequent investigation and the theories on its cause that have been an ongoing source of dispute. Teessiders will know huge piles of crabs, lobsters and shellfish began to wash up on beaches around the Redcar and Markse areas as well as Hartlepool a year ago before washing down the coast as far as Whitby. They were seen in piles that were waist deep in some places and most were dead or dying.>click to read< 21:32
A fish that sparked a national obsession
Bacalhau (salt cod) is a deep part of Portugal’s culinary identity. But for a fish that is found only in the icy depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, far from Portugal’s shores, the country’s love affair with salt cod is a puzzling one. How exactly did it end up on Portuguese plates? The answer is wrapped up in more than 500 years of intriguing history. In the mid-1500s, during Portugal’s maritime explorations and hunt to find the coast of India, they stumbled across waters rich with cod around Canada and Greenland; a major discovery that kickstarted Portuguese cod fishing. But by the 16th Century, Portuguese fishermen were pushed out by the French and English. >click to read< 18:14
Science fishery or FFAW quota, DFO refusal to release catch data from sentinel fisheries raises conflict of interest concerns
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador accuses Fisheries and Oceans of treating the FFAW-run, science-based sentinel cod fisheries like a commercial quota in refusing to release catch data — raises serious conflict of interest concerns. “DFO says on one hand the sentinel fisheries are for science, but on the other hand refuses to release details under federal Treasury Board guidelines for the release of commercial catch information,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s Executive Director. “DFO seems to be saying the FFAW has a cod quota, which raises serious questions of conflict of interest between the union and inshore owner-operators.” >click to read< 15:16
ODFW public meeting highlights whale entanglement
Caren Braby, Marine Resources Program Manager for ODFW says the annual meeting covers vast topics relevant to the crabbing fleet, but it’s now become more urgent to focus the conversation on entanglements. “There have been an increased level of entanglements in crab gear over about the last seven years.” And as crabbers prepare for the upcoming Dungeness Crab season open on December 1, ODFW is gathering input from crabbers on just how well efforts are going to decide if a change in approach is needed. >click to read< 14:08
A good story about a good man – Legendary Captain Joe Rose
Captain Joe Rose of Beaufort is a rare breed of fisherman. He is one of the few remaining owner-operators in the Atlantic Coast fleet of ocean-going draggers that ply the waters from Cape Hatteras to the Grand Banks near Nova Scotia. He talks about underwater topography and place names unfamiliar to the average landlubber: Hudson Canyon. New York Gully. Monster Ledge. Baltimore Canyon. Closing in on his 72nd birthday, Captain Rose is hanging up his oilskins. He took his last trip before Christmas. He sold his 86 foot steel trawler Susan Rose to The Town Doc in Port Judith, Rhode Island, a wholesale seafood company whose motto is Holding Squid to a Higher Standard. >click to read< 09:23
Boycott the avoiders
It’s time to boycott restaurants and other places that take lobster off their menu to save the North Atlantic right whale. Restaurants and stores that take their advice from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, 3,280 miles down the line, and put lobster on their avoid list should be boycotted. This action should be directed at places such as the compliant Whole Food Stores and The Cheesecake Factory, both with franchises on the North Shore. In addition, for those using meal kits from the New York-based Blue Apron, or the largest meal kit operator in America, the German HelloFresh company — stop. If you travel, shun establishments which avoid lobster. and tell your friends and relatives at home and around the country to do the same. Why? Because lobstermen play by the rules, fish by the rules, and shouldn’t be punished for doing so. By Jack Clarke, >click to read< 08:22
Wind turbine goes on fire off Wicklow coast after lightning strike
Dramatic images showing a wind turbine on fire off the Wicklow coast have been shared on social media after lightning strikes and thunder across the country. It has been reported the offshore turbine, located approximately 10km off the coast of Arklow, caught fire after being struck by lightning earlier today. A spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard confirmed that they had responded to reports of the fire, which began to circulate at approximately 12.30pm. It has been reported that the owners/operators of the turbine, GE Energy, decided to let the fire run its course. >click to read< 07:18
Van Drew Says No To 1000 Feet Tall Wind Turbines off the coast of South Jersey
United States Congressman Jeff Van Drew is not opposed to green energy. In fact, he has solar panels and a windmill at his own personal residence in Cape May County, New Jersey. However, Van Drew is opposed to the massive wind turbine project planned for off of the coast of South Jersey. “This is really being done without proper protocol, without really looking into what it’s going to do to our fishing industry, what it’s going to do to our tourism industry, what it’s going to do to the environment, said Van Drew. “Supposedly Democrats are big environmentalists and love the environment, yet this is a real problem for the environment and what it’s going to do to the floor of the ocean,” >click to read< 19:13
BREAKING NEWS: Maine Lobstermen’s Association Motion to Expedite Appeal Granted
(October 19, 2022)— On October 18, a federal appeals court sided with the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) in granting the MLA’s request to expedite consideration of its appeal of the decision in Maine Lobstermen’s Association v. National Marine Fisheries Service. The Court rarely grants motions to expedite. On October 11, the MLA announced that it has retained former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement and had filed for expedited consideration of MLA’s appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in its lawsuit to reverse a scientifically flawed federal whale plan that will cripple Maine’s lobster industry. >click to read the full press release< 14:06
Impact of mass crab die-off ‘not as severe as feared’ but report criticised by fisherman
A monitoring report into the state of shellfish stocks along the Teesside coast following the mass crab and lobster die off has concluded the impact ‘was not as severe as originally feared.’ But a fisherman who works off the Hartlepool coast has hit out at the findings and claims it does not paint a true picture. However, Stan Rennie, who fishes from Hartlepool, has criticised the report. He says it includes the catches of all of the visiting super crabbers which work thousands of pots, and he says, it doesn’t take into account the fact that fishermen are going further afield to get out of the die-off areas. >click to read< 14:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ Bruno with NGOM Scallop Permit, 230HP Detroit 671
To review specifications, information, and 30 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:30
Central Coast Fishing Industry and Castle Wind LLC Announce Formation of New Mutual Benefits Corporation
The Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, the Port San Luis Commercial Fisherman’s Association, and Castle Wind LLC (C, a joint venture between Trident Winds Inc. and TotalEnergies Renewables USA, are pleased to announce the formation of the Morro Bay Lease Areas Mutual Benefits Corporation. The purpose of the Morro Bay MBC is to facilitate communication, coordination, and cooperation between the California Central Coast commercial fishing industry and offshore wind project developers, as well as to provide financial resources in furtherance of California Coastal Act policies. Morro Bay MBC creates a pathway for the industry to demonstrate to the fishermen and fishing communities, to BOEM, and to the California Coastal Commission, the commitment of project developers to responsible offshore wind development that protects and supports a sustainable commercial fishing industry. >click to read< 10:30
Businessman Simmons Wants to Fight Regulations, Protect Commercial Fisheries
Abden Simmons, R-Waldoboro, is running for Maine Senate District 13 and hopes to fight regulations, protect commercial fisheries, and encourage a shift to technical education in the state. Simmons was born and raised in Waldoboro and has been clamming since he was about 10 years old. If elected, he will work to fight regulations in order to protect the commercial fisheries in the state. He noted that fishermen should be able to catch more elvers, or baby eels, and the limits on catches need to be raised. Simmons bemoaned the threat posed by new regulations on the lobster industry handed down from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that are designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale. >click to read< 08:55