Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Government accused of ‘cover up’ over Teesside mass crab deaths
But Defra has insisted joint investigations into the deaths were thorough. Unrest, debate and protests over huge piles of dead crustaceans on Teesside’s coastline have rumbled on since problems first started last autumn at Seaton Carew, South Gare, Redcar, Marske and Saltburn. An algal bloom was deemed to be the likely culprit by a Defra-led study. But this was countered by an independent report by Tim Deere-Jones after he was commissioned by those concerned in the fishing industry. High levels of a chemical pyridine were noted by Mr Deere-Jones’s report. Mr Deere-Jones’ report also said algal blooms did not occur naturally in our coastal waters in October because the temperatures were too low. >click to read< 10:35
Economic destructive inflation: Falling wholesale prices put squeeze on Maine lobstermen
The price lobstermen got for their catches hovered around $8 a pound in 2021, which they said was one of their best years ever, with a plentiful haul, high prices and stable costs. This year, however, is shaping up to be one of the worst Maine lobstermen have faced in decades, with prices falling to about half of what they were last year. Prices have dropped by half and wholesalers say demand also is down sharply as inflation has weakened the economy and hurt the market for shellfish. With consumers paying high prices to fill up gas tanks and to buy groceries, lobsters are a luxury that 
many cross off their shopping lists. Inflation is hitting lobstermen, too, particularly when they fill up fuel tanks before heading out to tend their traps. They say pretty much everything they need costs more this year, from fuel, oil and repairs for their engines to ropes and traps. Bait, too,,, photos, >click to read<
Dory Days 62nd Annual Festival schedule
This year marks the 62nd annual Dory Days Festival and it’s packed with three days of fun for everyone in Pacific City, the quaint destination beach town in south Tillamook County. For those of you joining the parade, this year’s theme is Stars and Stripes. In remembrance of Craig Wenrick, his wife Susie Wenrick, their children Dane, Kirsten, Derek, and Keenan & their family accepts the honor of Grand Marshal. For over 30 years, Craig dedicated himself to bringing the highest quality dory caught seafood to the Oregon Coast. In addition to commercial fishing, Craig was the co-chair of the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association and a familiar volunteer for community organizations. Schedule, >click to read< 08:12
New book explores mystery and legacy of the 2009 F/V Patriot sinking
A newly released book, “The Tragic Sinking of Gloucester’s Patriot” by maritime historian and retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. W. Russell Webster, sheds light on the mysterious and sudden sinking of the fishing vessel about 15 miles east of Gloucester just after 1 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009. Many in the nation’s oldest seaport still wonder what happened to the Patriot, Webster says, as the sinking resulted in the loss of the vessel’s beloved two-member crew, Capt. Matteo “Matt” Russo, 36, and his father-in-law, Giovanni B. “John” Orlando, 59. Webster takes time to explore the loss the community felt, and he has even included poetry by Gloucester poet John Ronan. Both men were seasoned and safety-conscious commercial fishermen. photos, >click to read< 07:06
Industrial park board backs proposal for spending Sitka hospital sale proceeds on marine haulout
The board of directors of Sitka’s Industrial Park has lent its unanimous support to a proposal to use proceeds from the sale of Sitka Community Hospital to construct a marine haul out. Directors of the Gary Paxton Industrial Park debated the issue for a half-hour at their monthly meeting on Monday (7-11-22), addressing many questions that are likely to be raised by the public if the question moves to the ballot this fall. Municipal administrator John Leach said the possibilities of growth were significant for hauling larger ships, possibly even Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters, which currently are serviced in Homer and in California. The idea was, “if we build it, they will come.” >click to read< 20:38
Senate report says government must implement rights-based Indigenous fisheries
A new report from the Senate is calling on the federal government to implement Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Peskotomuhkati rights-based fisheries on Canada’s East Coast and overhaul its approach to negotiations. One of the report’s 10 recommendations is that discussions with First Nations be immediately transferred to Crown-Indigenous Relations from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which is something Indigenous communities have been calling for. >click to read< 15:45
First Nations shouldn’t have to negotiate with Fisheries and Oceans, committee says – Key to the proposed plan is to sideline DFO and leave it to the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to negotiate rights-based fishing agreements. DFO could act as advisers. “As long as you both have First Nations fisheries and non-First Nations fisheries under DFO, it’s never going to work,” >click to read<
Jury awards $595,000 in damages to Lummi Nation for 2017 fish spill
Cooke Aquaculture accidentally released tens of thousands of nonnative Atlantic salmon in 2017, threatening native Pacific salmon, and the Lummi Nation’s traditional reliance on them. In 2017, a floating industrial salmon farm in the Northwest’s Puget Sound broke loose, releasing tens of thousands of Atlantic Salmon into the ecosystem. The nonnative salmon, raised in crammed industrial scale fish pens and considered a threat to native Pacific salmon, quickly swam throughout the bay. The Washington Department of Ecology later found that the farm owner, Cooke Aquaculture, the largest privately owned salmon-farming agribusiness in the world, had neglected to take care of its equipment. >click to read< 13:43
Commercial California King Salmon Season Officially Back in Action
After a recent season break, the 2022 commercial California King salmon season is officially back on, and California’s commercial fishermen are reporting great catches. “Now that the season is open again and the fishing area has expanded, consumers will again see fresh, local California King salmon in their favorite markets,” said David Goldenberg, Chief Executive Officer of the California Salmon Council. The season is currently open now and following a short break mid-month, will resume again at the end of July. Only available May through October, fresh, wild-caught, California King salmon can be found locally at select grocery stores, fish markets, fine restaurants, farmers markets and even direct from fisherman, right off the dock. >click to read< 12:32
Shrimping industry facing historic challenges
Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association, headquartered at the Port of Brownsville, said in April that the high cost of fuel was preventing a lot of boats from going out. The price of fuel has fallen in recent weeks, though in a case of unfortunate timing some owners filled up before prices starting dropping, she said. With a typical fuel tank capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 gallons, 10 or 15 cents either way makes a big difference, said Hance, who owns two shrimp boats with her husband, Preston. One of the boats is in dock for repairs and the other was filled up at $4.40 a gallon of diesel — before it started coming down, she said. >click to read< 10:04
Teaching the next generation of New England fishermen
Gary Glidden prepares the Last Penny for another day on the water, sharpening knives and warming up the inboard motor. It’s become second nature to the Portsmouth fisherman of 40 years, who has spent 10 of those training 29-year-old Jake Eaton. The two work 10- to 12-hour days. Not much needs to be said between work partners and family members. “He was dating my daughter. I needed help, and he needed a job, so it was a fit,” Glidden said. “I’m really happy for him. I know he’ll do good, and it’s the way it should be.” >click to read< 08:36
900 tonnes of herring unloaded in Hull as city’s fish industry booms
The boss of a fishing company says he hopes more landings will be possible in Hull after two of the firm’s trawlers arrived in the port to discharge their catch. Between them, sister vessels Wiron 5 and Wiron 6 will unload 900 tonnes of herring over the next few days at the city’s Alexandra Dock. It’s the first time the two Hull-registered trawlers have discharged in Hull side by side and is the culmination of extensive planning by owners North Atlantic Fishing Company, which has an office in Hessle Road. >click to read< 07:50
Texas: New shrimp season tangled up in regulations
That plate of fried shrimp people enjoy at a restaurant –whether locally or away from home – could either be taken off the menus or cost a lot more. The tastier Gulf shrimp caught by trawlers off the Texas Gulf Coast from the Brownsville/Port Isabel to the Palacios areas could also be replaced by farmed-raised crustaceans. That’s because this South Texas industry – one of the nation’s largest – is caught in the middle of a crisis caused by today’s U.S. immigration policies and by what is going on in countries south of Mexico. The expected arrival of hundreds of people who traditionally work on the boats, known as shrimp headers, is on halt right now; yet the kickoff of the 2022 season is about two weeks away. >click to read< 17:53
Canned climate official was right, consumers suffer the most
Remember David Ismay? He was the state’s $130,000 a year climate change czar, a mini-John Kerry who was forced to resign after he was inadvertently caught telling the truth. He revealed how the Green anti-fossil-fuel movement wants to punish you to save the planet. Ismay, speaking to a virtual meeting of the Vermont Climate Council last year on gas and oil emissions, said, “Sixty percent of our emissions that need to be reduced come from you – the person across the street, the senior on fixed income.” If that was not damaging enough, he added, “There is no bad guy left, at least in Massachusetts, to point the finger at, turn the screws on and, you know, break their will so we have to break your will. I can’t even say that publicly.” But. you did! >click to read< 14:45
DC North Atlantic Right Whale Ruling
“The MLU is exploring all legal options to ensure that forthcoming judicial decisions on NOAA and NMFS’s arbitrary assumptions will finally result in some meaningful protections for the NARW that do not needlessly jeopardize Maine’s heritage industry without any corresponding benefit to the right whale population” Virginia Olsen. Judge Boasberg was correct in stating “the crux of the problem is that the 2021 BiOp projects that in the coming years the American lobster fishery will continue to potentially kill and seriously injure North Atlantic right whales at over three times the sustainable rate.” That projection is not supported by the best scientific available – far from it in fact. Until NOAA and NMFS stop relying on arbitrary assumptions and apportionments and start paying attention to the best scientific data available, which reveals that Canadian fisheries are the source of almost all known causes of entanglements, then both the North Atlantic right whale and the American lobster fishery will go extinct. 13:02
NOAA – A Failed Agency, Part 2
NOAA. What would I ask the commerce department to look for? I would ask to see the total budget plus the line-item expenditures for each division. They have purchased hundreds of thousands of whale and seal brochures warning people and whale-watch boats to stay away. They have been sitting in the building for years and have never been distributed. They have a $150,000-dollar Marine Mammal Trailer and Van outfitted with air conditioning and heat and it never gets used. I haven’t seen it used – ever! They have a 25hp 4-cycle Evinrude outboard which is sitting in that trailer and has never been used. I would ask for an audit by line item for all of the Divisions. Sam Parisi, Gloucester, Mass. >click to read< Read NOAA – A Failed Agency, >click to read< 10:06
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 11, 2022
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for commercial fishermen and others associated with the seafood industry to take an active interest in the November general election. Find out who the candidates are and where they stand on the issues that are important to you. If you need to know who is on the ballot this November for the NC Senate and House in your district, let us know and we’ll get that information to you. Candidates need your support by your vote and financially. >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 09:26
Did Ottawa truly understand the impacts of closing most salmon fisheries on the Pacific coast?
Twenty-one years ago, I married into a fishing family. Soon after, we started Skipper Otto to help connect customers with locally sourced and sustainably harvested seafood. The spring is always the busiest time. There are boats to prepare for the season, fishing nets to repair, staff to hire and operations to launch. At the end of June 2021, when boats had already left the docks and were on the fishing grounds, the federal government announced the closure of 60 per cent of salmon fisheries on the Pacific coast. Specifically, these closures affected commercial salmon fisheries and First Nations communal commercial fisheries. Bernadette Jordan, then minister of fisheries and oceans, announced the closures to reduce pressure on salmon stocks. >click to read< 08:42
F/V Grace Marie: ‘They knew what to do and they saved their lives’
Seven fishermen are home safe in Gloucester after their fishing vessel sank about 92 miles east of Gloucester. The crew of the trawler F/V Grace Marie were rescued by the good Samaritan gillnetter F/V Dawn T. after their boat began taking on water Friday night. The Grace Marie issued a mayday around 10 p.m. saying the boat was experiencing rapid flooding, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Noel. The Coast Guard put out an urgent marine information broadcast, asking any vessels nearby to answer the Grace Marie’s mayday. F/V Dawn T answered the call, according to the Coast Guard, and was able to bring all seven crewmen aboard and ferry them home. There were no injuries reported, Noel said. The crew arrived back in Gloucester around 1 p.m. Saturday, he said. >click to read< 18:00
30 years after the moratorium, what have we really learned about cod and science?
“Although the industry has many problems, a shortage of fish is not one of them,” confidently pronounced the 1982 report of the Task Force on Atlantic Fisheries, which is commonly called the Kirby report. But a shortage of fish, as we now know, would become an insurmountable problem a decade later —so much so that on July 2, 1992, the federal government shuttered the commercial Northern cod fishery, once Canada’s largest fishery. So where have these vast learnings taken us 25 to 30 years on? Fisheries management remains highly dependent on modelling. >click to read< 17:28
Meet Teddy, the St. Andrews Hermit
He was here before the condos, before the all-you-can-eat crab legs and long before Thomas Drive was ever mentioned in a country song. He could walk the white sands, fish the emerald, green waters and never had to worry about traffic. Even though Panama City Beach was yet to have a name, he was one of the first residents with the beach all to himself. His name was Teddy. And he was a hermit. Teddy Tollefsen wasn’t always a hermit, but he was always a fisherman. He was born in 1882 in Trondheim, Norway. He left home at 14 to sail the seas and first came to America in 1906 after fishing waters around the world. Tired of working for others, Teddy began fishing for himself, first settling in Pensacola before moving on to St. Andrews where he hoped to try his luck fishing for red snapper. In 1929, the Bahamas Hurricane made an unwanted visit to Panama City and changed Teddy’s life forever. photos, >click to read< 15:59
Training for new recruits needs to be extended says Seafish.
Simon Potten, Head of Safety and Training, discusses how local engagement and more training could be the key to making the fishing industry safer. During Maritime Safety Week (4-8 July) which was a great platform for raising national awareness of safety in the commercial fishing industry. We have been supporting Maritime Safety Week since it was started by the Department for Transport in 2018. In those five years there have been 23 deaths on commercial fishing vessels in the UK. Unfortunately, most of them came in 2021 when we tragically lost 10 fishermen. The worst year in over a decade for lives lost. Which is why I think Maritime Safety Week is more important this year than ever before. So, what can we do to make the fishing industry safer? >click to continue< 12:13
Euronor Continues Fleet Renewal
The last remaining deep-sea fishing company in Boulogne, Euronor has invested nearly €14 million in the renewal of its fleet by buying and converting former Faroese Lerkur (Built 1999) and Rokur (Built 2000). The two vessels of 38 metres were both built at the Karstensen shipyard in Denmark. Its conversion complete, Fisher Bank (ex-Lerkur) started its first fishing trip on 1st June. ‘We have already completed two trips and it is promising. The fish are of good quality and things are going well,’ said Eurnor managing director Bruno Leduc. The conversion of the second vessel, Otter Bank (ex-Rokur), was a few weeks behind, and it was expected to be complete at the end of June. photos, >click to read< 09:15
Good Samaritan vessel rescues 7 fishermen from Gloucester’s F/V Grace Marie
Seven fishermen were rescued by a good Samaritan fishing vessel after their vessel began taking on water Friday night. The crew of the Gloucester-based vessel Grace Marie issued a mayday around 10 p.m., saying the boat was taking on water and experiencing rapid flooding, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Noel. The 65-foot fishing boat was about 80 nautical miles east of Gloucester. The Dawn T answered the call, according to the Coast Guard, and was able to bring all seven crewmen aboard and ferry them home. >click to read< photos@ Marine Traffic 07:32
Commercial rock lobster fishers on Tasmania’s east coast are worried about a proposal
Rock lobster fisher Adam Johnson had hoped his children could follow in his footsteps, but a proposed change to how the industry operates has him worried about the future. At the moment, bigger rock lobster boats carrying 60 pots are only able to fish off the west coast. The government is now proposing to expand that, to include the north-west, and north-east. Break O’Day Mayor Mick Tucker is strongly opposed to the change — in the council’s submission to the government he labelled it reactive, ill-advised and inequitable. The former commercial fisherman is worried if the change is made as proposed, the local industry will further contract, ultimately impacting local services and the town’s economy. >click to read< 19:14
32 years later, investigators continue searching for answers in murder of Joseph Fernandes
It has now been 32 years since San Diego resident Joseph Fernandes was brutally murdered aboard a tuna boat docked at the G Street Pier and the case remains cold.“He’s never far from my thoughts,” said Mary Montgomery, Fernandes’ granddaughter. “I do have a sense of peace when I’m near the water.” Fernandes was 69 years old, the retired fisherman was working as a night watchman aboard the Sea Quest Tuna Boat, which was docked at the G Street Pier. As night fell between July 7th and 8th 1990, Fernandes would take his last breath on that boat. >click to read< 16:30
Iceland’s herring girls transformed a town before kicking off a tourist boom
Clad in waterproof coveralls, heavy boots and thick gloves, a group of women line up under the midnight sun, waiting for returning fishing boats to dock. As soon as a ship reaches the harbour, they kick into gear, pulling herring after herring from barrels, decapitating and gutting them, before packing them in salt and spices, singing while they work. Siglufjörður, or Siglo as it is known to locals, is an uncommonly scenic slice of northern Iceland. Before the herring industry started here in 1903, it was a sparsely populated hamlet with little work paid with money rather than meat or other goods. But as salted herring became a staple in many European countries, catching and processing the fish became its main focus and everything changed. >click to read< 11:32
Russian snow crab weighs down our markets
The snow crab fishing season in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence this year was weighed down by the arrival on the American market of large quantities of this crustacean from Russia. This Russian crab was imported in abundance amid shortages last fall, due to the closure of the fishery in Alaska, and when household spending was on the rise. However, what was selling at a high price then continued to lose its value during the winter, when the American and Canadian governments ended the aid programs linked to the pandemic and when consumers finally deconfined recovered. to travel rather than eat expensive crab at home. Additionally, US buyers continued to buy Russian crab in droves this spring, rather than Canadian crab, before it was affected by the trade embargo due to the war in Ukraine. >click to read< 8:44
Statement from Maine Lobstermen’s Association on Court Ruling
Below is a statement from the Maine Lobstermen’s Association following today’s decision in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) will not allow this industry to go down without a fight. Today’s ruling from the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia is a mixed bag but clearly demonstrates why it’s more important than ever for MLA to have the financial resources to continue this battle. >click to continue< 21:01
Federal court rules fisheries officials didn’t do enough to protect right whales from lobster gear
A federal court on Friday ruled in favor of environmental groups that had filed a lawsuit against the government and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association claiming federal fisheries officials had failed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from potentially fatal entanglements in lobster fishing gear, records show. A judge ruled that NOAA Fisheries had violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act when it issued a May 2021 biological opinion and a September 2021 final rule because officials had not done enough to reduce the lobster fishery’s threat to right whales, the plaintiffs in the suit said in a statement. >click to read< 18:00
After many years, New England cod seems to be rebounding from overfishing
Atlantic cod, a fish that was foundational to New England’s economy, is being caught at historically low levels. But a research scientist says cod is in the early stages of a comeback. Before Raymond Lees goes fishing, he stops by Reidar’s Trawl Gear in New Bedford, Mass., where he buys custom nets that help him avoid certain types of fish. For commercial fishermen like Lees, cod is known as a choke species, meaning fishermen catch so much of it by accident, they sometimes hit their quota and have to stop fishing for what they really want. But new research from Kevin Stokesbury, a professor of fishery science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is challenging that claim. Audio report, >click to listen/read< 15:30
