Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Fishing vessel aground in the Eastern Aleutians
Four people were on board F/V Pacific Sounder when she got stuck on the western shore of Unimak Island, between Unalaska and the Alaska Peninsula, on the morning of June 17. The Pacific Sounder hailed a MAYDAY call at 10:43 Friday morning but the crew waited three hours before they were rescued. Eventually, the Good Samaritan boat, the Polar Sea, arrived and found the crew unharmed. Littlejohn says the boat owner has hired Resolve Marine, a salvage and wreck removal company out of Dutch Harbor, to recover the boat. Resolve said the Pacific Sounder is too stuck for them to be able to tow it. Instead, they’ll have to scuttle it. >click to read< 18:47
Sustainable fishing off the coast of SoCal
For Ben Hyman, fishing along the California coast is a way of life. He’s been a commercial fisherman for 25 years. “I’ve always been addicted to fishing and loved fishing and grew up surfing, and for a lot of us, it’s just a natural evolution to start wanting to be on the boat and start fishing more,” Hyman said. He opened his own business, the Wild Local Seafood Co., 25 years ago and focuses on selling locally caught seafood such as salmon, halibut, ahi, crab and much more. Video, >click to watch/read< 16:57
Concerns on P.E.I. about the risk foreign bait might pose to ecosystem
In March, DFO put a moratorium on commercial fishing for herring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and mackerel across the East Coast, saying urgent action is required to allow those fish stocks to recover. That moratorium led to fears of a shortage of bait for use in the lucrative Maritime lobster fishery. Mark Prevost, the co-owner of the Bait Masters alternative bait company in Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I., appeared before a federal fisheries committee earlier this week. He is calling on the federal government to regulate the kinds of fish being used for bait. >click to read< 15:36
An open invitation to the public – Event to mark the 30th anniversary of northern cod moratorium
An event to mark the 30th anniversary of the announced shutdown of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most iconic fishery is scheduled for next week, with an open invitation to the public to support and share in the historic milestone. “The impact of the moratorium has had a deep and profound impact on the province’s psyche, culture, and economy,” says Ryan Cleary, one of the organizers of the non-partisan event — Moratorium Story, Northern Cod 30 Years On. “It must be recognized for the good of past and future generations.” The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 30th, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., in Salon B at the Delta Hotel in downtown St. John’s, the same room where the late John Crosbie, then-federal minister of Fisheries and Oceans, made the announcement on July 2, 1992. >Details, click to read< 14:14
In victory for commercial fishermen, court orders Cook Inlet fishery to reopen
Cook Inlet drift fishermen can fish the federal waters of the inlet this summer after all. That’s after a district court judge shot down a federal rule that would have closed a large part of the inlet to commercial salmon fishing. Fishermen said it would have been a death knell for the fishery, which has 500 drift permit-holders. One of those permit-holders is Erik Huebsch, of Kasilof. He’s vice president of the United Cook Inlet Drift Association, which filed the suit. And he said he’s pleased. “Opening the EEZ is vital to the fleet,” Huebsch said. “Without opening the EEZ, the drift fishery is really not viable. That’s where we go to catch fish.” >click to read< 12:19
P.E.I. fishermen seek province’s help in wake of herring, mackerel moratorium
In March, the federal DFO put a moratorium on commercial fishing for herring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and mackerel across the East Coast, saying urgent action is required to allow the stocks to recover. Fishers were not pleased, and said a complete moratorium goes too far. “This has been a devastating and direct blow for these fishers,” said Molly Aylward, the association’s executive director, appearing before a legislative standing committee on natural resources. The P.E.I.F.A. represents independent core fishers who depend on the commercial herring and mackerel fishery for their main source of income, as well as lobster fishers who use the fish for bait, often fishing it themselves to keep their costs down. >click to read< 09:17
Offshore wind lobby warns of bill’s ‘existential threat’
One of the nation’s largest renewable energy trade groups warned in a letter to Senate leadership this week that a House-approved bill could endanger virtually every planned offshore wind project in the country. Sent Wednesday by the American Clean Power Association, the letter took aim at a provision of the “Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022,” which cleared the House by a wide margin in March and has yet to be considered by the Senate. The bill’s provision would establish nationality requirements for crew members who work on offshore energy projects in the United States. Crew members would have to be American citizens or permanent residents or citizens of the same country where their vessel is flagged. >click to read< 08:10
Family of Robert Morley ‘bemused’ by F/V Joanna C tragedy report
Robert Morley’s stepdad and mother said the outcome of an investigation into the sinking of the F/V Joanna C had not given them the “peace of mind” they hoped for. Barry and Jackie Woolford are awaiting the inquest into Robert’s death to clear up a number of “anomalies”. The Marine 
Accident Investigation Branch report described how Robert was thrown from the boat as it capsized and he hung onto a lifebuoy before he eventually drowned. “We lost our son but we’re really none the wiser as to why. We know how but we don’t know why. “There are anomalies which we want to ask about at the inquest.” >click to read< 19:33
Governor Mills Announces Cost Relief for Maine’s Commercial Fishermen and Aquaculturists
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) will use $8.3 million in Federal funding to reimburse resident commercial fishermen, dealers, processors, and aquaculturists for the cost of their 2022 licenses, as well as additional fees associated with licenses such as trap tag fees for lobster license holders. The Department will also waive lease fees for active commercial leases for the 2022 lease year through a separate process. The first round of payments, which amount to $4.2 million, will be mailed by the end of this month for license holders who purchased their license between November 15, 2021 and March 31, 2022. Reimbursements for licenses purchased during each of the remaining quarters of 2022 will be mailed separately. >click to read< 16:45
Offshore wind farms expected to reduce clam fishery revenue
An important East Coast shellfish industry is projected to suffer revenue losses as offshore wind energy develops along the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, according to two Rutgers studies. The studies examined how offshore wind farms planned for the eastern United States could disrupt fishing of the Atlantic surfclam, a major economic driver from Virginia to Massachusetts that generates more than $30 million in direct annual revenue. Total fleet revenue declines measured by the studies ranged from 3 percent to 15 percent, depending on the scale of offshore wind development and response of the fishing fleet. In New Jersey, losses could be as high as 25 percent for fishing vessels based in Atlantic City. >click to read< 15:36
F/V Nicola Faith: Fisherman’s ‘harsh working conditions’ revealed in investigation
Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were on board the Nicola Faith when it left Conwy Harbour on January 27, 2021. It capsized and sank 1.9 miles north of Rhos-on-Sea. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch found skipper Carl McGrath pushed his crew harder than most in search of greater productivity. Aged 34, Mr McGrath had been the boat’s skipper for some three years. Previously a builder and steel fabricator, he had had no fishing experience prior to skippering the Nicola Faith. Despite this, he had completed all mandatory fishing industry safety training courses. Neither had Ross Ballantine, 39, any prior experience of fishing before taking a job on the Nicola Faith, on which he had been working for about eight months. The youngest crew member was Alan Minard, 20, who had been crewing on Nicola Faith for just two weeks. >click to read< 14:00
Saltbox Brewing Brings Back Crustacean Elation Lobster Ale
Crustacean Elation celebrates the lifeblood of our Nova Scotia fisheries community. We use whole lobsters and fire-roasted lobster shells to infuse the taste and aroma during the brewing process. The result is a pale coloured, lightly hopped beer with a hint of bitterness and a slightly sweet briny finish that is the essence of the sea. Try our Crustacean Elation creation – yes, it’s a mouthful, but one you’re sure to enjoy with your next lobster roll! >click to read< and get the link to order online and visit their website!. They ship everywhere! 11:45
‘Who’s setting the prices?’ – Shrimpers are losing money, even as food gets more expensive
In Louisiana, the price of everything is going up, especially if you’re a shrimper. But the one thing that’s cheaper than ever is the shrimp they’re catching. “You can barely make it with the price of ice at $22 a block and fuel at almost $5 a gallon,” Michael Lobue Sr., a Barataria shrimper, said. “You can’t make it.” Shrimper Lanvin LeBlanc has been shrimping his whole life. It’s a family business that’s been good to him for decades, but he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll last if prices keep dropping. “We’re trying to figure out who’s setting the prices. I don’t think anyone can find out,” he said. “We need help.” Video, >click to watch/read< 10:23
Coroner to probe death of fisherman on Sealord vessel
A fisherman has died at sea on his first trip aboard the Sealord trawler Ocean Dawn. Nelson-based Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin said the 47-year-old man was found unresponsive outside his cabin in the early hours of Tuesday on the 64m factory trawler. Crew tried to resuscitate him but were unable to. Paulin said he could not comment on the cause of the man’s death as that would be determined by a coroner’s investigation. >click to read< 09:12
A skipper named ‘Crazy Horse’, a ‘dicky’ autopilot and a sailing trip that foundered on a beach
After hours of sailing a 14m fishing vessel on “an extremely erratic” course up the coast towards Christchurch, doubling back and then turning around again to head in the same direction closer to the shore, skipper David “Crazy Horse” Atkinson was lost. It was 9pm, he was not sure where he was, and he only had rudimentary knowledge of how to use the boat’s navigational equipment. His crew aboard the trawler, the F/V Debbie Jane, consisted of a 41-year-old woman and a 73-year-old retired school teacher who was living with him – neither of whom had any commercial fishing experience. >click to read< 08:03
Captain Kenny Charles “Ken” Martin May 2, 1949 – June 17, 2022 of Bella Bella
To a lot of people, Ken was a fisherman, lovingly known as “The Captain.” But to others, he was Ken, the father, the husband, the friend. Ken was predeceased by his parents, Brian and Shirley (Leeman) Martin. He is survived by his loving wife, Theresa (nee Scanlan); their three children, At 21, Ken introduced the first fibreglass brine packer ever built. He named her the “Northern Princess,” built at Shearwater Marine (across the channel from Bella Bella). Ken went to work for Jack Elsey of Millbank Industries in 1970. It was the start of an outstanding career in the commercial fishing business. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old nurse from Toronto named Theresa Scanlan made the brave decision to begin her career at R.W. Large Memorial Hospital in Bella Bella. Ken took one look at her and knew he had found his true “Northern Princess.” This was the start of a 49-year journey. >click to read< 21:39
TSB: Island Lady likely sank quickly and with no warning
Unable to examine a vessel that cannot be found, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Wednesday it cannot say what happened to a small fishing vessel that disappeared last year off the coast of southern Labrador. Marc Russell and Joey Jenkins of Mary’s Harbour were last seen Sept. 17 aboard the Island Lady, which fished from Mary’s Harbour. The pair had headed out to fish for cod. “The TSB’s investigation into this occurrence could not determine with certainty the cause of the disappearance of the Island Lady,” the board said in a statement Wednesday. >click to read< 14:42
N.S., N.B. herring fishery swallows 33 per cent quota cut
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reduced the 2022 quota, or total allowable catch, from 35,000 tonnes to 23,450 tonnes, but environmentalists say the cut does not go far enough to rebuild the stock. The Bay of Fundy Herring Industry said the TAC for this year “will create challenges for industry but is at a level that will help protect jobs, businesses and communities in the region that rely on the fishery.” DFO echoed industry in its announcement, saying its decision was a balance. This decision reduces pressure on this stock, while recognizing the needs of communities that depend on this fishery for jobs and bait,” >click to read< 13:24
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 2008 36′ Calvin Beal Lobster/Tuna
To review specifications, information, video, and 57 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:59
F/V Johanna C: Life raft failure blamed after fishermen deaths
Two fishermen died after their trawler capsized and their life raft failed to inflate, a report has said. Investigators said the failure of the life raft “impacted” the chances of two men surviving after they were thrown into the water when the Joanna C sank in November 2020. One of the men in the water died, but the other was later rescued. A third crew member drowned after being trapped in the sinking boat, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said. MAIB chief inspector Andrew Moll said: “Unfortunately, Joanna C’s ‘float-free’ life raft arrangements did not work as expected. >click to read< 10:38
Grey seals eat into another fish population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
Grey seals are eating into another fish species in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, driving a serious decline in the abundance of yellowtail flounder, according to a new report from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Federal scientists assessed the flatfish species in the southern gulf over the past 25 years up to 2020 and projected the population to 2030. The results are stark. The number of yellowtail flounder six-years and older is believed to have declined by 95 per cent since the mid-1980s. There is a 100 per cent probability the population will remain in the critical zone where serious harm occurs whatever the level of commercial fishing, the report says. >click to read< 08:39
Trawler skipper who got lost off Christchurch admits safety breaches
Shortly before a trawler skipper lost his bearings in gathering darkness off the Christchurch coast, one of his crew had rolled him a cannabis joint. Maritime New Zealand’s summary of facts does not say whether the skipper, 67-year-old David Anderson, actually smoked the joint, but the trawler ran aground on Waimairi Beach a few hours later. The F/V Debbie Jane’s disastrous trip from Akaroa to Nelson in December 2019 was detailed in the Christchurch District Court, when Anderson admitted two charges. >click to read< 07:48
Inland Fisheries: Can Illinois turn Asian carp into Chilean sea bass? State to announce new name
A new name for the much-maligned fish will be announced Wednesday by state officials who hope the rebrand will shed the negative image of a muddy tasting bottom-feeder and inject the truth — they’re top-feeding plankton eaters that taste quite good. The “Big Reveal” will be hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,,, State officials hope the rebrand will lead to more people eating the fish, which would lead to more commercial fishing operations to pull them from the Illinois River and, ultimately, decrease their numbers and the risk that Asian carp could eventually make their way into the Great Lakes. >click to read< 17:37
Grimsby man whose house was full of model boats sells 400 of them at auction
Pete Dixon, 75, who spent 40 years of his life working on trawlers as a cook, acquired an incredible 600 model boats over the years which he kept around his rented home on Heneage Road. From floor to ceiling, Pete’s home was full of the boats – he even kept some in the bath because he ran out of space. But on Sunday, the time came for him to sell the majority of these at Prestige Auctions on Orwell Street in Grimsby – and people as far away as Australia, New Zealand and America were keen to get their hands on Pete’s boats. “Pete’s house still has boats in it, but they are going to be coming to Prestige Auctions in the coming weeks. There’s still about 100 boats that are going to be going to auction. His memorabilia collection will be coming in soon – that’s his Grimsby trawlers, paintings, life rings off the old trawlers – there’s a hell of a collection, and we need to sell all of that as well. >click to read< 14:41
Management Plan Released for Atlantic Herring in Southwest Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy
Atlantic herring is a vital species in Atlantic Canada. As one of the largest commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada, the Southwest Nova Scotia / Bay of Fundy herring stock directly or indirectly employs more than 1,000 people in rural Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and contributes over $140 million to the local economy. Atlantic herring is also an important source of bait for other commercial fisheries, such as lobster and snow crab. Despite a number of measures taken in recent years to encourage rebuilding, the Southwest Nova Scotia / Bay of Fundy Atlantic herring stock remains in the critical zone. Stronger sustainable management actions are needed to protect this important species and return it to abundance. >click to read< 13:29
Boaters clobber rare Right whale and calf, but they avoid legal consequences
There’s nothing like a good shipwreck story. The crash happened near dusk on Feb. 12, 2021. A captain and seven passengers were aboard the 54-footer. They were returning from a day of competing at the Northeast Florida Wahoo Shootout. The boat was doing about 21 knots, 24 mph if you’re a landlubber, as it headed for the Conch House Marina in St. Augustine. Nearing their destination, in the St. Augustine Inlet, the boat smacked into something — hard. The boat stopped dead in the water. So did whatever it had hit. Suddenly the “About Time” didn’t have much time. Both its twin engines shut down and the damaged boat began sinking fast. When a pair of Florida wildlife officers showed up, the owner of the boat, Dayne Williams of New Smyrna Beach, blurted out, “I think we hit a whale. I saw fins and blood.” Biologists immediately identified it as an endangered North American right whale. >click to read< 12:34
Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship: Memories of working and playing hard on Arctic Corsair as restoration progresses
Two of Hull’s cherished ships have had decades-old paint and rust blasted away in the latest stage of a major restoration project which will ultimately see them displayed to the public. The Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship are being power-cleaned this week by special tools used to remove old paint, corrosion, and muck clinging to the ships’ hulls. >click to read<
Waking up to find a huge cod alongside him in his bunk was an experience young Pete Forytarz never forgot. – The third generation fisherman, 70, is one of a dwindling band with memories going back to the days when hundreds of boats, big and small, operated out of Hull. He did two trips to the White Sea on board Arctic Corsair back in 1973 for cod and haddock. and now acts as a guide on board on the sidewinder trawler, which is being restored as part of the £30m Hull Maritime project. In dry dock the vessel’s elegant lines are revealed, her slim hull and raked bow. “She is going to look beautiful,” said Pete, his face lighting up. >click to read< 10:46
Hundreds of workers flown home to Pacific despite fishing firms’ pleas
Tongan, Samoan and ni-Vanuatu horticulture workers have been redeployed or flown home, to the disappointment of the country’s biggest fishing companies who had asked for help filling hundreds of jobs in their processing plants. Between 200 and 500 workers still had time left on their Recognised Seasonal Employer visas, at the end of fruit-picking season in Nelson and Marlborough. Sealord and Talley’ wrote to the immigration minister asking that workers be given the chance to transfer over to better-paid seafood jobs, to help address a big labour shortage at the start of New Zealand’s lucrative hoki season. >click to read< 09:32
Taylor’s Blue Eyed Girl wins fastest working lobster boat
Andrew Taylor of Southport, owner of Blue Eyed Girl, defended his title as the Fastest Working Lobster Boat, at the Charles Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races in Boothbay Harbor on Saturday, June 18. Forty boats competed in the first race of the Maine Lobster Boat Racing season. Taylor’s boat defeated three other competitors in the Fastest Working Lobster Boat race. His time was just over 47 mph. Taking second was Gold Digger, Heather Thompson, at 44 mph. Below are the results as provided by Jon Johansen, president of Maine Lobster Boat Racing. >click to read<, and review 64 excellent photos from Raceday! 08:12
Down East seafood harvesters struggle to access health care, according to survey
Unless she needs to be stitched up, Deer Isle lobsterman Julie Eaton probably isn’t going to the hospital. She’d have to dock her boat in Stonington and drive up to the hospital in Blue Hill, nearly a 45-minute ride away. Not only will she lose out on a fishing day, but when she does get there, it’ll probably cost an arm and a leg, because Eaton, like many lobstermen, doesn’t have insurance. “Health care is a challenge,” she said. “I don’t have insurance. I don’t go unless I’m bleeding.” It’s a common refrain in the industry and one backed up by the results of a recent survey of more than 100 Down East lobstermen and shellfish harvesters. >click to read< 21:43
