Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Mackerel fishery closed, but inshore fleet still wants their licenses
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) is calling on Fisheries and Oceans to continue issuing mackerel licenses to existing license holders in the inshore fleet even though the fishery is closed. “Owner-operators want to know their mackerel licenses are safe and will be there for them when the fishery reopens,” says Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. “Many of them do not trust DFO, there’s no other way to put it.” “A mackerel license represents a major investment of many thousands of dollars — not just for the license itself — but in terms of the fishing enterprise and gear, and owner-operators want to keep their licenses even if it is just for the privilege of not fishing them.” >click to read< 10:13
Minister Ignores Established Precautionary Approach for Shrimp – Slashes Quotas in Struggling Fishery
Minister Joyce Murray’s decision today to slash quotas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp fishery is a significant blow for harvesters and plant workers who have already experienced drastic cuts over the last number of years. A cut of nearly 20 per cent in Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 8 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is contrary to the recently established Precautionary Approach (PA), showing Minister Murray’s lack of commitment to collaborative fisheries management. >click to read< 08:58
The hunt for B.C.’s most notorious fisherman
Every year, officers in the DFO’s Pacific region collar a handful of serious rulebreakers, some more brazen than others. Scott Steer is in a class of his own, the most prolific poacher on the West Coast. He’s been busted for illegally catching just about every type of fish in the north Pacific: halibut, ling cod, sablefish, crab, prawns and more, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of quality catch over the years. He has been fined repeatedly, and when that didn’t work, the courts began throwing him in jail, while simultaneously slapping him with an escalating series of fishing prohibitions. When Sanderson’s crew nabbed him that night in Vancouver, Steer was already banned from so much as setting foot in a fishing boat until 2038. Big story, >click to read< 08:03
Offshore wind farm company, Ocean City fishermen at odds again
At question now is whether US Wind went back on its agreement with conch fishermen. “We told US Wind in January that we needed their ‘Area D’ (survey area) to be able to go conching in April. Ben Cooper from US Wind assured us that it would be available the whole month of April for us,” said Ocean City fisherman Jimmy Hahn. “I spent $60,000 in conch bait to go conching this spring. On March 25, they sent us an email that says, ‘Oh, by the way we’re going to start a brand new survey (there). “They’ve got 24 square miles of bottom they could be surveying and I’ve got a little teeny tiny area where my pots are. They still wiped out six of the pots that I found,,, >click to read< 07:17
Notice of Lease Application Termination – American Aquafarms
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has terminated the applications of American Aquafarms after the company failed to fulfill its legal obligation to demonstrate an available source of fish to be cultivated at its proposed salmon farms in Frenchman Bay. The source of Atlantic salmon proposed by American Aquafarms, AquaBounty of Newfoundland, Canada, did not meet the criteria for a “Qualified Source/Hatchery” as defined in DMR regulations (Chapter 24). Additionally, American Aquafarms failed to provide documentation demonstrating that the proposed source of fish/eggs could meet genetic requirements in law (§6071(4)). No further action will be taken on these applications. >link< 16:24
FRENCHMAN BAY UNITED HAILS REJECTION OF AMERICAN AQUAFARMS APPLICATION – The coalition opposing the proposed industrial salmon farm says the fight will continue. “Commissioner Keliher made the right decision,” said Frenchman Bay United board president Henry Sharpe. “We hope that the company has finally gotten the message that they are not welcome here and that it’s time to pull the plug on this destructive and ill-conceived project once and for all.” >click to read<
Will Atlantic Canada lobster season break another sales record? Or will inflation curb consumer appetite,,,
Roger Fowlow is paying a lot of attention to the long-range marine forecast these days. Lobster season opens soon and he’s hoping the unsettled spring weather will ease off, giving him light winds to set his lobster pots. He used to catch cod, but with quotas so low, cod prices stalled for years at less than a dollar a pound, and fuel prices soaring this year. He said it’s not worth bothering with. Lobster is the money maker, and the last few years have given him good catches and good prices. Fowlow is confident of good catches again this year. But on the question of the price he might get paid, he’s not so certain. For P.E.I. lobster fisher Bethany McCarthy, inflation is already driving up the cost of running her boat. In addition to higher prices for fuel, she’ll have to shell out more money for bait this year, thanks to DFO’s decision to kill the mackerel fishery. photos, video, >click to read< 12:15
MP Alistair Carmichael requests Faroese meeting over Russian trawler concerns
Countries across the world have taken various actions to sanction the Russian economy in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s regime, including a campaign by islanders to prevent Russian vessels from making use of port facilities in Orkney and Shetland, but the Faroese government has continued to allow Russian trawlers to make use of fishing grounds shared with the UK. Mr Carmichael has requested a meeting to discuss local concerns further and to advocate for a change in Faroese policy on the issue, highlighting longstanding ties of friendship between the Faroes and the Northern Isles,,, >click to read< 11:02
Commercial fishermen talk offshore wind concerns
Offshore wind energy is one step closer to becoming a reality on the Central Coast, and with it, hundreds of potential jobs and renewable energy generation that will be much needed when the Diablo Canyon Power Plant closes. But the local commercial fishing industry continues to raise concerns over how such an undertaking will impact their livelihoods. BOEM released its draft environmental assessment for leasing the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area earlier this month and heard public comment on the report at an April 14 meeting. Further environmental assessment will be required before a wind farm project is actually approved and built—this draft just looks at the impacts of the leasing process. >click to read< 10:08
Be careful What you wish for … especially in fisheries management
I attended the NCMFC meeting on 2/23-2/25. The first evening was public comment. The majority of the speakers were CCA members, guides and individuals, who basically repeated the same script that was obviously authored by someone else and read over and over.,, In all my years as a recreational angler living in eastern NC. I have NEVER, and I mean NEVER, seen the hate and disgust shown by a select group of anglers pushing the rhetoric of the CCA and other groups against commercial fishing. I do not believe this is the average angler, but a group of self-centered, agenda driven, individuals, who stand to gain politically and monetarily from the closing of commercial fishing. I get asked all the time how can I champion a sector that has gill nets and trawls? I don’t think of it that way. by Easton Edwards, >click to read< 09:08
South Carolina: The 35th annual Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival returns
It’s oh-fish-ial! The 35th annual Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival is returning this weekend. The festival has one purpose: To celebrate Mount Pleasant’s local fishing and shrimping industry. Held at Memorial Waterfront Park on Sun., April 24, this free event features a boat parade, live music, a dance competition, and a shrimp eating contest. The festival also includes a ceremonial blessing of the fleet. Attendees are encouraged to come hungry,,, >click to read< 08:05
R/V Bigelow: Overspread, Under spread, or the Perfect spread.
Today both commercial and recreational fishermen believe that NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science is problematic while N.E. Trawl Panel Members who regulate the R/V Bigelow net, state there is a problem of over and under spreading which causes the net to fish inadequately. The N.E. Trawl Panel wants to put a Restrictor Wire between the trawl doors to stop the overspreading. I believe what they want to do will not work adequately, because if one door hits an obstacle the other door will be affected. Another issue would be dragging wire on the bottom of the ocean between the doors will affect the herding of fish. What will it take to address and fix the overspreading and under spreading and achieve the perfect spread at all times? >click to read< 21:01 Thank you, Captain Salvatore Novello, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Commercial fisherman medevac’d 50 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina
The Coast Guard medevac’d a man Wednesday aboard the fishing vessel F/V Crystal C, 50 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina. A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew transferred John Gary Modin to awaiting emergency medical services at Air Facility Charleston. EMS transported him to the Medical University of South Carolina for further medical care. >click to read< 18:30
Lobster gear change enforcement delayed because of supply change issues
NOAA said Wednesday morning that it will use a “graduated enforcement effort” until the supply issues have been resolved. The regulations require lobstermen to splice NOAA-approved weak rope or weak plastic links into the lines they use to connect buoys to traps on the ocean floor. But the approved gear has been in short supply as manufacturers struggle to produce enough to outfit the weak rope or weak plastic links fishing fleets. The regulations are intended to prevent whales from becoming entangled in fishing gear, which can result in grave injury or death. >click to read< 13:49
Susan Collins – Scarcity of required gear is making it extremely difficult for lobstermen to meet the May 1st deadline – >click to read< 14:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ OEM Lobster Boat, 500HP Scania Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 7 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:17
Local boat looks to Unalaska’s youth in hopes of revitalizing island’s fishery
“I was 25 years old in Corvallis, Oregon visiting a friend,” Dickerson said. “And this guy from Alaska came over and started telling these incredible stories. And I thought, ‘I’ve got to go there.’ And so I bought a plane ticket to Dutch Harbor and never left.” Since then, Dickerson has seen the industry ebb and flow, and watched the small boat fisheries and once-young fishermen evolve and start to grow old. Dickerson said things like a lack of local boats along with the aging community have led to a shortage of younger Unalaska fishermen today. Rather than sit back and watch the fishery dwindle, he got some help from the Unalaska Native Fishermen’s Association’s youth program and took things into his own hands. photos, >click to read< 10:45
Charlie Pierce: Poorly managed bycatch is an Alaska tragedy
During my visits with communities throughout Alaska a number of concerns are discussed. One major concern, common to many communities is the effect of lax and dismissed enforcement of commercial fishing “Bycatch” rules by our current administration. Before going further, let me tell you the truth about that cute term “Bycatch.” Around the world it is called “discarded and killed fish.” “Bycatch” is a NOAA-created, feel-good phrase embraced by the Alaska Administration to make it sound like it’s no big deal. Politicians playing games with words. >click to read< 09:52
Northern cod 30 years after the moratorium: Confederation’s greatest shame
As the 30th anniversary of the northern cod moratorium looms, DFO cannot say with certainty whether the at-sea fall survey will be completed this year, the small-scale inshore fishery limps on with an average price of 64¢/lb, and the number of active enterprises has fallen to 1,259 — a shadow of the fishery’s glory days when the stock supported 30,000-40,000 workers. On the plus side, scientists with Fisheries and Oceans finally acknowledge that seals “undoubtedly” have an impact on cod — just not as huge as the lack of caplin (which seals also eat by the millions of pounds, but one DFO baby step at a time). >click to read< 08:02
Fishing trawler, filled with fish, sinks at Eden wharf
A 30-metre trawler, filled with 50 tonnes of salmon, has sunk at the Eden wharf on the NSW Far South Coast. Fire and Rescue NSW were called to reports of a partially submerged fishing trawler around 3:30am, which was discovered by the captain and crew. Inspector Phil Eberle said 50 tonnes of salmon on board was secured into the hull prior to the vessel completely sinking about 30 minutes later. “The crews have got in quickly and organised the captain and deckhand to secure the hatches before it went under,” he said. “We didn’t have fish floating all through the harbour.” >click to read< 18:16
Lincoln County a Growing Force in Maine’s Elver Fishery
The elver fishery is the second most valuable fishery in Maine despite its brief season, lasting only 11 weeks from March 22 to June 7. Recent years have seen annual income generated by the fishery exceed $20 million. And from a per pound perspective, it easily tops lobsters as the most lucrative fishery in the state, and possibly in the country. The demand for elvers is driven by the overseas market where baby eels are grown to size in specially designed aquaculture facilities for use in Asian cuisine. Once mature, the eels are also processed and shipped back to the U.S. where they are a popular dish on sushi menus. While still in its infancy, U.S. based eel aquaculture is poised to be another factor in the fishery. photos, >click to read< 15:24
Charging electronic device likely the cause of fire that sank trawler
An unattended electronic device being charged has been cited as the potential cause of fire that sank a fishing vessel off the Cork coast last year. The FV Horizon, an Irish-registered fishing trawler, sank about 20 nautical miles off the Old Head of Kinsale on the morning of Thursday, May 14, 2021. According to the incident report from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB), the boat’s skipper noticed a significant amount of smoke around the accommodation cabin door in the galley area at about 1.30am on the night in question. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, he descended down into the galley area,,, >click to read< 13:05
National research on commercial fishermen’s sleep schedules to include Alaska gillnetters
Researchers from New York state were in Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Cordova last week gathering information on salmon gillnetters as part of their study on sleep deprivation. The research organization is the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety. It’s a non-profit that’s funded through the Centers for Disease Control to come up with solutions for work related issues with fishermen, farmers, and forestry workers. Currently, they are working on the relationship between commercial fishermen’s sleep and health. The research team is on the tail end of their data gathering. They’ve already gathered information from scallop fishermen in Massachusetts, Dungeness fishermen in Oregon, and salmon gillnetters in Alaska. >click to read< 11:18
Scots seafood firm blames coronavirus and Brexit as it closes doors after 12 years
Bosses at The Ethical Shellfish Company, based on the Isle of Mull, said the decision had caused “considerable anxiety and heartache” but claimed they had been left with no choice after a period of poor trading. In a blog post shared on Monday, fisherman and founder Guy Grieve claimed the coronavirus pandemic had played a role in the company’s decline, but that its fate had been sealed by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. When Scotland entered lockdown in March 2020 the company pivoted away from supplying restaurants and chefs like Nick Nairn with fresh seafood and began selling to people cooking at home. TESC was forced to sell its own fishing boats to keep the company afloat during the pandemic but Grieve says the usual supply backup dried up as a result of Brexit. >click to read< 08:15
Skipper of grounded fishing trawler hasn’t been heard from in months
Would trawlerman David Atkinson please come in? Your time is up. In fact, Christchurch District Court Judge Michael Crosbie is so convinced that your time is up, that he has issued a warrant for your arrest. That means the courts and the police would be keen to hear from you, and so would Maritime New Zealand which is bringing charges against you. And so would your lawyer, Michael Starling. Atkinson is facing charges following the grounding of a fishing trawler in Christchurch two years ago. >click to read< 08:03
A special exhibition opened in memory of one of the founders of the Scottish Fisheries Museum
David Tod BEM was a former chairman and vice-president at the heart of the museum. He died in February. A keen model boatmaker, he is now being remembered with a special exhibition of model boats. It opened to the public at the weekend. Bill Horsburgh, Model Boat Club chairman, said: “David’s models are works of art and he brought his skills as an engineer and designer to bear in creating boats that were not only beautiful to look at but are fully working models. From a fishing family on his mother’s side, in his professional life, David trained as a marine engineer and also worked as a fisherman. He bought his first boat in 1966,,, >click to read< 21:02
Alaska snow crab fishery saw steep decline. A reporter went ‘Into the ice’ to see it for himself.
CG: Well, at the heart of this reporting that you did were snow crab numbers. So what’s going on with those snow crab numbers? And how steep of a decline have they seen? HB: Well, it’s really pretty stunning for some of the biologists who do the surveys because, of course, in 2020, because of COVID, they were unable to do the summer surveys of crab population. So they did them in 2019. And when they came back in the summer of 2021, they found these staggering drops in abundance of different populations of the snow crab. The juvenile females were down by more than 99%. The juvenile males were also way down. And they’re also less of the mature males and the mature females. So this really triggered a major reassessment of what would be a safe level of harvest for this 2022 season. And they ended up still having a harvest, but reducing it by nearly 90%, >click to read< 16:37
Is It the Last Stand for the Fishermen of the Deadliest Catch?
Fishing has never been an easy job as has been demonstrated on previous seasons of the Deadliest Catch, but when the 18th season premieres this week, it may very well be the last stand as for the first time in a quarter of a century, Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game closed Bristol Bay Red King Crab Fishery for the 2020/2021 season. Times are so desperate that Capt. Sig Hansen has relocated to Karmǿy, Norway, where invasive Red King Crab from Russia offer a temptingly lucrative, but risky new market for the veteran crabber, after a disastrous attempt to keep the fishery open. Video trailer, >click to read< 12:16
Ribbon Cut on Aurora Facility for Asian Carp Processing
New England faces a 70 million pound lobster bait shortage this year and the bait problem isn’t going away – neither are the invasive Asian Carp on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. Brian Colgan founded Colgan Carp Solutions to provide a private sector answer to the Asian Carp problem. Their business models Asian Carp into a sought-after commodity with opportunities for entry into various markets. From bait to fertilizer, pet food and human consumption…there are numerous entry points for Asian Carp. To start, Colgan is turning Asian Carp into Lobster Bait. >click to read< 09:31
Adventure Medical Kits Introduces New Coast Guard Approved Marine Series
Adventure Medical Kits, the leader in outdoor first aid, announces today the fully revamped Marine series with seven premium medical kits created specifically for boating. The line offers a solution for consumers ranging from everyday recreational kayakers up to large-scale commercial fishing vessels. With a high-grade waterproof design and approval by the United States Coast Guard, boaters can feel safe and prepared for any excursion. >click to read< 08:50
‘No smoke in the smokehouse’ on the Magdalen Islands after herring ban
The smell of smoked herring is a familiar scent along the shores of the island of Havre aux Maisons, part of the Magdalen Islands, where the Fumoir d’antan has been smoking the fish since 1942, but the tradition won’t be able to continue this summer. It’s the first time the company’s flagship smokehouse will be out of operation since the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced last month it would be suspending springtime herring and mackerel fisheries along the coastal waters of Quebec and Atlantic provinces until at least 2023. >click to read< 20:19
Why Canada shuttered some mackerel and spring herring fisheries in Québec and Atlantic Canada
The announcement by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to suspend fishing for Atlantic mackerel and spring herring in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence made waves as the fishing season opened. This decision will have repercussions on the fishing industry at several levels since these species are fished not only for commercial purposes, but are also used as bait in the lobster, snow crab and Atlantic halibut fisheries. The latest stock assessment of Atlantic mackerel and spring herring in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence revealed high mortality rates among adult fish. In addition to high fishing pressure, the natural mortality of fish by predation also increased rapidly, The grey seal, now 16 times more abundant than in the 1960s, is the main predator of herring. >click to read< 18:38
