Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Commercial Fisherman Captain Jason Ian Nevel of Ohio has passed away
Jason came into this life on November 19, 1977, in Hamilton, Ohio. As early as age 6 he was drawing pictures of fish and boats and said he wanted to be a fisherman when he grew up. He became a crewmember on a commercial fishing boat and over the years worked his way up and passed the test to obtain his Commercial Captain License, something he was very proud of. Like most commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, Captain Jason worked hard and played hard. In the past couple of years, he returned to Hamilton but would travel back to Florida to work on fishing boats. He was at home on the ocean, he said that is where he found peace and tranquility. >click to read< 11:09
‘CODA’ – A win for America’s oldest seaport
CODA’s big wins at the 94th Academy Awards Sunday night was not only a win for the deaf community, it was also a win for the nation’s oldest seaport in its portrayal of the fishing industry and its families. CODA did not turn to special effects to tell the story on the water. Instead, it turned Capt. Paul Vitale’s 50-foot fishing vessel F/V Angela Rose into a working movie set in August and September of 2019. Vitale said Monday morning his phone was “going nonstop and more” after CODA’s big wins. “I’m so psyched for them to win all three Oscars last night,” Vitale said. It was a surprise, but he credited the cast and crew for making it happen. “On the boat, they worked real hard.” photos, >click to read< 10:24
Fishers are key players
This week we celebrate the fisheries and the crucial role it plays in the Island economy. The value of the fisheries exceeds $590 million in this small province which boasts a population somewhere in the neighbourhood of 160,000 residents. The worth is evident in the fact harvesting and processing of fisheries and aquaculture products accounts for about 9,500 jobs. Among those involved in the industry are skilled lobster and crab fishers, mussel farmers, oyster harvesters and all who earn a living from the water. All Islanders benefit from a lucrative fishery. However, those engaged in it will be especially challenged this coming season with escalating fuel prices which influences the cost of bait, transport of product and other essentials. >click to read< 09:16
Copper River Seafoods not buying Cook Inlet salmon amid declining harvests
Another seafood processor is moving out of Kenai this salmon season. Copper River Seafoods is ending its run in the old Snug Harbor Seafood plant, leaving one major salmon processor in the area but promising the addition of a new company soon. Processors like Copper River buy catch from commercial fishermen and bring that catch to market. As commercial fishermen have dealt with declining salmon runs and management changes, processors from Kenai to Homer have left, too, leaving fishermen with fewer options. >click to read< 08:53
Largest Cod of the Year?
The crew of the trawler Bergey VE from Vestmannaeyjar islands had a reason to cheer this week, when they caught a huge cod, “It was a cod that weighed about 50 kg (110 lbs) and measured 1.8 meters (70 in),” states Captain Jón Valgeirsson. “It was old and respectable and managed to escape all nets and trawls year after year.” This could be the largest cod of the year. It was caught in the the Háfadýpi fishing ground. Last year’s largest cod weighed 51 kg. It was caught by the crew of the boat Sólrún EA near Kolbeinsey islet, north of Iceland. >click to read< 07:35
$1.8m for THA’s Capital of Paradise to be seaworthy again
After being out of compliance for some four years, the THA-owned Capital of Paradise commercial fishing vessel has been repaired and returned to the people of Tobago at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. The boat, operated by the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company (Tadco), was deemed unseaworthy during the term of the former THA administration. A team of officials, led by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, toured the vessel at the Scarborough Port on Tuesday. >click to read< 21:01
The Clean Water Act, passed into law 50 years ago, has fallen well short of its goals
Nearly half of the rivers and streams across the U.S. are considered too polluted to meet quality standards for swimming, recreation, aquatic life, fish consumption or as drinking water sources. The Environmental Integrity Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit formed by former Environmental Protection Agency attorneys, published a report that found alarming results of water quality tests in all 50 states. More than 700,000 miles of waterways, about 51 percent of assessed river and stream miles, are impaired by pollution. That’s in addition to another 55 percent of lake acres and 26 percent of estuary miles. >click to read< 16:49
Sac roe herring fishery opens as first spawn is seen in Sitka Sound
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery opened on Saturday, March 26. Seiners landed an estimated 450 tons of herring in 75 minutes of fishing, in beautiful weather along the eastern shoreline of Kruzof Island. The fishery moved into Hayward Strait on Sunday and was open for eight hours, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. As of press time, the total catch for the day has not been published. Matt Kinney is one of 47 permit holders in the fishery. “We have such a large GHL that we’ll never even come close to scratching the surface of actually processing what we’re allowed to catch,” Kinney said. >click to read< 13:57
Fishermen join forces to tackle North Sea cod quota ‘mismatch’
Skippers and other industry representatives from Shetland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and England met in Copenhagen to discuss a “quota mismatch” they are facing at sea, Shetland Fishermen’s Association said today. Vessels are encountering more cod than current official assessments, the industry group said, adding the recent talks in Copenhagen “painted a unanimous picture” of an abundant stock stretching across the whole North Sea and beyond. But quota for the species, a staple of fish suppers in many parts of the UK has been slashed by 70% in just three years. According to the SFA, this “poor science” leads to quota recommendations that bear no resemblance to the volume of fish in the sea. >click to read< 12:46
‘It used to be just simple:’ Maine lobstermen concerned for future of industry
From new regulations to high fuel prices, some Maine lobstermen say they just can’t catch a break. Many are concerned for the future of the industry that is so much a part of Maine. Steve Train grew up lobstering. “I’ve just always had a love for this as a way to make a living,” Train said. Lobstermen are facing many obstacles, from offshore wind farms to impending federal fishing regulations meant to protect endangered right whales and even high fuel prices. photos, video, >click to read< 10:09
Hundreds of Newfoundland fishermen protest prices, pressing minister for changes
Fishermen from across the Avalon Peninsula took their complaints and concerns about pricing for this year’s inshore fishery straight to Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg in St. John’s on Monday, with a concurrent protest happening in Corner Brook. For fish harvesters like Conway Caines, the $12 per pound in Cape Breton this season is proof enough harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador deserve more than last year’s $7.60 a pound. The Port Saunders man said he managed to get by in 2021 but said that price isn’t good enough given the higher cost of living this season. “I ain’t got no big quotas. I got enough to pay me instalments, feed me family and try to give me crew a decent share.” >click to read< 08:45
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update, March 28, 2022 – Seafood Consumers Beware
Seafood Consumers Beware The post below was made by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of North Carolina. After decades of promising NC anglers more fish and then supporting every recreational harvest reduction that’s been proposed, over the last 25 years, it appears the CCA has shifted its focus to North Carolina’s seafood consumers. I guess they’ve taken all they can from the anglers who like to harvest a mess of fish but feel seafood consumers still have more to give. While their message seems innocent enough, expressing a love of seafood and concern for the stock, don’t be fooled! >click to read< 19:50
It’s hard to go green if you’re facing the red
It is a fact brought back into focus by the war in Ukraine. For decades, governments have promoted and promised a move away from oil and gas, getting ever greener, at least in their messaging, in response to the justified eco-concerns of modern-day voters, writes Daniel Lawson, newly appointed executive officer at the Shetland Fishermen’s Association. Now energy costs are rising even higher, our reliance on imports is being called into question – and our governments, who only a few months ago hosted the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow – are having to reconsider just how green our society can really afford to be in this moment. This sharp rise in fuel costs affects us all, every household, every industry. Such remains the scale of our reliance – still – on fossil fuels. The practical reality is that we can’t yet manage without oil and gas. It’s an example that highlights a wider point: it’s hard to go green if you’re facing the red. >click to read< 19:01
Fisheries Minister Confronted by Protestors at FFAW Rally
Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg stepped into a lion’s den earlier today as he addressed a crowd gathered at an FFAW protest. The Union organized rallies in St. John’s and Corner Brook to highlight issues around the setting of fish prices. The crowd was loud during the initial speeches, but things took a turn when provincial Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg took to the microphone. Bragg faced heavy criticism from the vocal crowd on the steps of Confederation Building during his speech. photos, video, >click to read< 16:05
R.I. innovator develops ‘ropeless’ lobster fishing technology
Traditional lobster and crab traps operate through a simple mechanism, using ropes and buoys. Vincent “Bud” Harold, president of DBV Technology LLC in North Kingstown, believes he has the solution: one of his company’s signature products, the RISER. While traditional lobster and crab traps are rigged by rope to a buoy, the Ropeless RISER uses underwater acoustics to send signals from a fishing vessel to gear on the ocean floor. This signal triggers an underwater bag on the trap to inflate with air,,, >click to read< 14:41
F/V Alaska Ranger—the historic Bering Sea rescue that defied the odds
On Easter morning in 2008 at approximately 3:00 a.m., the fishing vessel F/V Alaska Ranger’s mayday call raced across radio waves of the Bering Sea bound for the radio room of any Coast Guard rescue center within reach. Forty-seven fishermen aboard the Alaska Ranger were donning survival suits for what would become one of the largest and most dramatic rescue cases in modern Coast Guard history. At the time, the 378-foot high-endurance Coast Guard Cutter Munro was on patrol near the Bering Sea fishing fleet. For days before its mayday call, the fishing vessel had been forcing its way through destructive pack ice. Very early on March 23, without any warning, frigid water began rushing into the ship’s rudder room, flooding adjoining spaces and disabling the ship. The Alaska Ranger lost steering and power and was at the mercy of the unforgiving Bering Sea. photos, >click to read< 13:41
Yorkshire crab and lobster deaths: Government closes investigation for second time
The North Sea around the Tees Estuary has been affected by the issue as far south as Staithes and Whitby since last autumn, when large numbers of dead crustaceans washed up on beaches. An investigation was launched and after causes such as pollution, disease and undersea cable disturbance were ruled out, it was eventually announced that toxic algae was responsible. Yet fishermen are still reporting poor catches,,, >click to read< 11:29
Licence fee reduction among government’s lobster support
The state government is set to provide relief to the state’s commercial rock lobster industry including a 50 per cent reduction in licence fees and an independent review into cost recovery. The industry has continued to feel the effects of ongoing trade sanctions imposed by China, which had been its biggest market, on top of a decline in domestic markets due to COVID-19. This includes a 50 per cent reduction in commercial rock lobster licence fees for the next year, which the government says will save the industry nearly $2.6 million in 2022-23 according to current Rock Lobster Cost Recovery Statements for 2021-22. >click to read< 09:45
Can True Fin Buoy Maine’s Floundering Groundfish Fleet?
It’s true, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Maine fishermen, though, haven’t had much choice but to leave them there. Over the past several decades, the state’s groundfishing fleet dwindled because of low market prices, suppressed by international competition, that didn’t keep up with the cost of gear, diesel, and labor. By 2020, groundfish, including New England staples cod, haddock, halibut, and flounder, accounted for just 1 percent of Maine’s commercial catch. Most of what’s landed nowadays is shellfish. For finfish, many restaurants have to source from elsewhere what’s abundant just offshore. >click to read< 08:47
FFAW Demonstrations Tomorrow (Monday)
FFAW-Unifor is holding demonstrations for all members and community supporters on Monday, March 28 at 11 am at the Confederation Building in St. John’s & Civic Centre in Corner Brook to call attention to unfairness in the setting of fish prices. For years we have asked the provincial government to move forward with policies that would hold processing companies more accountable and to increase competition in fish processing. In particular, we have demanded: >click to read< 20:30
Researchers return from open-ocean Pacific salmon study
After spending more than a month at sea studying Pacific salmon, scientists and crew aboard the Sir John Franklin Coast Guard vessel returned to Victoria last week. The ship was one of four participating in the 2022 International Year of the Salmon Pan-Pacific Winter High Seas Expedition, which was the largest-ever research expedition to study salmon and their ecosystems in the North Pacific Ocean. The Sir John Franklin was joined in the expedition by a research vessel from the United States, a research vessel from Russia and a commercial fishing vessel from Canada. “All of the different countries have been tracking their salmon in fresh water and coastally, and very few other than the Russians have really gone far out into the open ocean.” >click to read< 19:40
Coast Guard suspends search for the Master of a 32-foot sunken fishing vessel off Florence
The Coast Guard suspended search efforts at 12:30 a.m. Sunday for the master of a 32-foot fishing vessel that sank approximately 35 miles offshore Florence late Friday night. The missing man has been identified as Mike Morgan, 68. Rescue crews saturated approximately 232 square-miles of search area over a 24-hour period but were unable to locate Morgan. The Coast Guard recovered an unresponsive female victim early Saturday morning, later discovered to be a crew member aboard the White Swan III. The female victim was pronounced deceased by local emergency crews. >click to read< 14:19
California: Closure of commercial fishery causes seafood price increase
Two humpback whales became entangled in Dungeness crab gear near the Monterey Peninsula within the last two weeks, leading to the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery,,, “It’s pretty devastating because the best crabbing here is generally in the springtime,” said Morro Bay commercial fisherman, Bill Blue. This suspension isn’t helping, especially during their most profitable season. “It’s a pretty unjust thing. It’s all political. It has nothing to do with saving the whales. The shipping industry kills a lot of whales. Video, >click to read< 10:26
Thousands of Mainers told to repay pandemic-related jobless benefits
Joseph Parker collected jobless benefits in 2020 as society grappled with an unprecedented public health emergency and economic disaster. Parker, a then-sidelined contract worker on a lobster boat, gratefully received benefits through an emergency federal program for workers who didn’t qualify for state unemployment insurance. The checks continued for about six months before Parker was able to return to work, and he said he hasn’t filed a claim since. Then he was caught up in the state’s attempt to recoup $46 million from 11,000 Mainers it says were overpaid federal unemployment benefits distributed during the pandemic. >click to read< 08:42
Updated: Coast Guard searches for the Master of a 32-foot sunken fishing vessel off Florence
North Bend, Ore. The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for the master of a 32-foot fishing vessel that sank Saturday morning approximately 35 miles offshore Florence. Missing is Mike Morgan, 68. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a mayday call at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday from Morgan, the master of the white-and-black fishing vessel F/V White Swan III, reporting that his vessel was sinking in the north end of the Heceta Banks fishing area. Morgan reported that a female crew member was also aboard the vessel. The 13th Coast Guard District Command Center received an emergency position indicating radio beacon alert from F/V White Swan III. >click to read< 18:19
Crew member found ‘unresponsive’- search for ship’s captain ongoing – Searchers have recovered an unresponsive crew member from the Pacific Ocean and continue to scan the waves for a missing man after a fishing boat sank Saturday off the Oregon coast, officials said. They also have not publicly identified the person found unresponsive. >click to read< 19:40
Lowcountry Shrimpers expect cost of fuel to impact profits, cause issues
With just weeks until shrimp season gets underway, some Shem Creek Shrimpers say they’ve never seen gas prices as high as they are right now. They say the extra cost could push some boats out of the industry or force others to quit shrimping altogether. Shrimpers say with gas prices at nearly $4.50 for boat fuel and boats using hundreds of gallons of gas each day, some boats are sitting idle. Tarvin’s Seafood owner Cindy Tarvin says the higher operating costs will likely lead to higher shrimp and seafood costs through the season in order for shrimpers to offset the expense. video, >click to read< 13:50
Coast Guard responding to rescue 2 aboard sinking fishing vessel
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews are working to rescue two people aboard a fishing vessel sinking off the Oregon Coast Saturday morning, the service’s Pacific Northwest branch account said in a Tweet. According to the Coast Guard, the boat named White Swan III is taking on water about 35 miles from Florence and two people may be in danger. This story will be updated. >click to read< 13:11
A Complicated Battle in the Gulf of Maine
It was two hours before dawn in the village of Friendship, but for a Maine lobster crew, it was already getting late. Captain Dustin Delano, his sternman, Chris, and his bait guy, Tim, moved in coordinated loops around the deck of the F/V Knotty Lady, stacking traps, thawing redfish heads and coiling lines to the gentle bass notes of engines rumbling below decks. In its own way, it had the feel of a chamber orchestra tuning up. Last cigarettes were lit, smoked and flicked away. And with that, we were off to the grounds. Soon, though, if things go according to a ruling by a federal court in Portland, that schedule would be thrown into chaos. In accordance with a recent modification to a federal whale plan, a 950-square-mile area of prime lobster fishing grounds was set to close in an effort to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Enter Green Energy – Where and how Maine would site farms to exploit this potential is an open question. >click to read< 11:09
Newfoundland skipper convicted of trying to throw woman overboard didn’t suffer a miscarriage of justice
The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with the Crown in the case of Trent White and agreed with the lone Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal judge who had disagreed with the decision to allow White a new trial, rejecting his argument that his previous defence lawyer had been inadequate. White was convicted in 2018 of aggravated assault, assault and damage to property related to incidents that had occurred on a commercial fishing boat during the 2017 turbot fishery. The 65-foot vessel had left Rocky Harbour for the Labrador Sea near Red Bay and was travelling in the Strait of Belle Isle when White reportedly tried to throw a crew member, his girlfriend, overboard. >click to read< 09:52
Russian participation in international salmon survey cut short in Gulf of Alaska
An international expedition to study salmon in the Gulf of Alaska lost its Russian vessel part-way through the venture as a result of sanctions in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. The chartered Russian vessel R/V Tinro had to turn back after it was not allowed to fuel up in Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The ship was among four vessels carrying about 60 scientists that headed out in February for a month to the North Pacific Ocean on the largest-ever pan-Pacific research expedition to study salmon. >click to read< 08:30
