Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Scottish officials ordered to withdraw from fishing talks with Russia
The Scottish Government has said it will not take part in any fisheries negotiations with the Russian Federation in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Environment Secretary Mairi Gougeon has instructed Scottish Government officials to withdraw from any such negotiations until further notice. She confirmed the move as she called for talks over fish stocks involving both the UK and Russia to be postponed. >click to read< 11:22
Despite Ukraine invasion, the U.S. and Russia are still working together to solve salmon mysteries
Tensions continue to simmer between Moscow and Washington in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In many respects, the divide between East and West is deepening: Oil companies are canceling partnerships with Russian firms. State legislators are calling for the state’s sovereign wealth fund to dump Russian investments. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. would close its airspace to Russian aircraft. But the United States and Russia are continuing to work together on at least one issue: salmon. >click to read< 10:10
For anyone keeping count, new sighting brings total of North Atlantic Right Whale calves spotted to 15
A new sighting of a right whale calf brings the total spotted this season to 15, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Friday. The FWC said a new right whale mother and her calf were seen Wednesday off the coast of North Carolina. According to the FWC, the calf is just a few days old. Right whale calving season spans the months of November through April. “Mothers and calves occur in coastal waters and are known to spend a lot of time resting and nursing at or near the surface of the water where vessel strikes can occur. >click to read< 08:23
Vagaries of the fishing industry
Well, it has been a stormy week and we probably have never seen three storms like it, all one after the other. Therefore, this has been the quietest week for many years and shows how unpredictable the fishing industry can be. This is also the time of year when many of the beam trawlers head over to the Bristol Channel to catch dover sole. Dovers are our “crown jewels” and fetch a very good price on the auction. Three directors from Maaskant ship builders in Holland paid Brixham a visit as they are keen to look at an investment in the South West. With restrictions on UK vessels going into Europe, they are looking to expand into the UK fishing sector, and also looking to build a ship yard to repair UK fishing boats, so they don’t have to steam all the way to Holland. >click to read< 19:38
Fishermen Land $20 Million in Dungeness Crab in Crescent City, $51.1 million statewide
It’s not quite as high as the $40 million in crab the Crescent City Harbormaster reported Tuesday, but it’s a significant improvement from last year when local fishermen landed roughly $1.7 million worth of crab at Citizens Dock,,, Commercial fishermen statewide have landed $51.1 million worth of Dungeness crab as of Feb. 28, Juhasz said, though that is subject to change. Harbor Commissioner Rick Shepherd, who is also president of the Del Norte Commercial Fishermans Marketing Association, said the high price he and other fishermen are receiving for their catch is due to a high demand in crab. Shepherd said he did have concerns about crab caught in California but winds up being brought ashore in Brookings, Oregon. >click to read< 16:45
SEA-NL launches petition to change status of non-core groundfish licenses
SEA-NL has launched a petition urging the House of Commons to change the status of non-core groundfish licenses in this province so they can be sold or handed down. “Non-core license holders are treated like second-class fishermen,” says Jason Sullivan, President of SEA-NL, the distinct voice of the province’s licensed owner-operators. “That must end based on safety-at-sea, and fairness.” DFO’s licensing policy for Newfoundland and Labrador states that non-core groundfish licenses are not eligible for reissuance, meaning they die with the inshore owner-operators who hold them. >click to read<, and sign the petition 11:55
Lobstermen worry looming deadline for new regulations comes ‘too soon’ to change gear
At the beginning of the year, Maine lobstermen were having a hard time finding the new gear that is being required to help protect right whales. Though suppliers are now starting to see these new weak ropes and links come in, they haven’t received a flurry of new orders despite the looming spring implementation date. Starting on May 1, lobstermen, depending on where they fish, will have to have ropes running from their buoys to traps that can break with 1,700 pounds of force, or have inserts in the line that allow it to snap easier should a whale ever get entangled in them. >click to read< 11:15
Oops! Cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was probably a bad idea
Last month, a group of marine biologists noticed something fishy in a video posted on Twitter by a nonprofit called The Ocean Cleanup. “This is likely a staged video,” Clark Richards, a scientist at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, wrote. “I call bullshit.” In the 25-second clip, a large net appears to dump 8,400 pounds of plastic waste, including crates, buckets, and fishing gear, onto the deck of a ship. The Ocean Cleanup, which has raised more than $100 million on the promise to rid plastic from the seas, said the trash in the video was just pulled from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — an infamous region in international waters, between California and Hawaii, that’s polluted with plastic waste. >click to read< 10:23
Clyde fishing ban: ‘No scientific evidence of creel fishing impact on cod spawning’
A Scottish university professor says science around the effect of creel fishing on cod spawning is ‘completely lacking’ as trawlermen continue to be impacted by a ban. These observations come after a targeted cod ban prohibiting all fishing activity where cod can spawn in the Firth of Clyde came into place on February 14. Paul McAllister, a creel boat skipper based at Campbeltown Harbour in Kintyre, said he continues to feel “purposefully ignored” by the Scottish Government and “weighed down” after he closed his business due to the ban. >click to read< 08:37
DFO tracking project has tagged 3,000 lobsters over multiple N.S. fishing areas
Department of Fisheries and Oceans is hoping Nova Scotia lobster fishermen can be persuaded to throw back some of their catch this spring. Specifically, any lobsters decorated with a blue ribbon. The ribbons are part of a large-scale tagging project launched last summer that aims to track movement patterns amid changing ocean conditions. While previous tagging studies have focused on smaller areas, this one covers a large stretch of Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast, from the northern tip of Cape Breton to an area around Halifax, said Ben Zisserson, a lobster biologist with DFO. >click to read< 07:48
Bodega Bay crabbers head out to sea to retrieve fellow fisherman’s gear, aid his family after tragedy
The two skippers left dock before daylight, crawling through dense fog on an uncertain quest made all the more challenging by how little they could see beyond the bows of their fishing vessels. Commercial crabbers Tal Roseberry and Dick Ogg weren’t entirely sure where to look Wednesday as they worked off someone else’s personalized plotter. But they were bent on retrieving the crab gear and last catch of a fellow fisherman, Ryan Kozlowski, who lost his life on the water last week. Kozlowski died sometime late Feb. 24 or early Feb. 25 after he apparently fell overboard from the Seastar, a 42-foot vessel that had become “his passion” in the few years he had owned it. >click to read< 17:58
A Fundraiser For the Spirit of Ryan Kozlowski – A few words from Dick. To make a living from the ocean is a difficult way of life. Too many times, unforeseen situations occur that end a life too soon. Ryan Kozlowski was a very special man. Please honor his life and spirit by contributing what you can to offset the loss of his vessel and support his family. >click to read<, and please donate if you can.
F/V Louisa: Fishermen drowned because of faulty gas cylinder used for life raft
Three men who drowned at sea after their fishing boat sank during the night would “almost certainly” have survived if a gas cylinder used to inflate their life raft had been properly maintained, a sheriff has concluded. Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle says “dysfunctional” working practices at maintenance firm Thameside Fire Protection meant a CO2 cylinder on board the Louisa had been misleadingly labelled as full when it was empty. “It is also beyond doubt that the reason the liferaft did not inflate was because the CO2 cylinder did not work.” >click to read< 14:15
Feds institute ’emergency’ lobster closure to protect right whales
The federal government will close an additional 200 square miles off the coast of Massachusetts to lobster and Jonah crab fishing in April to protect endangered right whales. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is closing the area on an “emergency” basis, without taking public comment, a move that frustrates lobstermen already contending with extensive fishing restrictions. >click to read<
Emergency Closure for Lobster and Jonah CrabTrap/Pot Fishery: Area Between Massachusetts Restricted Area and Massachusetts Restricted Area North for April 2022 – Lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fishermen fishing in the federal waters between the Massachusetts Restricted Area North and the Massachusetts Restricted Area must remove all trap/pot gear from this area, and may not reset trawls being actively fished, or set new trawls in this area for the period from April 1-30, 2022. >click to read< 12:02
Overwhelming support for extending length of inshore fishing boats – SEA-NL
The province’s inshore owner-operator fish harvesters overwhelmingly support extending the maximum length of fishing boats in their fleet for safety reasons, and to fall in line with the rest of Atlantic Canada. “The message from the inshore fleet is clear that the days of chopping off boats are over,” says Jason Sullivan, President of Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, the distinct voice of the province’s licensed, owner-operators. “Fisheries and Oceans has gotten the message loud and clear that the policy must change.” >click to read< 10:32
Thirteen winners out of 2,600 hopefuls hit the 2022 Maine elver fishing lottery
In 2020, elvers remained one of the most valuable species harvested in Maine, with harvesters earning $5,067,521. And that was despite a decrease in per-pound value of more than $1,500. In 2021, Maine’s elver fishery rebounded on the strength of a per pound value of more than $1,800. The overall landed value of more than $16 million was an increase of more that $10 million over the previous year. Now, the elver season is ready to begin again March 22, with the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources identifying 13 fishermen who won the elver harvest letter. More than 2,600 people applied for a 2022 harvester license. >click to read< 09:45
‘Definitely the most difficult rescue I have been on’ recalls a rescuer of F/V Atlantic Destiny crew
Daniel Domonkos will always remember the moment he and his SAR tech crew first laid eyes on the ill-fated F/V Atlantic Destiny a year ago. Seeing the stricken vessel being tossed around in the waves “like a little toy,” the flight engineer immediately wondered, “How are we supposed to get anyone off that boat?” And not just one person, but 31 of them. It was a miraculous scene that later played out at the Yarmouth International Airport as crew members of the Atlantic Destiny and their rescuers stepped out of helicopters to safety, the warmth of those moments only interrupted by the bone-chilling bitter cold. Photos, Video, >click to read< 08:08
Twinkle no more.
Flown at half mast, the harbour’s Cornish flag signifies that yet another Newlyn skipper and someone for whom the title, ‘character’ was totally justified, has gone to the big wheelhouse in the sky. This week we say goodbye to John Trennere, who, as an apprentice boatbuilder in Porthleven was given the nickname Twinkle by the boatyard boss. Anyone who knew him will immediately identify with how the name arose. His very presence enough to lighten the mood no matter what the circumstances, though to be fair, he must have driven said boss and the other guys half-crazy with his constant banter and antics, not that he changed much over the years as anyone who had the pleasure of sailing under him as I did aboard the Reliance for a short while will testify. photos, >click to read< 06:55
Making a living on the high seas
Fishing has helped sustain Inuit for generations. Commercial fishing has allowed Nunavummiut like Enoo Bell and Kyle Aglukkaq to earn a good living, although it comes with sacrifices. He’s been on hundreds of trips lasting from 15 to 25 days to harvest shrimp and turbot. He didn’t see his family for more than three months on one occasion in the early 1990s. “It’s hard to leave. Sometimes out there (you think), ‘Why am I here?’ On the other hand, his employer takes very good care of him and he’s pleased that Inuit have increasingly become rights-holders within the commercial fishing industry. His commercial fishing career has taken him to places like Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Norway and England. >click to read< 18:55
Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing Violations on the Rise
Since December 9, 2021, there have been five cases out of Crescent City and two out of Eureka regarding possession of undersize crabs by commercial crab fishermen. The most common violation during this period has been commercial harvest of undersized crabs. Commercial Dungeness crab fishermen are expected to measure their entire catch and keep only crabs that are equal to or greater than 6 ¼ inches, which is slightly more than the required 5 ¾ width required of recreational crabbers. There is a provision in the law to authorize possession of no more than one percent of the catch to be undersize. In all seven cases, citations were written, the loads were seized and the proceeds from the sales of the crab were directed to the Wildlife Preservation Fund until the cases can be adjudicated in court. >click to read< 15:20
Seiner ordered to pay $24K in fines and restitution for illegal 2019 harvest
Alaska Wildlife Troopers report that 41-year old Jasper Allbrett entered an agreement with the Office of Special Prosecutions to plead guilty to a pair of misdemeanor counts of commercial fishing in closed waters. Allbrett was fined $30,000 with $20,000 suspended and ordered to pay restitution of $14,700. He’ll serve two years on probation, and his seine permit will be suspended for one year. >click to read< 12:49
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Ellis Harpoon Boat, 600HP, Daytona Mack E7 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 22 photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:36
Canada Bans All Russian Ships from Ports – Newfoundland cod processor drops Russian imports
The government of Canada has joined the UK in banning Russian shipping from Canadian ports, adding to the growing list of penalties targeted at Russian commerce in response to the invasion of Ukraine. In an announcement Tuesday, three Canadian ministers announced that Russian-owned or registered ships and fishing vessels will be prohibited from entering Canada’s ports and internal waters. >click to read< – Icewater Seafoods of Arnold’s Cove cancels orders of Russian cod in show of solidarity with Ukraine – A major cod processing plant in Newfoundland and Labrador has cancelled all imports of Russian products, a move it describes as a sacrifice to show solidarity with Ukrainians. >click to read< 09:59
A message for Del. Jay Jacobs – This will not go unanswered.
Recent actions that you have taken, makes me put this letter together to address the situations at hand. First of all, your contact with an individual in Cecil County and the information that you gave him concerning Delmarva Fisheries Association is of great concern to all of us at DFA and our local affiliates,,, DFA was referred to as nothing but a scam just like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and it was said that DFA receives large sums of money directly from the sale of fishing licenses in the state. These two comments stated at a public meeting in Cecil County are outright lies and misinformation. The gentleman who spoke said he got this information from you and you alone! This will not go unanswered. >click to read< 09:11
Fisherman found dead in water near Bodega Bay identified
The fisherman whose body was found last week in the water near Bodega Bay has been identified as a 30-year-old Sonoma man, authorities said. Ryan Kozlowski, a commercial crab fisherman, was identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Unit. His body was found about a mile from his boat, F/V Seastar on Friday by a Coast Guard search crew. >click to read< 07:57
Coast Guard, partner agencies continue salvage operations for grounded boat on Kehoe Beach
The Coast Guard and partner agencies are continuing salvage operations Tuesday that began Saturday for the grounded 42-foot commercial fishing boat F/V Seastar on Kehoe Beach. Contractors removed all fuel and hazardous materials from the F/V Seastar Saturday afternoon before commencing salvage operations. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received reports of the unmanned boat F/V Seastar adrift just North of Point Reyes around 9:20 a.m. Friday. The boat crew arrived on scene around 10:15 a.m., boarded the F/V Seastar, which was on the rocks, and did not attempt to tow the boat due to pollution and boat damage concerns. The boat crew confirmed the Seastar was unmanned, reported the captain missing and immediately began searching,,, photos, >click to read< 20:14
Local crane service salvages damaged boat, Rough Rider III
Art Henry Crane Service from Thomaston was on the scene of where Rough Rider III had smashed against the rocks on Spruce Head Island to handle the salvage of the damaged fishing boat on Feb. 28. The boat had crashed into the rocks just days before on Feb. 23. There had been wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour overnight when the incident had happened. Photos, >click to read<19:11
Lawmakers endorse legal fund for Maine lobstermen
A legislative committee reversed course Tuesday, voting to support a roughly $900,000 fund to pay for the lobster industry’s legal fight against federal rules that aim to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Two advocacy groups, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the Maine Lobstering Union, would split the funding. The Marine Resources committee’s majority voted against the measure last week. >click to read< 16:30
Fishing organization tells members to avoid Russian waters
Fiskebåt, the organization, on Monday told its members that caused by the tense situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it would be recommended to avoid fishing in the Russian economic zone until further notice. “Our thoughts go first and foremost to those who live in Ukraine, but at the same time we must continuously consider what consequences this situation will have for the activity of our members,” says Audun Maråk, CEO in Fiskebåt. Right now, there are no Norwegian fishing vessels in the Russian zone, as most of the Barents Sea over the past few weeks has been closed due to massive military maneuvers and shootings by the powerful Northern Fleet. Led by President Putin, the nuclear deterrence forces were exercising earlier in February. >click to read< 12:40
Crabs vs. Whales – Fracas over pop-up crab traps dangles Dungeness season in the balance
On multiple occasions sources for this story referenced being intimidated, scared and even worried about “getting shot” for their role in seeking a solution to California’s crab gear challenges. And it isn’t limited to one side. People take their livelihoods and their whales seriously. But amid the fear there is hope. Geoff Shester leads the parade on that front. He works with conservationist outfit Oceana as its senior scientist, and he’s very enthusiastic about how innovative new crab trap designs,, Longtime fisherman Dick Ogg,,“We’ve minimized interaction,” he says. “We’re on the right track, we’re doing the right things and those things are working really well. We’ve already solved the issue. How is this fair?” >click to read< 10:33
Demand is going to be strong! Remarkable snow crab season ahead for Gulf of St. Lawrence crabbers
The snow crab industry in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence can expect an excellent 2022 fishing season, both in terms of catches and prices. The preliminary report of the most recent scientific assessment of the stock, carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, shows a growth of 4% in the commercial biomass made up of males of 95 mm and over, compared to last year. It is now valued at close to 81,000 metric tons (MT). “We consider that we have a good breeding stock and that the stock is healthy,” >click to read< 09:14
