Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Wayne Beal Gillnetter/Lobster Boat
To review specifications, information, and 10 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:07
N.C. Wildlife Federation calls for inshore shrimp trawling ban, commercial fisheries lobbying group responds
N.C. Wildlife Federation CEO Tim Gestwicki called on state legislators Tuesday to “put a stop to inshore shrimp trawling as soon as possible.” In a news release, Gestwicki said the call is in response to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries canceling the recreational southern flounder season for 2024. Glenn Skinner, executive director of the N.C. Fisheries Association, a Morehead City-based trade and lobbying group for the state’s commercial fishermen, said Tuesday the wildlife federation is using the flounder season cancellation to scare fishermen and “build momentum” for its ongoing effort to ban shrimp trawling. The recreational fishermen exceeded the quota in 2023, he said, but commercial fishermen, who also had a short season, did not. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:48
Oregon U.S. lawmakers seek federal help for West Coast seafood industry
Last year, Oregon’s seafood industry got a much-needed boost from the federal government. But it continues to struggle and still needs help. That’s the message from five Democratic members of Congress from Oregon, who’ve written to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to request aid for West Coast seafood fishermen, processors and distributors. “Commercial fishing and seafood processing on the West Coast are significant contributors to the nation’s seafood production and agricultural economy,” the lawmakers said. “The industry serves as the economic backbone for numerous small ports and rural coastal communities in Oregon. Fishing activities are deeply ingrained in the local culture and way of life across the Oregon Coast.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:44
Scots overwhelmingly supportive of fishing sector – Polling shows UK-produced food as important as UK-produced energy
A large majority of Scots are backing the fishing industry amid growing pressure on fishing grounds, in a reminder to politicians not to neglect an important sector ahead of the general election. A new poll commissioned by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) reveals that 19 in 20 (95.7%) of Scots believe it is important for the UK to retain control over its fisheries. The poll also highlights that 91% agree fishing is a vital part of the UK economy. Additionally, 89.7% of people agree that UK-produced food is just as important as UK-produced energy. These issues will be debated by an election hustings panel including Kate Forbes, Rhoda Grant, Rachael Hamilton and Alastair Carmichael in Edinburgh tomorrow (12 June) at an event hosted by SFF. Please find attached the release and images for use. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks.Pushing Technology Boundaries
Fishing vessel Aksel Johan has it all – battery hybrid propulsion, heat recovery, peak shaving, and load balancing on the engine, hull and propeller, along with exhaust gas cleaning – plus it’s the first fishing vessel to use a thermoelectric system to harness heat from the exhaust in a world first. Built for Senjahopen company Berg Fisk AS, Aksel Johan is some months behind schedule and should have been delivered in October last year – but delays at the Baltic yard where the hull was fabricated, due to the war in Ukraine resulting in a shortage of manpower, meant that the construction has been challenging. But according to Berg Fisk’s managing director Johan-Arild Hansen, the new vessel has performed perfectly on the delivery trip from the yard in Denmark. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:56
Maine lobster boat races touch down in Bass Harbor on June 23
Get ready for the roar of high-powered diesel and high-octane gasoline engines as the annual Maine Lobster Boat Races kick off in Hancock County on June 23 in Bass Harbor. Racing begins this weekend in Boothbay Harbor on Saturday, June 15, and travels down the coast to Rockland on Sunday, June 16, before arriving in Bass Harbor the following weekend. The circuit lands in Moosabec Reach in Jonesport on June 29, Stonington on July 14, Friendship on July 21, Harpswell on July 28, Winter Harbor on Aug. 10, Bristol on Aug. 11 and wraps up in Portland on Aug. 18. Towns roll out the (lobster)-red carpet when the races come to town. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:33
Fire Dept. Honored On 5th Anniversary of Saving Historic Workboat from Flames
It is nearly five years to the day after a waterfront fire threatened to destroy a beloved 1931 workboat. Thanks to the hard work of local firefighters, the deck boat is still around. Those firefighters were honored last weekend for their role in saving history. The York County and City of Poquoson fire departments were recognized at the Yorktown Workboat Races for their remarkable effort on June 12, 2019 in saving the 55’ deck boat Linda Carol from fire. The Linda Carol was moored beside the Surf Rider Restaurant in Poquoson when the restaurant caught fire and was totally destroyed. Surrounded by raging smoke and flames, firefighters working from boats and shore kept the fire from spreading to the Linda Carol and other vessels by constantly spraying water on the boats. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:39
The next generation of commercial fishing in New England
Commercial fishing has been part of New England’s economy and culture for centuries, but it now faces challenging headwinds. The average age of a commercial fishing boat captain in northern New England is between 58 and 60 years old, says Andrea Tomlinson, founder and executive director of New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance. The non-profit is working to bring a new generation into leadership through its “Deckhand to Captain” training program. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:56
NCFA Weekly Update for June 10, 2024
Mandatory Harvest Reporting, Why and How? SAFMC Meets This Week This Week. As you know, in 2023 legislation was approved that places new “mandatory reporting” requirements on both recreational anglers and commercial fishermen who participate in North Carolinas coastal fisheries. As usual, this has led to a lot of comments, complaints, and misinformation which, quite frankly, is what started the mandatory reporting conversation in the first place. As one of the primary supporters of “mandatory reporting” we feel it’s important for the NCFA to explain exactly why and how this legislation came to be. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<– 18:18
Offshore wind farm lease auction plan has Gulf of Maine fishermen feeling brushed aside
The prospect of hundreds of offshore wind turbines generating power in the Gulf of Maine is moving forward with plans to auction eight leases in a large swath of waters off the New England coast. Jerry Leeman III, the CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said there’s not enough data to support the areas that have been chosen for wind development. As now laid out, the plan could take away valuable fishing grounds from New England’s fishing fleet, pose navigational hazards and create new environmental threats, he said. “We still have more questions than we have answers,” he said. “Yet we’re moving ahead with the leasing ahead of the science.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:37
Atlantic herring suffering in warming Gulf of St. Lawrence
Decades of research show a slow decline in herring stocks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and scientists are linking that decline to waters that are warming with climate change. Recent research from NASA found that about 90 per cent of global warming is occurring in the ocean. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Joël Chassé, an oceanographer with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said 11 of 12 months last year had warmer than normal surface temperatures, and he expects a similar pattern this year. “Fishermen in northern New Brunswick, the Baie des Chaleur region, were having difficulty finding the fish,” said Jacob Burbank, a researcher in fish ecology with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “They weren’t seeing Atlantic herring where they normally would see Atlantic herring. They kept waiting for them to come in for their spawning and they just didn’t see them.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:40
Weatherbeaten Maine Seeks More Resilient Infrastructure
Stonington, Maine, is an island town in Penobscot Bay with a year-round population of just over 1,000 people. Its lobster fishing port is the biggest in the state, supplying about 11 percent of all the Maine lobster that gets shipped to food markets around the world. In January, a winter storm caused a surge that flooded out a string of privately owned wharves that support the lobster industry and washed over a publicly owned commercial pier, knocking out all of its electronics. “We basically got hit by a wall of water,” says Linda Nelson, Stonington’s director of economic development. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:10
The anti-windfarm ‘odd couple’ joining forces to fight the renewable energy projects Australia’s already failing to build
Deep in coal country, a lifelong environmentalist and one-time Greens candidate is feeling the applause. It’s Thursday night at a Gladstone pub and Steven Nowakowski has won over sceptical locals. His message is a simple one; he believes a wave of new windfarm developments threatens to smash hilltops and turn koala habitat into “industrial zones”. The green movement, he says, are in “la-la land” over windfarms, a comment that draws nods and knowing smiles from the audience. But its only when one local suggests building a new coal-fired power station does the crowd erupt in spontaneous applause. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:59
OPINION: Peltola pulls for Alaska fishermen, By Linda Behnken
Wild seafood provides food security and livelihoods across the country, but nowhere is that more true than in Alaska. We are fortunate to have a leader who not only has her own boots in fisheries but is bold enough to drive hard conversations around our biggest challenges. In the North Pacific, that includes bycatch management and habitat protection — not only as a foundation for sustainable management, but as a critical part of climate resilience. We’ve seen the complete collapse of two iconic Alaska crab species, and elimination of subsistence fishing on major rivers with communities highly dependent upon that food resource. We’ve witnessed the abrupt crash of Gulf of Alaska cod following the 2014-2016 marine heat wave. As fish stocks and ocean conditions change more quickly and more substantially than ever before, we need conservation tools that match the pace with that change to safeguard ocean health. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:33
Irish Fishing Family to Welcome New Trawler
Irish fisherman Eric Murphy and his family will soon welcome a new trawler into their fleet. Built locally by Mooney Boats to a design by Vestværftet of Denmark, Eilean Croineis a sister vessel of Sparkling Star, which was completed and delivered to another owner in 2023. Both vessels will be operated out of Castletownbere in County Cork, mainly performing pelagic trawling, though they may also be configured for demersal trawling for whitefish. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:24
‘Deadliest Catch’: Wild Bill Opens Up About Cancer Diagnosis
Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski of ‘Deadliest Catch’ refused to ‘crawl into a shell’ when he learned he had prostate cancer. Deadliest Catch star Wild Bill Wichrowski is opening up about his experience with prostate cancer, in the hopes that sharing his journey will help others in a similar situation. “The fact that I allowed the news to be broadcast, I heard from a million people, ‘Oh, I hope you’re all right,’ he says. “I was hoping that the fact that I kept going, it would show people that if you have this, you can keep working. You can keep your life moving. I wasn’t going to stop unless I had to.” Fortunately for Wichrowski, his treatment seems to be going well. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:01
Houseboat Dwellers Can Now Generate All the Electricity They Need From the Ocean
The oceans contain nearly unimaginable amount of power. Engineers have long dreamed of transforming some of it into electricity. Complex past concepts have ranged from “tide farms” that include hundreds of rising floats moored to the ocean bottom to huge hydro-electric dams blocking off harbors. Now, a startup in Alaska has a new personal hydrogenerator design so simple it is 3D-printable. You can lower it over the side of a boat, just like an anchor. Whether the tides are coming in or going out, the water spins the turbine and generates 1.6 kW of power. When would this be useful? Anytime a boat is anchored or docked for an extended time. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:26
Newly released data reveals record number of cetacean deaths in UK waters
Tragically, more than 1000 whales, dolphins and porpoises were stranded around the UK in 2018 – and it was a similar number the following year with 980 cetaceans reported to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) in 2019. What is causing the huge upturn in cetacean deaths around the UK? There could be a number of factors of course, there are many theories out there, but at least in the case of the Sperm whales in Yorkshire, we can largely rule out ship strike and entanglement, often casually blamed for the deaths of marine mammals. Whatever your hypothesis, whether you choose to blame climate change, naval sonar, fishing, pollution or plastics, don’t ignore the elephant in the room – industrial offshore wind farms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Rare 7-foot fish washed ashore on Oregon’s coast garners worldwide attention
A massive, rare fish thought to only live in temperate waters in the southern hemisphere has washed up on Oregon’s northern coast, drawing crowds of curious onlookers intrigued by the unusual sight. The 7.3-foot (2.2 meter) hoodwinker sunfish first appeared on the beach in Gearhart on Monday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a media release. It was still on the beach on Friday and may remain there for weeks, the aquarium said, as it is difficult for scavengers to puncture its tough skin. Photos provided by the aquarium showed a flat, round, gray fish lying on its side in the sand. Photos of a person kneeling next to it, and another of a pickup truck parked next to it, gave a sense of its large scale and size. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:32
Speed on the water!: The Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races
The official start to Maine’s lobster boat racing season happens every year in Boothbay Harbor over Father’s Day weekend. This year, that date is Saturday, June 15. In 2005, the race event became the Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races, in honor of the beloved native lobsterman and racing participant. These races have been thrilling lobstermen, their passengers and spectators since the official start in 1964. Over the past 10 years or so, 35-45 boats have participated from all over the coast. Race categories include gas classes based on length and cubic inches, diesel classes based on horsepower and length, a wooden boat race, gas and diesel free-for-alls, and four races just for Boothbay Region boats, including Fastest Working Lobster Boat. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:41
FF&WC assessing spiny lobster’s role in protecting state’s coral reef
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission acknowledged Friday they are researching if the eating habits of the spiny lobster can help preserve the state’s fragile coral reef ecosystem. “We are looking into whether spiny lobsters, especially the spotted spiny lobster, because it feeds directly on the reef, while the Caribbean spiny lobster, feeds mostly off of the reef in the surrounding seagrass and hardbottom habitats, can be used as a form of biocontrol of the invertebrates like fireworms and corallivorous snails that eat coral,” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:22
The 10 Best Deadliest Catch Boats Ranked
Deadliest Catch showcases real, massive crab fishing vessels battling the freezing Bering Sea, adding nostalgia and drama to the series. Fishing vessels like F/V Southern Wind, F/V Aleutian Lady, and F/V Seabrooke bring unique stories and personalities to the show’s lineup. Captained by industry veterans like Sig Hansen and Keith Colburn, boats like Northwestern and Wizard are iconic symbols of the series. My favorite is #10 on the list, while F/V Northwestern is the quintessential Deadliest Catch fishing boat. It’s appeared in every season of the show and its captain, Sig Hansen, is the unofficial main character of the series. Lots of Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:11
SC shrimp season fully opened but fewer local shrimpers are on the waters.
Two words and one action can help South Carolina’s storied and struggling shrimping industry: Eat local. For some, it’s a culinary click-phrase that goes unpracticed. For others, it’s a habitual routine at farmers markets, grocery stores and restaurants. But for Cameron Reaves, who captains a shrimp boat with Beaufort-based Sea Eagle Market, his family’s livelihood depends on people eating locally. “The shrimp market is kind of a mess right now,” Reaves said. “It’s hard for a lot of shrimpers to make it.” Fuel prices – at over $3 dollars a gallon – are slightly lower than last year, but they are still high for what the boats burn through in a day. Reaves’ 70-foot boat that can hold up to 30,000 pounds of shrimp averages 200 gallons daily. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12
Oregon Coast closed to harvesting of 4 types of shellfish in ‘unprecedented’ move after widespread contamination
Oregon officials are barring all razor-clam, bay-clam and mussel harvesting along the state’s coast due to historically high levels of a potentially deadly toxin in local shellfish, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. The ban affects commercial fisheries producing oysters, razor clams and bay clams, according to the ODFW. The toxin causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, the most common and severe form of shellfish poisoning. The food-borne illness can cause hospitalization and occasionally death. Symptoms typically appear 30 to 60 minutes after eating contaminated shellfish and include numbness of the mouth and lips, tingling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and, in severe cases, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat, according to the Oregon Health Authority. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Crews pull dead whale from Casco Bay
A dead whale which appeared to be wrapped in nets was pulled from Casco Bay on Thursday, officials say. Crews were attempting to load the whale onto a flatbed truck using a boat lift as of 3 p.m. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on social media Marine Mammals of Maine and the Maine Marine Patrol were notified of a 40-foot humpback whale in a net off the coast of Cape Elizabeth on Wednesday. NOAA said the whale is known as “Chunk” and was first seen in 2015, the same year she was found in a “severe entanglement. “Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:35
Sunrise Wind on the Horizon
At a May 29 open house addressing the new Sunrise Wind project, consisting of up to 84 turbines to be built 26.5 miles off the coast of Montauk, its corporate parents, Orsted and Eversource, projected the new wind farm will yield 924 megawatts of energy. enough potentially to power hundreds of thousands of houses. The company’s officials said they expect their construction and operations plan to be approved by the federal Department of the Interior by the end of the summer. The proposal is to connect the turbines to the mainland through Smith Point County Park, at the eastern end of Fire Island. From there the cable would run under the Great South Bay and up to the Long Island Power Authority station in Holbrook. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:49
Canadian Independent Redfish Harvesters Trash Minister’s Harvest Plan: Disconnect Has Never Been More Evident
Following the announcement of the Unit 1 Redfish Management Plan and a follow-up to the Redfish Advisory Committee on Wednesday, the 3Pn4R Advisory Committee convened on Thursday night to review the proceedings. The consensus was unanimous in support of a resolution from FFAW President Greg Pretty: “Shred the document and appoint a recovery team including industry experts to ensure we have a plan that can work.” Earlier this spring, the original announcement made by Minister Lebouthillier gave away nearly 60% of the Canadian redfish quota to the corporate fleet, despite the inshore, owner-operator fleet having taken the lead on science and sustainability measures in recent years. New measures announced this week further limit harvesters by implementing unreasonable seasons, depths, gear, observer coverage, and by-catch rules. The restrictions effectively limit owner-operator participation from the inshore fleet. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:11
Imported seafood is killing a MS Coast industry. Could truth in restaurant menus help?
The last of the fishermen whose boats once dotted the Mississippi Coast’s warm waters are worried. Their customers are leaving. Their sales are down. “I don’t see a future,” said Bethany Fayard, a fourth-generation processor and distributor who is fighting to withstand the pressure and sell to customers, same as always. “The industry is on life support.” The problem, fishermen and processors say, is this: foreign imports have won. There is one thing, fishermen say, that might help them hold their own in the David and Goliath battle against importing giants like India and Indonesia: Mississippi’s government could force restaurants to tell customers the truth. more. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:49
Maines Lobster Lady Turns 104 Years Young!
Happy Birthday, rock on, Virginia! Most days it can be a struggle for all us to get up early in the morning and go through the grind of a work week, but imagine doing exactly what you love to do, well beyond the point you could have retired and just kicked back and enjoyed life? And imagine having done the same job since you were 8 years old. The ageless Virginia Oliver is known as Maine’s Lobster Woman. She just turned an astounding 104 years of age on June 6th, and shows no signs of slowing down, and has no plans to stop. And based on how much she enjoys her job, who could blame her? Videos, more,>>CLICK TO READ<< 07:14
The Mayday Call: How One Death at Sea Transformed a Fishing Fleet
About 40 miles east-southeast of Barnegat Light, N.J., the Jersey Pride, a 116-foot fishing vessel with a distinctive royal blue hull, was towing a harvesting dredge through clam beds 20 fathoms down when its crew found a deckhand unresponsive in a bunk. The captain suspected an overdose. After trying to revive the man, he rushed to the radio. “Yes, Coast Guard, uh, I just tried to wake a guy up and he’s got black blood in his nose,” he said, sounding short of breath on Channel 16, “I got guys working on him. Come in.” About 17 miles to the Jersey Pride’s southeast, the fishing vessel Karen Nicole was hauling back its two scallop dredges and preparing to swing aboard its catch. Mate Hollis Nevells listened to the conversation crackling over a wheelhouse radio. Nevells had lost a brother-in-law and about 15 peers to fatal overdoses. When the Jersey Pride’s captain broadcast details of his imperiled deckhand. “His last name is Murphy,” he said. Nevells understood what he heard in human terms. That’s someone’s son or brother, he thought. more,>>CLICK TO READ<< 17:08
