Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
OPINION: Fighting for our lives in King Cove
I am a fisherman; one of my grandfathers was a fisherman and the other one was a lifelong employee of Peter Pan Seafoods. My father was a fisherman, my brother is a fisherman and my mother, for much of her working life, worked for Peter Pan. We live in the southwest Aleut community of King Cove. For my extended family and all the other families like mine, we rely upon our knowledge of the ocean, our skills in the harvesting of fish, and a fish processor that pays a fair price. At the end of each day, we enjoy the satisfaction of hard work paying off. As King Cove’s mayor, it hurts my heart to say that it has taken only a few short months for me to no longer recognize my world. Events have conspired to threaten our very existence. A collapse of our incomes, individually and citywide, the shock of realizing that municipal projects, many years in the making, may grind to a halt. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:35
Triple-Rigger for Iceland on Trial at Turkish Builder
Nautic-designed triple-rigger Sigurbjörg is undergoing trials at the Celiktrans shipyard in Turkey, and it’s soon expected to be embarking on the delivery trip to Iceland.The new fresher trawler is outfitted with four Ibercisa trawl winches, enabling it to tow three trawls. The main engine has a 1795kW output, derated from 2100kW, powering a 3800mm diameter propeller to provide a 45 tonne bollard pull. Auxiliary power is be provided by a pair of 600kW gensets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:18
‘Attacked’ Scottish fishing industry issues plea to John Swinney amid worker shortage
Ever since Brexit, recruiting enough fishermen to sustain the iconic Scottish fishing fleet has been challenging. For a long time, the industry has relied on a huge number of fishermen coming to Scotland from overseas. However, Brexit rule changes now mean they need a skilled workers’ visa to do this. This visa has a very high English language requirement, something very few overseas fishermen are able to meet. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation now say the new-look Scottish Government needs to do more to attract Scots to become fishermen instead, so the industry doesn’t have to rely so much on overseas recruitment. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:59
Annual Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial “Blessing of the Fleet” – Memorial Day
In honor of the commercial fishing fleet and its importance to the Charleston community, the annual Blessing of the Fleet and Memorial Service will be held at the Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial Garden, near the launch ramp at the Charleston Marina at 10am on Monday, May 27th, 2024. The service honors the local men and women involved in Commercial fishing and the fishing industry who have died since 1941. As part of the event, local marine services firm owner, William Elderkin will speak at the memorial and a Blessing of the Fleet will take place. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:34
Wind farm opponents vow to ‘stay in the fight’
Opponents of offshore wind energy farms warned during a rally Saturday in Ocean City that the legal battle is far from over in their efforts to prevent what they called the “industrialization of our ocean.” Last year, the Danish energy company Orsted scrapped plans to build two wind farms off the South Jersey coast after concluding that the projects would not be worth the enormous development cost. However, opponents stressed during the rally that Orsted still holds the leases giving it rights to build the wind farms and could either revive them or sell them to another company that would develop the projects. “It’s not over. Stay in the fight,” said former Superior Court Judge Michael Donohue, who has headed Cape May County’s legal strategy to block the wind farms. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:04
Alaska fisherman pleads guilty to federal charges after ordering crew to shoot whale
A Southeast Alaska troll fisherman has agreed to plead guilty to a federal misdemeanor after admitting that he directed the shooting of a sperm whale northwest of Sitka in March 2020. According to federal court filings, fisherman Dugan Daniels ordered a member of his crew to shoot the whale and tried to ram it with his fishing boat, the F/V Pacific Bounty. Daniels also agreed to plead guilty to a felony for lying about a sablefish catch in fall 2020, according to the text of the plea deal. His attorney declined comment on the case.Under the terms of the agreement, Daniels will pay a $25,000 fine and be sentenced to no more than 6 months in prison, with the exact term to be set by a judge. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:47
Shrimp season in Mississippi to open on May 29
Beginning at a tentative date of Wednesday at 6 a.m., shrimpers possessing the proper licensure or permits will be able to navigate state territorial waters in hopes of hauling in massive loads of the crustaceans. Opening date could potentially be postponed if sampling conducted by MDMR staff indicates the movement of large swaths of juvenile brown shrimp into Mississippi waterways. Recreational and commercial shrimp season north of the Intracoastal Waterway will close at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:15
Lisa Murkowski concerned with NOAA fisheries’ to list Alaska Chinook Salmon as endangered
In Washington D.C. on Thursday, NOAA Fisheries announced a petition to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon as “threatened or endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her concern in the following statement: “Incredibly, NOAA is moving ahead even after finding that the Wild Fish Conservancy’s petition ‘contained numerous factual errors, omissions, incomplete references, and unsupported assertions and conclusions.’ As we fight to save our salmon and salmon fisheries alike, we need to rely on the best available science, instead of half-baked petitions intended to get conservation groups a foot in the door to attack our fisheries and resource development.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:54
Who Gets to Say What the Rules Are?
Who gets to make the rules in American government? One of the most controversial and important cases before the Supreme Court concerns that crucial question. Congress makes the rules for the federal government in the form of laws. But federal agencies must enforce the law and often must make rules of their own – regulations – to do so. And courts then sometimes must resolve disputes about whether an agency’s regulations are well-grounded in the statutes that Congress produces. About 40 years ago, the Supreme Court tried to make things less confusing by setting some ground rules about who gets to make the rules. The Supreme Court decided to create a rule about rules: It said that if an agency’s rule produced a reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute passed by Congress, then courts should defer to the agency. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:08
Three Crews from the UK’s RNLI Coordinate to Save Historic Sailing Vessel
The UK’s volunteer Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is being commended for its operation earlier in the week to assist a historic sailing vessel that was taking on water and requested urgent assistance. It became a 10-hour operation involving three of the RNLI crews to see the historic ship safely to port so that it could be repaired to continue its service as a charity training vessel. The Falmouth Coastguards received the call for assistance on Wednesday, May 22, in the evening from the Leader which operates for the Atlantic Youth Trust. Built in 1892, the vessel is the largest and possibly oldest surviving example of a unique vessel, the Brixham trawler. Once a common design of a wooden hull fishing vessel, there were over 400 of the trawlers in Brixham, but today it is believed that just five remain. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
‘To honor the lobstermen,’ Bailey Island artist paints their portraits
“I love Maine. Lobstering’s part of Maine. Lobstering’s threatened. And I just want to honor the lobstermen.” So said Bailey Island artist Dennis Wilkins, who often walks the quarter mile from his home on Abner Point to Glen’s Lobsters, the place where he buys his “critters.” It was there he conceived of the project that he hopes will raise awareness of the ongoing challenges facing the lobster industry. “They’re under multiple stresses — climate change, regulations … It’s like the world’s coming down on them,” Wilkins said. “I want them to see that they’re recognized … they’re appreciated, so much so that I’m going to spend time to paint their portraits and give them to them.” Wilkins, a retired neurologist and self-trained fine artist, started working on the project in June 2023. Portraits, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:46
NOAA starts review process to list Alaska Chinooks as threatened or endangered
NOAA Fisheries on Thursday announced a 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon “or any evolutionarily significant unit that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing.” The listing proposal comes after pressure from the Wild Fish Conservancy in Seattle, which filed a petition in January calling for federal protection of Alaska Chinook. “For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm that Alaska’s Chinook are in dire trouble,” said Emma Helverson, executive director of the Wild Fish Conservancy. “Despite existing management plans and years of efforts by the state of Alaska, Chinook salmon continue to decline in abundance, size, diversity, and spatial structure throughout the state. Through this action, we are asking the federal government to undertake a formal status review and implement protections warranted under the Endangered Species Act, including designating critical habitat protections, to ensure the survival of these iconic fish.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:33
When a massive chemical plant came knocking, it was Hilton Head’s Black fishermen who answered
On a spring day in 1970, a small group of fishermen set sail to take on a giant. Shrimpers with the Hilton Head Fishing Cooperative boarded a 43-foot fishing trawler and headed for Washington, D.C., with protest signs, a petition and a mission to halt the building of a multimillion-dollar industrial plant on the banks of the Colleton River. What happened next is a story of perseverance through unlikely odds: A group of Black fishermen from a backwater sea island faced off against a state-sponsored $200 million chemical-processing plant — and won. It’s a story still told today. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
Lobster dispute settled a day after fishermen defy order to remove traps
A brewing battle between the federal government and lobster fishermen in northern New Brunswick appears to have come to an end. A federal closure of lobster fishing zones in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula was being defied by hundreds of fishermen refusing to remove their traps. A news release from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans sent Thursday evening says that lobster boats will be able to fish closer to shore. “I am pleased to see DFO has adjusted the closure requirements and harvesters can now set their traps up to the 10 fathom shallow water protocol management line for the remainder of the 15-day period,” said federal Fisheries and Oceans , in the release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
Sealing the Future: Revive and promote the seal hunt, federal report recommends
When Paul McCartney campaigned against the seal hunt in 2006, it was unclear how reliant the Inuit and some coastal community economies were on the trade. Three years later, the European Union banned all seal products. The market for seal products was decimated, and with it came the rise of poverty and suicide within Inuit communities despite exemptions for their products, Steven Lonsdale of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association told the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans late last year. Now, a new report from that committee acknowledges the harm done by the ban and recommends Ottawa must do more to revive the struggling industry in what it has branded a call to action. more, >>CLICK TO READ 07:40
Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensation Program Application Deadline Approaching
This notice is a reminder to commercial fishermen that the eligibility period to apply for the Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program ends on June 3, 2024. Commercial fishing vessel owners/operators must submit an online application prior to the June 3, 2024, deadline, to be considered for eligibility. The program is open to commercial fishing vessel owners/lessees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island who can demonstrate historical fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501, which is south of Martha’s Vineyard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:00
CT man allegedly flees from police in stolen vehicle loaded with lobster traps
A Connecticut man is facing multiple charges after attempting to flee from police in a stolen vehicle loaded with lobster traps on Wednesday in New London, state police said. A trooper on patrol on Interstate 95 at the Gold Star Bridge spotted an unusual vehicle as it passed by his location around 11:37 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Connecticut State Police. The vehicle, a white 1999 Isuzu NPR, was reportedly loaded with yellow lobster cages. According to state police, the vehicle, which was previously confirmed as stolen out of Narragansett, Rhode Island, fit the description of a car allegedly involved in two evading motor vehicle crashes earlier in the day within New London County. The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Lindsey Brown of New London, allegedly attempted to flee from police, which ended quickly as he crashed into a parked vehicle, state police said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:59
Cat to deploy methanol dual-fuel 3500E marine engines in 2026
Caterpillar Marine reports that it has made significant advances in the development of its methanol dual-fuel Cat 3500E marine engines. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Damen Shipyards, it will deploy the first set of field demonstrator 3500E marine engines in 2026. The Cat 3500E marine engines will use innovative dual-fuel technology based on proven diesel fuel systems that will supports vessels’ low-pressure – below 10 bar – fuel systems. The methanol dual-fuel Cat 3500E engine targets the same performance and durability as the current 3500E diesel engine while meeting emission standards and delivering 100% power. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:53
Commercial Fisherman Harlan Lloyd Wallace of Friendship, Me. has passed away
Harley followed into the family business and became a commercial lobsterman, purchasing his first lobster license when he was just 6 years old. He continued lobstering throughout his life and, after 65 years, retired from the industry that he loved in January 2023. In 1996 Harley and 14 other Friendship fisherman purchased Wallace Shellfish, a successful lobster-buying wharf, and created the Friendship Lobster Co-op. Throughout his life, he engaged in other commercial fishing industries, including musseling, scalloping, urchining, clamming and shrimping. Every spring, Harley would build and repair wharves, ramps and floats, along the mid-coast with the help of his sons. Harley was an extremely hard worker and a respected member of the lobstering community. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:57
The Lobster Institute at UMaine has a new executive director
Maine native and University of Maine graduate Christina Cash has been named executive director at the university’s Lobster Institute. Serving as the interim director since last summer, Cash succeeded Richard Wahle, who retired from the role at that time. Cash has been with the institute since 2021. Before serving as interim director, she was the assistant director of communication and outreach. Cash is a former first mate, captain and lobster boat owner and operator, and holds an active captain’s license. In her new role, she will oversee the creation of a new executive committee, with subcommittees planned for outreach, research, workforce and other focus areas. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:50
A Historic Agreement – Canada and U.S. suspend all fishing for Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook salmon
Canada and the United States are suspending all fishing for Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook salmon for seven years in an attempt to protect the dwindling species. The agreement covers the length of one life cycle of the fish and recognizes that the “persistent decline of chinook salmon” has led to an inability to meet conservation objectives in both countries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< – Canada and Alaska sign a historic agreement to protect Yukon River Chinook salmon, To ensure the protection and recovery of Yukon River Chinook salmon, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have signed a historic seven-year agreement. more, >>Click to read<< 10:33
Dungeness crab fisherman expand testing of pop-up traps amid CA’s continuous early season closures
For Brand Little and the crew of the Pale Horse, fishing for Dungeness crab is an increasingly tight business. Like the rest of the fleet, he’s watched the crabbing season shrink, with early closures meant to protect migrating whales from becoming entangled in trap lines. But this season, he’s still pushing his traps into the sea, weeks after last month’s official closing. It’s part of an experimental program that’s now expanded to more than two dozen boats. All using special pop-up trap systems, designed to avoid entanglements. “It’s a lot more work. Takes maybe three to four times as long as traditional gear. It’s not easy, but what we’ve been going through isn’t easy either. I mean, we’ve had 80% of our opportunity taken away,” Little said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09
N.B. lobster fishermen defy DFO, leave traps in despite closure for North Atlantic right whales
Several fishing zones in the area were officially shut down early by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at 5 p.m. Wednesday because of a North Atlantic right whale sighting. But at a meeting in Lamèque at the time of the deadline, about 200 members of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union decided not to remove their roughly 60,000 traps in the area. However, the fishermen say they will not go out Thursday in order to give the federal agency one more chance to negotiate. On Wednesday, a release from DFO said that the fishing zone closures, initially scheduled to last 10 days, would stay closed for the rest of the season. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
Fishing boat rams pier, several boats near Seattle’s Ballard Bridge
Crews responded to the west end of the Ballard Bridge after a fishing vessel crashed into a pier and several other boats Wednesday afternoon. According to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), at around 10:30 a.m., a 73-foot fishing boat crashed into the pier, damaging several other moored vessels. At around 12:28 p.m., the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced that pollution teams were at the scene, reducing any potential environmental impacts. 4 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:41
A whale washed up dead. Greens blame a Democrat.
Environmentalists say Chellie Pingree’s defense of the Maine lobster industry could imperil a critically endangered whale. Doing what greens want would likely send the Democrat to political extinction. Conservation advocates are publicly pressuring Pingree to overturn a law that protects Maine’s prized lobster fishery. The calls come after one of only 360 remaining North Atlantic right whales washed up dead in February entangled in Maine lobstering rope. “I think it is a little bit more of a black mark on an otherwise fairly good conservation record,” said Brett Hartl, the government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, on Pingree’s support of the pro-lobstering law. It’s a rare rebuke of a longtime ally who has a near-pristine voting record on environmental issues. Pingree says she has no plans to reverse course, but the incident highlights how lawmakers continue to balance environmental concerns with the everyday lives of their constituents. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:57
Shrimpers displaced as Fort Myers Beach Fire Department plans new training facility
The state of the shrimping industry on San Carlos Island has been a topic of concern for months. A shrimping building that once stood on the island is now a pile of rubble, recently demolished as the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department prepares to purchase the land. Virgilio Rijo, a shrimper who has been working these waters for over ten years, expressed his frustration. “Everybody here feels like they’re being pushed out,” he said. As the number of docking and processing facilities dwindles, Rijo and other shrimpers are beginning to feel the impact. “It’s just slowly shrinking, and everything that the shrimping business has is slowly shrinking, from the waterfront standpoint,” Rijo added, highlighting the challenges facing the industry. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:02
NOAA Seeks Public Comments on Exempted Fishing Permit Application for an On-Demand Trap/Pot/Gillnet Gear Study
NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application submitted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). The EFP would provide an exemption from federal lobster, red crab, and gillnet gear marking requirements and allow up to 180 lobster vessels and up to 20 total gillnet, red crab, and black sea bass vessels to test alternatives to static vertical lines (also referred to as on-demand or ropeless gear), including lobster trap vessels fishing up to 300 total trawls in Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Restricted Areas with no static vertical lines. more, Full details on the proposal can be found in the Federal Register Notice inside. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:31
Crucial vote on total closure of 10% of EU fishing grounds
A pivotal vote is due to take place today as EU Member States vote on proposals to establish zero-fishing zones accounting for 10% of EU waters. The industry states that such a closure would serve to hit political targets without protecting ecologically sensitive habitats, describing the Commission’s strategy as a ‘shot in the dark.’ The Commission’s proposal is for a new objective which aims to place 10% of the EU’s seabed in ‘reference areas’ free from any human pressure in order to assess its natural variability. The European Bottom Fishing Alliance (EBFA) wants to see a postponement of the vote, given the lack of any impact assessment on fishing activities, the upcoming revision of the Law setting these objectives, and the current transitory political period with EU Parliamentary elections about to take place. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:54
SLO County judge rules against local fishermen
A San Luis Obispo County judge last week rejected a request from Morro Bay and Port San Luis fishermen for a preliminary injunction to stop wind energy companies from surveying the ocean floor. Signed into law in Oct. 2023, Senate Bill 286 requires the statewide strategy for wind energy to include best practices for addressing impacts to commercial and recreational fisheries. Local fishermen argue wind companies have failed to follow best practices because they have not put protocols in place to protect the fishing industry. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen found the requirements in Senate Bill 286 vague. Specifically, when the protocols and protections need to be in place: before or after work is completed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:48
Environmentalism is Dead?
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