Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
The number of fish on US overfishing list reaches an all-time low. Mackerel and snapper recover
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an updated analysis of American fisheries late last week via its annual “Status of the Stocks” report, which provides an assessment of the populations of the seafood species fishermen catch and customers buy. The report states that 94% of fish stocks are not subject to overfishing, which is slightly better than a year ago. The U.S. was able to remove several important fish stocks from the overfishing list, NOAA said in a statement. They include the Gulf of Maine and Cape Hatteras stock of Atlantic mackerel and the Gulf of Mexico stock of cubera snapper. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:33
Gulf fishermen’s livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice
Fishermen in the Gulf of Carpentaria were given two weeks notice that five gillnet-free zones will be implemented in their waters, in an announcement released by Queensland’s Agriculture Minister Mark Furner last Friday afternoon. Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen Association spokesperson Shawn McAtamney described the decision as flawed and disappointing, while Traeger MP Robbie Katter said it was an utter slap in the face to fishers who’d had their livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice. In addition to the impacts it will have, Mr. McAtamney said the haste with which it was pushed through was concerning. “It didn’t even go through parliamentary debate,” he said. “The Governor signed off on it, an archaic piece of colonial history.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Fear, legacy and the Alaska seafood industry
My journey began from a deep-rooted fear — the fear of watching a livelihood, passed through generations of commercial fishermen, slip through my fingers. Three decades ago, I was a young Copper River fisherman caught in the middle of a market crash. Farmed salmon had just entered the U.S., tanking prices for wild Alaska salmon. As a young commercial fisherman, fiercely proud of the salmon I caught, this shift turned my world upside down. At that moment, I made a pivotal decision — band with three other fishermen, three other fishermen, and wage a battle for the premium markets I felt Alaska salmon rightfully deserved. Spoiler alert: It’s been three decades, and we’re still fighting every day to compete. With experience, I’ve learned that my competition extends beyond other seafood; it’s beef, poultry and other proteins that occupy the “center of the plate.” In the face of market crises, conflicts, recessions, political turmoil and economic challenges, the burden I bear today mirrors the weight I carried in my 20s, but the challenges are now bigger and more complex. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 21:41
‘The lobster looks good,’ North Shore harvester says after first trap hauled
Fishing crews on P.E.I.’s North Shore landed their first catch of the season on Monday, six days later than planned. And so far so good, said Stephen Ramsay, who fishes out of North Rustico. “The lobster looks good,” he said. “Nice shiny stuff around, hard shell, looks good.”It’ll be a few more days, however, before he and other North Shore crews know what they’ll be paid for it. Ramsay said the prices he’s heard have been “all over the map” so far. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:28
NOAA Breaks Ground on a New Marine Operations Center Facility in Newport, Rhode Island funded by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility on Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island that will serve as the future home of the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic. In December, the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic, on behalf of NOAA, awarded $146,778,932 to Skanska USA to build the new NOAA facility. The design and construction of the facility is funded in part by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The facility will include a pier to accommodate four large vessels, a floating dock for smaller vessels, space for vessel repairs and parking, and a building to be used for shoreside support and as a warehouse. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027. This project will operate under a Project Labor Agreement, consistent with EO 14063, issued by President Biden. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:39
Newbuild Joins Galicia’s Coastal Fleet
Galicia’s small-scale fleet is one of the oldest in Europe and the tendency year after year is to take out old units. There’s a continuous decline of this sector throughout Spain and few dare to take the step to build a new boat. However, there are still some brave ones – and Astilleros Polymade has just delivered F/V Novo Coralto its young owner. Although it is not yet at sea, the vessel is already attracting the attention of many fishermen and interested visitors to the port of Vigo. This is not so much because of its size, as it has small dimensions, but because this is a recent newbuild – something that, unfortunately, has become unusual. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
75th annual Blessing of the Fleet: The last for some shrimpers
Archbishop Thomas Rodi led the town in prayer for safety and fruition over the waters in Bayou La Batre. After the prayer, the Archbishop, the Blessing of the Fleet Queens, and Father Micheal Long Vu boarded a boat. Father Vu dropped a blessed wreath into the water to honor the souls who were lost at sea. However, despite the yearly tradition, shrimpers say the blessings are not going very far. “We’re all probably going to have a little cry it’s our last year doing it and we will probably not be going to be able to do it again,” Haleigh Keith lamented. For the past 20 years, Haleigh and Peyton have gone shrimping with their grandfather on the family’s shrimping boat called “God’s Blessing’s”. However, that boat is going on sale at the end of the season. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:41
Warming waters in Casco Bay are driving herring farther from shore
The Gulf of Maine is warming three times faster than the average global ocean, driving some cold-water species like Atlantic herring, the preferred lobster bait — farther away from its shoreline spawning habitat earlier than usual and attracting species from warmer southern waters, including blue crab and black sea bass, a new survey found. The warmth is stressing some of Maine’s keystone fisheries, according to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s report on the Casco Bay ecosystem released recently. The report is the first time the institute took a longer, 10-year look at the pace of environmental changes and their effects on ecosystems close to shore. It found that warming waters related to climate change, along with human activities, ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms, are causing different behaviors in species that could hinder their ability to reproduce and thrive. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
NCFA Weekly Update for May 6, 2024
Last week’s newsletter got quite a bit of attention, prompting several folks to reach out to me directly in regard to the constitutional “right” to hunt and fish seen below. You’ll also notice that the purpose of the Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendments is to prevent hunting and fishing from being banned, not to elevate one citizen’s right to fish over that of another. Legislative updates, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Lorient fisherman has confidence in the future of fishing
The acquisition of a larger and more comfortable netter represents an upgrade for Lorient fisherman Christophe Audo, as he also plans to take a step back from fishing. The 23-metre, 8-metre beam Santa Anna Maria was built on the other side of the bay at the Bernard shipyard in Locmiquélic in 2004 and by acquiring this vessel as a replacement for the 17-metre, 1997-built Anna Mamm Mari, this is a step up to a way of operating that offers more opportunities. It’s an investment of approximately €2 million. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
A Letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren
I am Sam Parisi, a third-generation Gloucester fisherman. Recently U S Congressman Garret Graves, Senator Roger Wicker, and SenatorTed Cruz. to Modernize data used by NOAA and bring better science to the table. (Graves, Wicker Urge NOAA to Catch Better Data for Fisheries Management) We need to require NOAA to compare their science with other independent surveys and science. Our fishermen’s lives depend on how much fish is out there and we should be able to catch, without overfishing different species. We need to update the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act that would require NOAA to compare before making restrictions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:58
Energy giant pays off fisherman blocking Wicklow wind farm
A fisherman from Co Wicklow has settled with an offshore wind developer in a landmark case expected to send waves through a renewable energy industry grappling with mounting legal challenges. Last May, Ivan Toole, whose fishing company operates out of Greystones, brought a judicial review on environmental grounds against the minister of state with responsibility for planning and local government over the granting of a foreshore licence to RWE, a German energy group and notice party in the case. The licence granted RWE the right to survey a section of sea off the east coast before applying for planning permission for its €1.5 billion offshore wind farm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:21
Loved ones gather for reading of 264 names on Fishermen’s Memorial and the Blessing of the Fleet
Brett Van Alen was a commercial seiner and troller in Southeast Alaska, as well as a fisher for squid and sardines in California, who died last December aboard a boat at the age of 38, according to his father Ben. On Saturday members of Brett’s extended family gathered at the Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial for an annual ceremony where his name was announced as one of the six that will be engraved into the memorial wall this summer. The reading of the 264 names on the wall, including those being engraved this year, to honor people lost at sea and others involved in the fishing industry occurred following the 34th annual Blessing of the Fleet at the downtown wharf. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:46
‘There’s no lobster worth a life’: P.E.I. fishers reminded lifejackets are mandatory
With many fishers beginning their season, occupational health and safety officials have been visiting harbours to reinforce the message around lifejackets. Regulations require their use. While some fishers might not have worn a life-jacket years ago, more people seem to be following the rules now, says Danny Miller, director of occupational health and safety with the Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. “It’s a very positive change,” he said. “I hope fishers are doing the right thing and it’s not just because we’re watching. Hopefully they’re doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
Trawler Race coming back to Brixham
Brixham’s famous trawler race came to an end a few years ago due to safety concerns, and it seemed like the end of an era – but it’ll be back next year, although there are some changes. The newly reformed Port of Brixham Trawler Event Association has announced that after months of negotiations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, compromises have been reached that will enable the Trawler Event to go ahead in 2025. One of the concessions is that the participating vessels carry a reduced number of passengers during the event. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:21
Coast Guard, other agencies respond to sunken vessel near Henry Island, Washington
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, and San Juan County officials are responding to a vessel that sank Friday just west of Henry Island, Washington. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 6 a.m. Friday that the 48-foot commercial fishing vessel Chief Joseph was taking on water with one person and a dog aboard. The person and dog departed the vessel aboard a life raft. Click to review 6 photos in the gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:56
A personal-use mackerel fishery is coming, but P.E.I. fishers don’t know when
Lobster fishers on P.E.I. say they’re happy to hear that a personal-use mackerel fishery will open this year, but they’re not sure it will help them with bait during the spring season. “If we got a chance to go get some, we certainly will,” said Allan Cody, who fishes out of Covehead. Mackerel is often used as bait in the lobster, halibut and other fisheries. Cody currently buys bait from a supplier in Tignish but it comes from waters near Iceland, he said. They’re frozen and then shipped to Canada. But “the fresher the mackerel the better.” photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Three groups are suing New Jersey to block an offshore wind farm
Three anti-wind power groups are suing New Jersey to overturn a key environmental approval for a wind energy farm planned off the coast of Long Beach Island. Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ filed suit in appellate court on April 26 challenging a determination by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that the Atlantic Shores wind farm project meets the requirements of a federal coastal protection law. Bruce Afran, an attorney for the groups, said the state’s “approval flies in the face of the federal regulator’s environmental impact statement that says the Atlantic Shores project will damage marine habitat, compress and harden the seafloor, damage marine communities, compromise migration corridors for endangered species, and cause commercial fishing stocks to decline.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:05
Offshore wind is gearing up to bulldoze the ocean
The Biden Administration has recently produced a wave of plans and regulatory actions aimed at building a monstrous amount of destructive offshore wind. No environmental impact assessment is included. Time scales range from tomorrow to 2050. Here is a quick look at some of it, starting with the Grand Plan. “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Offshore Wind” is the grandiose title of the Energy Department’s version of Biden’s vision. Their basic idea is that having successfully traversed the unexpected cost crisis, offshore wind is ready to take off. This offshore bulldozer must be stopped before it is too late. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:03
Updated Reports Available on Fishery and Port Impacts Associated with Offshore Wind Development Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast
NOAA Fisheries updated and expanded existing analyses and reports to help the public better understand the impacts of offshore wind development on commercial and recreational fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The new reports build upon the previously developed analyses, but now include updated data and additional analysis on impacts to ports and cumulative impacts from all Greater Atlantic offshore wind lease areas combined. We added 2022 fishery data to both commercial and party/charter impact summaries for each lease area and, for some approved projects, finalized export cable corridors, as reported by BOEM’s GIS website. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:53
Plymouth Trawler Agents tells fishing fleet it will cease trading
Plymouth’s long-standing fish auctioneer is to cease trading this month after 29 years. Sutton Harbour-based Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd has written to Plymouth’s fishing fleet to say its final auction will be on May 17. Owners and skippers are being urged to find other markets for their catch now. In a letter signed by company secretary Alison Pessell on behalf of the firm’s board, she said: “It is with regret and sadness that the directors of Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd announce the company will cease trading on Friday, May 17. Our final auction, weather permitting, will be on May 17 after which you will receive your final settling in the usual fashion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:03
Spring Shrimp Season to Open May 16 in Louisiana Inshore Waters
Today, May 2, 2024, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the opening date within state inshore waters based on information provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) biologists and public comments. The Commission action sets the opening date of the spring inshore shrimp season as follows: All Louisiana inshore waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line will open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2024. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Click here for a map detailing this opening. 10:54
Midcoast man again charged with violating Maine’s baby eel fishing laws
A Waldoboro man who nine years ago was convicted of tax evasion and underreporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in eel fishing income has been charged again with violating Maine’s elver fishing laws. Paul J. Griffin Jr., 52, has been charged with selling juvenile eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, for cash, which is a violation of laws implemented in 2013. Despite the recent charges against Griffin and a handful of others, Maine has had a relatively low number of similar violations for the past decade. It’s been a different story across the border in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where an alleged spree of elver poaching prompted Canada to shut down the fishery this spring. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
The fishing boat tragedy that rocked a community
Nine fishermen left Peterhead on the boat Quiet Waters in March 1954. None of them came home. The boat sank and their deaths devastated their families and shocked the north-east fishing community. Among those on board was my grandfather Billy Buchan, who was 29 when he died. My mum was just a baby when she lost him. On the 70th anniversary of the tragedy she was given flowers, evidence that our community still remembers an event which shook my town and left that little girl without her dad. Fishing trawler Quiet Waters was only a few months old when she left Peterhead, bound for North Sea herring grounds nearly 200 miles (322km) away. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:40
A Little Faith in Shrimp
Faith Family Shrimp, located in Chauvin, Louisiana, offers a unique glimpse into the world of shrimp fishing and processing. Owned by Chad and Angela Portier, this family-operated business at 8167 Redfish Street showcases the journey of Louisiana wild-caught shrimp from their commercial fishing vessels to the consumer’s table. They emphasize the finest quality of shrimp, underscoring their commitment to the local seafood industry. For National Shrimp Day (May 10), visitors can engage in the various activities offered by Faith Family Shrimp, such as guided tours which explain the drying process of shrimp and other insights into the industry. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:01
The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival has honored local fishing community for 50 years
The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, happening May 4-5, will continue a 50-year tradition of honoring local fishers and the history of the county’s coastal fishing village. Bodega Bay’s annual festival, part community fundraiser, part celebration of the start of salmon fishing season, began in 1973 as a revival of a 1950s-era fete called “Discovery Day.” According to the Rancho Bodega Historical Society, the people of Bodega Bay started the Discovery Day Festival in 1958 to raise money for the town’s new volunteer firehouse. The event, originally held in October, honored the memory of Lt. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the Spanish naval officer and explorer of the Pacific Northwest who the town of Bodega Bay is named for. At the first Discovery Day celebration, a boat parade around the inner harbor was led by Eddie, Steve and William Smith, members of the local Miwok Smith family who began Bodega Bay’s commercial fishing industry in the 1920s. 54 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:39
Letter to the Editor | Linda Pitcher’s ‘The Fleet’ created a lasting impact on Gig Harbor Fishermen
When Linda Pitcher arrived in Gig Harbor a few years ago, she brought with her a PhD in anthropology from Berkley. She stumbled upon our small community and its rich history of fishing, eventually becoming a volunteer at the History Museum. That’s where I first met her, sharing anecdotes about my family’s deep-rooted connection to commercial fishing. My grandfathers were among the early crew members at the turn of the 20th century. Then my Dad’s father made his mark, purchasing his first boat, the San Marco, and later partnering in the Mermaid II. Linda spent several years meticulously piecing together information on all the commercial fishing boats that operated out of Gig Harbor. It was a daunting task, and she enlisted the help of Lita Dawn Stanton (Ancich).by Ken Malich, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:47
Scallop Research Set-Aside Program to Support 14 New Projects; Several 2024 Announcements Include Multi-Year Awards
The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program will support 14 new projects that were selected from the 2024 RSA solicitation. Several awards will support multi-year research, including a four-year regional survey effort. The set-aside harvest is expected to generate $22 million in revenue. Of that total, $5 million will fund the targeted research and $17 million will compensate industry partners who harvest the set-aside scallops. To determine the award amounts, the price of sea scallops was projected to average $14 per pound of meats. Charts, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:38
What Canada can learn from Maine’s approach to the lucrative baby eel fishery
Authorities in Maine say they have figured out how to regulate a fishery that is so out of control in Canada, the federal government has shut it down this year — the third shutdown in five years — putting 1,100 people out of work. Baby eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, are generally fished in rivers and streams in Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and a handful of Caribbean islands. They’re shipped live to Asia, where they’re grown to maturity and eaten — the dish is so popular it led to overfishing in Japan and Europe, leaving seafood wholesalers looking to Canada. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:07
Man Of Fortune: Beloved Fisherman to Receive Memorial Statue at Shem Creek
When dawn breaks on Shem Creek, there will soon be a glimmer on the water like never before. Atop the boardwalk that connects both sides of the creek will stand a bronze, life-size statue of a man who is now remembered as a Lowcountry legend. His name is Captain Wayne Magwood and soon his legacy will forever be enshrined as a testament to the role he played in preserving the area’s rich maritime history. Magwood’s life, career and family lineage have revolved around Shem Creek for the past century. In 1930, his father’s cousin, Captain William Magwood, was the first fisherman to bring ocean shrimp into Mount Pleasant and laid the foundation for the commercial industry to be built at Shem Creek. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:55
