Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Fishing boat sinks in St Helier Harbour during second-biggest tide ever recorded in Jersey
The big spring tides appeared to have claimed another casualty yesterday… when a fishing boat sank in St Helier Harbour. Jersey Coastguard launched a recovery operation and put pollution-control measures in place to prevent oil from the vessel spreading throughout the Old Harbour. Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said that, although it was not clear what had caused the boat to sink, the particularly high tide could have been a contributing factor. more, >>click to read<< 10:22
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 48′ Steel Day Scalloper, 400 HP Volvo Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 14 photos’,>click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 08:37
Annual blessing of the fleet helps after Hurricane Ian’s devastation
The blessing of the historic shrimping fleet is an annual tradition on Fort Myers Beach. After the devastation of Hurricane Ian, the shrimping fleet could use some blessings for even more hurdles ahead. Still, the Fort Myers Beach shrimping community was happy to have at least one day to celebrate. Photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 07:49
Surry lobster dock destroyed by Sunday storm
Two months after many wooden piers along Maine’s coast were severely damaged or destroyed by a pair of storms, another storm has brought some additional destruction. Perry’s Lobster Shack in Surry, which functions as a lobster buying pier for local fishermen and as a seasonal takeout restaurant, was destroyed Sunday when it was submerged by storm surge in Union River Bay. “There’s nothing left but pilings,” Seth Michael Cote, the pier’s owner, said Tuesday. But Cote said the conditions in Union River Bay appeared to be worse Sunday than in those other storms, with the surge completely covering the top of the fixed pier, and wind gusts in the Blue Hill area surpassing 60 mph. photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:47
Tensions run high as crab harvesters call on N.L. government to introduce outside buyers
More than 150 fishermen led an anger-fueled protest on the steps of Confederation Building on Tuesday, calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to free up the fishery and allow harvesters to sell their product to outside buyers. Under the current rules, harvesters are only allowed to sell their catch to processors in the province at a price agreed upon by the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers. Harvesters are calling on the province to give them more control over where they can sell their catch and how much they can sell it for. “The plants are telling us when to come and when to go and how much crab to bring…. So we need some free enterprise to be able to go as we please and fish as we please,” said Dwayne Maher, a crab fisherman of more than 30 years from Salvage. Photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 20:52
How fishing was gutted by Brexit
Nigel Farage launched a poster campaign in Grimsby in 2015 and, notwithstanding the fishing industry accounting for a mere 0.03 per cent of the British economy (around half the size of the UK biscuit industry!), it became totemic in the Leave campaign. Half of England’s fishing quotas had been sold to foreign interests, and two thirds were in the hands of just 25 extremely wealthy owners. Even so, the idea was pushed that Brexit would benefit the small fishing villages, with their families of cheery, bearded Captain Bird’s Eye characters. And despite Britain being a net importer of fish (importing nearly twice as much as we exported), British waters not containing the sort of fish British people like to eat, and nearly 40 per cent of all British fishing happening in foreign waters, Brexiters clamoured for us to ‘take back control’ of British waters for British fisherman. So how has Brexit affected the British fishing industry? more, >>click to read<< 18:39
Five Maine fishermen plead guilty in herring scheme
The trial of five fishermen accused of a multi-year scheme to sell unreported Atlantic herring and falsify fishing records ended Monday when the defendants all pleaded guilty to lesser offenses. No sentencing date has been scheduled. The plea agreements call for a maximum sentence of a year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release. The defendants, however, may end up with no jail time. Fifty-nine counts against the five defendants were dismissed in exchange to the pleas on lesser charges. The trial began last week in U.S. District Court in Portland and was expected to last nine days. The five defendants who pleaded were Glenn Robbins, 76, of Eliot; Ethan Chase, 46, of Portsmouth, N.H.; Neil Herrick, 48, of Rockland; Stephen Little, 58, of Warren; Jason Parent, 51, of Owls Head; and Western Sea, Inc. more, >>click to reads<< 16:20
Fisherman tried to kill co-worker, suspect’s dad attempted to cover it up: Astoria police
A man accused of trying to kill his co-worker on a fishing boat was arrested Monday, four days after Astoria officials began searching for the suspect. Newport man Dylan Campana, 28, was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first and second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be coming, according to police. Officials say they began investigating the attempted murder of 23-year-old Tristan Dockins on Thursday, March 7. Dockins and Campana worked together on the F/V Tommy John. links, more, >>click to read<< 13:11
Maine lobstermen will not be scapegoated over right whale
New England fishermen are bracing themselves for another salvo of regulation and activist pressure after the tragic entanglement death of a right whale that washed ashore on Martha’s Vineyard. While the future of our fisheries is uncertain, 2023 showed how much resilience and determination there is in our maritime communities. My organization – the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association – and our many partners are prepared to ward off any attempt to scapegoat Maine lobstermen for the declining population of the majestic right whale. Regulators and out-of-state agitators are together impugning one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world for right whale deaths. Their claims are baseless and contradicted by their own data. As agencies and NGOs ponder next steps, they might consider the fighting spirit this last year has showcased among fishermen. more, >>click to read<< by Dustin Delano 12:06
Pacific Fishing magazine stops publication
Pacific Fishing, a Seattle publication serving the North Pacific commercial fishing industry from Alaska to Hawaii for more than 40 years, has stopped publication, it was announced Sunday by editor Wesley Loy. “The owner and publisher of Pacific Fishing magazine is retiring. We are actively pursuing a new owner to carry on the publication,” the magazine announced, according to Loy’s Deckboss.com blog. He said the magazine’s last issue was in December. The daily Fish Wrap news service also will be suspended, Loy said. more, >>click to read<< 10:33
Storm Doors and Zenith Trawl – a Perfect Match
When Whitehills skipper David Lovie took delivery in 2020 of the 34-metre trawler Endeavour V, he opted for a pair of Vónin’s Storm trawl doors. “The Storm doors have proven to be powerful, highly durable and robust. Unlike our previous doors that required replacement every 12 months, we were able to use these for a remarkable 31 months before considering a replacement. Last year he travelled to Hirtshals with Vónin to observe a variety of fishing gears streamed in the flume tank, and immediately liked the look of the Zenith groundfish trawl. The outcome was an order a Zenith 572 trawl, which has met all of his expectations – and he described the Zenith trawl and 4.50m3 Storm doors as “a perfect match.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:57
Deep sea fishermen join activists at the Boston Seafood Expo to demand Wi-Fi on all boats
Indonesian fisherman Susanto says he was on a Taiwanese commercial fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean in 2022 when a fishhook flew out of a fish and embedded in his eye. On Sunday, Susanto was in Boston at the Seafood Expo North America demanding that industry leaders hear what happened to him and help provide internet access to fishermen far from home. “That’s why we campaign for Wi-Fi. We need Wi-Fi so we are not being isolated,” he said through an interpreter at the event at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center during North America’s largest seafood trade exposition. “When we have a severe accident like this, I can connect to people to ask for help.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:40
2024 Maritime elver season officially cancelled
The federal government has carried through on its threat to cancel the 2024 season for baby eels, also known as elvers, in the Maritimes admitting it is unable to manage the lucrative — but increasingly chaotic — fishery. In a statement on Monday, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier cited “significant quantities of elvers being fished illegally” and “harassment, threats and violence between harvesters and toward fishery officers.” “In the light of all these considerations, it is clear that without significant changes, the risks to conservation of the species cannot be addressed and orderly management of the fishery cannot be restored,” she said. more, >>click to read<< 06:39
‘Simply catastrophic’: California salmon season to be restricted or shut down — again
California’s fishing industry is bracing for another bad year as federal managers Monday announced plans to heavily restrict or prohibit salmon fishing again, after cancelling the entire season last year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council today released a series of options that are under consideration, all of which either ban commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the ocean off California or shorten the season and set strict catch limits. California’s commercial fleet and recreational anglers still await federal disaster aid for last year’s losses. Tommy “TF” Graham also will keep working on land. A commercial fisherman based in Bodega Bay, he got a Class A driver’s license so he could drive a truck and stay afloat through the closures. Now, when he’s not crab fishing, Graham wakes up at 3 a.m. to drive frozen and farmed salmon and other fish from around the world into San Francisco. “A guy has got to get up and put his boots on and go to work every day,” Graham said. Still, he said, “I used to be a provider, now I’m a consumer. It feels like shit, to tell you the truth.” more, >>click to read<< 21:24
Minister Lebouthillier’s decision regarding the elver fishery in 2024
First and foremost, I would like to thank elver license holders, Indigenous communities and the public for the input that was shared with me on this year’s elver fishery. Our government is committed to the conservation of American eel, with sustainability and orderly management as the top priorities for the elver fishery. As you know, over the last few years we have unfortunately seen a pattern of increasing and very serious challenges in the elver fishery, including significant quantities of elvers being fished illegally, jeopardizing the conservation of the species. The fishery has also become the focus of harassment, threats and violence between harvesters and toward fishery officers, with a number of confrontations and incidents of violence creating an immediate threat to the management of the fishery and public safety. This undermines international and domestic efforts to sustainably manage elver fisheries. more, >>click to read<< 18:38
NCFA Weekly Update for March 11, 2024
I was recently forwarded a copy of the CCA NC’s newsletter Tidelines which included a recap of the February 2024 meeting of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC). There was one item from their recap which I found particularly interesting titled “Issues from Commissioners.” During the Issues from Commissioners portion of the MFC agenda, Commissioners are allowed to put forward issues they’d like to discuss at future meetings or request clarification or information, from Division staff, on issues of personal concern to them. During this portion of the February 2024 meeting, three commissioners, Robert McNeil, Mike Blanton, and Tom Roller, chose to bring forward personal issues to the Commission. –>>click to read<< Weekly Update for March 11, 2024 15:50
Island Fishermen Unlikely to Benefit from Vineyard Wind Fund
A program aimed at compensating fishermen for lost revenues during the construction and operation of the first offshore wind farm south of the Vineyard will not benefit Island-based fishermen, according to a representative from the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust. But according to Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust president John Keene, the restrictive requirements to qualify for the fund will leave local fishermen in the lurch. Mr. Keene also noted that money from the fund will go to vessel owner/operators, who are not obligated to distribute funds to their crew. Island fishermen who crew for New Bedford-based vessels as part of the season, therefore, might also be left out of the compensation, even if they work on ships in the lease area. more, >>click to read<< 12:07
‘Deadliest Catch’ Reality TV Star Arrested For Alleged Probation Violation
Police arrested a cast member from Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” in the Florida Keys on Saturday over alleged probation violations. Forty-year-old Erik James Brown, also known as Erik James, was cuffed in the Stock Island section of the Keys over alleged probation violations, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department arrest log. The exact details surrounding the nature of the arrest remain unclear. Brown was previously arrested for allegedly running an illegal marijuana growing operation out of his nearly $2 million Florida home in 2018. links, more, >>click to read<< 10:54
Location of Offshore Wind Zone Doesn’t ‘Pass the Pub Test’
While industry is moving full steam ahead with plans for offshore wind development off Port Stephens, the local fishing community still hold grave concerns over the suitability of the location. The recent Newcastle and Port Stephens Game Fish Club (NPSGFC) Garmin Billfish Shootout, an annual fishing contest held off the coast in areas potentially impacted by future offshore wind development, brought the issue into focus once more. The Game Fish Club’s President, Troy Radford, said the location of the Hunter offshore wind zone, which starts about 20 kilometres out to sea from the Port Stephens coast, does not “pass the pub test”. “If this was going on in the Great Barrier Reef would this be going on? more, >>click to read<< 09:39
New Crabber for Bridlington Family
Genesis has been built by Parkol Marine Engineering to an Ian Paton design for Neil Robson and his sons, who between them run Genesis Fishing. The new boat will work from Bridlington, skippered by elder son George, while younger son John skippers the company’s other crabber, Genesis Enigma. An older crabber, Genesis Rose, is about to be sold now that the new boat is fishing. ‘We’ve been fishing all January, and obviously we are made up with her, few bits of teething troubles but nothing major, the new deck layout works great, we have had a mixed bag of weather 45/50 knot winds on one trip, which was good to see and get a good feel of how she performs,’ George Robson said. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:18
The Grandys of Garnish: A history of shipbuilding and lobster fishing in a tiny N.L. town
During the heyday of the schooner bank fishery, from the late 1800s up to the 1940s, shipbuilding was the major employer in Garnish. Dozens of carpenters and labourers were involved, from cutting the timbers up around the headwaters of the Garnish and Black rivers to operating sawmills downstream and then the actual building of the vessels. The industry reached its peak in the mid 1930s, when in one year, according to 97-year-old Melvin Grandy, five boats were being built at the same time. The five vessels were different size banking schooners, capable of carrying anywhere from four dories up to 12 dories each. Without a doubt the master boat builder in the Garnish of the 1930s and ’40s was Cephas Grandy. His reputation as a craftsman spread not only all around Newfoundland but also on the Canadian mainland. photos, >>click to read<< 07:04
Deep sea trawling industry marks historic 50-year milestone
The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) which represents companies engaged in the catching, processing and marketing of Cape hake, marks its 50th anniversary in March. The anniversary comes just six months after the conclusion of a lengthy and demanding rights allocation process. The anniversary comes just six months after the conclusion of a lengthy and demanding rights allocation process. This process saw the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) allocate 15-year rights to the fishery, increasing the number of rights holders from 33 to 37. The fishery contributes an estimated R8,5 billion rand to the South African economy annually and supports approximately 12 400 jobs, mostly in the Western Cape, but also in the Eastern Cape. more, >>click to read<< 21:26
Board of Fisheries passes new Kenai king salmon plan
New management policies for Kenai River king salmon mean that sockeye bag limits in the river are up, and commercial setnet fishing is likely to be closed for the foreseeable future. Kenai River late run king salmon are now officially designated a stock of concern, which means a host of changes in the management plan. The Alaska Board of Fisheries finalized the designation at its meeting in Anchorage on March 1, and as part of it, revised the management plan for the fishery to help conserve more of the fish. At its October 2023 meeting, the board reviewed the Stock of Concern designation for the late run, which covers July and August in the Kenai River. At its March meeting, the board decided how to change the management plan to help rebuild the run over time. more, >>click to read<< 14:50
Keeping an Industry Afloat – Thomas Goulding’s Cork Mill
Plastic floats have taken over the market since the 1950s, but before then fishing floats were almost exclusively made of cork or wood. The wooden ones were known as “cedar corks” and the only commercial supplier of them on the West Coast was Thomas Goulding who produced them in his Cork Mill at the Acme Cannery on Sea Island. The Acme Cannery was built in 1899, part of the boom in cannery construction during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to take advantage of the seemingly unlimited supply of salmon available in the Fraser River. In 1902 it was absorbed into the British Columbia Packers amalgamation. In 1918 it closed, but the buildings, net racks and moorage were maintained for the community of fishermen, mostly Japanese, who lived around it. In a small building on the west side of the cannery Mr. Goulding set up the cork mill. The building and all the equipment for the mill, the saws, the lathes, the reamer, the stringer and the tar vat were all hand-built by him with help from his Japanese Neighbours. Photos, maps, more, >>click to read<< 13:38
Amid Louisiana’s crawfish shortage, governor issues disaster declaration
Amid a crawfish shortage in Louisiana, the nation’s top producer of the crustaceans that are a staple in Gulf Coast seafood boils, Gov. Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration for the impacted industry Wednesday. Last year’s drought, extreme heat, saltwater intrusion on the Mississippi River and a hard winter freeze in the Bayou State have devastated this year’s crawfish harvest and led to significant price hikes for those purchasing “mudbugs.” Landry says the shortage is not only affecting Louisiana’s economy but also “our way of life.” “All 365,000 crawfish acres in Louisiana have been affected by these conditions,” Landry said in a written statement Wednesday. “That is why I am issuing a disaster declaration. more, >>click to read<< 11:34
UK Will Provide Record $1B in Support to Offshore Wind in Next Auction
The UK government is planning to offer a record amount of support in the next round of offshore wind energy auctions scheduled for this year. It comes as the latest effort to kick start the next phase of renewable energy development in the UK after they fell short in 2023 with no bidders in the previous round of auctions. In addition to increasing its support for offshore wind, the government also earmarked £200 million for other forms of renewable energy. This includes a third round for tidal energy projects, as well as support for onshore wind, solar farms, geothermal, and to support the continued development of floating offshore wind farms. more, >>click to read<< 09:54
After the death of 2 fishermen, Outer Banks watermen call for dredging in notoriously rough waters
Ten Outer Banks watermen passionately spoke against the red tape surrounding permits for Oregon Inlet dredging that they say has a human cost. They were among about 80 attendees at a state commission meeting held Wednesday afternoon at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in Manteo. “All this red tape and all that permits cost us two of my dearest friends’ lives Sunday night,” longtime local fisherman Michael Merritt stated, choking up. He and several other speakers during public comment referenced the recent death of Capt. Charlie “Griff” Griffin of “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks” fame and the assumed death of Chad Dunn, who is missing from the same tragic voyage that ended in what is widely assumed as a boating accident near the treacherous Oregon Inlet. Merritt said he and “all us have…lost two dear friends, and not because they were amateurs — they were well adept and knew how to do it.” more, >>click to read<< 08:38
Century-old RNLI anniversary brochure resurfaces
A 100-year-old brochure promoting the RNLI has been donated to a charity shop. The booklet dates back to 1924 and celebrates the 100th anniversary of the organisation. The lifeboat station in Burnham-on-Sea was established in 1836, with the charity shop on the high street helping to raise funds for the organisation. Workers in the North Somerset shop plan to use it in displays, to celebrate the “amazing history” of the RNLI. Since it was first established in 1824, the brave volunteers at the RNLI have saved more than 144,000 lives at sea. photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:32
Probe sought into conditions of ‘stranded’ migrant fishers whose boat ran aground off Inis Mór
An investigation has been sought into conditions faced by four West African fishermen who were working on a boat that ran aground off the Aran Islands last weekend. The men had to be rescued from the fishing vessel as part of a multi-agency response that included the Coast Guard and RNLI. The Dáil has heard allegations that the men were “bogusly” recruited to work in Ireland, having first thought they would be working in the UK, only to find themselves working in the Atlantic Ocean off the Galway coast. Solidarity TD Mick Barry claimed the men were “put working illegally” on an Irish boat, called ‘Ambitious’, until the vessel ran aground off Inis Mór and the men required rescue last Sunday. Barry further alleged that attempts have been made by the owner “to send the four men back to Ghana in quicktime” before any authorities have an opportunity to hear of the “ordeal” they allegedly suffered. photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:30
Talks continue on catch limits before moratorium lifts on East Coast redfish fishery
The federal Fisheries Department (DFO), says it is still collecting feedback on how to reopen the redfish fishery this spring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, after collapsing stocks led to a decades-long moratorium. The department says in a news release that it wrapped up four days of meetings with the industry-government redfish advisory committee in Halifax on Thursday. Participants included representatives from Indigenous groups, industry, provincial governments and environmental organizations. more, >>click to read<< 11:31
