Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Commercial Fisherman Corey Lee Goodwin, 66, of Ashland, N.H. passed away
Corey Lee Goodwin of Ashland passed away in his home after a fearless battle with cancer on Jan. 19, 2024. He was 66 years old. Corey was born on Oct. 11, 1957, in Biddeford, Maine, and the world was never the same. He immediately became a waterman, growing up on the ocean, always aboard a skiff equipped with an outboard motor and a fishing pole, where he loved catching mackerel and striped bass in his teens. You could catch him on his family’s fishing boat, “The Striker,” with his father and brother. After graduation from Kennebunk High School, he continued his fishing career and fished on his family’s new boat, “The Bompa C.” He eventually landed on his best friend John Green’s ground fish dragger “Leonore Rinder,” and they continued their journey together fishing on another dragger the “Trippolina.” Corey purchased his own dragger, the “Lively Lady,” and captained it until an unfortunate accident in his late 20s, where the boat was lost at sea. Following the accident, he purchased a lobster boat called the “Yankee” and ran that through his 30s. more, >>click to read<< 14:22
Fire destroys 3 lobster boats on Pembroke wharf
Three Yarmouth County fishing vessels have been destroyed by fire. It happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pembroke wharf. Yarmouth fire chief Mike Deveau says the call initially came in as a car fire. “A passer-by noticed it. We paged for mutual aid from Port Maitland. We also had our staff and volunteers on scene, and spent the night mitigating the incident,” said Deveau. He says there was a flare up this morning, and firefighters remain on scene, with Wedgeport providing mutual aid. photos, more, >>click to read<< 12:08
Vessel Review: French Owner’s New Scallop Trawler to Operate in the Englis Channel
French boatbuilder Plasti-Peche recently delivered a new trawler to father and son fishers Thierry and Martin Ramet based in the port city of Boulogne-sur-Mer on the northern coast of France. Mere du Christ II (“Mother of Christ II”) was designed by local naval architect Coprexma primarily for the bottom trawling of scallops, taking over the role once performed by the owners’ earlier boat, the 1992-built Mere du Christ. The bespoke vessel’s main area of operations encompasses the portion of the English Channel that stretches from Boulogne to the Seine Estuary, where it will trawl for scallops from October to January. For the remainder of each year, the crew will focus on catching squid and sardines. Photos/specifications, more, >>click to read<< 11:05
‘Unique mix’ gathers to solve lobster bait problem
Following the closure of mackerel and herring fisheries, P.E.I. lobster fishermen have been struggling to find an alternative bait that is affordable. This week in Charlottetown a diverse group of players in the industry came together to discuss solutions. “We’ve brought together government, we’ve brought together buyers, we’ve brought together harvesters,” said Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association. “It’s a unique mix and a lot of different perspectives but some great information coming out of it.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:56
Who’s on the take? Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for Mitigation Can Ease Offshore Wind Opponents’ Pain
Opponents of offshore wind offer different reasons for their position: fear of impacts on the marine ecology; fear of loss of income for fishers; fear of loss of tourism dollars and private property values due to the sight of the turbines on the horizon. The cloudy threat of wind projects off the New England coast comes with a golden — not silver — lining. That gold would arrive in the form of millions of dollars contractually promised to communities by developers in the form of mitigations, sometimes through a mechanism called host community or good neighbor agreements. A brief tally of the “lunchbox” of mitigations — touching on communities and institutions from Long Island, N.Y., to Cape Cod to Nantucket to Portsmouth, R.I. — shows a total of about $282 million in negotiated mitigation payments from 2017 to this month. (see below for details). more, >>click to read<< 09:07
Crabber who lost pots in Ilwaco fire thankful for donations, volunteers
Zeke Estrella survived a boat sinking in the Pacific Ocean. Estrella said Monday’s fire at Ilwaco Landing was worse. “We lost 570 crab pots,” said Estrella, captain of the F/V Sunset Charge. The fire destroyed thousands of crab pots stored on the landing ahead of the start of commercial Dungeness crab season next week. About 8,500 crab pots on the deck were surrounding the building at the time of the fire. Estrella said despite the losses, he expects to replace all of his lost pots by Monday thanks to donations and volunteer work from crabbers up and down the West Coast. Twenty volunteers showed up Thursday to his Ilwaco property bringing pots, buoys, and ropes. Video, more, >>click to read<< 21:55
Elderly man in hospital after being rescued from Wicklow river by local fisherman
A fisherman on board a trawler moored at Wicklow Harbour dived into the water on Wednesday to rescue an elderly male, who was witnessed floating face down and drifting out to the sea. The alarm was raised shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday after Alan Hegarty, owner of The Fishman located on South Quay in Wicklow town, spotted what appeared to be an elderly male being carried by the currents along the River Vartry at considerable speed. One person almost immediately threw a life-buoy into the water in an attempt to rescue the person, but they were unsuccessful as the man was unresponsive. Another person tried to pull the man’s body out of the water using a large pole but was unsuccessful. As he continued to drift towards the sea, a local fishing boat skipper took action, diving in to retrieve the man, with the help of his crew. more, >>click to read<< 20:33
More boats sink, roofs collapse, avalanche danger remains high as snowfall pummels Juneau
The City and Borough of Juneau put out a statement Wednesday that said avalanches have come down on Basin Road and above Behrends Avenue, the same spot where a slide occurred last week. A city official said that Basin Road is closed where it intersects with Eighth Street. Four boats sank in the city harbor early Wednesday morning, according to Juneau Harbormaster Matt Creswell, who said he is concerned more vessels are at risk of sinking due to the heavy snowfall. Creswell urged all boat owners to check on their boats immediately and clear off any snow they can. Juneau has seen over 28 inches of snow since Sunday alone and is up over 61 inches — or more than five feet — in the month of January. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 17:50
Humboldt Bay awarded nearly half billion dollar grant for offshore wind terminal
On Tuesday, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District was awarded almost half a billion dollars in federal grant funds to construct its offshore wind terminal in far Northern California. $426.7 million will go to the harbor district from the Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program. That program was funded through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. U.S. Representative Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said he’s been pressuring the Department of Transportation to fund this major green-energy project. “I think this is gonna be great for the climate,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great for the community, and it’s going to be a gift that keeps on giving in terms of jobs, workforce development, economic development.” more, >>click to read<< 15:52
New Jersey Approves Two Major Offshore Wind Projects
The approvals were part of the state’s third solicitation for offshore wind power as it aims to achieve approximately 11,000 MW of offshore wind power by 2040. The developments are expected to bring significant economic benefits for New Jersey and establish it as a key player in the offshore wind supply chain. New Jersey’s offshore wind development strategy aims to secure the best overall value for ratepayers while safeguarding the environment and commercial and recreational fishing interests. As part of their commitment, the awarded projects will provide over $60 million for environmental and fisheries research, monitoring, and conservation efforts. The approvals come as the offshore wind industry faces challenges from soaring costs, high interest rates and supply chain bottlenecks that have forced some projects to developers to pivot their plans or cancel projects altogether. “Governor Murphy’s leadership is positioning New Jersey as a significant hub for offshore wind development,” said Said Anne Reynolds, Vice President for offshore wind at the American Clean Power Association. More, >>click to read<< 10:45
Lowestoft fisherman, 18, hopes to attract youngsters to industry
Alex Wightman said he believed there was still a future in fishing, despite government figures showing a decline in registered vessels. His family, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, have spent almost £300,000 on Alex’s boat; the Emma Claire. Father Steve Wightman said he also hoped more young people would get involved. Alex said: “We’re a dying breed but there’s still a future in it if you’re willing to work hard.” At nearly 10m (32.8 ft), the Emma Claire is thought to be the first new fishing boat in Lowestoft’s in-shore fleet for 20 years. photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:10
Petersburg Borough to join United Fisherman of Alaska
Petersburg will be the newest Community Supporting Member of the United Fishermen of Alaska, or UFA. That follows a unanimous vote by the Borough Assembly at their regular meeting last week. Vice Mayor Donna Marsh said she hopes the move will help boost the local fishing industry further down the line. “Commercial fishing is so integral to Petersburg,” said Marsh. “I think it would make sense to have the support of a professionally recognized organization [that is] also trying to keep that industry alive.” more, >>click to read<< 08:14
This N.L. fishing vessel endured stormy seas and heartbreak before it ever touched salt water
Sitting in a thick leather chair on the bridge of his newly launched fishing vessel this week, Matthew Petten has the look of a man who’s endured an ocean full of adversity. His eyes are heavy from a lack of sleep, many days of intense stress, and sadness over the fact that his father, noted Port de Grave fisherman Dwight Petten, is not at his side for a milestone moment in his life, the launch of what is likely the most expensive and largest fishing vessel ever built in Newfoundland and Labrador for the modern inshore sector. The impressive new craft is 27 metres long, nearly 10 metres wide, and weighs a stout 400 tonnes. It’s capable of holding 100,000 pounds of crab in refrigerated seawater tanks, has a million-dollar engine room, the latest electronics package, and can accommodate up to nine crew members. Video, photos, more. >>click to read<< 07:09
Lack of firefighting skills cited in sinking of Nova Scotia trawler that caught fire
The Transportation Safety Board says the 2021 sinking of a large fishing boat that caught fire off the south coast of Nova Scotia raises broad concerns about the lack of firefighting knowledge among crews in general. The independent agency released an investigation report Wednesday about the demise of the FV Atlantic Destiny, which had 31 crew members aboard when it was rocked by a catastrophic engine failure that sparked an explosion and fire on March 2, 2021. No one was injured by the blast and all crew members were safely evacuated from the 43-metre scallop trawler during a harrowing rescue operation in heaving seas about 200 kilometres south of Yarmouth. more, >>click to read<< 16:38
Charter/Commercial Fisherman Gilbert R. “Moon” Tillett of Wanchese, N.C., has passed away
Gilbert R. “Moon” Tillett crossed the bar for the last time on January 21, 2024. A native of Wanchese, he was born on December 17, 1929, to the late Leslie R. “Billie” Tillett and Lennie Basnight Tillett. Known as one of the original charter boat captains, Moon helped pave the way for what charter fishing is to the Outer Banks today. He ended this career in 1965 when he bought his first trawler, the Captain John Duke. He fished commercially up and down the East Coast from Massachusetts to Georgia. In 1975, he purchased another trawler, the Linda Gayle, and in 1977, he began a seafood business, the Moon Tillett Fish Company, selling seafood all over the world. In 1979, Moon purchased another trawler, the Gallant Fox. A strong advocate for the stabilization of Oregon Inlet, Moon spent many tireless hours alongside others trying to promote this cause. In 2012, he received the Living Legend Award. more, >>click to read<< 15:40
New Ice Machines Help Bolster Stonington Fishing Industry
“When the boats are fishing hard, each one will take 20 tons of ice per day, so we need the ice production,” said Gary Farrell, dockmaster of Stonington’s town dock, home to a commercial fishing fleet. “… Boats sit at the dock when they can’t get ice. You can’t go out and catch fish unless you got ice to put it on, so this is a big thing for us to get ahead of this.” On Monday, Farrell stood next to two new ice machines installed on the steel platform on the second floor of the dock’s icehouse, which are expected to alleviate the problem. Rob Smith, president of the Southeastern Connecticut Fisherman and Lobsterman Association, which rents the dock from the town, said the ice house was barely providing ice to all the boats in the Stonington fishing fleet — about 10 vessels total — and struggled to supply ice to other vessels. The 40-year-plus career fisherman keeps his vessel, the Carly Grace, a 54-foot dragger, in Stonington. Smith said the dock’s main revenue is selling fuel and ice. more, >>click to read<<14:16
Refinancing Clearwater loan worth millions in annual cash flow for Mi’kmaw owners
Mi’kmaw First Nations that own half of Canadian seafood giant Clearwater will finally start seeing multi-million dollar cash flows from their investment thanks to a loan refinancing that slashes interest payments. Their partner in the landmark deal, Premium Brands of Richmond, B.C., lent a coalition of seven Mi’kmaw First Nations about $240 million to cover their equity purchase of Clearwater in 2020. But the loan came with a hefty 10 per cent interest rate, according to the non-profit First Nations Financial Authority. Premium has agreed to refinance $100 million of that debt through the First Nations Financial Authority at its interest rate of 4.2 per cent, the authority said Tuesday. more, >>click to read<< 12:37
Fort Myers Beach shrimpers face uncertain waters post-Hurricane Ian – Captains point to imported shrimp
On San Carlos Island, just off Shrimp Boat Lane, the local shrimp fishing community is navigating troubled waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Even with their ships repaired, the challenges for these shrimpers are far from over. Henry Gore, a seasoned shrimp boat captain of over 40 years, tells us it’s the worst state he’s seen for the local shrimping industry. The decline is due to two main factors: the high cost of boat repairs, often exceeding $100,000, and the competition from internationally imported farm shrimp. Video, more, >>click to read<< 10:53
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 40′ H&H Marine Lobster Boat, 450 HP Cummins
To review specifications, information, and 15 photos’,>click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 08:18
Happy fourth birthday Brexit!
On January 31 it will be four short years since the UK officially left the EU. The end of 47 years of membership was marked by Boris Johnson with a party, at which English fizz, and canapes of Shropshire blue cheese, Scottish shortbread and British roast beef were served. The then PM, these days merely a disgraced former MP, told the gathered lackeys that “this is not the end, it is a beginning”. For once in his life, Johnson was telling the truth. January 31, 2020 marked the beginning of a disastrous period of national decline and humiliation. If you want to know just how bad it has been you just have to measure his claims then against reality now. more >>click to read<< 07:29
Maine Beer Co. donates $30,000 to Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association for storm recovery
Freeport’s Maine Beer Co. donated over $30,000 this weekend to the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association to help coastal communities address the aftermath of a pair of January storms that caused widespread damage and flooding. “We’re all very well aware of the record high tides that we’ve experienced over [that] weekend, and we’ve all read about the damage that has happened to our coastal communities,” said Maine Beer Co. CEO Steve Mills. “It seemed like a very natural fit to partner up [with the MCFA].” The funds will go to help fishermen and waterfront businesses clean up and rebuild, according to Susan Olcott, director of operations at MCFA. more, >>click to read<< 18:40
Change to minimum U.S. lobster size ‘a big jump,’ says P.E.I. marketing board
Pending increases in the legal size of lobster that can be sold in the U.S. are something to watch, says the chair of the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board. But Charlie McGeoghegan says it likely won’t be as much of a problem as some other groups in the Maritimes fear. Studies of the state of the lobster stock on the Eastern Seaboard have triggered an automatic increase in the size of lobster that can be harvested for the U.S. market. The studies found a decline in the number of young lobsters, and the change is designed to give them more time to mature and reproduce. Currently, U.S. fishermen must throw back any lobster that has a carapace (the hard shell extending from the eyes to the end of the tail) measuring under 82 millimetres. In January 2025, that will increase to 84 millimetres, and it will go up another two millimetres in 2027. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:31
Vessel Review: Daystar – North Sea Prawn Trawler Delivered to Scottish Owner
UK boatbuilder Parkol Marine Engineering has handed over a new trawler to fishing boat owner and skipper Stephen West based in Fraserburgh on Scotland’s east coast. The 25.09- by eight-metre Daystar replaces an earlier, similarly named but slightly smaller Parkol-built trawler in the owner’s fleet. The newbuild was designed by SC McAllister and Co for twin-rig trawling of prawns in the North Sea as was the case with its 2017-built predecessor. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:25
Frustrated fishermen get good news: good rockfishing, salmon fishing to return in 2024
With an oversized head, bulbous eyes and narrow body, the quillback rockfish looks like a golden bullfrog armed with a quiver full of arrows on its back. Few sport fishermen want to keep, much less eat, the famously sharp and ouchy and skinny quillback, which are reeled by those seeking meatier rockfish. But it was the quillback, which is often tossed back into the sea, whose population plummet caused a shutdown that impacted the entire rockfish industry, both for commercial and for party boats operating out of Mendocino Coast’s Noyo Harbor. That mysterious plunge in quillback numbers cut off all near-shore rockfish fishing last year, causing an organized outcry by fishermen and a new plan for 2024. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:15
Fire devastates Ilwaco seafood facility
A massive fire broke out at a crab-landing facility on Monday, inflicting significant damage and destroying fishing gear ahead of the commercial Dungeness crab season. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is unknown. However, witnesses said that hundreds of crab harvesting pots stacked in preparation for the upcoming opener of the commercial Dungeness crab season were destroyed in the blaze. The commercial Dungeness season, among the most lucrative fisheries, is set to open Feb. 1 following multiple delays. more, >>click to read<< 06:15
Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 4 people after fishing vessel capsized near Kodiak
Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received a report over VHF channel 16 at approximately 4:31p.m. from the crew of F/V Alaska Rose, a 46-foot fishing vessel, stating their vessel was taking on water. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast on VHF channel 16 and launched a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew. The helicopter aircrew arrived on scene at approximately 4:56 p.m., located one person on the overturned vessel, hoisted them, and transferred them to Air Station Kodiak where they were met by local EMS. The crew of Good Samaritan vessel Kylia arrived on scene at approximately 5:02p.m., rescued three people from the water, and transferred them to Kodiak where they were met by local EMS. more, >>click to read<< 21:12
Liberal MHA and cabinet minister Derrick Bragg dead at 59
Seven months after announcing he had been diagnosed with tongue cancer, Derrick Bragg, a Newfoundland and Labrador cabinet minister and MHA for Fogo Island-Cape Freels, has died. Premier Andrew Furey announced Bragg’s death with a statement early Monday afternoon. “It is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge and honour the passing of the honourable Derrick Bragg. On behalf of the people of the district of Fogo Island-Cape Freels, the entire House of Assembly, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the people of this province, everyone who was lucky enough to work with, be a friend of, or simply know Derrick, including my family, I send my deepest condolences,” said Furey in his statement, issued shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Monday. “To his family and all those feeling the weight of this loss, may the memories of a life well lived comfort and console you in these hard moments.” more, >>click to read<< 17:42