Author Archives: borehead - Moderator

UK accused of defying Brexit agreement terms

February 2, 2024   International, International News

Industry associations in Denmark have accused the UK of turning its back on the agreement struck over Brexit by placing the British part of the Dogger Bank off-limits – and the Danish industry is demanding that this must have consequences for Britain. ‘This is in defiance of the Brexit agreement, which gave EU fishermen permission to fish in British waters,’ state representatives of the Danish Fishermen’s Association, the Danish Pelagic PO and Marine Ingredients Denmark.  ‘Britain has decided to prohibit fishing for sandeel on the British part of the Dogger Bank. It is a major issue of principle for the British to turn their backs on the Brexit agreement, and it is a disaster for the fisheries and the fishmeal industry, where sandeel has historically made up the primary share of the factories’ raw material,’ the three organisations state. more, >>click to read<< 11:20

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Vessel Review: Sorkapp – New Norwegian Stern Trawler Boasts Low Environmental Impact

February 2, 2024   International, International News

Norwegian fishing company Nergard Havfiske has expanded its vessel fleet following the recent acquisition of a hybrid-powered stern trawler designed and built by compatriot company Vard. The final trawler in a series of three built by Vard for the same owner, Sørkapp (“South Cape”) utilises a design that has been continuously developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations. Construction of the hull took place at Vard Braila in Romania while completion was carried out at Vard Brattvaag in Norway. The vessel was also built to incorporate efficient technology to bring catch ashore with a minimal environmental footprint, which will then lead to improvements in both catch quality and crew safety as well as more sustainable operations. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:52

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DFO ‘intellectually and morally bankrupt’ in provincial redfish allocations, N.L. minister says

February 2, 2024   Canada

Corner Brook MHA and former provincial fisheries minister Gerry Byrne says Newfoundland and Labrador deserves a higher allocation of redfish this season and is calling the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans “intellectually and morally bankrupt” in its decision-making. Nova Scotia received 33 per cent of the quota, Québec 32 per cent, New Brunswick 11 per cent and P.E.I. five per cent. Indigenous fishers and shrimp harvesters will also get an allocation of redfish following a reduction in shrimp quotas. more, >>click to read<< 08:59

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Wide-ranging meeting covers gauge changes, ropeless gear, damage repair – DMR to lobstermen: We need your data

February 2, 2024   Canada, National, New England

The Maine Department of Marine Fisheries held its January 29 Lobster Zone C Council meeting in Stonington Town Hall, drawing more than four dozen fishermen, marine scientists and local politicians eager to weigh in on a number of policy initiatives. Among the topics: the timeline for changes to gauge and vent sizes that were triggered due to declining juvenile lobster abundance; challenges to Canadian management practices; and plans to spend $17 million allocated last year by Congress to develop better science around lobstering’s impact on North Atlantic right whale mortality. Keliher kicked off the meeting with a discussion of impending gauge-size changes under Addendum XXVII, a management strategy adopt by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to increase protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank spawning stock. more, >>click to read<< 07:57

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Rescue operation launched after trawler runs aground in storm force winds

February 2, 2024   International, International News

A rescue operation was launched after a vessel with three people on board ran aground in storm force winds. Two RNLI lifeboats went to the scene in the Strome narrows area of Loch Carron after the alarm was raised at 1:45pm on Wednesday. Kyle RNLI lifeboat Spirit of Fred. Olsen arrived on scene at 2:10pm. The lifeboat crew assessed the scene and found the vessel hard aground with the boat’s crew still on board but uninjured. The vessel had been dragging its mooring, and the three people on board had tried to maneuver out of the situation, however a chain had disabled their rudder, resulting in them drifting onto the rocks. more, >>click to read<< 07:03

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Alabama eyes source-disclosure requirements for seafood, whether it was wild-caught or farmed

February 1, 2024   Gulf of Mexico

Restaurants in Alabama would be required to reveal the origin of most seafoods on their menu under a bill heading for consideration by the state House of Representatives. The measure would also require all foodservice establishments to indicate whether the fin or shellfish was farm-raised or wild-caught. The country where the fish originated would have to be disclosed via either menus or placards on the wall. The same channels would be used for differentiating between farm-raised and wild-caught proteins. The bill is intended to protect the state’s vibrant seafood industry from foreign competition. Consumers would know when they were supporting local fishermen and when their money was going toward suppliers from outside the United States. more, >>click to read<< 17:06

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Dungeness crab: The West Coast’s forever fishery

February 1, 2024   Pacific

Fourth-generation fisherman Kelsey Cutting has photos of boats prominently displayed in his Long Beach, Wash., dining room. On one side is his grandfather’s old trawler, the Lulu 2, a 35-foot wooden double ender. “The other side I have a picture of my boat, the Jeannie Irene, which is a 50-foot fiberglass boat, and it’s 10 years old. It’s a big difference,” Cutting said. The fishing fleet on the West Coast has gotten bigger and more modern, and the portion of boats that can operate in relatively poor weather has increased, he said.  The job remains dangerous, though, and storms can be unforgiving. But there can be a handsome payoff at the docks, especially for Dungeness crab. The West Coast’s top fishery surpassed $200 million in value in Washington, Oregon and California in 2022-23. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 15:46

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Trade groups and state unhappy with federal NOAA Fisheries management plan plan in public comments

February 1, 2024   North Pacific

Public comment is in for a NOAA Fisheries management plan for Cook Inlet’s most productive drift fishing waters. In nearly 90 submitted public comments, cities, tribes, trade organizations and the state commissioner of Fish and Game express mixed and negative reactions to the plan. The Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ, was the subject of a lawsuit by the United Cook Inlet Drift Association over management of the fishery, which starts three miles offshore and stretches from south 0 f Kalgin Island to Anchor Point. In response, the federal North Pacific Fishery Management Council closed the fishery in 2020, which was met with protest by Kenai Peninsula commercial fishermen. more, >>click to read<< 10:52

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Southeast Texas shrimpers hope two new bills will help keep imported shrimp from taking away their jobs

February 1, 2024   Gulf of Mexico, National

The Port Arthur Shrimper’s Association held an informational meeting Wednesday to help stop shrimp dumping. Shrimp dumping is the heavy importing of shrimp from other countries. Shrimpers in Southeast Texas are also pushing to impose stricter tariffs on imported shrimp. They say regulating the amount and quality of shrimp coming in could save their livelihoods. Two new federal bills could potentially benefit shrimpers and Southeast Texans. Local shrimpers say they aren’t making any money because U.S. businesses are buying imported shrimp at low prices. Video, more, >>click to read<< 09:47

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Oregon Coastal Caucus still concerned about offshore wind

February 1, 2024   National, Pacific

Lawmakers representing Oregon’s coastal communities reiterated their concerns about offshore wind development to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in a strongly worded letter last week. Organized as the Oregon Coastal Caucus, the January 19 letter urging BOEM to prioritize the concerns of coastal community members and current ocean users was signed by seven Oregon legislators. They are Rep. David Gomberg, Sen. Dick Anderson, Sen. David Brock Smith, Sen. Suzanne Weber, Rep. Boomer Wright, Rep. Cyrus Javadi, and Rep. David Gomberg, Sen. Dick Anderson, Sen. David Brock Smith, Sen. Suzanne Weber, Rep. Boomer Wright, Rep. Cyrus Javadi,. “We cannot move forward with offshore wind in Oregon until the needs and concerns of these groups have been addressed,” the letter stated, noting opposition from the fishing industry, marine scientists, engineers, environmentalists, tribal governments, and coastal municipalities. more, >>click to read<< 08:53

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‘Still 1,700 EU vessels plundering British seas’ UK fishermen reveal TRUTH of ‘sell-out’ deal capitulating to France

February 1, 2024   International, International News

The fishing community has been left fuming four years on from the UK’s departure from the EU after accusing the UK of signing up to a “sell-out” Brexit deal in capitulation to France. Former Brexit Party MEP June Mummery, who is also the managing director of the Lowestoft-based fish market auctioneers BFP Eastern, said: “We haven’t taken back control of our waters and the resource. “Fishing, coastal communities were stabbed in the back. The UK fishing is on its knees. ”There are still 1,700 EU vessels plundering, unmonitored, unregulated. “Eight of which are super trawlers. DEFRA wants the small fishermen gone to make way for wind mills.” more, >>click to read<< 07:27

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A Maine lobster co-op looks to recover after storm ravages fishing pier

February 1, 2024   New England

The Corea Lobster Co-op, located on the far eastern side of Hancock County in the town of Gouldsboro, had its main pier and building repeatedly lifted up and down in the waves that surged into the small harbor on Jan. 10. Like many wooden-piling piers up and down the coast, the deck was lifted off the posts underneath, while buildings on top were pounded by the surf. “That is by far the worst storm I’ve seen since I been here, about five years,” Darryl Stanley, the co-op’s manager, said Wednesday. “The hurricanes did nothing compared to that. “Chipman’s Wharf in Milbridge, Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor, the Stonington Lobster Co-op, Greenhead Lobster in Stonington, and the New Harbor Co-op in Bristol are among other commercial docks that serve hundreds of lobstermen from May through October and were heavily damaged in the back-to-back storms on Jan. 10 and 13. more, >>click to read<< 06:32

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Vessel Review: Ginneton – Sweden’s Gifico Acquires Forth Herring and Mackerel Trawler

January 31, 2024   International, International News

Swedish family-owned fishing company Gifico recently welcomed a newbuild vessel to its fleet of pelagic trawlers that focus on herring, mackerel, and a number of industrial species. Designed and built by Karstensens Skibsværft of Denmark, the DNV-classed trawler is Gifico’s third vessel to bear the name Ginneton. The 63.8- by 13.5-metre, 2,800DWT vessel boasts a number of custom features including an optimized hull design and technologies that will help minimise fuel consumption and emissions in line with the owner’s requirements. The 4,920kW main engine drives a 3,800mm controllable-pitch propeller and is fitted with a heat recovery system, as are the Mitsubishi 600kW and 150kW auxiliary engines. For added lateral maneuverability, the trawler relies on two 700kW side thrusters supplied by Brunvoll. The propulsion allows the trawler to reach speeds of up to 16 knots, while a remote-control system incorporates levers as well as touchscreen for user-friendly operation of the engines. Photos, specifications,  Photos, Specifications, more, >>click to read<< 18:00

 

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Pallone, Environmentalists Want Shipping Speeding Rules Enforced

January 31, 2024   National

Is the sonar activity related to offshore wind farms leading to whale deaths? The debate rages on. The Long Branch-based environmental group Clean Ocean Action suspects a possible connection between a spate of at least nine whales being stranded on the beaches of New Jersey and New York in December 2022  and January 2023 and wind farm activity, with COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf saying a moratorium is necessary “until an investigation is completed into why whales and the dolphins have been dying and to make sure it’s nothing to do with the intense amount of offshore wind pre-construction activity. However, other environmental groups, such as the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, which are supporters of the wind farms and government agencies such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, say they have found no evidence of whale deaths being linked to offshore wind activity. more, >>click to read<< 14:23

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From Bubba Gump to bust? American shrimpers face extinction.

January 31, 2024   Gulf of Mexico, Mid Atlantic, National, South Atlantic

On a chilly December morning, the captain of the Miss Patti is ready to throw his lines and go shrimping – well, almost. Brian Jordan’s deckhand is in a foul mood, and it’s no wonder why. Is any of this worth it?  Here on the tiny working waterfront of Tybee Island, Georgia, the hesitancy is logical. Shrimp prices cratered this year, and hundreds of boats from Brownsville, Texas, to Harkers Island, North Carolina, remained dockside. The problem hasn’t been a lack of shrimp or the price of diesel. Instead, freezers across the United States are filled to the gills. A glut of imported shrimp has dropped the price to about half of what shrimp boats received in the 1980s. At stake is the livelihood of Mr. Jordan and shrimpers like him nationwide. They can’t compete with overseas rivals who raise and harvest shrimp in lower-cost “aquaculture’’ farms. more, >>click to read<< 13:06

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Importer of Belizean Lobster Faces $5 Million Fine and Probation for Labeling Fraud

January 31, 2024   International, International News, National, South Atlantic

An importer of Belize’s lobster is facing harsh consequences after a federal judge in Key West, Florida, ordered that Elite Sky International, Inc. pay five million dollars in fines, plus be placed on a 5-year probation.  The judgment follows findings that the company was exporting inaccurately labeled spiny lobster and shark fins from Florida to China. According to court documents, the illegal activities took place over a span of approximately one year, from November 2018 to October 2019. more, >>click to read<< 12:06

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MCIB Report Recommends Measures After Fishing Crewman Sustains Crush Injury in Deck Incident Off Cork Coast

January 31, 2024   International, International News

The MCIB recommendation is one of a number issued in its report inquiring into a crush injury sustained by a crewman on board a fishing vessel off the Cork coast in November 2021. Recommendations in relation to risk assessments, safety legislation, hazard warnings and training for use of articulated deck cranes are also published in the report. The incident occurred on board the 21 metre-long fishing vessel Aquila which was fishing south of the Kinsale gas rigs on November 7th, 2021. The vessel with five crew onboard had left the fishing port of Union Hall, Co Cork, the night before. Wind at the time was force three, westerly, with a moderate sea. more, >>click to read<< 10:57

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Atlantic Groundfish Council Pleased With Redfish Allocation

January 31, 2024   Canada

The shrimp biomass is declining significantly, and FFAW Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle fully expected DFO to give shrimpers access to a meaningful allocation of redfish. The year-round harvesters are generally pleased with the amount of redfish allocated to them. For the first time in decades, Ottawa is opening the redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Atlantic Groundfish Council says their sector lost 20 per cent of their historical share in the decision. Generally though, they praise DFO for resisting more drastic change in the total allowable catch. more, >>click to read<< 10:01

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Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Calvin Beal Lobster/Scalloper, 550HP Iveco Cursor 9 Diesel

January 31, 2024   Canada, Mid Atlantic, National, New England

To review specifications, information, and 35 photos’,>click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 08:31

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Crabbers rebound from Southwest Washington seafood facility fire

January 31, 2024   Featured, Pacific

On Monday, commercial crabbers in Oregon and Washington state started dropping baited circular steel crab pots into the ocean. On Thursday, they will start hauling them back up, hopefully full of Dungeness crab. It’s a critical and fast-paced time. The bulk of the crab caught in the lucrative fishery is typically landed in the early weeks of the season. On the water this week are fishermen who saw hundreds of their crab pots burn up in a fire at a seafood landing facility in Ilwaco, Washington, a week before the fishery was set to open. An estimated 4,000 pots were lost in the Jan. 22 fire at the Bornstein Seafoods facility. Now, almost as many are back in the fishermen’s hands. more, >>click to read<< 07:21

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New research finds low levels of trust in fisheries institutions post-Brexit

January 30, 2024   International, International News

Rebuilding trust in fisheries governance will be vital to create a sustainable industry post-Brexit England, according to new research. Strong trust between managers and fishers is essential for achieving sustainable fisheries, but new research from the University of East Anglia has found worryingly low levels of trust in fisheries following the UK’s departure from the European Union. Lead researcher of the Pyramids of Life project Dr. Silvia Ferrini,  “We found continued low levels of trust, possibly made worse by Brexit, with further deterioration compared to previous research.” more, >>click to read<< 20:52

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NTSB Issues Safety Alert on Personal Locator Devices for Mariners

January 30, 2024   Canada, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, International, International News, Mid Atlantic, National, New England, North Pacific, South Atlantic, Western Pacific

A new safety alert issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to provide each crewmember with a personal locator device. These devices improve a mariner’s chance of rescue during an emergency. During an emergency at sea, a mariner’s chance of survival decreases if search and rescue cannot quickly and accurately identify their location. Personal locator devices, such as personal locator beacons (PLB) or satellite emergency notification devices (SEND), can accurately pinpoint a person’s location. NTSB investigations found that currently available personal locator beacons provide a location accuracy of about 300 feet and a nearly instant search and rescue notification when activated. more, <<click to read<<17:24

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Group for Atlantic offshore redfish fleet says details scarce on fishery reopening

January 30, 2024   Canada

The organization representing Atlantic Canada’s offshore redfish fleet says it needs more details to better understand the ramifications of Ottawa’s lifting of a decades-long moratorium on the fishery. Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced Friday that the moratorium put in place in 1995 would end this year, with an initial overall catch quota of at least 25,000 tonnes for the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Sylvie Lapointe, president of the Atlantic Groundfish Council, says the offshore fleet is facing a steep cut in its share of the fishery after being assigned 59 per cent of the 2024 quota. how the fishery will be managed. more, >>click to read<< 14:12

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Keyport to take over crab quota after King Cove closure

January 30, 2024   North Pacific, Pacific

Edmonds-based Keyport LLC, a processor and supplier of wholesale wild-caught crab and frozen seafood, announced today, Jan. 29, that it will take over the crab quota left stranded after Peter Pan Seafood Co. recently decided to close its King Cove Alaska processing facility for the season. The closure in the middle of the season has left numerous crab harvesters with no alternative for delivering their catch. According to Keyport, its move to secure the quota “sends a lifeline to the Alaska crab fisheries and brings a stabilizing force to an industry amid turbulence.” Keyport will manage the processing quota previously slated for King Cove for the Western Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery (WBT) and the Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery (EBT), expanding Keyport’s 2024 processing portfolio, which includes Alaska Red King crab, Golden King crab, and Bairdi. more, >>click to read<< 11:24

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Washington’s Coastal Dungeness Crab Commercial Season Opens Feb. 1

January 30, 2024   Pacific

Washington’s coastal Dungeness crab commercial season will open coastwide with a reduced pot limit on Feb. 1, state fishery managers announced this month. The coastal Dungeness crab industry is one of the most important commercial fisheries in the state, particularly for coastal communities and economies. According to a recent report by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the value of state crab landings during the 2022-23 season was $64.6 million. This is the second-highest total value recorded in the past 10 years, surpassed only by the previous season high of $88.2 million in 2021-22. Reduced pot limits will apply to all state commercial fishers coastwide. Those with permanent pot limits of 500 or 300 will be allowed to use 400 or 250 pots, respectively. more, >>click to read<< 10:00

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North Atlantic right whale calf found dead off Massachusetts coast

January 30, 2024   Canada, Mid Atlantic, National, New England

The female calf was found Monday near Edgartown, a town on Martha’s Vineyard. The cause of death is unknown. Kim Elmslie, the campaign director for ocean conservation organization Oceana, said vessel strikes and entanglements are the two most common causes of whale deaths. The calf’s death comes just weeks after a right whale calf was spotted off the coast of South Carolina with serious injuries consistent with a vessel strike. The injured whale was the calf of a 38-year-old right whale named Juno, and experts say it will not likely survive. more. >>click to read<< 08:50

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Fisheries division schedules day-long symposium on troubled summer flounder fishery

January 30, 2024   Mid Atlantic

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) has scheduled a day-long symposium on the southern flounder fishery, which is in such bad shape that the spring season was canceled in 2023 and the fall season was only a couple of weeks long. The event will be Wednesday, March 20 at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern and will begin at 9 a.m. The symposium will provide an opportunity for stakeholders, researchers and division staff to discuss various topics related to southern flounder, which up until the last few years has been one of the most valuable finfish species harvested by commercial and recreational fishermen in the state. more, >>click to read<< 07:41

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Maine Lobstermen Ask Court to Block State Agency from Enforcing a 24-Hour Location Monitoring Mandate Pending the Resolution of Their Lawsuit

January 30, 2024   New England

A group of Maine lobstermen have asked the United States District Court for the District of Maine to temporarily block state officials from enforcing the controversial requirement that lobstering boats be equipped with a 24-hour location monitoring system. At the beginning of January, five Maine lobstermen filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher, alleging violations of their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. “Before the Court is an unprecedented regulation that, if permitted to stand, would require federally permitted Maine lobster fishermen to install a tracking device on their fishing vessels that would monitor their movements on a minute-by-minute basis (and every six hours when the vessel is moored) ‘regardless of landing state, trip type, location fished or target species,’” the motion reads. more, >>click to read<< 06:44

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Maine lobstermen save missing man’s life, officials say

January 29, 2024   New England

A man was rescued by a local lobsterman off the coast of St. George Sunday evening in a case that fire officials say highlights the importance of telling people what your plans are and when you plan to return. St. George Fire and Rescue were called just before 5 p.m. Sunday to look for a man who had missed a check-in with his family while he was bringing in a skiff. While first responders were figuring out where to begin their search between Tenants Harbor and Rackliff Island, someone heard a person yelling from a nearby island and called it in. More, >>click to read<< 18:45

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U.S. Department of Commerce allocates more than $42M in fishery disaster funding

January 29, 2024   Gulf of Mexico, National, North Pacific, Pacific

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today the allocation of more than $42 million to address fishery disasters that occurred in Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Yurok Tribe fisheries from 2017 to 2022. “Sustainable fisheries are essential to the health of our communities and support the nation’s economic well-being,” said Secretary Raimondo. “With these allocations, it is our hope that these funds help the affected communities and tribes recover from these disasters.” Today’s announcement applies to the following fishery disasters: Links, more, >>click to read<< 14:34

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