Author Archives: borehead - Moderator
Commercial Fisherman Peter Allen Zuanich of Anacortes, Washington has passed away
Peter Allen Zuanich was born September 3, 1946, in Bellingham, Washington. He passed away peacefully on November 24, 2023, in Oak Harbor, Washington, with his wife, Kimberly, by his side. Peter graduated from Bellingham High School and Central Washington University. Though he graduated with a degree in business, he ultimately followed in his father’s wake, working for many years as the owner and captain of commercial fishing vessels along the coasts of Alaska and California. A celebration of life will take place at 1pm on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at The Boathouse in Zuanich Point Park. more, >>click to read<< 08:05
Rare species discovered on Long Island Sound as Maritime Aquarium pulls up abandoned lobster traps
While recovering derelict and abandoned lobster traps from the Long Island Sound, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and colleagues from Williams College and Project Oceanology came across a curious creature typically found across the pond. Known as the European nudibranch, Doris pseudoargus, the tiny yellow specimen was discovered in the Black Ledge region of the Sound, off the coast of Groton. This finding of Doris pseudoargus is the most southern discovery of the species in North America, according to the Maritime Aquarium. more, >>click to read<< 07:22
Hull survivor of Christmas Day trawler tragedy will light up sky to remember those lost, 50 years on
On December 25, 1973, the Ian Fleming was sailing towards the treacherous White Sea off the Russian coast. To avoid the worst of the weather, the skipper opted to head through the Norwegian fjords. It was here where the ship ran aground. Three men lost their lives that night: mate Terence Day, engineer Dennis Colby and George Lee. Aboard that ship was a 17-year-old deckie-learner, Jerry Thompson, who has dedicated his life to Hull’s fishing community. Jerry is the head of the Bullnose group, which operates the Hull Fishing Heritage Centre. Four years ago, the Hessle Roader and his family paid an emotional visit to the scene of the disaster. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:02
Tampa Police searching for missing boat Captain
At approximately 7:42 a.m. on Sunday, December 17, 2023, the Tampa Police Department received multiple reports of a shrimp boat being submerged underwater in the 2600 block of Causeway Boulevard. Tampa Officers arrived on the scene and located a 63 ft vessel named “Miss Jordi” underwater. The vessel also leaked thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into the water. The boat’s captain, Curtis Lee Cowling, was last seen on 12/16/2023 at 11:00 p.m. Cowling is now listed as “Missing and Endangered.” Currently, officials are unable to confirm the captain’s whereabouts. more, >>click to read<< 13:39
An 89-foot fishing tender helped Haines’ wrestling team reach the state tournament in Anchorage
The Haines wrestling team hadn’t even arrived at the state tournament yet, and it already had its back to the mat: Pinned down by a blizzard and unable to leave Haines, the Glacier Bears were in jeopardy of being disqualified from competing at state. But a local fishing boat owner offered to get the team to Juneau and, despite some choppy seas, helped deliver the Haines team to state. Brent Crowe, whose son is an eighth-grade wrestler in Haines, heard about the team’s difficulties. He offered to shuttle the team to Juneau on the Pavlov, his 89-foot tender. The team got the OK from school administrators and took the trip overnight into Thursday morning. Winds were still high but the team and coaches left around 6 p.m., traveling overnight in what was about a 12-hour voyage. The Pavlov encountered some high winds and 6- to 7-foot waves, and one wrestler experienced a little seasickness, according to Hale, but the team made it to Juneau in time to catch a flight. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 12:27
CHAMPION DELIVERS THE GOODS
‘Champion is an exciting new concept in trawl door manufacture, and we are thrilled that it has performed so well during fishing operations,’ said Morgère’s managing director Pascal Reverseau, describing the new Champion doors as being among the most powerful demersal on the market, providing excellent spread, good fuel economy and ease of operation. ‘This is a door that offers many benefits – and skippers particularly like its ease of operation, which is particularly important when fishing in challenging sea conditions,’ he said, adding that skippers fishing with these new doors have been delighted by the performance, praising its stable operation and simplicity in use and setting up. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:39
Federal fisheries managers hold Bering Sea pollock quota steady
The total amount of pollock allowed to be scooped up by trawlers in the Bering Sea will stay the stotal allowable catchame in 2024. In its Dec. 9 meeting in Anchorage, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council moved to keep the total allowable catch for pollock at its current level of 1.3 million metric tons, a move that has generated criticism from conservationists, tribes, and the trawling industry alike. Alaska’s pollock fishery is responsible for the vast majority of salmon bycatch in the region. And amid alarming declines in returns of multiple species of salmon to Western Alaska rivers, the pollock trawl fishery has faced increasing criticism for its perceived role driving the crisis. But federal fisheries managers and the trawling industry pushed back, asserting that the claims are unfounded. more, >>click to read<< 08:12
Pollack fishing: Setting quota to zero ‘damaging’ to South-West industry
A decision to set the pollack catch quota to zero will be “damaging” to the fishing industry, those working in South-West England have said. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said the quota had been reduced to preserve stocks. It said it recognised the “impact” the decision “may have” and was working to “explore potential mitigations”. Ben George, who fishes from Sennen Cove in Cornwall, said he never once “dreamed it could be a total ban”. “It’s particularly damaging for the small inshore fisherman, because they can’t diversify easily now to anything else,” he said. more, >>click to read<< 06:19
Fisheries New Zealand Seeks Feedback on Proposed Catch Limits for 2024
Fisheries New Zealand is asking for feedback on proposed changeson proposed changes to catch limits and other settings across a range of Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries as part of its twice-yearly sustainability review. Every six months, Fisheries New Zealand reviews a range of fish stocks and develops proposals focused on their long-term sustainability. “When the information suggests more fish can be harvested sustainably, we look to increase catch limits,” said Marianne Lukkien, acting director of fisheries management. “On the other hand, if the information suggests a stock isn’t as healthy, we propose reducing the catch limits or other changes to help the fishery recover.” In this review, options include increases to catch allowances for six fish stocks where information suggests more fish can be sustainably harvested. more, >>click to read<< 18:36
Hoyle’s Bill to Support Commercial Fishing in Port Infrastructure Act Passes
This week 4th District Congresswoman Val Hoyle’s “Supporting Commercial Fishing in Port Infrastructure Projects Act” passed both the House and Senate as part of the Maritime Administration Reauthorization Act. A release from Hoyle said President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law. Hoyle said H.R.4618 will ensure ports can apply for infrastructure grants that support commercial fishing, bolster jobs and drive the economies of coastal communities. Hoyle said current law does not make it explicitly clear whether ports can apply for Port Infrastructure Development Program grants that support commercial fishing, often leaving it up to interpretation that can overlook commercial fishing communities who are the backbone of coastal economies. more, >>click to read<< 14:44
One giant leap for fishermen’s mental health
In Dec. 2021, representatives of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and NAMI Maine published a column in the Portland Press Herald headlined: “We need more awareness of mental health stresses on Maine’s fishermen.” This week, nearly two years to the day, Sens. Susan Collins, Edward Markey and Dan Sullivan introduced the Fishing Industry Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act to better address the range of occupational safety and health risks facing fishermen, including worker fatigue and substance use disorder. MCFA is thankful to the senators for spearheading this effort, and to our colleagues at the Fishing Partnership Support Services and New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance who champion and advocate for efforts to support the health, well being and safety of commercial fishermen. more, >>click to read<< 09:34
‘Saved a big catastrophe’: Coast Guard and lifesavers come to aid of fishing trawler
Holiday beachgoers were surprised to see a 20m fishing trawler stuck in the shallows at Mooloolaba Beach on Saturday. Coast Guard and lifesavers got to the boat just in time and pulled it back out to sea. Coast Guard Mooloolaba crew skipper Bill Asher said they were first notified about the vessel by the crew of a nearby charter boat. “They said the trawler was drifting towards to the beach,” he said. “We tried to call the vessel but we couldn’t raise them and we saw on our cameras that they were only 150m off the beach.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:16
Lobster prices rise as catches fall: ‘They’re all fighting for that product’
The price of lobster is up compared to last year, says the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board. Live lobster is selling for as much as $11.50 a pound, said Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the board, up from $6.50 to $7.50 last year. The jump in price is partly because catches are down now for fishers in New England, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, he said. Catches in New England specifically are down about 16 per cent over the five-year average, he said. photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:48
Canada plans crackdown as trade data shows elver exports were 4 times the legal catch in 2022
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) plans to crack down on the illegal fishery for baby eels, also known as elvers, in the Maritimes next year by creating separate possession-and-export licences to track the catch from river to airport. The effort comes as newly reported trade data shows a huge surge in elver exports leaving Canada, reaching an all time high of 43 tonnes in 2022 — four times the authorized Canadian total allowable catch. To avoid a repeat of the chaos and deter the illegal trade, DFO wants new regulations in place by March 2024, ahead of the spring elver migration and fishing season. photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:32
Compact Twin -Rig Trawler from Parkol
Built by Parkol Marine Engineering at its Teeside yard and completed alongside in Whitby, Seraphim PD-170 is the latest in a long line of Ian Paton designs for owners in Scotland. The 21.29 metre LOA, 7.70 metre breadth Seraphim packs a lot of functionality into a boat with a waterline length of 16.40 metres. This is a twin-rig trawler targeting both prawns and groundfish, laid out with the option of working as one half of a pair team if required. Built with a steel hull topped by an aluminium wheelhouse, masts and full-length shelterdeck, the new trawler was ordered by father and son Andrew and Joshua Buchan of Lighthouse Fishing Company, in partnership with P&J Johnstone. The boat was lifted into the water at the Teesside yard in late August before heading for Whitby. At the end of October Andrew and Joshua Buchan steamed home to Peterhead to collect trawl gear and carry out final sea trials before starting fishing in earnest. photos, more, >>click to read<< 12:12
Searching for Surf and Safe Passage in the Gulf of Alaska
Back in March I got a call from adventure photographer James Barkman with news that his skipper Michael Phand from a previous fishing season in Alaska’s Prince Williams Sound just bought a swooning 54’ steel longline salmon seiner called Seaview. Captain Phand was looking for a keen crew of surfers to help bring her across the infamous Gulf of Alaska, a stretch of sea that lay between his home Port in Cordova and his current port in Sitka. Naturally I was interested. The plan was to spend two weeks with our crew of five pushing 1,000 nautical miles North West along the exposed Alaska coastline ducking in and out of coves looking for waves or shelter from storms, all while dodging icebergs, logs, and the occasional other boat. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:18
Beaufort leaders ask Gov. McMaster to declare economic disaster to help shrimping industry
This all comes after local shrimper Craig Reaves sent this letter to city council explaining how shrimp dumping threatens his livelihood, and that of many others. In his letter to council, Reaves says that ‘all commercial fishing families have been decimated.’ He lists multiple reasons for said decimation but says that import dumping is the lead cause. For context, shrimp dumping is when farmed shrimp from other countries is sold to U.S. retailers and restaurants for below the market price that local shrimpers adhere to. Beaufort officials recognize the issue. “You can’t have locally owned operated seafood companies if the market price is going to be debased by this amount of flooded shrimp that’s coming in,” said Beaufort’s Acting Mayor Michael McFee. Video, more, >>click to read<< 08:40
NEFMC sets groundfish fishery quota for upcoming fishing years
The New England Fishery Management Council’s final action on specifications meant to guide the groundfish fishery in the coming fishing year offers increased catch limits for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock but a decrease for yellowtail flounder. The council selected final measures for Framework Adjustment 66 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan at its December meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, last week. For commercial fishers, there are slight increases in the so-called sub-annual catch limits for Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod, and a more significant reduction to the sub-ACL for Georges Bank haddock. more, >>click to read<< 07:28
A trawler skipper’s memory from the deep dredges up intriguing questions
Kit Olver felt his trawling net had snagged something large and unwelcome way in the depths long before he had any physical evidence of it. The note of his deep-sea trawler’s diesel engine deepened, and its exhaust gas temperature rose as it sought the torque to haul against the sudden load. What Olver’s net eventually brought to the surface off South Australia’s south-east coast that day, nine years ago, has bothered him ever since. He hasn’t spoken about it for years. Now, aged 77, with his seagoing years behind him and a couple of heart attacks reminding him that everything, even the chance to unload old secrets, has an expiry date, he wants to air his story. “It was a bloody great wing of a big jet airliner,” he says. He takes a breath, as if confronted by the memory. more, photos, >>click to listen/read<< 06:23
Coast Guard urges safety precautions in advance of Dungeness Crab season
Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opens Dec. 16 from Cape Foulweather, just south of Depoe Bay, to the California border, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). The Coast Guard is urging mariners to take safety precautions in advance of the season, which in the past is historically followed by a spike in search and rescue cases involving commercial fishing vessels. Most major marine casualties involving the loss of life or loss of a vessel occurs during Dungeness Crab season for an array of reasons including unavailability of lifesaving equipment, poor weather conditions, and fatigue. more, >>click to read<< 15:08
Some N.S. lobster fishers report serious decline in catches
Some lobster fishers are reporting a major drop in catches this year compared to last, and they’re calling on the provincial government to drastically increase illegal fishing fines to keep the lobster population stable. Heather Mulock, executive director of Coldwater Lobster Association (opens in a new tab), said this season is one of the worst for catches in the region since the 1990s, and she attributes some of that to illegal fishing. “We saw millions of pounds of lobster that came out illegally,” she said. “Unauthorized fishing in the summer and fall affected us.” “We’re in the process of a regulatory review that will include updates to the Nova Scotia Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act(opens in a new tab),” he said. “Provincial fines for offences under the Act are part of this review.” more, >>click to read<< 14:21
Louisiana Shrimp Season to Close December 18 in Portions of State Waters
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that the 2023 fall inshore shrimp season will close in all state inside waters on Monday, December 18, 2023, at official sunset, except for the following inside waters east of the Mississippi River: Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, Lake Borgne, Mississippi Sound, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), a section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) in Orleans parish from the GIWW East Closure Sector Gate westward to the GIWW intersection with the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, and the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as bounded by the double-rig line described in R.S. 56:495.1(A)2. more, >>click to read<< 12:18
Brexit Britain takes ‘full advantage’ of EU exit to deliver yet another major fishing win
Britain is taking advantage of post-Brexit freedoms to deliver more support for UK sustainable fishing. New plans have been published today to help protect and recover key fishing stocks. The first five Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) set out how the Government will work with the fishing industry and other stakeholders to support the sustainable management of species such as crab, lobster, king scallop and bass. more, >>click to read<< 10:40
Post Brexit freedoms to deliver more support for UK sustainable fishing – New plans to help protect and recover key fishing stocks have been published today (Thursday 14 December), seizing on the opportunities of the UK’s post-Brexit freedoms to support coastal jobs and protect the marine environment. more, >>click to read<< 10:40
Project Salmon Claus delivers Christmas to children along the Columbia River
For 11 years, Officer Jerrod Daniel has delivered gifts to children living at tribal fishing sites along the Columbia River. For some children there, Salmon Claus delivers the only Christmas gifts they receive. Members of the public can donate to the program until this Friday, While helping put a smile on people’s faces never gets old, one story in particular stands out for him. During a long day of delivering gifts along the river, Daniel met a young girl, about 8 years old. He handed her a wrapped present and unlike many of the children around her, she did not open it right away. When Daniel asked her why, she smiled and said “I’m going to save it so I have something to open on Christmas.” more, >>click to read<<09:47
Body recovered by navy divers in search for fisherman off Louth coast
Navy divers recovered the body of the fisherman, who was aboard the ‘Ben Thomas’, a small fishing boat which got into difficulty and began to sink on Tuesday. Around 8.45am Tuesday, a mayday call was received by the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Dublin from the vessel and its two crewmembers in the North Irish Sea. Search and rescue teams were able to retrieve one of the fishermen his crewmate in Tuesday’s search of the Dunany Point to Dundalk Bay area, but the multi-agency operation had to stand down as light faded that evening. more, >>click to read<< 08:23
Help save American commercial fishing
We are writing today in support of the American commercial fishing industry, and the crucial role it plays in not just the local and national economy, but in the entire American infrastructure. American commercial fishermen bring fresh, wild, sustainable, seafood to the table, and in doing so, they help us all live better. Each commercial fisherman is a small business owner. Their livelihoods support their families and fuel the economy in their communities. Countless businesses rely on the commercial fishing industry to make a living from the dock to the market and restaurants to the truckers that transport it and more. The web is broad and strong and has ensured a robust infrastructure for hundreds of years. more, >>click to read<< 07:16
“A bucket and a net, and you’re in business.” Looming tensions in Maritime eel fishery
Commercial harvesters of baby eels in the Maritimes say there’s little hope the poaching and violence that forced the closure of the lucrative fishery last season will subside in 2024. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans closed the fishery for the tiny, translucent fish known as elvers on April 15 after reports of violence related to unauthorized fishing. There were accusations of assault and even shots fired along coastal rivers in parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The increased illegal activity comes as demand grows for the young eels, which are sold live to aquaculture operations in Asian markets such as China and Japan, where they are grown for food. Prices had reached as high as $5,000 per kilogram in 2022, partly because sources for the fish species in Europe and Asia had begun to dry up. more, >>click to read<< 06:02
Sonoma County snags disaster relief designation for salmon fishery devastation
“Small businesses in Sonoma County that rely on salmon fishing for their livelihood were devastated when the fishery was shut down,” said county Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, whose district encompasses the Sonoma Coast. Hopkins added the business loans are intended “to help them recover. The SBA also lists other, bordering counties, with the presumption that those “may have suffered economic injury as well.” These include Napa, Marin, Solano, Mendocino and Lake. “We have lost 80% of our fleets in the last 40 years,” said Glen Spain, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, which manages about a dozen fishing groups. He defined California’s $45 million fishing industry as being especially hard hit with state Fish and Wildlife’s permits dropping from 7,744 in 1980 to 1,006 this year. “These loans are trying to keep people intact as much as possible,” Spain said. photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:38
Caring Community: Newport Fishermen’s Wives seeking donations
Dear Community Partner, The Newport Fishermen’s Wives is a non-profit organization of fishermen’s wives, mothers, daughters, and friends, supporting a strong sense of community helping to further the causes of industry, safety, seafood education, and family support. Through the support of our community partners, we are able to provide a number programs to our fishing community such as an Emergency Fund (for local fishing tragedies) and funeral support, Fishermen’s Memorial Sanctuary, Holiday Outreach for fishing families, scholarship funds and the Blessing of the Fleet community lunch and boat parade. more, >>click to read<< 12: 06
Two men accused of killing Portland fisherman 15 years ago
Portland police announced Tuesday that Shane Hall, 36, and Khang Tran, 30, were indicted on murder charges in the death of Frank A. Williams III, a 37-year-old fisherman. “We hope this helps (Williams’) family find closure knowing that someone will be held accountable for his death,” Portland interim Assistant Chief Robert Martin said at a news conference Tuesday. He offered few details on what led to the indictments. Williams was stabbed near Kennedy Park just before 2 a.m. on Aug. 16, 2008, by three men police said he knew. He left behind a 1-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son. Williams died at Maine Medical Center from multiple stab wounds. more, >>click to read<< 10:26
