Category Archives: Canada
Federal government pitches $260M plan to increase First Nation fishing access
A nearly $260-million initiative by the federal government aimed at expanding fisheries access to First Nation communities is being met with questions from Mi’kmaw and non-Indigenous representatives alike. The three-year project by Fisheries and Oceans Canada was included in last month’s fall economic statement under the heading of Indigenous reconciliation. The aim is to “further implement the right of 34 [Mi’kmaw] and Wolastoqey Nations and the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood under the 1760-61 Peace and Friendship Treaties, as upheld in the Marshall decisions,” according to a statement from DFO spokesperson Axel Rioux. “Funding can be used towards the purchase of access, vessels and gear, and to support development and testing of governance and management structures, as well as participation in discussions with DFO at fisheries negotiation tables, with the aim of reaching long-term collaborative management agreements.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:32
St. John’s business leaders waiting to see if Trump moves on tariffs as presidency begins
As U.S. President Donald Trump begins his second term in office, the president of the FFAW says she’s playing the waiting game to see how threatened tariffs will take shape. FFAW President Dwan Street voiced concern about how a proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods — including fish — could affect local markets. For example, she said, 90 per cent of snow crab exports from Newfoundland and Labrador go to the United States. “A 25 per cent tariff, we see it as being absolutely devastating,” Street said Monday. An official with Trump’s administration confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Trump will hold off on tariffs for now but will direct agencies to “investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations. The majority of Canada’s premiers, including Andrew Furey, have said they’ll stand against any tariffs. “Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
Quin-Sea takes a flamethrower to the ASP as it departs fisheries group
A dispute that’s smoldered for weeks in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry has erupted into an inferno, with Quin-Sea Fisheries dropping a metaphorical hand grenade as it cuts ties with the trade association that represents most seafood producers in the province. In a strongly worded news release issued Monday morning, the St. John’s-based company said it was withdrawing from the Association of Seafood Producers, saying it could no longer tolerate the ASP’s “internal strong-arming and mistreatment” of members. The decision comes after many months of strained relations between Quin-Sea and the ASP and is more fallout from a contentious period in the fishery dating back to last winter, when harvesters protested in a bid to bring more free enterprise to the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:38
Multiple agencies are searching for two fishermen who went missing in Northern Maine
Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for two commercial fishermen who were reported missing after they did not return to port. Chester Barret and his son Aaron Barrett were on board their fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. They planned to travel from Edmunds to South Addition. The 34-foot scallop vessel left Cobscook Bay State Park around 5 a.m. EST Saturday. After encountering rough conditions, they planned to seek refuge in Cutler but became unreachable, according to authorities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
‘The only winner here is China.’ How DFO invested in and then killed Canadian eel aquaculture
An aquaculture project that would have seen elvers grown to adulthood in Atlantic Canada rather than China has been thrown into disarray by DFO’s quota reallocation. Despite millions in investment, over a decade of research and the potential to increase profits for all involved ten-fold, federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier won’t even respond to NovaEel’s letters. “The undermining of NovaEel means for the foreseeable future, or forever, there will be no domestic capacity to exploit our natural resource, and we will be 100 per cent beholden to foreign entities to realize value,” said Mitchell Feigenbaum, a commercial elver licence holder and investor in NovaEel. “Those entities are not going to invest in eel farms in North America and they have demonstrated the willingness and ability to support the trade of unlawfully caught eels without any hesitation.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:07
Trump’s tariff threats loom large over Newfoundland’s crab fishery
Even though Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab season at least eight weeks away, Doug Trainor is hard at work getting ready for this year’s fishery. His boat, D.R.A Enterprises, is hoisted up on dry ground in Petty Harbour, where he’s replacing the engine and working with his son on other upgrades. It’s a big investment – tens of thousands of dollars – but after last year’s unrest in the crab fishery, which saw big protests at the Confederation Building in St. John’s, he says he felt like this season would be more predictable, safer and profitable. “We figured it would be good this year, this was going to be the year,” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, Trump came out.” U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threats of steep tariffs on Canadian products entering the United States has stirred a lot of industries in the country, but Newfoundland’s fishery is particularly susceptible. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:43
Canada’s largest fishing vessel arrives home
Inuksuk II didn’t get off to an easy start. Handed over to its owners at the end of September, it sailed from Yalova in Turkey in October but suffered a main engine malfunction a few days into its delivery trip. The new trawler was towed to port in Greece, before a second tow took it back to the yard in Turkey for the main engine problems to be addressed. Now it has made a belated landfall in Canada and is being prepared to start fishing operations a few months later than had originally been planned. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Video: Take a look inside Canada’s newest — and largest — fishing vessel – >>CLICK TO WATCH<<
NEFSA defeats menace to iconic Maine lobster
Lobstermen in Maine are breathing a sigh of relief after regulators walked back a plan that would have put many fishermen out of business. The state of Maine will not cooperate with a dangerous regulatory proposal to raise minimum allowable catch size for lobster after a spirited hearing on January 9th. The size increase would have deprived lobstermen of their most popular products, further straining their multi-generational businesses and historic communities. “Lobstermen everywhere are relieved that the Maine Department of Resources stepped back from the brink,” said NEFSA COO Dustin Delano, a fourth generation lobsterman. “Raising the minimum catch size would have driven countless lobstermen off the water and opened our market to foreign competitors.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
NH and Maine lobstermen push back against new size rule amid economic fears
The regulation involves an increase in the size of the gauge used by fishermen to measure lobster length to determine if they can be caught or must be released. The new rule, however, has received blowback from local lobstermen. Maine has opted not to implement the change in response to concerns from the lobster industry, while lawmakers in New Hampshire are advocating for their leaders to make a similar decision. State Rep. Aboul Khan, R-Seabrook, warns that the new rule could lead to a loss of a third of lobstermen’s catch this year, adding to the challenges already posed by existing regulations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Peter Kass Lobster Boat, 700HP CAT C-18
To review specifications, information, and 16 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:03
Maine Reverses Course on Regulation Increasing Minimum Legal Lobster Size
Following a meeting in Augusta this past Thursday where dozens of lobstermen voiced strong opposition to the rule change, Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher issued a statement announcing the decision. “Last night, after hearing loud and clear from Maine lobster industry members that they are unified in their opposition to a proposed rule change that would increase the minimum gauge size starting in July of this year, with approval from Governor Mills I decided to pull the regulation,” Commissioner Keliher wrote. “I called up the governor on the way in. I explained to her what the risks were associated with compliance with the ASMFC,” Keliher said later during the meeting. “She agreed with me that we should withdraw the rule.” Short clip, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:44
Electric lobster boat nears launch by Indigenous fishery in Cape Breton
Sydney, Nova Scotia is the province’s northernmost port, situated on the rocky shores of eastern Cape Breton Island. The Membertou First Nation, located in Sydney, operates a licensed fishery. Now, it is on the cusp of a technology breakthrough. The First Nation is leading the development and build-out of an all-electric lobster fishing vessel, Lektrike’l Walipotl. Membertou partnered with Allswater, ship designers in Bedford, N.S.; Halifax-based vessel-to-grid company, BlueGrid Energy; and Oceans North Conservation Society in Ottawa to develop the electric lobster fishing vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:59
FFAW Calls for Transparency and Accountability in Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre
FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street is calling for the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre (FRC) to operate with transparency and accountability. The FRC, a nonprofit governed by a board of directors providing dockside monitoring services to fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, has refused to call a board meeting and provide members with important information regarding the organization’s operations. “Our elected Inshore Council has been calling for increased transparency and accountability regarding the boards our Union participates on,” says President Dwan Street. “Specifically, they’ve asked us to ensure board seats are representative of the current industry and elected leadership. Despite repeated attempts to engage the FRC over the last year, Executive Director Velma Pike and Chair Bill Broderick refuse to be transparent about their operations,” Street explains. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:02
US YouTuber bought an old lobster boat and it’s taking up a lot of his money restoring it, there’s not even any living space
An American YouTuber best-known for his eccentric videos, engineering anything from mini houses to flying leaf blowers, is now trying his hand at a spot of fishing by restoring a lobster boat. In May 2023, he announced via a YouTube video that he had purchased a 31 BHM Downeast Lobster Boat. He has been renovating it with a new purpose: to become a ‘Science Boat’ for his YouTube channel. Despite many challenges, the boat is now seaworthy, even if it doesn’t have any living space. The Downeast lobster boat, described by YouTuber Peter Sripol as ‘crusty’, was in bad shape, including having several large holes in the stern which were worryingly close to the waterline. Includes the Maiden Voyage of the Lobster Boat video. links, more, CLICK TO READ<<. 11:50
Lobstermen relieved after officials scrap proposed change to harvest
Maine lobstermen are breathing a sigh of relief after a contentious proposal to increase the minimum lobster size was withdrawn Thursday night in Augusta. The decision came after a heated public meeting hosted by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, during which lobstermen voiced concerns about the rule’s potential impact on their livelihoods. Some lobstermen argued change from the current minimum size of 3.25 inches would reduce their catch by 20 percent, targeting the smaller lobsters that are the most marketable and crucial to their business. Lobstermen also argued that increasing the minimum size wouldn’t conserve the lobster population. Many stated that lobsters thrown back into the ocean would likely fall prey to other predators rather than grow to legal size. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45
Are microplastics ending up in Atlantic lobster? This researcher hopes to find out
An assistant professor in Nova Scotia has been awarded a five-year grant to study the double impact of microplastics and climate change on aquatic organisms. Jordan Park will conduct the research at Université Sainte-Anne using lobster larvae and zooplankton. Park hopes to trace whether microplastics end up in lobster found in Atlantic waters. The grant for his research is through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic, many smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair. But they don’t start out that small, said Park — plastic wares like food packages end up in the ocean and get broken down over time. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:48
Notorious B.C. poacher who led authorities on boat chase found guilty of illegal sea cucumber harvest
B.C.’s most notorious poacher has been found guilty again, this time of illegally harvesting and selling sea cucumbers, and breaching previous bans against owning a fishing vessel and fishing gear. Scott Stanley Matthew Steer was found guilty Wednesday of eight counts of contravening the federal Fisheries Act, based in part on information seized from his cellphone wallet that was tossed overboard after a boat chase in Vancouver harbour. Steer had already spent time in jail for illegally fishing, and had been slapped with a lifetime ban against fishing or even being on board a fishing vessel until 2038 — the first such ban in the Pacific region in over a decade. more, >>CICK TO READ<< 10:49
Judge fully dismisses U.S. lawsuit against N.B.’s Cooke Inc.
A federal judge in New York has found the arguments made in a lawsuit against a large New Brunswick seafood company to be false and ordered the case closed. Saint John-based Cooke Inc. was sued last July for its involvement in the menhaden fishery in Virginia. The lawsuit alleged Cooke knowingly defrauded the U.S. government by creating shell companies to operate the fishery of a small baitfish used to make fishmeal, fish oil and other products. U.S. District Court Judge Jesse M. Furman dismissed the case because he found that not only did the plaintiffs not prove foreign ownership beyond a doubt, but also that the fish and fishing licences that Cooke was allegedly defrauding the government of cannot legally be considered property. “Cooke Inc. is pleased that the court has dismissed this baseless lawsuit, which we have always maintained was without merit,” Joel Richardson, company spokesperson, wrote in an emailed statement on behalf of Cooke Inc. and Omega Protein. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:50
Woman from Sachs Harbour, N.W.T., hopes journey from bartender to fish hauler will inspire others
The journey started when Frances Esau, who wanted a change from the life she was living in Inuvik, messaged a friend living in northern B.C. She said she didn’t expect that message to lead to such a big shift in her life. Esau spent four months working with the crew and fishing for crab off the coast of British Columbia. She returned to the North after that, but a few years later got a call from the captain of the fishing crew she’d worked with before, asking if she could help them close out another crab season on short notice. That made Esau feel like she’d made a good impression. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ H&H Lobster/Scalloper, 425HP John Deere 6090 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 10 photos’, >click here<. Includes 4′ aluminum extension and 400 traps, including scallop gear with winch, mast, boom, 2 drags. To see all the boats in this series >click here<. 06:28
COMMENTARY: Bringing peace to Atlantic lobster fisheries, By Geoffrey V. Hurly
The ongoing controversy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishing interests is centred over equity in fishing rights. Indigenous groups claim that their treaty rights (signed in the 18th century) allow them to fish lobster (or any other species for that matter) anytime of the year, including outside the regulated fishing seasons imposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Non-Indigenous harvesters argue that Indigenous people should not have the right to catch and sell lobsters at a time of year when commercial fishermen don’t. They worry about their own livelihood if lobsters are fished out of season during their moulting breeding time. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
Doc film exploring Lake Erie fishing nets Leamington audiences
A new documentary being screened in Leamington offers a rare in-depth glimpse into Lake Erie’s important and historic commercial fishing industry. In his debut documentary, Netting the Waters, Simcoe-based filmmaker Daryl Granger dives deep into the industry surrounding the commercial catch of pickerel, perch, and smelt from the shallowest of the Great Lakes. “I wanted to show what it was really like on Lake Erie, because there’s a lot of interest in what happens out there,” Over the course of filming, Granger mainly followed two captains and their vessels. Captain George Gibbons, who leads the Eau Clipper and George A, specializes in gillnetting for pickerel and perch. Captain Joe Zimba, who commands the Donna F, trawls for smelt, a small freshwater fish commonly found in the Great Lakes. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:56
Is it 50 per cent of the fishery? What’s fair and what the feds won’t discuss on First Nations rights
What’s fair? What’s a fair amount of Canada’s fisheries to transfer to First Nations to satisfy their moderate livelihood right? What’s fair to individual rights holders but, also, what’s fair to non-aboriginal communities whose cultures and incomes have relied upon fisheries for generations? Is it 50 per cent? That’s what Fisheries and Oceans Canada has gone with in two recent transfers of access to First Nations in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia that occurred without compensation to the commercial licence holders on the losing end. In 2021, Jason and the 33 other commercial fishermen in crab fishing area 24 were informed by DFO that the federal government was taking half the area’s 1,600 traps and giving them to the Five Nations. “It was definitely not fair,” said Voong, president of the BC Crab Fishermen’s Association, in a phone interview. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:07
UPDATED: Justin Trudeau resigns
Breaking: Trudeau to address Canadians as Liberal caucus pushes him to resign– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make an announcement about his future Monday morning at 10:45 a.m. ET after months of questions about his leadership and a Liberal nosedive in the polls. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:49
Updated: Justin Trudeau resigns as Liberal Party leader: Live updates, reaction after prime minister’s news conference – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in a statement made at Rideau Cottage on Monday morning. Trudeau will stay on as Canada’s prime minister until the Liberals appoint a new leader. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:02
2017–2025 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event
Beginning in 2017, elevated mortalities in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) were documented in Canada and the United States and necessitated an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) be declared. The whales impacted by the UME include dead, injured, and sick individuals, who represent more than 20 percent of the population, which is a significant impact on an endangered species where deaths are outpacing births. Additionally, research demonstrates that only about 1/3 of right whale deaths are documented. The preliminary cause of mortality, serious injury, and morbidity (sublethal injury and illness) in most of these whales is from entanglements or vessel strikes. Endangered North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction. There are approximately 370 individuals remaining, including about 70 reproductively active females. Human impacts continue to threaten the survival of this species. The many individual whales involved in the UME are a significant setback to the recovery of this endangered species. Links, graphics, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:29
Furey Reflects on Changes in Fishery Following Protests, Negotiations
The Premier believes that more changes were made to the fishery in 2024 than under any other administration in the history of the province. Last spring was a tumultuous time in the fishery. Frustrated harvesters began showing up at the House of Assembly every day during the fall sitting, demanding some systemic changes to the way the fishery operates, which ultimately culminated in days of protests that effectively shut down Confederation Building – including on budget day. Andrew Furey says government is essentially a facilitator between the two parties -meaning the FFAW and ASP- and ultimately got “caught in the crossfire.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:23
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 68′ Raised Wheelhouse Longliner, Cummins KT1150, Tripack permit available
To review specifications, information, and 50 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 07:03
d’Entremont talks fishery mismanagement, violence in Clare
The MP for West Nova says fishery disputes were top of mind in 2024. Conservative Chris d’Entremont says the
federal government has mismanaged the herring and elver fishery and have not been properly enforcing illegal lobster fishing in Clare. He says Minister Diane Lebouthillier is too worried about her own riding in Quebec. “Fishery-wise, 2024 wasn’t the year we wanted. I was hoping we’d have some ears that would listen to us. We continue to get pushed aside for political reasons,” said d’Entremont. d’Entremont says southwest Nova didn’t get a cent out of Small Craft Harbour funding, with 60-70 percent of it going to the minister’s riding. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:50
New memorial in southeastern P.E.I. community honours fishers who were taken by the sea
Residents of Murray Harbour say a new monument will serve as a tribute to people from the community who lost their lives at sea, and an important reminder of the dangers for those who continue to take the risk of going out on the water. The southeastern P.E.I. community recently took possession of the 1,200-pound memorial that now sits at the harbour, overlooking the boats that will come and go during the busy fishing seasons. “There’s been a lot of people over the years, unfortunately, [who] never came home from the sea. It was time that we made a memorial, something to remember those people by,” said Gary MacKay, Murray Harbour’s deputy mayor. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
