Category Archives: Canada
EU seal ban causing more harm than good, says Swedish researcher
Danny Pottle is an Inuk elder, who experienced first hand the impacts of the anti-sealing movement growing up in Rigolet, Labrador.
A Swedish researcher says the European Union’s ban on the import and sale of all seal products has caused more harm than good, and now is the time to lift the 15-year-old ban. Sven-Gunnar Lunneryd, who researches aquatic resources at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, says ending the ban would help seal hunters and restore depleted fish stocks. His research demonstrates that in the Baltic Sea, where the grey seal population has recently increased rapidly, having a negative impact coastal fisheries in the region. “We maybe need to half the seal population to get the chance for depleted fish stocks to recover,” said Lunneryd. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:53
‘Majority’ of chinook run is already past Chilcotin River landslide area: Cullen
Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen says officials are estimating a four-to-seven-day window for returning sockeye salmon, but the “majority” of the chinook run is already past the Chilcotin landslide area. During an update on the landslide situation Saturday (Aug. 3), Cullen said the province is working very closely with First Nations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to prepare. “While we know that there will be impacts on fish from there this event, our early assessment is that the majority of the chinook run is already past the landslide area,” he explained. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:44
The province says an N.L. fish plant was trying to sell rotten crab. The fish plant is snapping back
The owner of a major seafood processing plant in Bay de Verde says major inspection issues are at the root of claims his company was selling rotten crab. Robin Quinlan, president of Quinlan Brothers Ltd., said the accusations are a “very serious misrepresentation of the facts of what had occurred at the facility.” Quinlan told reporters Thursday that independent inspectors had assessed the catches in question and passed them. But when provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture inspectors showed up for a surprise assessment, they deemed those same catches unfit for the market. The company was formally charged last week under the provincial Fish Inspection Act and Fish Inspection Operations Regulations — accused of moving and processing dead snow crab. The four charges are related to two provincial inspections at the plant in May and June. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:34
Quinlan Defends Processing of Disputed Dead Crab Prior to Court Case
One of the largest seafood producers in the province is firing back at the provincial government after the company was charged with processing and transporting dead snow crab. Quinlan Brothers of Bay de Verde was charged with four counts of marketing fish unfit for human consumption following inspections by provincial officials on May 30th and June 29th. But company president Robin Quinlan compares the actions of the inspectors to that of judge, jury and executioner. Quinlan believed the product — about 52,000 pounds of crab with a market value of $500,000 – would be properly stored until he had his day in court. But that was not the case. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:44
Massive B.C. landslide could mean new barriers for struggling salmon
An expert on British Columbia’s salmon populations says the massive landslide that blocked off part of Canada’s largest sockeye salmon run has created an unprecedented situation potentially putting the already struggling fish at even more risk. Scott Hinch, the associate dean at the University of British Columbia’s Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, said the debris piled 30 metres high and 600 metres long blocking the Chilcotin River could cause problems for chinook and sockeye populations both while the water is being held back, and when it eventually bursts free. “These are natural events, but what’s unusual about this event is it’s occurring at a time when the rivers are way warmer than they used to be,” he said in an interview Thursday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:23
Cocaine sharks: The hidden drug problem in the Gulf of Maine and oceans
An article on the BBC and subsequently picked up by the New York Times just reinforced what I have been teaching for a long time. The article reports on a finding from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which found high levels of cocaine in 13 Brazilian sharp-nosed sharks tested near Rio de Janeiro. So, how did the drugs get into the livers and muscles of the sharks? I can think of three possibilities. First, illegal drug labs might be discharging wastewater into the harbor. Second, sharks could have ingested floating cocaine packets dumped to evade authorities. Lastly, and most likely, local sewage discharge might be releasing large quantities of urine from drug users. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 60′ Steel Scalloper, 425HP, Cummins KT19-M Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 26 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:30
Commercial whelk fishery opens in eastern Cape Breton
On Tuesday, an event at Louisbourg Seafoods processing plant ushered in the first commercial whelk fishery in waters along the island’s eastern coast. The Louisbourg, N.S., company began experimenting with the harvest of whelk more than a decade ago. “We have a science team and they spend all their time looking at this, and basically developed a clear understanding of what the fishery was out there and how best to manage it,” said Allan MacLean, Louisbourg Seafoods’ senior operations manager. The whelk fishery off eastern Cape Breton, in an area known as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Area 4Vs, was previously licensed only for exploratory harvesting to determine if stocks could sustain a commercially viable operation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Tuesday in a news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:46
Fishing communities welcome B.C. intention to reform licensing and quotas
As part of the Coastal Marine Strategy unveiled last week, the province says it’s moving toward an owner-operator system for quota and licences. Under the new system, licence and quota holders would also need to be active fish harvesters — something advocacy groups and First Nations have been requesting for years. A transition to an owner-operator system would aim to eliminate the ability of a few giants to stake a majority claim on B.C.’s fishing grounds. One company alone, Jim Pattison’s Canfisco, owns double-digit percentages of some fish quotas, worth tens of millions of dollars. An owner-operator system is not a novel concept in the country. Atlantic Canada has had one in place for years, and as a result, has lower costs compared to B.C. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:21
Moved by the rescue of the ‘Lucky 7,’ Gander artist creates tribute sketch
Inspired by the rescue last week of seven fishermen feared lost at sea, a Gander artist has created an artwork in tribute to the crew of the Elite Navigator. Keisha Collins created the artwork beginning shortly after the seven men were reported found. “It just kind of hit home to Newfoundland. And the fact that all seven were OK and, you know, were found safe, it was a happy ending. And it was one that Newfoundland needed to see.” A fire aboard their boat forced the crew to abandon ship into a to sink, and the men — since dubbed the “Lucky 7” — were found floating in a life-raft two days later, after using their final flare to signal search and rescue crews. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:54
Dwan Street elected as president of the FFAW
Dwan Street is celebrating her election to lead the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union, calling it a historic moment. The first woman to lead the union, Street announced her victory late Wednesday evening on her candidacy Facebook page. “Tonight, you put your faith in me and I am humbled, amazed and forever indebted,” Street wrote on her election Facebook page. The FFAW confirmed the results late Thursday morning. Street was elected over businessman Dave Callahan and Marine Institute PhD student Abe Solberg, who is also the head of FFAW policy negotiations and its fishery scientist. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:39
GE Vernova finds Manufacturing Defect after Vineyard Wind Turbine Accident
The company is facing scrutiny after a massive blade fell into the ocean July 13 at the project in Massachusetts, stopping construction at the nation’s biggest offshore wind farm. Strazik said there’s no sign of a design flaw in its Haliade-X offshore turbine, but it’s halting production at the Gaspe, Canada, plant while the company inspects its blades. “The blade left the factory with insufficient bonding — the glue,” Strazik said. The Gaspe plant in Quebec has been in production since 2006 and has made about 150 offshore blades, including most of the blades for the Vineyard Wind project that experienced the blade failure. Strazik declined to say how many offshore blades have been produced to date at the company’s three blade plants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:07
Golden introduces amendment to block gauge increase for Maine lobstermen
Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today introduced a bipartisan amendment to block for one year a proposed gauge increase in the Gulf of Maine by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Golden submitted his amendment for consideration in the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) cosponsored the amendment. “Gauge increases are a significant change that must be informed by the best possible science, and both Maine lobstermen and the fishery itself lose when Canada isn’t held to the same standards.” Golden said. “It’s clear that regulators need to work much closer with fishermen to keep the industry sustainable and competitive.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:08
The Newfoundland cod moratorium is over — but the risk remains
After more than 30 years, the federal government has announced it’s lifting the moratorium that shut down commercial cod fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador in the 1990s. The end of the moratorium includes a 46 per cent increase in total allowable catch from 13,000 tonnes in 2023 to 18,000 tonnes. Just before the collapse in the late 1980s, the total allowable catch was about 240,000 tonnes. Additionally, international offshore fisheries were allocated a quota of 1,000 tonnes, accounting for about five per cent of the total allowable catch. Reactions to the announcement have been mixed. Some organizations, like the Association of Seafood Producers, have voiced their support for the moratorium ending. Others are more skeptical. The union representing inshore fish harvesters, for instance, has asked the government to reverse the decision. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:28
F/V Elite Navigator crew happy to be back on shore and plan to get back to sea as soon as they can
Toby Peddle, one of seven fishermen who spent more than two days drifting in a life-raft on the Atlantic Ocean, still can’t believe his good fortune. Peddle said he hoped to get back fishing that evening, whereas Jordan King said he’d give himself a week. “Plan to go back when I can,” he said. Carter said it would be a couple of days before he was ready to go again. “Then I’m good to go again. I don’t want the fish to get away, right?” he said. Carter says they were making supper Wednesday when an alarm went off and a fire was discovered in the engine room. “Toby grabbed the fire extinguisher, tried to extinguish it but as soon as we thought it’d gone out, then it pretty much jumped right back at us, twice as bad,” said Carter. The calls of “fire” rang out to wake everyone up, he said. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:46
My family was affected by the cod moratorium. Now that it’s lifted, I feel caught
After 32 years, the northern cod moratorium is officially over. The federal government is allowing a small increase to 18,000 tonnes of catch, calling it a historic return of the fishery. While the new limit is nowhere near the catch of 250,000 tonnes allowed before the moratorium, it feels like the end of an era — one that many Newfoundlanders say has come too soon. My dad was among those who lost their jobs in the industry in the biggest layoff in Canada.in 1992. Since I was only six at the time, I didn’t realize the magnitude of what was happening, but things started to feel different in our home. Stiff like jeans dried on the clothesline. Tight like mom’s voice after a long day. My memories of the time feel as sharp as fishhooks, although in all likelihood, they’re like slippery fish. They grow in size and detail with each retelling — like the fish that got away on a weekend trip. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:58
Joy in Newfoundland after ‘Lucky 7’ fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
The F/V Elite Navigator fishing boat and its crew seemed to vanish on Wednesday night. The craft was reported missing on Thursday after transmitting its final signal at around 8:30 p.m. the night before, the Canadian Coast Guard said. The vessel had caught fire and sank, forcing the crew to hastily disembark and wait for rescue on the life raft. A massive search soon followed, involving four coast guard ships, a Cormorant helicopter, a Hercules aircraft and many local fishing vessels. In New-Wes-Valley, which is an amalgamation of three small fishing communities along Newfoundland’s northeast coast, people braced for the worst. Fishing is among Canada’s deadliest professions, and tragedy is a common thread linking people in fishing communities across Atlantic Canada. more, CLICK TO READ<< 14:23
‘Nothing short of a miracle’: Missing N.L. fishing crew arrive home safely
The crew members’ safe arrival was emotional as family and friends tightly hugged the loved ones they thought they’d lost. Captain of the Elite Navigator, Eugene Carter, said the crew is happy to be home after spending almost three days in a life-raft following a fire on the ship that escalated quickly. “Within five minutes, we had seven men aboard a life-raft and there was fire around us everywhere,” Carter said. In the days that followed, Carter said the crew had to keep each other warm, there was limited water supply, and the raft kept drifting farther away from land. Nonetheless, they stayed in good spirits. “We were actually sitting around joking with each other, using the microphone, interviewing each other with the flashlight trying to keep our hopes and everything up,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:26
Missing N.L. fishing crew found safe, returning home
The crew of the Elite Navigator, the fishing vessel missing since Wednesday, has been found safe. The fishing vessel went missing off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, with the boat’s last known location about 300 kilometres northeast of Gander. Premier Andrew Furey posted to social media around 1 a.m. Saturday that search and rescue efforts had been a success. “Our entire province is so relieved to hear the crew members of the Elite Navigator have been found and are returning to safety to their families, who have been waiting so anxiously for this good news,” Furey posted. “Thank you to all the dedicated people involved in the search and rescue effort.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:57
UPDATE: Residents of New-Wes-Valley anxious for missing fishermen to be found safe, says mayor
A community on Newfoundland’s east coast is waiting for any news about a missing fishing vessel that is the focus of an intense search, says a mayor. The vessel, the 15-metre Elite Navigator, has not been heard from since Wednesday evening. New-Wes-Valley mayor Mike Tiller said the people of his community are worried and anxious for any updates, and hoping the vessel will be found. The missing vessel has a crew of seven. Five are from New-Wes-Valley, he said, one is from Centreville-Wareham-Trinity and another from the Gander Bay region. “They were out for a trip of turbot. I think they were due back in Valleyfield yesterday afternoon. And I guess when they didn’t show up of course that’s what set off the initial alarms,” said Tiller. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:41
Search Underway For Fishing Vessel Overdue off Northeast Coast
A search is continuing for a fishing vessel reported overdue off the northeast coast of Newfoundland yesterday. The last communication with the 56-foot Elite Navigator was around 11 p.m. Wednesday night, when they were en route to Valleyfield to offload their catch. The vessel was reported overdue Thursday afternoon, with heavy fog hampering search and rescue efforts in the area. More info as it becomes available. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:38
Free fish and smiley faces won’t reverse Ottawa decision to unleash draggers on northern cod (although blockading St. John’s harbour would)
The FFAW regularly goes through protest motions, but its resolve to stand up for inshore boats is forever suspect when the union is conflicted by also representing offshore draggers, and onshore plants — and collects a paycheque from the feds. Now that Ottawa has opened the door to offshore dragging the inshore wants in on it too. Some Labrador (2J) harvesters have asked DFO to be allowed to drag for cod this year, and some 3K (northeast coast) and 3L (east coast) harvesters are right behind them with the same request. The union’s resolve against dragging for northern cod is sure to weaken. Exchanging cod for signatures won’t cut it. Blockading St. John’s harbour might be a bit extreme, but there should be a sweet spot somewhere the middle. Harvesters themselves must take a stand, like they did last spring with the snow crab price on the steps of Confederation Building. Now is the time for John Efford to rise again. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:35
Trawler-Crabber For Gulf Of St Lawrence
Gaspé shipbuilder Chantier Naval Forillon is about to deliver a new trawler/crabber designed by Navanex for Pêcheries Michel Turbide. The new San Marco VII measures 23.99 metres and is built in steel with an aluminium superstructure. It is expected to fish for redfish in the Gulf of St Lawrence, alternating this with fishing for snow crab during the season, with crab traps handled over the starboard side. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:49
Decaying, dangerous wharves to be fixed under $70M plan for N.B. harbours
Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced the money at a news conference in Caissie Cape, a 30-minute drive north of Moncton and one of the harbours in need of repairs. “They’ve been waiting for this for four years,” said Marc Gallant, president of the Caissie Cape Port Authority. “It’s good news for us because, like I said, we need it to be able to maintain and keep the fishing industry going.” The repairs to the wharf in Caissie Cape will also address a serious safety concern, he said. As is the case with many decaying habours in the province, conditions at Caissie Cape are also dangerous for local residents and tourists who regularly visit. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
We’re not ‘sinister’: Menhaden fish processers want lawsuit dismissed
As it said it would, Cooke Inc. has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed in a federal district court that claims the seafood company is defrauding the U.S. in the operation of the last East Coast menhaden processing facility. Known colloquially as pogies and bunker, menhaden fish kills have occasionally caused a stink at the Jersey Shore. The Canadian-based outfit said in its motion to dismiss that the two private citizens who brought the case against them are trying to make them appear “sinister.” “From the moment we became aware of this case, we have been eager to show that the allegations are inaccurate. Our legal filing underscores several key misstatements from the complaint and offers concrete evidence that they are false,” Cooke Inc. said in a prepared statement to the press. “We look forward to the court process and further opportunities to prove that the allegations are baseless.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:42
Ocean Wise pulls eco-labels from southeast Alaskan salmon
Canada’s largest sustainable seafood label has pulled its recommendation for southeast Alaskan salmon fisheries amid ongoing claims they are intercepting millions of B.C.-bound fish before they reach endangered southern resident killer whales. Ocean Wise quietly delisted the Alaskan fisheries last week, and on Monday, sent emails to restaurants and grocery chains that sell the fish. The decision, which targets chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon in Alaska’s District 104, comes within weeks of the Vancouver-based eco-label adding a handful of B.C. salmon fisheries to its sustainable list. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Lebouthillier Re: Northern Cod
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Lebouthillier, We write today on a serious matter needing your attention. On behalf of 320,000 workers across the country, including more than 14,000 members of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) Union in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are calling on you to reverse a recent decision with respect to the northern cod moratorium. The decision to end the moratorium and grant access to corporate offshore interests flies in the face of what was committed by your government and decades of past fisheries management practice. We also are concerned with the impact this will have on a fishery that is still recovering. Your government must uphold its 2015 commitment to allocate the first 115,000 tonnes of northern cod quota to inshore harvesters and Indigenous groups and immediately reinstate the Northern cod stewardship fishery under the same conditions as 2023. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Lower prices mark the end of spring lobster season
Lobster fishers were reflecting on what many have seen as a good spring season. “This season is pretty well on par with last season,” said Jake Hackett, a fisherman in Seacow Pond. “I’ve been fishing for five years here, and it’s the best season we’ve seen, so it’s going pretty good that way.” While most fishers haven’t missed any time on the water, their season did see a delay to its beginning. Originally, this year’s spring season was due to begin April 29, but poor weather conditions in the lead up made it too dangerous for fishers to head out. After days of waiting, they were finally able to head out, and Landing Day was set for July 4. Despite the good weather and good catches, price continues to be an issue. At the start of the season, fishers were getting $7.75 for canners and $9 for markets, but those prices have since gone down. Toward the end of the season, fishers were getting $6.50 for canners and $6.75 for markets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:42
YEAH!!! Newfoundland fish harvesters crash news conference to demand reinstating of cod moratorium
Fish harvesters in Newfoundland crashed the podium at a meeting of Canada’s environment ministers in St. John’s on Wednesday, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s decision to reopen the commercial cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Moments before the start of the news conference, which was to detail two days of meetings of the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers, Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Minister Bernard Davis was interrupted by a loud siren. Glen Winslow, a St. John’s fish harvester, then walked up to meet Davis at the podium from a group of around 15 protesters. “Sorry we got to do this, my buddy, but this is too important to Newfoundland and Labrador,” Winslow said to Davis over the news conference’s microphone while the other ministers watched on. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:43
Lobster fishers get good weather, up and down catches
The best thing that can be said of the 2024 lobster season on PEI is the weather was good enough that many boats never missed a day on the water. That helped make up for lower catches in some areas, although the amounts coming to shore were different depending on the harbour. “The fishing was good right to the last day,” said captain Edwin McKie, who fishes out of Fortune. “It’s not going to be a year to run to the record books with, but I don’t think any of us will be at the food bank.” There was lots of spawn during the last couple of weeks, something he said bodes well for next year. As of mid-June prices were between $6.25 and $7, according to the PEI Lobster Marketing Board. That’s lower than what fishers have received toward the end of the season in most recent years. Mr Poole said it was the first time in recent memory his crew didn’t miss a single day. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
