Category Archives: Featured
Cod is king in Portugal at Christmas
Salt cod has long been a national staple in Portugal, where it is said there are as many recipes for this humble fish as there are days in the year. And at Christmas the dried and salted fish is central to meals at family gatherings in Portugal, the world’s biggest consumer of “bacalhau” as it is called here, just as turkey is at Thanksgiving in the United States. The most traditional way to prepare salt cod is to bake it in the oven and serve it with boiled potatoes. But it can also be grilled, turned into fritters or even used to replace meat in a lasagna. When I’m asked to come up with a menu for Christmas, I am bound to suggest a salt cod recipe,” said chef Ricardo Simoes of the Federico restaurant located at a luxury hotel in central Lisbon. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
Lost at Sea
When a group of seven fishermen went missing off the northeast coast of Newfoundland in July, the small community of New-Wes-Valley was gripped with dread. Coast Guard captain Colin Roul describes the waters around Newfoundland and Labrador as dangerous and unforgiving. “Usually, when you hear distress situations like this, where no sign or sound was heard from these guys, yeah, the outcome is bleak,” he said. As 24 hours turned to 36, then 48, not much hope remained. “We knew this was going to be a regional funeral,” said Michael Tiller, mayor of New-Wes-Valley, where five of the seven men were from. “The food was ready. The place was booked. We were ready to help this town go through one of the worst disasters that it could ever go through. “But then, news of the nearly impossible — the men were found in a raft about 270 kilometres from shore. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:43
F/V Elite Navigator, 10 posts, >>CLICK TO READ<<
Opinion: Fishermen are part of San Diego’s fabric. But we need help.
If you’ve strolled through the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market on a Saturday, you’ve likely seen me (tall guy, suspenders) and my son, who co-captains our sea urchin business. As a fisherman for 50-plus years, I spend market days connecting with fellow fishermen vendors and chatting up customers. Our bustling open-air market brings an abundant catch to the city’s doorstep: rockfish, swordfish, tuna, mackerel and more. Through ongoing outreach, our fishermen have reconnected with the heart of San Diego. Now nearly 1,000 people show up weekly for the chance to buy high-quality seafood from local fishermen. Demand has never been higher. But meeting that demand is a constant struggle that we can’t solve without infrastructure. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:24 By Pete G. Halmay
New England scallopers face a tough 2025
New England scallopers are looking at another tough year in 2025, as they prepare for a set of federal regulations to protect both their livelihoods and the Atlantic Ocean’s scallop populations. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, the new rules, called Scallop Framework 39, will reduce the number of times that full-time vessels can go drag in some federally-managed scalloping grounds — called “access areas” — in the 2025 fishing year. But they will allow these vessels more time to scallop in the open ocean. The start of the access-area scalloping season will also be pushed back from April 1 to May 15, 2025. It will end on March 31, 2026. Local scallopers and industry representatives say the contents of Framework 39 are not a surprise. Landings have been shrinking over the past four years. “We’re just tightening the belt, and taking a deep breath, and riding the storm out,” said New Bedford scallop vessel manager and owner Tony Alvernaz. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:50
Cape May County Ends Litigation Over Failed Wind Energy Project
Cape May County has ended its legal battle against a proposed offshore wind energy farm after the state and federal agencies that had supported the project admitted it is “dead and will not be coming back to life.” The county had filed state and federal lawsuits to block the wind farm proposed by the Danish energy company Orsted 15 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Stone Harbor. In the suits, the county alleged that the project would have caused far-reaching economic and environmental harm to the tourism industry, commercial fishing, migratory birds and marine life such as dolphins and whales. “By Orsted’s own calculation, Cape May County was facing a loss of over $1 billion in tourism revenue. Our fisheries industry was facing millions of dollars in losses. Marine mammals and other sea life were threatened with injury and harassment,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said in a news release Monday announcing the end of the ligation. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Congratulations! 13:12
BOEM admits potentially irreversible harm to whales, fisheries, and seabirds
A government regulator recognizing offshore wind’s destructive environmental effects is as rare as a North Atlantic right whale. But a recent, 600-plus page report from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) admits that the offshore wind development planned for the New York Bight, the triangular area bordered by the New Jersey and Long Island coastlines may irreversibly harm whales, commercial and recreational fisheries, and seabirds. The BOEM report is the agency’s first to evaluate the cumulative impacts of offshore wind development. Its authors cite a wide range of potential effects, from negligible (or even beneficial) to major. Acknowledging potentially “major” harms is a radical departure from the agency’s previously accepted Environmental Impact Statements for offshore wind projects, which have always focused on the impacts of individual projects, rather than the cumulative impacts of multiple projects. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:28
Fresh fin whale meat is auctioned for the first time in decades in Japan
Meat from fin whales caught for the first time in nearly 50 years off Japan’s northern coast fetched up to more than $1,300 per kilogram (2.2 lbs) at auction Thursday, as officials try to keep the struggling industry alive. Japan’s Fisheries Agency this year added fin whales to its list of three whale species that can be legally hunted as the country expands commercial whaling along its coast. Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission in 2019. The IWC designated the fin whale as a species for protection from overhunting in 1976. On Thursday, some 1.4 tons of fresh meat from several fin whales caught off Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido was auctioned at the Sapporo fish market and the Kangei Maru’s home port of Shimonoseki. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:21
Body of missing Coos Bay fisherman recovered in Alaska
The body of a missing fisherman whose boat capsized off the Alaskan coast has been found, according to his family. Jake Hannah, 22, was one of five men aboard the “Wind Walker” fishing vessel when it went down in stormy conditions near Juneau a week and a half ago. Earlier this week, Alaska authorities found remains and debris on a remote beach near Hoonah. Jake’s mom, Carol, confirmed that one of the bodies recovered has since been positively identified as Jake “I’m happy and sad at the same time. I’m happy my Jake has been found. I’m sad because the others are still out there,” Carol said. A GoFundMe page to help Jake’s family, including a young daughter, has been established. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:33
Fisherman tells of the moment his crew hauled in the wreckage of a missing German plane in their NET off the coast of Scotland
A fisherman has revealed the shocking moment he and his crew discovered the wreckage of a missing German plane more than 12 months after it disappeared. Benarkle II skipper, Mark Addison, hauled in a section of the Cessna 172’s fuselage while fishing on Friday and brought it to the Greenhead Base in Lerwick. The four-seater aircraft went missing after taking off from near Hamburg, Germany, with only the 62-year-old pilot on board on September 30, 2023. Mark and his seven crewmates were out on the seas 70 miles east of Scotland when they stumbled across the pieces of plane. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:44
Gov. Jeff Landry denounced a $3 billion coastal restoration plan. Shrimpers are thrilled.
It’s becoming harder to get by as a shrimp boat captain. The cost of fuel is up, but the price of shrimp is going down. And in grocery stores, cheap imported shrimp is outcompeting their wild-caught product, shrimpers say. On top of that, the shrimpers see a massive coastal restoration project as a threat to their livelihood. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, 
the cornerstone of the state’s plan to protect Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline, proposes to slice open a section of the levee that keeps North America’s largest river from its natural wanderings and allow freshwater and sediment to enter the Barataria Basin, where the shrimpers work. “The scientists, they’re working toward one main goal,” said Andry, and “it is not to preserve culture here.” But lately the fishermen have had reason for optimism after Gov. Jeff Landry signaled his opposition to the project, which has been in limbo for the last several months. Echoing many shrimpers, he said the project would “break our culture.” Many of those whose livelihoods depend on the basin share Landry’s assessment. 23 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
The largest offshore wind energy farm causes shock: The strange effect caused by one of its turbines
The Dogger Bank Wind Farm, planned to be the largest offshore wind farm worldwide, recently became the news headline, but not in the way expected. Notably, a recent major failure of turbines has caused people to pay attention to the project and ask questions. On August 22, a catastrophic blade failure was experienced on one of the turbines at the Dogger Bank A section, which is still under construction. GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the turbines, said that this failure was not due to installation or manufacturing defects but occurred during the commissioning process. The Dogger Bank incident is similar to a blade problem in the year at a turbine owned by GE Vernova in the United States. These recurrent problems indicate that manufacturers and engineers must enhance the installation procedure and working standards to achieve turbine durability. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:445
A Fundraiser in Support of F/V Wind Walker Capt. Travis Kapp’s family after tragedy
F/V Wind Walker: Utah man, 4 others missing after fishing boat capsizes off Alaska coast
A Utah man and four others are missing after their fishing boat capsized early Sunday morning off Couverden Point, Alaska, about 24 miles southwest of Juneau. According to a press release by the U.S. Coast Guard, the search for the missing fishermen was suspended Monday morning, one day after they received a Mayday call that the vessel was overturning. Among those aboard the commercial fishing vessel Wind Walker was Alex Zamantakis, 28, who grew up in Magna. A GoFundMe account set up by family members said funds will go Zamantakis’ girlfriend, and their six-month-old son, Alex. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:33
Offshore industry hails LED scallop fishing drive
The Offshore Wind Industry Council has welcomed plans to fund a new environmentally friendly method of catching scallops – using underwater LED lights. It is one of five projects announced by the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC) as part of its 2024 funding round, and the aim is to enable more diversified fishing around offshore wind farms. The 18-month project will explore ways to co-locate scallop fisheries and offshore wind farms together, using alternative fishing methods to the traditional practice of dredging along the seabed which disturbs marine habitats and species. These will now be rolled out at a regional level by fishing crews in Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby who fish around and within offshore windfarms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:20
US Coast Guard launches search operation for missing fishermen after vessel capsizes in Alaska
F/V Wind Walker, a vessel approximately 50-foot (15-metre) in length, transmitted a distress signal indicating the boat was overturning at approximately 12.10 am. The Coast Guard’s subsequent communication attempts received no response. Search teams located seven cold-water immersion suits and two strobe lights floating in the search zone. The rescue operation encountered severe weather conditions, including heavy snowfall, winds reaching 60 mph (96 kph), and 6-foot (1.8-metre) seas. The Gulf of Alaska region was under an active winter storm warning during this period. According to people aware of the vessel, which departed from Icy Strait just south of Point Couverden, five people were aboard. However, the Coast Guard has yet to verify this number officially. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:14
Beloved MS Coast Hall of Fame shrimper remembered as kind, humble and ‘full of grace’
Day after day, Richard Kopszywa shrimped from his old wooden boat named F/V Linda K, and carefully repaired it so the vessel still ran after decades. “He used to tell me, ‘If I can’t shrimp or if I can’t get out on the water, I think I will probably just die,” his wife, Shelley Kopszywa, said. “It was in his veins.” Now, his family is grieving after authorities found Kopszywa near Deer Island last week, two days after his wife reported him missing and the Coast Guard found the Linda K empty, five miles from shore. Shelley Kopszywa said she believes her husband died doing what he loved, so she is at peace. Kopszywa was humble, his wife said, and probably would not have liked all this attention. But she loves him too much to listen. He was the kind of man who helped her down the steps, she said, and always opened the door for her. “Full of grace,” she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Launched as Sweet Promise A 746 in 1965, this Noble’s-built stalwart, Tern LH 53, has clocked up almost 60 years’ service
The 33ft Tern, which today is based at Port Seton, was built in 1965 by Jimmy Noble as Sweet Promise A 746 for Robbie Cormack and Ian Balgowan of Stonehaven, at a cost of £6,000. At the time she was unique, said Ian, as she had a wheelhouse amidships with a winch behind. According to the Noble build lists, she was built for ‘Mr Cormack’ – but she was originally registered to Ian. Gordon told me he imagined she had been built for the boatbuilder’s son, as ‘she was built like a brick shithouse, larch on oak’. The frames were so close together, he said, that back aft on the return you could not see the planks. Gordon continued: “She was tough as they come, so I rigged her for scallops with three dredges each side and worked mainly in Falmouth Bay, away from the Looe fleet, close inshore. Best catch was just over 800 dozen for a trip. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:44
How a few daring moves saved the crew of the Star of the Sea tuna boat in a 1961 accident
In the predawn hours of Oct. 4, 1961, a tuna clipper en route to San Diego ran aground off Point Arena in dense fog. The 108-foot Star of the Sea — with an 11-man crew and 160 tons of tuna aboard — was returning from a nine-week fishing voyage near Newport, Oregon. As it arrived in the small coastal city of Point Arena, between Sea Ranch and Manchester in Mendocino County, the vessel’s navigational system went out amid unnavigable fog and turbulent waters. The Oct. 4, 1961, Oakland Tribune reported the crew fought to control the ship, then the captain, identified as Andrew Baity, deliberately grounded it on sand to prevent it from smashing into nearby rocks. With the vessel’s two dories lost in the heavy sea and no immediate rescue on the way, the crew was stuck and helpless. Then, crewman John Dutra made a dramatic pursuit for aid. photo gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:07
Shot fired into lobster buyer’s home as southwest N.S. season opens
Commercial fishermen set to start the lucrative lobster fishery in southwest Nova Scotia on Tuesday morning are boycotting buyers alleged to be profiteering off the unlicensed summer fishery in St. Mary’s Bay. On Saturday night, one of the buyers those fishermen in lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 have turned to have a shot fired through his home. On Sunday morning, Geoffrey Jobert, owner of Lobster Hub Inc. in Meteghan, went downstairs in his Clare County home and found a series of holes passing through his garage door, kitchen, dining room and living room. He found a round lodged in his hardwood rocking chair. “It was stormy the night before and we didn’t hear the shot,” said Jobert. On the road outside, he said, he found a spent shell casing. While there was no message left, Jobert said he knows why he’s being threatened. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
Past lobster season opener hits and misses in southwestern Nova Scotia
The majority of time if the scheduled opening day of the lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia doesn’t go according to plan, it’s because the weather and safety concerns have forced a postponement. The lobster season is always slated to open the last Monday of November. Strong winds are preventing that once again from happening on Monday, Nov. 25 for the start of the 2024-25 season. Tuesday, Nov. 26, has been identified as the more favourable option with industry weather calls happening the morning of Monday, Nov. 25 in LFAs 34 and 33 to confirm the season opening. While weather is always the culprit for a season opening delay, through time there have been other issues that have also had impacts on season starts. Here’s a look back at past season openers. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:57
Struggling Valley shrimpers receive good news on new import measures
In an industry where bad news is the norm, shrimpers in Texas and elsewhere in the United States finally have a sliver of good news. The U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, on Tuesday determined that the U.S. shrimp industry is being “materially injured” by imports of frozen warm-water shrimp from Indonesia that the U.S. Department of Commerce says are being sold in this country at less than fair value, and also by shrimp imports from Ecuador, India and Vietnam that the Commerce Department says are being subsidized by the governments of those countries. As a result of the ITC’s determinations, the Commerce Department will issue “countervailing duty orders on imports of this product from Ecuador, India and Vietnam and an anti-dumping duty order on imports of this product from Indonesia,” the ITC announced Tuesday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:57
Commercial Fisherman Chris Hamilton Captures Life on the Water
One can only imagine what kinds of things true men of the sea witness while out on the water, their livelihood dependent on making good catches – quite a different sight from the landlubbers seeing traffic lights, stop signs, strip malls and so on. But Chris Hamilton, a lifelong Greenport resident and commercial fisherman, removed the need to imagine when he found a passion for photography aboard his father’s boat one morning. “Being a commercial fisherman on a trawler gives me a very unique perspective,” he says. “It’s not something 
that is widely viewed. It’s a pretty private lifestyle. It really was just being in the moment and kind of just realizing how lucky I was to spend some of those moments on the water with my dad. Fishing is hard, man; it’s a really hard way to make a living, especially these days. You’ve got to be really dedicated. There’s a reason why we do it, and it’s because it’s a beautiful lifestyle. You get to experience nature and in a real way that’s different from other types of work, being on the water. Water is probably the biggest inspiration for me in terms of my art.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:01
Dwan Street says FFAW won’t shy away from a fight as first woman to lead union takes reins
In a fiery introduction speech in front of members of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, new leader Dwan Street said Tuesday her presidency also marks the start of a new era in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery. “One where our voices will become louder. Where we are not afraid to rattle cages. And from what I’m hearing, there are a few rattled right now,” Street said in Gander. Street, originally from Spillar’s Cove on the Bonavista Peninsula, was elected in July as the first woman to lead the union that represents about 15,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador. She replaces former president Greg Pretty and takes the leadership as a time when the FFAW — a force in Newfoundland and Labrador labour, industry and politics for more than five decades — has been accused of not being tough enough in speaking up for members’ interests. High-profile protests earlier this year, for instance, were organized from outside the union’s leadership. Video, more >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:20
Expensive Offshore Wind in Jeopardy in a Trump Administration
Offshore wind is much more expensive than onshore wind with costs to build at 4.5 times the cost of natural gas generation and operational costs at 2.3 times. President-elect Trump recognizes offshore wind’s high costs and limited utility and is likely to end its massive subsidies promulgated by the Biden-Harris Administration. Immediate actions available include revoking Biden’s executive order that paved the way for higher cost, less reliable electricity. Biden-Harris officials have heaped subsidies upon offshore wind through the Inflation Reduction Act and cut corners on regulations to expedite the technology. Offshore wind has had recent catastrophic failures including broken blades that have closed beaches in a tourist town and imperiled fishermen. Biden’s Executive Order 14008 issued on February 1, 2020–only two weeks after his Inauguration– launched the offshore wind program in the United States. This is an executive order that President-Elect Trump could easily rescind on his first day in office by just issuing a counter-executive order, which would stop the onslaught of this very expensive energy being added to the U.S. grid. Another way is to remove the excessive tax credits that encourage its adoption, which would take new legislation and add time to the process. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:47
The 1929 Magnitude 7.2 “Grand Banks” earthquake and tsunami
On November 18, 1929, at 5:02 pm Newfoundland time, a major earthquake occurred approximately 250 km south of Newfoundland along the southern edge of the Grand Banks. This magnitude 7.2 tremor was felt as far away as New York and Montreal (see isoseismal map of felt area below). On land, damage due to earthquake vibrations was limited to Cape Breton Island where chimneys were overthrown or cracked and where some highways were blocked by minor landslides. A few aftershocks (one as large as magnitude 6) were felt in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland but caused no damage. More than 40 local villages in southern Newfoundland were affected, where numerous homes, ships, businesses, livestock and fishing gear were destroyed. Also lost were more than 280,000 pounds of salt cod. Total property losses were estimated at more than $1 million 1929 dollars (estimated as nearly $20 million 2004 dollars). Photos, maps, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:23
Donald Trump Pledges to Halt Big Wind Subsidies
Donald Trump’s election victory is quickly taking the wind out of the Biden administration’s ambitious renewables initiatives. President-elect Trump promised to end federal subsidies for offshore wind projects on his first day in office. As with many of his campaign pledges, Americans wait to see whether he will deliver. However, the market did not wait to see. Stock prices of offshore wind developers and turbine makers moved sharply downward following election day as investors query whether windmill projects are economically viable without the hefty federal subsidies Trump has promised to terminate. Environmental groups and fishermen have also raised concerns about the potential ecological trade-offs of this plastic-based technology and worries about ecotoxins created in the manufacturing of solar panels and EVs have caused consumers to pause. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
Classic fishing boat: Bonnie Lass III RY 189
The Gerrard brothers were David and Andrew, who along with their father, also Andrew, had set up their boatbuilding business alongside the lifeboat station in Arbroath in the early 1950s. Their first build was the Bairn’s Pride AH 27, launched in 1955. They built at least 72 vessels up to 1990, after which they had to rely on repairs and overhauls to sustain the business. It went into receivership in 1994, largely due to the decline in the fishing fleet in the town, meaning that even maintenance work had dried up. Strathgarry SY 88 was painted green and was renowned for having a steep deck, with the distinctive Gerrard’s bow. The Caterpillar 250hp engine was forward at launch, though was moved aft later. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12
Fishermen still impacted by Long Island Sound’s lobster die-off
For decades, the crustaceans were caught off the coast of Connecticut. But, in the late 90s, things changed drastically. When the lobster die-off happened 25 years ago, it sunk many who made their living on the sea. But there are still some local lobstermen who have found a way to keep their businesses afloat. “We went from doing 500-600 pounds of lobster a tide, some guys were doing a thousand a tide, to a hundred,” said Walter Roderick, who keeps his lobster boat the Stacey Geal at Stonington Dock, the home of the last commercial fishing fleet in Connecticut. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:42
Study Reveals Salmon Mislabeling in Seattle Sushi Restaurants
Researchers conducted a study on salmon samples from 67 grocery stores and 52 local sushi shops, revealing that 32.3% of sushi restaurant samples contained farmed salmon instead of the wild salmon that vendors claimed. It remains unclear whether this mislabeling occurred at the restaurant level or earlier in the distribution chain. In contrast, no grocery store samples were found to have this issue, although 11.1% of the salmon sold in grocery stores was identified as the incorrect species. Additionally, 38% of the samples from restaurants were substituted with the wrong type of salmon. The financial implications for consumers are significant. When customers believe they are purchasing high-quality wild salmon, they may be willing to pay a higher price, not realizing they are receiving a less valuable product. This not only affects consumer trust but can also undermine the market for legitimate wild-caught salmon fishermen, who depend on consumers recognizing the value of their sustainably sourced fish. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:44
Scottish fishing chiefs lash out over conservation group Oceana’s ‘fake news’
The Aberdeen-based Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has accused conservation group Oceana of spreading “fake news”. Oceana is today publishing a report calling for a “legally binding deadline to end overfishing”. And it claims to have the backing of nearly eight in 10 adults in Britain for stricter limits on catches in UK waters. According to Oceana, which also wants to see a ban on supertrawlers more than 100m (328ft) long, half the UK’s key fish 
populations were “overfished or critically low” last year. SFF’s top team believe the conservation group’s latest report is designed to disrupt annual negotiations of overfishing quotas for 2025. Oceana is “wasting everyone’s time with a series of cherry-picked statements, reliance on obsolete science and creative wording to perpetuate a narrative of gloom and doom about fisheries that bears little relation to reality”, the fishing industry body explained. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:01
