Category Archives: Gulf of Mexico
Louisiana Gov. Edwards requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Fisheries Impacted by Hurricane Laura
Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to U.S. Sec. of Commerce Wilbur Ross requesting a federal fishery disaster be declared due to the profound and continuing impacts of Hurricane Laura on Louisiana’s fishing communities. Such a declaration may help in obtaining federal financial assistance for our fishers, processors, docks, and for the state to help rehabilitate the important fishery species upon which our seafood industry relies. >click to read<14:05
Robert Lester Odom stabbed the captain of the fishing vessel on which he was a crew member is prison bound
A Florida man, who stabbed the captain of a commercial ship of whose crew he was a part, was sentenced on Friday to 40 months in prison. Robert Lester Odom, 47, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with the intention of causing bodily harm. Odom’s, who was a crew member of a commercial shipping vessel, stabbed the captain of the vessel in high seas. “This vicious attack was made even more serious due to the vessel’s location, so far away from help,” said Lawrence Keefe, US Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, in a statement. >click to read< 12:54
Senators Introduce Legislation to Establish Offshore Aquaculture Standards
Senators Wicker-R, Schatz -D and Rubio -R introduced legislation, the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act (S. 4723) in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan AQUAA Act, which has companion legislation in the U.S. House, would support development of an offshore aquaculture industry in the U.S. to increase the production of sustainable seafood and establish new economic opportunities in federal waters. >click to read< 13:43
First Nations, commercial fishermen demands end to B.C. salmon farms – A broad coalition of First Nations leaders, wilderness tourism operators, environmental NGOs and commercial and sport fishing organizations gathered in North Vancouver Sept. 22 demanding the federal government fulfill recommendations of the Cohen Commission to immediately remove open-net salmon farms from the Discovery Islands, and abolish all others from BC waters by 2025. >click to read<
‘Ain’t no hurricane going to stop Joe Patti’s’ – Shrimp boat captains docked behind Joe Patti’s devastated
Joe Patti’s Seafood bore a beating, but the iconic Pensacola seafood market expects to survive the hit dealt by Hurricane Sally. “We got it on the chin,” However, it’s likely a different story for the fishing boat fleet that docks behind the Joe Patti’s warehouse. Seven of the nine shrimp boats — which are primarily captained by Vietnamese immigrants, many of whom lack maritime insurance — were ravaged by the hurricane. Standing on the wharf behind Joe Patti’s on Tuesday morning, it looked like a battleship had turned its guns on the small fishing fleet. Where there had been docks, scraps of driftwood bobbed in the shallow water. Shrimp boats with punctured hauls sat on the bottom of the harbor. 45 photos, >click to read< 08:44
BETA expected to stall inland over Texas – Teddy to bring heavy rain, strong winds, destructive waves to Nova Scotia
Tropical Storm Beta is forecast to weaken and gradually lose tropical characteristics while spreading flooding rains further inland across the lower Mississippi Valley… >click to read< ,, Hurricane Teddy Public Advisory – Interests in Atlantic Canada should closely monitor the progress of Teddy. >click to read<
Hurricane Teddy’s impact on Massachusetts: Coastal flooding, large breaking waves as high as 24 feet and winds as strong as 55 mph in the forecast >click to read< 09:09
Coast Guard rescues 2 fishermen from disabled 48-foot shrimp boat
The Coast Guard rescued two people from a commercial fishing vessel Sunday near Lake Borgne. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report of two people aboard the disabled 48-foot shrimp boat Sau Nguyen taking on water due to inclement weather. >video, click to watch< 09:50
Hurricane Laura dealt a serious blow to the seafood industry in Cameron Parish
On a typical day in Cameron, you might see boats returning to shore with a catch of shrimp or fish. But Hurricane Laura has taken a severe toll on those who depend on seafood for their livelihood. Cameron Port Director Clair Marceaux says some have lost their boats. “Our fisheries folks have taken a really hard blow,” she said. “About a third of our fleet, estimated, has vessels that have sunk, so we’re working to get those out of the water. At safe harbor, they sunk, so it wasn’t as if they were left here and sank.” Plus she says some are also dealing with losing their homes. video, >click to read< 13:22
Hurricane Sally Public Advisory
At 1000 AM, the center of Hurricane Sally was located near latitude 29.1 North, longitude 88.2 West. Sally is moving toward the northwest near 2 mph (4 km/h). A slow north- northwestward to northward motion is expected this afternoon, followed by a slow northward to north-northeastward motion tonight through Wednesday night. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will pass near the coast of southeastern Louisiana today, and make landfall in the hurricane warning area late tonight or Wednesday. >click to read< 12:03
A longtime shrimper says he plans to ride out Hurricane Sally
A longtime shrimper says he plans to ride out Hurricane Sally on his boat, just like he has with storms for the past 40 years. “I’m joined now by Ronald Fran who is a longtime shrimper, and you’ve ridden out hurricanes for the last forty years right here on this shrimp boat. WDSU Reporter Jennifer Crockett has his story. >click to watch the video< 08:32
Hurricane Sally Public Advisory
At 700 PM CDT (0000 UTC), the center of Hurricane Sally was located near latitude 28.8 North, longitude 87.5 West. Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 5 mph (8 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through Tuesday morning. A northward turn is likely by Tuesday afternoon, and a slow north-northeastward to northeastward motion is expected Tuesday night through Wednesday night. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move near the coast of southeastern Louisiana tonight and Tuesday, and make landfall in the hurricane warning area Tuesday night or Wednesday. >click to read< 20:18
Tropical Storm Sally Public Advisory
At 700 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located near latitude 28.4 North, longitude 87.4 West. Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h). This general motion is expected today, followed by a decrease in forward speed and a turn to the northwest tonight and a northward turn sometime on Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move over the north-central Gulf of Mexico today, approach southeastern Louisiana this afternoon, and make landfall in the hurricane warning area on Tuesday. Afterward, Sally is expected to move slowly north-northeastward near the northern Gulf Coast through Wednesday. >click to read< 08:45
Port Fourchon is moving Storm Phase 3, Recommended Evacuation
As Tropical Storm Sally rapidly develops, Port Fourchon is moving Storm Phase 3, which is Recommended Evacuation. This means that tropical force winds are expected to be in Port Fourchon within 50 hours or less. We ask that port tenants and users continue to be alert for updates and prepared for things to change or progress quickly. Tropical Storm Sally has shifted westward and is now forecast to make landfall somewhere near Plaquemines on Tuesday as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, although there is still uncertainty in forecast track and intensity. Coastal flooding, heavy rain, and strong/damaging wind chances have all increased considerably overnight. >click to read< 10:10
Seafood Trade Relief Program: USDA tweaks farm assistance program to fund fishermen hurt by U.S. China trade war
Jeremy Leighton is a dive fisherman based in Ketchikan. But it’s not just geoduck fishermen. Frances Leach heads up United Fishermen of Alaska, a fishing industry group. “China seems to be one of the biggest markets for a lot of our seafood products in Alaska. And not just buying them for consumption, but also processing. We send a lot of seafood over to China to be processed,” Leach said. Now, Leighton and thousands of other U.S. fishermen could be eligible for a new program designed to help fishermen hurt by the tariff on seafood. It’s an Agriculture Department initiative called the Seafood Trade Relief Program. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said it’s a new twist on an old trade war strategy. “There have been long standing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that provide relief to farmers, when their products exported are hit with retaliatory tariffs,” Sullivan said. >click to read< 10:21
Fishing and football is a full life for Perry
Jimmy Perry is a hard working football coach and commercial fisherman, who was born in Naples. Always having a passion for time afloat, he has been fishing since the age of 5. He owns and operates Big Jimmy’s, a small business that provides customers from Immokalee to Okeechobee, and everywhere in between, with delicious, locally caught, fresh fish, shrimp and crabs. When asked about the perks of crabbing and commercial fishing, he said, “My favorite part of what I do is watching the sunrise every morning.” As for the hard parts,,, >click to read< 11:26
North Carolina Fisheries Association is working on relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Laura in the Gulf
Doug Cross of Pamlico Packing and Meade Amory are working on accumulating seafood and other items that will be trucked to Amory Seafood in Virginia and Evans Seafood in Washington NC. Thanks to NCFA Board member Ross Butler, a semi from True North Seafood will pick up the items and transport it to Louisiana. >click to read< 17:49
Nils E. Stolpe/FishnetUSA – NOAA Fisheries Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Well, first we have this reassuring (at least if you’re not that familiar with the capacity of NOAA Fisheries to get it really, really wrong!) statement that “NOAA Fisheries is actively monitoring and adjusting to the COVID-19 national health crisis”. Nothing to worry about, right? Well, not quite nothing. While I’ve seen nothing official, word on (at least some of the New Jersey) docks is that, in spite of the ongoing and very possibly worsening national Covid-19 health crisis, the mandatory on-board observers are back in force and demanding rides.,, It seems like just about anything that might involve NOAA/NMFS employee exposure to Covid-19 has either been cancelled or public participation has been severely restricted or eliminated. >Click to read<17:12
Opening a can of worms: Offshore fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico: Who benefits?
Velella Epsilon – the first fish farm in federal waters off the contiguous United States – would operate in the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles from Florida’s coast. Globe-shaped pens would hold fingerling almaco jack, a member of the amberjack genus, that would grow into 4-pound market fish within a year. The White House appears eager to open federal waters to aquaculture. With Executive Order 13921, President Donald Trump on May 7 ordered NOAA to winnow down regulations for both aquaculture and wild-caught fish.,, Ocean aquaculture is not without its environmental costs, such as escaped fish, parasites, and “fish sewage.” To James Bois, a commercial fisherman based here in Cortez, it’s unclear how a massive fish farm operation off the coast of Cortez will change his life. >click to read< 14:52
Good Morning! We celebrate our eighth birthday today.
Good Morning! It’s our birthday today. We’ve calculated some statistics from the back side of the website, to give a little insight Into the past eight years. In the past eight years, we’ve had 8,186, 234 visits. Our best day ever, 72, 221! We’ve posted 27, 725 posts, which are trails to articles collected daily, inventoried, categorized, and shared around the globe. We have tried to provide an accurate snapshot of the industry, continuously updated, daily, for eight years, which is ninety six months, and an average of 289 posts per month, which comes up to 9.6 posts per day, as an average day. We have posted 839 pages, (example), this, and this, and this, submitted from fishermen, former fishermen and industry representatives from around the world. This is the page with our first four posts on our first day. We have so many people to thank, including one gentleman that never forgets us, and Cousin Patty. We will pay you back someday! Thank you! Carol, and Bore-head 007. Time to set out for our first tow of the day! 08:15
Coast Guard corrects aids to navigation after Hurricane Laura near Lake Charles and Port Arthur
The Coast Guard is continuing their response operations following the aftermath of Hurricane Laura near Lake Charles, Louisiana and Port Arthur, Texas. Multiple Coast Guard units are conducting channel assessments, identifying and correcting aids to navigation outages, and reviewing channel surveys to fully reconstitute all waterways. Approximately 2,108 aids to navigation assets were potentially impacted, damaged or moved off station due to Hurricane Laura. District Eight oversees over 23,000 aids. “Mariners should use extreme caution transiting through waterways in Lake Charles and Port Arthur due to aids to navigation outages and floating debris,” >click to read< 19:33
Hurricane Laura: Shrimpers rescue each other from sinking boats while riding it out
Phillip “Rooster” Dyson Jr., held onto an industrial icebox on the back deck of his 50-foot shrimping trawler and prayed for daylight. He thought of his four children and the rest of his family and realized he might not live to see them again. “It was that point when you know you messed up but it’s too late to turn back,” Dyson, 36, recalled. “It was a living nightmare.” But the shrimpers of Cameron did what they do each time a storm approaches: They motored their trawlers 30 miles inland, tied them to a pier at the Port of Lake Charles and hunkered down in their cabins to ride out the storm. Fifteen shrimping boats tied up to wait out Laura. Only five survived, the rest sinking to the bottom of Bayou Contraband,, >Video, photos, Click to read< 17:25
Three Shrimpers seeking shelter from Hurricane Laura, succumb to possible carbon monoxide poisoning
Three people are dead and three others are in a Southeast Texas hospital following carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a generator in Port Arthur. Port Arthur Police responded to the Bida Vinh game room in the 700 block of Ninth Avenue Friday morning, August 28, Jefferson County Precinct 7 Justice of the Peace Brad Burnett said. Three shrimpers who were seeking shelter from Hurricane Laura were confirmed to have died, according to Burnett. A generator was being used inside the building, he said. >click to read< 11:03
Hurricane Laura Public Advisory: Winds Increasing as Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Takes Aim at the Northwest Gulf Coast
At 700 PM CDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Laura was located near latitude 28.4 North, longitude 92.9 West. On the forecast track, Laura will approach the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland within that area tonight. The center of Laura is forecast to move over northwestern Louisiana tomorrow, across Arkansas Thursday night, and over the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday. >click to read< 21:06
To the great people of Texas, and Louisiana, we are praying for you, and with you tonight. God Bless everyone.
Laura Strengthens Into a Major Hurricane – Hurricane Laura Public Advisory
At 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Laura was locatednear latitude 26.4 North, longitude 91.4 West. Laura is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h) and this general motion should continue today, followed by a north-northwestward motion tonight. On the forecast track, Laura should approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland near those areas tonight or Thursday morning. >click to read< 08:12
Opinion: Been a lot about the Observer Program out there lately. My question is, why are they needed?!!
When our boats come to unload their catch, NOAA people are there to report their landings, and if they caught too much haddock, cod or flounder, or other species that are not allowed, the owner could face a fine. Of course, Electronic monitoring is an alternative to that. This would show what they caught each and every tow, thus not needing an observer that many can’t afford, and second it should be a NOAA financial obligation, not placed on our fishermen. There are so few of them left. There is a lot to think about, but the bottom line is, it should be a financial obligation of the government to harvest the government required data. Thank You, Sam Parisi, Gloucester 19:15
Marco now a Tropical Depression, Laura expected to Strengthen into a Hurricane today
Marco – Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional weakening is expected,,, This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on Marco. >click to read< Tropical Storm Laura – On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move away from Cuba and over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning. Laura is then forecast to move over the central and northwestern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Wednesday, approach the Upper Texas and Southwest Louisiana coasts on Wednesday night and move inland near those area on Thursday. >click to read< 08:01
UPDATED: Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura Advisories
At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located near latitude 20.9 North, longitude 79.7 West. Laura is moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph (33 km/h), and this general motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. >click to read< 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Marco was located near latitude 28.1 North, longitude 88.4 West. Marco is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h). Marco is forecast to approach the coast of Louisiana this afternoon, and then turn westward and move very close to the coast of Louisiana through Tuesday night. >click to read< 08:15
Feds select Gulf of Mexico Southern, California as potential zones for fish farming in the EEZ
The gulf joins Southern California in becoming a region for “Aquaculture Opportunity Areas,” the first two in the United States. President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this year outlining the concept as a way of boosting the country’s seafood industry and reducing its reliance on imported fish. The selection covers federal waters but does not identify more specific locations. “The creation of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas will foster the U.S. aquaculture industry as a needed complement to our wild capture fisheries,” said Chris Oliver, the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, in a statement. >click to read< 14:14
Commissioner Fried Welcomes NOAA Announcement – The announcement comes after Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, asking that the department consider designating waters off Florida’s coast as an Aquaculture Opportunity Area. Echoing Commissioner Fried’s call were U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, the National Aquaculture Association, the Florida Aquaculture Ass,,, >click to read<
Photos: Coast Guard rescues 3 adults and a juvenile from a sunken shrimp boat near Biloxi
The Coast Guard rescued four people early Saturday morning from a commercial shrimping vessel taking on water near Biloxi, Mississippi. Three adults and one child were recovered safely without any medical concerns. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report around 4:30 a.m. that the vessel Cajun Made was taking on water reportedly at a high rate of speed approximately a half mile offshore Biloxi. >click to read< 21:13
SCRUB OBSERVERS ON FISHING TRIPS!
From all indications, on August 14, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration commercial fishing monitors will be back looking for a journey unless NOAA steps in and waives the requirement for data-collecting observers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information human observers collect can be temporarily gathered through electronic surveillance, but a momentary waiver has to come directly through your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative in Washington. Let them know as soon as possible because if you don’t email or call them now, don’t think anyone else is going to do this for you. >click to read< 08:11
A Letter to NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver about the resumption of Observer coverage
Mr. Oliver. Recently you sent out an announcement about the resumption of Observer coverage set to begin on August 14th in fisheries where coverage had been suspended due to the Corona virus outbreak for the last 5 months. Personally I find your reasons for the resumption of observer coverage to be not only reckless, but dangerous to the health and safety of the American fishermen who make their living from the sea.,, Yet you, in your infinite bureaucratic knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, think that at this time it is vitally important that observers be placed on fishing vessels where they can endanger the health of not only the crewmen but their families. Interestingly, you have not put your own employees at risk. You have cancelled trawl survey’s for the remainder of this year so as not to risk their exposure to this lethal disease. This despite the fact that the NOAA trawl survey vessels are state of the art, and their crew could actually be quarantined before a trip to assure their safety. I’m sure they would be happy to collect two weeks of pay for sitting around watching TV somewhere. >click to read< 15:05
