Category Archives: International News
UK fishing town warns Boris Johnson over Brexit
Welsh fishmonger Lenny Walters has a warning for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he celebrates his one-month anniversary in office on Saturday. If he goes back on his promise to deliver Brexit at any cost on October 31: “I think there will be riots.” “People are getting nasty,” the 67-year-old said while filleting monkfish with a razor-sharp knife. Locals see Johnson as their last great hope for reviving the local fishing industry. Their trust in his ability to do so is not terribly strong. “Do I have faith in Boris? I am not sure,” fish merchant Mark Davis said after a moment’s thought. >click to read< 16:09
Dr. Tim Ball Defeats Michael ‘Hockey Stick’ Mann’s Climate Lawsuit
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has dismissed Dr. Michael Mann’s defamation lawsuit against skeptical Canadian climatologist Dr. Tim Ball. Full legal costs were awarded to Dr. Ball, the defendant in the case. The Canadian court issued its final ruling in favor of the Dismissal motion that was filed May 2019 by Dr. Tim Ball’s libel lawyers. Mann’s “hockey stick” graph, first published in 1998, was featured prominently in the U.N. IPCC 2001 climate report. >click to read<15:07
The gruesome final Pacific voyage of Captain James Cook
Exactly 251 years ago this week, the world as it was known was about to change forever. On August 26, 1768, explorer James Cook set off from England on the HMS Endeavour for a voyage of discovery to the great Pacific Ocean and the fabled lands therein. By the time he returned to England three years later, the navy lieutenant had achieved a lot — he’d mapped New Zealand with alarming accuracy, bunny-hopped through the Polynesian islands and led the first European arrival on Australia’s east coast, putting Botany Bay on the world map,,, >click to read< 10:55
What’s the difference between shrimp and prawn?
Which is which? Shrimp and prawns have a lot in common, but they are, in fact, entirely different animals. Both shrimp and prawns are decapods, meaning that they have 10 legs and a thin external skeleton, but that’s where the similarities end.,,, Another difference between the two is how they reproduce. Shrimp carry their fertilized eggs with them on the underside of their bodies. Prawns release their eggs,,, >click to read< 09:53
What Newfoundland and Labrador could learn from the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history
Marine scientist Donald Boesch says the controversy fuelled by recent oil spills off Canada’s East Coast has some “fairly interesting and striking comparisons” to his past work examining how the offshore (oil) industry is managed, as part of a U.S. inquiry into the Deepwater Horizon disaster.,,, Boesch says one of the most critical lessons the commission learned is that the U.S. agency overseeing offshore oil in the gulf had a conflict of interest built into its mandate.,,, Critics have accused the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) of having a similar conflict. >click to read< 10:26
F/V Northguider: High Arctic Salvage Operation for Grounded Trawler Resumes
On December 28, 2018, the trawler Northguider grounded in the Hinlopenstretet, the strait between Spitsbergen and Nordauslandet in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Her crew put out a distress call and reported that the vessel had taken on water in the engine room, and all crewmembers were safely evacuated by helicopter the same day. The vessel could not immediately be refloated, but salvors returned to remove all her diesel fuel, lube oil and hydraulic fluid in a successful operation in January. Photo’s, >click to read<09:11
‘Deadliest Catch’ Camera Crew: Inside the gear, skill, physical endurance needed for 30-foot swells, 20 hour days, and shooting at night
For 15 seasons Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” has been documenting the journey of fishing ships to one of the most remote places in the world, the Bering Sea, to catch king crab and snow crab. In an environment where severe weather and high swells are frequent, it is one of the most difficult and dangerous places imaginable to film. It is also one of the most demanding jobs in all of television, requiring a set of skills not normally asked of a Hollywood camera department. Here’s eight ways the camera team survives the hardest job in television, and still gets astounding images. Video’s, >click to read< 20:02
Skipper claims scallop boats being displaced from fishing grounds by wind energy schemes
Kirkcudbright scallop boats are being displaced from traditional summer fishing grounds by wind energy developments, according to a skipper. Steven Girgan estimates up to 15 vessels have abandoned seas off Wick and Montrose for waters elsewhere. Underwater cables, turbine towers and buried rock make trailing dredging gear too dangerous, he claims. Huge areas now off-limits include SSE’s 84-turbine Beatrice windfarm, in the outer Moray Firth, which went fully operational in June. >click to read< 08:40
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 105′ Steel Midwater/Shrimp Freezer Trawler, Cat Powered
Specifications, information and 25 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<15:46
Latin America Reckons With a Fish-Farming Boom, industry cannot be allowed to harm ocean habitats
For a region plagued by stop-and-go growth, aquaculture is a boon. But problems have followed plenty. The blue revolution may not be as damaging to the environment as the one that reinvented global agriculture (farmed fish consume far less feed and energy than chickens, pigs or cattle do), but algae blooms, pests and pathogens, and overuse of antibiotics do a lot of dirty work. Chile repeatedly has seen huge schools of farmed fish break out of pens into the open ocean, where they threaten to overrun wild species and spread new diseases. >click to read< 14:58
Gerald Podschies: Angry Brixham trawler skipper calls for MP to ‘stand down and force a by-election’
I voted for you in the last general election,,, As you know, 54% of your constituents who voted in the referendum voted for Brexit. Not one kind of Brexit or another, just Brexit. Nothing more nothing less.,, In my 40 plus years as a fisherman, I have struggled under the jackboot of the CFP [Common Fisheries Policy]. Had to stand by as more and more European boats were granted access to our waters and decimated our fisheries whilst we had to go elsewhere. Watched as once thriving fishing ports we visited fell into decline and British boats were decommissioned, cut up for scrap or burnt. Powerful writing, Captain. >click to read< 09:26
Have you caught a Pacific pink salmon in England? The Environment Agency would love to hear from you!
Up until recently, catching a Pacific pink salmon was as rare as netting a red herring. However in 2017 unprecedented numbers of this species were reported within inshore coastal waters and rivers in Scotland and England. In Scotland, pink salmon were found to have spawned successfully,,, Seven pink salmon were subsequently recorded by anglers in or close to English rivers.,,, Owing to the two year life cycle of this species, 2019 will be the first year that we can expect to see these fish return in numbers. >click to read< 08:41
P.E.I. company testing new bait for lobster and crab fishery
Bait Masters Inc. is testing the new product in the fall crab and lobster fishery on P.E.I. “The new bait is a mix of fish and other organic matters in a biodegradable casing,” said Wally MacPhee, co-owner of the company. “It reduces the amount of pelagic fish used in the bait process. We’re hoping to reduce it by 50 percent per piece so it would be a help with sustainability.” Mackerel and herring, the traditional bait used by the lobster fishery on P.E.I., has become increasingly more expensive and difficult for Island fishermen to find. >click to read< 07:39
The ‘Codfather’ was a seafood kingpin, until fake Russian mobsters took him down.
Though he estimated his net worth at $10 million to $25 million, he still walked the creaky, bait-scented wharves in flannel shirts and worn jeans every day, barking out commands and alternating between foul-mouthed English and rapid-fire Portuguese as he chain-smoked Winston cigarettes and monitored the day’s catch. That all changed in 2016, when federal authorities revealed that Carlos Rafael was at the center of a sprawling criminal investigation involving fake Russian mobsters, fraudulent haddock and duffel bags of cash. >click to read< 14:37
A page of stories about the case, like this one, “F… me – that would be some bad luck!” — Carlos Rafael : Excerpts from “The Case” – >click to read<
Major restrictions imposed on Isle of Man queen scallop fishing
Fishing for the shellfish – which is a key income generator for Manx fishermen – has been restricted to one area off the east coast,.. The move follows a 40% reduction in the volume of scallops that can be caught. An annual survey showed stocks were at their lowest since 1993, although that figure was disputed by fishermen. >click to read< 11:16
Salmon cannon could restore the population in the Upper Columbia
A so-called salmon cannon could restore salmon populations in parts of the upper Columbia river that have not seen the fish in 90 years.The salmon cannon is actually a fish-propelling system made by a Seattle company called Whooshh Innovations, which uses a series of tubes and computers to gently detour the salmon around dams, “In truth, the fish aren’t shot anywhere. The fish actually swim in on their own, and they are then sorted into a tube that’s misted inside so it’s very slick and air pressure gently movies them up and over the dam,” >click to read<10:16
The latest spill: fuel valve to blame for power outage on Hibernia oil platform
A low fuel supply to the equipment that keeps the electricity on is being blamed for causing the power outage that resulted in an estimated 2,200 litres of oil spilling into the Atlantic Ocean from the Hibernia platform over the weekend — just 48 hours after production at the site resumed following an earlier spill. The latest spill happened when the power went out on the oil production platform, prompting the sprinkler system to activate. >click to read< 08:19
Carlos Rafael Has Been Banned From Fishing Forever! ‘Codfather’ Civil Case Settlement
The federal government says it has settled its civil case against a fishing magnate known as The Codfather, saying he will never be allowed to return to U.S. fisheries. Carlos Rafael, based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was sentenced to prison for shirking fishing quotas and smuggling profits overseas. >click to read< 13:59
Carlos Rafael to be banned from fishing, pay $3 million – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it settled with Rafael and his fishing captains on Monday.,,, Under the terms of the settlement, Rafael is required to: >click to read<
The Carlos stories leading to this moment in New England Commercial Fishing History – >click here<
FISH-NL supports calls for independent offshore environmental authority; FFAW-Unifor must come clean with oil industry funding
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) supports calls for an independent authority to oversee the environment in the province’s offshore oil and gas industry. “There is growing evidence that the industry regulator, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, is unable to protect the environment,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “Between seismic blasting and offshore spills, it’s full-speed ahead for the petroleum industry — the commercial fishery and marine environment be damned.” >click to read< 11:22
Historic Alaska heatwave is killing off thousands of salmon
Unusually warm temperatures across Alaska this summer has led to die-offs of unspawned chum, sockeye and pink salmon, with the warm waters acting as a “thermal block,” basically a wall of heat salmon don’t swim past, delaying upriver migration.,,, “Cook Inletkeeper has been tracking stream temperatures in non-glacial systems across the Cook Inlet watershed since 2002. But this is a first – we’ve never seen stream temperatures above 76 degrees Fahrenheit,” wrote Mauger. “Physiologically, the fish can’t get oxygen moving through their bellies,”,,, >click to read< 09:46
UPDATED: News Media Bungled Vineyard Wind Ocean Turbine Reporting – Vineyard Wind decision delayed until December 2020
In the past ten years, journalism has seen a sudden shift and the overwhelming urge to promote one ideology over another. The majority of news outlets have decided to back commercial wind turbines on land and sea as their contribution to the environment. When you read stories about the Vineyard ocean wind project you have to look for what was left out of the story not what is in the story.,,, Pictures in the print media over the past month show a small fishing boat near an ocean wind turbine saying that less than a mile apart leaves the fishing industry plenty of room to continue their industry. What the media is leaving out is two ESPs, Electric Service Platforms,,, cables exposed,,, >click to read< 08:59
Sources: Vineyard Wind decision delayed until December 2020 – >click to read<
Commercial fisherman Ross Miller, 90, still building prawn trawlers despite concerns about industry’s future
Building a commercial prawn trawler at the age of 90 as the fishing industry undergoes change in New South Wales would be viewed as the ultimate in optimism. Ross Miller has fished for decades around Coffs Harbour on the mid-north coast after starting in Sydney in his early teens in a career which has included building and running ferries as well as fishing boats. He has lost count of how many boats he has built, although the latest venture is the ninth to bear the name Kirra. >click to read< 08:22
Greenland, the new US Alaska? Trump mocked, as Some Canadians Say “We Should Outbid Him!”
Greenland, the new US Alaska? – The United States’ interest in Greenland is not new. In 1867, secretary of state William Seward, then of the Andrew Johnson administration, showed interest in purchasing Greenland and Iceland from Denmark. >click to read< Trump Wants to Buy Greenland? We Should Outbid Him! – from the article, What would we get if we did obtain Greenland? It would certainly complete our set of Arctic islands. We would possess over two million square kilometres of land, almost all of it covered by an ice sheet with a volume of 2.8 million cubic kilometres. >click to read< 15:40
‘Mackerel wars’ Scottish fishermen at risk as Iceland & Greenland plot to target UK stocks
Scottish fishermen face an uncertain future after greedy decision makers in Iceland and Greenland announced they would dramatically increase they amount of mackerel they intend to catch.,,, The clash has been dubbed “mackerel wars” by a senior British MEP, who is chairman of the European Parliament’s fisheries committee. Liberal Democrat Chris Davies said: “Partnership is essential if shared fish stocks are to be managed sustainably. Iceland’s actions are greedy and irresponsible. >click to read< 11:16
Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Races draw huge fleet
Last Saturday at the Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Races, everyone who signed up for the event qualified for a chance in the annual post-race prize drawing organized by the event’s sponsors to win something to build — the bare hull for a brand new Mitchell Cove 35 lobster boat — and come they did. According to Jon Johansen, president of the Maine Lobster Boat Racing Association, 167 boats signed up to race at Winter Harbor and earn the right to participate in the drawing. “They came out of the woodwork,” Johansen said Monday morning. >click to read< 11:40
Single union can’t represent all sides of fishery
Is it a coincidence that the FFAW-Unifor gave out free codfish on the St. John’s waterfront Monday morning (Aug. 12) at the same time that FISH-NL held a news conference to announce a second membership drive? Any trouble swallowing the idea that the foolish fish giveaway forced Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne’s hand into opening the door a crack to outside buyers, where six months before he had slammed the door at the suggestion? >click to read< 08:34
Google Pitchman Bill Nye: Fighting Climate Change Will Make You ‘Filthy F-cking Rich’
Inventing climate change solutions or technology could you make you a fortune, according to liberal media favorite: Bill Nye “The Science Guy.” Nye shared an F-bomb dropping video on Instagram on Aug. 13. He said that if his typical warning that the “oceans are rising” wasn’t enough to make people care, he had another reason for them to take action on climate change. “I’m gonna level with you. The real reason you should do your part to combat climate change is — It’ll make you filthy f—king rich” Nye shouted. Video >click to read< 11:12
UK Fisheries Administrations call on fishermen with vessels 12 metres and longer, register with International Maritime Organization
Access for UK boats to fish in EU, Norwegian or Faroese waters after the UK leaves the EU will be a matter for negotiation. Should access to fishing be agreed, fishermen in the over 12m fleet will have to ensure their vessel has an IMO number to be licensed to fish outside UK waters when we leave the EU. The UKFAs are urging fishermen to apply to the IMO now to make certain they have registered in good time for the UK’s departure. >click to read< 08:29
Repeat offender poses as worker, tries to steal fishing vessel from Ballard shipyard
Doug Dixon, general manager of Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and PFI Marine Electric just off Shilshole Avenue, said the crime was carefully-planned. He said that a woman who appears to be homeless and spends time around the shipyard took a hardhat from a construction site next door and used it to gain access to the shipyard. “She looked like a worker coming into the yard, so nobody questioned her,” Dixon said. With the hardhat disguise, she climbed aboard Pacific Fishermen’s $12 million North Sea,,, >click to read< 17:24
Government of Canada establishes Atlantic Seal Task Team
The sustainable management of Canadian fisheries is important to fish harvesters whose livelihoods are supported by the ocean. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) ensures that the best available science is considered when making management decisions for seals. However, DFO has continuously heard concerns by fish harvesters about the relationship between seals and fish populations. Listening to these concerns, DFO is taking action to address a concern that encompasses not only Newfoundland and Labrador, but all Atlantic Canada and Quebec coasts. >click to read<16:18
