Category Archives: International News
Fishermen rescued after boat runs aground on banks of loch
A group of fishermen have been rescued after their boat ran aground and was stranded on the banks of a loch in the Highlands. The volunteer crew of the Oban lifeboat were paged at 7.30am on Friday, November 1, after the coastguard rescue centre received a report from a fishing boat that it had suffered steering issues. With all its crew accounted for and no injuries, the lifeboat left the scene but made arrangements to return in the afternoon when the tide was rising, to assist with re-floating the vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
Trump Defeats Harris to Win a Second White House Term
Former President Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, mounting one of the greatest political comebacks of all time – a convicted felon who was twice impeached and left the presidency in disgrace just four years ago, only to win it back decisively in one of the most fraught elections in modern history. In defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump stitched together an improbable coalition of supporters, including people of color and young voters, while promising to unfurl an America-first vision. With his victory all but assured early Wednesday morning, Trump told cheering supporters at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida, that “this was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:41
3Ps Stock Assessment Update Highlights Need to Ban Offshore Draggers and Address Seal Predation
11/5/2024 – Today’s technical briefing by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on the 3Ps cod stock assessment delivered news that the south coast species has not experienced much growth in recent years, leaving harvesters concerned for the stock’s future and the impact the offshore dragger fishery is having on the stock’s recovery. FFAW is once again reiterating the need to ban factory draggers from all cod species in Newfoundland and Labrador, citing the continued and lasting damaged caused by draggers fishing on pre-spawning aggregations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:57
Jersey fisherman hopes new lobster label could help keep island’s fishing industry afloat
A Jersey fisherman hopes his new lobster label will raise public awareness about the island’s crustaceans in an attempt to increase demand among consumers. Last month, Ian Syvret won the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) ‘Fishing Hero of the Year’ award for creating a new single-use label which includes the name of the fisher who caught the lobster. The blue label is attached to the lobster so it can be released alive and safe rather than clipping or marking the creature’s body. Ian’s award means that lobsters caught in Jersey can now be sold commercially with MSC eco status, which means he can now sell lobster to whoever he wants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:08
Sweden says no to 13 offshore wind farms
The sea-based wind power makes it more difficult to defend Sweden, says the Swedish Armed Forces. Now the government is stopping 13 planned parks in large parts of the Baltic Sea. On Monday, the government decided on 14 wind farms. Only one gets the go-ahead, while 13 planned parks will not get permission to build. The parks in the Baltic Sea, which were supposed to be located outside Åland in the north along the entire east coast down to the Sound, are now rejected. The government believes that it would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden’s defense to build the current projects in the Baltic Sea area, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) at a press meeting with Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L) and Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (KD). more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:54
Saskatchewan ‘s cold-water fish is making waves on the European market
Once the temperature drops, the fishing industry heats up in a small village in northern Saskatchewan thanks to the tullibee and after five years it’s still going strong. “They are saving the Pinehouse fishing industry,” said Lionel Smith, commercial fisherman from his home on Pinehouse Lake. The tullibee, also known as a northern cisco, lake herring or chub, is a small roughly two-pound fish found in northern cold-water lakes. Once, commercial fishermen in Pinehouse would cast the petite fish from their nets in favour of much larger and tastier fish. But food connoisseurs across the ocean have changed that narrative. The once seemingly undesirable fish is harvested for its roe and is a rare delicacy in Europe. As a result, the tullibee is providing a lucrative income for fish harvesters. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:09
One Trawler’s Coral Damage Forces Fishery Closure at Lord Howe Rise
A commercial fishing vessel in New Zealand is finding itself yet again on the spot after allegedly destroying deep sea corals in international waters. The trawler F/V Tasman Viking is accused of scooping up corals in Lord Howe Rise, a region known for diverse marine life. The accidental removal, which occurred last month, has forced authorities in New Zealand to suspend fishing in the Lord Howe area of the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia until 2026. This is the second time in as many months that the 320-ton Tasman Viking is finding itself in trouble over destruction of corals in the Lord Howe area. In June last year, the trawler was confiscated after the crew failed to report bycatch of about 20 kilograms of rare bamboo corals in an incident that occurred in October 2020. The vessel was released after the operator paid a fine of NZ$52,000. more, >>CLICK TO READ><< 10:22
Opposition to seal ban grows within EU, where hunters alliance is optimistic rules will change
A group representing hunters in the Nordic countries says it’s more optimistic than ever that the European Union will lift a longtime ban on trading seal products. The regulation, implemented in 2009 after a highly successful campaign from animal rights groups, deprived Canadian sealers of their primary market. “Our hope and expectation is that the ban will be reversed, and that trade can be possible again,” said Johan Svalby, senior advisor for international affairs at the Nordic Hunters Alliance. Since beginning its review of the current regulations, thousands of individuals and organizations have participated in consultations, including the Canadian, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories governments, which argued for removing the ban. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
Southend clam fishery trial results ‘very encouraging’
Early results of a “game-changing” clam fishery trial in Southend have been hailed as “very encouraging” as bosses aim to help nurture the high-value seafood. The Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has provided an update on the Manila clam fishery trial. Manila clam fishing trials took place between October 2 and October 25 in the Thames Estuary on two specified areas – one on the Foulness Sand within the Shoebury Firing Range and the other on the Buxey Sand. Eight vessels took part in the fishery with a range of different types of fishing gear, including suction dredges similar to those used by boats from Leigh in the Thames cockle fishery, alongside new dredge designs. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
Fisheries Minister Rejects Opposition’s Approach to Processing Controversy, Hints at ‘Significant’ Regulatory Changes
Provincial Fisheries Minister Gerry Bryne is hinting that some “significant changes” could be coming in relation to fish processors who run afoul of the regulatory process. Royal Greenland, which owns Quin-Sea, is currently before the Labour Relations Board after the Association of Seafood Producers filed an urgent application against the company. According to the FFAW, Royal Greenland failed to provide sales data on 5-8 ounce sections of crab delivered to Boston as required for a third-party review of 2024 snow crab sales. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:25
New Report Suggests “Whale Psychiatrist” Trump May be Right About Wind Farms and Whales
US Bureau of Ocean Management report says whales, dolphins, birds and bats can all be injured by wind turbine construction, and offshore fishing harmed. Trump has been an advocate for keeping America clean and healthy. He has not advocated for the anti-carbon push based on pseudoscience and the rush into green energy projects put forth by environmentalists. Admittedly. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has officials saying they have found no evidence linking offshore wind turbines to whale deaths. However, a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has just released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can be exposed to “unavoidable adverse impacts” by the construction of offshore wind farms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries – >>CLICK TO READ<<
Owner of fishing trawler which sank off West Cork coast disputes finding of official investigation
The owner of a fishing trawler which sank off the West Cork coast has disputed the findings of an official investigation into the incident which concluded the sinking was due to a series of failures relating to faulty equipment, crew training, safety management and poor regulatory compliance. Instead, Wexford-based firm, R&E Fish Limited, blamed the sinking of its 24-metre vessel, Ellie Adhamh, off Bull Rock on March 28, 2021, on a collision with a naval patrol ship which was attempting to attach a towline to it on the previous evening. A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) listed 12 different factors which contributed to “a very serious marine casualty” which had put the lives of the vessel’s seven crew and rescue personnel at risk. more, CCLICK TO READ<< 07:52
50 years plus: Sheigra SY 7
John Watt started building his boats in 1940 at Gardenstown, in a partnership with his two sons, before taking over the Stephen’s yard in Banff in 1954. Then, in 1966, they acquired the boatbuilding yard and engineering facilities of the Macduff Engineering Company when the previous owner retired. This allowed them to build bigger vessels up to 80ft in length. The name of the business was changed to the Macduff Boatbuilding and Engineering Company – the forerunner of today’s Macduff Shipyards. Lots of photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:54
Top ten RNLI record breakers
The RNLI has amassed a treasure trove of extraordinary stories and fascinating facts during its 200 years of lifesaving. So it’s no wonder our charity and people have notched up a raft of remarkable achievements along the way too. Here are just ten of our favourite record-breaking facts … The rescue of Suevic in 1907 holds the record for the largest number of people saved in a single RNLI operation. On 17 March, the 12-tonne steamship ran aground on a rocky reef off Lizard Point in Cornwall. Sixty RNLI volunteers from Cadgwith, Coverack, The Lizard and Porthleven rowed back and forth in a violent gale for 16 hours to rescue the 456 passengers and crew. Not a single life was lost. Six of the rescuers, including two Suevic crew members, were awarded RNLI Silver Medals for their heroic actions. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
Photographer Urs Buhlman captures the ‘dangerous’, ‘dying’ profession of commercial fishing up close
It is an industry that operates in boats kilometres from shore when most people are fast asleep back on the mainland. Now one photographer’s interest in the commercial fishing industry has shed light on the intimate details of this rarely-seen profession and the rugged process it goes through to feed people. Eden commercial fisher John ‘”Jarvo” Jarvis has witnessed big changes during his 44 years in the game. Climate change, fish quotas, stringent environmental laws, government buy-backs of fishing licences, and a lack of willing hands are just some of the challenges he grapples with daily. “Everything in fishing is expensive,” Mr Jarvis said. Comparing the industry to how it looked two decades ago, he said it was “chalk and cheese”. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
Four offshore wind-power sites in Gulf of Maine auctioned for $22M
Two energy companies have won leases for 327,096 acres of federal waters off Maine and Massachusetts and hope to install floating wind-power turbines there. On Tuesday, four of eight available lease areas were sold to provisional winners in an auction by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The sales resulted in winning bids of over $21.9 million. The leases include commitments to workforce training and building a domestic supply chain, which would include an offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, according to a separate news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
WHALES DECLARE BOEM IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION COMMITTING GENOCIDE By Jim Lovgren
In a press release issued today by the AAA, an aquatic coalition of many different marine creatures, it was declared that the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was a terrorist organization intent on the extermination of all marine mammals and other sea life. The National Marine Fishery Service was named as a co-conspirator, for standing by and watching, instead of doing their legally required job of protecting endangered species. The AAA, Aquatic Animals Association, is a newly formed coalition of different marine species including Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, fish, clams, and scallops. Despite the vast disparity in their abilities to communicate with each other, they have combined each other’s unique communication forms into one voice in hopes of saving themselves from extinction. From Harvey Haddock, President, Aquatic Animal Association. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:14
Election Jitters, Industry Headwinds Undermine Biden’s Final Offshore Wind Auction
A U.S. auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine on Tuesday drew bids for only half of the eight offered leases, for a total of just $21.9 million in high bids, in the latest sign of deep industry malaise. The sale was a stark display of the lack of industry appetite for new investment after a year of high-profile setbacks that include canceled projects, two shelved lease sales in Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico and a construction accident at the nation’s first major offshore wind project. The auction was the last before President Joe Biden, a Democrat, leaves office in January. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:25
Scallop war reignites as British fishing trawler is seized by France
A British fishing boat has been seized by France after a French captain accused UK trawlers of plundering their resources in the latest ‘Scallop War’ flare-up. The Scottish fishing boat, named the Star of Jura, was seized off the coast of Calvados, in the Normandy region of northwestern France on Monday, after the vessel was ordered into the Channel port of Le Havre on suspicion of catching undersized scallops. The skipper, who has not been named, took his 19-metre scallop dredger into the port on Saturday while being escorted by a maritime police boat after an inspection uncovered an illegal catch, French authorities revealed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:45
Crew saved from North Sea as Fraserburgh trawler sinks in SOS emergency
Six crew members have been saved from a sinking Fraserburgh-registered fishing boat. An urgent plea was issued for vessels to assist in the search and rescue operation of the Odyssey FR70 trawler. The beacon was answered by a nearby boat, which headed to the Odyssey’s location. The crew were then transferred to the other vessel via life raft. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
Clifton Thomas continues 40-year lobster trapping legacy
Clifton “Fluffy” Thomas has found a lucrative career as a lobster fisherman. For nearly 40 years he’s provided BVI hotels with fresh lobster from his more than 50 traps, and ahead of the season opening on Nov. 1, he and his son Clevan, better known as “Tito”, are prepping to begin their daily lobster hauls. Prior to the season closing in June, the pair pulled their traps from the sea to begin inspecting them and have been busy making repairs here and there. Thomas, 62, was a marine mechanic prior to his decision to be self-employed in 1985. He sells his lobsters for $9 a pound and recalled once that in a single haul he had 120 pounds of lobster. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:38
Baffin Fisheries’ new ship stranded in Athens after engine fails on maiden voyage
Crew members aboard Baffin Fisheries’ Inuksuk II have spent more than 14 days docked in Athens, Greece after an engine failure stalled the fishing vessel on its first voyage. “We are very disappointed. This was entirely unexpected,” Baffin Fisheries CEO Chris Flanagan said in an interview. “We knew there would be some break-in period and glitches with a brand-new vessel. There always are and that’s expected. But we didn’t expect anything like this to happen.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:12
Ocean City, fishing clubs and Thrasher’s French Fries sue federal government over offshore wind project
Ocean City, Maryland, neighboring towns, counties, sportfishing groups, hotels, amusement parks and boardwalk staple Thrasher’s French Fries have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for approving a massive wind farm approximately 10 miles off the tourist town’s coast. Last month, on Sept. 5, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the U.S. Interior Department, announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. It’s the nation’s 10th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project, according to the Biden Administration. The list of plaintiffs includes the mayor and city council of Ocean City, the mayor and town council of neighboring Fenwick Island, Delaware, and commissioners of Worcester County, Maryland, where Ocean City is located. Other plaintiffs include developers, hotels, commercial fishermen and seafood markets, the parent company for Ocean City’s Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, the Save Right Whales Coalition and the parent company for Thrasher’s French Fries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:42
“A Total Shock” – Japanese Sardines Detected in U.S. Waters
Genomic sequencing of Pacific sardines in 2022 and 2023 uncovered the presence of not just one, but two distinct sardine species in the California Current. When research scientist Gary Longo first reviewed the results of his genomic analysis of sardines, he thought he must have mixed up his samples. Besides the Pacific sardines common on the West Coast, many of the fish appeared to be another species. “It was a total shock,” he said. Then he compared their genetic code to other known species. “That was the ‘aha moment’ when we realized we were looking at a second species of sardine.” The analysis shows that of the 345 sardine samples collected during NOAA Fisheries’ 2021 and 2022 Coastal Pelagic Species Surveys, all of the fish in 2021 were Pacific sardines, but those collected in 2022 were a mix of Pacific sardines and Japanese sardines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:50
Could offshore wind plan hurt scallop fishermen? New Bedford official has ‘grave concerns’
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr has “grave concern” for the scallop fishing industry in the face of a potential new call area to be leased out to offshore wind projects. The 13,476,805-acre area off of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, dubbed the “Central Atlantic 2” call area, encompasses a large portion of key scalloping grounds, Carr wrote. Scalloper Keith Uzzell, who’s fished out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for 16 years, says he and others that frequent fishing grounds around the northeast started noticing “more survey boats, more offshore wind vessel activity” around the same time they noticed an uptick in things like dead whale sightings and empty scallop shells. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
Do you know where your fish comes from? It’s probably not Hawaiʻi
Fish is a significant part of Hawaiʻi’s food culture, and residents eat up to three times more of it per capita than the rest of the U.S. But where does all that fish come from? That’s information local commercial fishers and their advocates want more people to know. In Hawaiʻi, there’s a growing push to require stores and restaurants to label fish as locally caught or imported, including the country of origin. “I think a major misconception is what is portrayed as locally made (or) freshly made, but it’s not, and the fish is not from Hawaiʻi,” said Eric Kingma, the executive director for the Hawaiʻi Longline Association. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
Classic Boat Review: Frey CT 137
Launched as Boy Ken TT 70, this Noble’s stalwart was built for scalloping – as well as prawn trawling and herring and sprat pair-trawling – and 52 years later, she’s a fixture of the Manx scallop fleet. Being a west coast sort of person, there is always a sense of allegiance in writing about those very few boatbuilding yards on the west coast. In the postwar era of fishing vessels, you can almost count the west coast yards building in wood on one hand. And always it is the Girvan yard of Alexander Noble that stands out as the leader of the field. By Mike Smylie, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:34
The 10 Wildest ‘Deadliest Catch’ Moments, Ranked
Since its premiere in 2005, Deadliest Catch has thrilled audiences by pulling back the curtain on the perilous world of Alaskan crab fishing. The icy waters, unpredictable weather, and extreme physical demands show how the Bering Sea can be one of the most dangerous workplaces in the world. The grueling nature of the show, therefore, has produced some of the wildest moments ever caught on camera over the years. Episodes featuring deadly waves, boat fires, and catastrophic sinkings like that of one of the F/V Destination serve as grim reminders of what working at the sea can be like! more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:04
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can indeed be harmed — and killed —by offshore wind farms. BOEM also warned commercial fishing could be disrupted by wind farms. The report is an environmental impact statement BOEM was required to conduct of these six existing wind farm sites that were previously approved off New Jersey/Long Island. Wind turbine construction actually does increase the risk of injury to whales, particularly the underwater noise from pile-driving during construction, the federal report found. Turbine construction can permanently damage whales’ hearing. Turbines can also lead to an “increased risk of individual injury and mortality due to vessel strikes” and entanglement in fishing gear. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:36
EU to demand continued fishing rights in British waters
The European Union (EU) will demand to keep its fishing rights in British waters, the bloc’s Brexit negotiator has told MEPs. The post-Brexit deal agreed by the EU saw its fishing quota in British waters cut by 25 per cent, but European fishermen were allowed continued access to parts of the UK’s coastal waters. As the deal nears its expiry in 2026, the EU is keen to start negotiating as soon as possible to keep its access to the UK’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends by up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. Government officials fear the EU will only renegotiate the Brexit trade agreement – a key part of Labour’s manifesto – if the UK guarantees European fishermen full access to its seas after 2026. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
