Category Archives: International
The crab kings
Near the end of 1991, the residents of Bugøynes, then a village of about 300 people in Norway’s Arctic north, ran an ad in the national newspaper Dagbladet, begging somebody to relocate them en masse. Cod and other whitefish, once Bugøynes’ bread and butter, were disappearing, and no one was quite sure why. One cold afternoon this past February, Leif Ingilæ rolls a cigarette and laughs hoarsely as he recalls the results. “We got offers from French vineyards to move all the residents there to pick grapes,” he says. “But we figured if everyone goes, we would all become alcoholics.” Mostly, the younger generation moved south in search of work, while the lifers survived on unemployment benefits. Ingilæ, whose family goes back generations in Bugøynes, first went to sea in 1967, when he was 15 years old. When the newspaper ad ran, it seemed his time in the area was up; his boat was one of just three anchored in Bugøynes’ harbor. Still, he stayed. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Lobsters prices fall. Crates of crustaceans pile up on Cape Breton
There are so many lobsters ready for processing or live sale in some eastern Cape Breton harbours that they’re being stored temporarily in large flotillas of plastic crates. Some seafood buyers have stopped buying altogether and others are implementing daily limits on the amount of lobster they will buy. Fishermen worry the oversupply is driving down the price and while some in the industry say it could be a sign of longer term problems, one buyer says the backlog is evidence that lobster conservation efforts are working, and it will ease off in a couple of weeks. “Our processing facility is maximized daily, seven days a week and our holding facility is pretty darn full as of Saturday night,” said Osborne Burke, general manager of Victoria Co-operative Fisheries in New Haven, northern Cape Breton. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:41
First Nations advocates resolve to put traditional fishing rights under international spotlight
First Nations delegates from Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Alaska, and Australia have met on the lands of Walbunga Yuin people on the NSW far south coast for the International Indigenous Fishing Symposium. Indigenous fishing rights activists in NSW are working with First Nations groups around the world to put a global spotlight on the battle to protect traditional fishing rights and cultural practices. The groups plan to work together to lobby the United Nations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:56
Andrew Montford: Politicians must drop their ‘Comical Ali’ approach to offshore wind costs
According to officials at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), offshore wind power is around half the cost of electricity from gas turbines. But in Parliament recently, David Frost exposed the problem with this claim. If what DESNZ says is true, he observed, it is hard to understand why we still have to subsidise windfarms. And harder still to understand why we have just had to give them a 70 per cent increase in the guaranteed price they receive. It was striking that the energy minister Martin Callanan, responding for the Government, failed to answer the question, merely reiterating the claim that wind is cheaper than gas. His evasion tells a story and highlights the great deception at the heart of the Net Zero policy. For years, governments have told us of a revolution in windfarms costs. Developers may even have believed it themselves, submitting extraordinarily low bids into the renewables auctions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:18
David Cameron vetoes Rockall fishing agreement between Scotland and Ireland
Foreign Secretary David Cameron has vetoed an agreement between Scotland and Ireland to allow Irish fishermen access to the rich fishing grounds around Rockall. Ownership of the tiny granite islet 230 miles off the coast of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic is disputed by the UK and the Republic of Ireland 263 miles to the south. Irish vessels, which traditionally fished the waters around the remote rock for haddock and squid, were barred from a 12-mile territorial zone around it after Brexit, when the UK left the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:39
Triple-Rigger for Iceland on Trial at Turkish Builder
Nautic-designed triple-rigger Sigurbjörg is undergoing trials at the Celiktrans shipyard in Turkey, and it’s soon expected to be embarking on the delivery trip to Iceland.The new fresher trawler is outfitted with four Ibercisa trawl winches, enabling it to tow three trawls. The main engine has a 1795kW output, derated from 2100kW, powering a 3800mm diameter propeller to provide a 45 tonne bollard pull. Auxiliary power is be provided by a pair of 600kW gensets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:18
‘Attacked’ Scottish fishing industry issues plea to John Swinney amid worker shortage
Ever since Brexit, recruiting enough fishermen to sustain the iconic Scottish fishing fleet has been challenging. For a long time, the industry has relied on a huge number of fishermen coming to Scotland from overseas. However, Brexit rule changes now mean they need a skilled workers’ visa to do this. This visa has a very high English language requirement, something very few overseas fishermen are able to meet. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation now say the new-look Scottish Government needs to do more to attract Scots to become fishermen instead, so the industry doesn’t have to rely so much on overseas recruitment. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:59
Three Crews from the UK’s RNLI Coordinate to Save Historic Sailing Vessel
The UK’s volunteer Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is being commended for its operation earlier in the week to assist a historic sailing vessel that was taking on water and requested urgent assistance. It became a 10-hour operation involving three of the RNLI crews to see the historic ship safely to port so that it could be repaired to continue its service as a charity training vessel. The Falmouth Coastguards received the call for assistance on Wednesday, May 22, in the evening from the Leader which operates for the Atlantic Youth Trust. Built in 1892, the vessel is the largest and possibly oldest surviving example of a unique vessel, the Brixham trawler. Once a common design of a wooden hull fishing vessel, there were over 400 of the trawlers in Brixham, but today it is believed that just five remain. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Sealing the Future: Revive and promote the seal hunt, federal report recommends
When Paul McCartney campaigned against the seal hunt in 2006, it was unclear how reliant the Inuit and some coastal community economies were on the trade. Three years later, the European Union banned all seal products. The market for seal products was decimated, and with it came the rise of poverty and suicide within Inuit communities despite exemptions for their products, Steven Lonsdale of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association told the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans late last year. Now, a new report from that committee acknowledges the harm done by the ban and recommends Ottawa must do more to revive the struggling industry in what it has branded a call to action. more, >>CLICK TO READ 07:40
A Historic Agreement – Canada and U.S. suspend all fishing for Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook salmon
Canada and the United States are suspending all fishing for Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook salmon for seven years in an attempt to protect the dwindling species. The agreement covers the length of one life cycle of the fish and recognizes that the “persistent decline of chinook salmon” has led to an inability to meet conservation objectives in both countries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< – Canada and Alaska sign a historic agreement to protect Yukon River Chinook salmon, To ensure the protection and recovery of Yukon River Chinook salmon, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have signed a historic seven-year agreement. more, >>Click to read<< 10:33
Crucial vote on total closure of 10% of EU fishing grounds
A pivotal vote is due to take place today as EU Member States vote on proposals to establish zero-fishing zones accounting for 10% of EU waters. The industry states that such a closure would serve to hit political targets without protecting ecologically sensitive habitats, describing the Commission’s strategy as a ‘shot in the dark.’ The Commission’s proposal is for a new objective which aims to place 10% of the EU’s seabed in ‘reference areas’ free from any human pressure in order to assess its natural variability. The European Bottom Fishing Alliance (EBFA) wants to see a postponement of the vote, given the lack of any impact assessment on fishing activities, the upcoming revision of the Law setting these objectives, and the current transitory political period with EU Parliamentary elections about to take place. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:54
Tuna Clipper Sinks Venezuelan Trawler off the Galapagos
A biologist has gone missing after a tuna clipper hit and sank a fishing trawler off the coast of the Galapagos, according to local media. On the night of May 15, the 53-year-old trawler F/V Canaimawas operating about 240 miles off the coast of San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands. The Ecuadorian-owned tuna fishing vessel, F/V Ria de Aldan approached from astern, and by the time Canaima attempted to warn her, collision was unavoidable. Ria de Aldan struck the stern of the Canaima, causing the vessel to rapidly sink. The crew abandoned ship onto a tender and escaped. 24 of the 25 crewmembers aboard Canaima were rescued from the water, but one individual – Venezuelan biologist Faustino Riviero, 53 – has gone missing. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:25
Fatal accident inquiry determination highlights crew’s brave rescue attempts
The crew of a local fishing boat did “all that they could” to try to recover a colleague as soon as possible from the sea after he fell overboard, according to the determination of a fatal accident inquiry. Sheriff Ian Cruickshank also paid tribute to the “bravery” of skipper Andrew White after Edison ‘Joseph’ Lacaste fell overboard off the Copious in February 2021. A determination on Lacaste’s fatal accident inquiry, written by Sheriff Cruickshank, was published on Friday. The 45-year-old Philippine national died after falling into the water while carrying out repairs to fishing gear on the twin rigger Copious in the early hours of 18 February 2021. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:22
Nova Scotia’s Billion-Dollar Lobster Wars
At the River Café, the Michelin-recommended restaurant on the Brooklyn waterfront where the term “free-range chicken” was coined, the lobster is served butter-poached next to a pool of lemon-grape sauce, to brighten its tender brininess. The chef, Brad Steelman, insists on lobster from the cold waters of Nova Scotia, because this insures a hard shell and robust meat. Not so long ago, good lobster could be found closer to the city. Historically, there were strong harvests as far south as New Jersey. Private-equity firms and seafood conglomerates have swallowed many of North America’s fisheries. But, in Nova Scotia, most lobstermen are independent. But many inshore fishermen have also resisted a recent entrant to the power struggle: the Mi’kmaq, the most populous group of Indigenous people in Atlantic Canada. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:58
Fethard RNLI Lifeboat Rescues Dog After 30-Foot Fall from Cliff
The crew found a Jack Russel terrier that had fallen 30-40 feet onto a bed of seaweed. Fortunately, two local kayakers had spotted the dog in distress and raised the alarm, prompting the lifeboat crew to respond. Crew member Nadia Blanchfield bravely made her way to the small beach at Poles Bay, where she successfully recovered the dog and brought her on board the inshore lifeboat. The full crew, including Helm James Barry and Paddy O’Regan, ensured the safe return of the dog. The rescue took place under sunny, calm conditions with a light easterly breeze. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:09
Is forced labor in Indian exports affecting Louisiana shrimpers? Congress investigates
A congressional committee is investigating allegations of slave labor in the Indian shrimp industry. Such practices are among those blamed for rock-bottom shrimp prices negatively affecting Louisiana shrimpers. The House Committee on Natural Resources is investigating accusations of forced labor as well as importation of illegally obtained fish products. Additionally, the committee is looking at fraudulent reporting through the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and the illegal use of antibiotics. The health of the American shrimp industry can often be measured by the number of landings each year. Those numbers have been on a mostly steady decline since 2001, with only five years above the downhill slope. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
No hope for 11 missing fishermen
Hopes of finding the remaining 11 fishermen aboard the sunken MFV Lepanto owned by Sea Harvest were dealt a major blow when the search-and-rescue operation was called off on Sunday. The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) launched an investigation after the vessel sank about 34 nautical miles offshore of Hout Bay on Friday afternoon. At least five fishing vessels reached the search area, locating and recovering nine of 20 local fishermen from a life raft. “The nine survivors were not injured and they were brought to the Port of Table Bay aboard a fellow fishing vessel during the night. They are in the care of their fishing company. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:52
See which 8 NJ towns filed new lawsuits to stop offshore wind developer
Eight Jersey Shore municipalities petitioned the court this week in a new attempt to stop offshore wind developers from moving forward with power projects along the New Jersey coast. Attorneys from the law firm of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden filed two appeals and one motion this week targeting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of part of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project. The law firm represents Long Beach Township, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Brigantine Beach and Ventnor City. Last month, the state department granted a consistency certification to a portion of Atlantic Shores’ project, which will build as many as 200 wind power turbines nearly 9 miles off Long Beach Island. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:01
EU candidates asked to meet fishing organisations
Candidates standing in the Midlands North West Constituency in the European Elections to be held on June 7, are invited to attend the launch of a pre-election campaign for change at EU level. Fishing and seafood organisations have come and they are asking MEPs to fight for the survival of their industry and for a fair share of EU fishing quotas. Aodh O Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) said they launched their #fight4fishing campaign on Wednesday and are urging the public to support it. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:07
9 crewmen rescued, search continues for 11 fishermen missing at sea in Cape Town
The South African Maritime Safety Authority’s (SAMSA) Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), said they received a distress call notifying them of the fishing vessel FV Lepanto, reported to be rapidly sinking, west of Slangkop Lighthouse, at around 15:34 on Friday. “The distress call, received by Telkom Maritime Services, prompted an immediate response. Nearby fishing vessels, FV Harvest Mzansi and FV Armana, responded to the mayday call and proceeded to the scene,” said SAMSA’s Tebogo Ramatjie. Ramatjie added that the FV Armana had successfully rescued nine crew members, leaving 11 others still unaccounted for. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:32
Maine DOT seeks $456 million federal grant to help fund wind port on Sears Island
The Dirigo Atlantic Floating Offshore Wind Port Project. The Maine Department of Transportation said May 17 that it has applied for $456 million in grant funding from the federal government to help construct the East Coast’s first floating offshore wind port on a portion of state-owned Sears Island that is reserved for port development. “Maine has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help transform our economy, protect our environment, create good-paying jobs, and support the generation of clean, affordable, reliable energy for Maine and the region,” said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, in a news release. “At the direction of Governor Mills, we will work collaboratively across the Administration to bring every federal dollar available to Maine to help us seize this opportunity for our people, our environment, and our future.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:33
Fisherman ‘sold down the river’ by Brexit
A Cornish fisherman who voted for Brexit said the fleet had been “sold down the river” because foreign boats were still fishing near the coast. Cornish MP Steve Double raised the issue in parliament this week saying the under-10m (33ft) fleet was “sadly in decline” and had been losing more than 100 vessels each year. Martin Gilbert, who fishes mainly for shellfish out of Newquay harbour and voted for Brexit but said the current deal had “sold us down the river”. “The French, the Belgians and the Spanish have still got the majority of the quota,” he said. “We have to go past the French to fish in our own waters and it’s not right.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:42
Andy Harris, Ocean City mayor voice new opposition to West OC pier plan
Wednesday, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md-1st, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and Maryland lawmakers from the Eastern Shore delegation called on the Maryland Department of Environment to hold a public hearing in Ocean City to review its process for U.S. Wind’s planned pier in West Ocean City. The department already held a public comment hearing at the Wor-Wic Community College on March 25, but Harris and others are calling for another following “numerous complaints” received by his office that the hearing was held in Wicomico County as opposed to Ocean City where residents will be most affected by the pier development. “The West Ocean City pier is being developed with the purpose of expanding offshore wind at a time when the true impacts of offshore wind have never been properly studied,” Harris wrote. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
Talks underway in bid to keep Plymouth fish market open
Talks are underway in a bid to keep the city’s fish market operating after Plymouth Trawler Agents ceases trading after tomorrow. Sutton Harbour Group Plc (SHG), which owns the quayside market, said it has begun discussions with potential operators. Meanwhile, alternative arrangements are being made for fishing boats to sell their catch elsewhere after the closure of Plymouth Trawler Agent Ltd (PTA), which runs fish auctions at Sutton Harbour. One insider described this as “crisis management” and Plymouth City Council spoke of its “shock” to hear PTA was wrapping up after nearly 30 years and called it “the end of an era”. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:40
Season’s 1st North Atlantic right whale sighting is bracing P.E.I. fishers for the next one
The 2023 lobster fishing season was just three weeks old when two endangered right whales were spotted to the east of Western P.E.I. For the first time ever, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans shut that section of Lobster Fishing Area 24, meaning lobster crews had to move their traps to shallower waters until the whales left, rather than risk them becoming entangled in fishing gear. Nearly one year later, a marine biologist says P.E.I. fishers are reflecting on the lessons they learned, after an entangled right whale was spotted on Friday northeast of New Brunswick, prompting fishing closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:35
Whitby Fishing School calls for fishermen of future to apply for next intake of maritime courses
Whitby Fishing School is calling for the young fishermen of tomorrow to take a first step towards an “exciting and rewarding” career in the fishing industry. The fishing school, based at The Mission to Seafarers building on Haggersgate, offers a variety of maritime courses aimed at preparing individuals for a career in the fishing industry. With courses ranging from Basic Sea Survival and First Aid to Skippers qualifications, the school provides a comprehensive education for students of all ages. This course is fully funded, to include training, PPE, and food/accommodation where living away from home. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:29
Unsealed federal lawsuit alleges Omega Protein skirted U.S. citizen ownership requirement
A recently unsealed federal lawsuit alleges that the lone menhaden reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay broke federal law by creating a shell company to cover-up its foreign ownership, routing profits to a Canadian company instead of keeping them in Virginia. Benson Chiles and Chris Manthey, two private investigators involved in environmental conservation efforts, brought forward the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2021 against Omega Protein under the False Claims Act, saying the company violated the Jones Act and American Fisheries Act by not disclosing that its owners are family. Ocean Harvesters, the subsidiary more specifically accused of wrongdoing, said in a statement the lawsuit is “without merit” and will be “vigorously” defended. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
Full investigation into fatal explosion aboard fishing trawler launched
Oceana Group Limited said the fatal explosion aboard one of its fishing trawlers docked near Amawandle Hake in Table Bay Harbour will be fully investigated. Contractors were busy with repairs on board the vessel, identified as the Realeka, at around 5pm on Monday when a nitrogen tank exploded. Five men who were injured in the explosion were transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention, while a 49-year-old man was declared dead at the site. Emergency personnel combed the scene for several hours on Monday night while ventilating the engine room of refrigeration gas, which could be an ammonia-containing combination. A hazmat technician was also present while gas detection meters were requested. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:26
Fisherman Settles Landmark Case with Offshore Wind Developer
Co Wicklow fisherman Ivan Toole has reached a significant settlement with German wind farm group RWE regarding its offshore project according to a report from The Sunday Times. Toole initiated a judicial review last May on environmental grounds against the minister of state with responsibility for planning and local government following the issuance of a foreshore license to RWE. This license granted RWE the authority to conduct a survey off the coast of Wicklow in preparation for a proposed €1.5 billion offshore wind farm. The legal battle, which involved the High Court referring several questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union, has now concluded with a settlement between Toole and RWE. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:12
Environmentalism is Dead?
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