Category Archives: International
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
Entangled North Atlantic right whale prompts fishing closure in Gulf of St. Lawrence
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has temporarily shut down part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to non-tended, fixed-gear fishing after an endangered North Atlantic right whale with gear entangled around its mouth was spotted northeast of New Brunswick Friday. The whale was seen northeast of the Acadian Peninsula and northwest of Quebec’s Magdalen Islands during routine aerial surveillance and was many nautical miles from land, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release Monday. It’s the first sighting of a North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters this season, according to the release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06: 56
UK fishing industry to benefit from cutting-edge technology to help manage fish stocks
The sustainability of UK fish stocks will be better safeguarded through the use of technology to monitor and manage fishing activity in English waters, the government has announced today (13 May). The technology – known as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) – involves using camera, gear sensors and GPS units to make sure that catches are accurately recorded and fish are not unlawfully thrown back into the sea. The data captured will support the fishing industry to manage stocks sustainably and give retailers and consumers greater confidence about the sustainability of our fish. Volunteers within five priority fisheries will begin to use REM systems from this summer, with their work helping to refine the UK’s monitoring objectives and ensure the technology works for fishers. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:02
Trump Vows ‘Day One’ Executive Order Targeting Offshore Wind
Donald Trump vowed to issue an executive order targeting offshore wind development if he wins a second term as president, making his most explicit threat yet toward the growing industry. The presumptive Republican nominee derided offshore wind projects as lethal for birds and whales during his oceanfront rally Saturday in Wildwood, New Jersey, and committed to take action. “We are going to make sure that that ends on day one,” he said. “I’m going to write it out in an executive order.” While Trump has made no secret of his animus to wind power, he had adopted a mostly hands-off posture during his first term in the White House. The remarks in New Jersey suggest he may take a more aggressive stance if given a second. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:03
Fisherman remembers lives lost at sea with new day
A fisherman and RNLI crewman will be among those marking a new day of remembrance for workers killed at sea. Peter Clark, from Cullercoats RNLI in North Tyneside, is taking part in the first National Fishing Remembrance Day on Sunday to honour his missing colleagues. He said he has searched for and lost friends in the water and witnessed people’s anguish when family members do not return home from work. “A National Day of Remembrance can highlight the sacrifice these families ultimately made,” Mr Clark said. The fisherman joined the RNLI almost 30 years ago and is helm on Cullercoats lifeboat. As part of the Remembrance Day, a gathering will take place at the fisherman statue at North Shields’ Fiddler’s Green on Sunday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:12
Deadliest Catch’ Season 20: Which Captains Will Return?
Deadliest Catch is back. In the landmark 20th season of the Discovery Channel reality series, the captains will encounter new opportunities and fresh challenges as they head out to sea for the first red king crab season in several years. Not only will crews be allowed to fish once more for the coveted red king crab, but this year, they’ll also participate in the first derby-style race in decades. That means even more intense competition than usual as both veteran and rookie captains fight to bring in the biggest hauls. At the same time, they’ll face unpredictable and dangerous weather patterns as a rare super El Niño weather pattern intensifies winter storms. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Fisherman catches rare ‘one in two million’ blue lobster and refuses to let it be eaten
A fisherman caught a rare ‘one in two million’ blue lobster – and rehomed it in a local aquarium. Blue lobsters are believed to be so rare that marine biologists estimate the chance of catching one is one in two million. Chris Puckey caught the lobster on his FY124 boat called Katytu at the weekend. It turned up in one of Chris’ pots and was caught off the coast close to Polperro, South Cornwall. Jacquie Spencer, the owner of Kitty’s Lobster, Crab and Seafood Shack, said: “Chris supplies me regularly with lobsters, and Chris and I are overwhelmed by the lobster being pulled up in his pot. It really is a real treat to see one such a vivid blue colour and reportedly only one in two million!” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:32
What lurks beneath: Treasures, wrecks and curios
Britain’s coasts, once some of the most dangerous in the world to navigate for shipping, are littered with shipwrecks. This deadly legacy has left thousands of haunting artefacts and in some cases – lucrative treasure – resting on the sea floor. From time to time these relics re-emerge, found by divers on wrecks, walkers on beaches or they are mistakenly hauled up by fishermen or dredgers. A BBC Freedom of Information request has revealed the hundreds of fascinating items recovered in the last year alone. A 200-year-old elephant tusk, coins from the Spanish Armada, plane parts, iron swords and a jar of Marmite were among the items found and reported to the Receiver of Wreck last year. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:09
Alabama on verge of requiring sellers to say where their seafood comes from
The seafood industry that put this small city on the map says it is in crisis, buffeted by foreign imports that have driven down the price of shrimp to as little as a dollar per pound. Those prices are comparable to what shrimp fetched in the early 1980s – too low, Steve Sprinkle said, for many operators even to take their boats out. But the Alabama Legislature is trying to at least make it easier for consumers who want to buy local. A bill that got final approval this week would require restaurants to include “country of origin” information on or with the menu. There’s a similar requirement for good trucks and stores. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Service in Brixham to pay tribute to dead fishermen
Fishermen who have lost their life at sea will be remembered at a ceremony in Devon. The Fishermen’s Mission charity is hosting a service on Brixham’s Fish Quay at 11:00 BST on Sunday as part of National Fishing Remembrance Day. The charity said the event would allow people to pay their respects to fishermen who had either died in seas off Devon or were from the county but died elsewhere. The names which will be read out date back to 1817, the mission added. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
Galloway creel fishermen believe livelihoods could be ruined by new lobster regulations
Galloway creel fishermen fear their livelihoods could be ruined by new regulations banning them from landing female lobsters. The prohibition, being introduced nationally by the Marine Directorate in Edinburgh, will come into force on Sunday, May 12. It means any hen lobsters caught must be thrown over the side and back into the sea – a move the creel men say will deprive them of at least 50 per cent of their catch and potentially put them out of business. The Galloway Static Gear Fishermen’s Association has been lobbying the Scottish Government that the measure is not needed in the Solway – so far to no avail. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:40
Comparing future fuels for fishing
Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability (FIS) has released its latest report taking a practical look at decarbonising the UK fishing fleet, this time focusing on hydrogen fuel as an option to deliver net-zero fishing vessels. Produced by Macduff Ship Design, and with support from Marine Fund Scotland, the research provides detailed vessel specifications, and – by drawing comparisons with previous research into the opportunities offered by battery-electric power, methanol, and liquified natural gas options – calls for crucial information to help fishing businesses stay safe and competitive as net zero deadlines approach. drawings, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:54
Japan Fisheries Agency proposes allowing commercial catching of fin whales
Japan’s Fisheries Agency on Thursday proposed a plan to allow catching fin whales in addition to three smaller whale species currently permitted under the country’s commercial whaling around its coasts. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose electoral district is traditionally known for whaling, said his government supports sustainable use of whales as part of Japan’s traditional food culture and plans to promote the industry. “Whales are important food resources and we believe they should be sustainably utilized just like any other marine resources, based on scientific evidence,” Hayashi told reporters. “It is also important to inherit Japan’s traditional food culture.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:11
Alarming White Spot Virus Discovery – Williamson
Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson says the positive detection of large traces of the white spot virus in wild-caught school prawns south of Ballina is a further blow to the commercial fishing industry. Mr Williamson says he understands the discovery of the white spot virus came from routine batch testing of wild-caught school prawns from the inshore ocean area south of Ballina off the Richmond River by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) “This is alarming as it is the first confirmed detection of white spot in wild school prawns in NSW directly collected from ocean waters, not associated with a white spot outbreak,” he said. “It has the potential to wipe-out our local prawn industry.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:06
Local fishers to benefit from extra post-Brexit fishing quota
Fishermen in Cornwall are set to be the first to benefit from extra post-Brexit fishing quota as part of new trial schemes announced by the government today. A community trial will give fishers in the region access to an extra 240 tonnes of quota, which will be leased to them at below market rates with priority given to new fishers and those looking to operate larger vessels. The trial, which is being delivered by the Cornish Fish Producer Organisation, Duchy Fish Quota Company, and Cornwall Council, will span stocks including cod, place, skate, rays and sole. Funds raised will be reinvested back into the scheme to support fishers in the trial through training in project management, monitoring and reporting and marketing and promotion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:52
Waters off Scotian Shelf are cooling while scientists wonder if decade-long warming trend is over
In recent years, warming temperatures have grabbed headlines, with record highs being set throughout the region. Recently, on the Scotian shelf, it has moved in the other direction. “It is really interesting,” Beazley said in a wharfside interview at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. “We did see a continuation of the trend that we observed in 2023, which was the temperatures are actually returning to normal or even below normal conditions in some areas. It’s getting cooler.” Since 2012, ocean temperatures off Nova Scotia at depth have been consistently warmer — by about two degrees above normal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:29
John Swinney urged to pursue ‘sensible’ policies for fishing
Fishing chiefs have urged the new first minster to “right the wrongs” of the Bute House Agreement and put their industry towards the top of his agenda. New SNP leader John Swinney will likely be sworn in as first minister this week. The appeal for a “reset” by his administration comes as the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) launches its inaugural Industry Trends and Attitudes Report. SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald told The Press and Journal she hopes to gain an early insight into how Mr. Swinney’s team will approach fishing later this week. The report also highlights an “existential challenge” for Scotland’s fishing fleet. And it warns of the dangers of a “spatial squeeze” caused by geographical and regulatory restrictions in the name of conservation and the proliferation of offshore wind farms in traditional fishing grounds. These threaten the livelihoods of “thousands of people in our coastal and island communities”, the report says. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:38
Better dynamics with switch to SYM7
Skippers David Gatt and Barry Reid of Scottish trawler Audacious are satisfied with the switch to a Scantrol SYM 7, away from the original winch control system on board. ‘It’s great to have more flexibility and control again, especially working different depths and bottom types,’ David Gatt said, adding that with turning has been improved and the winch operation is much smoother. ‘During turning the gear stays level and square when monitoring net sensors. We have better winch dynamics, we can see the winches operating more freely while fishing under various conditions and depths. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:22
Gulf fishermen’s livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice
Fishermen in the Gulf of Carpentaria were given two weeks notice that five gillnet-free zones will be implemented in their waters, in an announcement released by Queensland’s Agriculture Minister Mark Furner last Friday afternoon. Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen Association spokesperson Shawn McAtamney described the decision as flawed and disappointing, while Traeger MP Robbie Katter said it was an utter slap in the face to fishers who’d had their livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice. In addition to the impacts it will have, Mr. McAtamney said the haste with which it was pushed through was concerning. “It didn’t even go through parliamentary debate,” he said. “The Governor signed off on it, an archaic piece of colonial history.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Newbuild Joins Galicia’s Coastal Fleet
Galicia’s small-scale fleet is one of the oldest in Europe and the tendency year after year is to take out old units. There’s a continuous decline of this sector throughout Spain and few dare to take the step to build a new boat. However, there are still some brave ones – and Astilleros Polymade has just delivered F/V Novo Coralto its young owner. Although it is not yet at sea, the vessel is already attracting the attention of many fishermen and interested visitors to the port of Vigo. This is not so much because of its size, as it has small dimensions, but because this is a recent newbuild – something that, unfortunately, has become unusual. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
Warming waters in Casco Bay are driving herring farther from shore
The Gulf of Maine is warming three times faster than the average global ocean, driving some cold-water species like Atlantic herring, the preferred lobster bait — farther away from its shoreline spawning habitat earlier than usual and attracting species from warmer southern waters, including blue crab and black sea bass, a new survey found. The warmth is stressing some of Maine’s keystone fisheries, according to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s report on the Casco Bay ecosystem released recently. The report is the first time the institute took a longer, 10-year look at the pace of environmental changes and their effects on ecosystems close to shore. It found that warming waters related to climate change, along with human activities, ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms, are causing different behaviors in species that could hinder their ability to reproduce and thrive. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
Lorient fisherman has confidence in the future of fishing
The acquisition of a larger and more comfortable netter represents an upgrade for Lorient fisherman Christophe Audo, as he also plans to take a step back from fishing. The 23-metre, 8-metre beam Santa Anna Maria was built on the other side of the bay at the Bernard shipyard in Locmiquélic in 2004 and by acquiring this vessel as a replacement for the 17-metre, 1997-built Anna Mamm Mari, this is a step up to a way of operating that offers more opportunities. It’s an investment of approximately €2 million. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
Energy giant pays off fisherman blocking Wicklow wind farm
A fisherman from Co Wicklow has settled with an offshore wind developer in a landmark case expected to send waves through a renewable energy industry grappling with mounting legal challenges. Last May, Ivan Toole, whose fishing company operates out of Greystones, brought a judicial review on environmental grounds against the minister of state with responsibility for planning and local government over the granting of a foreshore licence to RWE, a German energy group and notice party in the case. The licence granted RWE the right to survey a section of sea off the east coast before applying for planning permission for its €1.5 billion offshore wind farm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:21
Trawler Race coming back to Brixham
Brixham’s famous trawler race came to an end a few years ago due to safety concerns, and it seemed like the end of an era – but it’ll be back next year, although there are some changes. The newly reformed Port of Brixham Trawler Event Association has announced that after months of negotiations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, compromises have been reached that will enable the Trawler Event to go ahead in 2025. One of the concessions is that the participating vessels carry a reduced number of passengers during the event. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:21
Three groups are suing New Jersey to block an offshore wind farm
Three anti-wind power groups are suing New Jersey to overturn a key environmental approval for a wind energy farm planned off the coast of Long Beach Island. Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ filed suit in appellate court on April 26 challenging a determination by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that the Atlantic Shores wind farm project meets the requirements of a federal coastal protection law. Bruce Afran, an attorney for the groups, said the state’s “approval flies in the face of the federal regulator’s environmental impact statement that says the Atlantic Shores project will damage marine habitat, compress and harden the seafloor, damage marine communities, compromise migration corridors for endangered species, and cause commercial fishing stocks to decline.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:05
Offshore wind is gearing up to bulldoze the ocean
The Biden Administration has recently produced a wave of plans and regulatory actions aimed at building a monstrous amount of destructive offshore wind. No environmental impact assessment is included. Time scales range from tomorrow to 2050. Here is a quick look at some of it, starting with the Grand Plan. “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Offshore Wind” is the grandiose title of the Energy Department’s version of Biden’s vision. Their basic idea is that having successfully traversed the unexpected cost crisis, offshore wind is ready to take off. This offshore bulldozer must be stopped before it is too late. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:03
Plymouth Trawler Agents tells fishing fleet it will cease trading
Plymouth’s long-standing fish auctioneer is to cease trading this month after 29 years. Sutton Harbour-based Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd has written to Plymouth’s fishing fleet to say its final auction will be on May 17. Owners and skippers are being urged to find other markets for their catch now. In a letter signed by company secretary Alison Pessell on behalf of the firm’s board, she said: “It is with regret and sadness that the directors of Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd announce the company will cease trading on Friday, May 17. Our final auction, weather permitting, will be on May 17 after which you will receive your final settling in the usual fashion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:03
Midcoast man again charged with violating Maine’s baby eel fishing laws
A Waldoboro man who nine years ago was convicted of tax evasion and underreporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in eel fishing income has been charged again with violating Maine’s elver fishing laws. Paul J. Griffin Jr., 52, has been charged with selling juvenile eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, for cash, which is a violation of laws implemented in 2013. Despite the recent charges against Griffin and a handful of others, Maine has had a relatively low number of similar violations for the past decade. It’s been a different story across the border in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where an alleged spree of elver poaching prompted Canada to shut down the fishery this spring. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
The fishing boat tragedy that rocked a community
Nine fishermen left Peterhead on the boat Quiet Waters in March 1954. None of them came home. The boat sank and their deaths devastated their families and shocked the north-east fishing community. Among those on board was my grandfather Billy Buchan, who was 29 when he died. My mum was just a baby when she lost him. On the 70th anniversary of the tragedy she was given flowers, evidence that our community still remembers an event which shook my town and left that little girl without her dad. Fishing trawler Quiet Waters was only a few months old when she left Peterhead, bound for North Sea herring grounds nearly 200 miles (322km) away. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:40
What Canada can learn from Maine’s approach to the lucrative baby eel fishery
Authorities in Maine say they have figured out how to regulate a fishery that is so out of control in Canada, the federal government has shut it down this year — the third shutdown in five years — putting 1,100 people out of work. Baby eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, are generally fished in rivers and streams in Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and a handful of Caribbean islands. They’re shipped live to Asia, where they’re grown to maturity and eaten — the dish is so popular it led to overfishing in Japan and Europe, leaving seafood wholesalers looking to Canada. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:07
