Category Archives: International
Fishing industry challenges from windfarms
Fishing in Dumfries and Galloway faces challenges because offshore windfarms are risking “squeezing out” the sector, according to the region’s MP. Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper raised the issue in Westminster last week, highlighting how floating offshore wind is just one of the sectors affecting the fishing industry. This is because you cannot fish between offshore turbines, and their seabed infrastructure is another impediment. During a Westminster Hall debate on fishing, he praised the vital contribution of fishing – mainly centred largely on scallops, lobster and crab worth millions – to coastal communities across Dumfries and Galloway. He said: “Fisherman are criticised as voracious plunderers – when really they are cautious custodians of the sea. “It took sterling work from my colleague Finlay Carson MSP to stave off the threat of the loss of livelihood for static gear fishermen along the Solway Coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
Maine startup turns invasive green crabs into popular restaurant fare
In his days as a York High School marine science teacher, Mike Masi would educate his students about green crabs and other invasive species in the Gulf of Maine. Nowadays, Masi and a former student catch green crabs and sell them as food to high end restaurants and bait to commercial fishermen. Masi, a diver, fisherman and member of the York Shellfish Commission, and Sam Sewall, an eighth-generation lobsterman and Masi’s old student, are the co-founders of York-based Shell + Claw, a business devoted to the study and commercial harvesting of green crabs. The two founded the business in 2020 and have sold green crabs for the last three years, putting in long hours of work to further their knowledge of the crustacean’s impact on local marine life. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:49
Norway, EU and UK conclude 2025 fisheries deal
A tripartite agreement on quotas and management of joint North Sea stocks has been reached between Norway, the EU and the UK. ‘I am satisfied that we have a fisheries agreement with the EU and Britain. The agreement we have now entered into means that we agree on quotas for stocks we manage together in the North Sea and is important for all three parties. The agreement contributes to sustainable management,’ says Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss. The parties also agree to continue closing the spawning grounds for cod in 2025. The closures will take place in the first quarter. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:07
“THE FISH THIEF: A Great Lakes Mystery”
“THE FISH THIEF,” narrated by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons, delves into the extraordinary effort to uncover the cause of a devastating environmental crisis. Was it overfishing, pollutants, or something else? Scientists on both sides of the border worked tirelessly to solve the mystery. In a dramatic eleventh-hour breakthrough, they discovered the true culprit: the invasive sea lamprey. This notorious predator arrived in the Great Lakes in the early twentieth century, triggering an ecological crisis and nearly wiping out populations of lake trout, whitefish, and other cornerstone species. The impact reverberated across the region, ruining local industries, damaging small town economies and indigenous communities, and destroying the livelihoods of people on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border. A dedicated group of international scientists, policymakers, and conservationists banded together in a race against time to address this ecological invasion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:42
The largest offshore wind energy farm causes shock: The strange effect caused by one of its turbines
The Dogger Bank Wind Farm, planned to be the largest offshore wind farm worldwide, recently became the news headline, but not in the way expected. Notably, a recent major failure of turbines has caused people to pay attention to the project and ask questions. On August 22, a catastrophic blade failure was experienced on one of the turbines at the Dogger Bank A section, which is still under construction. GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the turbines, said that this failure was not due to installation or manufacturing defects but occurred during the commissioning process. The Dogger Bank incident is similar to a blade problem in the year at a turbine owned by GE Vernova in the United States. These recurrent problems indicate that manufacturers and engineers must enhance the installation procedure and working standards to achieve turbine durability. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:445
DFO poised to shake up fishery for tiny eels in ‘devastating’ blow to licence holders
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is poised to impose a major shakeup on the lucrative but problem-plagued Maritime fishery for juvenile eels, stripping most commercial operations of nearly all their quota and handing it to individual fishermen and First Nations. In a letter Thursday, the department proposes that six licence holders, many of which pioneered the industry and slogged through years of low prices before the recent boom, will lose 80 to 90 per cent of the quota they fished before 2022. The remaining three will see cuts of about 60 per cent. “The minister and DFO has taken this fishery, which has provided great-paying jobs and community support for decades, and they’ve basically destroyed it,” said Stanley King, whose company Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd. will lose 81 per cent of its quota. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:57
The Truth Behind the Menu: Study finds widespread mislabeled shrimp in Coast restaurants
Docked shrimp boats, and empty factories. It’s a sight many in the shrimp industry are dealing with because of the imports flooding the market. “It’s really hard to stay in business, and to stay afloat,” says Ocean Springs Seafood Market Inc. Vice President Bethany Fayard. And it doesn’t help that restaurants are still advertising imported shrimp as domestic. “It’s a dying industry. We have let imports basically hurt the fisherman in Mississippi,” says State Representative Brent Anderson. A seafood consulting group known as SeaD was asked by an unnamed organization to look into this issue. The results were not entirely shocking to Fayard and Anderson, who both push for stricter labeling laws in the state. “In Biloxi, we have a situation which we weren’t coming in to test for, but we discovered quite rapidly, and that is the mislabeling of the Royal Red Shrimp,” says SeaD CEO David Williams. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
Ocean City continues with lawsuit following US Wind receiving final approval
US Wind, Inc. announced Tuesday that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has granted final approval for the company’s Construction and Operations Plan, completing the federal permitting process for its offshore wind project. However, the project has faced significant opposition from the Ocean City community and other local organizations. The Town of Ocean City, joined by groups such as the Worcester County Commissioners, Coastal Association of Realtors and the Commercial and Recreational Fishing Industry, say they will continue to move forward with a lawsuit against BOEM to challenge its approval of US Wind’s project. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:41
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 49′ Fiberglass Gillnetter/Lobster Boat w/ Permits, Cat 3406B
To review specifications, information, and 7 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:10
Crabby start to southwestern N.S. lobster season
Jonah crabs instead of lobster have been filling traps set by many southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishermen fishing in lobster fishing area 34 the first week of the season. “Across the board, we’re hearing a massive biomass of female Jonah crab right now is loading up a lot of the traps, which is a pain for the crew,” says Heather Mulock, executive director of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “It’s always discouraging to see traps full of something you don’t want. One of the biggest concerns this year is the amount of crab.” Mulock said it’s not unusual for crews to have some crabs in their traps, but this year is different. “I’ve talked with enough fishermen, some who have been fishing 30 or 40 years, and they have never seen this much crab in their entire fishing career, so things are changing. Hopefully, this is another anomaly for LFA 34,” she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:31
Offshore industry hails LED scallop fishing drive
The Offshore Wind Industry Council has welcomed plans to fund a new environmentally friendly method of catching scallops – using underwater LED lights. It is one of five projects announced by the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC) as part of its 2024 funding round, and the aim is to enable more diversified fishing around offshore wind farms. The 18-month project will explore ways to co-locate scallop fisheries and offshore wind farms together, using alternative fishing methods to the traditional practice of dredging along the seabed which disturbs marine habitats and species. These will now be rolled out at a regional level by fishing crews in Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby who fish around and within offshore windfarms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:20
‘Stricken’ Devon fishing industry faces ‘labyrinth’ of red tape
The government has been urged to overhaul visa regulations for overseas workers as a way of helping the ‘stricken’ Devon fishing industry. It’s claimed the trade, which is one of the county’s highest-profile industries, faces a ‘labyrinth’ of red tape. The port of Brixham currently lands fish of the highest value, but the area’s MP has told a top-level debate on the industry that fishing communities need help urgently. Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden, told a meeting at Westminster Hall that promises made in the run-up to a ‘botched’ Brexit had been broken, and an avalanche of red tape had since engulfed the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:20
Fisheries Officers Strike Over Safety Concerns
Fisheries Officers across NSW have begun industrial action over safety concerns after a number of violent incidents where they were shot at, threatened with knives and baseball bats and had cars driven at them. The Officers are demanding they’re issued with protective equipment like stab-proof vests and capsicum spray. Fisheries Officers are now avoiding certain areas and individuals at the very time fears have emerged that crooks, poachers and organised criminals like outlaw bikie gangs have taken over the state’s rivers, oceans and estuaries and are now plundering valuable species like abalone and rock lobster. Without direct Police assistance on operations the Officers are now refusing to complete inspections of commercial trawlers at nighttime. The Department of Primary Industries, which employs Fisheries Officers, attempted to force them back into dangerous night work earlier this week by applying to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission but the Commission refused to make such an order. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:38
Legendary fisherman and seafarer Bill Coleman from Whitstable dies aged 95
The last of Kent’s traditional oyster fishermen has died aged 95. Described as a “legend” by his fellow Whitstable seafarers, Bill Coleman is also credited with saving a rare sailing yawl, built in 1906, which became his working boat. Bill was born in the town in 1929 where, as a boy, he would hunt rabbits and wildfowl, often from a punt he rowed along the shore. It was while working as a shipwright at the Anderson, Rigden and Perkins shipyard, that he came across the yawl Gamecock in 1963 which was due to be broken up. He set about restoring the 43ft craft on a shoestring with any materials he could lay his hands on, including an old lorry tarpaulin, with which he taught himself sailmaking. Then, for four decades, he and his crew, including Andy Kennedy, Alan Grafham and Brian Hadler, went dredging for oysters. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:12
With Trump, New Bedford’s fishermen hope for better times
A cold wind cut across New Bedford harbor as Jim Kendall, a retired scallop boat captain, surveyed the city’s main fishing pier. Many of the boats sat idle, while a few crew members cleaned their decks and repaired equipment. Kendall remembers how busy these docks used to be years ago, when there were fewer regulations and closures, and fishermen could head out most days of the year. Now, “if you can fish, say, 60 days a year, you’re doing pretty damn good,” he said. New Bedford is the most valuable commercial fishing port in the country, landing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of seafood every year. But Kendall said bringing in that haul is getting harder, and the margins tighter. He blames Washington, and specifically the Democratic party, for the change in fortunes. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:14
How Jake Anderson Lost the F/V Saga on ‘Deadliest Catch’
As proven in the 20 seasons of Deadliest Catch, nothing is for certain. Things can change on a whim, and security is something not to take for granted. Fan-favorite Jake Anderson has learned this the hard way. After putting everything into the F/V Saga, Jake suddenly lost control of the boat he part-owned when he was served a repossession note. With the timing coinciding with the Red King Crab fishery reopening and a derby-style race underway, Jake was essentially lost at sea. Captain Jake Anderson has been a staple on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch since 2007. When he started in the industry nearly 18 years ago, he began working as a greenhorn on the F/V Northwestern. Through his time in the industry, Jake has tried his hand at every job in his career, ranging from deckhand, deck boss, engineer, captain, and vessel owner. With his focus mainly on the operations side at the helm of F/V Saga, Jake’s world was turned upside down. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:18
$5.4 million to further innovative research and outreach in support of the lobster industry and fishing communities
The American lobster fishery and American lobster fishery in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England continue to face uncertainties due to environmental and socio-economic changes. Such challenges underscore the need for continued research and engagement to not only understand the fishery’s current state but also prepare for its future state. Since 2019, Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative has addressed critical knowledge gaps about the American lobster and its fishery facing a dynamic and changing environment. The Initiative supports a regional extension program in the Northeast and a national research competition. Fifteen emerging research projects were selected in 2023 and 2024 for $4.6 million in federal funding by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. The projects were chosen through a competitive process, including review by subject matter experts, and require at least a 50-percent match in non-federal funds. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:03
Toxic Blade Time Bomb
We have documented the threats of industrial wind turbines to both soil and water in their pre and post-construction phases, not to mention birds, bats, insects, and humans. But not enough has been said about the serious environmental threat of “blade shedding.” This is erosion that occurs primarily on the edge of turbine blades as they are exposed to the elements. And it is far from benign: “Microplastic shedding from turbine blades, known as Leading Edge Erosion, is a great concern to manufacturers who are forced to repair the damage that occurs after only a couple of years. The particles eroded from blades include epoxy which is 40% Bisphenol-A (BPA), a frequently banned endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin. Academic research has shown the potential for 137 pounds of epoxy microparticles to be shed per turbine per year.” Mark Twichell, Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie, October 29, 2022, The Buffalo News more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:32
Rubber barons: Weirdly fashionable and always functional rubber boots
Winter is the time of year when conversations turn to footwear with good traction on icy surfaces. Regardless of the season, however, rubber boots are popular with Southeasterners year-round. XtraTufs are now an emblem of belonging and identify the wearer as a bona fide outdoor Alaskan. The distinctive sole pattern, patented in 1972 by William Gottlieb of Davenport, Iowa, is believed to provide excellent stability on slick surfaces such as fishing boat decks, harbor docks and icy trails. Occasionally the boots are worn with the upper portion folded over to expose the liner and presumably make the wearer’s legs cooler. That interior exposure helped rubber boots become a fashion statement as well as essential footwear due to recent embellishment with designer linings. No longer just for working and playing, they have long been the preferred footwear for locals regardless of the weather. Occasionally they are worn in formal settings, even by brides on their wedding day. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:40
Carmichael leads backbench fisheries debate
Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has called for he termed “the modern gangsters of the sea” to be tackled more effectively by the UK’s marine enforcement agencies. His comments came after a German registered/Spanish owned gill netter, well known to local fishermen, were handed heavy fines by an Irish court for breaching fisheries legislation. The Orkney and Shetland MP led a three hour fisheries debate in parliament on Friday, which raised a wide range of issues important to the sector. Carmichael described the F/V Pesorsa Dos and [French long liner] F/V Antonio Maria as “notorious examples” engaged in dangerous behaviour towards local fishing vessels in the waters around Shetland in recent years. However, efforts by the local industry and the Northern Isles MP to get Marine Scotland, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as the UK Government to act were largely unsuccessful. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:51
Climate change makes winners and losers out of cod and snow crab, says scientist
A team of scientists used modelling to look into the effects of climate change on three Grand Banks fish species. They anticipate that warmer waters could lead to biomass declines for snow crab and yellowtail flounder but gains for Atlantic cod. “That’s one thing that we see when we’re looking at the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and oceans, is that there are winners and losers. So it’s not as though everything is going to be negatively impacted,” said Tyler Eddy, a scientist with Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Species that thrive or struggle in these scenarios will depend on their thermal preferences and changes in a region, he said, adding a specific species might also leave a region to follow their preferred temperature. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:06
Trawlerman Jimmy Buchan: I earned £12 fishing 6 days a week at 14
Jimmy Buchan appeared in the Bafta-winning BBC series Trawlermen (2006-10) and published his memoir, Trawlerman: Life at the Helm of the Toughest Job in Britain, in 2011. The former skipper of Amity II has 40 years’ experience of North Sea fishing and has been running his own seafood supply company, Amity Fish, since 2019. Now 64, he is the chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association and still lives in his home town of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, with his wife, Irene. They have two grown-up daughters, Jenna and Amy. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:29
Continuation of lobster quality and moult survey very important to southwestern NS industry
Every fall since 2005, in advance of the commercial lobster fishery opening in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 33 and 34, a scientific survey has been conducted in the waters around southwestern Nova Scotia. “The overall objective of the Atlantic Lobster Moult and Quality (ALMQ) Survey is to develop an ongoing monitoring program, based on biological indicators of moult-timing, quality and environmental conditions, to predict the quality of lobsters at the start of the lobster seasons in LFAs 33 and 34,” says Heather Mulock, executive director of the Coldwater Lobster Association. “The data collected is used to establish a framework for adaptation decision-making for the lobster sector, including ensuring better product marketability, live storage, and international shipping valuation.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
Launched as Sweet Promise A 746 in 1965, this Noble’s-built stalwart, Tern LH 53, has clocked up almost 60 years’ service
The 33ft Tern, which today is based at Port Seton, was built in 1965 by Jimmy Noble as Sweet Promise A 746 for Robbie Cormack and Ian Balgowan of Stonehaven, at a cost of £6,000. At the time she was unique, said Ian, as she had a wheelhouse amidships with a winch behind. According to the Noble build lists, she was built for ‘Mr Cormack’ – but she was originally registered to Ian. Gordon told me he imagined she had been built for the boatbuilder’s son, as ‘she was built like a brick shithouse, larch on oak’. The frames were so close together, he said, that back aft on the return you could not see the planks. Gordon continued: “She was tough as they come, so I rigged her for scallops with three dredges each side and worked mainly in Falmouth Bay, away from the Looe fleet, close inshore. Best catch was just over 800 dozen for a trip. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:44
Donegal fishermen frustrated as general election looms: ‘We are the fish basket of Europe, yet we’re the poor relation’
This should be the busiest time of year. Pelagic fish, the species found near the surface of the ocean, are most plentiful in the North Atlantic from late autumn to early summer. The season peaks either side of Christmas, but every fishing vessel is tied up at the pier. Local fisherman Denis Carbery landed 1,100 tonnes of mackerel last month from his trawler, Lauren, and that was it for the year; he will not take to sea again until January. Charlie Doherty’s fishing vessel Áine has not gone to sea since March because of quotas. It’s an impressive vessel, just seven years old. Doherty is scathing of all the political parties, wondering why there are no Irish MEPs on the EU fisheries committee while Hungary, a landlocked country, has representatives on it. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:38
‘A lot of anxiety’: N.L. seafood industry will see big hit if Trump follows through with tariffs
President-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat is worrying people in Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry. More than 60 per cent of the province’s seafood is sold in the United States. “There’s certainly a lot of anxiety right now in the seafood industry, and I’m no exception,” said Labrador Gem Seafoods’ president Danny Dumaresque in an interview with The Telegram on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Trump said in a social media post Monday night that on his first day in office, he would impose the tariffs until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs such as fentanyl from entering the U.S. “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
South Carolina shrimpers applaud decision to impose duties on shrimp imported from four countries
South Carolina shrimpers are celebrating the U.S. International Trade Commission’s recent decision to crack down on frozen shrimp imports from four countries. The ITC voted in favor of issuing countervailing duties on frozen, warm-water shrimp imports from Ecuador, India, and Vietnam after the U.S. Department of Commerce determined those governments were illegally subsidizing the industry. “We’re grateful because it’s an acknowledgment of what we feel and we experience in the industry and we see on a daily basis,” said Bryan Jones, a first-generation shrimper who lives in McClellanville. Jones serves as vice president of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association and was among a group of commercial fishermen who testified before the ITC in Washington, D.C. in October. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:20
Dumping day begins in southwestern Nova Scotia with calm conditions
Dumping day began with much fanfare in southwestern Nova Scotia early Tuesday morning. Fireworks signaled the start of the commercial lobster season in Sambro, with loved ones waving goodbye from the wharf where crowds gathered to see the fishers off. “It’s an exciting morning, we always all come down and watch the fireworks, as they go out, it’s a pretty big day for everybody,” said Briana Beaver, whose partner is a fisher. Dumping day for lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 is typically the final Monday of November, but there was a one-day delay this year due to rough weather. While conditions were calm Tuesday, boats that work in LFA 34, which extends from Shelburne County around the southwest coast of the province, were allowed to leave a bit earlier at 5 a.m. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:30
New England labor unions call for faster offshore wind buildout
“We looked at the way this industry was starting to develop and thought to ourselves: How can we work as a labor movement to make sure we’re making this an industry that is not only going to benefit the climate but benefit our members?” (read the report) said Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which represents roughly 900,000 union members across the three states. Crowley and the AFL-CIO partnered with the Climate Jobs National Resource Center and unions in Massachusetts and Connecticut to put together the new report, which outlines how the industry can expand with organized labor at the forefront. To begin with, the union report suggests that the states aim higher for their offshore wind goals in order to boost the region’s economy and take full advantage of their unique access to wind. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:25
Devon fishermen left feeling ‘betrayed’ by Brexit
Devon fishermen are claimed to have been left feeling ‘betrayed’ by Brexit – something they originally thought would benefit them. South Devon MP Caroline Voaden told the House of Commons the fishermen “face a landscape filled with uncertainty, rather than the bright, sunlit uplands they were promised”. The Liberal Democrat MP, whose constituency includes Brixham, was speaking during a debate on fishing policy. Brixham, she said, was the most valuable port in England and Wales in terms of catch landed, recording £60 million in fish sales last year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
