Canada’s top chefs should offer seal meat on their menus as part of the battle against Russian propaganda as well as celebrities who have spoken out against the seal hunt, a senate committee heard. At the same hearing, independent Senator Bev Busson suggested mega-singing star Taylor Swift might be used to convince young people to chow down on seal. But animal rights activists say claims that Russian propaganda is behind the problems of Canada’s seal industry is a bizarre conspiracy theory. Instead, they point to the ban by 35 nations on commercial seal products as the real reason the industry has declined. The ban, however, hasn’t stopped some from looking for new ways to revive the commercial seal industry. more. >>click to read<< 11:33
Category Archives: International
Tourism, Indigenous groups welcome WA’s South Coast Marine Park, but opposition from commercial fishers
The Western Australian government has proposed closing a quarter of waters between Bremer Bay and the South Australian border to all fishing under its new south coast marine park plan. The proposed park will span 1,000 kilometres of coastline, with the aquatic activities allowed in some areas unchanged, others reduced, and some banned altogether. Manue Daniels has been fishing commercially from Esperance with her family for 15 years. She said the consultation process had been long, frustrating and taken a toll on her mental health. Ms Daniles said she still hoped the government would do the right thing. “I think it just shows that this government puts no value towards what we do. We are just second-class citizens,” she said. more, >>click to read<< 14:55
Maine lobster industry reacts to right whale found entangled in rope
Maine’s lobster industry is responding following the discovery of a dead North Atlantic right whale near Martha’s Vineyard last month. According to federal authorities, the whale was entangled in fishing rope, including portions traced back to Maine. While NOAA has yet to determine the exact cause of the whale’s demise, Maine lobstermen are fearing potential blame. “They’re going to say that the rope, you know, caused harm to the whale, and over time, it just was a very slow death,” said John Drouin, a Lobsterman from Cutler with over 40 years of experience. The incident marks the first documented interaction between a right whale and Maine fishing gear in over two decades. more, >>click to read<< 11:49
Heartbreak for young fisherman after lad’s boat found dashed on rocks
Tragedy struck for a young Cornish fisherman after his boat was found dashed to pieces on rocks after drifting away on high tide. Antony Newcombe, 13 and from Cawsand, began selling fresh fish and crabs he had caught “with no carbon foot print on Cawsand beach”. The young fisherman had hoped to sell enough to upgrade to a bigger vessel this year. At high tide a few days ago, Anthony’s boat, along with another vessel, reportedly floated off during high-tide, according to a digital fundraiser. “After a search for a few days his boat was finally found; sadly smashed into many pieces on the local rocks. Of course, this didn’t just leave Antony’s boat devastated but him too,” the GoFundMe page reads. more, >>click to read<< 11:38
Hull people petition for Arctic Corsair to be permanently berthed in St Andrew’s Dock, not ‘concreted into city centre’
The historic vessel, Hull’s last sidewinder trawler, is set to be a dry-berthed visitor attraction at the currently developing North End Shipyard, off Dock Office Row, in the city. She is expected to be open to the public, restored to her former glory, in early 2025. The petition calls for the placing of Hull’s heritage ship Arctic Corsair at St Andrew’s Lockpits. The introduction to the petition says: “Hull Trawler Heritage – Hull City Council plan to berth the Arctic Corsair, Hull’s heritage museum vessel, on the River Hull near Hull city centre. “We the petitioners believe she should be permanently berthed in Hull’s St Andrew’s Dock Lockpits, her natural home. Sign this petition immediately if you believe she should be brought home to Bullnose before she gets concreted into the city centre.” more, >>click to read<< 09:40
Warren, Markey and Keating demand answers from Blue Harvest owners
“After years of putting private equity profits ahead of workers and small businesses, Bregal Partners — which owned and stripped Blue Harvest of its assets — owes the community an explanation,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep Bill Keating. They each signed the joint letter addressed to Gene Yoon, managing partner of Bregal Partners, which owned 89.5% of New Bedford-based seafood giant Blue Harvest Fisheries prior to the company declaring bankruptcy in September of 2023. “Bregal’s actions with respect to Blue Harvest have left local small businesses and workers holding the bag after your firm spent years price gouging, mistreating workers, saddling consumers with junk fees, and stripping assets,” the letter continued. “Your actions have harmed New England’s fishing industry and left over 1,000 independent contractors, businesses, and other creditors saddled with debt.” more, >>click to read<< 07:18
Dunbar: Lifeboatman Alistair Punton recognised for 30 years of service
A lifeboat volunteer recognized for 30 years of service has vowed he has no plans to retire. Alistair Punton was recently presented with a medal to honour his three decades with Dunbar RNLI. The 64-year-old revealed that his first callout actually took place before he had officially signed up. He said: “I’d spent a lot of time on boats – I’d had little cabin cruisers of my own and been on fishing boats – so the coxswain at the time, Noel Wight, invited me to join them at North Berwick’s lifeboat day that year. He said: “I’m not ready to retire – as long as I’m passed medically fit and my line manager agrees I can stay on.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:12
Valentine’s call on Government to prove it loves the Fishing Industry
Patrick Murphy, CEO of Irish South and West Fisheries Producers and Aontú’s Ireland South candidate for the EU elections says that Ireland’s rich marine resources, and those who work in them, deserved to be loved. “The Springtime is the optimum time for our government to roll out an information campaign on the benefits of eating fish. Lighter brighter days not only influence our spirits, but also our eating habits. The Government should tap into this and put some of the huge amounts of money it has to good and practical use”. “Repeated studies show the benefits of eating fish; it is one of the most complete foods we have, full of minerals, vitamins that we need for our bodies and minds, it is easy to cook, it’s versatile, it truly is an incredible food”. more, >>click to read<< 14:23
Southern Shrimp Alliance Submits Comments Opposing Request by Government of Vietnam to be Treated as a Market Economy
Over the objection of a large and diverse group of American industries and producers, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is currently conducting an administrative proceeding to determine whether Vietnam should Government of Vietnam a market economy for the purposes of our antidumping duty laws. Commerce’s current practice treats Vietnam as a non-market economy (NME) and applies special rules to address the distortions caused by the government of Vietnam’s control over the country’s economy. Under these special rules, Vietnamese shrimp exporters that are controlled by the government are subject to a 25.76 percent antidumping duty rate. more, >>click to read<< 11:23
Our Fragile Oceans: Is It Too Late to Rethink Floating Wind Turbine Power Off Our California Coastline?
On January 24, 2024, Democrat Congressman Jared Huffman gave a speech in Humboldt County applauding the securing of $426 million federal grant dollars for the establishment of floating wind farming turbines off the Humboldt County coastline. Local leaders, commissions, private and public businesses, and the indigenous community seemed to be onboard. East coast fishermen recently have been battling the establishment of wind powered generators along their coastline. Many claim that these wind turbines will effectively ruin the oceanic fisheries along the east coast of the United States. One also must question the ultimate expanse of such an infrastructure rollout. That said, my preliminary ballpark calculations (with a continuous high level of efficiency of the turbine units) could only provide a range of 0.7% to 3.0% of the needs of California households (under the current grants) and that would exclude any commercial usage. more, >>click to read<< by Jeff Wyles 11:43
Uncharted Waters: The Hunkin Family’s Fight for Their Ancestral Fishing Trade
For 14 generations, the Hunkin family has braved the unpredictable waters off the Cornish coast, weaving their lives into the rhythm of the sea. But now, a sudden shift in government regulations has forced this storied fishing family to abandon their ancestral trade. As of January 1, 2024, the pollack catch quota has been set to zero, save for a minuscule by-catch allowance, leaving the Hunkins – and many like them – grappling with an uncertain future. Daniel Hunkin, the latest in a long line of seafarers, laments the lack of notice and communication from the government. “We relied on pollack for more than half our annual income,” he says, “We’ve had to sell our boats and face an uncertain future.” more, >>click to read<< 07:07
Fisheries minister says seal is the new lobster
“When properly prepared, it is delicious,” said Lebouthillier at a Senate Fisheries Committee (SFC) meeting. When it comes to seal meat, Lebouthillier called for it to be exploited. “Making it a consumer product is a priority,” she said. “We did it with lobster.” With regulators, she said they must “use this acquired experience.” This means they do not need to reinvent the wheel. The Senate Fisheries Committee sought new markets for seal products since sales collapsed under a 2009 European Union export ban. The trade at its peak in 2006 was worth $34.3 million per year. more, >>click to read<< 11:40
Cornwall family put boat up for sale after 300 years at sea
A family that has been fishing off the coast of Cornwall for 14 generations said they have quit the industry due to new government regulations. The Hunkin family, from Mevagissey, have been fishing for about 300 years, since the reign of King George I. However, on 1 January 2024 the pollack catch quota was set to zero, apart from a small by-catch allowance, in order to preserve stocks. Daniel Hunkin said he and others had since put their boats up for sale. More, He said the crew relied on pollack for more than half their annual income and he was worried for the industry as a whole. more, >>click to read<< 08:06
The Fishing Vessel of the Future
Project Octopus, the brainchild of Walter van Harberden, naval architect and one of the directors of Padmos, is more than just a fishing vessel. It is a vessel powered by a diesel-electric engine but could be entirely electric or powered by another energy source in the future. This could be possible thanks to its ‘modular’ structure. In concrete terms, the boat will have a basic hull with removable containers in which batteries or hydrogen can be stored. This principle of modularity will also enable the vessel to be versatile, so that it can be used for purposes other than fishing. ‘When the fishing season is over, we can replace the containers for storing fish with containers for other types of equipment,’ explains Walter van Harberden. Like a real octopus, the vessel will have several strings to its bow. It can be adapted to different fishing techniques: fly-shooter, single trawl or twin rig trawl. Photos, more, >>click to read<<
Why it’s crucial that my generation remembers the men who were lost on the Fishing Trawler Gaul
I come from a long line of people who worked at sea. At the age of 16, my dad followed in his own dad’s footsteps. My other grandad was a ship’s welder. Growing up, when my dad was at home in his month off the ships, he would drag me anywhere and everywhere that had something to do with Hull’s maritime history: the Arctic Corsair, the Marina, The Deep. “You should’ve seen it in its prime, before the cod wars and her,” he would say. “Her” being Margaret Thatcher. One thing that I was never told about back then, understandably, was the danger of working at sea. Dad would only tell me about the glories of travelling the world and the comradery among the crew. It’s only now that I’m older and have started to look into Hull’s history for myself that that I understand why it was one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. more, >>click to read<< 06:42
Baffling mystery of tragic trawler that sank killing 36 – as heartbroken families demand answers 50 years on
The fishing trawler Gaul went missing during a fierce storm in the Barents Sea half a century ago in what remains Britain’s worst trawler disaster. The families of the missing seamen from the Hull area endured an agonizing wait for news on the morning of February 9, 1974. The fact that it took 23-years to find the trawler fuelled speculation about the disaster which claimed so many lives. The families of the victims spent years trying to establish why the trawler sank. The Gaul sank during the height of the Cold War and it was common knowledge that the security services had used trawlers to carry out spying missions in the 1960s. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:22
Irish fishermen fury over ‘unbelievable and outrageous’ secret EU deal talks to give Iceland access to our waters
Irish fishermen are up in arms over secret EU talks to give Iceland access to our fishing waters. Our trawlermen are being allocated an extra 15 million Blue Whiting quota this year on condition that Icelandic crews can fish here. The Irish Government claims the talks are “informal” and nothing has been decided yet. But Aodh O’Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) blasted that they must fight for our fishing industry the way other EU member states do. “They are not an EU member. How is this a fair deal? “Are we getting to catch around 15 million of extra fish in Iceland or EU waters for this deal? No. more, >>click to read<< 19:21
A report has concluded the sinking of a Cadgwith based fishing boat caused by extensive modifications
Skipper Brett Jose and crewman Callum Hardwick were rescued after an ordeal in which Mr Jose had to escape through the wheelhouse window as the 25 foot crabbed suddenly heeled over and capsized. Following the sinking in November 2022 a Crowdfunder was launched by the Cadgwith community to buy a new boat for the pair. The Crig-A-Tana had been fitted with a new wheelhouse, engine, safety kit and deck equipment with the help of Government grants but all had been approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:18
The story of the Gaul trawler tragedy, 50 years on
On January 22, 1974, the Gaul – a deep sea factory ship designed for long trips – set sail from Hull for Norwegian fishing grounds. At some time in the night of February 8-9, the trawler went down in heavy seas north of Norway, with the loss of all hands. It was later described as “the worst ever single-trawler tragedy”. At the time of the disappearance, mystery surrounded the fate of the trawler. No mayday signal had been received and it was only when the vessel failed to report in that alarm bells were raised. Stuart Russell, who was working on the Hull Daily Mail’s news desk, recalled how there was uncertainty from the outset. As with other trawler tragedies, the Mail got a crew list from the ship owners and the reporters went out to visit the relatives. more, >>click to read<< 06:26
Orsted, months after a $4 billion write-off on offshore wind, decides to cut jobs, halt dividends, and quit several markets
Orsted has struggled to keep its promising wind projects alive in recent times. High costs tied to Inflation, elevated interest rates, and supply crunches took a toll on Orsted as it wrote off $4 billion linked to two large New Jersey wind projects in October. At the time, the company described America as the “most painful part of its portfolio” that it would have to make that hard decision of de-risking from—a blow for President Joe Biden’s administration that had pinned great hopes to the country’s investment in green energy. more, >> click to read<< 12:13
Catch-22 on the Baltic: The Twilight of Poland’s Coastal Fishermen
Antoni Struck looks like a casting director’s idea of a fisherman. He also looks very much unlike those members of the Association of Polish Coastal Fishermen who tend to wear a fancy watch and drive a nice set of wheels. In fact, when the Association meets in the local town hall, some of the attendees look less like fishermen and more like businessmen who happen to have a stake in fisheries. Struck sits through these meetings in his unbranded workwear and sturdy boots, arms folded stubbornly across his chest, looking as though he has just stepped off his boat and is in no mood to be pushed around. “A man can put up with a lot of things,” he is fond of saying. “But he needs to know just one thing: what it is for.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:18
Peterhead landings hit new record
With £232 million worth of catches traded across its quaysides, Peterhead set a new record for fish landings in 2023. This smashes the 2022 figure of £220 million, which was also a modern era record, by a comfortable margin, and cements Peterhead’s position as the largest fisheries port in Europe. ‘It was a very successful year for landings, with a notable increase in pelagic landings due to the economic link which is more than compensating for a decline in shellfish landings,’ said Peter Duncan, Peterhead Port Authority’s Head of Fishing – Commercial. In recent years PPA has invested over £50 million in an ultra-modern fish market and quayside improvements that allow for vessels to land at all states of the tide. more, >>click to read<< 07:46
Can Taylor Swift help Canada’s seal meat industry, senate committee asks
Canada’s top chefs should offer seal meat on their menus as part of the battle against Russian propaganda as well as celebrities who have spoken out against the seal hunt, a senate committee heard. At the same hearing, independent Senator Bev Busson suggested mega-singing star Taylor Swift might be used to convince young people to chow down on seal. But animal rights activists say claims that Russian propaganda is behind the problems of Canada’s seal industry is a bizarre conspiracy theory. Instead, they point to the ban by 35 nations on commercial seal products as the real reason the industry has declined. The ban, however, hasn’t stopped some from looking for new ways to revive the commercial seal industry. more. >>click to read<< 11:33
New Beamer Delivered to Belgian Owners
A new beamer is a rarity these days and seeing a new such vessel being put into service is something of an event. The latest beam trawler to be delivered to owners in Belgium is Van Eyck Z-53, handed over to its owners following satisfactory sea trials carried out at the end of last year. The Savels family hads initially looked for a second-hand vessel to replace the 1981-built beamer that Steven Savels bought from Freddy Depaepe more than 25 years ago. But when the search proved inconclusive, with no suitable replacement to be found, they looked at the options for a new trawler and approached Van Eyck Z-53, which has delivered a number of new beamers in recent years to Belgian operators. The order for the new vessel was placed in 2022 and the hull arrived in Stellandam for outfitting a year later. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:39
No-farm farm
In one of the stranger twists in the strange world of global salmon marketing, Alaska’s non-farm fish farmers played a role in convincing the Canadian city of Ottawa to order removal of billboards protesting farmed salmon. The reason? “False advertising.” And now the same environmental group involved in Ottawa – Wild First – is under fire in British Columbia for running radio advertisements claiming salmon farms have pushed wild Pacific salmon to “the brink of extinction,” according to the news website Business in Vancouver (BIV). That claim is about as far from the truth as one can get. Salmon in the Pacific are today at numbers never seen in recorded history, but most of them are pink salmon. Some scientists contend this explosion of pinks due in part to the free-range fish farming efforts of hatchery operators in Alaska and Russia has reached the point where it is wreaking havoc with the entire North Pacific ecosystem. more, >>click to read<< 07:50
Torbay lifeboat rescues trawler in dramatic operation off South Devon coast
Torbay RNLI received a request from Solent Coastguard to assist the trawler 18 miles south of Start Point – in force eight winds and four metre swells – whose skipper had reported water coming into his engine room. The station’s ‘Deputy Launch Authority’ on duty immediately launched the All-weather lifeboat with seven volunteer crew. The Severn Class ALB reached the trawler within 25 minutes. The RNLI had been informed sea water had reached up to the deck plates from bilges and appeared to be coming in through the propeller shafts. More water appeared when under power, but the exact source and cause could not be identified. Photos, more, >>click here<< 15:45All the lives lost in shipwrecks off Cornwall since the end of WWII
The history of shipwrecks around our coast is long and tragic but is also a story of immense selfless courage exemplified in none other than the Penlee Lifeboat tragedy. Very few incidents have shaken Cornwall to its core as much as the loss of the lifeboat Solomon Browne on that fateful night on December 19, 1981. With winds at hurricane force 12 gusting to 90 knots, the eight-strong crew of the Solomon Browne put to sea that night in an attempt to rescue the eight people on board the coaster Union Star, which had lost power between Tater-du Lighthouse and Boscawen Point. All lives were lost. A permanent memorial stone to all 16 people who lost their lives that day now stands on the cliff above where the tragedy happened. Below is a list of incidents during which crews or passengers were lost at sea off Cornwall’s coast since the end of the Second World War. More than 130 people died in that period. photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:45
Fishermen wary of seismic plans for Bass Strait waters
Andrew Smith wants to keep crayfishing long enough to put his children through school. But plans for further seismic testing off his Bass Strait home of King Island have him worried. Energy data company TGS wants to survey for gas across some 4.5 million hectares in the Otway Basin, which are Commonwealth waters between Tasmania and Victoria. Seismic testing has been shown to negatively impact whales as well as other marine life. Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council chief executive Julian Harrington said the testing area was adjacent to rock lobster and giant crab fisheries. He said the waters were a “larvae corridor” for rock lobsters, which have a 15 to 18 month larvae cycle. more, >>click to read<< 07:24
UK accused of defying Brexit agreement terms
Industry associations in Denmark have accused the UK of turning its back on the agreement struck over Brexit by placing the British part of the Dogger Bank off-limits – and the Danish industry is demanding that this must have consequences for Britain. ‘This is in defiance of the Brexit agreement, which gave EU fishermen permission to fish in British waters,’ state representatives of the Danish Fishermen’s Association, the Danish Pelagic PO and Marine Ingredients Denmark. ‘Britain has decided to prohibit fishing for sandeel on the British part of the Dogger Bank. It is a major issue of principle for the British to turn their backs on the Brexit agreement, and it is a disaster for the fisheries and the fishmeal industry, where sandeel has historically made up the primary share of the factories’ raw material,’ the three organisations state. more, >>click to read<< 11:20
Vessel Review: Sorkapp – New Norwegian Stern Trawler Boasts Low Environmental Impact
Norwegian fishing company Nergard Havfiske has expanded its vessel fleet following the recent acquisition of a hybrid-powered stern trawler designed and built by compatriot company Vard. The final trawler in a series of three built by Vard for the same owner, Sørkapp (“South Cape”) utilises a design that has been continuously developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations. Construction of the hull took place at Vard Braila in Romania while completion was carried out at Vard Brattvaag in Norway. The vessel was also built to incorporate efficient technology to bring catch ashore with a minimal environmental footprint, which will then lead to improvements in both catch quality and crew safety as well as more sustainable operations. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:52
Rescue operation launched after trawler runs aground in storm force winds
A rescue operation was launched after a vessel with three people on board ran aground in storm force winds. Two RNLI lifeboats went to the scene in the Strome narrows area of Loch Carron after the alarm was raised at 1:45pm on Wednesday. Kyle RNLI lifeboat Spirit of Fred. Olsen arrived on scene at 2:10pm. The lifeboat crew assessed the scene and found the vessel hard aground with the boat’s crew still on board but uninjured. The vessel had been dragging its mooring, and the three people on board had tried to maneuver out of the situation, however a chain had disabled their rudder, resulting in them drifting onto the rocks. more, >>click to read<< 07:03
