Category Archives: International
Euclid Fish Co. pledges to use 100 percent of Great Lakes fish caught
A Mentor-based company has made a commitment to increasing the value and usefulness of fish caught in the Great Lakes. Euclid Fish Co. has signed on to the “100 percent Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” publicly committing to using 100 percent of each commercially caught Great Lakes fish productively by 2025, according to a corporate news release. As part of the pledge, Euclid Fish will explore and implement innovative applications for fish byproducts including fertilizer, protein, marine collagen, leather and other new, high-value products. According to the release, the Great Lakes are home to a sizeable commercial fishery, but only the fillets of these fish are usually eaten while the remaining 60% of the fish is relegated to inexpensive animal feed or discarded. more, >>click to read<< 09:34
Santa Claus is coming to town, and this tracking agency can tell you when!
The joint US-Canadian military monitoring agency has continued its decades-long tradition of tracking Santa’s whereabouts, helping children around the globe find out when his reindeer-powered, present-filled sleigh is coming to town. A 3-D, interactive website at www.noradsanta.org showed Santa and his reindeer on their imagined worldwide delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way. The Santa tracker presented by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with Santa but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the military nerve center. more, >>click to read<< 13:51
Executive order bars imports of Russian fish that is processed in other countries
Russian seafood will no longer be legally allowed in U.S. markets after it is processed in China, under an executive order issued Friday by President Joe Biden. The action seeks to close a loophole that the Russian seafood industry was able to use to skirt import sanctions put in place in 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The ban is now extended to any seafood caught in Russian waters or by Russian-flagged vessels, “notwithstanding whether such products have been incorporated or substantially transformed into other products outside of the Russian Federation,” the executive order says. While the executive order affects other products, including alcoholic beverages and diamonds, it provides special relief to an Alaska seafood industry that has been struggling with competition from a flood of Russian fish, Alaska’s U.S. senators said. more, >>click to read<< 11:03
Fisherman’s Challenge to Windfarm Explorations Referred to EU Court
The High Court case is being brought by fisherman Ivan Toole, who says the windfarm developments will have a direct bearing on the Wicklow fishing fleet and will damage all marine life in the area. Mr Toole has asked for a preliminary ruling concerning the interpretation of an EU direction about the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. His case has been taken against the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. Judge Humphreys said he would stay the finalisation of Mr Toole’s case, while he referred a number of questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union. more, >>click to read<< 09:33
Fish about to be plundered off coast of UK as EU about to strike major deal with Iceland
A non-EU country may soon be allowed to fish in waters just miles away from UK shores thanks to the European Union, sparking fury among fishermen closer to home. Fishing officials in Ireland are worried that they have not been consulted on the negotiations, which could be nearing the final stages of approval. Iceland reportedly wants to strike a deal so that they can catch blue whiting which are common in Irish waters but cannot be found near the Nordic nation. Concerns are now growing that fishing will become unsustainable as Irish fishermen worry for their livelihoods. CEO of the Irish Fish Processors Organisation Aodh O’Donnell told GB News: “We fear that this give away of more foreign access to Irish waters is being agreed behind closed doors. There is a lack of clarity and Christmas is upon us, and we are very concerned. more, >>click to read<< 14:26
Fishermen and community leaders react to Trident announcement to sell a third of its Alaska plants
Gerry Cobban Knagin is a commercial fisherman. She and her family have fished around Kodiak and sold their harvest to Trident Seafoods, one of the largest seafood processors in the country, on and off for decades. But on Dec. 12, the company announced it’s selling off about a third of its Alaska processing plants, including their year-round facility in Kodiak. She said the announcement was a huge shock for almost everyone on the island. “Speaking with [Trident] management, there wasn’t any heads up for anyone,” Knagin said. “And they decided, according to management, that they wanted full transparency so that the fleet would know.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 20:44
Trident Seafoods announces plan to streamline, modernize operations
Trident Seafoods, a corporate giant among North American seafood processors, is looking for potential buyers for four of its shoreside plants in Alaska as part of a restructuring plan announced on Tuesday from its headquarters in Seattle. Such bold action is necessary to deliver fair value to fleet, communities and all stakeholders into the future, said Joe Bundrant, CEO of the company built by his father, Chuck Bundrant, starting more than 50 years ago with a single fishing vessel. Bundrant said he remains confident overall of the Alaska seafood industry and Trident’s role in it. He acknowledged these significant changes and said the company is focused on treating its impacted employees and communities with the respect and compassion they deserve. more, >>click to read<< 13:43
A New Rod For Gramps
Young Cris had been going fishing since he was old enough to walk. Gramps, as he had called him, was raising Chris as best he could, living on a fixed income. Cris’ parents were taken from him in a car crash wen he was only six months old, and his Gramps was just like a dad to him. Gramps had lost his wife to cancer a year before Cris was born, so the two of them needed each other very much. Living within a mile of one of Texas’ largest bays, Cris enjoyed the time he and his grandfather spent on its shores. Gramps had spent many hours schooling him in the finer art of angling for redfish and he always admired the pretty copper-colored battlers that his gramps caught and later cooked for dinner. more, >>click to read<< 08:39
Suffolk farming family decide to sell ‘beloved’ farmhouse to fund fishing fleet
In October, the Simper family put their 110-acre asparagus farm with stunning views of the River Deben at Ramsholt, near Woodbridge, on the market through agents Landbridge. But they were originally planning to retain their farmhouse at Lodge Farm with about 38 acres of farmland and woodland – including a 10-acre asparagus field. The family has always combined farming with sailing and fishing, but Harry Simper – the youngest generation – elected early on to devote himself fully to a fishing career. He began it 12 years ago at the age of 16 and by 2019 the venture had grown to a fleet of four small commercial fishing boats. photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:38
Galveston shrimpers being run out of business due to low prices, overseas imports
Captain Jerome Kunz
Texas Gulf shrimpers are going out of business during what many are calling the worst period in the history of the industry. “You’ll see numerous boats up and down this dock and most of them are just set here,” Nikki Johnson-Kunz said as she stood along Pier 19 in Galveston. Pier 19 was once a bustling hub for Galveston’s shrimping fleet — from the same spot a few years ago, one could watch dozens of shrimp boats running back and forth to the Gulf and then to the seafood markets along the docks to sell their catch. Johnson-Kunz married into a Galveston family that’s been fishing the waters for shrimp for more than a century. They said business has never been as bad as it is now. “Our prices that we get paid per pound are under a dollar,” she said. “It’s sickening.” Video, >>click to read<< 10:52
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 54′ Steel lobster/ Scalloper/ Longliner
To review specifications, information, and 37 photos’,>click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< – 08:50
Inshore Fishermen Seek Aid Package
The National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) has warned that its members will be forced to tie up to piers “long term” due to a combination of factors. “It would have been difficult to envisage the dire situation facing inshore fishermen currently could worsen but it did so, culminating in the almost complete loss of yet another fishery so important to our economic viability,” NIFA said in a statement. It was referring to cuts in pollack, with Area vi down 26 per cent and Area vii down by 87 per cent as a result of the EU fisheries council talks in Brussels. more, >>click to read<< 07;40
Major ‘climate deception’ lawsuit against Big Oil voluntarily dismissed
A major years-long lawsuit alleging that Big Oil companies have waged a disinformation campaign about the impacts of climate change was voluntarily dismissed by plaintiffs in a victory for the U.S. energy industry. The California-based Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), the largest trade association of commercial fishermen on the West Coast, requested the dismissal in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The request came after Judge Vince Chhabria ruled on Nov. 1 that the case could be heard in federal court despite PCFFA’s argument for it to be tried in state court. Video, more, >>click to read<< 17:46
Lobster demand remains high during the holidays
Back in the 1960’s, Dartmouth resident Bruce Nickerson was a lobster fisherman. “We got 50 cents a pound,” says Nickerson, who adds, when the price jumped to 90 cents per pound, it was big news back in the day. “I thought that was great.” Those prices are ancient history. “Anything under two pounds (are) $13.25 a pound,” says Samantha Strachan, who works at The Lobster Dive store in Eastern Passage, N.S. “Two pounds and up are $15.25 a pound. Anything under two pounds (are) $13.25 a pound,” says Samantha Strachan, who works at The Lobster Dive store in Eastern Passage, N.S. “Two pounds and up are $15.25 a pound.” Video, more, >>click to read<< 12:32
Atlantic halibut thrive in warming Maritime waters, study finds
Warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change will provide favourable conditions for Atlantic halibut, according to a new study, although what happens to their prey is uncertain. A paper published in the journal FACETS links an exponential increase in Atlantic Canadian landings over the past decade to warming ocean temperatures and predicts that trend is likely to continue under low- and high-warming scenarios in coming decades. “Under both of those scenarios, we see similar trends. Even in the higher emission scenario where it’s warmer, it would appear that halibut stand to gain more habitat with these warming conditions” says co-author Ryan Stanley, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientist at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. more. >>click to read<< 08:46
Seal overpopulation having ‘significant and damaging impact’ on Canadian fish stocks: report
Canadian parliamentarians are warning that seal populations pose a danger to fish stocks and are upsetting marine ecosystems in the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans. A bipartisan report from the House of Commons standing committee on fisheries and oceans says urgent measures are needed from the federal government and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, including an increase in the humane seal harvest. “This report’s objective is to draw the attention of DFO, relevant departments and the Canadian government to important observational and empirical evidence that the overpopulation of pinnipeds on Canada’s three coasts is having a significant and damaging impact on the health and conservation of fish stocks and is creating an imbalance in our marine ecosystems,” the study concludes. more, >>click to read<< 18:00
Rare species discovered on Long Island Sound as Maritime Aquarium pulls up abandoned lobster traps
While recovering derelict and abandoned lobster traps from the Long Island Sound, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and colleagues from Williams College and Project Oceanology came across a curious creature typically found across the pond. Known as the European nudibranch, Doris pseudoargus, the tiny yellow specimen was discovered in the Black Ledge region of the Sound, off the coast of Groton. This finding of Doris pseudoargus is the most southern discovery of the species in North America, according to the Maritime Aquarium. more, >>click to read<< 07:22
Hull survivor of Christmas Day trawler tragedy will light up sky to remember those lost, 50 years on
On December 25, 1973, the Ian Fleming was sailing towards the treacherous White Sea off the Russian coast. To avoid the worst of the weather, the skipper opted to head through the Norwegian fjords. It was here where the ship ran aground. Three men lost their lives that night: mate Terence Day, engineer Dennis Colby and George Lee. Aboard that ship was a 17-year-old deckie-learner, Jerry Thompson, who has dedicated his life to Hull’s fishing community. Jerry is the head of the Bullnose group, which operates the Hull Fishing Heritage Centre. Four years ago, the Hessle Roader and his family paid an emotional visit to the scene of the disaster. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:02
CHAMPION DELIVERS THE GOODS
‘Champion is an exciting new concept in trawl door manufacture, and we are thrilled that it has performed so well during fishing operations,’ said Morgère’s managing director Pascal Reverseau, describing the new Champion doors as being among the most powerful demersal on the market, providing excellent spread, good fuel economy and ease of operation. ‘This is a door that offers many benefits – and skippers particularly like its ease of operation, which is particularly important when fishing in challenging sea conditions,’ he said, adding that skippers fishing with these new doors have been delighted by the performance, praising its stable operation and simplicity in use and setting up. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:39
Federal fisheries managers hold Bering Sea pollock quota steady
The total amount of pollock allowed to be scooped up by trawlers in the Bering Sea will stay the stotal allowable catchame in 2024. In its Dec. 9 meeting in Anchorage, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council moved to keep the total allowable catch for pollock at its current level of 1.3 million metric tons, a move that has generated criticism from conservationists, tribes, and the trawling industry alike. Alaska’s pollock fishery is responsible for the vast majority of salmon bycatch in the region. And amid alarming declines in returns of multiple species of salmon to Western Alaska rivers, the pollock trawl fishery has faced increasing criticism for its perceived role driving the crisis. But federal fisheries managers and the trawling industry pushed back, asserting that the claims are unfounded. more, >>click to read<< 08:12
Pollack fishing: Setting quota to zero ‘damaging’ to South-West industry
A decision to set the pollack catch quota to zero will be “damaging” to the fishing industry, those working in South-West England have said. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said the quota had been reduced to preserve stocks. It said it recognised the “impact” the decision “may have” and was working to “explore potential mitigations”. Ben George, who fishes from Sennen Cove in Cornwall, said he never once “dreamed it could be a total ban”. “It’s particularly damaging for the small inshore fisherman, because they can’t diversify easily now to anything else,” he said. more, >>click to read<< 06:19
Fisheries New Zealand Seeks Feedback on Proposed Catch Limits for 2024
Fisheries New Zealand is asking for feedback on proposed changeson proposed changes to catch limits and other settings across a range of Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries as part of its twice-yearly sustainability review. Every six months, Fisheries New Zealand reviews a range of fish stocks and develops proposals focused on their long-term sustainability. “When the information suggests more fish can be harvested sustainably, we look to increase catch limits,” said Marianne Lukkien, acting director of fisheries management. “On the other hand, if the information suggests a stock isn’t as healthy, we propose reducing the catch limits or other changes to help the fishery recover.” In this review, options include increases to catch allowances for six fish stocks where information suggests more fish can be sustainably harvested. more, >>click to read<< 18:36
‘Saved a big catastrophe’: Coast Guard and lifesavers come to aid of fishing trawler
Holiday beachgoers were surprised to see a 20m fishing trawler stuck in the shallows at Mooloolaba Beach on Saturday. Coast Guard and lifesavers got to the boat just in time and pulled it back out to sea. Coast Guard Mooloolaba crew skipper Bill Asher said they were first notified about the vessel by the crew of a nearby charter boat. “They said the trawler was drifting towards to the beach,” he said. “We tried to call the vessel but we couldn’t raise them and we saw on our cameras that they were only 150m off the beach.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:16
Lobster prices rise as catches fall: ‘They’re all fighting for that product’
The price of lobster is up compared to last year, says the Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board. Live lobster is selling for as much as $11.50 a pound, said Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the board, up from $6.50 to $7.50 last year. The jump in price is partly because catches are down now for fishers in New England, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, he said. Catches in New England specifically are down about 16 per cent over the five-year average, he said. photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:48
Compact Twin -Rig Trawler from Parkol
Built by Parkol Marine Engineering at its Teeside yard and completed alongside in Whitby, Seraphim PD-170 is the latest in a long line of Ian Paton designs for owners in Scotland. The 21.29 metre LOA, 7.70 metre breadth Seraphim packs a lot of functionality into a boat with a waterline length of 16.40 metres. This is a twin-rig trawler targeting both prawns and groundfish, laid out with the option of working as one half of a pair team if required. Built with a steel hull topped by an aluminium wheelhouse, masts and full-length shelterdeck, the new trawler was ordered by father and son Andrew and Joshua Buchan of Lighthouse Fishing Company, in partnership with P&J Johnstone. The boat was lifted into the water at the Teesside yard in late August before heading for Whitby. At the end of October Andrew and Joshua Buchan steamed home to Peterhead to collect trawl gear and carry out final sea trials before starting fishing in earnest. photos, more, >>click to read<< 12:12
Beaufort leaders ask Gov. McMaster to declare economic disaster to help shrimping industry
This all comes after local shrimper Craig Reaves sent this letter to city council explaining how shrimp dumping threatens his livelihood, and that of many others. In his letter to council, Reaves says that ‘all commercial fishing families have been decimated.’ He lists multiple reasons for said decimation but says that import dumping is the lead cause. For context, shrimp dumping is when farmed shrimp from other countries is sold to U.S. retailers and restaurants for below the market price that local shrimpers adhere to. Beaufort officials recognize the issue. “You can’t have locally owned operated seafood companies if the market price is going to be debased by this amount of flooded shrimp that’s coming in,” said Beaufort’s Acting Mayor Michael McFee. Video, more, >>click to read<< 08:40
NEFMC sets groundfish fishery quota for upcoming fishing years
The New England Fishery Management Council’s final action on specifications meant to guide the groundfish fishery in the coming fishing year offers increased catch limits for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock but a decrease for yellowtail flounder. The council selected final measures for Framework Adjustment 66 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan at its December meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, last week. For commercial fishers, there are slight increases in the so-called sub-annual catch limits for Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod, and a more significant reduction to the sub-ACL for Georges Bank haddock. more, >>click to read<< 07:28
A trawler skipper’s memory from the deep dredges up intriguing questions
Kit Olver felt his trawling net had snagged something large and unwelcome way in the depths long before he had any physical evidence of it. The note of his deep-sea trawler’s diesel engine deepened, and its exhaust gas temperature rose as it sought the torque to haul against the sudden load. What Olver’s net eventually brought to the surface off South Australia’s south-east coast that day, nine years ago, has bothered him ever since. He hasn’t spoken about it for years. Now, aged 77, with his seagoing years behind him and a couple of heart attacks reminding him that everything, even the chance to unload old secrets, has an expiry date, he wants to air his story. “It was a bloody great wing of a big jet airliner,” he says. He takes a breath, as if confronted by the memory. more, photos, >>click to listen/read<< 06:23
Brexit Britain takes ‘full advantage’ of EU exit to deliver yet another major fishing win
Britain is taking advantage of post-Brexit freedoms to deliver more support for UK sustainable fishing. New plans have been published today to help protect and recover key fishing stocks. The first five Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) set out how the Government will work with the fishing industry and other stakeholders to support the sustainable management of species such as crab, lobster, king scallop and bass. more, >>click to read<< 10:40
Post Brexit freedoms to deliver more support for UK sustainable fishing – New plans to help protect and recover key fishing stocks have been published today (Thursday 14 December), seizing on the opportunities of the UK’s post-Brexit freedoms to support coastal jobs and protect the marine environment. more, >>click to read<< 10:40
