Category Archives: International
Salmon farming companies settle class-action lawsuit alleging global price-fixing scheme
Seven companies accused of conspiring to manipulate the global price of salmon have agreed to pay a total of more than $5 million Cdn to settle a class-action lawsuit. Some of the largest players in the salmon farming industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, including Mowi and Grieg, were among the companies involved. The lawsuit claimed Cermaq Canada, Grieg Seafood, Lerøy Seafood AS, Marine Harvest Atlantic Canada, Mowi ASA, Nova Sea AS and Sjór AS conspired to manipulate the Norwegian spot market for salmon prices and in doing so influence global salmon prices. more, >>click to read<< 08:33
Blue power: Will ocean waves be California’s new source of clean energy?
The world’s oceans may be vast, but they are getting crowded. Coastal areas are congested with cargo ships, international commercial fishing fleets, naval vessels, oil rigs and, soon, floating platforms for deep-sea mining. But the Pacific Ocean is going to get even busier: Nearly 600 square miles of ocean off California have been leased for floating wind farms, with more expected. Now the state is considering hosting another renewable energy technology in the sea: Blue power, electricity created from waves and tides. A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October instructs state agencies to study the feasibility and impacts of capturing ocean movement to create power and report back to the Legislature by January 2025. more , >>click to read<<07:20
The Dead Ocean Effect: NAS study raises concern over offshore wind harming endangered whales
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released a lengthy report on what is known as the “dead ocean” threat with a focus on the Nantucket region, specifically what are called the Nantucket shoals. This is a major feeding ground of the desperately endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. It is really a good case study for all major offshore wind installations. The report uncovers something strange but true. The physics is technical, but the basic idea is simple. Wind turbines take a lot of the energy out of the air, creating a lower energy wake behind the wind turbine facility. Lower energy wind causes lower energy waves so there is much less mixing in the ocean surface layer. This depletes the oxygen level in the water, which can reduce the amount of living food sources that whales eat, which can harm the whales on a population level. This is why it is called the dead ocean effect. more, >>click to read<< 09:48
Marine Science Vessel Celtic Voyager Sets Sail to Canada
The Marine Institute’s Celtic Voyager, Ireland’s first multi-purpose research vessel, has been sold to Qikiqtaaluk Corporation of Nunavut, Canada. The vessel has played a significant role in advancing marine science and monitoring for the Irish government during its 25-year service life and has completed more than 600 surveys, enabled more than 6,500 science days, and sailed more than 550,000 miles while in service with the Marine Institute. The vessel will continue to be used for fisheries research and seabed mapping in Northern territories and Nunavut in Canada. Qikiqtaaluk Corporation is the Inuit birthright development corporation for the Qikiqtani Region and seeks to strengthen the social and economic well-being of Nunavut and the 15,000+ Inuit it represents. more, >>click to read<< 08:43
Nautical tributes for Aberdeen trawlerman Johnny Winton
John Munro Winton – always known as Johnny, was born on June 7 1935 in Aberdeen. Son of trawler fisherman William Winton and his wife Margaret, Johnny had two brothers and a sister. On leaving Hilton Academy he followed in his father’s footsteps, and by 15 he was going to sea on the same vessel as his dad. A family man, although tired when he was at home after extended periods of time away at sea, Johnny made sure he was present for his children. Johnny retired from trawler fishing after 51 years, due to ill health. “Really what summed up dad’s retirement,” said Graham, “was the time he devoted to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:20
Scottish fishing skippers express fear over possible “back door” push for protected marine areas policy
The SFF said that last week, the Scottish Government confirmed it will not be taking forward the controversial HPMAs policy in its current form, which would have led to a loss of around 10 per cent of Scotland’s fishing grounds. However, many fishermen throughout the country remain concerned about the vague wording in the government’s response, and fear supporters of HPMAs will try their best to usher in the policy through another avenue. Fisherman Barry Brunton from Dunbar has welcomed the scrapping of HPMAs but is adamant more collaboration between fishermen and the government is needed to find the best solution for all concerned. Brunton said he was “absolutely terrified” about HPMAs as putting up such an area in the little patch of ground where he works would mean he would lose “everything that [he] worked for.” >>click to read<< 08:19
Prawn trawler crew rescued from sinking boat off Far North Queensland coast
The skipper of a prawn trawler has described watching it sink off the Far North Queensland coast after a passing freighter came to the crew’s rescue. The FV Santiago was about three kilometres offshore near Cedar Bay, south of Cooktown, on Tuesday evening when Steve Underhill found water pouring into the engine room and made the immediate call to abandon ship. “It was way too deep to worry about pumping out,” skipper Mr Underhill said. “We’d already lost it.” His three crew members included another experienced skipper, but also his wife and stepson. The Santiago crew activated an emergency distress beacon, and within 20 minutes, a Border Force plane flew over the trawler while nearby Sea Swift freighter, the Albatross Bay, mobilized to rescue the crew. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:26
Bluefin Tuna Get Busy Off North Carolina – Inside the $40 billion tuna industry
In November 1981, a fleet of briefcase-toting lobbyists, scientists and political negotiators gathered in sunny Tenerife, Spain, to decide the fate of Atlantic bluefin tuna. During the meeting in Tenerife, the American delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas proposed a disarmingly simple solution: they would draw a line down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and split the bluefin into two separate stocks. The proposal passed and, eventually, for a variety of reasons, Atlantic bluefin tuna did bounce back. – Inside the $40 billion tuna industry – Once a staple in American homes, canned tuna consumption dropped 45.7% between 2000 and 2021. That is mainly due to changing consumer preferences, sustainability concerns, market consolidation and a major price-fixing scandal between Bumble Bee and StarKist that lasted nearly a decade. Despite this, in 2020, the U.S. remained the top importer. The industry, largely controlled by conglomerates such as Thai Union Group, saw a pandemic-driven demand spike in 2020, but that has since declined. Video, >>click to read<< 16:20
Environmentalists face off against environmentalists over offshore wind projects
The Energy Department estimates offshore wind turbines could produce as much as 20% of regional power needs along the densely populated Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Maine by 2050. To reach that goal, the Biden administration had hoped to green-light 30 gigawatts from utility-scale offshore wind farms by 2030—enough to power nine million homes. That now seems wildly ambitious, as billions of dollars in projects have been canceled amid staggering cost overruns, soaring interest rates and supply-chain delays. Added to these economic woes are persistent environmental concerns, as attested to by some recent federal lawsuits. In September, for example, Cape May County, N.J., and a coalition of regional environmental, fisheries and tourism groups sought to stop development of two utility-scale projects off the New Jersey coast. more, >>click to read<< 11:54
Get to know your local western rock lobster fisher and their produce
It’s a warm summer’s day in December with a light breeze blowing in from the ocean. You’ve dragged your mum, boyfriend, sister, cousin or friend along to join the locals and tourists down at the port to get your hands on the freshest and best crustacean in the world, right in time for the Christmas festivities that are around the corner. The rock lobster you purchased has just been caught by the commercial fishermen, kept in a live tank until the point of landing at port and then weighed and put on ice in your esky. Thanks to Western Rock Lobster’s Back of Boat (BoB) initiative, this is a reality for seafood lovers and fishers across the state. more, >>click to read<< 08:30
Rep. Garret Graves wants federal funding to reduce imported seafood, aid Louisiana fishery
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser are calling for more federal funding to test imported seafood and tighter regulations to slow the influx of foreign catch onto Louisiana’s seafood market. Both Graves and Nungesser shared separate though somewhat similar proposals recently with the Louisiana Seafood Safety Task Force, which is working to address a struggling domestic fishery and the increasing health threats from imported foreign seafood. Foreign catch has become so cheap that it now comprises nearly 90 percent of all seafood consumed in America, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. more, >>click to read<< 15:30
CHRISTINA S – Karstensen Shipyard delivers newbuild for Fraserburgh
Newbuild 470 “CHRISTINA S” was handed over to the partnership between Freedom Fish Limited, Shannon Fishing Limited and Peter & J. Johnstone Limited on 13 September 2022 from Karstensen Shipyard. New “CHRISTINA S” replaces skipper Allan Simpsons previous command of the same name. The new vessel will operate along the same pattern as the existing vessel, with a traditional pelagic trawl fishery, where target species are mackerel and herring, as well as blue whiting. Photos, >>click to read more<< 13:29
‘Heroic at the highest level’ – Fishermen save woman from sinking car in Cork Harbor
Belgian fisherman Farid Landgens
Three fishermen are being hailed as heroes after pulling a woman from a sinking car in Cork city this afternoon. The dramatic rescue happened on Kennedy Quay after a car entered the water shortly after midday today. Fishermen unloading the day’s catch from two boats on the quay jumped in the water and smashed in the two windows to save the woman before the car sank. Cork City Fire Brigade Second Officer Victor Shine described the fisherman’s actions as “heroic at the highest level”. >>click to read<< 07:38
NFWF grants support Maine lobster industry participation in alternative fishing gear testing
“Alternative gear, also known as “on demand” gear is a long way from being viable for fishermen or for whales,” said DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “It is my goal to make sure we know what gear works, and more importantly what doesn’t work, so when future draft federal regulations come forward, we can draw on the real-world experience of fishermen when determining what the next steps should be.” One award of $1,999,992 will support the evaluation of acoustic geolocation systems that locate gear on the bottom without the benefit of surface buoys which are part of traditional gear configurations. Regional partners will include the Island Institute, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, the Sunrise County Economic Council, and the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. more, >>click to read<< 06:09
Jersey fishing community ‘fearful’ over proposed marine plans
Nathalie Porritt and Gabby Mason say they fear for the future of dredging and trawling boats if proposed plans are implemented
Seven fishing boats in Jersey could be out of business “overnight” if a recommended plan is implemented, members of the fishing community say. The draft Marine Spatial Plan was published in October to recommend ways of protecting the island’s marine environment. Changes to the way the fishing industry could work were made in it, including over the use of boats with mobile gear. Deputy Jonathan Renouf said the plan could “help the fishing industry”. Members of the fishing community came together at a public drop-in session on Thursday to voice their issues. Nathalie Porritt, a fishing merchant at Aquamar Fisheries, said the proposed areas would particularly affect the scallop industry. >>click to read<< 09:49
Dumping Day delayed in parts of Southwestern N.S. due to weather
The province’s lucrative lobster fishery is being setback by an approaching weather system. Dumping Day for lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 in Southwestern Nova Scotia typically take place on the last monday of November. While LFA 33 area fishers took advantage of a two-day flexibility window and started the season early Sunday, officials in LFA 34 say they’ll hold off until at least Wednesday. While it is a big day for a major industry in our province, government is stressing the importance of safety as fishers head out on the water. >>click to read<< 07:37
The Fish Shop brings Oregon fish to Corvallis
Prior to the store’s opening, Harrison’s brand, Oregon’s Choice was solely online, selling primarily albacore tuna and Chinook salmon, all caught and canned in Oregon. Harrison purchased Oregon’s Choice from her parents in 2020, and in doing so happened upon the perfect market. “The two best businesses to be in 2020 were toilet paper and canned food,” Harrison said, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The business started in 1977 with Harrison’s father, Herb Goblirsch selling his catch on the docks of Newport. >>click to read<< 08:37
Dunmore East RNLI leads multi-agency rescue of 3 fisherman
The Dunmore East RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew successfully coordinated a multi-agency rescue operation yesterday morning (25 November) for a fishing vessel in distress. The 12m vessel, with 3 persons on board, got into difficulty less than 0.5 nautical miles west of Dunmore East Harbour. It was reported to be taking on a significant amount of water when the RNLI crew was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard at 07.33am. RNLI volunteers responded to a pager alert and the all-weather lifeboat, William and Agnes Wray was launched and quickly located the vessel.>>click to read<< 07:10
Seal hunt advocate takes issue with EU president’s claim that Indigenous exemptions are working
The European Union’s ban on seal products did not feature heavily — if at all — during discussions between Canadian and European leaders on Friday in St. John’s, but one comment made during a news conference has drawn the ire of a group that advocates for seal harvesters. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters she believes the exemption for Indigenous sealers is going well. Doug Chiasson, executive director of the Fur Institute of Canada, was taken aback by her comments. The biggest issue, according to Chiasson, is that the 2009 ban destroyed the existing market for seal products in Europe. When the Indigenous exemption was introduced in 2015, he said, there was no longer a market for the products. >>click to read<< 13:52
Editorial: South Carolina’s shrimpers are struggling; here’s 1 way to help
Those living in the Charleston area likely are well-familiar with the fact that our local shrimping industry has long been bruised by competition from imported shrimp, but the problem seems to have become more urgent than ever. Fortunately, there are steps we all can take to help out. As S.C. Shrimpers Association vice president Bryan Jones wrote in his recent letter to the editor, our state’s shrimping fleet has reached a critical juncture, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of families and a cherished way of life along our coast. That’s why our state’s association is joining with similar groups in other coastal states to press their case on both the state and federal levels, seeking an economic disaster declaration that would lead to short-term relief, such as low-interest loans and tax breaks. >>click to read<< 11:28
Canned seafood moves beyond tuna sandwiches in pandemic trend that stuck
Sardines swirling in preserved lemons. Mackerel basking in curry sauce. Chargrilled squid bathing in ink. All are culinary delicacies long popular in Europe that are now making their mark on U.S. menus. The country’s canned seafood industry is moving well beyond tuna sandwiches, a pandemic-era trend that began with Americans in lockdown demanding more of their cupboard staples. Tinned fish, as it’s called in Europe, is now a regular offering on menus at wine bars from San Francisco to Houston to New York, where patrons scoop the contents straight out of the can. There are even tinned fish clubs that mimic wine clubs by sending members monthly shipments of various seafood packed in various combinations of spices, oils and sauces. >>click to read<< 09:01
Inshore Fishermen Tell Minister They ‘Urgently Need Help’
The National Inshore Fishermen’s Association has made a request to the Minister for the Marine for “immediate financial support” in order to survive the winter. Processors have reduced the price paid for shellfish, NIFA said, in a letter delivered to the Minister’s office in Donegal. Many fishermen will not be able to maintain themselves during the winter months, according to NIFA, “which leaves an uncertainty to the once lucrative Christmas season when fishermen would normally receive the highest prices of the year.” >>click t<o read<< 12:53
One of RI’s top environmentalists is suing to block offshore wind project
Trudy Coxe, the former head of Save the Bay and once the top environmental official in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, dropped a bombshell on Wednesday afternoon. In her role as the head of the Newport Preservation Society (NPS), Coxe announced that her organization has filed a massive federal lawsuit to block the construction the offshore wind project off the coast of Rhode Island. NPS manages the public-facing mansions in Newport, such as The Breakers and Rosecliff, to name a few. The Preservation Society filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.>>click to read<< 11:55
Coastal Georgia shrimpers fear loss of industry as foreign seafood crowds market
“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it gets worse,” said Pat Mathews, the owner of the Lazaretto Packing Co. on Tybee Island, as he walked away from a truck idling in the loading zone. Early on a Monday morning in October in the height of shrimp season the driver had come to pick up a load of freshly caught shrimp from the James W. Salyers, a shrimp boat captained by David Attia. The driver delivered disappointing news, informing Pat that this would be the last load he would be able to pick up for the foreseeable future. The Mathews family has been in the seafood business for over a century. Where they once owned several seafood markets, their business now centers on the dock they own at Tybee, one of the few hubs of the industry that has been an iconic business on Georgia’s 100-mile coast. >>click to read<< 10:53
Last southwestern N.S. lobster season one for the record books: But not in a good way
From delayed season starts to low shore prices, foul weather and an out-of-control wildfire as a grand finale, the 2022-23 season in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 has been dubbed the worst season in more than 20 years. The LFA 34 fishery opened on Dec 5, 2022, after a one-week delay to the season start due to weather. The LFA 33 fishery opened on Nov. 29, 2022, after a one-day delay. Both seasons are always scheduled to start on the last Monday of November. The season opened with a $7 shore price, compared to the record-setting opening shore price of $10 to $11 a pound in 2021. The shore price peaked at $13.50 during the slowest part of the season in mid-winter, closing at $8.30 at season’s end on May 31. Photos, >>click to read<< 08:47
Fraserburgh RNLI Crews’ 12-Hour Rescue Mission to Stranded Fishing Vessel
In a daring 12-hour operation, the dedicated crew of Fraserburgh RNLI, under the command of Duty Coxswain Victor Sutherland, successfully rescued a distressed fishing vessel stranded 40 miles off the coast. The 19-metre fishing vessel, carrying a crew of seven, found itself in dire straits when another passing fishing vessel attempted to lend a helping hand. However, the tumultuous sea conditions rendered evacuation unsafe, prompting the Coxswain to make the pivotal decision to attach a tow line. The Fraserburgh RNLI lifeboat, named “Willie and May Gall,” swiftly launched at 12:28pm, racing against time to reach the distressed vessel. >>click to read<< 07:24
Sealing industry protests lack of talks on EU ban at summit in N.L.
Implemented by the EU in 2009, the trade ban on seal products, based on ethical concerns, deprived thousands of seal hunters in Eastern Canada of their most important market. The sealing industry, whose biggest footprint is in Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador, has never recovered. Gil Thériault, the head of the association representing Quebec’s seal hunters, said planning two days of bilateral meetings in Newfoundland and Labrador, “the very place Ottawa abandoned,” and not bringing up the seal products ban “sends a message of complete disregard for people in coastal communities.” According to groups representing seal hunters and processors, the EU embargo is the result of an extremely effective lobbying campaign from animal-rights groups, who depicted the hunt as an inhumane slaughter. Sealers say that’s false and that the hunt is sustainable and conducted without cruelty. >>click to read<< 10:53
Nova Scotia government retreats on plan to fast-track wind farms in coastal bays
“We’re pausing any consideration of waters within provincial jurisdiction until the framework for jointly managed offshore areas is in place,” Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton said in a statement issued Wednesday. The decision to focus first on jointly managed waters — in essence a go-slower approach — capped several months of lobbying by fisheries groups concerned that wind farms inside bays would displace already crowded fishing grounds. “I would say that the fishing industry is very, very pleased that the province has listened to the many, many voices both within our industry and other industries,” said Ginny Boudreau, executive director of the Guysborough County Inshore Fishermen’s Association. >>click to read<< 09:57
New tech designed with Cornish fishermen to transform bycatch monitoring
An innovative new tool being developed with fishermen in Cornwall aims to radically transform how by-catch is documented on board fishing vessels and, ultimately, prevent it happening. In a UK-first, Insight360 combines voice recognition and video information to deliver real-time insight and create a 360-degree view of what’s happening at sea during a by-catch event, that continuously improves over time. Refined with fishermen, the technology removes the need to manually review and add notes to footage, offering instead a way for skippers and crews to train a monitoring system to automatically recognise and record bycatch events as they happen. >>click to read<< 08:19
First National Fishing Remembrance Day announced
Today on World Fisheries Day, maritime welfare charities have joined forces to support a new annual National Fishing Remembrance Day for those who have lost their lives while fishing at sea. The first National Fishing Remembrance Day will take place on Sunday 12 May 2024. Fishing to catch, and bring to land, our much-needed seafood is still one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK with recent tragedies at sea occurring in north east Scotland in September and off the south coast of England in October 2023. UK Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said: “Our fishermen not only help to feed the nation, but are at the heart of communities around our coastline. National Fishing Remembrance Day will give loved ones, coastal communities and the wider public a chance to commemorate the lives lost at sea and pay tribute to their valuable service. >>click to read<< 10:03
