Category Archives: International
Isle of Man fishermen thrilled at ‘landmark’ herring catch
A group of Manx fishermen who have begun to catch herring around the Isle of Man, the first to do so for 25 years, have said it feels “amazing”. The first boat has started landing the fish following a post-Brexit deal between the UK and the Manx government. Boat owner Adie Kinrade said the return of herring fishing was a “little piece of history” as the fishery had been “huge” in the island’s past. Environment Minister Clare Barber said it was a “landmark” moment. “The quotas are a once-in-a-generation opportunity and I can’t wait to see more Manx boats fishing for herring in the coming years,” she added. >>click to read<< 12:17
Cocaine bust trawler remains wedged on sandbank off Wexford coast
Detectives with the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stated in court that it was their belief that fishing trawler The Castlemore was “attempting a transaction” with the cargo ship the MV Matthew off the Wexford coast at the time it ran aground. Two weeks ago, a major salvage operation was said to have begun to recover the fishing trawler from the sandbank off the Wexford coast, however, it appears that all efforts to date have been unsuccessful and the trawler remains wedged in the sand. Sources suggest that the recovery of the trawler is becoming a bigger and more difficult task with every passing day and some reports even suggest that the vessel may now be buried up to its wheelhouse. >>click to read<< 08:35
“Squid Fleet” Takes You Into the Opaque World of Chinese Fishing
In February, 2022, I invited the documentary filmmaker Ed Ou to join me at sea, boarding Chinese squid ships. For the past four years, I have been visiting these ships as part of an investigation into the use of forced labor by the global seafood industry. China has the world’s largest distant water fishing fleet, catching billions of pounds of seafood annually, the biggest portion of it squid. The fleet is rife with labor trafficking, abusive working conditions, and violence. But China publicly releases little information about its vessels, and most stay at sea for more than a year, making them difficult to track or inspect. To see the fleet up close, Ou and I travelled to fishing grounds near the Falkland Islands and the Galápagos. We chased boats, interviewed crews by radio, and, when permitted, boarded ships. My goal was to talk to crew members and chronicle their working conditions. “Squid Fleet,” the film that Ou produced, offers something deeper. Ou and his co-director, Will N. Miller, made a hybrid documentary, combining fictionalized narration with real footage from the trip to capture a strange world that few outsiders get to see. 13:45 Video trailer, >>click to read<< 21:36
Another Bering Sea snow crab season closure brings more financial hardships for fishermen
“This is something that’s in our blood,” said Gabriel Prout, the owner and a deckhand of the 116-foot F/V Silver Spray. However, now his passion and family tradition is in jeopardy. On Oct. 6, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced it was closing the 2023-24 Bering Sea snow crab season for the second season in a row. “The stock is currently at all-time low levels from the survey time series,” said Ethan Nichols, the ADF&G acting area management biologist for the Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands region. “So, the threshold for opening is that total mature male biomass has to be at least 25% of long-term average. And in 2023 total mature male biomass is estimated to be between 15 and 19% of the long-term average.” The news felt like a punch to the gut for Prout, whose family relies on the season for 80 to 90% of its revenue. Video, >>click to read<< 11:40
Against the wind
Visiting southern New Jersey this summer, I kept seeing yard signs that read “Stop the Windmills—Save Our Coast.” The posters were rallying opposition to the massive Ocean Wind 1 power project 15 miles off the Jersey shore near Atlantic City. That constellation of 853-foot-high wind turbines is supposed to start construction any day now, although delays and financial uncertainties have hampered the project. Ocean Wind 1 is planned to be one of more than two dozen huge wind projects off the East Coast from South Carolina to Maine. If it ever gets built. Which it won’t if the residents of South Jersey have anything to say about it. >>click to read<< 08:56
Owners and skipper fined after trawler gas death in Fraserburgh
The owners and skipper of a fishing trawler have been fined following the death of a man who was overcome by gas on board. William Ironside, 52, was one of five men who fell ill on the Sunbeam in Fraserburgh in August 2018. At Peterhead Sheriff Court the owners, Sunbeam Limited, were fined £220,000 while skipper James Duthie was ordered to pay £7,500. Duthie, 66, was also sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work. In October 2018 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it was a “tragic accident” which nearly resulted in multiple fatalities. >>click to read<< 14:52
Engineer Honored for Using a Power Block to Rescue Shipwreck Survivors
The engineer of the pair trawler F/V Guiding Light has been honored with a lifesaving trophy from the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society for his quick thinking during the sinking of the vessel’s sister ship off the Shetland Islands last year. On the afternoon of October 6, 2022, the Peterhead-based fishing vessels F/V Guiding Star and F/V Guiding Light were located about 45 nm to the southeast of the Shetlands. Conditions were challenging, including rough seas and winds approaching gale force. At around noon, the vessels hauled in their catch and were retrieving their trawl gear when they collided. The bow of the F/V Guiding Light rose in a swell and struck F/V Guiding Star towards the stern, penetrating the hull and flooding an accommodations compartment. F/V Guiding Light’s first engineer, Kriss Leel, moved quickly to respond, starting up the deck crane and making heaving lines ready. >>click to read<< 12:49
In a surging seafood industry, boat captains struggle to find workers
How Shark Meat Is Prepared In US Restaurants
Shark meat is not one of those things we instinctively think of as being good eating. However, like any other kind of athletic fish, shark offers an excellent amount of flavorful, high-protein meat for consumption. Though it is eaten the world over, in the United States it often comes bearing a different name. Though it is prepared in a number of different ways, chances are that, if you’re eating out, you won’t have any idea that there is a shark on your plate. Though it varies between species, shark meat generally has a very meaty texture and is quite mildly flavored. It is therefore easy for shark to substitute for other types of fish. For example, shark is often used to make fish and chips. >>click to read<< 09:38
Cromer fisherman rescued after being dragged out to sea
Sheringham Lifeboat was called out at 5.30pm on Sunday to aid a fisherman who was thought to be in distress. On arrival at the scene, the fisherman was back in his boat having been assisted by several onlookers. The fisherman had been setting his nets off Sheringham West Beach when his foot caught in the rope. The boat was still in gear but ran ashore and grounded itself on the bank. Several onlookers ran onto the beach and turned the boat around, relaunching it just as Sheringham Lifeboat arrived. >>click to read<< 09:11
It’s here – the future of commercial fishing
New trawling technology – billed as “the future of sustainable fishing” – has been unveiled to the New Zealand seafood industry at its annual conference in Auckland this afternoon. The system, which has been in development in this country for almost 10 years, uses a large, flexible PVC tube instead of a traditional mesh trawling net. New Zealand fishing companies Aotearoa Fisheries, Sanford and Sealord are investing $26 million into the commercialisation phase of the technology, called Precision Seafood Harvesting. The Government is matching industry investment and scientists from Plant & Food Research, a Crown Research Institute, are working with the three fishing firms to trial the system on commercial vessels. Photos, Video, >>click to read<< 07:33
A fisherman’s view of the state of commercial fishing
If the control cord for the hoist at the Hampton State Pier had been the correct length and David Goethel had not lost his balance in reaching for it and had not fallen head-first to the floating dock 20 feet below, we may have never had the chance to read “Endangered Species,” just out from Peter Randall Publishing. That would be a shame. Goethel’s memoir of his life as a commercial fisherman on the Atlantic Ocean is by turns funny, scary, and educational. You may wince as he tells of the rough times and seas that fishermen sometimes face, where a high wave can cause a sharp knife to be impaled in one’s leg. It happened to Goethel, whose oldest son, Eric, had to use the Boy Scout life-saving skills he had just learned to help stop the bleeding. You may feel as frustrated as does Goethel when federal government and non-governmental actors force rules and regulations that make no sense and where the bureaucrats are dismissive of the fishermen who — spoiler alert — actually do know something about fishing and fish. >>click to read<< 08:07
Virginia’s blue crab commercial harvest period extended
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted last week to approve the extension recommended by the Crab Management Advisory Committee. The harvest of crabs by hard crab pot is now Dec. 16, pushed back from Nov. 30. Lower bushel limits will begin Nov. 1 instead of Oct. 1. The purpose of these changes is to promote efficient utilization of blue crabs and economic stability for the fishing industry, according to the Marine Resources Commission. “Female crabs are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring on them,” said Alexa Galván, a fisheries manager with the commission during a VRMC meeting. “But, the 2021 and 2022 exploitation rates were slightly above the target, not of the threshold which would be overfishing.” >>click to read<< 12:50
Two sisters run absolute gem of a pub in Devon fishing town
A much-loved fishermen’s pub in the heart of a Devon fishing town is still going strong as locals toast its 400 year anniversary. Erica Mundle and her sister Georgina Loasby are the brains behind the Crown and Anchor pub in Brixham. Erica, 41 and Georgina, 31 have owned the Quayside pub since December 2019 and they’re proud to say the place truly is frozen in time. Erica, who previously worked as a primary school teacher, said she feels grateful for all of its customers, a healthy mix of locals and holidaymakers who keep coming back year after year. The boozer is famed for its crab sandwiches and brandy coffee and is a great place to relax and enjoy stunning views. It has always been a pub at the heart of the fishing community and is loved by many, which is one of the main reasons Erica and Georgina decided not to change anything when they took over. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:41
Alaska cancels snow crab harvest again due to population concerns
Crabbers from the Pacific Northwest who fish in Alaska had been watching and waiting for recommendations from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which met Thursday and Friday. Following the meetings, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said Bering snow crab season will be closed for 2023-2024; Bristol Bay red king crab will open. Tanner crab will also be open for commercial fishermen. Both the snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab seasons were closed in 2023. Crabbers and industry associations warned of the massive impact the decision would have on many small businesses, prompting calls by Congressional officials for an emergency declaration and federal aid. Video, >>click to read<< 08:18
Grounded Austro Carina boat leaks all its diesel into ocean at Red Bluff
Thousands of litres of diesel has leaked from a boat which ran aground on Banks Peninsula two weeks ago, says Canterbury Regional Council. Large swells had broken up the Austro Carina fishing boat at Red Bluff near Shell Bay. The council said 10,000 litres of diesel had slowly dispersed over the past week. It said up to 400 litres of hydraulic oil could also be leaking from the engine room, but crews could not reach it to check. Salvage teams had so far picked up 31 large bags of rubbish, debris and fish bins. Fishing nets had also been removed from the vessel, aside from some that were unable to be cut away from under the stern. The wreck had broken up significantly and had moved up the beach to the north. >>click to read<< 17:24
Anti-Wind Farm Group Sues R.I. Coastal Agency Over Revolution Wind Approval
Green Oceans, the Rhode Island citizens group that fiercely opposes offshore wind farms, is in the midst of a civil lawsuit it has filed against the state Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), claiming the council violated the constitution, state regulations, and its own responsibilities when it approved the Revolution Wind farm in May. The lawsuit, being heard in Newport Superior Court, asks the court to vacate the CRMC’s decision, which, in effect, declared that the wind farm conforms to the state’s Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP), provided that the developer, Revolution Wind LLC, takes some agreed-upon mitigating actions. Attorneys for the CRMC fired back, stating that private citizens have no legal standing to bring such a suit, that Green Oceans has not suffered injury because of the CRMC action, that the complaint was filed past deadline, and that Green Oceans was taking the action without an attorney, which is not allowed. >>click to read<< 11:02
UMaine researcher who helped reshape marine science in Maine retires
When Bob Steneck came to the University of Maine in 1982, there were few marine ecologists in the state, and none interacted with fishermen. He was among the first in Maine to work with lobstermen on research, traveling with them on their boats, diving to the seafloor to study lobsters and sharing his findings with them. At that time, there was a scientific consensus that the lobster population in the Gulf of Maine was declining. By working with lobstermen and diving down to the depths of the gulf, Steneck showed that the population was actually on the rise. Steneck’s work and that of his students and colleagues helped propel an expansion of and change in how lobster fisheries research is conducted in Maine. Over the preceding decades, Steneck’s students continue collaborating with lobstermen and other fishermen on their studies. >>click to read<< 10:05
Fukushima sake brewer warms shattered Japanese fishing community
Daisuke Suzuki is helping by doing what he does best as life tentatively returns to normal for the devastated fishing communities of Japan’s Fukushima region: making sake. The “toji” sake master and his family were lucky to escape with their lives when a huge earthquake and tsunami devastated the area in March 2011, killing about 18,000 people and knocking out the nearby nuclear plant. In the town of Namie, the disaster obliterated the old port of Ukedo and its local fishing industry, as well as the Iwaki Kotobuki sake brewery that Suzuki’s family has owned for five generations. For two centuries, at least, it had made the rice wine that revived many a fisherman’s spirits after returning to port from the capricious Pacific Ocean with a hold brimming with fish. They would drink cups of Iwaki Kotobuki sake over white-meat sashimi of flounder and bass, delicacies from the Fukushima coast. “The sake was always there, just like the fish,” said one taciturn local fisherman, not wishing to be identified. “That is the way it has been here since my childhood.” Two years ago, the government gave the all-clear for the sale of fish from the Fukushima region to resume. The fisherman needed something to drink, and Suzuki then built a new sake plant back in Namie. >>click to read<< 15:42
Grounded Austro Carina trawler at Banks Peninsula starting to break up, salvage could take months
The fishing boat that ran aground at Banks Peninsula carrying thousands of litres of diesel is breaking up, Canterbury Regional Council says. Heavy swells continue to make it difficult for crews to get to the Austro Carina, which ran aground near a marine reserve at Shell Bay’s Red Bluff on 24 September. The boat was carrying about 10,000 litres of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic oil. The council warned it could take months to salvage the wreck, with the necessary equipment unavailable in New Zealand. Wild weather that battered Banks Peninsula earlier this week ripped a hole in the boat. >>click to read<< 09:50
Arklow Fisherman Appeals to Politicians to Submit His Experience to EU Fishing Vessel Safety Review
The owner of former beam trawler Mary Kate has said his experience should inform the EU’s review of fishing vessel safety. Arklow fisherman CJ Gaffney has written to national and local politicians and MEPs to ask that they present his case to the EU review. Gaffney discovered serious stability issues with the Dutch trawler after he bought it in 2007 and was left with debts of 1 million euro. He tried to take legal action in both the Netherlands and Germany, took out a loan to cover fixing the vessel and then had to surrender it to the bank in 2012. He sought EU funds in compensation, but the EU said it was up to the national state. The vessel was broken up in New Ross, Co Wexford, earlier this year under the Government’s decommissioning scheme. >>click to read<< 13:09
N.L. processors dumped 5 times as much crab in 2023 as they did last year
Newfoundland and Labrador fish processors dumped more than 300,000 pounds of snow crab during the past season — more than five times the amount dumped last year — according to data from the provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. In 2023, processors dumped 303,202 pounds of crab, compared with 59,239 in 2022 — a 411 per cent increase. Officials have not confirmed the reasons for the increased dumping, but harvesters blame a compressed season and unusually warmer waters. The 2023 snow crab season was marred with conflict from the outset: a six-week standoff over the $2.20-per-pound price that pushed the start of the season well into May, sending harvesters scrambling to catch what they could before cut-off and creating a bottleneck of boats on the water and product at plants. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:46
Only 13 per cent of MCS seafood ratings are ‘green’
The Marine Conservation Society has released the latest update to its Good Fish Guide, which sees 53 rating changes with 19 ratings moving down the sustainability scale. The Good Fish Guide includes 337 ratings for seafood caught in UK waters, split into three categories, where ‘green’ is the most sustainable best choice; ‘amber’, which indicates there are some concerns or a lack of data; and ‘red’ – fish to avoid completely due to overfished or otherwise compromised stocks. The majority of seafood ratings in the latest guide – 62 per cent – are amber-rated; just 13 per cent are green. Charlotte Coombes, Good Fish Guide Manager, said: ‘With the majority of UK ratings in the Good Fish Guide staying on amber, it is evident that the UK has yet to fulfil its commitment to achieving world-class sustainability in fisheries. >>click to read<< 19:27
Corvus to Equip First Hydrogen/electric Hybrid Fishing and Training Vessel
Corvus Energy, a company providing zero-emission solutions for the maritime industry, said Monday it had won a contract with Hvide Sande Shipyard in Denmark to supply a complete hydrogen fuel cell system for the training vessel “MS Skulebas.” “The 35-meter fishing and training vessel has the latest technology and commercial fishing systems installed and sets an example of innovation and cooperation within the maritime and education sectors. The vessel, which is owned by Vestland County and operated by Måløy Upper Secondary School, will be the first of its kind, combining both fuel cells and batteries in a fishing vessel,” Corvus Energy said. >>click to read<< 12:53
Shell Bay, Banks Peninsula oil spill: Plan to remove boat in the works
The 25m Austro Carina, owned and operated by Lyttelton-based Pegasus Fishing Ltd, ran aground near picturesque Shell Bay on the southeastern side of the Banks Peninsula on Sunday, September 24. The 140-150 tonne boat is currently still stuck with the gaping hole at the bottom of a 100-metre, potentially unstable cliff. The unfortunate position of the boat means it cannot be reached, according to the regional council, Environment Canterbury (ECan). “Access to the vessel by water has been heavily restricted by heavy seas, the rugged shoreline, and poor weather over the last week,” Emma Parr, Regional On-Scene Commander for the Harbourmaster’s Office, said. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:43
Scientific Dispensation Request Granted for King Scallop Fishing Trial off South-East
The UK Marine Management Organosation (MMO) has granted a scientific dispensation to MacDuff Shellfish to carry out a two-day scallop fishing trial off the South East coast of England. The trial will take place before the end of October 2023 and will test the feasibility and potential benefits of shucking scallops at sea. Shucking is the process of removing the scallop meat from the scallop shell. Shucking on board a vessel immediately after catching is not currently permitted under UK law. Regulations require fishers to land whole scallops to enable effective enforcement of scallop minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS). >>click to read<< 08:36
Wind energy expansion raises concerns over fishing industry’s future
The burgeoning development of offshore wind energy along the East Coast is drawing attention to a growing concern: the potential impact on the livelihoods of commercial fishermen who operate in these waters. The collision between the expanding renewable energy sector and the established fishing industry has ignited a debate over the future of these shared waters. While not all fishing organizations oppose offshore wind projects, some fishermen, such as Dave Aripotch in Montauk, N.Y., have expressed fears that their industry is at risk. They argue that their concerns have been overshadowed by the rapid push for clean energy solutions. Video, >>click to read<< 09:18
Drug dopes gave bogus ‘fishing trip’ reason to buy €400k cocaine trawler – then beached it after space tech move
The trawler beached off the Wexford coast while on a drugs run was sold to two “foreigners” in Castletownbere for up to €400,000 the day before. The 15-metre Castlemore had been on the market for three years, owned by a member of a prominent fishing family hamstrung by strict EU fishing quotas in the Co Cork harbour town. After a test run, a bill of sale was drawn up and the new owners quickly bought and installed a top-of-the-range Elon Musk SpaceX satellite system before they left Castletownbere. Within hours, the boat left Co Cork purportedly for Devon, but instead it’s believed it headed off to rendezvous with the mother ship laden with over 2.25 tonnes of coke. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:59
Orcas in Alaska are stealing fish right from the lines — and the new behavior seems to be killing them
Orcas in Alaska are exhibiting a “new behavior” that may be getting them in trouble, a local fisher’s association has said. They’ve been known to pluck fish off from commercial fishing gear for decades. But recently, they’ve been spotted lingering by the boats more often, appearing to “be feeding in front of the nets while fishing,” the group said. The Groundfish Forum, a Seattle-based trawl group that represents members operating 19 boats in the area, gave the warning in a statement shared by the Anchorage Daily News. “This new behavior” has never been documented and has marine scientists stumped, the Groundfish Forum said in the statement, dated September 21, >>click to read<< 18:01
Biden Administration Is Killing Whales and Covering it Up
The Biden Administration is rushing headlong to start the massive construction of offshore wind power projects off the East Coast. The wind industry calls these installations “farms.” In no way, shape, or form do they resemble bucolic farms. Fortunately, several citizen groups have been formed which are vigorously opposing this massive industrialization of the ocean. The two leading organizations are Save Right Whales Coalition, lead by Lisa Linowes, and Save Long Beach Island, lead by Dr. Robert Stern. In addition, Michael Shellenberger has produced a terrific documentary, Thrown to the Wind, which provides an eye-opening view into the real world of noise produced by so called survey ships. Save LBI has also initiated litigation in New Jersey federal court seeking to revoke the permits issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) authorizing this pre-construction activity. By Collister Johnson. >>click to read<< 09:26
