Category Archives: International
Owner of grounded trawler working on salvage plan
The owner of a fuel-laden fishing trawler that is grounded off Banks Peninsula is working on a salvage plan for the stricken boat and has promised to help manage the environmental impact of any spills. Four crew members had to be winched to safety by helicopter when the 25m Austro Carina ran aground at Red Bluff near Shell Bay last Sunday night, carrying 10,000L of diesel and 400L of hydraulic oil. The boat’s owner Pegasus Fishing said it was working with authorities on the best approach to salvage the trawler. “We are happy to confirm media reports that all our crew are safe and well, although they are still understandably shaken from the events of Sunday night,” the statement said. >>click to read<< 08:07
President Biden’s Offshore Wind Policies Make National Lobster Day a Day to Mourn
National Lobster Day was established by Congress to celebrate the tasty crustacean’s place in American history, culture, and commerce. Sadly, due to President Biden’s offshore wind policies, and his agencies’ blame shifting, it may soon become a day to memorialize the passing of a great industry, tradition, and a tasty meal. On December 1, President Joe Biden hosted a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, at which more than 200 Maine lobsters were served. The dinner was rife with hypocrisy since earlier in his administration, Biden’s National Marine Fisheries Service, an office in the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), issued new restrictions on Maine’s lobster fishers to protect North American right whales from entanglement with lobster fishing gear. >>click to read<< 10:40
Trawler that ran aground off Wexford coast in suspected drug smuggling operation was bought days earlier in west Cork
The Castlemore, the 21-year-old twin rigger, had been bought by a local fisherman in Castletownbere in 2017 and used to fish for prawn and white fish off the southwest coast but the owner had been trying to sell the boat for the last two years and on Friday, the boat was purchased by an unknown buyer. The boat left Castletownbere late on Friday night or early Saturday morning and was reported to be headed for Brixham in Devon but local sources in Castletownbere suspect that the vessel headed off to rendezvous with another vessel which had crossed the Atlantic with a consignment of cocaine. The cocaine was then transferred from the boat that had crossed the Atlantic to the Castlemore in what is known as “coopering” so that when the other boat entered port and was checked by customs officials, they would find nothing while the drugs would be brought ashore by the trawler. >>click to read<< 09:14
P.E.I. company excited by new report promoting electric lobster boats
AKA Energy Systems is hoping to launch its own all-electric lobster boat within the next year, following up on its work with hybrid vessels. “We got our first hybrid boat out in the summer, so that’s something that we’ve been working on for a couple of years,” said Jason Aspin, AKA’s CEO. The Oceans North report said the key to jumpstarting the shift is for governments to set a “market signal” by setting clear targets for emission reductions, as has occurred in the motor vehicle sector. The study calls for Ottawa to include commercial fisheries in its marine climate action plan and set the goal of having “at least 10 per cent of the lobster fleet, about 300 boats, powered by electricity or zero-emission fuels such as green hydrogen by 2030.” >>click to read<< 08:33
Century-old Devon fishing boat sets sail after restoration
A 108-year-old fishing boat restored over a decade has set sail once more in Devon. The Britannia was relaunched at Exeter Quay earlier after it was spotted “in a bad state” by its previous owners in Brixham Harbour in 2013. Vicki Samuels and her husband Sam formed a charity and have been restoring the boat with a team of volunteers ever since. Mrs Samuels said she was “really emotional” and had “a few tears”. Now returned to its former glory, the restoration has also been a learning experience for the young people who volunteered to help, Mrs Samuels said. Photos, >>click to read<< 18:52
Sea change – Major study links pink salmon and ocean chaos
Pink salmon and the hatcheries helped boost their numbers to never-before-seen highs were Thursday singled out for disrupting the ecosystem of the North Pacific Ocean to the detriment of other species of salmon, seabirds, whales and more in a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Serices (MEPS). The study titled “From diatoms to killer whales: impacts of pink salmon on North Pacific ecosystems” concluded that “the evidence is consistent and strong that pink salmon can exert competitive dominance for common-pool prey resources shared by four forage fish species, all five species of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout, and 11 species of seabirds. “It further indicates that pink salmon can have a strong influence on ecosystem structure and function by, for example, initiating pelagic trophic cascades.” >>click to read<< 10:20
Scottish Port Feels Force Of UK Fishing Storm
In Peterhead, a major port in northeast Scotland and Europe’s largest wholesale market for white fish, Brexit was supposed to offer “a sea of opportunity” for locals. Instead they have suffered a wave of complications and added financial costs in recent years, even before the impact of surging inflation. “Careful what you wish for, it hasn’t turned out as they promised,” Mark Addison says in front of his trawler, the Benarkle II, which is moored just behind Peterhead’s fish market. “It’s been the hardest three years,” he tells AFP. “Brexit followed by the (Ukraine) war was just a double whammy.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring worldwide, with the fishing industry hit hard by rocketing fuel prices and large cost increases for key equipment such as nets. Photos. >>click to read<< 08:34
Deadliest Catch star visits Pictou to promote technology combatting ghost fishing gear
Any fisherman understands that keeping the waters clean will help ensure a viable future for the industry. “If you want a future, you have to invest in that future,” said Capt. Sig Hansen from Discovery Channel’s The Deadliest Catch. “So why not try to keep our oceans clean? That’s our responsibility.” Hansen has partnered with Resqunit (pronounced “rescue unit”), lending his star power to an endeavor they hope will assist in helping to protect the environment in which fishermen and women ply their trade. The Resqunit is a lost gear retrieval unit that can be attached to a line of traps, in case a fisher loses a buoy because of storms, accidents or by other means. It includes a user-controlled timer release that is set by using on an app on your phone. If needed, the unit will deploy after a set length of time, rise to the surface and allow fishers to retrieve their traps. >>click to read<< 14:04
Blue Harvest bankruptcy leaves millions in unpaid debt to local businesses
For Blue Harvest and Bregal Partners — which is part of a fund with over $18 billion under management — the $50,000 or so owed to Bendiksen is a small fraction of the debts the company had racked up during its eight-year roll up of the New Bedford fishing industry. But for Bendiksen, he said the notice that he will not be paid spells a serious financial blow. And he’s not alone. More than 1,000 independent contractors and companies will be left holding the bag as the private-equity backed fishing venture goes belly up, according to a list of creditors published in the bankruptcy filings. It includes many fishermen who had worked for Blue Harvest and countless small businesses on the New Bedford waterfront: welders, mechanics, supply stores and shipyards. >>click to read<< 11:20
Fuming fishermen say SNP and Green politicians are not telling the truth about Scotland’s bountiful seas
Fishermen in Shetland say that the extent of biodiversity loss in Scottish seas seas has been greatly exaggerated by Scottish Government ministers and others. To help “debunk myths and misleading claims about the industry”, the Shetland Fisherman’s Association (SFA) has published the latest of its ‘Fishy Falsehood’ papers. It points to clear evidence that marine species are continuing to thrive in Scottish seas. The SNP/Scottish Green executive has paused its hugely controversial Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) proposals, which would’ve banned fishing in 10 per cent of Scottish coastal waters. Green MSP Arianne Burgess summed up the motivation for the ban when she said: “In Scotland and across the world nature is in crisis, with many species facing extinction.” >>click to read<< 10:53
Harbourmaster wants to sell sunken trawler for £1
A French fishing trawler which sank in a Devon harbour more than seven years ago could be sold for £1. The Saint Christophe 1 sank at Dartmouth in 2016 after Dart Harbour staff encountered “language difficulties” when speaking to the vessel’s five-man crew. A report found both parties were unable to understand one another when discussing the danger of the boat grounding on the falling tide. The vessel was refloated and towed to Brixham Harbour where it has been moored ever since. The trawler is now the responsibility of Torbay Council as the harbour authority, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external said. Harbourmaster Rob Parson>>click to said the authority was trying to “get rid” of it. >>click to read<< 08:30
Proposals could increase wind energy costs 27% to 66%, NYSERDA report says
A report by the state agency leading New York’s transition into a carbon-free energy grid says requests by wind farm developers to sharply increase what they can charge for the power could potentially be 27% to 66% higher than originally proposed. Wind farm companies requesting the increases previously filed documents with the state that excluded from public release most of the now-released financial information. “The economic impact is far too great,” Michelle Leo, a member of Protect Our Coast Long Island, an opposition group in Long Beach, said in an email in response to the release. “Off-shore wind is clearly too expensive because of the return to the investors …” Equinor is lying to the ratepayers that have crappy political representation. >>click to read<< 12:59
Life on the Arctic Coast: Coxswain Kim Roger Stays Calm When Put to the Test
It is afternoon in the idyllic fishing village Sørvågen in the Lofoten Islands. Below the houses, in the bay, several small fishing vessels and a fish processing plant can be found. It is quiet outside, with the exception of a few seagulls crying. A larger fishing vessel also lies along the quay, the purse seine boat Kim Roger. High North News is allowed onboard and greet the coxswain and fisherman Kim Roger Benonisen (38). The eye is drawn to the amount of equipment located on the stern and the bow of the 50-foot-long boat; various types of ropes, winches, hydraulic hoses, a crane, and a net hauler. Kim Roger says he has been fishing his entire life. His first winter season was in 2003 – exactly 20 years ago. Photos, >>click to read<< 10:36
‘A Gulf and National Issue’: Southeast Texas shrimpers struggling to survive due to influx of imported shrimp
With an an influx of imported shrimp taking over the market, it’s becoming tougher for Southeast Texas shrimpers to survive. Since July 16, the Texas waters opened back up for fishing, but Eric Kyle Kimball’s boat “The Seahorse” has yet to leave the dock at the Sabine Pass Port Authority. Kimball is a third generation fisherman who’s been around the industry for 55 years. This career help provides for him and his family, with brown shrimp being the main source of income. Shrimp imported from across the globe are driving prices down from $3.75 per pound in the 80’s to 95 cents per pound, currently. After paying for fuel and deck hands, area fisherman can’t break even. Video, >>click to read<< 09:49
Lobster row rocks offshore wind as state tells turbines to stay away
The government of South Australia is unimpressed by a federal decision to include the state’s waters among a list of six areas chosen for pioneering offshore wind tenders, citing risks to its valuable fisheries industry and sparking a row with trade unions which support the renewable source. A period of consultation for the Southern Ocean Wind Zone was opened by Australia’s energy minister Chris Bowen in July, as part of a federal government plan to have six areas fully defined and declared by mid-2024. As part of this process, the South Australian government has come out in opposition, and said the proposed zone should simply stop at the border with Victoria, pointing out that the proposed wind farms will be connected to that state’s grid. >>click to read<< 13:42
Japan boosts fishing sector aid after Fukushima water release
The announcement came as more than 100 fishermen and locals living near Fukushima Prefecture were to file a lawsuit this week seeking to stop the discharge. The ¥20.7 billion ($141 million) in additional funding announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida comes on top of an existing ¥80 billion aimed at minimizing reputational damage to the industry and keeping businesses afloat. The beefed-up aid now totaling ¥100.7 billion is a reflection of the government’s “determination to protect” a sector already scarred by the 2011 nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Kishida said. >>click to read<< 11:24
The ghost ships clogging up WA’s marinas and waterways
The Department of Transport has spent more than $1.1 million in the past four years removing and disposing of 43 vessels abandoned at marinas and on WA waterways. These cases normally take several years to resolve, but the latest vessel in Mark Briant’s sights was also the longest case the department has dealt with in its history. The 70-tonne, 17.8-metre fishing trawler Atlantic Ocean has been a familiar sight in the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour for more than 20 years, but the department declared it abandoned in 2018. Its hull is covered in rust and, at 62 years old, the Atlantic Ocean’s best days are well and truly behind it. >>click to read<< 16:10
Tributes to Cromer fisherman and council leader John Lee
He was an eighth-generation fisherman known for his down-to-earth style and speaking his mind. Helping others, socialising and having a laugh were all part of his daily routine, and he was dedicated to his family. Tributes have been paid to John Lee, from Cromer, who has died following a short illness, aged 60. His widow, Donna Lee, said his death had come as a shock. “It has left a big hole in our lives and our hearts – we weren’t expecting it this quickly,” she said. “He called a spade a spade, he was straight-talking and honest. He was a family man, very sociable, and very committed to Cromer, the community and to youth football.” Photos, >>click to read<< 09:07
Fisherman David Dunsford reflects on 50 years at sea amid luck, loss and laughter
Saltwater runs through David Dunsford’s veins. “Our story is a pretty special story really; my mother’s family came out from Sicily by ship, landed in Albany and made their way to south-eastern South Australia,” he says. “My grandfather, Frank Corigliano, was one of 14 children; the product of an Italian father and an Irish mother – so a huge fishing family, and I was lucky they stayed here in Beachport.” David says his ancestors were pioneers of the southern rock lobster industry, which today contributes more than 30 per cent – or $158.5 million — to South Australia’s seafood gross state product and employs about 1,300 people through direct and flow-on business. David recalls the moment the die on his own fishing destiny was cast. “I remember being at school one day, about 15, and my father said to me, ‘David, it might be best if you come home’. Photos, >>lick to read<< 07:53
Trawl Fishing Resumes off Fukushima amid N-Plant Water Release
The offshore trawl fishing season kicked off in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima on Friday, about a week after the country began discharging treated wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Some 20 fishing vessels left Matsukawaura port in the city of Soma early in the morning. They began returning to the port from before noon for fish landings and auctions. “It’s regrettable we have to resume fishing while the treated water is being released, but I hope everyone will do their best,” Masahiro Kikuchi, vice head of the local Soma Futaba fisheries cooperative association, said at a departure ceremony held at the port from 1:30 a.m. >>click to read<< 12:18
Lobster season underway, but South Australian fishers still missing out on Chinese trade
Lobster fishers in South Australia’s southern zone are heading out today to set their pots for the start of the season. After a two-year trial, the season’s September 1 start date has become permanent in the hope it will help get lobsters onto the plates of those celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Robe lobster fisher Paul Regnier supports the change. “It has been a real bonus for us,” he said. But China is still not allowing Mr Regnier’s catch into the country — officially, at least. China’s 2020 ban on Australian lobsters sent prices crashing and exporters were forced to find new markets for the crustaceans. >>click to read<< 10:34
Free dental care offered to fisherman and their families
Between 14 September and 14 December 2023, Smiles at Sea – now in its seventh year – will open its doors to fishermen suffering from dental problems in Cornwall and Devon. Along with their dependent families, they will have access to free dental checks, emergency treatment and oral cancer screenings from a mobile dental unit in eight fishing ports. The treatment will relieve any urgent dental problems including simple tooth extraction, permanent fillings and scale and polish. There will also be referrals through NHS routes where more complex oral surgery is required. >>click to read<< 09:37
Forty years since Narooma lobster case that could have transformed Indigenous fishing rights in NSW
Norm Patten’s eyes light up when he talks about lobster season. “When you see that yellow wattle come out mate, you know the lobsters are travelling up the coast,” Mr Patten said. The eastern rock lobster can be found along the continental shelf off Australia’s south-eastern coast. Mr Patten’s mum was a Monaro-Gunai woman and he grew up in Victoria’s East Gippsland region and in Narooma on the NSW far south coast. He and his siblings were taught by their stepfather how to spot lobsters’ horns poking out of the seaweed at low tide. By the time Mr Patten was an adult, a commercial rock lobster industry was established on the far south coast and strict catch limits were introduced for recreational fishers. >>click to read<< 07:54
Galloway fishing representatives hope voices will be heard after meeting cabinet minister
Galloway fishing representatives have expressed hopes their voices will be heeded following round-table talks with Mairi McAllan in Kirkcudbright. The cabinet secretary met industry delegates in the wake of her decision to withdraw controversial proposals for highly protected marine areas (HPMAs). She toured West Coast Sea Products’ scallop factory ahead of the Johnston Centre summit. Ms McAllan told the News: “I was pleased to meet with representatives of the local fishing industry, businesses, community groups and others in Dumfries and Galloway this week to discuss how we can work together on marine conservation. >>click t0 read<< 10:03
Banning Bottom Trawling Could Lead to Higher Carbon Footprints As Consumers Seek Alternatives
Banning demersal trawling would lead to higher CO2 emissions as consumers switch to more protein produced on land, according to a new scientific paper. Writing in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, researchers agree that demersal trawling can be highly destructive when not managed well, but when stocks are overfished, this is usually due to poor management. The scientists led by Prof Ray Hilborn at the University of Washington and involving researchers at Heriot-Watt and Bangor universities used relative benthic status to measure the impact of trawling on the seabed. The authors note that catching fish in the ocean “uses no pesticides or fertilizer, almost no fresh water, and no antibiotics”. >>click to read<< 09:20
South Australia rejects proposed Southern Ocean offshore wind energy zone over lobster industry concern
One state is bucking a push for more wind farms in Australia due to fears the gigantic renewable energy generators could damage vulnerable ocean wildlife and put hundreds of fishermen out of work. South Australia has officially notified the federal government it does not support a proposed Southern Ocean offshore wind farm zone stretching from Warrnambool in Victoria to Port MacDonnell in the state’s southeast Limestone Coast region. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the construction of massive turbines could damage the state’s $187.5m rock lobster industry, which generates more than 1000 full time jobs in the area. >>click to read<< 11:17
New Gov’t plan to track small fishing boats
Proposals to introduce electronic tracking and monitoring technology for small fishing vessels will be consulted on as part of package of new fisheries measures. The consultation proposes that vessel tracking devices will be required by Scottish commercial fishing vessels under 12 metres in length wherever they operate, and by all vessels of the that size when they operate in Scottish waters. It also asks whether Remote Electric Monitoring systems (REM) – which are more sophisticated than vessel tracking – should be required on some inshore vessels. A Scottish Government spokesperson explained: “Rolling out such technology across Scotland’s fishing fleet would show that vessels are operating sustainably and within the law, increasing consumer confidence in Scottish seafood. >click to read< 10:58
Fukushima residents cautious after wrecked nuclear plant begins releasing treated wastewater
Fish auction prices at a port south of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were mixed amid uncertainty over how seafood consumers will respond to the release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the ocean. The plant, which was damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, began sending the treated water into the Pacific on Thursday despite protests at home and in nearby countries that are adding political and diplomatic pressures to the economic worries. The decades long release has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and criticized by neighboring countries. Japanese fishing groups fear the release will do more harm to the reputation of seafood from the Fukushima area. Photos, >click to read< 16:25
The Ties that Bind
Nancy Bowers’ mother fished in the 1980s when it was uncommon for women to be out in boat. Since then, Bowers says, the fishing industry has come a long way. “[If] my mom was alive today and saw all these women that’s actually fishing, she would be mind boggled.” Bowers herself is one of these women. Fisherwomen might be few in number, but they have a strong community. Bowers says what started as a couple of women wanting to stay connected became a group of over 100 fishers. They meet virtually once a month and once in person after the fishing season. Lillian Saul fished in Alaska before moving to Newfoundland. She says she was surprised by how few women fish in the province. “In Alaska there’s tons of women, not only just on boats but also running boats and a lot of different types of fisheries.” Photos, >click to read< 10:40
David Proud honoured for 30 years with Falmouth RNLI
A coastguard turned lifeboat crew member who has helped save many lives over 30 years has been honoured for his long service. Falmouth RNLI volunteer David Proud was recently presented with an RNLI long service medal in recognition of his three decades of service at the station. The medal was presented to him by Falmouth RNLI coxswain Jonathon Blakeston. David’s involvement with search and rescue actually goes back even further, as he joined the Coastguard service in Falmouth in January 1977. This was when it was located in the old lookout, a small square building at Pendennis Point, before the current Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was built. >click to read< 08:40
