Category Archives: International
Spanish fishing boat stopped by Gibraltar police ignites war of words
Relations between Gibraltar and politicians across the border in Spain soured this week after Gibraltar police took action against a Spanish fishing vessel which they claimed had been repeatedly entering British territorial water off the Rock. Spanish local and regional politicians have angrily denied the small vessel called Mi Daniela was fishing in Gibraltarian waters and asked Gibraltar for an explanation. The Royal Gibraltar Police said that on Monday morning this week the skipper was stopped and reported over a series of alleged offences in a joint operation with the Rock’s Customs and Environmental Protection officers. >click to read< 14:28
Limestone Coast community fears it has a lot to lose if offshore wind zone goes ahead in Southern Ocean
Australia’s Southern Ocean has some of the best wind resources in the world and is set to play a prominent part in the nation’s energy future. But in a small town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, opposition to the development of offshore wind farms is fierce. Chris Carrison is an abalone diver and chair of Southern Coast Ocean Care, a group of Port Macdonnell residents against offshore wind. “Particularly from the cray fishermen and the future of their industry, but just the general public that they’re going to look out of their front yard and see a wind tower in the future.” Mr Carrison said locals were concerned the development could have a devastating effect on the local lobster fishing industry and the environment. >click to read< 08:02
Ayrshire fishing industry: Consultation is launched
SNP MSP Siobhian Brown has welcomed plans from the Scottish Government that will attempt to boost the fishing industry in Ayr and Troon and has encouraged local stakeholders to engage with the consultation. The consultation on how to collaboratively improve inshore fisheries data, which was launched on August 14, includes proposals to introduce electronic tracking and monitoring technology for small fishing vessels, which will help to increase consumer confidence in Scottish seafood. It follows two recent consultations: one on Remote Electric Monitoring (REM) on board pelagic and scallop vessels, and the other on Scotland’s Future Catching Policy. These collaborative consultations, and the package of measures they will introduce, represent Scotland’s future as a world-class sustainable fishing nation. >click to read< 09:46
Skinningrove’s fishing boat restored after years on beach
A fishing boat which became a “local landmark” on a beach for almost two decades has been restored. The Repus Cole was displayed on Skinningrove Beach in 2005 after being saved from destruction. It had belonged to fisherman Wilbur Cox, who died in the 1980s, and became a memorial to those lost at sea. Redcar and Cleveland Council said it would continue to “proudly stand” on the beach for future generations. The boat had originally been stored at South Gare before it was brought back to the village for display. It was eventually displayed opposite the home of Mr Cox’s daughter, Marie, who said she was “delighted” the boat had been brought “back to life”. >click to read< 10:10
5 things to know about Japan’s Fukushima water release in the Pacific
Workers in Japan have started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The plant was destroyed in a 2011 earthquake and massive tsunami, and water has been accumulating ever since. On Thursday, the Chinese government announced it was immediately suspending aquatic imports, such as seafood, from Japan. A review by the UN’s nuclear watchdog says that the discharge will have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment, but some nations remain concerned. Here’s what the Japanese government is doing, and why. >click to read< 09:12
Fife fishing boat recovered as appeal continues to find culprit who sank it
A Fife fishing boat that was sank by a hooded stranger has been recovered. The operation to bring the Tina Louise back above water at Methil Harbour lasted all day on Wednesday. But the boat has now been removed, meaning owners Tina and Ross Coventry can claim insurance for the £50,000 worth of damage caused last month. “The boat is a complete write-off but we are hoping to sell some bits off from it,” Tina said. The couple, who run a shellfish delivery service, say the incident has put them out of business for months. Video, >click to read< 07:56
Bundoran fisherman sees double as rare Orange lobster pays second visit
You can do the numbers on finding an orange lobster that has not already been served on a platter, so to have discovered two last year, after a lifetime of fishing off Donegal shores, was a bit of a coup for Bundoran based fisherman, Sean Carty, when out checking his pots this week. While checking his pots as per usual earlier this week, what appeared to be another orange lobster emerged from the ocean, but there was more to this ’tail’ than met the eye. However, he had to do a ‘double take’ when he realised that he had clashed claws with this same lobster before. >click to read< 12:20
Fishing industry welcomes move as WA government puts proposed legislation on ice
New fishing laws a decade in the making have been put on hold by the Western Australian government just months before they are due to come into force. The Aquatic Resources Management Act (ARMA) was to be governing legislation for the recreational and commercial fishing industries, replacing the 1994 Fish Resources Management Act and the Pearling Act 1990. It was due for enactment on November 1. However, mid-last month, the government told the industry it would be delayed indefinitely. WA Fishing Industry Council chief executive Darryl Hokey welcomed Fisheries Minister Don Punch’s move to delay the ARMA legislation, saying it was not ready due to “ambitious and rushed consultation” in its final preparation stages by a “gutted” state department. >click to read< 11:20
Inspectors checked on just 6% of Irish trawlers in 2022
Only 6% of Irish-flagged trawlers were subjected to checks by this country’s fishery inspection officers last year compared to far higher numbers for many other countries, according to official figures supplied by the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA). Last year, the SFPA said it used a “risk-based methodology for inspection” of fishing boats to carry out checks on catches and Norwegian-registered vessels came top for inspections at 92%. The SFPA said 41% of Spanish-flagged vessels, which have for a long time had a significant presence in Irish waters, were inspected. A similar percentage of British and French-flagged vessels were inspected, while 33% of Belgium-flagged trawlers were also checked. >click to read< 17:45
CT, RI wind farm gets federal decision on environmental plan
One of Connecticut’s first two wind farms reached a major milestone on Tuesday, with the Bureau of Ocean Energy issuing a “record of decision” in the environmental review process for Revolution Wind, a prerequisite clearing the way for construction in the coming weeks. Revolution Wind will be located 15 miles off Point Judith, R.I., with partners Orsted and Eversource planning to sell the electricity generated by wind turbines to Connecticut and Rhode Island. That construction activity includes crews conducting multiple test pits near along the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, R.I., and at the substation where power from the wind farm will be brought ashore, and then converted for use on the regional electric grid. >click to read< 16:06
Sadness as historic Sussex fishing boat is demolished
The RX 134 Stacey Marie, was on display opposite the Dolphin pub in Rock-a-Nore Road, in Hastings Old Town, close to the fishing beach. Dee Day White, who along with Tush Hamilton, was involved in clearing the site, said: “In case you are wondering what has happened to the fishing boat opposite the Dolphin here is the explanation. After recent inspections of her by various carpenters, tradesmen and fishermen the conclusion was the same. “She unfortunately was rotting very badly from the inside out to the extent that the deck was moving under the weight of the wheelhouse pushing down through the deck timbers making her unsafe and dangerous. 19 photos, >click to read< 10:43
Water release finds little support in Fukushima
Most Fukushima fishermen are tight-lipped but Haruo Ono can’t keep his thoughts to himself on Japan’s plans to release treated cooling water from the stricken nearby nuclear power plant into the Pacific from Thursday. “Nothing about the water release is beneficial to us. There is no advantage for us. None. It’s all detrimental,” Ono, who lost his brother in the 2011 tsunami that crippled the plant, told AFP. “Fishermen are 100 percent against,” the 71-year-old said at his modest home in Shinchimachi, around 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of the nuclear plant in northeast Japan. “The sea is where we work. We make a living off of the sea, we’re at the mercy of the sea. So if we don’t protect the sea, who would?” >click to read< 07:43
Scientists at Work: Uncovering the Mystery of When and Where Sharks Give Birth
If you have a toddler, or if you encountered one in the last year, you’ve almost certainly experienced the “Baby Shark” song. Somehow, every kid seems to know this song, but scientists actually know very little about where and when sharks give birth. The origins of these famous baby sharks are still largely a mystery. Many of the large iconic shark species – like great whites, hammerheads, blue sharks and tiger sharks – cross hundreds or thousands of miles of ocean every year. Because they’re so wide-ranging, much of sharks’ lives, including their reproductive habits, remains a secret. Scientists have struggled to figure out precisely where and how often sharks mate, the length of their gestation, and many aspects of the birthing process. >click to read< 13:51
Japan PM Fumio Kishida to meet fishermen on Fukushima water release plan
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will meet fishermen as soon as Monday to seek their understanding of the government’s plan to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific. Getting the tacit approval of organizations representing the fisherman is considered the final hurdle for the plan to release the treated waste water, a move the government says it wants to begin this summer. The plan to release 1.3 million tons of water from the tsunami-destroyed plant as Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) runs out of storage space, has been opposed by local fishing unions, caused concern among shoppers in South Korea and sparked import bans of Fukushima food products China. >click to read< 09:00
Fire on board fishing boat in the Solent prompts emergency response
A fire aboard a small fishing boat, carrying two men and a 13-year-old boy, led to an urgent call-out for Cowes RNLI lifeboat this morning (Sunday, August 20). The outboard had caught fire when the 18-foot craft was over Gurnard Ledge. Cowes lifeboat, which launched at 9.35am, arrived to find that although the fire had been put out by the crew the boat needed to be towed. The vessel was taken to Trinity Landing, where fire crews went aboard to ensure all was safe. Also on the scene were Needles Coastguards. >click to read< 09:50
Save LBI lays out evidence for cause of whale deaths
On August 4th, 2023, Save Long Beach Island (LBI) filed a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the ongoing offshore wind energy vessel surveys using high intensity noise equipment until a thorough investigation could be done and new protocols developed for estimating noise impacts from wind energy development activities. On August 14th Save LBI responded to defendant and defendant-intervenor motions, laying out in detail the evidence linking the vessel surveys to the recent whale deaths. Evidence of Causation of Whale Deaths by Vessel Surveys -The federal defendant concludes that the vessel surveys are not the cause of the recent whale and dolphin deaths, and that there is no evidence linking the two. In fact, there is ample evidence leading to a conclusion that the surveys were and are the only plausible cause, as summarized below: >click to read< 12:30
Hundreds Protest New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Farms
Concerns over the increase in whale and dolphin deaths along the Jersey Shore have ignited protests against Governor Phil Murphy’s support for offshore wind energy. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters converged in Atlantic City to voice their concerns, backed by a theory linking these deaths to offshore sonar testing. The Jersey Shore has witnessed an unprecedented spike in marine mammal deaths in the past year alone. Activists from the ‘Save Right Whales Coalition’ and other environmental groups are attributing this alarming trend to sonar mapping activities that precede the construction of offshore wind turbines. However, Governor Murphy argues that the rise in marine fatalities is consistent with a long-term trend observed across the East Coast and not exclusively linked to the offshore wind projects in New Jersey. >click to read< 10:32
Macduff Ship Design are pleased to announce the completion of the new build fishing vessel, ‘ZENITH, BF 106’
The vessel was built by Macduff Shipyards for owner Mark Robertson, along with sons Paul and Adam. This fishing vessel replaces the owner’s previous two fishing vessels, ZEYPHR BF 601 (ex UBEROUS) built by the yard in 2005 and ZENITH BF 106 (ex DAYSTAR) built by the yard in 2008. The vessel is intended to fish out of Fraserburgh in the North East of Scotland, targeting primarily prawns in the North Sea region. ZENITH is the second vessel in a series of three sister ships, all of which are being built at the yards newly developed Buckie site. Photos, >click to read< 09:36
Hull tower blocks named in honour of trawler campaigner women
Three tower blocks in Hull have been renamed in honour of women who fought for new safety laws after a slew of fishing tragedies in the 1960s. Dubbed the Headscarf Revolutionaries, Yvonne Blenkinsop, Lillian Bilocca, Christine Jensen and Mary Denness changed the fishing industry for good. They took action after a triple trawler tragedy in 1968 which saw the loss of three Hull trawlers and 58 crew. Name plaques on the Porter Street flats were unveiled on Friday. The women’s campaign started when 58 fishermen lost their lives in three separate trawler sinkings in the space of less than a month in 1968. The trawlers – St Romanus, Kingston Peridot and Ross Cleveland – all sank in quick succession, and only one man survived. Photos, >click to read< 08:50
Sealord convicted for endangering workers after asbestos found on fishing vessel Will Watch
A worker who found what he strongly suspected was asbestos on a fishing vessel has led to a conviction for seafood company Sealord on a charge linked to its failure to properly protect workers from harm. In 2021 the crew member was among several seconded to the 50-year-old fishing vessel Will Watch for a fishing trip in the southern Indian Ocean. He noticed a form of insulation in a locker room that he didn’t recognise and raised the alarm with the ship’s captain. Sealord did not believe there was any risk to the Will Watch crew from asbestos, believing it had been removed from the vessel before it arrived in New Zealand in the 1980s. >click to read< 13:36
Tribute to unstinting Hull fishing heritage and museum volunteer Trevor Evans following his death
A Hull man who dedicated decades of his life to maintaining Hull’s fishing heritage for the benefit of future generations has died. Trevor Evans was the longest-serving volunteer aboard the Arctic Corsair, a floating museum set inside the country’s last working deep-sea sidewinder trawler. Mr Evans helped pack away one of the most symbolic items of the vessel, the ship’s bell, ahead of the Arctic Corsair’s relocation to a temporary berth, before it eventually takes centre stage in the North End Shipyard, creating a new visitor attraction for Hull. “Recently, Trevor was part of a group advising us on the future visitor experience at North End Shipyard, the new home for the Arctic Corsair. He will be greatly missed, and our condolences go to his family and friends.” >Photos, >click to read< 12:30
The NSW commercial fishing industry condemns offshore wind farm proposal for the Hunter and Illawarra regions
Tricia Beatty, Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Fishermen’s Association of NSW said today, “The proposal being considered by the Federal Government is ludicrous and will have a devastating impact on endangered, protected species as well as devastating our commercial fishing families and seafood consumers of New South Wales.” “The studies done to date demonstrates enough evidence that listed threatened species and ecological communities, as well as listed migratory species (protected under international agreements) will be impacted by the proposed wind farms. There is also some opinion amongst the scientific community that there is a link between both the increased mortality rate of whales alongside the expansion of offshore wind infrastructure on the busy coastal cities of New York and New Jersey, although this is still being studied. The areas proposed for the offshore windfarms is in the migratory path of important species such as southern right whales (one of the most endanger large whale species in the world) and humpback whales”, said Ms Beatty. >click to read< 08:40
AVENTURINE – Locally Built Trawler/Crabber for French Fishing Company
French family-owned fishing company Armement Porcher recently took delivery of a new trawler and crab fishing vessel built by compatriot shipyard Socarenam. Named Aventurine, the Coprexma-designed vessel is the sixteenth to be built by Socarenam for the same owner. The new trawler will be homeported in Saint-Brieuc in Brittany. It will be operated for periods of between one and three weeks primarily in the western portion of the English Channel as well as in the Irish Sea to fish for squid, monkfish, and crabs. Photos, >click to read< 07:49
“Wicked Tuna” and lucky number 13
Number 13 is a fortuitous number for National Geographic’s hit reality television series “Wicked Tuna.” The show is now shooting its 13th season. And it is a lucky number for Gloucester Capt. T.J. Ott of the vessel Hot Tuna who won the title of G.O.A.T. — Greatest of All Time — at the conclusion of season 12 by hooking a total of 13 fish valued at $70,148. He edged out by $218 Beverly’s Capt. Bob Cook who caught a dozen fish valued at $69,930. The hit show, based out of Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport, chronicles a competition among fishermen and fisherwomen in search of giant bluefin tuna. 7 Photos, >click to read< 16:24
This Fisherman’s Catch of the Day? A Kangaroo Stranded in the Ocean.
What’s the last thing you’d expect to reel in while out on a fishing boat? A kangaroo! But that’s precisely what one fisherman encountered while out on his vessel. Kangala Wildlife Rescue received a call from said fisherman, who was heading back to shore to deliver the exhausted animal into their care. The trouble was, the kangaroo was beginning to wake up… and you certainly don’t want an angry kangaroo bouncing around your boat! Rescuers had to act quickly to sedate the roo, and then transport it back to their wildlife center to evaluate its health. Photos, >click to read< 09:44
Crab catching ship Vaigach of Project КСП01 built by Krasnoye Sormovo completed sea trials
Krasnoye Sormovo PJSC (a company of United Shipbuilding Corporation) says it has completed the trial of crab catching ship of Project КСП01, Vaigach. The trials were held near the Gogland island in the Gulf of Finland. The test programme included checking of the vessel’s propulsion system, its performance, automation/communication/navigation systems, as well as all equipment installed on the crab-processor. The tests were carried out with the participation of specialists from Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard’s commissioning team in the presence of representatives of the customer, contractors and RS. >click to read< 15:06
UK opens more opportunities for sustainable Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries outside EU
39 tonnes will be used for a new trial commercial fishery which takes advantage of an increased quota share of 65 tonnes for 2023. The new trial commercial fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna, delivered by Defra and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of the UK Fisheries Authorities, is the first of its type in the UK for decades. Licence authorisations have been issued to 10 fishermen following an expression of interest process. Vessels will be permitted only to use low-impact rod and reel fishing gears which use lures, no live bait or chumming will be permitted. >click to read< 10:27
Save the whales? In Massachusetts, today’s greenies kill the whales
Once upon a time, the greenie left waxed poetic and went full scold to the rest of us about saving the whales. Today? They’re doing the opposite. Take a look at what’s going on off the coast of Massachusetts, where the rare right whales in its waters are dying left and right: More than a century ago, the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania and then its development into the fossil fuel industry was praised and credited for saving the right whale, and other whales, whose populations had been decimated by hunting derived from the need for whale oil. Now, with the shunning of the fossil fuel industry in favor of greenie wind farms, the right whale is once again facing the same kind of danger, not for whale oil — but for the greenie dream, which always turns out to be dead and brown. Video, >click to read< 11:53
Small fishing boats in Scotland could be tracked under new plans
Small fishing vessels could be required to use tracking and monitoring systems under new proposals from the Scottish Government. A new consultation proposes that the devices be fitted to all commercial fishing vessels under 12 metres long. They are already required for vessels longer than this while fishing in waters around Europe. The Government also published the outcome of other fishing consultations, saying remote electronic monitoring – which is more sophisticated than vessel tracking – will become mandatory on large pelagic vessels and scallop dredgers. >click to read< 09:41
SMAST’s Kevin Stokesbury: On scallops, community collaboration, and a lifelong love of the ocean
Growing up on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Kevin Stokesbury spent as much time as possible swimming, searching for sand shrimp, and soaking up the sun with his siblings. Now as dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at UMass Dartmouth, he’s finding practical applications for his passion with the sea. Stokesbury has played an integral role in revitalizing the scallop industry in New Bedford, inventing a drop camera in 1999 that snapped photos of scallops living on the seafloor, giving scientists and fishermen much more precise estimates of scallop numbers than previously available. The location map and information accompanying the photographs have proved vital. Stokesbury’s invention has greatly boosted the local economy. Before the drop camera, scallop boats brought in an annual harvest valued around $89 million. In 2021, it was $670 million, according to a NOAA commercial landings report. Video, Photos, >click to read< 17:41
