Category Archives: International
Two dead, one seriously injured and one missing in the shipwreck of a fishing boat off the coast of Santander
The coordination center of Maritime Rescue of Santander received the notice of the shipwreck shortly before five in the morning. The F/V Vilaboa Uno had an emergency six miles off the Cantabrian coast. Immediately other fishing boats that were in the area and maritime rescue personnel have approached the place. They have only been able to rescue seven crew members alive, one of them seriously injured. Two of the sailors have been killed and a third remains missing. After receiving the warning, the alert was distributed among the boats in the area. Several fishing boats, a Maritime Rescue ship and a helicopter have been transferred there at dawn. The fishing vessel F/V Siempre Nécora, the first to arrive, managed to locate seven of the crew. The Phoenix gave with an eighth and a boat of the Pilots of the Port to the ninth Video, >click to read< 11:25
Pelagic industry at loggerheads with government over new landing rules
The industry, consisting of 20 large pelagic trawlers including eight based in Shetland, said it stands to lose millions of pounds in revenue should it be legally required to land 55 per cent of mackerel and herring at Scottish ports. The requirement to demonstrate what is known as “a real economic link” of vessels to the country they are registered and licensed in is nothing new. In the past, fishing companies could comply with the rules by either landing 50 per cent of its quota into UK ports or employing crew of which 50 per cent lived in the UK, or by spending half of its operating cost in the UK. >click to read< 09:44
Remembering the Milford Knight crew
This week in TRM “Old Trawler Corner” is the Milford Knight M127 (see photo) built in Selby in 1950, a steel-sided, diesel, crabber class trawler, that sailed out of Milford from 1950 to 1955, when it moved to Lowestoft and became the Trinidad. We’ve also got a snap of one of her crews (see photo) which Ethel Clark described as follows: “Genial Skipper Thompson was affectionately known as “Womps” in the Milford industry. A member of a well-known Lowestoft born fishing family, with five brothers, all Skippers.”It was in the Second World War that Skipper Thompson won the MBE, after his trawler the Slebech saved Skipper Billy Burgoyne and his crew when his ship, the Fort Rona, was bombed and sunk in the Irish Sea. Photos, >click to read< 17:39
Blue Lobsters Have Better Luck, so PETA Releases Dye Kit to Save Them All
Because many fishers have chosen to spare rare blue lobsters after catching them off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey and around the world, PETA is releasing a new dye kit that makes it possible to give all lobsters the same blue hue. Now available for sale, the chemical-free dye binds to lobster shells for up to six months when squeezed into water—making it look like the animals have a rare genetic trait that occurs in just one out of an estimated every 2 million lobsters. >click to read< 14:28
“Dead Days” In French Ports To Protest Against Fuel Prices And The Limitation Of Fishing Areas
Not a boat at sea, not a fish sold, no fish trade, no processing. For the first time, the National Fisheries Committee calls for dead days in French ports to demand from the government answers to a series of“attacks” weakening the sector, in a climate of tensions never seen since the Brexit crisis. From Boulogne-sur-Mer to Sète via Brest, hundreds of fishermen angry at the regulations launched an unprecedented “dead sector” operation on Thursday. For several days, the anger has been mounting: muscular demonstrations in Rennes or even Lorient, blockages in Boulogne-sur-Mer since Sunday then closure of the auction, awareness-raising operations, with distribution of fish in Capbreton … >click to read< 07:49
Rye, N.H. fisherman Keper Connell hooks consumer wave with his Gulf of Maine tinned tuna
Each tin of Gulf of Maine Conservas tuna begins with fisherman Keper Connell boarding Figment, his 45-foot Novi, long before sunrise to make the two-hour, 25 mile journey from Rye Harbor in New Hampshire to Jeffreys Ledge. Connell doesn’t catch tuna on every trip to the ledge, but when a giant bluefin does strike his line, he 
still gets a rush of adrenaline. In 2019, he began experimenting with canning some of his catch, getting the right blend of fresh fish, Calivirgin olive oil and salt. He contracted with a cannery in Oregon and launched his business, Gulf of Maine Conservas. “I’m catching the fish, I’m portioning it, I’m cooking it and then I’m containing it,” he said. “All you as the consumer have to do is open it and enjoy it.” >click to read< 16:34
No wonder communities are worried
Thank you for your report on fishing industry concerns over the potential loss of fishing grounds to offshore wind developments, which gives rise to several questions: Mr Newcombe of the Orion project boldly demands the equivalent of 67 Viking Energy (VE) wind farms (30GW) be installed on fishing grounds around Shetland so that he can produce humongous amounts of hydrogen at Sullom Voe. Throw in the SNP-Greens’ forthcoming ‘highly-protected marine areas’ (HPMAs) and is it any wonder Shetland’s biggest industry and the communities dependent on it are worried? Is it appropriate to impose development on such a scale on a small, island community that has no control over the planning of it? Does the SIC accept the implied destruction of the fishing grounds, effectively, forever, as a direct result? >click to read< 08:41
French fishermen begin two-day strike to highlight ‘plague of crises’
Many French fishermen have begun a two-day strike to highlight a “plague of crises” hitting their sector, including EU regulation and post-Brexit turmoil. They are being called to walk out on Thursday (March 30) and Friday (March 31) to call for more government support. Industry group le Comité national des pêches (CNP) says the journées mortes (dead days) in French ports would mean no fishing boats going out, no fish sales, and no processing of fish food items. >click to read< 08:00
SSE’s choice of guard boats ‘a kick in the teeth’ for local fishing crews
A local fishing body has questioned the “community spirit” of SSE (Renewables) after guard work was handed to two vessels “masquerading” as local fishing boats. Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) said SSE’s decision to award the contracts to Genesis and Dauntless – who were both recently registered in Lerwick – “flies in the face” of the companies promises to co-exist at sea with local crews. The Genesis and Dauntless were previously registered in Banff, and are currently guarding interconnector cable work. “Now, we see SSE handing off this work to boats that no longer fish, have never been based in Shetland, employ no Shetland crew and have no Shetland ownership. >click to read< 14:07
Fishing Industry Cautious After Examining Norway – EU Deal
The IFPO and IFPEA has welcomed Norway’s exclusion from the Irish Box but says Ireland still lacks an equitable arrangement. “Norway have been allocated an extra 36,000MT of blue whiting in the Irish EEZ, compared to just 4,800MT extra blue whiting for Ireland,” says Aodh O Donnell, chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO). O Donnell says fishing representatives took time to carefully consider the new deal, ironically struck on St Patrick’s Day, before responding. >click to read< 14:33
After a record-breaking year for Atlantic snow crab, facing huge price cuts is ‘worse than the moratorium,’
“It’s going to be worse than the moratorium.” That’s Jason Sullivan’s gut feeling about the upcoming 2023 snow crab fishing season. He has no doubt that the record-breaking prices of 2022 are a thing of the past. There’s talk of prices starting somewhere around $2 a pound, a nearly 70 per cent drop from last year’s starting price of $7.60. Sullivan said that would translate to a huge loss for the provincial economy. “We had a billion-dollar industry and now we’re taking $500 million out of it right away,” said the Bay Bulls fisherman. “That’s going to be devastating, especially for rural areas.” >click to read< 13:02
Angry, Breton fishermen on strike!
It would seem that it is not only Uk fishermen that are troubled by the position they find themselves in with regard to quotas, increasingly demanding NGOs, fuel costs and a general increase in what seem unworkable rules and regulations being forced upon them In Brittany, which is home to some of the largest ports in France fishermen – including company boats – are taking action today and effectively going on strike by staying in port. If such action were to be contemplated here in Cornwall say, it would be good to think the company boats would also mirror their Breton cousins and stay in port. Video, >click to read< 09:05
Norway ‘secure more out of fishing deal than Ireland’
Under the deal, Norwegian fishers can catch 224,000 metric tonnes of blue whiting in Irish waters this year, an increase of 110,000 metric tonnes on how much they were allowed to catch last year. In contrast, Irish fishermen and women are only allowed to catch 52,000 metric tonnes of blue whiting, up from the 28,000 tonnes they could catch last year. While unhappy with the lack of quota parity between the two countries, fishing representatives here say the deal has an upside to it. >click to read< 11:50
Brixham trawler sank rapidly after capsizing off Devon coast
Government experts have completed their investigation into the sinking of a Brixham-registered trawler off the East Devon coast. The Angelena capsized and sank off Exmouth in June 2021, and the skipper was rescued unhurt from the water by a nearby military launch. The interim report published today says the steel-hulled stern trawler Angelena, which was built in 1988, sank just before midday on June 18 2021 around eight nautical miles southeast of Exmouth while its fishing gear was being recovered by the skipper, who was operating the vessel alone. The cod end was full of sand, mud and fish. >click to read< 19:38
Windfall of €8m for family at heart of Atlantic Dawn fishing group
Atlantic Dawn, the Donegal-based international fishing group, has paid an €8m dividend to an entity controlled by the McHugh family who are behind the business. The dividend underscores how the group has continued to deliver a strong financial performance while keeping its turnover and profit details shielded from the public. Atlantic Dawn, headed by chief executive Karl McHugh, is one of Ireland’s largest fishing groups and estimated to control more than 7pc of the country’s entire fishing quota. >click to read< 17:40
Furious fishermen block France’s largest port in row over EU rules to eliminate trawling
French fishermen protesting against a European Union project to restrict bottom fishing symbolically blocked the main French fishing port, Boulogne-sur-Mer, on Sunday evening, the prefecture and the regional fisheries committee said. Seven fishing boats enacted a blockade at the entrance to the port, the prefecture said. Olivier Leprêtre, president of the Hauts-de-France regional fisheries committee told AFP the EU Commission’s plan “would be the death of the port of Boulogne”. He pointed out that with such a measure only 20 percent of the waters of the Pas-de-Calais Strait would remain accessible to fishing. >click to read< 09:01
‘Wicked Tuna’: T.J. Ott Pays 5-Figure Fine for Illegal Act
Back on Dec. 7, 2022, the Massachusetts Environmental Police revealed that its officers began investigating the illegal sale of bluefin tuna, a federally regulated species in October 2021. During the investigation, they discovered that bluefin tuna was being sold at a Gloucester fish market, and a captain faced criminal charges. In November 2022, the captain reached a plea deal with the state and paid $13,000 in fines for the illegal sale of the fish. Although the post didn’t mention Ott, the Gloucester Daily Times later reported that he was the captain involved. >click to read< 07:57
‘The people’s fish’: Atlantic mackerel stocks have collapsed – can a moratorium bring them back?
Canada’s Atlantic mackerel population is a shadow of what it once was, and its decline threatens the well-being of the people who depend on it. Mackerel supports one of Atlantic Canada’s top recreational fisheries, and one of its oldest commercial fisheries. The fish is also used for bait, and it has an important place in Indigenous cultures. The same migratory stock supports recreational and commercial fisheries in the U.S. Last March, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans closed Canada’s commercial and bait mackerel fisheries for one year and placed daily personal limits on the recreational fishery, to give the population time to rebound. But the U.S. fishery remains open, albeit with a reduced quota. Next week, federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray will decide whether to reopen the Canadian fishery. The DFO’s latest studies have found no sign of recovery in the mackerel stock. Photos, >click to read< 13:09
French Master and fishing vessel owner fined at Plymouth Magistrates
The owner and the master of France-registered fishing vessel ‘Felir’ SB918511 were fined a total of £8,000 and ordered to pay £6000 in costs plus £380 in victim surcharges by Plymouth magistrates. The financial penalties were imposed after the vessel’s owner Felir SAS and master Ludovic Fourgault admitted using fishing gear to which was attached a device, namely a piece of diamond shaped mesh placed over the square mesh panel, that obstructed or otherwise diminished the mesh size of part of the towed gear. >click to read< 08:43
‘A bloody lie!’ Boris torn apart over ‘take back control’ promise as UK fishermen rage
Boris Johnson has been branded a liar over his Brexit promise that the UK would “take back control” of its waters, with warnings the UK fishing industry is now “on its last legs”. The former Prime Minister, who pledged to “Get Brexit Done”, had promised to protect the industry before signing a trade deal with the European Union. The fishing agreement states there would be a five-year transition period that would see EU boats continue to gain access to UK waters until 2026. But June Mummery, the former MEP for East of England and founder of Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries, has launched a furious attack against Mr Johnson, claiming UK fishermen have been “stabbed in the back”. >click to read< 08:16
Banff and Buchan MP urges rethink of Highly Protected Marine Area plans
David Duguid MP has written to Scottish Government minister Mairi Gougeon MSP urging her to rethink proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas following concerns that they restrict twenty times as much as the UK Government’s plans for English waters. In his letter to the rural affairs secretary, Mr Duguid has hit out at the impact the proposals will have on Scotland’s fishing fleet and has asked why HPMAs in Scottish waters are being implemented on an immediately permanent basis and not on a trial/pilot period like the rest of the United Kingdom. >click to continue< 14:58
Vancouver Island military search and rescue crews train with U.S. Coast Guard
Crews from 19 Wing Comox are back on the ground after attending a week of specialized training in the United States, learning special techniques to get in and out of extreme ocean waves. “It was awesome to be able to train in a more realistic environment, out of our normal rules,” said Master-Cpl. Carl Mozienko of Comox’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron. Three pilots, two flight engineers and three search and rescue technicians, spent five days training with members of the U.S. Coast Guard down in Astoria, Oregon, near the mouth of the Columbia River. The location was chosen because of its rough seas, according to Brad Pigage, a chief aviation survival technician for the Advanced Helicopter Rescue School. Photos, >click to read< 12:47
‘Significant progress’ made with L’Ecume II investigation
More than 400 lines of enquiry have been recorded since the start of the investigation – Operation Nectar – with more than 300 now complete. The L’Ecume II fishing trawler sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. In a statement, the force said: ‘Significant progress is being made with the investigation and most of the evidential opportunities have now been completed.’ Family liaison officers continue to support the families of Mr Michieli, Mr Baligat, and Mr Simyunn in Jersey and the Philippines. The wreck of L’Ecume II is due to be raised once the specialist equipment needed to do so has been acquired. It will be held on land as part of the police investigation at a secure location, where a forensic examination will take place to recover evidence and record the damage. >click to read< 08:51
French protesters throw live crabs at police during bloody clashes at fishing rally
Hundreds of angry fishermen gathered in Rennes, France, to protest worrying recommendations made by the country’s Council of State in relation to the costly carbonisation of the sector. Olivier Le Nézet, head of the country’s National Fisheries Committee, went on to say the treatment of the industry has evoked “aggressions”, with French fleets being decreased by more than a quarter in 20 years. The ill-feeling came to a head earlier this week when the highest administrative court, the Council of State, gave the government six months to close some fishing areas in the Atlantic. >click to read< 12:46
Boats likely stuck ‘in the middle of nowhere’ for several days after storm
A boat that broke free and ran aground during a storm that left thousands without power could take up to two weeks to salvage, a harbourmaster says. The storm that battered the South Island on Tuesday whipped boats from their moorings and caused some damage to the power networks managed by PowerNet in Southland, leaving hundreds of customers without power overnight. On Wednesday afternoon, a 14-metre-long private boat bearing the name Liane could be seen half-submerged in the mudflats of Pourakino River in the Jacobs River Estuary, in front of the Aparima Restaurant and Bar. He said it was one of two boats that sank as a result of the storm. Photos, >click to read< 08:52
P.E.I. company adding seal meat to produce ‘Cadillac’ of baits
Bait Masters started producing bait sausages in its $1.4-million facility in Nine Mile Creek in April 2021, using a mix of fish, fish oil and other organic matter in a biodegradable casing. Now the recipe is changing. “Part of that decision came from fishermen who requested it, and part of it came from the abundance of seal, and needing to find a use for… the product,” said co-owner Mark Prevost. “So far, I think seal would probably be one of the higher end as far as quality goes, with oil and fat. I would consider it the Cadillac of all the baits that we’ve tried to make. Photos, >click to read< 07:47
Dunbar: Call to report unlicensed fishermen selling stolen shellfish
Residents and businesses from throughout the county are being urged to report unlicensed fishermen who have been stealing from creels and selling stolen shellfish caught in and around Dunbar. The town’s harbour is home to nearly 30 fishing vessels ranging from six to 15 metres long. In recent years, it has experienced thefts from crab and lobster creels, as well as fishing equipment being stolen. The issue has been made worse by the poaching of undersized crabs and lobsters, as well as egg-laden queens, by unlicensed fishermen. >click to read< 10:49
Biggest UK beamer launch, Admiral Gordon to join the South West fleet!
Parkol Marine were excited to announce the launch of New Build 058 at Middlesbrough on Friday. Many of their followers have been looking forward to seeing the completed vessel. So it’s congratulations to the vessel owners on the launch of F/V Admiral Gordon PH-330, a 27.3m LOA beam trawler. It has been a pleasure working with you all, best wishes from everyone at Parkol. F/V Admiral Gordon is the first over 20-metre beam trawler to be designed and built in the UK for 30 years, a massive achievement to all involved, British Manufacturing at its best! 8 Photos, >click to read< 11:24
Scottish fishing group asks government to ‘radically rethink’ marine protected area plan
SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said the Scottish Government’s blue economy plans “have been hijacked by the Greens and will push the fishing industry into the red.” “On top of the existing spatial squeeze caused by the dash to build huge offshore windfarms with little consideration for their impact on fisheries, the (Scottish) government wants to close a further 10% of our waters to fishing vessels – with no evidence whatsoever that doing so will achieve ministers’ vague conservation aims, nor any attempt to understand the effect of displacing the fishing fleet,” she said. >click to read< 09:42
Covid shutdowns and hurricanes rock Louisiana seafood industry
During the pandemic, the state’s seafood industry shut down. Once business resumed, a series of storms and hurricanes wiped out areas where those who rely on the state’s plentiful harvests of crawfish, shrimp, crabs, oysters and alligators make a living. The double-whammy took a devastating toll on Louisiana, the nation’s second-largest seafood supplier, and when it fully recovers remains to be seen. “There’s still boats stranded in certain areas,” said Samantha Carroll, executive director for Louisiana Seafood. While the 2022 season offered a reprieve with no hurricanes, “people were still trying to pick up the pieces,” struggling to find fuel, bait, and other essentials, she said. >click to read< 14:52
