Category Archives: International
UK reaches agreement on key fish stocks for 2023
The UK has reached agreements with the EU and Norway, and wider coastal states, to secure valuable fishing opportunities for the UK fishing industry. Negotiating as an independent coastal State, the UK agreed catch levels for 2023 for six important fish stocks in the North Sea including North Sea cod, haddock and herring. This comes as the UK also concluded negotiations on catch limits with coastal States in the North East Atlantic on three more key stocks to the UK fishing fleet – blue whiting, mackerel and atlanto-Scandian herring. In total, UK quota in these stocks will be worth around £256m to the UK fishing industry next year. >click to read< 11:15
Angry fishermen stage protest at Tees dredging plans including one who’s lost all his crew
Fishermen from Hartlepool, Redcar and Whitby who have seen their livelihoods “decimated” by the shellfish die-offs along the North-east coast joined the rally. Fishermen fear chemicals released by dredging work to develop the Teesside freeport are to blame for the die-offs. Joe Redfern, a fisherman and founder of Whitby’s lobster hatchery, said: “The freeport is a massive government agenda. We are all for the jobs and regeneration and want to see this part of the world flourish and prosper. “But if you are going to do a big dredging operation in the most toxic river in the whole country, take the sediment to landfill. Don’t dump it in the sea. >click to read< 13:06
Vessel Review – DMITRY KONOPLEV – Newbuild Vivier Crabber Trio for Russian Far East Fishing Company
Russian fishing company the Antey Group will soon take delivery of three new crab boats in a series built by local company Nakhodka Ship Repair Yard (NSRY). Sister vessels Kapitan, Dmitry Konoplev, and Kapitan Khazan are the first three of a planned series of eight vivier crab vessels built by NSRY and designed by the Damen Shipyards Group’s Damen Engineering Saint Petersburg division for operation by various owners in the Okhotsk, Barents, and Bering Seas. Antey said the acquisition of these new crab boats – which are among the first new crab boats to be built in Russia’s Far East in over 30 years – is in line with the goal of modernising the country’s fishing fleet while providing comfortable at-sea living and working conditions for crews. Photos, >click to read< 17:55
Two bodies found near sunken fishing boat in Jersey
Skipper Michael Michieli and crewmen Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat were onboard the L’Ecume II when it collided with a freight ferry on Thursday. A search and recovery operation is ongoing, with specialist equipment being used to inspect the vessel. The fishing trawler collided with the Commodore Goodwill at about 05:30 GMT and sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. A large offshore support vessel was commissioned by the Ports of Jersey to survey the site. Police have not confirmed which of the three men have been found. >click to read< 12:59
Bailiff of Jersey’s appeal after flats blast and trawler sinking
An appeal has been set up to provide support for those affected by two tragedies in Jersey. It comes after three people were confirmed dead with more bodies expected to be found after explosion in a block of flats, in St Helier. And three fishermen who were involved in a maritime collision with a freight vessel are still missing after their fishing boat sank on Thursday. The Bailiff’s Island Appeal aims to help people affected by both events. Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq said the appeal would help “meet the needs of those individuals as they arise in the coming days”. >click to read< 15:34
Built to be Versatile
The latest delivery from the Parkol Marine Engineering yard in Whitby is multi-purpose trawler Green Isle, built for Greencastle skipper Michael Cavanagh. Launched at Parkol’s Teeside yard and brought to Whitby for outfitting, F/V Green Isle has been designed for versatility, able to switch between pelagic pair trawling for mackerel, herring and scad through the autumn and winter, pelagic trawling for tuna off the south-west of Ireland for part of the summer and alternating this with twin-rigging for the rest of the year for prawns and whitefish in the Celtic Sea and grounds to the north-west of Ireland. Lots of photos, >click to read< 11:25
Jersey fishing boat sinking: Two crewmen named
Two crewmen missing after their fishing boat was involved in a collision with a freight vessel off Jersey have been named. Larry Simyun and Jervis Baligat were on board the L’Ecume II when it sank off Jersey at about 05:30 GMT on Thursday, Ports of Jersey (POJ) said. Both men had been on the boat with skipper Michael Michieli. A search operation for the men was called off on Friday with attention switching to recovery of the vessel. Mr Michieli and the two crew members were on the L’Ecume II when it collided with the Commodore Goodwill. >click to read< 12:16
Fleet reduction is a signal that local economies will be hit hard
“It is appalling that we have the best, most-productive fishing waters in Europe, but the government has again failed the Irish fishing industry. Other member states in the EU have been given the biggest catching rights in Irish waters and the Government has failed to achieve this. Boats are leaving the industry because owners say they cannot continue to make a living from fishing, which has suffered repeated blows. Industry organisations have been warning for months that the crisis it faced was not being adequately responded to by government. Now what they have warned about is happening. >click to read< 08:07
Search for skipper and crew of sunk Jersey fishing boat called off
The search for a skipper and two crew lost when their Jersey fishing boat collided with a freight vessel in the Channel and sank has been called off after rescuers concluded there was no chance of them still being alive. A support vessel with a remotely controlled underwater craft is heading to the area to survey the spot where the boat is resting 40 metres down on the seabed to establish the best way of recovering it. The Jersey coastguard offered its sympathies to the family and friends of the skipper, Michael “Mick” Michieli and the two unnamed crew members, who are from the Philippines. >click to read< 15:10
Vindicated: Fishing industry celebrates big rise in cod quota
Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Simon Collins said on Friday that skippers feel vindicated after arguing that catch allocations in recent years did not reflect the reality on the grounds. For years, fishermen have said they have never seen so many cod which is now evidenced through the latest assessments which describe key commercial stocks as at their highest level for decades. “Deficiencies in stock assessment processes are finally being addressed, and the science is now catching up with reality, proving that fishermen have had the right of it,” he said. >click to read< 13:53
Bomb Damaged Crabber Rebuilt
F/V Galwad-Y-Mor has fished from Grimsby for many years and was 20 miles north of Cromer in December 2020 when the crew reported to the skipper that there was unusually high tension on the back rope, indicating that the gear had snagged on an obstruction in a water depth of around 30 metres. Before the crew could take any further action, what is now believed to have been a 250kg bomb dating back to the Second World War 
detonated directly beneath the hull, triggering a massive shock wave. Galwad-Y-Mor is believed to have dropped 6-7 metres into the gas bubble generated by the explosion, with the vessel thrown sharply back to the surface as the bubble filled. The result was massive damage to the vessel and all of the crew were hurt – with some of them receiving life-changing injuries. photos, >click to read< 10:59
The search for three fishermen is under way for a second day after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jersey.
The captain and two crew members of the L’Ecume II are missing after it was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill ship just after 05:30 GMT on Thursday. Jersey Coastguard confirmed its tug, the RNLI and the Channel Islands Air Search plane was involved. Local fishermen also offered to assist in the search after the fishing vessel sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. The decision to resume the search was made after reviewing the footage from a remotely operated underwater vehicle that was used to examine the sunken vessel. >click to read< 08:40
Jersey: Fears grow for missing fishermen who vanished along with their boat
Hopes are fading for the crew of a fishing boat who went missing off the coast of Jersey in the early hours of this morning. A major search has been under way throughout the day after a trawler collided with a cargo ship and sent three people overboard. Specialist divers have been involved in a search and rescue operation, but it has been suspended for the night. Efforts will resume in the morning around the area where the fishing vessel L’Ecume II disappeared in 40-metre-deep water. One of the missing men has been named locally as Michael Michieli, the skipper of the Jersey-registered vessel. It struck the Commodore Goodwill, a 120m freight carrier with a tonnage of 11,166, at around 5.30am this morning. >click to read< 19:24
Bering Sea crab collapse spurs push for stronger conservation measures
For Bering Sea crabber Gretar Gudmundsson, December is a month for preparing his two boats for the winter harvest season. But not this year. For the first time, the winter snow crab season has been scuttled. The move has upended seasonal rhythms, and the financial stability of a crab fleet already slammed by a two-year shutdown of the fall harvest of red king crab. “We didn’t ship up any groceries. We didn’t recruit any crew. We’re not laying on fuel. Nothing is happening,” Gudmundsson said. Crabbers are pressing for more restrictions on pollock fleets, which deploy large cone-shaped trawl nets to scoop up more than 3.2 billion pounds annually of this fish in the biggest single-species harvest in North America. >click to read< 11:55
Wreck of trawler which collided with Condor freight ship ‘located on seabed’
The wreck of the trawler involved in a collision with the Commodore Goodwill has been located on the seabed in up to 50 metres of water, according to the head of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association. The vessel went down off the west coast after colliding with the freight ship at about 5.30am. Jersey Coastguard has confirmed that the vessel has sunk. A major search and rescue operation involving more than a dozen boats and aircraft is under way for three missing fishermen. >click to read< 07:03
KFO to Highlight Litany of Festering Problems Facing the Fishing Sector
Morale in the Irish fishing industry is at an all-time low as rocketing fuel costs, shrinking quotas and the lingering legacy of Brexit are all proving extremely problematic. This will be the message brought to an Oireachtas Committee later today by the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation. KFO Chief Executive, Seán O’Donoghue, said the challenges facing the sector are manifold. And, although complex, his members have presented and agreed solutions to all of the key issues which are realistic, credible and based on scientific evidence. >click to read< 15:46
Crabs have evolved five separate times—why do the same forms keep appearing in nature?
Charles Darwin believed evolution created “endless forms most beautiful.” It’s a nice sentiment but it doesn’t explain why evolution keeps making crabs. Crabs belong to a group of crustaceans called decapods, literally “ten footed”, since they have five pairs of walking legs. Some decapods, like lobsters and shrimp, have a thick, muscular abdomen, which is the bulk of the animal that we eat. With a quick flick of their abdomen lobsters can shoot off backwards and escape predators. Crabs, by contrast, have a compressed abdomen, tucked away under a flattened but widened thorax and shell. This allows them to scuttle into rock crevices for protection. Evolution repeatedly hit upon this solution because it works well under similar sets of circumstances. Five groups of “crabs”,,, >click to read< 14:10
‘We’re the easiest target’: Maine lobstermen snap over regulations row
When French President Emmanuel Macron was treated to butter-poached Maine lobster at President Joe Biden’s first state dinner, the gesture was hailed 500 miles to the north. It was seen as a gesture of solidarity with an industry that is reeling from the latest in a series of blows in recent years. Having survived the pandemic and a trade war with the Chinese during the Trump years, Maine’s 10,000 lobstermen hoped brighter times were ahead. But in mid-November, the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent sustainability policeman, stepped in, triggering a clash between lobstermen, environmentalists, and the upmarket Jeff Bezos-owned Whole Foods grocery chain. >click to read< 07:34
Trawlers Unplug after 380% Increase in ESB Bills
Killybegs trawler owners have plugged out of an innovative harbour-side electricity source after they were told their bills would almost quadruple. The €1.7M ‘shore power’ system to allow fishing boats to connect to electricity when in Killybegs Harbour, thereby cutting out harmful emissions from diesel generators, was only launched in November 2021. However, a notice was posted on the harbour last week informing owners that a government agreement with ESB would end on November 30. “As of December 1, every one of us is back using the diesel generators, and we are not even getting a fuel subsidy. >click to read< 08:15
Hull’s Quiet Disaster: The Christmas Day Tragedy of St. Finbarr
St Finbarr’s final trip was plagued by bad luck from the start. She took 14 days battling atrocious weather to get to Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, a trip usually done in half that time. Electrical faults reported from previous trips caused three delays before she even set sail from Hull’s St Andrew’s Dock on 16 November 1966. Ironically, it was St Andrew’s Day (the patron saint of fishermen), 30 November, when she reached the Newfoundland fishing grounds on her thirteenth and final trip. She had endured 38 days of foul weather, from Yorkshire’s Spurn Point to the storm-lashed grounds of the Grand Banks. Skipper Tommy Sawyer, a hard taskmaster, pushed his ship and her crew to the limit, 8 Photos, >click to read< 14:22
Canada, U.S., Mexico to vote on investigation into U.S. efforts to protect right whales
A complaint, filed under the new North American free trade agreement, will force Canada, the U.S., and Mexico to pass judgment on efforts by the United States to protect North Atlantic right whales. “We recommended an independent investigation. We are looking forward to hearing a response and the position from the governments,” Paolo Solano, legal director for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, said in Halifax this week. The commission is mandated under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) to investigate claims a country is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws. Last year, an American environmental group, Oceana, filed a complaint against the United States about protections for the North Atlantic right whale. >click to read< 07:51
Fishermen spend night stranded after wild weather claims their vessel
One-third of Ireland’s offshore fishing fleet apply for decommissioning scheme
Just over 60 trawlers from the country’s 180-strong offshore fishing fleet have all applied to the Government’s decommissioning scheme. Some 19 of the 64 applicants are from Castletownbere,,, If all of those who apply for decommissioning accept it, it will be a blow for Castletownbere, not just for the fishing industry, but also for local businesses that rely on boats for a sizeable income. Alan Carleton, who applied to decommission his family’s trawler Syracuse, says he can no longer afford to be a fisherman. “My income has gone down over the past few years, but my costs have shot up,” he said. >click to read< 12:53
The most abhorrent occupation in the world?
Magnus Johnson, a marine scientist at the University of Hull, published this observation on his blog almost a decade ago, as many readers with good memories may recall, but it remains just as pertinent today. It is reprinted here with a new introduction, in which he reflects on how little has changed in the intervening decade. “Almost 10 years ago, I published this article on my blog. (We posted it on May 18, 2013) It was at a time when it felt like fishing was being vilified through a co-ordinated effort by the NGO industry. In recent times I’ve thought ‘here we go again’ as I read complete untruths about North Sea cod being fished to extinction, the theft of the commons by the industrialization of the sea as wind farms march across it, and clamour for generic exclusion of fishers from traditional grounds in Scottish waters by NGOs. >click to read< 08:06
Biden’s lavish lobster dinner doesn’t change his hostility to seafood industry
Bob Vanasse, executive director of Saving Seafood, commended Golden for calling out Biden on the issue and said that his organization has had trouble meeting with the current administration. Vanasse said that it’s not just lobster, but other seafood industries like tuna and swordfish, are having issues meeting with the White House. “I applaud the congressman for calling out the administration’s hypocrisy when it comes to our domestic fisheries and their policies,” “This is not the first time that something like this has happened, but it is good to see, and particularly a Democrat pointing it out because this administration has frankly not been friendly or helpful to our domestic fishing industry,” >click to read< 20:02
A Journey with French Fishermen
Usually, a crew consists of three to four people. The captain, who is frequently the owner of the fishing boat, is the oldest and most experienced. There are often also a few very young crew members. Many Senegalese fishermen find work on the boats. . In particular, I spent a lot of time with the crew of the fishing boat le Petit Maylise. I met Benoit first. It was a Friday morning, a day dedicated to repairing the boat and nets after days at sea. I saw a solitary silhouette from afar, bent over the nets, bathed in the soft light of rare sunny days in Normandy. The scene had something extremely spiritual about it. I introduced myself to Benoit and immediately got a great feeling from him. Then I met the other crew members: the captain, Jean Philippe; Aurielen; and young Mathis and Dylan. Photos, >click to read< 13:46
Anger as Faroe Islands renew fishery agreement with Russia
The Faroese granted Moscow the right to catch tens of thousands of tons of blue whiting in a special area shared with Britain despite the war in Ukraine. Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “It is hugely disappointing, if not surprising, that Faroe has concluded a fisheries agreement for 2023 with Russia. The fishing industry spent months calling on the Government to pressure the island country – 200 miles north of Scotland – to maximise damage to Vladimir Putin’s war machine by banning his trawlers. >click to read< 09:12
Dem lawmaker criticizes Biden for ritzy White House State Dinner serving ‘200 Maine lobsters’
A Democratic lawmaker is pushing back on President Biden’s pompous White House celebration, where 200 live lobsters will be served for guests Thursday during a State Dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron. The night before the dinner, where guests are expected to enjoy lobster and caviar, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, took to Twitter to urge Biden to meet with the lobstermen his administration is “currently regulating out of business.” >click to read< 07:53
Atlantic ChiCan investment in Nova Scotia lobster business tops $45M
Clark’s Harbour Seafood is set to open a new $15-million lobster processing facility this month as the China-focused exporter brings its investment on Cape Sable Island in southwest Nova Scotia to more than $45 million. The new plant, located in Clark’s Harbour, will be capable of processing up to four million pounds of cooked lobster a year allowing the company to make money from lobster not hardy enough for lengthy live shipments, says chief operating officer John Crandle Nickerson. The He family, which operates seafood processing companies in China, owns the business. Owner Jim He is a Canadian citizen who splits his time between Vancouver and Nova Scotia. >click to read< 13:54
