Category Archives: International
Decommissioning Irish Fishing Fleet Will Not Preserve Fish Stocks
Plans which will cut the Irish whitefish fleet by over 30% will not preserve fish stocks in Irish waters. That’s according to the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, who say European vessels will fish these stocks in our waters instead. The IFPO are responding to the €60m decommissioning scheme announced by the Minister for the Marine. IFPO chief executive, Aodh O Donnell, says the scheme must be accompanied by plans to develop and support a greener and more innovative Irish fishing industry. “Many fish producers are being forced to decommission because fuel costs mean they simply cannot afford to put to sea any longer. We estimate that around 60 whitefish vessels will be scrapped under decommissioning. This will create up to 500 permanent redundancies and directly impact on the livelihoods of up to 300 coastal community families. There will also be a knock-on effect on the marine services industry and the wider coastal economy.”>click to read< 13:30
Encouraging signs there will be plenty of ‘Brixham gold’ around
Traditionally, the summer is a quieter period for fishing and many boats will undertake their annual refits. These are now nearly all complete, and all the industry is gearing up for the busy season which will start in four to six weeks. The start of the busy period also coincides with the start of the cuttlefish season and this year there are encouraging signs that there is going to be plenty of ‘Brixham gold’ around. The cuttle is a particularly important fishery for Brixham as we can have somewhere in the region of £10,000,000 in total for a year across all the fishing vessels. >click to read< 14:33
P.E.I.’s fall lobster fishery coping with low prices and high costs
One week after the fall lobster season opened on Prince Edward Island, some fishers are worried. Prices are at least $2 to $3 less a pound than they were just a few months ago, in some cases as low as half of what they were in the spring lobster fishery. “The most common price in the last few days is in the $4.75 to $5 range,” said Charlie McGeoghegan, who chairs the Lobster P.E.I. board. McGeoghegan said the problem of low lobster prices is compounded by the high cost of putting a boat in the water these days. “The price of fuel hasn’t gone down much,,, Jerry Gavin, executive director of the P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association, says there’s still a lot of lobster meat in storage from the spring fishery. “There’s a lot of meat in inventory and that certainly wasn’t the case last year, so yes, it’s going to be a tougher fall for fishers. >click to read< 13:48
Govt’s response to future of commercial fishing in NZ report released
“The report has already been influential in shaping this Government’s approach to oceans and fisheries management,” David Parker said. The report calls for immediate evidence-based action and identified the first steps to be taken towards some longer term recommendations. Significant action has already been taken by this Government that contribute towards a number of the recommendations. These include: Requiring cameras on up to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels by 2024. This will cover up to 85 per cent of the total catch from inshore fisheries and focuses on those fisheries that pose the greatest risk to protected species. >click to read< 10:31
Innovative Fishing Vessel Launched in Turkey
Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard held a launch ceremony for the newbuild trawler Selvåg Senior being constructed for Norwegian owner Sørheim Holding. Developed in partnership with Skipsteknisk and Selvåg AS, the 79.5-meter-long Selvåg Senior purse seiner trawler will be the third in the world to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel, after the Cemre-built Libas and Sunny Lady. Thanks to the LNG fuel system, the new trawler will adapt to the new “environmentally friendly” vessel flow by reducing carbon emissions being in accordance with IMO Tier III. Liquefied natural gas keeps a temperature of about -140°C to -160°C and must be heated to gas form to function as fuel. A cold recovery system will use the surplus energy from heating the gas to maintaining the refrigerated seawater (RSW) in the cargo tanks. >click to read< 17:25
Sardine fisherman hopes changing consumer attitudes will get his catch on dinner plates
David Gray wants his fish on dinner plates. The Esperance commercial angler has spent years catching and selling sardines nationwide for bait. But a growing interest in locally sourced seafood has created new opportunities. He now has the human consumption market in his sights. The majority of Australia’s edible seafood is imported, predominantly from Asia. But Phil Clark, co-owner of WA company Fins Seafood, said supply headaches stemming from the pandemic had “put the magnifying glass” on where the country sourced its fish. >click to read< 11:13
Top Biden Climate Adviser Sanctioned by National Academy of Sciences for Ethical Violations
Jane Lubchenco, the deputy director for climate and environment at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, was sanctioned by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on August 8, Axios reported. Lubchenco’s sanction stemmed from a violation of the NAS’ code of conduct. Specifically, Lubchenco edited a paper that appeared in the NAS’ peer-reviewed journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in 2020; but the paper did not use the most recent available data, and Lubchenco had a personal relationship with one of the researchers in violation of the journal’s editorial policies. Axios adds that one of the researchers was Lubchenco’s brother-in-law. >click to read< 09:46
‘Deadliest Catch’ fleet witnesses unusual rocket launch: ‘Did Russia shoot a missile, dude?’
Captain Johnathon Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit was helping Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard fish the very edge of the U.S. fishing grounds. Prior to the alleged missile launch, the Wizard had a run-in with a Russian fishing vessel that was trawling in U.S. waters and endangering the Wizard’s fishing gear. The Time Bandit came to reinforce U.S. claim to the fishing grounds and encourage the Russian boat to stay in Russian waters. Soon after the trawler returned to Russian waters, the crew of the Time Bandit claimed a rocket was launched from Russia’s side of the border. Video, >click to read< 09:11
Lobster fishing is not profitable this year, fishermen explain
Rampant inflation and cooling markets are hitting Maritime lobster fishers hard. Six days after the start of fishing in the Northumberland Strait, some of them are receiving a price up to 40% lower than last year for their catch. A fishermen’s organization believes that this is not profitable. The atmosphere was not festive at the Cap-Pelé wharf on Tuesday afternoon. Fishermen have learned what price they will get for lobster this season: between $4.50 and $5 a pound. Last year at this time they were getting $7 a pound. We have prices, but it is not strong. They say it’s blocked everywhere, that lobster doesn’t sell, that’s the reason, explains Captain Guy Cormier. I take it one day at a time, we’re not dead today. >click to read< 07:50
Profit over people: Royal Greenland isn’t here to help Newfoundlanders
Jarding’s assertion that Royal Greenland truly wants product landed and processed in Newfoundland and Labrador has proven to be categorically false. The company, a Crown corporation of the country of Greenland, flatly refused to buy shrimp from NL harvesters at a fair price earlier this summer, telling harvesters if they wanted to fish, they must bring their product all the way to Quebec if they wanted a buyer. Why could the Royal Greenland plants in Quebec pay double the price for the same product? Why did Royal Greenland refuse to pay the same to NL harvesters? These are the key questions Mr. Jarding has conveniently sidestepped. >click to read< 11:45
Tassal recommends shareholders accept $1.1 billion takeover bid from Canadian seafood giant Cooke
The last remaining Australian-owned major salmon producer looks set to go to foreign hands, after Canadian aquaculture company Cooke upped its offer for Tassal. Tassal told the Australian Securities Exchange that it has recommended shareholders accept Cooke’s latest $5.23 per share bid, which values the company at $1.1 billion. Cooke has attempted to purchase Tassal for months, lodging three unsuccessful takeover bids, with the latest in June valued at $4.85 per share. The potential acquisition of Tassal follows foreign takeovers of Australia’s other two major salmon companies. New Zealand seafood giant Sealord purchased Petuna in 2020, while Brazilian-owned JBS completed its takeover of Huon Aquaculture last year. >click to read< 10:09
Capt. Duffy Duncan of Astoria has passed away
The man, myth and legend, Capt. Duffy Duncan, of Astoria, passed away unexpectedly to the sea in the sky on Aug. 7 at the age of 74. All knew him to be larger than life, with an infectious laugh, and always ready with a crazy fishing story, weather or stock report. One of his biggest accomplishments was securing a United Nations contract to ferry the fishing vessel Tropac 5,000 miles across the Pacific to American Samoa, where he was integral in training the local fisherman modern tuna fishing techniques, later becoming their biggest industry. Numerous bets were placed on their lives prior to the risky voyage. The mission was completed in just 27 days, and they were warmly greeted by the U.S. Coast Guard and governor. He owned and operated several commercial fishing vessels, including the Viola II, Piranha, Carly D., and the Patricia Ann, both locally in Astoria and Bristol Bay, Alaska. >click to read< 09:08
Jimmy Buchan: energy costs will drive fish processors out of business
Mr Buchan has sent a letter to the two candidates vying to become Prime Minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, ahead of their campaigning visits to Scotland tomorrow. In the letter Mr Buchan, the chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, warned that on top of Brexit and Covid, escalating fuel costs were having a “devastating impact on our ability to remain viable”. Meanwhile, the body representing the fishing industry has also issued an open letter to the prospective PMs. Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, highlighted the need for “fairer decision making” over use of the seas in order to prevent fishing becoming “collateral damage” ahead of the spansion of wind farms. >click to read< 15:21
Maggiolo Launches Anchovy Catcher for Exalmar
Pesquera Exalmar, one of the major fish meal and fish oil producers in Peru, has acquired a new anchovy seiner from Construcciones Augusto Maggiolo, an 80-year-old shipyard in Callao. The newbuild replaces F/V Nueva San Telmo, an older vessel that was lost at sea in 2020. According to Nicola Rubini, Maggiolo’s general manager, the entire concept of F/V Mariangella – which takes over Nueva San Telmo’s fishing permit – came from the shipyard’s team. ‘Exalmar asked us to develop a vessel with a high level of comfort for the crew and a modern design,’ he explained. Maggiolo’s engineers came up with an audacious configuration for the waterline and bulbs, which had been submitted to tests at the University of Chile, in Valdivia. They also selected an advanced propulsion system for F/V Mariangella, taking care of the propeller design themselves. Photos, >click to read< 17:40
Fisherman in 42-day search for lost Rescue 116 crew will ‘never stop watching out’ for missing men
A fisherman who helped in the 42-day search for the lost helicopter crew of Rescue 116 said the coastal community will never stop searching for the remaining two missing men. A moving RTE documentary has chronicled how locals in Erris in North Mayo were at the heart of the search for the crew of the chopper which crashed into Blackrock Island. The bodies of Captain Mark Duffy and Captain Dara Fitzpatrick were recovered in the aftermath of the tragedy on March 14, 2017. But the remains of their colleagues, winchman Ciaran Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby, remain lost at sea. Local fisherman Pat Walker said: “That day and every subsequent day since, every day we go to sea we still look out for these people. >click to read< 09:51
Whitehall fishing ban would ‘rip heart’ out of Holy Island, residents warn
For centuries, fishermen have been the lifeblood of the tiny Holy Island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland. But red tape from Westminster now threatens to kill off the profession and potentially the entire community, as officials propose banning fishing as part of a drive to rewild the sea. The Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs is consulting on designating the seas to the north of the island, a highly protected marine area, which would outlaw the crab and lobster potters who set sail from the island in the early hours. Fishing is the best-paid job on the island, and fishermen make up around 10 per cent of the population. If they were forced to move for work, they would take their families with them. At least three of these families include fully trained first responders who make up 50 per cent of the coastguard team, and it is said the 999 responses could not function without them. >click to read< 18:50
Atlantic fishing fleets ditch gill nets in favour of hook-and-line technology
The goal is higher-quality fish. That’s why one Canadian offshore fishing company is ditching gill nets in favour of hook-and-line fishing. The Arctic Fishery Alliance of Nunavut just bought a 52-metre longliner from Iceland to fish its quota of Greenland halibut (turbot) in the Davis Strait, near the Arctic Circle. In addition to adding modern processing equipment on board, the vessel will be fitted with a Mustad longline system, enabling the ship to deploy 40,000 fishing hooks daily. To fetch the best possible price in the market, a turbot fillet must be pure white. “And you don’t get that using gill nets,” said Earle. >click to read< 10:53
Philippines’ tuna industry reels from rising fuel prices
Veteran longline fisherman Miguel Mayola eased his boat gingerly into the port of General Santos City after a month at sea with his crew in deep waters off Bongao, a finger-shaped island at the southwestern tip of the Philippines. The 39-year-old captain, his leathery face weather-beaten by years of toiling in an industry that has made many buyers rich from the tuna he fishes, was now waiting to see whether his prized catch could net him enough money. He needed the cash for his family and 13-man crew, and to fund another fishing expedition. “It’s hard work but we can’t do anything. It’s really hard with prices of crude and gasoline rising, and our families have nobody to rely on but us fishermen,” Mayola said. >click to read< 07:55
Captain of Faroese longliner cited 6 times in under year for halibut fishing violations on Grand Banks
For the sixth time since September, 2021 the captain of a Faroe Islands longliner has been issued a “notice of infringement” for an illegal fishing violation on the tail of the Grand Banks just outside Canadian waters. The notices were issued by DFO Fishery Officers during six separate inspections, once at sea and the remainder when the ship unloaded halibut in Bay Roberts. The “notices of infringement” against the captain of the Bordoyarnes were issued on Sept. 3rd and 16th, 2021, as well as May 17th, May 23rd, June 2nd, and July 1st of this year. DFO only recently updated its website on the most recent four infringements. The notices were all categorized as “serious” as they relate to the misreporting of catches (the four this year involved failing to maintain a logbook; the two from 2021 related to not properly recording discards) while the longliner was fishing halibut in fishing zone 3N on the tail of the Banks. After each inspection the longliner was allowed to return to the fishing grounds. photos, >click to read< 15:22
‘Leave us alone’, pleads Northumberland fishing industry over proposed MPA
Fishermen in the North East fear a proposed fishing ban could jeopardise one of the region’s key industries. The plan to introduce highly protected marine areas (HPMA) off the coast of Northumberland, around Lindisfarne and north east of the Farne Islands, is currently under consultation. The areas are among five across the UK put forward for the pilot, which Defra says will protect 850 species of seabirds, fish and marine life. However, some believe the decision will put businesses that contribute millions of pounds to the local economy under threat. >click to read< 13:28
My Favorite Job Posting of All-Time. “Long journey on an old wooden boat to the worst place on Earth.”
Nothing highlights the difference between now and 100 years ago quite like this advertisement from Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton: “Long journey on an old wooden boat to the worst place on Earth. The trip is going to be super dangerous and terrible. In fact, you’ll probably die and if you don’t die you will definitely be miserable the entire time.” Imagine scrolling through craiglist and seeing an ad like this in 2022. I feel like the internet would take it down for safety reasons and then the people would get back to their video games and porn. Back then…that sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime. Fuck safety. Nothing beats a little glory and a call to adventure. The story of “Endurance” and Ernest is one of my absolute favorites. >click to read< 11:22
TUNAVILLE – Point Loma’s proud Portuguese past, and present
The Point Loma boundaries of Lowell to Talbot streets, and as high up the peninsula as Willow Street, by the 1930s, had earned the moniker “Tunaville.” Here has been home to an immigrant Portuguese populace settled as far back as 1885, and by the 1940s had become a bustling tuna fishermen’s haven. Early Portuguese fishing settlements grew along the base of Kellogg and McCall streets in La Playa and Roseville. Interestingly, the natural tidelands at the time meandered as far inland as today’s Scott Street. “In remarkably short order, each fisherman owned his own dory. photos, >click to read< 14:58
Australia: Commercial fishers eyeing compensation as six offshore wind farm zones get green light
Trawl fishers have ramped up calls for compensation following the federal government’s announcement that it will establish six offshore wind energy zones. Waters off Gippsland, Portland, the Hunter Valley, Illawarra, northern Tasmania, Perth and Bunbury have been earmarked for development. But fishers are concerned they will be excluded from the sections of the ocean where the turbines are built. The most progressed wind farm proposal is the Star of the South project in Gippsland. “The problem we have is that the federal government has already given out rights … to go commercial fishing. >click to read< 07:59
Australian offshore wind farms get green light in landmark announcement – >click to read<
Fishing fuel prices leading to labour concerns and supply issues
Fuel prices for fishing vessels have risen beyond what was predicted as the worst-case scenario in April, leading to some vessels being tied up and crews walking away, seafood sector insiders have warned. Seafish, the industry body for seafood, said that fuel prices which it had expected to peak at the level of 90p per litre (all tax excluded) for the sector were now close to £1 on average at ports. High fish prices on the first sale market were helping some fishers to mitigate the impacts of fuel price increases, but some crews were more vulnerable than others to changes, said the public body. These concerns were echoed by the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations’ chairman, Paul Gilson, who said in a statement that “the price has, for several weeks, been hovering around the point where it becomes no longer viable to go to sea because earnings no longer cover costs of which fuel is the most significant component”. >click to read< 13:49
New Scalloper/Trawler for Le Havre
With a length of 11.98 metres and a breadth of 6 metres, Pierre Becquet’s new fishing boat was launched on 13th July at Locmiquélic in Morbihan. It will be delivered in August to the port of Le Havre, where the owner already runs the P’tit Pierre (ex-Tigrou), built in 2005 by the same yard as P’tit Gabin, Chantiers Navals Bernard. It is expected be ready and operational before the next scallop season. Photos, >click to read< 11:42
Chasing Utopian Energy: How I Wasted 20 Years of My Life
For years, I chased utopian energy. I promoted solar, wind, and energy efficiency because I felt like I was protecting the environment. But I was wrong! Feeling like you’re doing the right thing doesn’t mean you are. I just couldn’t admit it. My sense of identity was tied to my false beliefs about energy myths that blinded me to what really does and doesn’t help the planet. I learned how to see things not just the way environmentalists do, but also the way utilities, governments, builders, engineers, lenders, and manufacturers see them. But by 2008, I started to see cracks in my beliefs. The Obama administration had earmarked billions of dollars in federal funding to create jobs in the energy sector, and my company won multi-year contracts valued at over $60 million. >click to read< 13:41
Australian Fishing Industry Pioneer Bob Mostyn has passed away
The Australian fishing industry lost one of its renowned pioneers last week. Bob Mostyn, former managing director of the major seafood exporter Craig Mostyn and Co, died at the age of 93. He facilitated a fascinating and illuminating trip for me on the maiden voyage of the company’s then new and revolutionary prawn trawler F/V Karumba Norman, skippered by the redoubtable “Paddles” Taylor, from Bundaberg to Karumba. I then crewed on several of its early fishing voyages in the Gulf during mid-1969. I will always be grateful to him for that experience that taught me so much about this industry. >click to read< 12:21
‘Wicked Tuna’ captain sets sights on selling you tuna
“People have said this to me a hundred times, ‘Where can we get some of the fish that we see you catch on the show?’ I bet I have been asked that a thousand times. and I can’t send them anywhere to get a piece of the fish,” besides a few local restaurants, he said, or maybe a sushi buyer looking for tuna with a high fat for the Asian market. “We’ve put this name in the households,” Marciano said. “We’ve put the idea of this product in people’s heads. Right now we just can’t send it to them. Well, that’s about to change.” Starting Sept. 1, Marciano, whose Angelica Fisheries offers fishing charters aboard the fishing vessels Hard Merchandise and Falcon from Gloucester, is casting out his reality show fame to hook customers as he starts a new business called Angelica Seafoods. Photos, >click to read< 07:25
Over 13,000 pounds of Lobster hauled into Provo on Season Opening
The Turks and Caicos luxury export is back in season as of Monday August 1st. Lobster season is officially open and TCI fisherman took advantage from the get go as a massive 13,000 pounds were caught on the very first day, and that was just the Providenciales tally. Victor Lewis was the big winner of the day with 2,103 pounds, followed by Leslie Amboise with1,877 pounds. The Fisheries Department said the turnout and excitement for the weighing was as high as usual for the reopening of lobster season. Photos, >click to read< 12:06
A True Pioneer – Captain Magne Kristoffer Nes has passed away
Magne Kristoffer Nes passed away in Edmonds, WA, surrounded by his loving family. Magne was born in Karmøy, Norway to Didrik and Elen (Ella) Nes, the fifth of nine siblings. Magne’s distinguished 64-year commercial fishing career took him around the world, including Hawaii, where he retired from fishing. Magne was a true pioneer with an endless thirst for research, whether it be for fishing or safety. Magne was one of the first to employ survival suits in Alaskan waters, he obtained permission to bring medical prescription chests on fishing vessels and was one of the first to have a doctor on 24-hour standby through single sideband radio. Magne held over 125 Alaska commercial fishing licenses along with record-breaking crab deliveries. His many fisheries included king crab, salmon and scallops, just to name a few. He was awarded twice by The Norwegian Commercial Club for outstanding seamanship, vessel maneuvering and for his contributions to the North Pacific fishing industry. >click to read< 09:32
