Category Archives: International
Let’s go to Canada! 60 thousand offer to those who know how to wash fish
Canada based company, located in Quebec, offers jobs for Mexicans with fish washing experience. The best part is that there is a striking salary of 60 thousand pesos a month. Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS)Through its employment portal, published a vacancy of a Canadian company dedicated to the processing of fish and shellfish, looking for Mexican Workers what Doesn’t necessarily know how to speak English or French Official languages of that country to operate in the 2023 fishing season. STPS indicates that this is a six-month contract and may vary slightly in line with the actual duration of the 2023 fishing season. The requirements are: >click to read the details< 20:45
8 Types of Scallops – What to Know About Them and Ways to Cook
While they are no longer regarded as rich man’s food, they are still pretty pricey. And this is primarily due to the supply-and-demand concept. More importantly, they are full of health benefits. As impressive as scallops are, they are a confusing species. From dry versus wet scallops to divers and day boats, there’s a lot to them. We are here to clear the air. This article discusses the common scallop varieties and ways to cook each mollusk. We’ll also discuss how you can store them and how to avoid buying fake scallops. Yes, that’s right: Fake scallops exist. >click to read< 14:32
Grieving widow of Scots fisherman killed in North Sea tragedy says family left in ‘awful’ situation
The Thai family of a Scots fisherman who was tragically killed in a North Sea boating accident have been left in an “awful” financial situation since his death. Ronald Mackinnon, who split his time between Thailand and Peterhead, passed away after a fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Norway in March. Voriya Sonthipong, his partner of 16 years, first met the 56-year-old at a Pattaya hotel where she worked. They went on to have two daughters, now aged 13 and 12, and a seven-year-old son. On the day of the tragedy, Voriya was contacted by Ronald’s mother. Voriya said her “heart almost broke” when she heard the news. And the anguish of losing her beloved partner has been compounded by financial woes that have plagued the family ever since. >click to read< 14:17
UK fishing minister in Shetland aims for post-Brexit opportunities in 2026
UK fishing minister Victoria Prentis said she has listened carefully to what fishermen and industry leaders have told her about one of the islands’ key industries. Following a two day visit to Shetland during which she was lobbied by salmon farmers and fishermen, Prentis and her team were left in no doubt of the significance the seafood industries play in the wellbeing of the isles. She acknowledged that the outcome of the Brexit negotiations wasn’t what fishermen had been promised and said that preparatory work for follow-up negotiations with the EU for the period beyond 2026 were already under way. “We have already started the long and detailed work starting to talk to the industry to make sure that when we arrive at the negotiations, we know exactly what we want and what we are asking for, and this visit is very much part of that preparatory work,” she said. >click to read< 17:54
The Birds Eye Fleet
In 1954, General Foods Birdseye Division was a big part of Rockland’s waterfront. In addition to a fish processing operation on Tillson Avenue, the company had a shipyard on Mechanic Street that maintained a fleet of nine fishing boats. On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1954, the Surf went aground on the ledges of Devil’s Limb off Seal Island, to the west of Nova Scotia. The Surf was built in 1937 and was registered at 309 tons. Her length was 132 feet with a 25-foot beam, powered by a 750-horsepower diesel. Captain Douglas Schwartz of Rockland was taking the trawler and his crew of 10 men to the Grand Banks, having left the day before at 4 p.m. It is believed the trawler’s compass was off. Men who have sailed the area observe the Surf was 15 to 20 miles off course when she ran aground. >click to read< 11:53
A one-two punch – Lobster prices reach pre-pandemic cost
It’s more unwelcoming news for lobstermen and women the price of soft shell lobster has dropped to pre-pandemic levels. Beal’s Lobster Pier dock manager Justin Snyder says its a one-two punch for lobstermen. “What’s really affecting them is the increase in costs in everything else, so the lobster prices have fallen back to normal, but everything else is just as expensive bait and fuel mostly,” said Snyder. Not only is inflation a primary reason, but Snyder said it also has to do with supply and demand. “We’re seeing a reduction in the demand compared to last year. We’re in the high supply part of the lobster season. If the demand is not there and there’s no more supply, the lobster prices are going to go down,” Video, >click to read< 17:14
Shrimp fishermen catch pristine 17th century wooden head
A crew of shrimp fishermen made an unusual catch earlier this week when they pulled up a 17th century wooden head which may have formed part of the adornments of a large ship. The fisherman caught the head, which is in pristine condition, in their nets when fishing off the coast of the Wadden island of Texel on Monday morning. Crew member Victor Ayal put the find on Twitter, sparking a lively discussion about its possible origin, from the work of Vikings to that of Northern European shipbuilders. photos, >click to read< 15:48
Lobster Fishermen in Mexico’s Yucatán Organize to Protect Their Catch
For the last four months, fishermen in the community of Río Lagartos, Yucatán, have operated as a vigilante group to protect lobster populations on local fishing grounds, according to a report (photos) by newspaper Milenio. The group is made up of five fishing cooperatives, who stated that a sharp rise in illegal fishing had led to a rapid decline in lobster stocks. The fishermen reported that on July 1, the first day of the open season, which usually yields the largest lobster hauls, the catch was two-thirds lower than usual. Where each boat would normally catch 60 kilograms of lobster a day, they barely made it to 20 kilograms this year, Milenio reported. >click to read< 19:14
Russian fishing trawler “Mekhanik Maslak” catches fire in St Petersburg shipyard
The Russian fishing trawler “Mekhanik Maslak,” caught fire while reportedly under construction at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg. The fire covered more than 800 square metres of the hold. Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter, with one user posting, “The Mekhanik Maslak, a fishing trawler under construction, has caught fire at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg. The fire is being extinguished from both shore and water.” short videos, >click to read/watch< 16:34
Fire ignites on factory trawler under construction in Saint Petersburg, Russia – Russian media reports that a fire broke out on a large fishing vessel still under construction at a shipyard in the city of Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, August 2. >click to read<
Greenpeace Seizes (Steals) Longline Fishing Gear to Highlight Threat to Sharks
Greenpeace is warning of the effects of industrial longline fishing on shark populations after its activists confiscated fishing gear from two vessels in the North Atlantic, one of which was operating in a Marine Protected Area. The NGO announced that its activists aboard the Arctic Sunrise operating in the North Atlantic waters confiscated 30 kilometers of industrial fishing gear and 286 hooks from two European industrial longline fishing vessels, Segundo Ribeland Siempre Perla. The longliner vessels from Spain were fishing for sharks and swordfish. >click to read< 11:18
How the blue economy will shape the future of Canada’s oceans and coastal communities
The words “blue economy” will soon shape the future of Canada’s oceans, from the fiords and straits of British Columbia to the rugged coastlines of the Atlantic to the vast seascapes of the Arctic. But what is a blue economy? And what makes it different from business as usual? The term blue economy was first championed by small island developing countries, including Fiji, Bahamas and Palau, to bring more local benefits from ocean industries. Developing a blue economy means establishing ocean spaces and industries that are socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically profitable. Canada has been a key player in these efforts, including by supporting the first global conference on a blue economy, held in Nairobi in 2018 with over 18,000 participants. Now Canada is bringing the blue economy to its own waters. >click to read< 10:12
Syria’s last traditional boat-makers keep ancient craft afloat
Khaled Bahlawan hammers nails into a traditional wooden boat he built by hand, toiling under the scorching sun on Syria’s Mediterranean coast to preserve a disappearing ancient skill. “We are the last family that makes wooden ships and boats in Syria,” said the 39-year-old on the shores of Arwad Island, near the city of Tartus. “This is the legacy of our ancestors… We are fighting to preserve it every day”. Located about three kilometres (less than two miles) off the coast, Arwad is Syria’s only inhabited island and a haven of peace in a country torn by 11 years of war. Hundreds of workers, residents and visitors commute to and from there every day in wooden boats, mostly built by the Bahlawan family. >click to read< To see a complete photo gallery, >click here to view< 16:14
Privatizing the sea: How private corps stole the sea from the commons
Since 1945, when the US unilaterally asserted ownership of the continental shelf and parts of the high seas around its shores, much of the ‘blue commons’ has been converted into private property. In 1982, UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) endorsed the biggest enclosure in history, granting countries exclusive economic zones (EEZs) that extended 200 nautical miles from their coastlines. This set in train procedures and institutional mechanisms that have expanded privatisation and financialisation to all parts of the marine economy. It also cemented neocolonialism, granting ex-imperial countries such as the US, France and the UK millions of square miles around lands far from their shores — their so-called ‘overseas territories’. >click to read< 09:18
Landing undersized lobsters costs fisherman thousands of pounds
A 77-year-old fisherman from Port Erin has been fined £10,000 for landing undersized lobsters. David Graham Quillin, who owns the vessel ‘Our Lads’, admitted having caught 17 lobsters which were under the legal limit in size. Overall, he had caught 189 lobsters but 17 were found to be under the 18mm legal size. The prosecutor added that the offence may have been down to Quillin’s eyesight and that his son was measuring the lobsters since the incident. The court heard that Quillin, who lives at Bradda, has no previous convictions. >click to read< 08:00
F/V Villa de Pitanxo: “this is very similar to the Alvia, the Yak-42 and Spanair, politicians who do not assume their responsibilities”
The families of the 21 deceased in the Villa de Pitanxo traveled this Friday to the Sub delegation of the Government in Pontevedra to read a manifesto in which they show their discomfort with the central Government of Pedro Sánchez for failing to fulfill its commitment to “do everything possible and impossible” to investigate what happened. The promise was made by the president on the night of February 21, when the nine bodies located in Terranova arrived by plane to Santiago de Compostela, and almost six months later they remind him that “he does not fulfill his commitment.” Kevin González, son of one of those killed in the shipwreck, read the statement on behalf of the 21 families of those killed in the shipwreck, accompanied by a small representation of relatives and two banners with the faces of the sailors who did not survive the sinking and with their claims. Photos, >click to read< (you may need to click translate)16:27
Ship Strikes: Ships must slow down more often to save whales, feds say
Vessels off the East Coast must slow down more often to help save a vanishing species of whale from extinction, the federal government said Friday. Efforts to save the whales have long focused on fishing gear, especially that used by East Coast lobster fishermen. The proposed vessel speed rules signal that the government wants the shipping industry to take more responsibility. “Changes to the existing vessel speed regulation are essential to stabilize the ongoing right whale population decline and prevent the species’ extinction,” state the proposed rules, which are slated to be published in the federal register. Fishermen are unfairly being held accountable for whale deaths that occur due to vessel strikes, said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, which is the largest fishing industry association on the East Coast. >click to read< 11:33
Dredging by fishing vessels for scallops has been banned along the Northumberland coastline
A new byelaw introduced by the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) brings the rule into immediate effect. The NIFCA district covers the sea area from the Scottish Border to the midpoint of the River Tyne and six miles out to sea. NIFCA chairman Les Weller, explains: “Following an extensive public consultation with stakeholders including the commercial fishing industry and careful consideration, looking at all available options and taking stakeholder comments into account, the authority made this decision to ensure the long-term protection of the marine environment in the NIFCA district and the security of the local potting industry regarding crab and lobster stocks. >click to read< 08:55
Rainstorm spells end for F/V Tiki
After 60 years at sea and a previous narrow escape from flooding, luck has run out for the fishing boat Tiki. Tiki was one of two boats swept from their moorings in Karitane on Tuesday during the downpour that caused disruption throughout the South. Both boats ended up on nearby Waikouaiti Beach. Retired fisherman Roger Bartlett said Tiki had “split open like a hard-boiled egg” and was beyond salvaging. During a flood in the same location in 1980, Tiki had been the only boat not swept out to sea. >click to read< 12:42
Brussels approves plan to fund scrappage of trawlers
The European Commission’s plan to encourage some Irish trawler owners to scrap their fishing vessels has been described as “a necessary evil” by Irish fishing organisations. The commission has approved a €80 million Irish scheme that would help owners badly affected by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union to quit the industry. In order to qualify for the grant, which will be calculated on the gross tonnage of the fishing vessel, owners will not only have to stop fishing, but also to surrender their licence and scrap their boats. Some of the grants will have to shared with trawler crews, and crews will also be able to claim some tax reliefs. >click to read< 07:29
Brixham is celebrating after being named Port of the Year
The prestigious award has capped off a remarkable year at the port despite the pandemic and the challenges of Brexit. In 2021, £43.6million worth of fish was auctioned by Brixham Trawler Agents at the port which is currently on course to hit this year’s target of £45 million. BTA directors Adam Mudge and Neil Watson went to Aberdeen and to the Fishing News Awards for 2022. Adam says: “We were delighted to accept the Fishing News Port of the Year Award for 2022 on behalf of Brixham. >click to continue reading< 07:39
Evidence of invasive green crab that could wreak havoc on Alaska fisheries found near Metlakatla
An invasive species that could wreak havoc on commercial and subsistence fisheries has been found in Alaska for the first time. Biologists with Metlakatla Indian Community say they found the first evidence of European green crabs on Annette Island, near the southern tip of Southeast Alaska, in mid-July. NOAA Fisheries biologist Linda Shaw says they’re a particular threat to fellow shellfish. “They compete with juvenile Dungeness crab. They are shellfish predators, so things like clams, they would directly eat,” she said. “And then there’s also anecdotal information from British Columbia that they predate on juvenile salmon.” >click to read< 11:49
Senators Demand Federal Scrutiny of Private Equity’s Incursion Into Fishing
Three U.S. senators, including two members of a Senate subcommittee that oversees the fishing industry, are calling for greater federal scrutiny of private equity’s incursion into East Coast commercial fishing. The ProPublica/New Bedford Light investigation found that a federal regulatory system known as “catch shares,” which was adopted in 2010 to reduce overfishing, has fostered private equity’s consolidation of the industry at the expense of independent fishermen. The single largest permit holder in the New England groundfish industry is Blue Harvest Fisheries, which has rights to catch 12% of groundfish, approaching the antitrust cap of 15.5%. The current antitrust cap “fails to prevent excessive consolidation in the fishery,” said Geoff Smith, one of 18 members of the New England Fishery Management Council, which advises NOAA. >click to read< 10:23
Trawler tanker fire; TAIC orders Talley’s to review its maintenance procedures
Languishing in the water off the West Coast, the boat had to be towed back to shore after suffering extensive heat and smoke damage despite a quick response from the crew to bring the blaze under control. Amaltal Enterprises crew were fishing near Hokitika on July 2, last year when the main engine was shut down to fix repairs to a low-pressure fuel pipe. About 50 minutes after being restarted, an accumulator installed in the engine unwound and dislodged from its pipe connector, spraying marine diesel “at 8 bar pressure to jet upwards” all over the hot engine exhaust, sparking the fire. >click to read< 08:03
Maggie Helen gets a new lease of life
A former fishing boat is returning to the water after being taken over by an enthusiast team of skilled shipwrights and sailors who intend to use her to sail around Europe. They are planning to set sail later this week. The Maggie Helen had been sitting in storage since 2007 after the historic vessel, then known as Loki, had been bought by Shetland Amenity Trust for an undisclosed sum and in somewhat controversial circumstances. Shetland Museum curator Ian Tait said the restoration team have managed to complete “three years” work in three months after working non-stop seven days a week from around 8am to 11pm. “It’s an immense number of working hours that have gone into it. They’ve done the most unbelievably intense job,” he said. >click to read< 15:28
Coast Guard finds serious defect in popular survival suits
Scott Wilwert is the commercial fishing vessel safety program manager for the Coast Guard in Alaska. He says the problem was discovered during a routine inspection in June. “Inspectors that were out in Bristol Bay a few weeks ago reported finding issues with relatively newly manufactured immersion suits,” Wilwert said. “And what they were finding was an area of what appeared to be a delamination, or a lack of adhesion of the glue that’s used to fix the zipper assembly to the neoprene part of the suit.” The suits are Imperial Immersion Suits manufactured by Survitec Group, a safety equipment manufacturer based in the United Kingdom,,, Wilwert says the Coast Guard isn’t sure how widespread the issue is. The problem became apparent in late June; After the Coast Guard notified Survitec, the company told the Coast Guard they had seen suits in Canada with a similar defect. >click to read< 08:02
Andy Robertson surprises Child of Courage Keiran Reid with his Pride of Scotland award
Keiran Reid got the shock of his life when his footballing hero Andy Robertson surprised him with the news he had won a Pride of Scotland Award. Keiran’s jaw hit the floor when Andy approached him and handed him an envelope containing a ticket which declared he was the winner of the Child of Courage Award. The 12-year-old schoolboy from Avoch, on the Black Isle has raised thousands for his local RNLI in memory of his fisherman father who was tragically taken by the sea. The schoolboy was just six when fisherman Craig, 25, was washed overboard from the trawler Apollo in a gale-force storm off Orkney. Photos, >click to read< 08:46
Nuclear is the future – Wind & Solar Debacle Means It’s Time to Bring Small Nuclear Reactors Onshore
SMRs are no pipe dream: 200 small nuclear reactors are presently powering 160 ships and submarines all around the world and have been for decades. What’s on foot is a move to bring those reactors onshore and use them to shore up power grids being wrecked by the chaotic intermittency of wind and solar. STT promotes nuclear power because it works: safe, affordable, reliable and the perfect foil for those worried about human-generated carbon dioxide gas, because it doesn’t generate any, while generating power on demand, irrespective of the weather, unlike the forever unreliable: wind and solar. One of the feeble ‘arguments’ against it, is that nuclear power plants are of such vast scale that they take longer to build than the pyramids of Giza, and cost twice as much. SMR technology takes the sting out of that case. >click to read< 13:16
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 92′ Rodriguez Shrimper/Scalloper, 3412 Cat
To review specifications, information, and 35 photos’, and video tour, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:44
Economic destructive inflation: Falling wholesale prices put squeeze on Maine lobstermen
The price lobstermen got for their catches hovered around $8 a pound in 2021, which they said was one of their best years ever, with a plentiful haul, high prices and stable costs. This year, however, is shaping up to be one of the worst Maine lobstermen have faced in decades, with prices falling to about half of what they were last year. Prices have dropped by half and wholesalers say demand also is down sharply as inflation has weakened the economy and hurt the market for shellfish. With consumers paying high prices to fill up gas tanks and to buy groceries, lobsters are a luxury that 
many cross off their shopping lists. Inflation is hitting lobstermen, too, particularly when they fill up fuel tanks before heading out to tend their traps. They say pretty much everything they need costs more this year, from fuel, oil and repairs for their engines to ropes and traps. Bait, too,,, photos, >click to read<
Fans still flock as end of 11th ‘Wicked Tuna’ season nears
“Wicked Tuna,” based in Gloucester, continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of viewers, who continue to flock to America’s oldest seaport to catch a glimpse of one of the show’s boats or its captain and crew. Cathy and Jeff Dyer of Knoxville, Tennessee, are among the recent visitors in search of all things “Wicked Tuna.” “That was one of our missions on our recent trip to New England. Our first impression as we drove through the city was it was much bigger than we expected,” said Cathy Dyer. “When we saw the Fishermen’s Memorial driving into town, we knew we were in the presence of the ‘Wicked Tuna.’ Our visit was very memorable and eventful.” >click to read< 10:06
