Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
Fishermen want to go green but say DOGE cuts prevent that
Commercial fishermen and seafood processors and distributors looking to switch to new, lower-carbon emission systems say the federal funding they relied on for this work is either frozen or unavailable due to significant budget cuts promoted by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. The changes are designed to replace old diesel-burning engines and outdated at-sea cooling systems and are touted by environmentalists as a way to reduce seafood’s carbon footprint. Salmon harvesters in Washington state, scallop distributors in Maine and halibut fishermen in Alaska are among those who told The Associated Press their federal commitments for projects like new boat engines and refrigeration systems have been rescinded or are under review. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:51
Feds & NJ Rushed Offshore Wind – Now It’s Falling Apart! Court Ruling Highlights Oversight Deficiencies!
After nine months of covering offshore wind energy developments along the Jersey Coast, three glaring issues have emerged over that time—each fueling opposition to the federal and state-backed offshore wind plan: lack of due diligence, rushed approvals, and the bigger is better mentality. Governor Murphy encapsulated this ambition, declaring, “Welcome to NJ, the Nation’s Center of Offshore Wind.” But with mounting setbacks—including a recent court ruling revoking a critical permit—the cracks in this fast-tracked initiative are becoming impossible to ignore. The future of offshore wind development in New Jersey has been dealt yet another significant blow following a recent ruling from the Environmental Appeals Board. On March 14, the board decided to revoke the Clean Air Act permit for the Atlantic Shores wind turbine project, a move that U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) described as “another nail in the coffin” for the initiative. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:15
Trump EPA saves the whales (and consumers) by nixing NJ offshore wind farm
Offshore wind farms are one of the biggest threats to the critically endangered Atlantic Right Whale. They are also a threat to the livlihood of commercial fishermen and to coastal tourism. Offshore wind turbines are one of the most expensive ways to make electricity and raise electric rates substantially to consumers. Making electricity with offshore wind turbines is generally four times as expensive as conventional sources. Thus, there were many groups cheering when the Trump EPA blocked the permit for New Jersey’s massive Atlantic Shores planned offshore wind farm. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:25
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ Calvin Beal Lobster Boat, 476HP Cat C9 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 14 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 05:53
EPA Halts Atlantic Shores Wind Farm Construction as Trump Administration Reviews Projects
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has suspended permits for the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project off New Jersey’s coast following a January 2025 Presidential directive that ordered an immediate halt to offshore wind development. The Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) granted EPA Region 2’s request to remand permits for the project, which had previously received approval to construct up to 200 wind turbines capable of generating 2,800 megawatts of power – enough electricity to power one million homes. The suspension comes amid broader industry challenges, including Shell’s recent withdrawal from the project with a $996 million impairment and the cancellation of New Jersey’s fourth offshore wind solicitation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:38
NCFA WEEKLY UPDATE for March 17, 2025
Last week the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) met in Kitty Hawk for their quarterly meeting. There was a good turnout from the public as well as a lot of good public comments. Even though the meeting ran into the evening comment session, I think it was good for everyone there to experience the process firsthand. I hope we can continue having a lot of public turnout! This was a very contentious meeting with almost every decision resulting in a 4-5 vote. I am certain we will be discussing these votes in more detail but for this week I just wanted to provide links to the full meeting and update everyone on the votes passed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:11
Federal environmental permit gets yanked from N.J. offshore wind farm
In what may be the most striking blow to an offshore wind farm since President Donald Trump took office, a project for New Jersey’s coast had a critical federal environmental permit yanked away Friday. Judge Mary Kay Lynch, in an Environmental Appeals Court, issued the ruling to remand Atlantic Shores’ Clean Air Act permit, which the developer had been issued this past fall. The latest setback for the company comes after a challenge from a group of residents — as part of the local group Save Long Beach Island or “Save LBI” — and is being sent back to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for further review. “This is a significant event because to my knowledge it is the first time that a federal approval for any offshore wind project has been overturned,” Bob Stern, who leads Save LBI, said in a statement Saturday, “and it highlights the lack of full disclosure and questionable science and mathematics that has characterized other applications and approvals.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
At N.C. Marine Fisheries meeting, commercial fisherman voice frustration with regulation
Facing skeptical and sometimes fiery comments from commercial and recreational fishing interests from Beaufort to the Outer Banks, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission met at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk on March 12 and 13 for the first quarterly meeting of 2025. It was the first time since November of 2018 that the commission has met on the Outer Banks. More than 30 speakers addressed the commission, consistently calling out what they criticized as questionable science and data and the effect it has had on the commercial fishing industry. “Over-regulation has been the default course, and commercial fishermen have borne the front of it,” Joe Romano, a commercial fisherman from Wilmington told the commission. “We called it a death by a thousand cuts, one rule after another, reducing access, increasing cost, driving more water men out of business. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:58
N.S. premier promoting seafood, minerals on New York, Boston trade junket
Nova Scotia’s premier is promoting the province’s seafood and critical mineral deposits on a tour that will take him to Boston and New York this week and next. “Now, more than ever, we have to diversify our economy,” Houston said in a government release. “We have to go where the buyers are. Nova Scotia has a lot to offer, from high-quality products like seafood and resources like critical minerals.” The province exported more than a billion dollars’ worth of lobster in 2024, making lobster its second largest export. The two countries that collectively import about 80 per cent of live Nova Scotia lobsters are China and the United States, both of which have said lobster will face tariffs in the coming weeks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:28
Supreme Court denies fishing case
“It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it!
The Supreme Court has denied a hearing for a coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators seeking to overturn new striped bass fishing restrictions. But for Captain Robert Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the legal battle is far from over. “It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it! We will be announcing our next move within a week,” Newberry said, emphasizing that no other group in the state has fought as hard on this issue as the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the Maryland Charter Boat Association, and supporters like Brian Nesspor and Ken Jefferies. The coalition had filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to block the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (the Commission) new restrictions, arguing they imposed “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:21
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 54’x17′ Fiberglass Dragger, 451HP Cummins X15 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 21 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:15
NCFA WEEKLY UPDATE FOR March 10, 2025 – MFC Meeting This Week
The time has come for the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) to discuss and vote on the six fisheries on the chopping block. This is your chance to come together and show unity and support as a fishing community. Public comments are important, but showing up in large numbers sends a strong message as well. We have talked about these issues for weeks leading up to this MFC meeting. You know the issues, you know the problems, and you want to do what is right. Just attending this meeting shows solidarity and the urgency of our situation. If you can, we also encourage you to give public comment, talk with MFC members, and/or DMF staff. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:15
Maryland Fishing Groups Take Striped Bass Restrictions Fight to Supreme Court
A coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators have escalated their legal battle against new striped bass fishing restrictions, filing an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block the regulations. The Delmarva Fisheries Association (DFA) and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, along with two individual commercial fishermen, argue that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (the Commission) recent measures impose “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. The petition, filed this week, claims the restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution and could jeopardize the livelihoods of many small businesses. The case follows months of legal disputes in lower courts, where the plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to halt the Commission’s 2024 striped bass management plan, known as Addendum II. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
Trump’s Offshore Wind Review to Consider Status of Projects
The Trump administration’s ongoing review of offshore wind projects will feature different treatment for projects actively under development versus those that have merely been proposed, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday. Burgum’s comments during a visit to a natural gas export terminal in Louisiana suggest the administration may apply less scrutiny to wind farms that have already secured federal permits and are under construction. President Donald Trump indefinitely halted the sale of new offshore wind leases on his first day in office and pausing permitting of all wind projects on federal lands and waters. He also raised the specter of outright cancellations for existing leases. The president directed the Interior Department to review the “necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases” and “identifying any legal bases for such removal.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:26
Postponement of West OC harbor zoning change continues
Worcester County officials this week continued to postpone a proposed zoning amendment that would stymie offshore wind developers from operating as a utility in the West Ocean City commercial fishing harbor. “With any big change like this, you know, we want to deliberate. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re doing. We’re taking all information in and we’re deliberating,” said County Administrator Weston Young following Tuesday’s meeting of the Worcester County Board of Commissioners. One section of the bill would prohibit “facilities that are intended to support offshore energy production” while another would ban “public utility structure” as a permitted use. It’s part of the county’s efforts to stop or slow developer US Wind from moving forward on a planned 114-turbine wind farm located about 11 miles offshore. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 73’X 20′ Steel Stern Trawler w/Federal & State Permits
To review specifications, information, with 45 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< o6:38
Commercial Fisherman Thomas “Tom” Michael Doak of Virginia has passed away
Thomas “Tom” Michael Doak passed away on the morning of March 1, 2025, at the age of 68. He was born on November 22, 1956 in Norfolk, VA. Tom worked as a commercial fisherman for most of his life fishing all along the eastern coast from ports of New Bedford, MA, Newport, RI, Virginia, and Wanchese, NC. Tom grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, and graduated from Kempsville High School in 1975. After high school, he moved to the Outer Banks and found work in the commercial fishing business which he loved doing the most. In his youth, he also lived in Long Beach, CA, where his father was stationed in the US Navy. Tom also lived in Seminole, FL; Boston, MA; Newport, RI, and New Hampshire, where he did lots of skiing and hiking. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:12
Broken Vineyard Wind Turbine Struck by Lightning
The same Vineyard Wind turbine blade that snapped in half last summer now appears to have been struck by lightning, according to the company and the U.S. Coast Guard. On Sunday, officials confirmed that the turbine at the southernmost end of the Vineyard Wind lease off Martha’s Vineyard was apparently hit by lightning late last week, damaging the already broken blade. The Coast Guard reported a strike occurred on Feb. 27, and it was working with Vineyard Wind to ensure there were no navigational hazards in the area. Vineyard Wind, in a statement Sunday afternoon, said a preliminary inspection indicated that the blade had been hit by lightning, and the company was continuing to assess the damage. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:52
NCFA WEEKLY UPDATE FOR March 03, 2025 – From The Executive Director, A Few Agenda Items of Interest
As we’ve mentioned before, the NCFA does not believe the Marine Fisheries Commission can make any changes to the Blue Crab FMP without an updated stock assessment or a peer reviewed and approved benchmark assessment. We have emailed DMF Director, Kathy Rawls, outlining our concerns and are waiting for a response explaining why the DMF believes they can move forward using the adaptive management strategy, approved in Amendment 3, and the results of the 2018 stock assessment, which, when updated, was not approved for use. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:57
‘Alarm bells.’ After low oxygen scare in Cape waters, Falmouth company uses $2M to help
In a small room in the Falmouth Technology Park, Noah Van Home is assembling 450 sensors that will be scattered in waters from Maine to New Jersey to help scientists, fishermen and businesses in the blue economy learn more about the ocean. Lowell Instruments of Falmouth has been hired to manufacture the data loggers that will collect bottom water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings. The program gives fishermen and scientists a look at what’s happening in the water, not just on top of it. Longtime lobsterman David Casoni agrees. He’s been fishing for 50 years, the last four of them with data loggers tied to his lobster traps. He started using them after an episode in September 2019 when lobstermen in Cape Cod Bay started pulling up traps with dead lobsters inside. No one knew what had happened, he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:28
Three NJ herring fishermen made history at the Supreme Court, but their fight isn’t over
Three herring fishermen from Cape May fought the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won. In doing so, the three men overturned the 40-year-old U.S. Supreme Court, thus making it easier for them and others to challenge federal regulations in court. But their battle is not over. The fishermen are challenging what they say is an unlawful requirement that forces them to surrender 20% of their earnings to pay at-sea monitors, who gather information that is used to regulate their industry. That worked out to as much as $700 a day, which is more pay than the crews take home sometimes. The requirement was imposed on them by an executive branch agency — in this case the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, which oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which in turn regulates the nation’s fisheries. The at-sea monitors were never approved by Congress, but due to the so-called Chevron deference, the fishermen were handicapped to fight the rule, because the courts always deferred to the regulatory agencies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Sleeping with the fishes: It’s time to resurrect accountability in U.S. fishery regulation
If you’re expected to comply with hundreds of federal rules and regulations that affect your livelihood, wouldn’t you like to know that those rules come from people accountable to you in some way? That’s how our laws are made, after all. They come from Congress, which is accountable to the people through the democratic process. Yet much of what we call federal law comes in the form of rules that are not written by Congress but by unelected bureaucrats in hundreds of federal agencies. To make sure even bureaucrats are accountable, the Constitution usually requires them to be appointed by the president, with Senate confirmation if they have significant authority, like the power to issue rules with the force of law. Unfortunately, Congress often side-steps the Constitution by giving the job of appointing certain officers to someone else. A good example is the regulation of marine fisheries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
Offshore Wind: Fish Problems Near Underwater Cables for Power Transmission from Blades to Land
“Electromagnetic fields and heat from cables”, these are the two main problems of the energy transmission system from wind turbines positioned at sea to land, highlighted by a recent report by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM on offshore wind projects in New York Bay. In the vicinity of the cables, problems of fish behavior due to electromagnetic fields were highlighted, which were resolved once they moved away from the cables. Here’s what they write: “Previous studies have shown that EMF strength decreases rapidly with distance. Copping et al. (2016) reported that although burrowing fauna may be exposed to stronger EMF from offshore wind operations, there was no evidence that the projected EMF emitted by such devices would affect any species. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<11:24
Commercial Fisherman Mason C. Evich, 28, of Fairhaven died February 20, 2025. He was a devoted son, brother, and loyal friend.
He was everything wonderful. If you were lucky enough to know Mason, you LOVED him. A beacon of kindness, with a gentle soul that touched everyone he met, the pain we feel in losing him is indescribable. Born in Seattle, Washington, Mason was the loving son of Dagne (Sovik) Evich and the late Adam Evich. Mason’s love for fishing was passed down from his father, a lifelong commercial fisherman. Each summer, Mason accompanied his dad to Bristol Bay, Alaska, where they salmon fished together on the family’s fishing vessel. After graduating from Fairhaven High School, Mason attended the Northeast Maritime Institute, where he earned his associate degree and captain’s license. He later worked as a mate on commercial fishing vessels out of Cape May, NJ, and New Bedford, MA. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:28
Lofstad v. Raimondo: Government Accountability and Constitutional Fidelity
Commercial fishing is a tough way to make a living. The industry is highly competitive; revenues from year to year can be highly variable; the work is physically demanding and dangerous; and fishermen find themselves at the mercy of severe weather and choppy waters on a daily basis. But even those challenges are less taxing than going up against the federal administrative state. But that’s exactly what two commercial fishermen did in Lofstad v. Raimondo. They won a decision in September from the Third Circuit that dealt a blow to a controversial fishing regulation promulgated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The plaintiffs, Raymond Lofstad of Long Island and Gus Lovgren of New Jersey, are small-business owners who make their living fishing off the northeast Atlantic Coast, as three generations of their forefathers did before them. But in 2022, both Lofstad and Lovgren found their businesses besieged by new catch regulations promulgated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council which is responsible for overseeing federal waters off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic region, from New York to North Carolina. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:52
FEDERAL SCALLOPS: February 27th at Maine Fishermen’s Forum; Scallop Strategic Plan Visioning Session
Notice to all Federal Scallop interested parties: The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking input for the development of a Scallop Strategic Plan. One of four sessions is scheduled to take place during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Rockport, Maine: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street To help staff with logistics, the public can respond to an attendance form. The full press release, corrected with working links, can be found 
here. 11:00
NCFA Weekly Update for February 24, 2025: Scientific Uncertainty/Important Blue Crab Update
Abundance vs Stock Status. Last week we highlighted the high variability in estimates of Speckled Trout abundance from one stock assessment to the next, using Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) estimates for 2008 from each of the three assessments to show the uncertainty. The 2009 assessment estimated ~800,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2015 assessment estimated ~3,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2022 assessment estimated ~4,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. Remember, these highly unreliable SSB estimates are compared to the SSB threshold, or level of abundance considered to be sustainable, to determine if a stock is overfished and if reductions are needed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:29
Hampton Bays business owner worries closed Ponquogue Bridge will impact his livelihood
A business owner in the Hampton Bays is worrying about economic impacts that the closure of the Ponquogue Bridge will have on his livelihood. The Ponquoge Bridge was suddenly closed to cars and pedestrians Friday after a Department of Transportation crew’s routine inspection found the concrete girders were deteriorating. “This is actually a lifeline for not only Hampton Bays — this is a lifeline for the Hamptons and Long Island as well,” said John Capuano, of Hampton Bays. Now that the Ponquogue Bridge is closed in Hampton Bays, Capuano wonders how it will affect the area if it stays closed in the warmer months. “Not only to the people trying to enjoy the area but the economics of all the businesses in town: The pizza parlors, the motels, they’re just not going to have the business,” he said. Capuano is the captain of the Shinnecock Star, a daily fishing boat in Hampton Bays. He says if the bridge doesn’t open by the spring, his business will be impacted. more, >>Click to read<< 13:29
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Pause
When your friends think you wrong and your opponents are saying nice things, a reevaluation of your position might be in order. Did it. It was still correct for the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy to put Virginia’s energy ratepayers first and express concern for the financial harm they might suffer if a wind turbine project gets cancelled. Dominion Energy Virginia’s offshore wind project, now with a $10.7 billion price tag (not including decades of profit), is about half complete. A call to pause and perhaps cancel it was issued by a consortium of wind energy opponents from multiple states. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order has called for a review of pending projects, but it apparently did not pause Dominion’s and three other projects already under construction. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:25
American Lobster Board Approves for Public Comment Draft Addendum XXXII to Repeal Gauge and Escape Vent Measures of Addendum XXVII
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