Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
“Long Time Champion” of offshore wind, tax credit creator, Sen. Markey receives “U.S. Wind Champion Award”
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has been named a U.S. Wind Champion for the 116th Congress by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) at an event hosted at Ørsted North America’s office in Boston. AWEA presents U.S. Wind Champion Awards to Members of Congress with exceptional records of support for the American wind industry and have demonstrated clean energy leadership. Senator Markey has been a long-time champion of offshore wind. Since 2011, Senator Markey has introduced a tax credit for offshore wind energy. >click to read< 13:22
Video: Fishing industry expresses concern over the increase in offshore wind farming
>click to watch< 10:32
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Durham, NC, October 7 – 10, 2019
The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s meeting to be held at Durham Convention Center, 301 West Morgan Street, Durham, NC, 27701,, Briefing Materials & Agenda Overview Agenda are available, >click here< Attend Meeting with Adobe Connect, its easy! >click here< 20:42
An Inlet Seafood owner says lease is not a ‘partnership,’ – Orsted Wind Plans Montauk Operations Site
“We are pleased to be locating an operations and maintenance facility in Montauk to service our South Fork Wind Farm and bring additional jobs to the area,” Thomas Brostrom, chief executive officer of Orsted,,, In the same announcement, Bill Grimm, an owner of Inlet Seafood, is quoted saying that the agreement between Inlet Seafood and the developers outlined how fishermen and offshore wind developers “can work at the dock alongside each other.” Yesterday, however, Mr. Grimm denied that he had made that statement, which has been reported elsewhere. >click to read< 16:21
Son of former Middletown Police Chief charged with stealing fishing, crabbing equipment from the Belford Seafood Co-op
The alleged burglary happened on Aug. 18, but Robert Oches, Jr., 42, was arrested on September 17, confirmed Middletown police. He was charged with criminal mischief, burglary and theft of property.,,, “I will say that Middletown police did their investigation very thoroughly before making this arrest,” said David Tauro, dock manager of the Belford Seafood Co-op. >click to read< 14:15
Wind farm developers reach agreement with Montauk dock owners
Developers Orsted and Eversource last week announced the agreement with Inlet Seafood on East Lake Drive in Montauk, an operation that’s partly owned by Dave Aripotch, one of the region’s most active commercial fishermen who has consistently criticized the offshore wind-energy projects as “wind-scams.”,,, “I’m not happy with it, but I’m not going to stop my partners from doing it,” said Aripotch, who is married to Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, who also has opposed offshore wind. >click to read< 20:29
Newport News captain back from voyage delivering supplies to Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian
Buck Ford guided his scallop boat, the Ocean Fox, to the Bahamas to drop off supplies and help desperate people in need after Hurricane Dorian slammed the island. “They thanked us over and over,” Ford told News 3 on Thursday. “One guy hadn’t had a pair of shoes since the hurricane, so I told him to look around and he found a pair of tennis shoes. Those were the first pair he’d had since the hurricane.” >click to read< Sept. 11,2019, Newport News scallop boat embarking on 800 mile voyage to Bahamas to deliver disaster relief – >click to read< 17:19
EPA considering first fish farm in Gulf of Mexico
The farm, a pilot project, would not only be a first for the gulf, but would also be the first in the federal waters of the continental United States. If it works, then look for others to follow, both here and elsewhere, said Kampachi co-founder Neil Anthony Sims. “We think the gulf coast of Florida around Tampa offers the most advantageous location, given the criteria we’re looking at,” Sims said. Other companies are eyeing potential fish farm locations off of California and Long Island, he said. >click to read< 14:24
Orsted To Partner With Commercial Fishing Dock In Montauk For On-Shore Operations Base
According to Orsted, the company will lease a portion of the Inlet Seafood property for its on-shore operations and maintenance facility and will dock the boats there that will be used to shuttle maintenance crews to and from the wind farm. Inlet Seafood is owned by a cooperative of six commercial fishermen. The group owns 6 acres of land on the eastern side of the mouth of the inlet into Montauk Harbor. Commercial fishermen have been the main opposition to the South Fork Wind Farm and to large-scale offshore wind development in general, but the agreement with some of the industry’s most prominent captains in Montauk would appear to have won at least some good will. >click to read< 22:28
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Mobilizes for Ocean Survey Activities, Announces Kevin Wark as New Liaison to the Fishing Community
Atlantic Shores announces the launch of ocean survey operations today within the Atlantic Shores lease area,,, The Atlantic Shores team held a tour of the 300-foot Geosea vessel to coincide with the launch, showcasing state-of-the-art capabilities aboard the ship.,, Coinciding with the launch of survey operations, Atlantic Shores also announces Kevin Wark as its Fisheries Liaison Officer to help better communicate and collaborate with the recreational and commercial fishing industries as the project progresses. >click to read< 16:13
New Jersey fishermen to donate bycatch to NJ food bank
A new partnership between New Jersey fishermen and a local food bank will mean that some of New Jersey’s hungry residents will have plenty to eat.
For decades, a large portion of the fish caught by commercial fishermen in the United States has gone to waste.,,, But a new program launched in New Jersey Friday means that some of this wasted fish will be donated to Fulfill, the food bank of Monmouth and Ocean counties. “That fish gets turned over to the people in Monmouth and Ocean counties who need it the most. And there are a lot of them,” says former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the CEO of Fulfill. >Video, click to read< 10:14
Fishermen brace for cuts to striped bass fishing
East End fishermen are speaking out against proposed cuts that could reduce the harvest of striped bass,,, The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates fishing in coastal states from Maine to North Carolina,,, Commercial fishermen must adhere to strict limits on striped bass. Capt. Mark Phillips of the Illusion in Greenport, for example, was issued tags for 219 stripers this year, according to his wife, Mary Bess.,,, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) is an outspoken critic of the proposed cuts. >click to read< 08:42
The 23rd annual Choptank Heritage Skipjack race set for Sept. 21
The 23rd annual Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race will be held on the Choptank River in Cambridge at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. This event, which is hosted by the Dorchester Skipjack Committee, will include a parade of boats and the race.,,, This year, in addition to 8 to 12 skipjacks, several buyboats will be in attendance.,,, The race starts at 10 a.m. after the parade, and generally takes about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. The event is free. >click to read< 16:17
New Jersey Fishermen Demand a Say in Decisions on Offshore Wind Farms
Fishermen insisted Monday to a congressional subcommittee looking at offshore wind energy that they be consulted,,, Fishermen should have been brought into the planning process from the start, Peter Hughes, of Atlantic Cape Fisheries, told U.S. House members from New Jersey and California who were holding a hearing at the Jersey Shore. “Look at these slides,” he said, referring to diagrams of where proposed wind projects would be built. “They’re right smack dab where we are fishing. This is going to put people out of business.” >click to read< 14:26
Federal subcommittee hearing opens lines of communication between offshore energy company and fishers – Photo’s >click to read< 19:28
A trip with the lone company chasing menhaden in a 140-year tradition on the Chesapeake Bay
It’s an industry that once made the village of Reedville one of the most prosperous in the state — big, brightly-painted three-story Victorian mansions, bedecked with gingerbread woodwork under their generous shade trees line Main Street in testimony to those long gone days. These days, menhaden are at the center of an obscure, if fiercely fought, political battle over who should catch them where, and whether the Omega Proteins fleet that still sails from Reedville is harvesting too many from the Bay. Among the reasons for that concern: Menhaden are an important food source for striped bass. Photo’s >click to read< 07:54
State officials to field questions on offshore wind at meetings on LI
The state and wind-farm developers are expected to face questions about cost, views and impacts on fishing and birds at three open-house informational meetings,,,, “I’m petrified of them,” said Mark Phillips, one of the most experienced commercial fishermen on Long Island and one of the last operating out of Greenport. His chief concern, he said, is the turbines’ potential impact on the region’s vital squid fishery.,,, “The potential to lose the whole inshore squid fishery is real to me,” he said. >click to read< 17:02
Nation’s first mega-offshore wind project stalled for additional study
On most afternoons in Point Judith, Rhode Island, commercial fisherman Brian Loftus steers his trawler back into port after a 12-hour day. Loftus unloaded some 1,500 pounds of whiting, scup, skate and squid. Estimated revenue: $3,000. Loftus has fished for three decades here, but to him there’s a looming problem: Offshore wind developers plan to plop turbines more than 70 stories high into his fishing grounds. >click to read< 08:46
“We don’t even know what the rules of the road are,” Fishermen unsatisfied with wind turbine plans
Rhode Island commercial fishermen sat down a year ago with offshore wind developers, they say they made it clear that for the sake of navigational safety the minimum spacing of any turbines installed in ocean waters needs to be at least one nautical mile in every direction.,,,“It’s the exact thing we’ve been saying for years,” said Lanny Dellinger, the Newport lobsterman who chairs the board. “That’s the minimal ask for us.”,,,In Rhode Island, representatives of Ørsted were conciliatory and the meeting was generally cordial, but at the heart of the discussions over the South Fork project is a larger clash between two industries, one legacy and the other nascent,,, >click to read< 07:46
The Hamptons love green energy. But that wind farm?
This affluent enclave on the East End of Long Island is steeped in eco-conscious pride, with strict water quality and land preservation rules and an abundance of electric cars on the roads. So at first, many happily embraced a plan for an offshore wind farm that would help lead the way as New York State sets some of the most ambitious green energy goals in the country. But then came word that the project’s transmission cable was going to land in Wainscott, one of the most exclusive slices of the already exclusive Hamptons, where homeowners include the likes of the cosmetics billionaire Ronald Lauder and Marci Klein, a former longtime producer of “Saturday Night Live” and the daughter of Calvin Klein. >click to read< 08:21
Newport News scallop boat embarking on 800 mile voyage to Bahamas to deliver disaster relief
It’s literally all hands on deck aboard the Ocean Fox in Newport News.,,, “So we are gonna leave the bay, get down off the Cape Fear and go south to the Bahamas,” said Captain Buck Ford.,,, “We got a lot done, but we still have more to do, it’s pretty bad down there so it’s time to help,” said Ford from the wheelhouse.,,, Next week a second scallop boat called the Ocean Scout, also out of Newport News, will make a second trip. >click to read< 15:44
A Funding Push for Matthew Raynors Home Health Aide, his loving mother! Please! Step Up!
Matt Raynor, 29, of Hampton Bays sustained a serious spinal cord injury in April, and is paralyzed from the chest down. A commercial fisherman, world traveler, artist, photographer, and all-around cool dude, Matt has fallen through the cracks of our health care system. He has moved back in with his mother, but she is his ONLY care provider, day in, day out. They need your help if you can give it! >click to read, and donate if you can< Click to read the original post from May 30, 2019, >click to read< 12:36
Striped Bass Recovery Debate Divides Fishermen
A roiling debate over how to reduce the annual harvest of striped bass along the Atlantic seaboard to allow the species to recover from years of overfishing has pitted the interests of various fishermen against each other and sparked heated exchanges.,,, The battle over how to proceed has focused primarily on what restrictions should be placed on recreational fishermen, who account for about 90 percent of the striped bass harvest, though the extent to which commercial fishermen should share in the cuts is also on the table. >click to read< 11:28
“You never know the mind of a squid” – The squid’s short lifespan makes it hard to study
Late this summer, squid showed up in abundance in many bays in the province, a sight not seen in several harbours, including Holyrood, for decades. Why have the squid finally come back?,,, The squid that come into Newfoundland and Labrador waters are called northern shortfin squid. While they’ve been seen in great numbers near beaches, squid don’t come here to spawn. In fact, according to Baker, there are no known spawning sites in all of Canada. “The female squid that we see here are actually immature and maturing,” >click to read< 08:09
CITES lists Mako shark under Appendix 2 trade restrictions, By Jim Lovgren
Commercial fisherman Jim Lovgren was at the CITES Convention held from the 17th to the 28th of August, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. He has written a comprehensive report about it, and he asked us to share it with you. There is a lot to review and is worthy reading,,, From Mako’s to Dogfish, and beyond,,, the influence of green money on the CITES party delegates and what has been happening in U.S. fishery management.,,This is exactly what is happening to U.S. fishermen, as small owner operator vessels are being squeezed out of fishery after fishery by the manipulations of “Greenwashed” corporate sponsored Enviro groups, out to save the planet. The U.S. government offers no help to the fishing industry because they are simple pawns to the energy companies that are running the show. Fishermen are just a nuisance, in the way of their offshore energy development plans. >click to read< 11:52
Wind turbines and fishing nets fight for offshore space
Vineyard Wind,,, In 2010, BOEM launched an initiative dubbed “Smart from the Start,” which aimed to steer wind development away from prime fishing areas, shipping lanes and sensitive marine habitat prior to leasing.,,, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. “There are some squid fishermen, mostly from Rhode Island, and some lobstermen who fish in there, but the value of the area’s annual fish landings is modest, especially compared to the lease areas proposed off of New York.”,,, Also important: Few members of New Bedford’s scallop fleet fish in the waters off Massachusetts.,,,But if scallopers can live with offshore wind development off Massachusetts, others are vehemently opposed. Rhode Island fishermen trawl for squid in the area. >click to read< 09:19
Virginia: Dorian triggers emergency shutdown of oyster, clam fisheries
The State Health Commissioner ordered several area waterways closed to shellfishing because of the effects of Hurricane Dorian. The emergency closure — affecting oysters and clams — will begin Saturday and runs for at least four days, said Larry Hill, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Health. >click to read< 15:08
Hurricane Dorian Public Advisory, Sept. 07 2019
At 800 AM AST (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 40.9 North, longitude 67.0 West. Dorian is moving toward the northeast near 25 mph (41 km/h), and this general motion is expected through Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Dorian should pass to the southeast of extreme southeastern New England this morning, and then move across Nova Scotia and Newfoundland later today and tonight. >click to read< 08:38
Hurricane Dorian Public Advisory, Fri Sep 06 2019 Eye of Dorian near Cape Hatteras,,,
At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 35.2 North, longitude 75.7 West. Dorian is moving toward the northeast near 14 mph (22 km/h) and this general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected through Saturday. >click to read< 08:09
Big News! Fed charges against Northport fisherman are dismissed
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday moved to formally dismiss wire-fraud and conspiracy charges against a Northport fisherman who last year entered a one-year deferred prosecution agreement with the federal government following a multi-year fisheries fraud investigation. At the same time, the star witness in the case against that fisherman faces a government-recommended 46 months in prison, according to court records. >click to read< 09:06
Dorian regains major hurricane status as it targets Carolina capes for potential landfall
As Dorian grows in size and intensity, unleashing a broader area of strong winds and heavy rain, the eye of the hurricane may make landfall along the coast of the Carolinas, while making a northeastward turn into Friday. As of 11 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Dorian regained Category 3 major hurricane status with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. As of 5:00 a.m. EDT Thursday, winds remained at 115 mph as the hurricane was moving north at 8 mph. Coastal areas from Georgia to southeastern Virginia can expect strong tropical storm conditions. >click to read< 08:10
