Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
Coast Guard rescues 4 after boat catches fire near Cape May, NJ
The Coast Guard rescued four people from a life raft after a commercial fishing vessel caught fire about 16 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey, this morning. Crew members aboard the 75-foot fishing vessel Ocean Pearl activated Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons and abandoned ship after an electrical fire ignited on board around 10:30 a.m. Once aboard their life raft,,,, >click to read<15:12
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Notorious Menhaden Slayer Reb Raymer Released from Prison
Following two years of incarceration for perpetrating a series of fish kills on the East End, prolific mehaden killer Reb Raymer is back on the streets this week. The Hampton Bays resident, who holds a longstanding grudge against the baitfish, also known as bunker, is responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of menhaden between June 2015 and November 2016 when he was finally arrested for his crimes. Raymer was convicted of ecoterrorism and cruelty to animals in Hamptons Superior Court early last year,,, >click to read<07:28
More questions than answers emerge from New York wind meeting
A horde of New Bedford fishermen and representatives from the city’s Port Authority shared a train ride down to New York City for a meeting involving an offshore wind project south of Long Island. The Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting was held to discuss a guide the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released earlier this month outlining potential leasing sites. The day long dialogue, though, may have only introduced more questions rather than provided answers.,,, Another new item from the Port Authority’s perspective involved a presentation by the Department of Defense. It included a diagram that ruled out areas that had previously been listed as “primary” and “secondary” recommendations. >click to read<11:13
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 79′ Master Marine Steel Stern Trawler, CAT 3508, Federal and State permits
Specifications, information and 12 photos >click here< John Deere – 65 KW Genset, Detriot 2-71 – 20 K Genset, This vessel has good towing power as the 59 1/2″ x 63″ propeller turns 400 RPM inside the 60″ nozzle. To see all the boats in this series, >click here<14:25
Montauk lobsterman cuts two tangled bucks free stuck in mating season battle
Anthony Sosinski, 50, a Montauk lobsterman, didn’t hesitate when he saw two bucks tangled in more than a mating season battle last week. Logan Erb, 25, of Montauk, said her pit bull first noticed the two bucks tumbling around her neighbor’s yard Nov. 20. The animals were joined by a piece of deer fencing that only seemed to tighten as they struggled to break free, so Erb ran to Sosinski for help. “He grabbed a knife and just went after them,” said Erb, who was recording the encounter. Sosinski, co-author of the book, “A Speck in the Sea: A Story of Survival and Rescue,” pursued the two male deer as they wildly twisted. >Video, click to read<19:40
BOEM elaborates on map for New York Bight areas for offshore wind
Walter Cruickshank, the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, provided some details to an otherwise ambiguous map the agency released last week for potential offshore wind sites along the New York Bight Call area. The map featured four sections of land off the coasts of Long Island and New Jersey and included shaded areas deemed as “primary recommendations” and “secondary recommendations.” The labels left commissioners at the Port Authority confused. >click to read<13:43
With Deepest Sorrow, We Say Farewell to Daniel “Danny” Moyer Cohen…
Daniel Myer Cohen, a pillar of the East Coast commercial fishing industry, and an eloquent spokesperson for commercial fisherman throughout America, died on November 20, 2018 in Cape May, NJ, at the age of 63, after a protracted and heroic struggle with cancer. “Danny,” as he was known, took over the small fishing-dock and several fishing boats left to him by his father, Joseph Cohen, in 1976 and built it into Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc., an industry leading vertically integrated seafood enterprise. ACF’s fleet of scallop, clam and other fishing vessels working out of company owned and managed facilities in Ocean City Maryland, Cape May and Point Pleasant New Jersey and additional ports in New England, supply seafood to company owned processing plants in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. >click to continue reading<18:54
Local fishermen approved to trawl commercially off coast of Virginia Beach
If you head to a restaurant in Virginia Beach, you might just find freshly caught Virginia shrimp on the menu. That’s thanks to an experimental fishing permit given to two local fishermen. Deputy Chief of Fisheries Management for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission Patrick Geer said in recent years, they have seen waters along the East Coast starting to warm. That, in combination with a few other factors, has caused an increase in larvae to settle in our area, meaning more shrimp are surviving in our waters. >click to read<10:10
The Frightful Cost of Virginia Offshore Wind
On November 6, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) regulatory agency approved a project to construct wind turbines near Virginia Beach. The plan calls for construction of turbines 27 miles off the coast,,, The project, named Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), will be the first offshore wind project in the mid-Atlantic.,, The wholesale price for electricity in Virginia is about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).,,The electricity produced from the two offshore turbines will receive 78 cents per kWh, or a staggering 26 times the wholesale price. >click to read<21:36
Spinning Chesapeake Gold
Ten years ago, Johnny Shockley came face-to-face with a future he couldn’t fathom: One day, perhaps soon, he’d no longer make his living as a waterman. The third generation of his family to fish the waters around Hoopers Island, he’d oystered and crabbed with his father from a young age. They gave up on oysters after the Chesapeake Bay oyster populations collapsed, sticking with blue crabs. Those declined too. He spent two decades running the family’s retail seafood market in Salisbury. Then it closed. He discouraged his son from crab-potting and was convinced he couldn’t hold on much longer either. >click to read<17:47
Peconic Bay Scallop Season Off To ‘Decent’ Start
The season, which always begins on the first Monday in November, kicked off last week on Nov. 5, and so far, experts are weighing in and explaining that, with fewer of the beauties available in northern locations, the demand has increased on the East End. Charlie Manwaring, owner of Southold Fish Market, said while the season this year is “okay . . . it’s not as good as last year.” >click to read<21:49
Commercial Fishermen, Sport fishers Divided on Plans for More Offshore Wind
Commercial fishermen say the wind-energy projects planned for southern New England, such as the South Fork Wind Farm, are the latest threats to their income after decades of quotas and regulations “I don’t like the idea of the ocean being taken away from me after I’ve thrown so many big-dollar fish back in the water for the last 30 years, praying I’d get it back in the end,” said Dave Aripotch, owner of a 75-foot trawl-fishing boat based in Montauk, N.Y. Dave Monti of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association said the submerged turbine foundations at the Block Island Wind Farm created artificial reefs, boosting fish populations and attracting charter boats like his. >click to read<10:07
To our valued readers here at Fishery Nation.
To our valued readers here at Fishery Nation. You have probably noticed recently there have been no postings on our website. I’m sorry to say that I have recently taken ill and have been hospitalized for the past week in the intensive care unit of my local hospital.
As you know, I’ve made it a priority in my life to keep you all informed on the goings on in our commercial fisheries here in the US and also abroad with stories and information that we feel is important to you, and also stories of interest. For the past seven years we have fulfilled this goal 365 days a year, every single day!
Please bear with me as we get through this situation and I am able to get back on my feet and continue what has become my passion, and mission in life, to keep the commercial fishermen informed and up to date as to the goings on in your industry.
If all goes well this will be a short period of time and I’ll soon be on my feet and able to get back at it.
Thank you one and all for your support and understanding. God bless you all, stay safe out there and please stay in touch with us.
Sincerely,
Borehead
Dogfish population declines off East Coast, as will the harvest
A small species of shark that is fished for food off the East Coast has declined slightly in population, and fishermen will be allowed to catch slightly less of it in the coming year. Spiny dogfish are harvested off several Atlantic states, and they are especially popular in Europe. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says a recent assessment of the shark’s population shows a decline in the number of spiny dogfish. >click to read<10:13
Greiss embraces Islanders past by putting fisherman on new mask
Thomas Greiss’ new mask takes New York Islanders fans for a trip down memory lane. The Islanders goalie’s new helmet features the Islanders fisherman logo and teal, orange and navy color scheme they wore for two seasons between 1995-97. The fisherman specifically was a big hit with Greiss’ wife Brittney, but not because of the team’s history. She Tweeted: For me I love the fisherman!! It represents hard working, determination, & dedication to provide for his family. The fisherman has early morning, long night, and sometimes tough days at sea. Go Islanders! >click to read<09:43
Mate killed in Illegal Alien Hammer Attack Aboard F/V Captain Billy Haver
A York County-based fishing boat — the Captain Billy Haver — was 55 miles off the coast of Massachusetts a few weeks ago, dredging scallops from the sea. Then, seemingly out of the blue, a crew member started attacking his shipmates with a hammer.,,, “Mayday, mayday, mayday,” he said in a thick accent. “Can anybody hear me?” “We have a man gone crazy here on the boat, man,” the captain continued after hearing a reply. “One man, I don’t know if he’s dead or what. But one of the crew members went crazy, and he started hitting people in the head with a hammer. I got three men that’s injured now. One I can’t wake him up. ”The boat’s chief mate, Javier Rangel Sosa, 54, of Newport News, lay on the deck nearby, blood rushing from his mouth. >click to read<
Oceana’s Challenge to Bycatch Rule Looks Likely to Sink
The D.C. Circuit appeared primed Monday to uphold how the government counts bycatch — a term for various sea life unintentionally swept up in commercial fishing. Led by the nonprofit Oceana, the challengers take issue specifically with procedures by which the National Marine Fisheries Service monitors for bycatch with less intensity than Congress allowed it. The agency came up with a new procedure to cover the Greater Atlantic region three years ago after a plan from 2008 was found to have improperly given the agency “complete discretion” to depart from procedure. >click to read<09:05
BOEM requires transit corridors for offshore wind energy areas
The federal Bureau of Offshore Energy Management is requiring offshore wind energy developers to set aside vessel transit corridors, amid intense discussions with the commercial fishing industry. In a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, the agency announced it would offer an additional 390,000 acres south of Massachusetts for lease on Dec. 13.,,, Critics of offshore wind, including a number of commercial fishing groups, urge the Trump administration to put the brakes on development and take a slower approach. But Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke has emerged as a strong advocate off building a U.S. offshore wind industry. >click to read<14:58
Chesapeake Bay surveys show striped bass doing just fine
Virginia and Maryland say seine surveys conducted over the summer show young-of-year stripers – those spawned this past spring – top historic averages and signal good fishing for commercial and recreational anglers in a few years. Mary Fabrizio, who heads Virginia’s survey, said annual sampling has important economic and ecological value and helps in managing the species. “By estimating the relative number of young-of-year striped bass, our survey provides an important measure of annual and long-term trends in the bay’s striped bass population,” >click to read<15:36
Barndoor skates, once a textbook example of overfishing, have recovered enough to allow fishing
Barndoor skates were once thought to be so overfished that a highly-publicized paper from 1998 noted that they had been “driven to near extinction without anyone noticing.” One of the largest skates, barndoor skates can reach over 5 feet in wingspan, which is large enough that their diet includes small sharks like spiny dogfish; for a skate, that’s about as close as it gets to charismatic megafauna! >click to read<09:16
New Jersey: Andrzejczak/Land Black Sea Bass Summer Flounder Bill Clears Assembly Panel
In an effort to benefit commercial fishing operations, Assemblymen Robert Andrzejczak and Bruce Land (both D-1st) have sponsored legislation permitting commercial fishing vessels to possess more than the daily trip limit of black sea bass and summer flounder under certain conditions. The bill was advanced Oct. 18 by the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. >click to read<18:23
Sam Parisi, The Headline – Lawmakers to Trump: Keep Marine Monument protections – My response
First, and foremost, I would like to thank, and publicly recognize the local politicians that didn’t sign onto this letter, and as they always do, support the remnants of the storied Gloucester fishing fleet, Bruce Tarr, and Anne Margaret Farrante, and Brad Hill. I applaud your courage. With that said, Just how much of our fishing grounds, and economic opportunity can we continue to lose? Do these lawmakers know anything about these grounds, other than the partisan talking points, and perceived conservation benefits presented by the supporters of the take over of, and creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument? >click to read<16:40
Man accused of illegally fishing for baby eels headed back to court
A former Shinnecock Indian Nation tribal member charged last year with illegally fishing for baby eels was caught as part of a larger sting operation by state conservation police who were briefing the governor’s office but not tribal leaders, state records released during his trial show. The first phase of David Taobi Silva’s trial for harvesting so-called glass eels took place Aug. 30 in Southampton Town Justice Court before Judge Gary Weber without an immediate conclusion, he said. >click to read<08:55
Wooden boat lover chief of volunteers keeping historic boat-building alive in Deltaville
One of the best things about the Deltaville Maritime Museum on the Middle Peninsula is the way it quite literally keeps the region’s boat-building history alive. John England is the main man doing that, building everything from crab skiffs to Chesapeake Bay deadrises in a shop dedicated to crafting boats the way it’s been done in the region since the 1800s. >click to read<11:32
A vessel for their dreams: Volunteers work to finish replica of oyster dredge
Out on Oyster Bay on a dreary, drizzly day, the 117-year-old Joseph B. Glancy was raking oysters from the bay floor. At the same time, in a blue-gray metal shed on the southern shore of the bay, volunteers were working with two professional shipwrights to bring to life a reproduction of the Ida May, a sister ship of the Glancy. To ensure that Oyster Bay’s rich maritime history remains living history and not something just learned in school or at a museum, a nonprofit organization has been working for seven years to build a new Ida May. The Christeen Oyster Sloop Preservation Corp.’s initial intention was to restore the original Ida May, which plucked oysters and clams from Oyster Bay from 1925 to 2003. But it deteriorated beyond repair while the restoration effort was being organized and was demolished in late 2010. >click to read<16:23
Deepwater Wind to be purchased by Danish energy giant Orsted
The agreement, announced by both companies Monday morning, would create a combined company with offshore wind leases and projects across the Eastern United States. Orsted, formerly known as DONG Energy (Danish Oil and Natural Gas), has offshore wind lease rights off the coast of Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey. But at least one group saw cause for concern. “These are foreign oil and gas companies that are coming to the U.S. and taking our fisheries away from us without any mitigation or negotiations,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, an industry group. “It’s ridiculous. You want to talk about a job killer. This is the biggest threat to the U.S. commercial fishing on the Eastern Seaboard.”>click to read<17:22
Army Corps dredging Moriches Inlet to remove heavy sand buildup
Four storms last winter created a buildup of 300,000 cubic yards of sand, clogging the inlet, which feeds Moriches Bay and sits between Smith Point County Park and Cupsogue Beach County Park in Brookhaven and Southampton towns. The inlet provides access to the Atlantic Ocean and is a major economic driver for marine-related businesses in the region. “Failure to dredge these vital waterways would not only cause economic hardship and create a public safety crisis, but will bring about significant environmental issues,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) said at a news conference Friday at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in East Moriches. >click to read<10:28
Mid-Atlantic Council Votes to Increase Illex Squid Quota
Today the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted to increase the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) for Illex squid by 2,000 metric tons (mt) for 2019 and 2020 after reviewing recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). This is an increase of approximately 8% above the ABC originally approved by the Council. In 2017, the Council established a 24,000 mt ABC for 2018, 2019, and 2020. >click to read<15:42
Montauk Lobstermen Recall Their ‘Speck In The Sea’ Ordeal
John Aldridge was literally little more than a speck in the sea after being thrown off his lobster boat, the Anna Mary, on July 24, 2013. A crowd was all ears on Friday evening at the Montauk Library for an interactive lecture and book-signing of “A Speck in the Sea” headed by Debbie Tuma, a journalist and Montauk native, as Mr. Aldridge explained the ordeal of being lost at sea for 12 hours on what had started out as a routine lobster fishing trip. Then she asked for Mr. Sosinki’s take on the lost-at-sea misadventure.,,, When he realized Mr. Aldridge was missing, the boat was 62 miles from land—it had been 8 miles off the shore when they last saw Mr. Aldridge. >click to read<13:28
