Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
Low-Lying Tangier Island to Get $2.3 Million to Safeguard Fuel Oil Supply for Watermen
The town of Tangier Island, Va. has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to ensure the town’s watermen can keep getting the fuel they need to run their boats, and that fuel supply will be kept safe from an environmental disaster. The $2.5 million from the Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) will provide funding to create safe storage of fuel and continued supply of fuel and fuel oil to the island. “The owner of the fuel plant was going to close it down,” said Mayor of Tangier, James “Ooker” Eskridge. “If the fuel plant closed down, that would have been catastrophic to our community. We would not have accessible fuel to run our boats and fuel oil to heat our homes.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:20
NCFA WEEKLY UPDATE FOR June 03, 2024
The Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) meets this week in Riverhead, NY. The meeting starts Tuesday June, 4th and goes through Thursday June, 6th. Meeting Webpage, Agenda, Combined Briefing Book, Join Meeting on Webex. Public comments on agenda items will be allowed during appropriate times of the meeting and general comments will be taken the last day of the meeting. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:31
2024 Northeast Spring Bottom Trawl Survey Summary
The 2024 Spring Bottom Trawl Survey began on March 6 and completed operations on May 13 aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. The survey operates on the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf, sampling at stations from Cape Lookout, North Carolina to Canada’s Scotian Shelf. We planned 377 trawl survey stations and completed 367, for a high completion rate of 97 percent. We sampled plankton at a subset of stations. We took 111 bongo samples of 116 planned, or 96 percent. Data collected include fish age, length, weight, sex, maturity and food habits. All are critical data used in regional fish stock assessments. These assessments help inform fishery management decisions by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, as well as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Charts, photo gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:20
A Master Fisherman with a Big Heart, Peter Cabral Dies at 70
Described as “saltier than a Scully Joe” by his daughter, Ashley, master fisherman Peter Cabral, who earned his first full share on a commercial fishing boat when he was eight years old, died on May 13, 2024. The son of Anna (Corea) Cabral and Louis Cabral, his adoptive father, Peter was born on July 17, 1953 in Gloucester. He grew up on Pearl Street in Provincetown, surrounded by the extended Corea family: his grandparents, Joseph and Virginia Corea; cousins Frank Domingos, Bruce, Joey, and Donna; his aunt Florence; and especially his uncle Joseph Corea, who was like a father to him. When he was a boy, fishing was as natural to Peter as riding a bike. He started commercial fishing at eight. “He earned his full share of the catch, the same as the men on the boat,” Ashley said. “He worked on Papa Joe and on Miss Sandy with Louis Rivers. He was a fishing prodigy.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:19
Would offshore wind turbines save or ruin the Jersey Shore? Debaters rumble in Berkeley
Police officers filled Central Regional High School on Tuesday night, where tensions ran high as critics and proponents of electricity generated by offshore wind faced off with impassioned speeches during a hearing held by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Capt. Ed Baxter, a scalloper who docks at Point Pleasant Beach, said dredging to bury the power cables outside of important fishing areas, such as the Manasquan Inlet and Shark River, would have serious impacts on commercial fishermen. Rose Willis, a member of the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative of Point Pleasant Beach, said that not only would local commercial fishing companies be affected by the offshore wind project, but also many small businesses that service or buy from their industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:14
ICCAT North Atlantic Swordfish Stakeholder Engagement Session
The Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to ICCAT is holding a public meeting via webinar session to receive an update and provide input on the development of a management strategy evaluation (MSE) for North Atlantic swordfish. The meeting is open to all interested stakeholders. The virtual meeting will be held by webinar session on June 13, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT. Please register to attend, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Novi Clammer/Scalloper/Lobster Boat, Cat 3408
To review specifications, information, and 9 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:18
Commercial Fisherman Jimmie “John” Goodwin Jr., 60, of Cedar Island, North Carolina has passed away
Jimmie “John” Goodwin Jr., 60, of Cedar Island, North Carolina, passed away on Sunday, May 26, 2024, at his home. A funeral service to honor John’s life will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, May 30th, at Pilgrims Rest Free Will Baptist Church on Cedar Island, officiated by Rev. Kevin Stott. Interment will follow at Cedar Island Community Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 29th, at Pilgrims Rest Free Will Baptist Church. John was born on October 16, 1963, in Sea Level, North Carolina, to the late Jimmie and Ellen Goodwin. John had a deep connection to Pilgrims Rest Free Will Baptist Church and cherished his involvement there throughout his life. Known for his love of the salt life, John spent his life on the water as a seasoned commercial fisherman and graduate of Core Sound. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:32
Fisheries commission wants to take ‘broad’ look at fishing impacts on SAV
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission voted unanimously last week to request that the state fisheries division work with the commission’s Habitat and Water Quality Advisory Committee and the Department of Environmental Quality to develop more comprehensive options for protecting Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV). The direction is to consider all activities under the commission’s authority, rather than just shrimp trawl area closures. The commission, policy-making arm of the division, acted during its quarterly business meeting Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the Beaufort Hotel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:16
Wind farm opponents vow to ‘stay in the fight’
Opponents of offshore wind energy farms warned during a rally Saturday in Ocean City that the legal battle is far from over in their efforts to prevent what they called the “industrialization of our ocean.” Last year, the Danish energy company Orsted scrapped plans to build two wind farms off the South Jersey coast after concluding that the projects would not be worth the enormous development cost. However, opponents stressed during the rally that Orsted still holds the leases giving it rights to build the wind farms and could either revive them or sell them to another company that would develop the projects. “It’s not over. Stay in the fight,” said former Superior Court Judge Michael Donohue, who has headed Cape May County’s legal strategy to block the wind farms. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:04
Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensation Program Application Deadline Approaching
This notice is a reminder to commercial fishermen that the eligibility period to apply for the Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program ends on June 3, 2024. Commercial fishing vessel owners/operators must submit an online application prior to the June 3, 2024, deadline, to be considered for eligibility. The program is open to commercial fishing vessel owners/lessees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island who can demonstrate historical fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501, which is south of Martha’s Vineyard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:00
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ Calvin Beal Lobster Boat, 450HP Cummins
To review specifications, information, and 30 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:26
Wind Farm Opponents to Host Rally in Ocean City
Opponents of offshore wind farms are holding a rally Saturday to continue their fight against what they believe could harm the environment, the tourism industry, commercial fishing operations and marine life. The second annual “Stop Offshore Wind” rally will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Mark Soifer Park, across from City Hall in Ocean City. The rally will proceed with a march across the Route 52 causeway bridge connecting Ocean City and Somers Point. Danish wind farm developer Orsted announced on Oct. 31 that it was halting its Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 projects. Representatives of the company maintained that it wouldn’t be financially feasible to do the projects. In a rally flyer advertising Saturday’s event, opponents cautioned that they must continue to speak up against wind farms with the words, “The fight is not over,” despite Orsted withdrawing from the local project. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:28
Incidental Take Authorization: Sunrise Wind, LLC Construction and Operation of the Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm, off New York
On May 21, 2024, NOAA Fisheries announced the final regulations to govern the incidental harassment of marine mammals related to the construction of the Sunrise Wind Project, offshore New York, and within the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Area. As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the final regulations include mandatory mitigation measures undertaken by the wind developer that ensure the “least practicable adverse impact” on marine mammals and their habitat, as well as monitoring and reporting measures to better understand those impacts. NOAA Fisheries determined that underwater noise generated by the project’s activities over a five-year period may harass marine mammals. NOAA Fisheries determined that the number and manner of “take,” in the form of harassment, that may be authorized in a Letter of Authorization, will have a negligible impact on all affected marine mammal species and stocks. Impacts to a small number of North Atlantic right whales are expected to be limited to short-term behavioral disturbance (Level B harassment). more, >>CLICK TO READ<< – A summary and chart, >click here< 15:58
Technology Helping Prevent Whale Strikes
As many as 80 whales are estimated to die each year off the West Coast of the US as a result of ship strikes, and about a third of all Right Whale deaths in the Atlantic are attributed to ship strikes. Sperm Whales in the Mediterranean are also listed as an endangered species, and ship strike is their leading cause of death. Whale avoidance is clearly top of mind for mariners. It is time to explore how currently available technology can help in this endeavor. As the world looks to new technologies to assist in whale avoidance, it is important to ensure there is no impact on the whales and the environment. Likewise, as governmental regulations evolve, operating vessels near whales requires a strong understanding of the rules implemented to protect them. There should be strict adherence to safe practices that coincide with the use of the right technologies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:42
See which 8 NJ towns filed new lawsuits to stop offshore wind developer
Eight Jersey Shore municipalities petitioned the court this week in a new attempt to stop offshore wind developers from moving forward with power projects along the New Jersey coast. Attorneys from the law firm of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden filed two appeals and one motion this week targeting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of part of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project. The law firm represents Long Beach Township, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Brigantine Beach and Ventnor City. Last month, the state department granted a consistency certification to a portion of Atlantic Shores’ project, which will build as many as 200 wind power turbines nearly 9 miles off Long Beach Island. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:01
Andy Harris, Ocean City mayor voice new opposition to West OC pier plan
Wednesday, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md-1st, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and Maryland lawmakers from the Eastern Shore delegation called on the Maryland Department of Environment to hold a public hearing in Ocean City to review its process for U.S. Wind’s planned pier in West Ocean City. The department already held a public comment hearing at the Wor-Wic Community College on March 25, but Harris and others are calling for another following “numerous complaints” received by his office that the hearing was held in Wicomico County as opposed to Ocean City where residents will be most affected by the pier development. “The West Ocean City pier is being developed with the purpose of expanding offshore wind at a time when the true impacts of offshore wind have never been properly studied,” Harris wrote. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:57
Unsealed federal lawsuit alleges Omega Protein skirted U.S. citizen ownership requirement
A recently unsealed federal lawsuit alleges that the lone menhaden reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay broke federal law by creating a shell company to cover-up its foreign ownership, routing profits to a Canadian company instead of keeping them in Virginia. Benson Chiles and Chris Manthey, two private investigators involved in environmental conservation efforts, brought forward the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2021 against Omega Protein under the False Claims Act, saying the company violated the Jones Act and American Fisheries Act by not disclosing that its owners are family. Ocean Harvesters, the subsidiary more specifically accused of wrongdoing, said in a statement the lawsuit is “without merit” and will be “vigorously” defended. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 54′ Steel Lobster/Scalloper/Longliner
To review specifications, information, and 35 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 08:07
Offshore Wind Cumulative Impact Issue Analysis
When the Feds finally do the cumulative environmental impact analysis for whales as mandated by the Endangered Species Act there are a number of basic issues to be resolved. Here is a quick look at some for the desperately endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW). Cumulative refers to the combined impact of multiple offshore projects. The first issue is which projects to combine for analysis. NARW are found along the entire Atlantic coastal waters which bounds the geography. Other endangered critters are found along the Gulf and West Coasts. Projects can be in very different stages of development. Here is a hierarchy of sorts that gives several obvious options, from relatively small to enormous. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:07
Trump Vows ‘Day One’ Executive Order Targeting Offshore Wind
Donald Trump vowed to issue an executive order targeting offshore wind development if he wins a second term as president, making his most explicit threat yet toward the growing industry. The presumptive Republican nominee derided offshore wind projects as lethal for birds and whales during his oceanfront rally Saturday in Wildwood, New Jersey, and committed to take action. “We are going to make sure that that ends on day one,” he said. “I’m going to write it out in an executive order.” While Trump has made no secret of his animus to wind power, he had adopted a mostly hands-off posture during his first term in the White House. The remarks in New Jersey suggest he may take a more aggressive stance if given a second. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:03
44-foot Whale Carcass on Bow of Cruise Ship Baffles NY Authorities
Marine conservationists and government scientists are seeking clues to the mystery of how a 44-foot whale carcass ended up on the bow of a cruise liner, where it was discovered as the ship approached New York City’s Port of Brooklyn over the weekend. A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, identified the deceased marine mammal as a mature female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said on Wednesday. One key question is whether the whale’s death came before or after its contact with the vessel, according to the non-profit organization, based in Hampton Bays, New York. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:54
Steamship PETA ad roils Islanders
In the hallways of the Steamship Authority (SSA) passenger ferry Martha’s Vineyard, six posters were recently put on display asking passengers a provocative question: “Did your lobster kill a whale?” According to the SSA, the animal rights advocacy organization paid a total of $28,000 to hang their posters through October 31. But the advertisements have incensed some Islanders and local fishermen, who say the local fishing industry is unfairly targeted. Some even point a finger at the Steamship, calling the ferry service hypocritical for allowing the ads when the administration has criticized regulations that would protect right whales. Island lobsterman Wes Brighton called the Steamship Authority “out of touch with the community.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:45
Trump Presidency Is Next Worry for Battered US Wind Sector
Companies racing to build multibillion-dollar wind farms in US waters are already contending with surging borrowing costs, supply-chain woes and project pullbacks. Now, they’ve got a new worry: Donald Trump. The former US president and presumptive Republican nominee has made no secret of his animus toward wind energy, whether on- or offshore. He famously battled a project within view of his golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland, and has derided wind farms as bird-killing monstrosities. But he has recently ramped up his rhetoric, telling attendees at a Florida fundraiser last month that he hates wind farms, according to people familiar with the matter. Renewable developers are bracing for more attacks Saturday, when Trump will hold a rally on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey — a state that’s become the front line for fights over the future of offshore wind. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:34
Offshore Wind Opponents Sue NJDEP Over Planned Project
A local grassroots organization opposed to the current offshore wind farm planned off the coast of Long Beach Island is among three groups to sue the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection over its approval of the Atlantic Shores project. Save LBI is joined by Protect Our Coast New Jersey and Defend Brigantine Beach, said Bruce Afran, who is the attorney of record in the legal proceeding. “DEP’s approval flies in the face of federal regulators’ environmental impact statement that says the Atlantic Shores project will damage marine habitat, compress and harden the seafloor, damage marine communities, compromise migration corridors for endangered species and cause commercial fishing stocks to decline,” he said. The DEP has 30 days to respond under court rules, and briefs are expected to be filed by October with argument on the appeal in March or April 2025, according to a statement issued last week by Save LBI, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast New Jersey. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:08
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 64′ Dixon Longliner, Tripack permits, 425HP, Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 23 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:56
The number of fish on US overfishing list reaches an all-time low. Mackerel and snapper recover
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an updated analysis of American fisheries late last week via its annual “Status of the Stocks” report, which provides an assessment of the populations of the seafood species fishermen catch and customers buy. The report states that 94% of fish stocks are not subject to overfishing, which is slightly better than a year ago. The U.S. was able to remove several important fish stocks from the overfishing list, NOAA said in a statement. They include the Gulf of Maine and Cape Hatteras stock of Atlantic mackerel and the Gulf of Mexico stock of cubera snapper. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:33
NOAA Breaks Ground on a New Marine Operations Center Facility in Newport, Rhode Island funded by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility on Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island that will serve as the future home of the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic. In December, the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic, on behalf of NOAA, awarded $146,778,932 to Skanska USA to build the new NOAA facility. The design and construction of the facility is funded in part by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The facility will include a pier to accommodate four large vessels, a floating dock for smaller vessels, space for vessel repairs and parking, and a building to be used for shoreside support and as a warehouse. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027. This project will operate under a Project Labor Agreement, consistent with EO 14063, issued by President Biden. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:39
NCFA Weekly Update for May 6, 2024
Last week’s newsletter got quite a bit of attention, prompting several folks to reach out to me directly in regard to the constitutional “right” to hunt and fish seen below. You’ll also notice that the purpose of the Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendments is to prevent hunting and fishing from being banned, not to elevate one citizen’s right to fish over that of another. Legislative updates, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Environmentalism is Dead?
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