Category Archives: National
Maine lobster industry may receive nearly $14 million in federal aid
U.S. Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree, both Democrats from Maine, helped secure the funding and pledged to keep advocating for the fishery. In a statement, Golden called the regulations misguided, indefensible and economically damaging. “NOAA has been unable to prove that these regulations will work, but lobstermen are still being forced to pick up the tab,” he said. “It’s just wrong.” Virginia Olsen, director of the Maine Lobstering Union, said the money will help keep fishermen in business as they “work to right the wrongs” of the new regulations. Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, agreed. >click to read< 19:58
‘They want to turn the ocean into an aquarium’
I overheard those words a few years ago from a commercial fisherman in Barnegat Light. It seems it’s slowly happening. Your grandchildren might not ever know the idea of fishing off the Jersey Shore if NOAA gets its way. The NOAA is holding public hearings on whether to declare the Hudson Canyon a National Marine Sanctuary. The hearings will be held this summer. Now, who will show up in greater numbers will be interesting. You have commercial fisherman, most of whom are local men and women who have done this work for generations. The other crowd that will be heard are the activists and environmental groups who will plead their case that we need to save this precious resource. by Dennis Malloy >click to read< 11:54
Offshore wind farms could reduce Atlantic City’s surfclam fishery revenue up to 25%
New research from Rutgers University shows Mid-Atlantic surfclam fisheries could see revenue losses from planned offshore wind farms, at least in the short- to medium-term after the development takes place. The data is sure to fuel opposition from the fishing industry to the Biden administration’s rapid offshore wind development along the New York, New Jersey, and Delaware coasts. President Joe Biden has a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of wind energy by 2030 as part of his effort to tackle climate change. Clammers and scallop fishermen fear a shrinking patch of fishable ocean will lead to the collapse of the industry. >click to read< 14:03
Lobstermen frustrated by regulations after new study shows whale entanglements decline
A new report has Maine lobstermen saying, “I told you so.” The report says large whale entanglements dropped in 2020, including for the right whale. Lobstermen in Maine have long argued they should not be blamed for the right whales’ population decline, which makes this new study from NOAA all the more frustrating. “I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Harpswell lobster boat captain Forrest Moody said. “This is what we know.” Moody calls the new changes to the industry “life-altering.” “There hasn’t always been evidence to prove or say what they were asking us to do but we still were, we were still made to do it,” Moody said. Video, photos, >click to read< 09:08
Whale entanglements dropping but threat remains, feds say
The number of whales entangled in fishing gear has declined recently, but the entanglements remain a critical threat to rare species, the federal government said in a report released Tuesday. There were 53 confirmed cases of large whales entangled in gear in the U.S. in 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. That was a 25% decline from the previous year and a lower figure than the 13-year average, the agency said. Every coastal region except Alaska saw a decrease in whale entanglements, NOAA said. >click to read< 16:06
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44′ 11″ X 19′ Novi Dragger, Cat 3406C Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 10 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:33
Fishing feud at end of the world split US and Britain over Russia
It’s one of the world’s highest-fetching wild-caught fish, sold for $32 a pound at Whole Foods and served up as meaty fillets on the menus of upscale eateries across the US. But Russia’s obstruction of longstanding conservation efforts, resulting in a unilateral rejection of catch limits for the Chilean sea bass in a protected region near Antarctica, has triggered a fish fight at the bottom of the world, one dividing longtime allies, the US and UK governments. >click to read< 11:16
Amid Record Gas/Fuel Prices, Biden Blows Off Oil Execs for Big Wind CEOs
The White House on Thursday faced a barrage of questions about whether President Biden is doing enough to address record gas prices after he skipped a summit with oil executives and instead met with wind-industry leaders. “When I think environment, I think jobs,” Biden told a group that included five wind-industry CEOs in the White House Roosevelt Room,,, “We’re about to build a better America,” Biden said at the wind-power meeting, which included Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and Govs. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) and John Carney (D-Del.). Biden mistakenly held up 
backward a detailed note prepared by his staff for the wind meeting. It instructed him to “say hello to participants” and then “take YOUR seat” before giving “2 minutes” of remarks. The staff note instructed the president to “ask Liz Shuler, President, AFL-CIO, a question” and then “thank participants” and leave. >click to read< 13:34
Ocean City continues battle against offshore wind farm – >click to read<
Ocean City seeks to divert wind power plan – >click to read<
Some Sandbridge residents vote against offshore wind project – >click to read<
Offshore wind lobby warns of bill’s ‘existential threat’
One of the nation’s largest renewable energy trade groups warned in a letter to Senate leadership this week that a House-approved bill could endanger virtually every planned offshore wind project in the country. Sent Wednesday by the American Clean Power Association, the letter took aim at a provision of the “Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022,” which cleared the House by a wide margin in March and has yet to be considered by the Senate. The bill’s provision would establish nationality requirements for crew members who work on offshore energy projects in the United States. Crew members would have to be American citizens or permanent residents or citizens of the same country where their vessel is flagged. >click to read< 08:10
Offshore wind farms expected to reduce clam fishery revenue
An important East Coast shellfish industry is projected to suffer revenue losses as offshore wind energy develops along the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, according to two Rutgers studies. The studies examined how offshore wind farms planned for the eastern United States could disrupt fishing of the Atlantic surfclam, a major economic driver from Virginia to Massachusetts that generates more than $30 million in direct annual revenue. Total fleet revenue declines measured by the studies ranged from 3 percent to 15 percent, depending on the scale of offshore wind development and response of the fishing fleet. In New Jersey, losses could be as high as 25 percent for fishing vessels based in Atlantic City. >click to read< 15:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 2008 36′ Calvin Beal Lobster/Tuna
To review specifications, information, video, and 57 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:59
Inland Fisheries: Can Illinois turn Asian carp into Chilean sea bass? State to announce new name
A new name for the much-maligned fish will be announced Wednesday by state officials who hope the rebrand will shed the negative image of a muddy tasting bottom-feeder and inject the truth — they’re top-feeding plankton eaters that taste quite good. The “Big Reveal” will be hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,,, State officials hope the rebrand will lead to more people eating the fish, which would lead to more commercial fishing operations to pull them from the Illinois River and, ultimately, decrease their numbers and the risk that Asian carp could eventually make their way into the Great Lakes. >click to read< 17:37
Proposed N.J. wind farm could have major impact on area fisheries, draft report says
A proposed wind farm off the Jersey Shore could significantly affect local fisheries and boat traffic but generally have little impact on tourism and marine life while helping to move away from oil and gas, according to the draft environmental impact statement released Friday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The impact statement is the next step toward winning federal approval for Ocean Wind, a wind farm to be built by the Danish energy company Ørsted and PSEG. The draft statement addressed concerns by officials in some New Jersey beach towns that the turbines would spoil the ocean views and discourage tourists from returning. >click to read the foolishness< 14:18
Maine business group seeks rare deal to export ‘cape shark’ to Cuba
The cape shark, more commonly known as the dogfish, typically finds its home in the frigid, salty waters of midcoast Maine. However, thanks to the efforts of a group of Maine-based agriculturalists, the fish may soon be taken by the tides of trade to the warm shores – and markets – of Cuba. The export of dogfish is part of a larger deal being brokered by a group of Maine agriculturalists who hope to create a pipeline of Maine-based agricultural and fishery products to Cuba. Among the proposed exports are seed potatoes and apples along with dogfish. The export of such products is meant to help the Cuban economy, which has suffered in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic, become more self-sufficient while also benefiting Maine’s economy. “Our fishing industry, if you do a little history on it – recent history – is suffering for a lot of reasons,” Marchant said. “The advantage of Cuba getting any food exports right now is dramatic.” >click to read< 09:19
The Game Mac White and James Gallagher Would Play While Filming Deadliest Catch
Indeed, one of the newest (and most short-lived) cast members of the series is James Gallagher, a rookie engineer for the Lady Alaska who, thus far, has only been featured on Seasons 16 and 17. By contrast, veteran deckhand Mac White has managed to stick around within the series for nearly 11 years and is still going strong, whereas Gallagher appears to have moved on. Though the older deckhand and the excitable rookie may have seemed like two polar opposites to the audience, Gallagher actually revealed that the two used to play a game together whenever they were filming. >click to read< 11:39
Offshore Wind Industry Wiping Out Crucial Fish Breeding Grounds & Fishermen’s Livelihoods
Britain’s trawlermen are tough, but not invincible. Giant industrial wind turbines and their associated infrastructure have already wrecked once productive fishing grounds, with more under threat. The power cables that connect offshore wind turbines are mesmerising crabs and causing biological harm that affects their ability to migrate and breed; the same phenomenon has just been identified in lobsters. So, little wonder that fishermen are furious that their lives and livelihoods are being sold so cheap to an industry that’s built on lies and runs on subsidies. >click to read the rest< 15:18
N.L. MP vows he’s ‘gonna keep pushing’ forward on seal management legislation
Clifford Small may have lost a battle in his bid to convince the House of Commons of the need for legislation to manage seal populations, but the Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative MP says he’s not about to give up the fight. Small’s private members’ bill, Act for the Conservation of Fish Stocks and Management of Pinnipeds (seals), or Bill C-251, died when it came to the House for second reading on June 15. There’s more than one way to move a bill through the parliamentary process, said Small. Bills can start in the House or they can be introduced through the Senate, he said, indicating that’s the path he may pursue next. >click to read< 14:20
All eyes on Washington over bill that could ‘halt’ offshore wind construction
US legislation whose current language threatens to slam offshore wind project construction is expected to be passed with less restrictive provisions. But how much the manning provisions of the Coast Guard Authorization Act will be watered down remains unclear. In March, the US House of Representatives passed a spending bill for the US Coast Guard that included provisions requiring crews on specialised offshore construction vessels to be citizens either of the US or their ship’s flag state. The legislation requires passage in the US Senate. >click to read< 09:14
A Big NO! Oregon Fishermen are rolling up their sleeves to stop the huge offshore windmills
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners put out a BIG NO! to a federal agency that wants to build huge electric generating windmill farms just off the shores of the Oregon Coast. Lincoln County Commissioners Kaety Jacobson and Doug Hunt decided to send off a rather straight-forward NO! to a request by the federal government that wants to install hundreds of windmills along the coast. The fishermen say trolling for seafood is hard enough without coping with hundreds or thousands of windmills, wired to electrical substations up and down the coast. >click to read< 15:32
Hudson Canyon to Be New Marine Sanctuary
Hudson Canyon is America’s deepest canyon in the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA will seek public comment on the potential boundaries for the sanctuary and other factors related to its future management through Aug. 8. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York called for the sanctuary designation in an April letter to Richard Spinrad, NOAA’s administrator. But commercial fishermen harbor an inherent suspicion of government-imposed management. Dan Farnham Sr., who has caught tilefish in the area for more than 40 years, said on Monday. “I would say 60 to 70 percent of our catch comes from the canyon area.” Mr. Farnham said that he worries that the ultimate goal is to ban commercial fishing in the proposed sanctuary, which “would be financially devastating to us.” >click to read< 14:08
Lobster boat racing season kicks off, with race season schedule.
The arrival of summer brings lobster boat racing back to Maine. The season kicks off on Saturday, June 18, with races in Boothbay Harbor, followed by races in Rockland Harbor on Father’s Day. The June schedule continues with a race in Bass Harbor on Sunday, June 26, which has been held here for 14 years, and features lobster boats competing in various categories. Boats will race in categories based on the type of fuel they run on, length of boat, as well as size of engine. Boats that are under 24 feet have a category, and boats over that length are split into two categories depending on whether they run on gasoline or diesel. Includes 2022 schedule >click to read< 11:12
‘Deadliest Catch’ Bank Robber – From Catching Crabs Pots to Being Caught
Famed author Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, “The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.” In the case of Joshua Tel Warner, he straddled the worlds of television and thievery. It hasn’t escaped our notice that a man whose job in life was catching crabs pots, couldn’t avoid being caught himself. >click to read< 13:27
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 43’X15′ Novi Lobster Boat with Area 2 Permit
To review specifications, information, and 10 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:30
North Atlantic Right Whale: Oceana Wins First Step In USMCA Complaint
The Secretariat for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), has agreed to move forward with the first step in a two-step process to investigate the USA’s failure to uphold its environmental laws to protect North Atlantic right whales, according to an Oceana announcement this week. The decision was in response to Oceana’s filing the first-ever “Submission on Enforcement Matters” against the US government under the USMCA last October. The ocean advocacy organization claimed the government has violated the USMCA by failing to enforce environmental laws to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only around 330 remain. >click to read< 14:53
US citizens will suffer from a Hudson Canyon Marine Sanctuary
On June 8 th, the Biden Administration announced its newest attack on American small businessmen by declaring the Hudson Canyon region as a protected marine sanctuary. The Hudson canyon is the largest and deepest canyon on the US east coast, about the size of the Grand Canyon. It was created by the outflow of the Hudson River over the course of millions of years and because it is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the east coast, it is also one of the best fishing grounds. In a non-sensible announcement of Biden’s plan, NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, joyously proclaimed that “A sanctuary near one of the most densely populated areas of the Northeast U.S. would connect diverse communities across the region to the ocean and the canyon in new and different ways”. How many different fisheries are going to be affected by a Hudson Canyon Closure? Every one of them. By Jim Lovgren >click to read the article< 17:39
New restrictions on ships to protect whales coming
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been reviewing the speed regulations it uses to protect North Atlantic right whales, and according to spokesperson Allison Ferreira, the agency will publish new proposed rules within the coming weeks. A public comment process would follow. More than 50 of the whales were struck by ships between spring 1999 and spring 2018, NOAA records indicate. >click to read< 09:36
President Biden’s plan to save the oceans
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates World Ocean Day with Actions to Conserve America’s Deepest Atlantic Canyon, Cut Plastic Pollution, and Create America’s First-Ever Ocean Climate Action Plan – >click to read< The following two bullet points are from the Whitehouse Press Release today. Commentary by Nils Stolpe, >click to read< 13:07
ENC shrimper thinking of new ways to get his product to customers amid inflation
Inflation is making it harder for fisherman to turn a profit. Now, it’s fueling them to make decision on how they sell their catch. One local boat captain has found a way he could keep more money in local fishermen’s wallets. Frankie Eubanks is a shrimp boat captain and he said it used to cost him $1,500 to fill up his boat, now it’s twice that. To battle the rise in prices, he wants to take his product straight to customers. Video, >click to read< 09:14
Gasoline, diesel prices put squeeze on Hampton Roads commercial fishing
“It’s going to get to a point where the customers won’t want to buy because it’s so outrageously expensive,” said Kyle Robbins. “Everyday it costs me about $150 to $200 just in fuel to leave the dock,” Robbins said. Six days a week, Robbins ventures out on a crabbing boat to haul in hundreds of pounds of crabs from the Chesapeake Bay. But the rising cost of fuel for those boats has caused his crabbing habits to change. “In certain times, maybe we can travel another 10 to 15 miles to catch more crabs, but we’re not wanting to spend the fuel, so we’re traveling only two to three miles,” he said. “It’s a lose-lose situation.” Video, >click to read< 08:15
Inland Fisheries: Meet the Last Commercial Fisherman of Washington Island
My dad asked me one day if I wanted to go fishing. I thought he meant sport fishing, so I headed for the fishing pole. He says, ‘No, not that kind, commercial fishing,’” Ken Koyen says of his start as a fourth-generation fisherman. “I said, ‘Commercial? Can I do it?’ He says, ‘Hold out your hands.’ So I held them out. He says, ‘They’re big enough!’ And that’s exactly how I got started.” That was when he was 17. Now, about to turn 70, Koyen is the last of his kind on Door County’s Washington Island. Most mornings, Koyen wakes up around 6 a.m. and makes his way to his fishing tug, the Sea Diver, docked in Jackson Harbor by 8 a.m. The 48-by-13-foot tug, built in 1950, is his daily companion. Though he fishes solo, he says he never feels alone because he senses the presence of his father with him. >click to read< 13:12
