A U.S. appeals court on Monday appeared open to upholding a federal rule requiring commercial fishermen to fund a program to monitor for overfishing of herring off New England’s coast even after the U.S. Supreme Court in that same case issued a landmark ruling curbing agencies’ regulatory power. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, during oral arguments, weighed the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision, opens new tab to scrap a 40-year-old legal doctrine that had required courts to defer to agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws they administer. The 6-3 conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court nixed the doctrine, known as “Chevron deference,” after taking up an appeal by several commercial fishing companies of the D.C. Circuit panel’s 2-1 ruling in August 2022, opens new tab that had relied on the doctrine to uphold the fishing rule. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:03Category Archives: National
GOP Lawmakers, Fishermen Urge Trump to Keep Promise to Axe Offshore Wind
Trump’s return to the Oval Office may deal the problem-riddled offshore wind industry another blow if his administration follows through on his pledge to scrap federal support for offshore wind projects during his second term. Republican lawmakers, opposed to heavily subsidized green energy, and commercial fishermen, who view the industry as an existential threat to their livelihoods, are calling on the president-elect to follow through on his campaign’s promise, which could imply ending federal subsidies and lease sales for the industry. “The incoming administration has an historic opportunity to save American workers from foreign developers, reinvigorate iconic coastal towns, and improve America’s food security,” NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman said in a press release following Trump’s election win. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:54
Bottom Trawl Survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy Area Re-Scheduled for January 13, 2025 – March 1, 2025
This notice is to inform you that the bottom trawl survey of the Maine Research Array Wind Energy (MeRA) Area, previously scheduled to begin on October 15, 2024, has been re-scheduled to take place between January 13, 2025 and March 1, 2025.This is a potential sampling window; the survey will be conducted during 7-10 days within this timeframe. The exact dates will be weather dependent. Operations will be conducted during daylight hours. The F/V Northern Lights (55’ trawler) will transit from Portland to the sampling area. The crew will conduct approximately 37 tows over 7-10 days of sampling. Tows will be 20 minutes and conducted at a speed of 2.5 knots. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:12
Trump has vowed to kill US offshore wind projects. Will he succeed?
Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. “I believe this is a tipping point for the offshore wind industry in America,” said Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast NJ, one of the most vocal groups opposing offshore wind on the East Coast. “They have been given a glidepath by Democrat-run administrations at the federal and state level for many years. For this industry, (Tuesday’s) results will bring headwinds far greater than they have faced previously.” Commercial fishermen in Maine said they hope the Trump administration will undo policies designed to help build and approve offshore wind projects, saying regulators attempted to “future-proof” the industry against political change. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, called on Trump to reverse a commitment to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:37
Rafael now a tropical storm: Any threat to Alabama?
Rafael, a Category 3 hurricane just yesterday, has weakened rapidly to a tropical storm and had 65 mph winds on Saturday morning. The National Hurricane Center thinks the storm could drift southward over the Gulf of Mexico through the middle of next week. It could also continue to weaken and become a non-tropical system during that time. As of the last advisory, at 3 a.m. CST Saturday, Tropical Storm Rafael was located about 405 miles east of the mouth of the Rio Grande River and was moving to the west-northwest at 6 mph. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:23
Charting a course toward seafood independence for Alaska’s vulnerable food systems
As a commercial fisherman based in Sitka and the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), I’ve spent decades navigating Alaska’s challenging waters and the headwinds facing our fishing communities. Alaska’s coastal residents are resilient, but they are up against a new magnitude of challenges. The loss of fishing access and community-based processing capacity, along with a dearth of local markets for seafood, are straining once vibrant fishing economies up and down our coastline. I recently contributed to a fisheries access report commissioned by the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), which highlights the outmigration of fishing access in Southeast Alaska. Communities with historically robust local fishing fleets now see few active vessels based in town. This trend is acute in communities such as Kake, which has lost its local processor — and with it, a viable market for resident fishermen. Through interviews and in-person engagement, ASFT’s report found that a common concern among fishermen was the loss of a local fish buyer. When this happens, resident fishermen often sell their permits or abandon fishing altogether. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< By Linda Behnken 12:05
Federal memo estimates more than $176M of Atlantic lobster catch unreported, untaxed
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans suspects hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of lobster is caught in Atlantic Canadian waters each year but never reported to authorities, raising both tax evasion and conservation implications in the country’s largest fishery. An internal memo in August to DFO’s deputy minister said it’s estimated that between 10 and 30 per cent of lobster landings in the region are unreported, and the department said in a statement it is working to map out criminal networks and money laundering in the sector. “It’s mind-boggling,” said Osborne Burke, the president of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, which represents about 150 lobster buyers and processors and has urged a crackdown on unreported cash sales. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:44
Fishermen celebrate Trump: ‘Government has crucified this industry’
He didn’t win New Bedford, where Vice President Kamala Harris held a margin of 2,688 votes. But the city’s fishermen have dug in with their support for the president-elect. Fishermen on the New Bedford waterfront met the news of a second Trump term with vengeful enthusiasm on Wednesday morning. There was hope that the president-elect would scale back regulation, stop offshore wind development and open new fishing grounds, breaking the slump of declining revenues and ushering in a period of relative prosperity for the industry. “The government has crucified this industry,” said Ryan Turner, 47, who on Wednesday morning was preparing to leave on a scallop trip. He said this election was the first in which he had ever cast his vote. Between Harris and Trump, he said, “I didn’t like either one. I voted because we needed someone in office who is going to get rid of these windmills.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:17
Southern Shrimp Alliance Welcomes NOAA Fisheries’ Confirmation that U.S. Wild-Caught Shrimp Is the Sustainable Choice
Last week, NOAA Fisheries published an on-line resource with facts regarding wild-caught American shrimp, explaining what makes it a sustainable seafood choice. Shrimp is, far and away, the most popular seafood in America. As NOAA Fisheries explains, “now about one-quarter of the seafood Americans eat is shrimp.” Yet, despite Americans’ love of shrimp, the U.S. shrimp industry is struggling. NOAA Fisheries notes that despite the fact that landings volumes were roughly the same in 2023 as they were in 2022, preliminary data from the Gulf of Mexico show that the industry sold $329 million of wild-caught shrimp in 2022 and that revenue dropped to $204 million in 2023 – a 38 percent drop.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:29
Trump Defeats Harris to Win a Second White House Term
Former President Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, mounting one of the greatest political comebacks of all time – a convicted felon who was twice impeached and left the presidency in disgrace just four years ago, only to win it back decisively in one of the most fraught elections in modern history. In defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump stitched together an improbable coalition of supporters, including people of color and young voters, while promising to unfurl an America-first vision. With his victory all but assured early Wednesday morning, Trump told cheering supporters at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida, that “this was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:41
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 62′ Turnkey Fiberglass Dragger, Cat 3408
To review specifications, information, with 25 photos’,>click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<. 06:24
Court open to upholding US fishing monitor rule even without ‘Chevron’ doctrine
A U.S. appeals court on Monday appeared open to upholding a federal rule requiring commercial fishermen to fund a program to monitor for overfishing of herring off New England’s coast even after the U.S. Supreme Court in that same case issued a landmark ruling curbing agencies’ regulatory power. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, during oral arguments, weighed the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision, opens new tab to scrap a 40-year-old legal doctrine that had required courts to defer to agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws they administer. The 6-3 conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court nixed the doctrine, known as “Chevron deference,” after taking up an appeal by several commercial fishing companies of the D.C. Circuit panel’s 2-1 ruling in August 2022, opens new tab that had relied on the doctrine to uphold the fishing rule. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:03Opposition to seal ban grows within EU, where hunters alliance is optimistic rules will change
A group representing hunters in the Nordic countries says it’s more optimistic than ever that the European Union will lift a longtime ban on trading seal products. The regulation, implemented in 2009 after a highly successful campaign from animal rights groups, deprived Canadian sealers of their primary market. “Our hope and expectation is that the ban will be reversed, and that trade can be possible again,” said Johan Svalby, senior advisor for international affairs at the Nordic Hunters Alliance. Since beginning its review of the current regulations, thousands of individuals and organizations have participated in consultations, including the Canadian, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories governments, which argued for removing the ban. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
Valley shrimping companies looking for a way out
Rio Grande Valley shrimpers say they’re ready to sell off their fleets. For years, they’ve faced big losses, and they’re still waiting for help. At the Port of Brownsville, the dock owned by Reyes Trawlers Inc. is one of the few shrimping companies still running most of its boats. The shrimping industry has faced several years of high fuel prices, problems getting worker visas and competition from cheap imports. For many, it’s time to get out of the business. “I 
am almost 73 years old, been doing this since I was 17 years old, and yes I would like to get out today. There’s no profit anymore. I’m just here just because, I’m losing money. For the last three years I’ve lost money,” Reyes Trawlers Inc. owner Carlton Reyes said. Reyes is running five out of six vessels, while many other shrimpers have their fleet docked and unable to work. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:14
New partnership delivers locally caught seafood to San Diegans in need
San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group (SDFWG) and Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank have established a partnership to provide fresh fish caught by local fishermen for families and individuals experiencing food insecurity in San Diego. Through February 2025, the collaboration will expand the Food Bank’s offerings, ensuring that more San Diegans have access to nutrient-dense seafood. “We want all San Diegans to enjoy locally sourced seafood, and partnering with the San Diego Food Bank creates that opportunity,” said Pete Halmay, president of the SDFWG and longtime San Diego commercial fisherman. “Our hardworking fishermen look forward to supporting the community with healthy, sustainable food for their families. Plus, buying local seafood leads to a shorter supply chain, reduces our carbon footprint, and provides the healthiest fish.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:28
Historic Cortez Fishing Village continues work despite hurricane damage
The Cortez Fishing Village has weathered a lot, but Hurricanes Helene and Milton put them to the test. “I’ve seen other storms that hurt us in different ways, but this one hurt literally thousands and thousands of people,” said Kent Nixon, a stone crab fisherman who has been part of the Cortez Fishing Village for decades. Docks were damaged during Hurricane Helene and are now being replaced. Milton also damaged the roof of the A.P. Bell Fish Company’s fish house. Clean-up continues all around the fishing village as crews and boats work on the water. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:05
Is U.S. Wild-Caught Shrimp Sustainable? The Short Answer Is Yes
U.S.-harvested shrimp is nutritious, delicious… and sustainable! The shrimp fishery has also historically been a culturally important economic engine. It provides a livelihood for thousands of U.S. commercial fishermen. U.S. shrimp are a sustainable seafood option, and the United States sets a global precedent for shrimp trawl bycatch reduction. But our nation’s shrimp industry is struggling to stay afloat and there’s confusion about its sustainability. Here are the facts about U.S. wild-caught shrimp. Most U.S. shrimp are caught in the Southeast from Texas to North Carolina. Three species—white shrimp, pink shrimp, and brown shrimp—make up the vast majority of the shrimp caught. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
New Report Suggests “Whale Psychiatrist” Trump May be Right About Wind Farms and Whales
US Bureau of Ocean Management report says whales, dolphins, birds and bats can all be injured by wind turbine construction, and offshore fishing harmed. Trump has been an advocate for keeping America clean and healthy. He has not advocated for the anti-carbon push based on pseudoscience and the rush into green energy projects put forth by environmentalists. Admittedly. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has officials saying they have found no evidence linking offshore wind turbines to whale deaths. However, a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has just released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can be exposed to “unavoidable adverse impacts” by the construction of offshore wind farms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries – >>CLICK TO READ<<
Fishermen, fleet owners hope Trump helps their industry
New Bedford fishermen fly many flags. There is the American flag, the skull and crossbones flag. There are flags expressing resistance to offshore wind development. And there are many — many — flags for former President Donald Trump. But one flag is rarely hoisted on the New Bedford waterfront. “I have yet to see a Harris-Walz flag on a fishing vessel,” said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney representing the industry’s Sustainable Scalloping Fund. The vast support for Trump among fishermen boils down to a few main points, some specific to the fishing industry, some not. Trump has said that he would overturn the ban on commercial fishing in Marine National Monuments, which was first enacted by the Obama administration, repealed by Trump and then re-established under President Joe Biden. There are frustrations with immigration policy and with inflation, especially with gas and food, which have an acute impact on the profits of a fishing trip. But no issue has swayed the politics of the fishing industry more than offshore wind development. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:50
B.C. environmental groups lose bid to stop Alaskan fishery’s sustainable certification
A coalition of Canadian environmental groups has lost its latest bid to prevent Alaska’s salmon fishery from being labelled as sustainable by an international certification body. The groups, including the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Watershed Watch Salmon Society, say an adjudicator has upheld the Marine Stewardship Council’s decision to certify the Alaskan fishery despite what they call “unsustainable” fishing practices that intercept British Columbia’s migrating salmon. Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game says it is pleased that the adjudicator “affirmed the sustainability of Alaska’s fishing practices” based on “sound science,” adding that the salmon fishery in question “has the most robust and comprehensive” assessment program on the Pacific seaboard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:41
Four offshore wind-power sites in Gulf of Maine auctioned for $22M
Two energy companies have won leases for 327,096 acres of federal waters off Maine and Massachusetts and hope to install floating wind-power turbines there. On Tuesday, four of eight available lease areas were sold to provisional winners in an auction by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The sales resulted in winning bids of over $21.9 million. The leases include commitments to workforce training and building a domestic supply chain, which would include an offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, according to a separate news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
WHALES DECLARE BOEM IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION COMMITTING GENOCIDE By Jim Lovgren
In a press release issued today by the AAA, an aquatic coalition of many different marine creatures, it was declared that the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was a terrorist organization intent on the extermination of all marine mammals and other sea life. The National Marine Fishery Service was named as a co-conspirator, for standing by and watching, instead of doing their legally required job of protecting endangered species. The AAA, Aquatic Animals Association, is a newly formed coalition of different marine species including Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, fish, clams, and scallops. Despite the vast disparity in their abilities to communicate with each other, they have combined each other’s unique communication forms into one voice in hopes of saving themselves from extinction. From Harvey Haddock, President, Aquatic Animal Association. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:14
‘It’s in Our Blood!’ Blount Boats Celebrates 75 Years
Seventy-five years in business is no small feat, especially in an industry that is tougher than most: shipbuilding. Blount Boats is celebrating the impressive milestone this year. Established in 1949, the Warren, R.I. shipbuilder is led today by founder Luther H. Blount’s daughters: president and CFO Marcia Blount and executive vice president / human resources Julie Blount, who see their roles as more than a career. “It’s our vocation,” Julie said. “It’s in our blood!” the sisters said nearly simultaneously. An entrepreneur and inventor by nature, Luther H. Blount formed Blount Boats after building a small twin hull raft built of 55-gallon drums used for transporting oyster and clam shells across Narragansett Bay, prompting requests to build larger steel vessels. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:43
New Orleans shrimp festival passes genetic test confirming Gulf Coast origin
Recent genetic tests have revealed that two major Southern seafood festivals served imported, farm-raised shrimp instead of the Gulf-caught varieties they advertised, sparking concerns among local commercial fishermen and seafood advocates. SEAD Consulting, at the request of regional shrimpers, used its RIGHTTest genetic testing technology to identify the origins of shrimp labeled as Gulf-caught at these events. Results showed widespread mislabeling at both the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City and the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. Not all festivals failed the test, however. At the Louisiana Shrimp Festival & Shrimp Aid in New Orleans, which was also tested, every vendor passed the RIGHTTest, proving that all shrimp served at this event was authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Election Jitters, Industry Headwinds Undermine Biden’s Final Offshore Wind Auction
A U.S. auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine on Tuesday drew bids for only half of the eight offered leases, for a total of just $21.9 million in high bids, in the latest sign of deep industry malaise. The sale was a stark display of the lack of industry appetite for new investment after a year of high-profile setbacks that include canceled projects, two shelved lease sales in Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico and a construction accident at the nation’s first major offshore wind project. The auction was the last before President Joe Biden, a Democrat, leaves office in January. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:25
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45’x20′ Novi Lobster Boat, John Deere Diesel with Permit
To review specifications, information, and 25 photos’,>click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<. 06:19
Fishermen Fight Bureaucrats to Defend Their Way of Life
Fishermen are going to court in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday to protect their businesses and communities from an unconstitutional regulatory commission that is a menace to our iconic industry. Overregulation has taken the joy out of fishing, and the prosperity too. That inevitably follows when powerful bureaucrats aren’t accountable to anyone, as is the case with the unconstitutional regional management councils that set policy for our fisheries. America’s fishing fleet is steadily retracting. Fishing is a generational trade passed within families. Many fishermen I know are vectoring their sons and daughters away from the family business. There are many reasons for that, but overregulation is one of them. By Jerry Leeman. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
How a death spurred change for a SouthCoast fleet
In the summer of 2021, a Mayday call went out from the captain aboard a fishing vessel who needed Narcan to help save a life due to an overdose on board. There happened to be another vessel in the vicinity that was able to respond, and they tossed a box of the over-the-counter drug on board. The captain administered one dose, but nothing happened. He gets back on the radio. A second vessel was carrying Narcan and tossed it on board. The captain, after the fourth dose, sent his crew member back onshore alive. “That day there were three fishermen first responders that saved a life at sea,” said Debra Kelsey, with Fishing Partnership Support Services. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Ocean City, fishing clubs and Thrasher’s French Fries sue federal government over offshore wind project
Ocean City, Maryland, neighboring towns, counties, sportfishing groups, hotels, amusement parks and boardwalk staple Thrasher’s French Fries have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for approving a massive wind farm approximately 10 miles off the tourist town’s coast. Last month, on Sept. 5, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the U.S. Interior Department, announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. It’s the nation’s 10th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project, according to the Biden Administration. The list of plaintiffs includes the mayor and city council of Ocean City, the mayor and town council of neighboring Fenwick Island, Delaware, and commissioners of Worcester County, Maryland, where Ocean City is located. Other plaintiffs include developers, hotels, commercial fishermen and seafood markets, the parent company for Ocean City’s Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, the Save Right Whales Coalition and the parent company for Thrasher’s French Fries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:42
Could offshore wind plan hurt scallop fishermen? New Bedford official has ‘grave concerns’
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr has “grave concern” for the scallop fishing industry in the face of a potential new call area to be leased out to offshore wind projects. The 13,476,805-acre area off of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, dubbed the “Central Atlantic 2” call area, encompasses a large portion of key scalloping grounds, Carr wrote. Scalloper Keith Uzzell, who’s fished out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for 16 years, says he and others that frequent fishing grounds around the northeast started noticing “more survey boats, more offshore wind vessel activity” around the same time they noticed an uptick in things like dead whale sightings and empty scallop shells. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
