Category Archives: New England
The Future of Fishing – Island Institute launches new initiative to support Maine’s lobster industry
Island Institute is proud to announce a $1.4 million award from the Small Business Administration to support Maine’s lobster industry and enhance the economic resilience of the coastal communities dependent on this vital fishery. This Congressionally Directed Spending request championed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King will launch the Future of Fishing, a collaborative effort designed to expand economic opportunities for Maine’s coastal communities, building on Island Institute’s longstanding partnerships to advance a diversified, climate-forward marine economy in Maine. Maine’s fishing communities face historic challenges such as rapidly warming waters, more frequent and severe storms, costly regulatory changes, and rising business costs. These communities, and the men and women that work on the water, are the backbone of Maine’s seafood sector; a sector responsible for more than $3 billion in total economic output and more than 33,000 jobs statewide. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:28
Shipping up to Boston: N.L. opening trade office in Massachusetts
Newfoundland and Labrador is dropping anchor and opening shop in Boston. On a trade mission to the Massachusetts state capital this week, Premier Andrew Furey announced the province would be opening its first international trade office in the city. Furey said the province and Boston have connections in the seafood and marine industries, and across the biotechnology and energy sectors. “It’s important to have a presence in the United States right now,” he said. Furey said there are companies in Boston involved in wind projects and biotechnology that are looking for partners, research and product development. With Boston’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and New York, Furey said it made sense to open an office across the border. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:03
Lobster harvesters ready to ‘take matters into their own hands’
Local lobster harvesters are prepared to patrol waters themselves and haul up illegal gear, which could spark confrontations with poachers, according to Amanda Johnson, executive director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, which represents 150 lobster fishers from St. Stephen to Alma. “It could lead to a lot of violence on the water,” Johnson said at a protest held in Saint Andrews Saturday in support of local fishers and their families. Maine and New Brunswick poachers are now taking to Lobster Fishing Area 36, which runs along New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy coast from Alma to the American border, ahead of its November season, Johnson said. Deer Island fisherman Dale Mitchell claims lobster catches have dropped 30 per cent in the last seven years since the start of what he called an “illegal summer fishery” in the region. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:06
Broken blades, angry fishermen, and rising costs slow offshore wind
The collapse of a giant wind turbine blade off the Massachusetts coast confirmed Peter Kaizer’s worst fears about the dangers a new clean energy business could pose to fishermen like him. Jagged pieces of fiberglass and other materials from the shattered blade drifted with the tide, forcing officials to close beaches on Nantucket and leaving Kaizer worried about the threat the fragments might pose to his vessel and other fishing boats, especially at night when the debris would be harder to avoid. “All these small boats could be subject to damage,” Kaizer said. “Everyone wants this green legacy, but at the cost of what?” Full article. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
U.S. Offshore Wind: Election 2024 May Redefine the Sector
The US offshore wind industry is at a crucial turning point. After several years of growth under the Biden administration, the sector faces potential reconfiguration depending on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. On the one hand, a Donald Trump victory could redirect the country’s energy priorities towards conventional resources, such as offshore oil and gas. On the other, a Kamala Harris victory would mean a continuation of current ambitions, including the goal of 30 GW of installed capacity by 2030. Commercial fishing groups and other interested parties challenging these projects could find an ally in a Trump administration. Organizations such as the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) have already voiced concerns about the impacts of offshore wind projects on the marine environment and fisheries. more, >>CLOCK TO READ<< 10:36
Flawed fisheries science ’cause for concern’
An article just published in the respected science journal Marine Policy highlights the need for objective and reliable fisheries science to ensure conservation and sustainable development. It says the publication of flawed papers, some in high-profile journals, is cause for concern, and that misleading science can misinform policy and the public. The authors, who include well-known US fisheries scientist Professor Ray Hilborn, call for the rigour of peer reviews and editorial management to be strengthened, and say journal publishers must ensure the reliability of papers they publish. “The prevalence of papers conveying unjustified messages and with the potential to influence public perceptions and policies is concerning,” they say, providing examples where flawed methodology led to the exaggeration of negative impacts on ecosystems by the fishing industry – which was often then sensationalised by campaigners. In all of the examples quoted, a rebuttal was subsequently published. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 60’x18’x9′ Astor Longliner, Cummins KT 1150
To review specifications, information, and 15 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:46
Norbert Cunningham: Coast Guard can stop poaching
Lobster is a lucrative fishery in Maine and New Brunswick, and it’s past time for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to step in an act decisively against American poachers. They can begin with sending in Coast Guard ships to drive intruders out while also initiating another attempt at a better resolution with U.S. authorities. The tensions aren’t new, nor is this the first such flare-up in our waters, but it may be one of the worst and have the most potential for lethal violence. Canadian fishers are seeing evidence and hearing the latest incursions are the work of organized crime, not just fishers straying a bit over unmarked and disputed lines on water. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:08
Fisheries enforcement ongoing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Recently, there has been much speculation and public discussion about the state of enforcement in Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Maritimes Region, encompassing Southwest Nova Scotia, Eastern Nova Scotia and Southwest New Brunswick, in light of an ongoing job action. For absolute clarity, fisheries enforcement activity in the Maritimes Region is active – to suggest otherwise is false. Fishery officers throughout the region continue to patrol by sea, land and air. They continue to conduct investigations and to work with other policing agencies, the provinces and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to enforce the law. They are highly trained professionals and their dedication to their work is evident now, as it is every day. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:46
No one stopping Maine fishers from poaching N.B. lobster: group
Amanda Johnson, executive director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, says a border boundary dispute has long seen U.S. fishermen sneaking across from Maine to set traps inside Canadian waters. But she says it’s now not being stopped as Canadian fisheries officers aren’t conducting enforcement patrols. That has Johnson worried about overfishing ahead of the New Brunswick south shore’s November lobster fishing season, but also for the safety of New Brunswick fishers fearing the potential for looming confrontations on the water. “Right now, the main issue is that there are no fisheries officers patrolling the water in southwest New Brunswick,” Johnson said. “They are kind of on strike, same as they are in southwest Nova Scotia, and DFO isn’t really disclosing who is on strike and who isn’t. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:15
Opinion: Policymakers in search of sound science need to listen to fishery by Jerry Leeman
Fishermen are gravely concerned that regulators are stealing our futures with baseless cuts to landing quotas. Rep. Jared Golden is taking positive steps to fix this problem. It often happens that government regulators, who lack deep knowledge of what it takes to catch fish in the Gulf of Maine, reach conclusions about the state of our fish stocks that do not match what fishermen are seeing and what we know from being on the water every day. The obvious objection whenever we raise this concern is that “anecdote is not the plural of data.” The doubters ask: Why would an individual fisherman know more than a government agency with a dataset? That’s a fair question. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Mass. and Rhode Island pick 3 new wind projects, with less power than originally sought
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind auction on Friday. While this total is less than half of what the states originally sought to procure, it helps bring them closer to their legally binding offshore wind targets. Friday’s news comes after nearly two years of economic tumult in the industry, when developers up and down 
the East Coast canceled contracts for wind projects, saying they could not make them financially viable because of inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain problems. Still, not everyone is celebrating the news. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said he was “shocked” that the New England states are awarding more contracts less than two months after a blade broke off a Vineyard Wind Project turbine. In mid-July, the blade sent tons of fiberglass and foam debris into the ocean. Much of it washed up on the south side of Nantucket, and several beaches had to close while the material was cleaned up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:20
States to announce Friday if New England is ready for more offshore wind farm
The Captain Les Eldridge used to chase bass and tuna out of New Bedford. Now, the vessel has a new role in the nation’s emerging offshore wind industry. Anthes-Washburn said Coast Line Transfers lost a similar contract with another offshore wind farm last summer, during an industry wide contraction in the U.S. that saw planned wind farms scrapped up and down the East Coast. On Friday, Anthes-Washburn will find out if southern New England is ready to rebuild that pipeline of canceled offshore wind projects. Officials in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are expected to announce whether they are ready to move forward with a series of proposed offshore wind farms that developers submitted through a tri-state solicitation process in March. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
Turbine blade fails on Dogger Bank installation
Reports of the failure of a 107m long wind turbine blade during commissioning of the Dogger Bank wind farm – the world’s largest – have been confirmed by the operators. They remain tight- lipped, however, about any detail of the incident. The blade was built by GE Vernova, and is of the same design as the one that failed spectacularly in the Vineyard Wind development off the east coast of the USA in July, where thousands of sharp fragments of the blade washed up on nearby tourist beaches, leading to them being closed for several days during an emergency clean-up. Last week’s incident on the Dogger Bank was the third for this particular type of blade in three months. An earlier failure at the same site in May was, said GE Vernova at the time, ‘the result of an installation failure’. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:44
Corrected: Waldoboro Man Summonsed for Operating a Vessel Under the Influence
The Maine Marine Patrol has charged Jared Larsen, 32, of Waldoboro with operating a watercraft under the influence. Marine Patrol received a report at approximately 7:00 a.m. this morning of a boat that had run aground on Seal Ledge on the southwest side of Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay. Marine Patrol Officers arrived on scene at approximately 8:00 a.m. to find the vessel, the Holly and Abby owned by lobster dealer Fox Island Lobster Company, laying on its side and taking on water. Marine Patrol Officers were able to locate Larsen at the Rockland Fish Pier and transported him to Knox County Jail more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:24
Offshore wind energy development: A David vs Goliath story
As the aggressive pursuit to privatize and industrialize our oceans with offshore wind turbine factories marches on, the small yet powerful voices of coastal communities around the nation continues to fight to be heard in the process. It is a veritable David versus Goliath story. Closer to home in Oregon, I believe that Goliath may be the elitists who live in urban settings like Portland and Salem who believe that they know best what the coastal residents of Oregon need. Oregon is not unique; however, this story is unfolding around the nation where urbanites believe they know best for rural communities that they do not live or work in. These people tout their desire to uplift marginalized voices while they steamroll rural voices, whether it is Tribes, coastal community members, or commercial fishermen. They attempt to downplay the concerns of coastal residents, claiming “we just don’t understand”. But here’s the thing. We actually do understand. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< By Heather Mann 15:57
Commercial Fisherman Christopher E. Greco of Chatham, Ma. has passed away
Christopher E. Greco 63, of Chatham, son of Fred Greco and Cora Stacy Greco, died suddenly and peacefully at his home on August 29. He suffered from COPD and heart problems for the last several years. He was born at Cape Cod Hospital and lived his entire life in Chatham working in the fishing industry after graduating from Chatham High School in 1979. He loved working on the water and crewed for Jack Our, John Tuttle, Stu Tolley and Mark Liska when fishing was much different than that it is today. He also went commercial shellfishing and scalloping when there were scallops to be had. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:14
Lobster Fisherman Dexter C. Bray, Sr., “Old Man” of Stonington, Maine has passed away
Dexter C. Bray Sr., “Old Man,” born Nov. 15, 1957, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Aug. 23, at age 66. Dexter attended grammar school in Stonington. He was among the first class to graduate from Deer Isle/Stonington High School in 1976. He was a lobstah fisherman most of his life and was very proud of it. He loved being on the water, hunting, socializing, aggravating family and friends, playing bingo, drinking Dunkin’ coffee, watching reality shows, and going out to eat. He also enjoyed morning coffee with his buddies at the co-op. He was a member of Odd Fellows for many years. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 83′ Steel Shrimp Freezer Trawler/Dragger, 600HP Cummins KTA-19 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 12 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:33
How a Newport advisory commission ended up a part of the anti-offshore wind controversy
One of the city’s volunteer advisory commissions was accused of censorship after denying an offer to put opponents of current offshore wind farm projects as experts on a series of educational panels on climate change and offshore wind. While offshore wind opponents, including Councilor David Carlin, argued that the educational panel’s lack of offshore wind opponents made the series unbalanced and unfair, Carlin’s resolution to sponsor a panel of anti-offshore wind speakers was shot down by the rest of City Council for being outside the council’s jurisdiction. In a statement regarding the response from the community and Carlin’s resolution, the commission said the events were designed to be “educational and informational” engagements with experts from their field, not a debate or public hearing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
New England Fishermen Stage Floating Protest at Vineyard Wind Site
I am continuing to keep an eye on the Vineyard Farms offshore blade failure near Nantucket. A few weeks ago, the facility was closed because of the failure of Vineyard Wind’s newly installed wind turbines, and the city was poised to sue. After one blade failed and ended up in the water, the beaches were cluttered with sharp fiberglass shards, which is a sub-optimum condition at the height of the summer tourist season. The vessels, hoisting anti-offshore wind flags and blasting air horns, departed early Sunday morning from ports in New Bedford, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Rhode Island and along the Cape, converging at about noon on the site of the crippled Vineyard Wind turbine. “The blade collapse was an eye-opener to a lot of people who before didn’t know that offshore wind is a disaster for the ocean,” said Shawn Machie, 54, who is captain of the New Bedford scalloper F/V Capt. John. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:36
Downeast businesses are learning from January storms. How Midcoast Maine can learn from Downeast.
The owners of Chipman’s Wharf, a seafood market, buying station and restaurant in Milbridge, had a brutal awakening after the powerful January storms wiped away their 106-foot wharf. The proprietors, brothers Chris and Jason Chipman and their wives, had insurance that would have covered damage to the pier from fire or an airplane crash, but not storms. The two families are still reeling from the shock. The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association estimated at least 60 percent of Maine’s working waterfronts were heavily damaged or destroyed in the January storms. Since then, many coastal businesses have had to decide whether to abandon their enterprises or rebuild, hoping to fortify their properties against future major storms — in some cases with a cash infusion from the state. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:16
Offshore Trojan Horses
In July, the U.S. Department of Interior greenlighted large offshore wind farms in New Jersey and Maryland. Once the financial agreements are in place, New Jersey’s Atlantic Shores and Maryland’s Marwin and Momentum will join the two large wind farms in New York approved in June. These projects will receive huge, multibillion-dollar subsidies from the federal government and electricity ratepayers. What benefits will New Jersey and Maryland enjoy from this flood of money? To answer this question, it is best to recall the classic warning of the Trojan Horse legend, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”—in other words, the hidden dangers of accepting something that seems too good to be true. New York State ignored that warning when it agreed to pay very high prices for the electricity to be supplied from its new offshore wind farms—Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind—located off the coast of Long Island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Fishermen Fight for Their Livelihoods Against Wind Farm Project in New England
In a recent interview with Fox Business, Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, expressed his deep concerns about the impact of a wind farm project off the coast of Nantucket on the livelihoods of local fishermen. The discussion, hosted by Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy on “The Bottom Line,” highlighted the growing tension between environmental initiatives and the preservation of traditional industries like fishing. Leeman opened the conversation by addressing what he described as “greenwashing,” a term used to suggest that the wind farm project is being marketed as environmentally friendly while ignoring the negative consequences. “We have been greenwashed into thinking this is a good idea,” Leeman stated. He explained that the construction and operation of wind turbines are displacing vital fish stocks and creating dangerous debris fields that could threaten the safety of fishermen. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:50
Deltaville’s Miller named captain of 2024 Urbanna Oyster Festival
Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation (UOFF) first began naming captains of the festival in 1988 as a way of honoring people who are either a part of the area’s oyster heritage or who have played a role in enhancing and preserving that heritage and culture. Bryan Miller comes from a long line of boatbuilders and oystermen. His paternal grandfather, the late B.U. Miller, was an oysterman/boatbuilder in the Locust Hill area and his maternal grandfather Lee Deagle was owner of Deagle and Son Marine Railway on Fishing Bay in Deltaville. All of the boatbuilders mentioned were wooden boatbuilders and built from “rack of eye” without construction plans. “My Dad (Virgil Miller) was one of the first here in Deltaville to build boats off plans and to build in steel,” he said. “When they started offshore lobstering in New England, fisherman Harry Hunt came to my father and asked him to build him a boat. Dad had (naval architect) Harry Bulifant draw the plans and he built off those plans. “When Virgil retired, Bryan picked up on that business and built several New England lobster boats and trawlers. One of his most famous clients was Bob Brown, made famous in the book and movie “Perfect Storm.” Brown owned the vessel, F/V Andrea Gail, that was lost at sea along with six crew members during that 1991 “nor’easter” storm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:27
Maine’s mysterious floating wind research
The State of Maine just got a very strange offshore wind lease from the Feds. They call it a research lease as opposed to a commercial development lease. It has some mysterious features that are worth pondering. There may even be a many billion-dollar trick here. We consider that at the end, after briefly explaining the mysteries. To begin with, the lease is for a 144 MW “research array” of turbines, as it is called. Well, 144 MW is huge for research. The South Fork Wind site (fixed, not floating) that is already running is a 12-turbine, 132 MW commercial facility, so this array will be bigger than commercial. It could cost $3 billion-plus the cost of the factory to make the dozen or so floaters. Different websites suggest different turbine sizes from 10 to 12 MW. Of course, if this is really research, they might use a variety of sizes, but the total is still huge. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:14
New NOAA opinion: Wind farm pile driving causing “temporary disturbance” causing “temporary disturbance”
The federal government has issued a new “biological opinion” on Vineyard Wind’s offshore energy project 14 miles southwest of Nantucket, finding that pile-driving noise associated its construction is likely to adversely affect, but not likely jeopardize, the continued existence of whales, fish and sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act. “It will have no effect on any designated critical habitat,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said in a statement. “NOAA Fisheries does not anticipate serious injuries to or mortalities of any Endangered Species Act listed whale including the North Atlantic right whale.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:01
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44’x17′ Novi Lobster, Gillnetter, Scalloper
To review specifications, information, and 25 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:25
Chatham Man Dies In Brewster Crash
Edward Footer is being remembered as the consummate Chatham commercial fisherman, the sort who would switch from gillnetting to clamming or another fishery as demand and opportunity dictated. “Everybody in the industry knew Eddie,” said fellow fisherman and neighbor Luther Bates. “He was very resourceful.” The 57-year-old West Chatham resident died Monday in a three-vehicle accident on Route 6 in Brewster. Friends said Mr. Footer was a hard worker who spent most of his time fishing and clamming, sometimes crewing with other fisherman, including his brother James, and sometimes working on his gillnetter Dorothy Ann, named for his mother. “He was down here every day,” said Wharfinger Craig Pennypacker, who supervises the town’s commercial fish pier. “Everybody down here is quite saddened.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:04
‘We’ve Been Steamrolled’: Fishermen Protest Offshore Wind Following Turbine Failure That Shed Debris Into Atlantic
Scores of fishermen took to the seas Sunday to protest offshore wind developments after a damaged wind blade scattered toxic debris off the coast of Massachusetts. The blade, a part of the Vineyard Wind development, broke on July 13, spilling Styrofoam, fiberglass and other debris, some of which ended up on Nantucket’s pristine beaches. The flotilla protested the effects of offshore wind on fish stocks and ocean navigation, with roughly 20 ships making a sixty-mile round trip from New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the site of the broken turbine, Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) and captain of the fishing vessel Teresa Marie. “Vineyard Wind was supposed to be one of the premier offshore wind locations in the United States, and it failed before it even got started,” Leeman said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:04
