Category Archives: Pacific
To bee or not to bee – Bees are legally fish in California
A ruling by a California appeals court in the United States has extended the legal protection of endangered species to bumblebees and, in effect, classified them as fish. The court’s decision will allow California to legally protect these endangered, native garden-keepers and help maintain the state’s biodiversity, which is crucial to keeping ecosystems resilient. The court found that “fish” may be commonly understood to refer to aquatic species, but the interpretation of the term in the legislature is “not so limited”. >click to read< 12:07
Commercial Fisherman survives after sleepwalking on boat, falling overboard
Rescuers said “a miracle of God” saved a fisherman who fell overboard into Southern California waters when he woke up in the middle of the night and began sleepwalking off the boat. Dylan Fogg expected a typical Thursday out at sea. He spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News on Friday and said he went to sleep aboard the F/V Crystal Bay, a commercial fishing boat, but woke up in the waters off Ventura. More than six hours later, his crew realized Fogg was missing and put out a mayday call to the U.S. Coast Guard. “A miracle of God found Dylan,” said Crystal Bay Capt. Pence MacKimmie. “He was 12 miles offshore and 40 miles behind the boat. We never knew he went over.” Video, >click to read< 21:28
Coast Guard: Marijuana use a factor in fatal Tillamook Bay capsizing
In February 2021, the F/V Coastal Reign, a commercial fishing vessel, capsized while attempting to cross the bar at Tillamook Bay when returning from a days-long crabbing expedition. The Coast Guard responded with rescue boats and a helicopter from Astoria, but two on the fishing vessel didn’t make it. Todd Chase and Zachary Zappone were killed when the boat capsized. Investigators site survivor testimony and evidence found at the scene, saying marijuana was used by three of the four people on board, not including Chase but including the owner and operator of the boat Brandon Anderson, for a majority of the nearly 40-hour trip. Investigators say one of the survivors told authorities they kept the use hidden from Chase while on the trip. Video, >click to read< 07:29
Could an obscure provision of a Coast Guard bill threaten offshore wind farms?
A bill that passed the House of Representatives in late March and is currently under consideration in the Senate could “cripple the development of the American offshore wind industry,” according to the industry’s trade association. President Biden has set an ambitious goal of 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind electricity generation capacity by 2030, up from just 42 megawatts currently. But an amendment to the annual Coast Guard authorization bill that would require foreign-flagged ships installing wind turbines on the Outer Continental Shelf only if they have a U.S. crew or the crew of the nation from which the vessel is flagged. The intention is to protect U.S. workers from unfair competition from foreign vessels using lower cost labor from developing countries,,, >click to read< 09:06
San Francisco D.A. wants a fisherman to pay nearly $1 million over illegal Dungeness crabbing in MPA
A commercial fisherman from Vallejo is accused of illegally catching more than 250 Dungeness crabs at the protected North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Friday. On Feb. 11, an unidentified fisherman alerted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife of commercial Dungeness crab traps in the North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve area, according to a complaint filed by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Officers from the CDFW then found what appeared to be a line, also called a “string,” of 92 commercial Dungeness crab trap buoys in the southern part of the reserve,,, >click to read< 17:21
Reallocation: coming to a dock near you?
Ever since quota transfers in “shared fisheries” have been made so easy to justify (see the Massachusetts justification for the recent reallocation of fluke, bluefish and black sea bass at https://tinyurl.com/yckkr6vm), such transfers each year are going to cost us hundreds of tons of product and tens of millions of dollars of business. And as long as one-third of the voting members of the eight regional fishery management councils and three commissions either work for or run the state agencies that are funded in very large part by Wallop-Breaux revenues (see my most recent piece on Wallop-Breaux funding at https://fisherynation.com/
The U.S. Has Spent More Than $2 Billion on a Plan to Save Salmon – The Fish Are Vanishing Anyway.
The Carson National Fish Hatchery was among the first hatcheries funded by Congress over 80 years ago to be part of the salvation of salmon, facilities created specifically to replace the vast numbers of wild salmon killed by the building of dozens of hydroelectric dams along the Northwest’s mightiest river, the Columbia. Tucked beside a river in the woods about 60 miles northeast of Portland, Carson has 50 tanks and ponds surrounded by chain-link fencing. They sit among wood-frame fish nursery buildings and a half-dozen cottages built for hatchery workers in the 1930s. Today, there are hundreds of hatcheries in the Northwest run by federal, state and tribal governments, employing thousands and welcoming the community with visitor centers and gift shops. The fish they send to the Pacific Ocean have allowed restaurants and grocery seafood counters to offer “wild-caught” Chinook salmon even as the fish became endangered. photos, >click to read< 16:58
The Lost Japanese Fishing Community from San Pedro
Beginning in the early 1940s, 3,000 first and second-generation Japanese made their homes in an area of Terminal Island known as East San Pedro. The Japanese Fishing Village was next to Fish Harbor, and many of the locals worked in the fishing industry. When a dozen Japanese fishermen settled on Terminal Island at the turn of the twentieth century, it was still a rural stretch of land with around 200 homes. Originally known as Rattlesnake Island due to the snakes that would gather after torrential storms, it had recently been renamed after its new owner, the Los Angeles Terminal Railway. Approximately 250 fishing boats were owned and operated by the residents. Most of the local people, not working on the boats, worked in the many fish canneries clustered together on Terminal Island. >click to read < 17:26
How California bureaucrats are using a typo to destroy a fisherman’s dream
Bureaucrats sometimes make mistakes. But when they refuse to acknowledge a mistake and double down on it to deprive someone of their livelihood and family business, a lawsuit can be the only way to hold them accountable. That’s what happened to Max Williams, and he’s fighting back. Max has dreamed of captaining his own fishing vessel since he was young. Fishing has been the Williams family’s way of life for decades. They have owned and operated vessels practicing sustainable fishing off the coast of California to feed their community and provide for their family. Like his grandfather and parents before him, Max wants to continue the family tradition and captain his own boat. California law requires Max to obtain a “gillnet” permit from the government before he can legally fish as a vessel operator. > click to read < 17:46
$230M Class Action Settlement in 2015 Santa Barbara Oil Spill
Plains All American Pipeline has agreed to pay $230 million to fishers, fish processors and shoreline property residents who are members of two classes in a class action lawsuit filed against the company after a corroded pipeline spilled an estimated 15,000 barrels of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean in 2015. Due to failed maintenance and extensive pipeline corrosion, Plains was found criminally liable in 2018 for the oil spill. The spill devastated the fishing industry and polluted coastal properties from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles County. These class members will now be compensated for their damages. >click to read< 10:14
US fish landings fell 10% during first pandemic year
America’s commercial fishing industry fell 10% in catch volume and 15% in value during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal regulators said Thursday. The 2020 haul of fish was 8.4 billion pounds, while the value of that catch was $4.8 billion, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The early months of the pandemic posed numerous challenges for the U.S. fishing industry, which has remained economically viable despite the difficult year, NOAA officials said. NOAA made the announcement as it unveiled its “Status of the Stocks” report, which provides details about the health of the nation’s commercial fishing industry. >click to read< 15:22
Oregon: Return to evenhanded salmon management
In Astoria in April, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission learned there’s still plenty of life in commercial fishing. This may have come as a surprise, considering how some sport fishing groups have mischaracterized the industry as irrelevant. Since Washington state and Oregon co-manage Columbia River fisheries, the commission’s policies take on great importance for all who value the continuing economic and social benefits of traditional industries. Of these, salmon fishing is so deeply entwined in local culture that it may be said to comprise a key element of our heritage. Still in need of a course correction are misguided policies dictated by former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber. >click to read< 07:55
Offshore wind farm plans collide with fishing industry concerns off Carolina coast
The Biden administration’s plans to develop wind power off the East Coast are drawing concerns from the fishing industry, in the latest example of climate policy colliding with the livelihood of coastal businesses. Interior officials say they are aware of the concerns and are working on regulatory guidance that would lay out how wind farm developers can minimize harm to commercial and recreational fishing, while compensating businesses for losses. Wednesday’s auction is moving forward before officials finish that work. More lease sales are planned in the next two years for regions off the coast of California, the central Atlantic region and in the Gulf of Mexico. Without federal guidance, offshore wind developers have carved out their own settlements with local fishing groups. “Saddling project proponents with the costs of fisheries compensation would almost certainly have an adverse impact on ratepayers and/or project finance,” association officials said in a January letter to U.S. officials. >click to read< 14:50
Fishermen rally in Coos Bay against offshore wind farm
Fishermen along Oregon’s coast traveled great distances to get to Coos Bay Tuesday. They’re hoping to bring awareness to their beloved industry in the face of coming offshore wind farms. Fishermen and seafood processors are taking to the streets in support of the slogan, “Protect U.S. Fishermen.” The seafood community was joined by their families and supporters to rally at the Coos Bay Boardwalk ahead of a march down Front St. to the Coos Museum. “A lot of these wind farms that are coming in are right in the middle of prime commercial fishing grounds,” says Justin Johnson, a Newport fisherman. >click to read< 09:49
Tullus Gordon remembered for contributions to fishing and construction industries
Tullus Gordon, a longtime Seattle-area general contractor, died Dec. 29 at the age of 95. A celebration of his life will be held next month in Ballard. Gordon operated Tullus Gordon Construction for 40 years. After WWII, he joined his brother in the commercial fishing industry. During this time, from 1947 to 1956, he fished up and down the West Coast, from Alaska to California. He later developed the power warping crab block, which helped revolutionize the fishing industry, according to his son. Todd said his dad transitioned from fishing to construction after Tullus was swept overboard while fishing in a storm off the Oregon coast and nearly died. That’s when Tullus’ first wife, Millie Vermillion, gave him the ultimatum “It’s either fishing or family,” according to Todd. >click to read< 18:26
Fish Wholesaler/Processor Dana F. Besecker of Bellevue, Washington has passed away
Dana F. Besecker, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend passed away peacefully with his wife Jill and sons Jeff and Tyler by his side due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He founded the Dana F. Besecker Company in 1989 which is located on Mercer Island, WA with additional offices in Bellingham, WA. As a fish wholesaler and processor, his company buys seafood from fishermen in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Canada. His company now sells seafood in 58 countries. He was well-known and highly respected within the industry as a leader, innovative businessman and mentor to many, as well as an honest professional–his word was his bond! Dana was a trustee of Halibut Association of North America, a sponsor and longtime supporter of Fishing Vessel Owner’s Association, and an active participant in the International Pacific Halibut Commission. >click to read< 11:30
Community meeting sees scathing opposition to offshore wind farm in Coos Bay and Brookings
Between one to two hundred concerned residents and stakeholders packed the Salmon Conference room of the Mill Casino last night in the small coastal town of North Bend expressing opposition to over one million acres of wind farms slated for the offshore areas of Coos Bay and Brookings. Concerns raised came mainly from commercial fishers that live and/or fish in the area and worry about impacts to the industry. Several residents that are not involved in the industry also expressed concerns about impacts to the environment and wildlife. Last week the agency announced the Brookings and Coos Bay call areas where it plans to open leases for 1,158,400 acres of wind turbines that would be put in at least 12 nautical miles offshore. >click to read< 17:12
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 78′ Steel Longliner – Price Reduced!
To review specifications, information, and 40 photos’, >click here<, A turnkey vessel that is in excellent condition. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:55
House Passes Sullivan’s American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, welcomed House passage this week of S. 497, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced to create an industry-led committee to assist in the administration of fisheries marketing, research, and development grants. The Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK) Act provides funding for fisheries marketing, research, and development. These funds are derived from a portion of fishery import duties. To inform how these funds are allocated, Congress authorized a group of experts from different segments of the fishing industry to advise on commercial fishing problems and needs. Following a 1972 law, the original American Fisheries Advisory Committee was disbanded. In the committee’s absence, the National Marine Fisheries Service decides, by its own criteria, who receives grants. >click to read< 12:36
Blaine, Washington: The 38th year for the Blessing of the Fleet, Sunday, May 1st
The Puget Sound commercial crab season closes by the middle of March. For me, when we get all of the gear put away for the season, it’s time to focus on preparing for the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, which is put together and organized by the Fisherman’s Memorial Committee along with the Port of Bellingham and Blaine Chamber of Commerce. The blessing this year will be 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1, and like last year, we will be outside by Gate 2 at Blaine Harbor – weather permitting. If it rains, we will be inside in the conference room. >click to read< By Gary Dunster 10:58
Sites off Coos Bay, Brookings targeted for offshore wind farms by Biden Administration
Two areas off the Oregon Coast are being targeted to host offshore wind farms as the Biden administration seeks to ramp up renewable energy production. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Wednesday that the locations being identified to potentially host wind farms are about 12 nautical miles offshore Coos Bay and Brookings. The areas comprise about 1.16 million acres (468,787 hectares) in total. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland described the upcoming steps taken toward possible leasing off the coast of Oregon as “another opportunity to strengthen the clean energy industry while creating good-paying union jobs.” Bullshit, Lady. >click to read< 12:39
Oregon: From the boat to the food truck
It’s a family affair for David and Amabelle Kimball, who own and operate Oregon Fishmongers, a food truck that serves Newport and Waldport. Their children, Gracie, 18, Sven, 17, and Jules, 13, help their parents on the truck, with Gracie taking orders and working the window while Sven and Jules help with cooking. “It’s a lot of fun,” Gracie said. “You can make your own hours and don’t have to work for the man. It’s great.” David worked as a chef for several years all over the country, so he has a background in the culinary field. The family boat, F/V Gracie Arlene, is a commercial vessel based out of Newport. He said opening the food truck was a logical step. >click to read< 17:49
DFO: ‘no plan’ to cut commercial lobster catches to implement treaty fishery
The issue has swirled through Maritime coastal fishing communities since the federal government relaunched a voluntary commercial licence buy-back program last year to make room for more Mi’kmaw access, so far without success. The departmental statement followed a response from Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray to Conservative fisheries critic Rick Perkins during Question Period Monday. “DFO sources tell me the minister was about to expropriate 15 per cent of lobster traps from licence holders, without compensation, to give to First Nations,” Perkins said Monday. “This would be devastating for these fishermen. >click to read<13:43
Fishermen urge Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to revisit regulations
Several local commercial fishermen have asked the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to reconsider Columbia River fishing regulations. During the public forum section of the commission’s meeting in Astoria on Friday, commercial fishermen and those connected with the industry asked the commission to revisit gillnetting regulations and salmon buyback options. Jim Coleman, a fisherman from St. Helens, asked commissioners to add gillnetting to a future agenda or to work with Washington state to ensure the option of a 6-inch gillnet in the fall. “The gillnet-caught Copper River King salmon is flown from Alaska to Seattle on a chartered jet with great fanfare, demanding $70 to $80 a pound, while commercial fishing on the Columbia River is a political football,” >click to read< 12:18
Newport Fishermen’s Wives Preparing for the annual Blessing of the Fleet
It’s that time of year; Newport Fishermen’s Wives have started our planning for our 2022 Blessing of the Fleet. Everyone is welcome to join us. The recent tragedy of losing two lives on the White Swan III show us the importance of community support for our fleet and the loved ones that have lost someone to the sea or worry about losing a loved one to the sea. The Blessing of the Fleet is a community ceremony honoring local fishermen and their families. The blessing is open to any and all who wish to ask blessings on their fishing vessel, charter vessel, pleasure craft or research vessel. >click to read< 11:31
Commercial fishermen talk offshore wind concerns
Offshore wind energy is one step closer to becoming a reality on the Central Coast, and with it, hundreds of potential jobs and renewable energy generation that will be much needed when the Diablo Canyon Power Plant closes. But the local commercial fishing industry continues to raise concerns over how such an undertaking will impact their livelihoods. BOEM released its draft environmental assessment for leasing the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area earlier this month and heard public comment on the report at an April 14 meeting. Further environmental assessment will be required before a wind farm project is actually approved and built—this draft just looks at the impacts of the leasing process. >click to read< 10:08
National research on commercial fishermen’s sleep schedules to include Alaska gillnetters
Researchers from New York state were in Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Cordova last week gathering information on salmon gillnetters as part of their study on sleep deprivation. The research organization is the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety. It’s a non-profit that’s funded through the Centers for Disease Control to come up with solutions for work related issues with fishermen, farmers, and forestry workers. Currently, they are working on the relationship between commercial fishermen’s sleep and health. The research team is on the tail end of their data gathering. They’ve already gathered information from scallop fishermen in Massachusetts, Dungeness fishermen in Oregon, and salmon gillnetters in Alaska. >click to read< 11:18
Is It the Last Stand for the Fishermen of the Deadliest Catch?
Fishing has never been an easy job as has been demonstrated on previous seasons of the Deadliest Catch, but when the 18th season premieres this week, it may very well be the last stand as for the first time in a quarter of a century, Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game closed Bristol Bay Red King Crab Fishery for the 2020/2021 season. Times are so desperate that Capt. Sig Hansen has relocated to Karmǿy, Norway, where invasive Red King Crab from Russia offer a temptingly lucrative, but risky new market for the veteran crabber, after a disastrous attempt to keep the fishery open. Video trailer, >click to read< 12:16
Commercial Fisherman Peter Buompensiero of San Diego has passed away
Peter Buompensiero passed away peacefully in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 2nd, 2021. Peter was one of three children and the oldest son of John Buompensiero and Nina Venezia Buompensiero. Peter grew up in San Diego’s Little Italy. He loved to go down to his dad’s small fishing boat, the F/V Rosalia Madre and developed a love for the sea. He spent many years as a cook in the United States tuna fleet. He worked with Champ Brenha on the F/V Viking, with Frank Souza on the bait boat F/V Mary S, with George Souza on the seiners F/V Lusitania and F/V Mary S, and with Joe Finete on the M/V Jeanette Diana. In his later years, Pete worked with his long-time shipmate and cousin Joe Anfuso on the F/V Acoustic Explorer before retiring and relocating to Las Vegas. >click to read< 12:55
Retired Commercial Fisherman Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., of Westport has passed away
Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., 83, longtime Westport resident and former commercial fisherman, passed away on March 9, 2022, at his home in Westport, Washington. Jerry was born on Feb. 3, 1939, in Hayward, Wisconsin, the first boy born in the Hayward Indian Hospital and the eldest of seven children. In 1971, Jerry married the love of his life Joyce Johnson. They enjoyed working together in the commercial fishing industry and spending time in Alaska during fishing season. They built a beautiful life together, that included large family gatherings and spoiling all of the grandkids. Joyce passed away in 2007. Jerry built and owned several boats including Jer’s Joy, Lady Joyce and Early Dawn. >click to read< 15:04
