Category Archives: Pacific
James (Jimmy) Omegna, a retired commercial fisherman. has passed away in Tacoma, Washington
James (Jimmy) Omegna 04-05-1946 to 02-21-21 – Jim was born in Tacoma, grew up in the Fife Valley and lived his whole life in Washington State. Jim was an avid fisherman, bird hunter, journeyman plumber, entrepreneur, and boat captain; the best father and a kind and generous friend and neighbor to many people, from Alaska to Baja, Mexico. Jim was a popular and successful charter captain based in Westport, WA where he operated his boats the Cold Spaghetti I and II during the 70’s and 80’s. As the industry declined, he switched gears to commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, AK during the summer herring and salmon seasons. When not in Alaska, he fished the San Francisco Bay herring runs and worked The Great Salt Lake brine shrimp season, he was never one to sit still. >click to read< 14:45
Commerce Department Announces 2021 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils
The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the appointment of 31 members to the regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage marine fishery resources. Established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, councils are responsible for developing region-specific fishery management plans that safeguard and enhance the nation’s fisheries resources. Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight,,, >click here to read< 15:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 79.8′ Steel Raised Foc’sle Lobster/Crabber, 525HP Cat
To review specifications, information, and 14 photos, >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:27
F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB announces probable cause of the sinking – Issues Report
The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously approved the investigative team’s findings on the sunken vessel’s probable cause. On Dec. 31, 2019, the F/V Scandies Rose was traveling southwest, west of Kodiak Island, but sank in frigid waters near Sutwik Island. Only two of the seven crew members survived the wreckage.,, Combined with heavy lopsided ice accumulation due to wind and sea conditions, which were more extreme than forecasted during the voyage, caused the vessel to sink near Sutwik Island. >click to read< NTSB Issues Report on the Sinking of the Scandies Rose – According to the NTSB, Scandies Rose likely accumulated 6-15 inches of ice on surfaces exposed to wind and icing during the voyage. The added weight from ice accumulating on one side of the vessel – plus the stacked crab pots on deck – raised the Scandies Rose’s center of gravity, reducing her stability and contributing to the capsizing. >click to read< 17:41
It may be a limited 2021 season, but Giovanni’s Fish Market in Morro Bay begins annual dock sale
“The community treats us super well so we just want to give back and do like an annual special,” De-Garimore said. “We just knew that we want to support the local fishermen too. Getting the local catch to the local people at a killer price, it’s a win-win for everybody and that’s why you see the giant lines.” The fish from this year’s sale are from all over the California Coast, primarily the area near Bodega Bay. De-Garimore and other market employees drove up to get the fish from there, returning Saturday night with almost 10,000 pounds of salmon. >Video, click to watch< 15:34
The big bust
The 2020 decline in North Pacific salmon numbers appears to have been the greatest in recorded history, according to a trio of scientists who’ve spent much of their careers studying the secret lives of salmon in the ocean. They suggested to the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC), an international monitoring group, that the crash was likely driven by warmer ocean waters and an explosion of pink salmon in 2018 and 2019.,, “Unexpectedly, the high abundance of Pacific salmon came to an abrupt end in 2020. Preliminary commercial catch statistics for all salmon species indicate Pacific salmon harvests, which provide an index of abundance, declined more in 2020 than in any other period on record since 1930. >click to read< 11:01
A Worthy Investment – Port of Toledo student intern from Waldport HS gets the job done
Waldport High School sophomore Jake Turkaly was one of three high school student interns at the Port of Toledo this Spring. On his last day, Turkaly assisted boat builder Dave Stocker to replace the main engine, generator and refrigeration unit of the F/V Pacific Pacer. “He’s a pretty talented guy,” Stocker said of Turkaly, who that day fabricated gussets to reinforce a refrigeration unit and helped Stocker dismantle the engine and remove it. Turkaly and the other interns worked in the yard a few days a week,,, In addition to welding, Turkaly earned to drive a fork lift, operate a scissor lift, how to weld and fabricate metal parts, and helped to install a tail shaft in a commercial fishing boat. >click to read< 07:42
Mark Lawton Doumit, a commercial fisherman, politician, public servant, has passed away in Tenino, Wash.
Mark was born in Longview, Wash., on November 26, 1961, to Eli and Patricia Doumit and was the 10th of 11th children. He grew up in his family’s hometown of Cathlamet, Wash. While still in high school, Mark began a lifelong passion for commercial fishing. He began his career in the industry in high school, working on the Columbia River as a fish buyer. In college he began a nearly 40-year career in Alaska working in canneries and crewing on drift gillnet boats in Prince William Sound and Bristol Bay. Mark bought his own commercial salmon fishing operation in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 1986 and spent the remainder of his fishing career between Cook Inlet in the summer and lower Columbia River in the spring and fall. One of his great joys in life was the opportunity to fish alongside his sons and so many of his family and friends. >click to read< 09:24
Pacific salmon recovery report gives 32 recommendations to reverse declines
Wild salmon stocks are being affected by a range of impacts throughout their life cycle, which span from freshwater streams and rivers, to coastal ‘foreshore’ areas and deepwater marine environments, per the report. These threats include habitat degradation, impacts of flood control measures, predation, fishing activity, and threats of disease from fish farms. Based on these findings, the committee provided 32 recommendations to reverse salmon declines, which one witness, Richard Beamish, Scientist Emeritus at DFO’s Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, calls the “international Pacific salmon emergency.” >click to read< 07:58
F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB board meeting set to determine probable cause of deadly sinking
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a virtual public board meeting later this month to determine the probable cause for the 2019 New Year’s Eve sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose. During the meeting, the NTSB’s five-member board will vote on the findings, probable cause and recommendations, as well as any changes to the draft final report. The NTSB board meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 29, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, and will be streamed live to the public, with the board members and investigative staff meeting virtually. >click to read< 10:21
Louis Harlow Nielsen June 25, 1930 – June 14, 2021 Oceanside, Ca.
Louis Harlow Nielsen was born at home during a dust storm on June 25th, 1930 in Manson Ia. Louis Nielsen began his life during the Great Depression. When he was two years old, the family moved to New Hampshire They settled in Portsmouth where Lou spent his early boyhood in a tribe of rag-a-muffins now known as the “Puddledock Kids.” After Lou’s father left, it became necessary for the children to find work, so seven year-old Lou got a job delivering newspapers. Fortunately the young boy found a job working for the Marconi family. Babe Marconi hired the nine year-old Lou, as a lobster lad to help out on his boat, but it was Babe’s wife Rose, who made certain the boy received a good breakfast every morning before setting out to sea. >click to read< 12:33
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 82′ Steel Stern Dragger, 525HP Cummins KTA 19 M
To review specifications, information, and 10 photos, >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here<11:46
Raimondo picks Janet Coit, a source of trusted counsel, to lead the National Marine Fisheries Service
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Coit’s former boss in the Rhode Island State House, announced the selection of Coit to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries office.,, But the work of the fisheries service is getting even harder as it’s faced with stepping into a brewing fight over coastal waters between fishermen and the developers of offshore wind farms. Coit wouldn’t say much about the expectations for her new job in Washington as she waited for the official word to come down from the Commerce Department. But she was certain that offshore wind will be in the mix. “That’s going to be such a hot-button issue that I’m heading into,” she said. >click to read<16:46
Will the offshore wind farm hurt the Morro Bay fishing industry? ‘We’re basically screwed’!
About 50% of Bill Blue’s annual income comes from the black cod he catches in the Morro Bay call area. Erecting wind turbines in the ocean there would likely force him and others who fish rock cod, albacore tuna, salmon, prawns, swordfish and black cod, also known as sablefish, to completely abandon the area. “What we’re seeing is the government going ‘Drop everything. We have to do this right now: clear all the obstacles, push the fishermen off the map,’ ” said Alan Alward, secretary of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the local fishing industry. >click to read< 08:34
How Deadliest Catch’s Captain Keith Really Feels About Sig’s Alliance System
Because Coronavirus knocked out any chance for Alaska Fish & Game to research crab populations, the captains of “Deadliest Catch” were essentially fishing blind when the season started. A resilient, resourceful group, they were determined to catch their quota and keep the fishery humming. And to that end, Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern proposed a cooperative alliance to his fellow captains. To team up, to communicate, to share intelligence, Hansen wanted these notoriously independent operators to find common ground for the common good. Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard begrudgingly agreed, only with a sense of what he’s learned over 25 years as a boat captain. >click to read< 09:08
‘Deadliest Catch’ Pays Tribute to Late Crew Member Nick McGlashan
Crab fisherman Nick McGlashan died last December of a drug overdose at just 33 years old. McGlashan had been a regular part of the Discovery Channel reality series since joining in 2013 and news of his passing sent shockwaves throughout the crew. Cameras captured the moment when McGlashan’s crewmates learned of the tragic news.,, After digesting the news, Wichrowski organized a special tribute to his late friend on the water, with every boat from the show in attendance, as well as McGlashan’s family. >video, click to read< 13:15
First Nations, commercial, and recreational fishers join forces to save Fraser River fish.
The Lower Fraser Collaborative Table , with membership from 23 First Nations of the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, recreational fishing groups, and commercial reps from the Area E Harvest Commercial, united to help both Fraser salmon runs, as well as non-salmon species. Working together to set up the collaborative table for the past three years, the members say top priorities include: conservation, sustainable access for harvesting, and better communication. Darrel McEachern, a life-long commercial fisherman, said he is “optimistic and enthused” by the creation of LFCT and “honoured” to represent commercial fishermen on the Fraser. >click to read< 17:55
Coast Guard, CDC: We’ll change mask rule, but for now won’t enforce masks on fishing boats, commercial vessels, ferries
The Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Coast Guard, reversing their position from less than a month ago, said the federal agencies will no longer enforce its rule for wearing a mask in “outdoor areas of transportation conveyances or while outdoors at transportation hubs.” That means commercial vessels like cruise ships, ferries, fishing boats, and charters won’t require passengers to mask up for those who are outdoors. And people don’t have to wear masks at “transportation conveyances,” such as train stations. To be clear, the rule still exists, but the agencies will not enforce it. Earlier this year at a fishing conference, Sen. Dan Sullivan called the fishing crew mask rule “stupid.” >click to read< 20: 14
San Mateo County Harbor District considers a new permit and fee program for off the boat seafood sellers
The Harbor District met June 10 to discuss fee program options, with a potential tiered fee system proposed for fishermen who do off-boat sales, allowing the Harbor District to maintain public pier spaces and create a more equitable fee system for businesses, restaurants and fishermen. Off-the-dock sales 20 years ago were minimal, but now around 50 boats sell on Johnson Pier, bringing in lots of people on the weekends to Pillar Point Harbor, Frank Sousa, a Half Moon Bay fisherman, said prioritizing local fishermen who sell yearly on the dock and rely on local customers was necessary for fee consideration. >click to read< 13:10
Investigators followed up on a lead. Couple on hook for $1,400 bucks for selling recreational caught crab
An eastern Oregon couple has been sentenced to pay $1,200 in restitution after illegally selling recreationally caught crab on the commercial market in Hermiston, according to the Oregon State Police. Shawna and Gerald Wilson of Hermiston also will pay $100 each to the Turn In Poachers Line fund, and they are barred from obtaining a fishing or shellfish license for three years, the East Oregonian reported. State Fish and Wildlife troopers began an investigation after receiving a call on the TIP Line reporting crab advertised for sale on Facebook. >click to read< 10:26
California: New regulations shut down Commercial Dungeness Crab season early
After a particularly hard start to the season, commercial Dungeness crab fisheries closed several weeks early on June 1. June 7 marked the start of the Lost and Abandoned Gear Program, which incentivizes retrieving and turning in leftover fishing gear. Both the closure and the gear removal program aim to protect migrating humpback whales and other marine life from getting tangled in fishing equipment. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) after a fishing season with 71 whale entanglements in 2016. New regulations imposed after the settlement allow officials to shut down the season when the risk of whale or leatherback sea turtle entanglements is high. >click to read< 17:37
Plan to removal Snake River dams should be supported
As a commercial fisherman, I have never felt more abandoned or frustrated by the elected officials I voted into office. The governor and senator say that they care about local jobs. They would do well to remember this: Washington’s fleet of coastal commercial salmon fishermen has gone from 3,041 in 1978 to 102 people fishing in 2018. >click to read< By Tele Aadsen
The Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative – $647M to protect Pacific salmon
Record federal spending to try to save the Pacific salmon population marks the beginning of a new chapter,,, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson outlined the principles that will guide how $647.1 million announced in the last budget will be spent over the next five years. The Pacific salmon population is drastically declining due to a combination of climate, habitat and harvesting pressures, the government said in a news release. “A generation of Canadians have seen salmon populations decline, some up to 90 per cent in their lifetime,”,,, “There is no quick fix and no one single solution to save this species. This will require patience and all hands on deck.” >click to read< 19:33
Elda Curtis Henry, followed in his Commercial Fisherman fathers footsteps, has passed away
Family and friends are mourning the loss of “Curt,” since he passed away in Eureka in the presence of his family.,, After graduating Arcata High School in 1964, he married Eloise Henriksen of Fortuna. Curt followed in his father’s footsteps to become a commercial fisherman, and when his father retired, he and Eloise also took over the family business of Henry’s Crab Traps. Curt continued to fish for Dungeness crab, salmon and tuna along the entire West Coast from as far as Tahiti to Alaska. Over the many years of his career, he owned and operated the Cavalier, Early Dawn, Compass Rose and The Jewel. He taught his older sons, Rodney and Jeffrey, along with his nephew, Raymond, to fish when they were in their teenage years. In 1991 Curt met his second wife, Carolyn. Together they ran a successful bed and breakfast at East Brother Light station in Point Richmond, Calif. After some time, he returned to fishing, and they also divorced. >click to read< 17:02
Deadliest Catch Captain Keith Colburn: “It’s a shitty job”
Deadliest Catch is already in its 15th year. The reality series about the crab fishermen on the Bering Sea near Alaska is still very popular. One of the protagonists in the Discovery series is Keith Colburn. The captain was one of the first to go to Alaska with nothing and 30 years later owns one of the largest ships: F/V Wizard.,, He can’t fish right now, because he is still struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus. “It was especially weird, “Despite corona, there was still a danger that we know all too well from the other seasons of Deadliest Catch: the sea. A huge wave hit The Wizard, damaging the iconic ship. photos, video, >click to read< 14:50
Break Up of DV North Pacific Pending
The rusting hull of the former fishing vessel North Pacific is aground near the west-end launch ramps, awaiting dismantling. Homer Council member Heath Smith asked City Manager Rob Dumouchel about the boat’s situation at last week’s city council meeting. “The derelict vessel will be there for some time. It’d going to be there for the summer and dismantled,”,,, Dumouchel added that the method salvagers used to ground vessels reached its limit in rolling the North Pacific ashore. >click to read< Ports across Alaska are home to a ghost fleet of derelict vessels. Many are abandoned, left to rot dockside, to become hazards to the environment or navigation. >click to read< 13:08
Fire it up! Can Lobsters Get High? A team of scientists tested one restaurateur’s theory
A team of scientists at the University of California San Diego have written a paper in pre-print (meaning the work has not been published or peer reviewed yet), which looks at the effects of THC, the main compound in cannabis that gets you high, on lobsters. The scientists devoted their research hours to these questions in response to a 2018 media storm, started by restaurateur Charlotte Gill. At the time, Gill, owner of Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor, Maine, wanted to find a way to cook her lobsters more humanely. So can lobsters get high? >click to read< 10:52