Category Archives: Pacific
‘Ropeless’ Crab Gear Would Put Whales At Greater Risk
Advocates for proposed crab gear legislation in California, AB 534, often cite misleading information in support of policies that would destroy California’s iconic and sustainable trap fisheries, while doing nothing to protect whales. The main argument is that existing crab gear is responsible for most whale mortality off the California coast, and that “ropeless” or “pop-up” gear would reduce the risk to whales from fishing gear. But the reality is that commercial fishermen share the goal of minimizing interaction between marine mammals and fishing. >click to read< By Ben Platt 17:44
Memorial Day surprise: Fleet of Flowers to sail quietly
An unannounced and unofficial “Fleet of Flowers” will cast off from the harbor Monday morning, May 31. The popular event was cancelled in 2020 during a statewide pandemic shutdown and not rescheduled to reboot until Memorial Day 2022. But organizers were unable to quell the desire for tribute to Depoe Bay’s heroic past and recent losses. On Friday, volunteers were busy draping the U.S. Coast Guard station with floral wreaths. >click to read< 07:40
Hugh Akagi – Inherent Indigenous rights are not a gift from government
The Supreme Court of Canada has begun to repair the hundreds of years of friction between Indigenous people and European settlers. The court recently ruled that “persons who are not Canadian citizens and who do not reside in Canada can exercise an Aboriginal right.” Many people are thinking long and hard about the implications. Imagine, rights protected by the Canadian Constitution being extended to people who have never lived in Canada. Here’s the background: >click to read< 11:32
Northwest tribes unite over GOP congressman’s pitch to breach Lower Snake River dams
The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling for breaching of the Lower Snake River dams to rebuild salmon runs, save endangered orcas and secure funding from Congress to replace the benefits of the dams. The group represents 57 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California, Southeast Alaska and Western Montana. A plan proposed by Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, to do just that was panned by key leaders in Washington state earlier this month. >click to read< 20:48
Coastal Job: Tuna Auction Manager
I was born and raised in a fishing family. I was swimming before I could walk, and at a young age, I could say the scientific and common names of Hawaiian fish. My family did not want me to go into commercial fishing, so I pursued marine sciences. But when I started working at the auction as its assistant general manager in 1979, something came over me. It was like, This is home. The first seven years, I took no vacation. I pulled 18-hour days and spent the night sometimes. Even people who’ve visited the auction don’t truly understand the depths of the operation. >click to read< 08:51
Coast Guard halts illegal use of “paper captains” in WA-based tuna fishing operation
Since 2019, Coast Guard personnel, working collaboratively with CBP and NOAA agents, detected eight separate “paper captain” violations operating in the Pacific Northwest. Paper captain is a term applied to an individual listed on documents as a U.S.-flagged vessel’s captain but in actuality serves as a deckhand or in a similar lower‐level capacity. Thus far, one Washington-based fishing fleet has paid $9,150 in civil penalties and has been cited for $140,000 in additional penalties still pending adjudication. >click to read< 17:54
Biden opens (condemns) California coast to floating offshore wind turbines – “We believe it’s shortsighted,”
The announcement, endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, moves forward the prospect for wind farms in two areas about 20 miles off the coast of Morro Bay and Humboldt County. Turbines roughly 600 to 700 feet tall would be built on floating platforms because the water is too deep to anchor them to the sea floor. “We believe it’s shortsighted,” said Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, “Floating offshore wind technology is unproven. It hasn’t been deployed on a large industrial scale yet. We have no idea what the environmental impacts will be off our coast.” >click to read< 13:16
Joe Biden’s Offshore Wind Farm Energy Mirage: Or ‘How To Squander $Trillions of Taxpayers’ Money’
For an example of how unhinged the Democrat’s energy policy is, then Biden’s offshore wind energy plan takes the cake. The fact that offshore wind power has already proven to be a phenomenally expensive way of generating electricity clearly hasn’t registered. Nor has the fact that it’s no more reliable than wind power generated onshore, and just as chaotic in its sporadic and occasional delivery. Or, maybe, the Democrats just don’t care about reliable and affordable electricity? Craig Rucker is president of the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow, a free market environmental organization dedicated to people and planet. Craig takes a look at Biden’s offshore wind power mirage. >click to read< 09:09
National Transportation Safety Board Opens Public Docket in F/V Scandies Rose Sinking
The docket for the investigation includes more than 4,500 pages of factual information, including interview transcripts, photographs and other investigative materials. It contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators and there are no conclusions about how or why the Scandies Rose sank. The probable cause, analysis and recommendations will be released at a public board meeting on the Scandies Rose scheduled for June 29. The full final report will be released in the weeks after the board meeting. >click to read< 11:12
Serious fish kill consumes the Klamath River
As it enters the Yurok Reservation, the Lower Klamath River is as picturesque as it gets. Clear water rushes over gentle rapids, framed by verdant hills and a cerulean sky. An untrained eye would never notice the devastation beneath the surface — save for the tiny fish floating lifeless in the water. Over the past several weeks, an outbreak of the parasite Ceratonova shasta has ripped through young salmon throughout the lower reaches of the Klamath watershed. Driven by high temperatures and low flows out of Iron Gate Dam, the disease is resulting in what the Yurok Tribe is calling a “catastrophic” fish kill. photos, >click to read< 09:36
Balance The Pain Of Drought On Farmers And Fishermen Equitably
In the first week of May a young salmon boat captain struggled to keep his boat stable and fishing while getting bashed by an unruly spring wind storm near the San Mateo-Santa Cruz county line. Far offshore, where the continental shelf drops off and a huge volume of marine nutrients circulate from the ocean bottom to the surface, salmon gathered. So did borderline gale force winds on top of a 10-foot swell. It looked like the scene at the end of the movie, “The Perfect Storm.” You’re risking life and limb fishing in those conditions, and you wouldn’t in more normal times. But these aren’t normal times. >click to read< 11:08
Crew members questioned after alleged beheading at sea onboard a tuna longliner
Six crew members from the vessel the F/V TIRO II jumped overboard during the reported “violent incident” on Monday. One person was aboard a life-raft, with the other five entering the water without lifejackets. The man in the life-raft has been found, with the Fijian Rescue Coordination Center releasing photos of the moment he was located on Wednesday. After taking on water Thursday night, FV TRIO II sank yesterday morning. photos, >click to read< 09:03
Port of Redwood City reels in public with mini-Fisherman’s Wharf
Giuseppe Pennisi, a third-generation commercial fisherman, had been doing business for the past five years in San Francisco but lost his spot at Pier 47 as a result of Covid-related changes. For months, the Chico resident drove to Bay Area harbors looking for one that could handle a fishing trawler and was open to fresh fish sales to the public. He didn’t even know Redwood City had a harbor until he found it on Google Earth and dialed the office to explain what he wanted to do. Pennisi was stunned by Zortman’s response. >click to read< 10:01
CDFW Director calls for statewide closure to mediocre crab season on June 1, due to presence of Whales
This decision was not what the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group recommended, said Del Norte County District 4 Supervisor Gerry Hemmingsen, a crab fisherman who is part of the working group. While many crab fishermen pulled in their gear earlier than normal, the few that are still fishing will be impacted by this decision, For crab fishermen in central California, the season closure comes roughly four weeks early. Despite his decision, Bonham acknowledged the difficult season many commercial crab fishermen have had. >click to read< 09:01
New Bedford is America’s number 1 fishing port for 20th straight year
The National Marine Fisheries Service released its annual report on the health of the nation’s fishing industry on Thursday,,, New Bedford ranked No. 1 for the value of seafood landed at its port for the 20th consecutive year in 2019, with $451 million worth of fish hauled in by its boats. That was up by $20 million compared with the year before, and far outpaced the second-ranked Port of Naknek, Alaska, which had $289 million worth of landings. NOAA officials said New Bedford’s dominance remains driven by sea scallops, which account for 84% of the value of all landings there. >click to read< 14:21
Copper River wild salmon fishery off to a slow start
Drift gillnetters out on the first Copper River opener of the 2021 wild salmon fishery harvested an estimated 1,957 Chinook, 8,197 sockeye and 173 chum salmon, and within 24 hours much of the catch was delivered to Seattle via Alaska Airline’s “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon” jet. Airline officials said the first flight brought in 17,000 pounds of wild Alaska king and red salmon headed for markets in Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. When the jet, painted to look like a gigantic king salmon, arrived at SeaTac, Alaska Airlines Captain Tim deal, with First Officer Bill Jacobson, held up a sample of the catch, a 37-pound Chinook salmon. >click to read< 13:05
Commercial Dungeness Crab fleet ordered to end operations June 1 for whale endangerment concerns
An order to end the current crabbing season six weeks early in Northern California will deliver another blow to crab fishermen in Humboldt County after seeing record low landings this season, fishermen said. “The price on crab is very high right now. There might not be the most participation (out of the season) but there are still a lot of people who rely on springtime crabbing at a very high price,” he said. “It is quite unfortunate and sad that it is going to be closed earlier than normal.” California Department of Fish and Wildlife director Charlton Bonham ordered the state’s commercial dungeness crab fishing fleet to end its activities at noon on June 1, approximately six weeks earlier than the normal July 15 end for Northern California crab fishermen. All crab lines must be cleared by the end time set. >click to read< 08:33
Ilwaco: Boat fire spurs rapid early-morning response
The F/V Carmillo and crew were picking up bait to go crab fishing at Ilwaco Landing when the fire was first reported on board the vessel around 6 a.m. The crew were able to safely evacuate to the adjacent dock, according to Ilwaco Landing owner Mike Shirley, who arrived on scene as the fire unfolded. Shirley commended the fast reaction from the captain, including closing compartments and stuffing vents,,, 4 photos, >click to read< 15:20
Oregon fisherman lost at sea 28 miles outside Grays Harbor
The Coast Guard suspended the search Friday for a 47-year-old man who fell overboard while heading out with friends to fish for halibut 28 miles northwest of Grays Harbor. Missing and presumed dead is Jason LaBrie of Oregon City, Oregon. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the family, LaBrie leaves behind his wife Bethany, son Alden, and daughter Sophia. Fishermen aboard the 26-foot vessel Defiance II activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon after realizing LaBrie was missing, according to a Coast Guard statement. >click to read< 09:26
From Pulp Mill to Salmon Farm? Examining Nordic AquaFarms’ Proposed Fish Factory
Is a massive land-based fish factory the best next chapter for a former pulp mill nestled between Humboldt Bay and the Pacific Ocean? Tune in to hear local environmental leaders discuss Humboldt County’s assessment of the impacts Nordic AquaFarms proposed fish factory might have on the bay, ocean, wildlife and climate – and ways to avoid or mitigate them. Surfrider Foundation’s California Policy Manager Jennifer Savage and Colin Fiske of Coalition for Transportation Priorities join co-hosts Tom Wheeler of EPIC, Larry Glass of NEC, and Jen Kalt of Humboldt Baykeeper for a discussion of what is proposed and top issues of concern as we gear up to submit comments on May 24. >click to read< 11:01 Search Results for “Nordic AquaFarms” – fisherynation.com, <click here<
At-Sea Processors Association and Seafood Harvesters of America applaud “30×30” initiative
A Biden administration plan to conserve at least 30% of federal lands and oceans by 2030 is winning applause from the seafood industry, but questions abound elsewhere, raising political obstacles. Just about 12% of the nation’s land area is currently under some form of environmental protection, along with about 26% of the country’s ocean areas. The plan, an executive order issued by the Biden administration, and popularized as the “30×30” initiative, has won support from the harvester and processor sector of Alaska fisheries and others, (do you?) in that industry, but farmers and ranchers elsewhere remain skeptical. >click to read< 12:50
Sanford “Sandy” Twitchell, Santa Rosa – WWII Marine Vet, teacher and commercial fisherman has passed away
Sanford “Sandy” Twitchell passed away on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at the age of 96, 17 days before his 97th birthday. He is now with the love of his life, Lois, and his middle son, Bob. Sandy, a man of God, was an amazing son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, Marine, teacher and commercial fisherman. During summers he was a carpenter and pursued commercial salmon fishing. He had a 38 foot boat named the ‘Tomina Mae.’ Later, he built the first cement commercial fishing boat on the West Coast, a 42 foot vessel built from government plans that he modified to make it stronger and more seaworthy. These mods were so superior, the government bought the plans. >click to read< 09:27
The bird people are willing to let them die for Offshore Wind Farms. The responsible wind farms, that is!
There is no shame when it comes to ignorance! “Renewable energy sources, including wind power, are essential to saving the lives of countless birds, in addition to saving our coasts.” – As the country takes stock of the first months of the Biden Administration, the waters of New England are playing host to the epicenter of one of the major climate commitments made shortly after the president took office. The largest U.S. offshore wind project to date, Vineyard Wind, has received the green light to start building off the coast of Massachusetts, promising to deliver 800 megawatts of energy to over 800,000 homes. As conservation organizations that are committed to the protection of birds and the ecosystems,,, >click to read< 08:42
Search suspended for missing fisherman who fell overboard off Grays Harbor, WA
The Coast Guard suspended the search Friday for a 47-year-old man who reportedly fell overboard while underway fishing for halibut 28 miles northwest of Grays Harbor. Missing is Jason LaBrie of Oregon City, Oregon. Fishermen aboard the 26-foot vessel Defiance II activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon after realizing LaBrie was missing. Fishermen aboard the 26-foot vessel Defiance II activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon after realizing LaBrie was missing. >click to read< 18:55
A reminder! ‘Always have a working fire extinguisher onboard’
Following a boat fire in Port Hardy, fire crews are putting out a reminder to always have a working fire extinguisher onboard your boat. On Tuesday (May 11th), Port Hardy Fire Rescue was called after a small boat caught fire that same morning at Fisherman’s Wharf. “A great response by our crews for a small fire in the cab of a commercial fishing boat,” they said. >click to read< 15:34
F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB to Hold Meeting to Determine Probable Cause for Sinking
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Thursday its plan to hold a public board meeting to determine the probable cause for the 2019 sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose. The 130-foot Scandies Rose sank December 31, 2019 about 2.5 miles south of Sutwik Island, Alaska with the loss of five crew members. Two others were rescued. The loss of the Scandies Rose marked the worst accident to hit Alaska’s commercial fishing industry since the sinking of the F/V Destination with the loss of all six crew members in February 2017.,, The Coast Guard previously convened a Marine Board of Investigation concluding in March to consider evidence related to the accident. >click to read< 08:55
We’re losing fishing grounds – Trump says Vineyard ‘will never be the same’ after Vineyard Wind Farm
Will Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first permitted commercial-scale wind farm, change island life in Massachusetts forever? Former President Donald Trump thinks so. On the day that the massive wind farm planned off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket won the federal approval from the Biden administration that it had been fruitlessly seeking from Trump for years, the former president weighed in with a touch of sarcasm. The project, however, still has opponents, including the commercial fishing industry and some environmentalists worried about how the farm will impact the migratory patterns of rights whales and other marine life. >click to read< 10:01
Two dead whales found lodged under hull of Australian warship docked in San Diego
The whales were discovered as the ship, HMAS Sydney, berthed at Naval Base San Diego, the Australian Royal Navy said in a statement. Experts say the physics of the situation are somewhat common, even if the presence of more than one whale makes this scenario rare.,, John Calambokidis, a leading expert on West Coast ship strikes, said the incident highlights what he’s concluded in his research: ship strikes are dramatically underreported. “We think it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or less of the number of ship strikes occurring are getting documented,” >click to read< 08:55
U.S. Commercial fishermen are frustrated by mask mandates from Maine to Alaska
Commercial fishing crews must be masked at all times, regardless of the number of people. The requirement stems from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rule issued in February saying all those on public transportation must be masked. The Coast Guard interpreted the rule to apply to all vessels, including commercial fisherman who sometimes work with crews of just three to five people. There are around 39,000 commercial fishermen in the United States. In a hearing with top administration health officials yesterday, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) brought this up. saying they’ve heard deep frustration from fishermen who argue that wearing a mask while doing their work is unsafe. >click to read< 12:43
