Category Archives: Pacific
Oregon U.S. lawmakers seek federal help for West Coast seafood industry
Last year, Oregon’s seafood industry got a much-needed boost from the federal government. But it continues to struggle and still needs help. That’s the message from five Democratic members of Congress from Oregon, who’ve written to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to request aid for West Coast seafood fishermen, processors and distributors. “Commercial fishing and seafood processing on the West Coast are significant contributors to the nation’s seafood production and agricultural economy,” the lawmakers said. “The industry serves as the economic backbone for numerous small ports and rural coastal communities in Oregon. Fishing activities are deeply ingrained in the local culture and way of life across the Oregon Coast.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:44
‘Deadliest Catch’: Wild Bill Opens Up About Cancer Diagnosis
Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski of ‘Deadliest Catch’ refused to ‘crawl into a shell’ when he learned he had prostate cancer. Deadliest Catch star Wild Bill Wichrowski is opening up about his experience with prostate cancer, in the hopes that sharing his journey will help others in a similar situation. “The fact that I allowed the news to be broadcast, I heard from a million people, ‘Oh, I hope you’re all right,’ he says. “I was hoping that the fact that I kept going, it would show people that if you have this, you can keep working. You can keep your life moving. I wasn’t going to stop unless I had to.” Fortunately for Wichrowski, his treatment seems to be going well. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:01
Houseboat Dwellers Can Now Generate All the Electricity They Need From the Ocean
The oceans contain nearly unimaginable amount of power. Engineers have long dreamed of transforming some of it into electricity. Complex past concepts have ranged from “tide farms” that include hundreds of rising floats moored to the ocean bottom to huge hydro-electric dams blocking off harbors. Now, a startup in Alaska has a new personal hydrogenerator design so simple it is 3D-printable. You can lower it over the side of a boat, just like an anchor. Whether the tides are coming in or going out, the water spins the turbine and generates 1.6 kW of power. When would this be useful? Anytime a boat is anchored or docked for an extended time. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:26
Rare 7-foot fish washed ashore on Oregon’s coast garners worldwide attention
A massive, rare fish thought to only live in temperate waters in the southern hemisphere has washed up on Oregon’s northern coast, drawing crowds of curious onlookers intrigued by the unusual sight. The 7.3-foot (2.2 meter) hoodwinker sunfish first appeared on the beach in Gearhart on Monday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a media release. It was still on the beach on Friday and may remain there for weeks, the aquarium said, as it is difficult for scavengers to puncture its tough skin. Photos provided by the aquarium showed a flat, round, gray fish lying on its side in the sand. Photos of a person kneeling next to it, and another of a pickup truck parked next to it, gave a sense of its large scale and size. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:32
The 10 Best Deadliest Catch Boats Ranked
Deadliest Catch showcases real, massive crab fishing vessels battling the freezing Bering Sea, adding nostalgia and drama to the series. Fishing vessels like F/V Southern Wind, F/V Aleutian Lady, and F/V Seabrooke bring unique stories and personalities to the show’s lineup. Captained by industry veterans like Sig Hansen and Keith Colburn, boats like Northwestern and Wizard are iconic symbols of the series. My favorite is #10 on the list, while F/V Northwestern is the quintessential Deadliest Catch fishing boat. It’s appeared in every season of the show and its captain, Sig Hansen, is the unofficial main character of the series. Lots of Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:11
Oregon Coast closed to harvesting of 4 types of shellfish in ‘unprecedented’ move after widespread contamination
Oregon officials are barring all razor-clam, bay-clam and mussel harvesting along the state’s coast due to historically high levels of a potentially deadly toxin in local shellfish, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. The ban affects commercial fisheries producing oysters, razor clams and bay clams, according to the ODFW. The toxin causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, the most common and severe form of shellfish poisoning. The food-borne illness can cause hospitalization and occasionally death. Symptoms typically appear 30 to 60 minutes after eating contaminated shellfish and include numbness of the mouth and lips, tingling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and, in severe cases, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat, according to the Oregon Health Authority. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Climate change forces 3rd gen fisherman to rethink this year
Every June, fisherman Scott Hawkins and his small crew set sail from a marina in San Diego and travel hundreds of miles, scouring the water, hoping for a good catch of albacore tuna. It can take hours or days to stumble upon a school of them. But when they do, everyone springs into action at once. The men grab fishing poles taller than they are, stand in a row on the edge of the boat and cast their lines into the water. Every few seconds, one of them pulls up a fat, two-foot-long albacore tuna and hoists it over his shoulder onto the pile. Every thud is another one landing atop the dozens already flapping on deck. They do this 17 hour per day for five months. “It’s the exact same that my grandfather did in the 50s,” Hawkins says. But this June, the boat isn’t leaving the marina. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:16
Northline Seafoods barge embarks on maiden trip to Bristol Bay
A new state-of-the-art seafood barge is enroute to Bristol Bay, with a freezer capacity to hold over one-million pounds of frozen salmon. The vessel is on its way to Clarks Point in the Nushagak District and will be buying fish from throughout the Bay during the fishery. The 400-by-100-foot barge, a vertically integrated vessel more than three years in the making including 15 months of construction, is designed for purchase, freezing, shipping, storing and distributing wild Alaska salmon. The innovative supply chain platform will improve quality, increase efficiency and preserve the value of wild salmon at the source, company officials said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:02
Sonoma County Offers Marina Fee Waiver As Salmon, Crab Seasons Nixed
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors is offering a lifeline to the local commercial fishing community devastated by the canceled salmon and shortened Dungeness crab seasons, Sonoma County Regional Parks announced Monday. The board authorized the Bodega Bay Marina Temporary Fee Waiver Program, which provides monthly dock fee waivers at three marinas operated by the county. Waivers are offered to active commercial fishermen and charter fishing vessels who can show evidence of six commercial landings between 2021 and 2023. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:09
Retired Commercial Fisherman Captain Nick Mosich has passed away
For over thirty years the fishing vessel Mauritania patrolled the Eastern Pacific searching for tuna to bring home to market. At the helm was Captain Nick Mosich. He was hardworking, practical, and stoic. Always among the top producers, he was admired for his devotion and skill in his never-ending pursuit for tuna. His father was a fisherman, and his mother a homemaker. In 1949, he left Loyola to join his father in the fishing industry, where they worked side by side for a decade. In 1950, he met and married the love of his life, Barbara. They went on to have two children, and he was a dedicated family man.In 1960, Nick became owner of F/V Mauritania. At the time, the vessel was a bait boat, meaning it fished for tuna using bait and poles. The boat was converted to a purse seiner and for over thirty years he sought schools of tuna from Mexico to Peru. More than a fishing savant, Nick was devoted to his crew, and treated them as family. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:37
The seafood industry is in trouble. Processors and policy makers blame Russia.
Alaska waters produce the most seafood in the country, and many of the state’s coastal communities depend on commercial fisheries to sustain their economy. But Alaska’s fisheries are facing a massive economic slump right now and policymakers are increasingly blaming flooded global markets. The private sector and federal policymakers are teaming up to try to stop the bleeding. Last year was brutal on the seafood industry. Processing companies and fishermen alike suffered amid cratering prices, and they blamed Russia for flooding markets. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, from Alaska, pointed his finger at the country at a news conference on May 23. “Russians have essentially admitted they’re not just at war in Ukraine, they’re at war with the American fishing industry,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:03
OPINION: Fighting for our lives in King Cove
I am a fisherman; one of my grandfathers was a fisherman and the other one was a lifelong employee of Peter Pan Seafoods. My father was a fisherman, my brother is a fisherman and my mother, for much of her working life, worked for Peter Pan. We live in the southwest Aleut community of King Cove. For my extended family and all the other families like mine, we rely upon our knowledge of the ocean, our skills in the harvesting of fish, and a fish processor that pays a fair price. At the end of each day, we enjoy the satisfaction of hard work paying off. As King Cove’s mayor, it hurts my heart to say that it has taken only a few short months for me to no longer recognize my world. Events have conspired to threaten our very existence. A collapse of our incomes, individually and citywide, the shock of realizing that municipal projects, many years in the making, may grind to a halt. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:35
Annual Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial “Blessing of the Fleet” – Memorial Day
In honor of the commercial fishing fleet and its importance to the Charleston community, the annual Blessing of the Fleet and Memorial Service will be held at the Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial Garden, near the launch ramp at the Charleston Marina at 10am on Monday, May 27th, 2024. The service honors the local men and women involved in Commercial fishing and the fishing industry who have died since 1941. As part of the event, local marine services firm owner, William Elderkin will speak at the memorial and a Blessing of the Fleet will take place. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:34
Dungeness crab fisherman expand testing of pop-up traps amid CA’s continuous early season closures
For Brand Little and the crew of the Pale Horse, fishing for Dungeness crab is an increasingly tight business. Like the rest of the fleet, he’s watched the crabbing season shrink, with early closures meant to protect migrating whales from becoming entangled in trap lines. But this season, he’s still pushing his traps into the sea, weeks after last month’s official closing. It’s part of an experimental program that’s now expanded to more than two dozen boats. All using special pop-up trap systems, designed to avoid entanglements. “It’s a lot more work. Takes maybe three to four times as long as traditional gear. It’s not easy, but what we’ve been going through isn’t easy either. I mean, we’ve had 80% of our opportunity taken away,” Little said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09
Fishing boat rams pier, several boats near Seattle’s Ballard Bridge
Crews responded to the west end of the Ballard Bridge after a fishing vessel crashed into a pier and several other boats Wednesday afternoon. According to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), at around 10:30 a.m., a 73-foot fishing boat crashed into the pier, damaging several other moored vessels. At around 12:28 p.m., the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced that pollution teams were at the scene, reducing any potential environmental impacts. 4 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:41
SLO County judge rules against local fishermen
A San Luis Obispo County judge last week rejected a request from Morro Bay and Port San Luis fishermen for a preliminary injunction to stop wind energy companies from surveying the ocean floor. Signed into law in Oct. 2023, Senate Bill 286 requires the statewide strategy for wind energy to include best practices for addressing impacts to commercial and recreational fisheries. Local fishermen argue wind companies have failed to follow best practices because they have not put protocols in place to protect the fishing industry. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen found the requirements in Senate Bill 286 vague. Specifically, when the protocols and protections need to be in place: before or after work is completed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ Calvin Beal Lobster Boat, 450HP Cummins
To review specifications, information, and 30 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:26
Technology Helping Prevent Whale Strikes
As many as 80 whales are estimated to die each year off the West Coast of the US as a result of ship strikes, and about a third of all Right Whale deaths in the Atlantic are attributed to ship strikes. Sperm Whales in the Mediterranean are also listed as an endangered species, and ship strike is their leading cause of death. Whale avoidance is clearly top of mind for mariners. It is time to explore how currently available technology can help in this endeavor. As the world looks to new technologies to assist in whale avoidance, it is important to ensure there is no impact on the whales and the environment. Likewise, as governmental regulations evolve, operating vessels near whales requires a strong understanding of the rules implemented to protect them. There should be strict adherence to safe practices that coincide with the use of the right technologies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:42
Alaska’s declining crab population due to trawlers catches attention of lawmaker
Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola’s mounting frustration with the largely Seattle-based pollock industry’s decades-old issue of inadvertently damaging the state’s rapidly declining crab populations and critical habitat for many other species may result in legislation a move heralded by the scientific and conservation communities. Members of the scientific community concerned with sustainability and conservation are currently in a deadlock with industrial pollock trawler fleets and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council over federal fishery regulations, including pelagic, or “mid-water” trawling, which uses wide-mouthed nets designed to target schools of Bering Sea Alaskan pollock. The Alaska Marine Conservation Council released a report in February 2023 analyzing the trawlers’ impact on red king crab habitats following the 2022 closure of the Alaska snow crab fisheries, which is still ongoing, and a two-year closure for Bristol Bay king crab that ended in 2023, underscoring the devastating environmental and financial toll. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:17
Rare ‘football fish’ washes up near Cannon Beach
A deep-sea angler fish, called a Pacific football fish (Himantoliphus sagamius) has been found by local beachcombers just south of Cannon Beach. Living in complete darkness, at 2,000 to 3,300 feet, these fish are rarely seen. In fact, only 31 specimens have been recorded around the world. While a handful of football fish have been recorded in New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Hawaii, Ecuador, Chile and California, this is the first one reported on the Oregon Coast to the knowledge of personnel at Seaside Aquarium, who announced the find. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:38
Tidal Vision, a startup turning crab shells into a green industrial chemical, is raising fresh cash
Tidal Vision, a green chemistry company founded by a former Alaska fishing boat captain, is raising more investment to fuel growth. A new SEC filing reveals $46.7 million in fresh cash. We reached out to the company for comment on the filing. Tidal Vision uses an environmentally friendly, zero-waste process to turn discarded crab shells into a valuable industrial chemical called chitosan. The material is something of a wonder ingredient and can be used in water purification, to preserve produce, to promote plant growth, as a flame retardant in fabrics, and in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It offers a safe alternative to toxic chemicals, metals, petroleum products and pesticides used in industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:30
Coast Guard, other agencies respond to sunken vessel in Seattle
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and other agencies are responding to a vessel that sank at a pier in Seattle, Tuesday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 7:30 a.m. that the 91-foot crabbing vessel F/V North American had sunk at a pier east of the Ballard Bridge on the south side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. To view 5 images, >>CLICK HERE<< 17:55
Sunken fishing vessel raised, fuel offloaded at Henry island
The 48-foot commercial fishing boat, called Chief Joseph, went down on May 3 after taking on water west of Henry Island, just over the U.S. border about five kilometres from Sidney Island. A man and a dog were rescued from a life raft on shore by the U.S. Coast Guard at about 6 p.m. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter aircrew conducted a flight over the area and reported a 90-metre sheen on the water and a debris field from the sunken vessel. Absorbent booms were laid to capture most of the fuels. Salvage operations got underway last week with divers from Global Diving and Salvage using a pump truck on board a barge to retrieve about 1,900 litres of diesel fuel from the Chief Joseph’s tanks. 3 Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:53
Offshore Wind Cumulative Impact Issue Analysis
When the Feds finally do the cumulative environmental impact analysis for whales as mandated by the Endangered Species Act there are a number of basic issues to be resolved. Here is a quick look at some for the desperately endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW). Cumulative refers to the combined impact of multiple offshore projects. The first issue is which projects to combine for analysis. NARW are found along the entire Atlantic coastal waters which bounds the geography. Other endangered critters are found along the Gulf and West Coasts. Projects can be in very different stages of development. Here is a hierarchy of sorts that gives several obvious options, from relatively small to enormous. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:07
SLO County fishing industry in peril, judge to consider injunction
Geographic survey work by Equinor’s Island Pride last seven days
Fishermen from Morro Bay and Port San Luis are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop wind energy companies from surveying the ocean floor. Local fishermen report catch numbers are down 67% to 70% since one company recently began using sonar off the coast. On Feb. 29, two groups of commercial fishermen filed a legal challenge against the state’s wind energy plans, arguing the process violates their constitutional right to fish. The lawsuit asks the court to revoke survey permits and not to allow any new permits until proper mitigation and protections are in place. Sam Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen found this is a proper case for a preliminary injunction, according to an order to show cause. Judge van Rooyen ordered Equinor to show cause why he should not order the injunction at a hearing scheduled for May 15. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:53
Deadliest Catch’ Season 20: Which Captains Will Return?
Deadliest Catch is back. In the landmark 20th season of the Discovery Channel reality series, the captains will encounter new opportunities and fresh challenges as they head out to sea for the first red king crab season in several years. Not only will crews be allowed to fish once more for the coveted red king crab, but this year, they’ll also participate in the first derby-style race in decades. That means even more intense competition than usual as both veteran and rookie captains fight to bring in the biggest hauls. At the same time, they’ll face unpredictable and dangerous weather patterns as a rare super El Niño weather pattern intensifies winter storms. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Trump Presidency Is Next Worry for Battered US Wind Sector
Companies racing to build multibillion-dollar wind farms in US waters are already contending with surging borrowing costs, supply-chain woes and project pullbacks. Now, they’ve got a new worry: Donald Trump. The former US president and presumptive Republican nominee has made no secret of his animus toward wind energy, whether on- or offshore. He famously battled a project within view of his golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland, and has derided wind farms as bird-killing monstrosities. But he has recently ramped up his rhetoric, telling attendees at a Florida fundraiser last month that he hates wind farms, according to people familiar with the matter. Renewable developers are bracing for more attacks Saturday, when Trump will hold a rally on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey — a state that’s become the front line for fights over the future of offshore wind. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:34
Seventh-generation fisherman Carlton Elbridge Joyce of Swans Island, Me. has passed away
Carlton Elbridge Joyce peacefully left for his heavenly home on Sunday, May 5, 2024, while his family kept vigil at MDI Hospital. Though strong at 85, he could not overcome an aggressive bladder cancer that was diagnosed in February. Born on March 17, 1939, in Rockland, to Robert McKay Joyce and Roberta Laverne (Simmons) Joyce, Carlton was raised on Swan’s Island with his younger siblings Sharon, Bonnie, Laverne, and Matthew. He joined the military and was proud of his service with the United States Army. His favorite stories from his time in Germany included his first captivating glance of the beautiful Army girl from Hawaii. On May 24,1962, he married the love of his life and brought her to his island on the other side of the world. Together for 61 years, they built a life they loved in a place he called paradise. His undying devotion and admiration for his wife is a legacy of love for his family. A seventh-generation fisherman, Carlton had a passion and keen instinct for lobstering and the fishing industry. He loved everything about his life on the water. His last boat was designed for Pacita’s comfort and together they lived out their working days with a tenacity that sustained their fishing career through the fall of 2023. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:38
NTSB Report: Fire Alarm Aboard Kodiak Enterprise Never Sent an Alert
In the early hours of April 8, 2023, a fire broke out in the dry stores compartment of the fishing vessel F/V Kodiak Enterprise. The vessel was in port for a regular yard period, including cutting and welding of wasted hull and bulkhead sections. Four crewmembers from the engineering department were staying on board. On April 7, repair contractors were aboard to carry out hot work on the pilot house, hold deck, 03 deck and on a variety of vent pipe valves. The dry stores cargo hatch on the 03 level was propped open so that the workers could run a forced air ventilation hose into the interior. They finished and disembarked at about 1530 hours. The assistant chief engineer inspected the work areas after they left, and all looked to be in order. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:14
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 64′ Dixon Longliner, Tripack permits, 425HP, Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 23 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:56
