Category Archives: Pacific
F/V Mary B II – Coast Guard seeks additional information for investigation
The Coast Guard continues the marine casualty investigation of the fishing vessel Mary B II, which capsized off Newport, Oregon, on Jan. 9, 2019, and resulted in the loss of the three crew members and the vessel. A public hearing will be held in Newport around mid-Spring and it is highly encouraged that anyone with information pertaining to the loss of the Mary B II provide it to the investigation team at [email protected]. >click to read<14:08
A return to sea – Crab fishermen thread storms to bring home the catch
The anticipation of pain is often worse than the pain itself. I should know this; I’ve been here before. Working for Tony Pettis and other Newport crab skippers for over a decade, I’ve had plenty of chances to listen to the howl of wind and marinate in my own anxious brine, full of questions — the chief ones being, “are we really going to leave into this weather, and can I keep my lunch down?” I should have had enough practice in just letting things be, but it’s hard. >click to read<16:37
Monterey Bay fishermen catch salmon as far away as Alaska. A proposed copper mine there poses a local threat.
Tom DiMaggio is 96 years old and blessed with a full head neatly combed white hair and a warm handshake. A fisherman for his whole career, he’s been retired for over 20 years and remains a vibrant member of the fishing community – only these days, the community is far from the dock and instead gathers at the East Village Coffee Lounge in Monterey to while away weekday mornings, sipping espresso and swapping stories.,,Commercial fishing is an unpredictable profession in many ways, though the two greatest uncertainties are how many fish are caught and how much those fish sell for. The nature of the job means many fishermen want to surround themselves with a crew they can trust, which often means family. Ask the East Village table of old-school fishermen how they got started, and they all have a similar answer:, >click to read<14:00
Seafood Giant Agrees to $23M in Upgrades to Reduce Coolant Leaks, EPA Says
Trident Seafoods Corporation, one of the largest seafood processing companies in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, will spend up to $23 million to reduce coolant leaks from refrigerators and other equipment and to improve compliance; the company will also pay a $900,000 fine. Trident agreed to the settlement with the EPA and the US Department of Justice to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The EPA says Trident violated the Act by failing to promptly repair leaks of the refrigerant R-22, an ozone-depleting hydrocholorofluorocarbon (HCFC). This allowed its appliances to leak refrigerant at high rates for thousands of days, releasing over 200,000 pounds,,,, Trident will retrofit or retire 23 refrigeration appliances used on 14 marine vessels to use an alternative refrigerant that does not harm the ozone layer compared to typical refrigerants. >click to read<18:12
Feds release Puget Sound steelhead recovery plan
The National Marine Fisheries Service has drafted a recovery plan for Puget Sound steelhead, including those from the Skagit River. The fisheries service, which is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is taking public comment on the plan through March 28. A recovery plan is required for any species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. >click to read<10:53
Let’s Take a Closer Look at This Big Fish Farm Proposal for the Samoa Peninsula
There have been lots of ideas in recent years for how to maximize the economic potential of Humboldt Bay. “More cruise ships!” some suggested. “More oysters!” “Less-restrictive zoning!” “How about a new railroad or two?” But as far as we can tell, no one even dreamed of suggesting that the Samoa peninsula could host one of the world’s largest indoor fish farms. No one imagined that Redwood Marine Terminal II, a contaminated brownfield site still littered with the rubble of an abandoned pulp mill, could be chosen to house a 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art aquaculture facility capable of supplying the West Coast with nearly 60 million tons pounds of fish per year. That concept, and the Norwegian company that plans to bring it to fruition, found us. >click to read<20:20
Charles Schnacker, Come to the Edge: Arrival and Survival in Del Norte County
Charles Schnacker reveals an intense tenacity and love for fishing, one that goes deeper than profit. But his essay also reveals hidden gems about scarcity and abundance in Del Norte County: I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and I grew up in Idaho—Lewiston, Craigmount, Nez Perce. And then we moved here in 1984, when I was in grade school. I enrolled in Crescent Elk. Then I went to Del Norte High but transferred to Sunset High School because they let me use math classes as my electives, and I really liked math. When we first moved out here my mom, my dad, me, my five brothers, Grandma, three cousins, two aunts and two uncles lived at Pacific Shores, near Kellogg Beach. We camped out on the dunes for two months until my dad got a job at Las Palmas Trailer Park. We lived there for a short time in one of the trailers until we bought a house on Cooper in the 700 block. It was the first house I remember my family owning. I liked it here. I grew up fishing. My dad started out beach fishing for smelt at night and for perch during the day. Then he bought a boat and crabbed. I pretty much did the same thing. >click to read<12:27
Alternative Youth Activities students get a lesson in hard work from a fishing boat captain
Students with Alternative Youth Activities took a trip down to the Charleston Marina on Wednesday afternoon to learn how a commercial slime eel fishing boat operates. The eel fishing vessel the AYA students toured was the Molly Ann, captained by Leandro Patricelli. Patricelli shared his story of hard work and perseverance with the at-risk youth. He and his family emigrated to the U.S. from Sicily when he was eight years old. At the age of 14, Patricelli dropped out of high school and lied about his age to get a job on a fishing boat. >click to read<16:55
Boat owner faces deadline to remove fishing vessel from Port San Luis beach
A large fishing boat washed ashore in Port San Luis during a storm earlier this month. Now the boat’s owner, Steven Snyder, is tasked with removing it. Snyder has owned the Saturnia for 25 years. When stormy waters hit Port San Luis, he says he asked Harbor Patrol to take him out to his boat.,,, Authorities with the Port San Luis Harbor District declined an on-camera interview Monday but said ocean conditions were deemed too dangerous. >Video, click to read<15:10
Harbor District Approves Lease for Massive Fish Farm
The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District today approved a 30-year lease with Norwegian company Nordic Aquafarms to build a massive fish farm at the former pulp mill after hearing concerns the deal was ushered through without public review. The plan is to build a land-based aquaculture facility that would eventually produce some 25,000 tons of fish a year – likely salmon or steelhead – to serve as the West Coast hub for Nordic Aquafarms, which is currently in the process of developing an East Coast equivalent in Belfast, Maine.,,, Included in the terms is the right for the company to discharge 6 million gallons of wastewater per day using the site’s ocean outfall pipe, which extends 1.5 miles offshore.>click to read<11:51
Matt Becker: From Maverick’s to Commercial Fishing and Back
Matt Becker doesn’t remember his first wave. He grew up at the beach with a surfing family in Santa Barbara. Dad taught him to surf as soon as he could swim. Did Junior Lifeguards, water polo, competed in NSSA events — “a typical Southern California beach rat kid,” he laughs.,,, But even if you’re living in a truck, you still need money to eat. Enter commercial fishing. “I took a job up there on a 70-foot crab fishing boat out of Half Moon Bay for a couple years,” said Becker.” >click to read,<11:55
Pressure mounts for a seal harvest in B.C.
Pressure is mounting for a commercial seal harvest in British Columbia after the United States announced it will allow the killing of up to 920 sea lions a year in the Pacific North West to protect endangered wild fish stocks. The American lethal removal program, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump last month, for the first time allows American native tribes to kill sea lions that are threatening endangered salmon and steelhead runs to extinction. Government authorities in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are already allowed to lethally ,,, >click to read<
Another Government Shutdown Could Sink Scallop Fishery Profits
The world is smitten with scallops. Their subtle sweetness and firm but somehow delicate bite has many wanting more. When I previously worked in seafood sales, I couldn’t believe how much chefs in Los Angeles would pay to put the great New Bedford sea scallop on their menus. We’re talking over $35 per pound for the big ones. I’d think to myself, “These chefs know there are scallops in the Pacific, right?” >click to read<15:39
Reintroduced Shark Trade Bill Promotes Successful U.S. Conservation Policies at Policies at Global Level
The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act of 2019 – A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House advances global shark conservation by ensuring that all shark and ray products imported into the United States meet the same high ethical and sustainability standards required of American fishermen. The bill has broad support from conservation groups, zoos, aquariums and the fishing industry. >click to read<13:14
Kitzhaber’s Columbia River Reform – Gill-net issue still tangled
The Joint State Columbia River Salmon Policy Review Committee met for the first time on Jan. 17 at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters in Salem, Ore. The six-member task force is charged with revising the Columbia River policy C-3620. The policy was implemented in an effort to remove non-tribal gill nets used by the commercial fishing fleets of both states from the mainstem Columbia River after an exhaustive years-long process. It was sought by sport anglers and conservationists who have long objected to commercial fishing on salmon and steelhead stocks that are federally listed as endangered. >click to read<18:39
Coast Guard assists 17 fishermen off Pacific Northwest Coast since Sunday
Coast Guard crews along the Oregon and Washington coasts assisted 17 fisherman in five responses since Sunday. Response efforts included crews from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment and Coast Guard Air Facility Newport, in coordination with members at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River and Coast Guard Sector North Bend. The two-person crew aboard the commercial fishing vessel Zephyr,,, >click to read<16:51
“Fill Our Xtratuffs” Saturday to benefit Westport Coast Guard families
A Westport nonprofit is collecting donations to help keep unpaid local Coast Guard members and their families afloat during the government shutdown. “WeFish is a nonprofit organization here in Westport formed to support the commercial fishing industry,” said board member Adrienne Jones. “We support the fishermen, the Coast Guard supports us, so we want to make sure their families are taken care of in this time of need, while they are missing their paychecks.” >click to read<13:03
Crab fleet gearing up for season
Crab fishermen began setting their pots today in preparation for opening day of the 2019 commercial Dungeness season. Following a delay of about six weeks due to concerns about quality and domoic acid, the commercial Dungeness season between Patrick’s Point and the Oregon border opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, according to a press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The commercial fleet could begin setting their gear at 8:01 a.m. today, according to the release. >click to read<11:41
Letters to the editor: The best method to catch swordfish?
Re: “Can Sustainably Caught Swordfish Make Waves on the Central Coast?” As someone whose family has fished for swordfish for 50 years, the answer is YES: recognize the Drift Gilnet (DGN) fishery for the sustainable, well-managed fishery it is. Among other misstatements,,,, >click to read<10:55
Please donate to New Jersey Fisherman James Lacey’s Memorial Fund
Today we mourn the loss of our brother, son, cousin, uncle, and friend James Lacey. Jim died when the fishing boat he worked on capsized in the waters off the Oregon coast. (Full story.) We always knew Jim had one of the hardest jobs in the world and he wouldn’t have it any other way.,,, We’re raising money to help return his remains to the east coast so that he can be laid to rest. Any additional funds raised will go to support charitable causes that support the families of fisherman lost at sea. Thank you for your generosity, your thoughts, and your prayers. May he rest in peace. >click to read, and please, donate if you can.< Thank you.10:18
Oregon starts killing fish-eating sea lions
Oregon wildlife officials have started killing California sea lions that threaten a fragile and unique type of trout in the Willamette River, a body of water that’s miles inland from the coastal areas where the massive carnivorous aquatic mammals usually congregate to feed. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife obtained a federal permit in November to kill up to 93 California sea lions annually below Willamette Falls south of Portland to protect the winter run of the fish that begin life as rainbow trout but become steelhead when they travel to the ocean. >click to read<15:57
Crab Fishermen Warn: With the Season Closed Elsewhere, Loads of Out-of-Town Crabbers Will be Coming to Humboldt and There’s Hardly Any Places to Tie Up
From the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association: North Coast crab fishermen from Fort Bragg to Crescent City are facing double jeopardy — one from a warming ocean and one man made by a local agency. As of January 8, 2019, the date of the most recent test results for Domoic Acid levels in Dungeness Crabs, both the Patrick’s Point test (north of Trinidad) and the Crescent City test failed due to one crab each over the 30 ppm,,, >click to read<12:44
Harbor may see influx of transient crabbing vessels with season set to begin – >click to read<15:01
Coast Guard was escorting boat when it capsized off Oregon, killing 3 fishermen, 2 from New Jersey
The U.S. Coast Guard was escorting a commercial fishing vessel into an Oregon harbor under heavy seas when it capsized on Tuesday night, killing three fisherman, two of whom were from New Jersey. A 52-foot Motor Life Boat Victory went out to to meet the 42-foot Mary B II near the entrance to Yaquina Bay, the Cost Guard said in a statement. The fishing boat was under its own power in the stormy Pacific Ocean contending with waves of 14-to-16 feet when it capsized just after 10 p.m., officials said. >click to read<11:24
Please donate to Oregon Fisherman Josh Porter’s Memorial Fund
The Mary B 2 crab boat capsized about 10pm Tuesday Jan 8, 2019 while crossing the Yaquina Bay Bar Newport Oregon. Three fisherman died in he accident including my brother-in-law, Josh Porter, age 50. He is survived by his wife, Denise Barrett-Porter and a loving family. Josh was the sole financial supporter for his family and tirelessly (and happily) worked difficult jobs as a fisherman and logger in the off-season. >click here, and please donate if you can<10:26 Go Fund Me To Help Fisherman’s Family – >click to read<
F/V Mary B II: Coast Guard to investigate capsizing on Yaquina Bay Bar in Newport, Ore.
The Coast Guard is investigating the capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II, which lead to the deaths of three fishermen at the entrance of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon, Tuesday night. The three fishermen were inbound the Yaquina Bay Bar aboard the 42-foot vessel Mary B II when it capsized without warning tossing two of the fishermen overboard into the stormy Pacific Ocean with reported waves of 14 to 16 feet with occasional waves of 20 feet.Prior to the Mary B II capsizing its crew requested a Coast Guard escort across the Yaquina Bay Bar.,,, >click to read<
3 Fishermen dead after fishing boat capsizes crossing Yaquina Bar bar
The Mary B II crab boat capsized about 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. >click to read< U.S. Coast Guard.Authorities have released the identities of three men killed when a fishing boat capsized in rough waters off the Oregon coast. The Oregon State Police said in a statement the victims were James Lacey, 48, of South Toms River, New Jersey; Joshua Porter, 50, of Toledo, Oregon; and Stephen Biernacki, 50, of Barnegat Township, New Jersey. Authorities say Biernacki was the skipper of the Mary B. II. >click to read<16:23
2 commercial fishermen from N.J. among 3 dead after boat capsizes off Oregon coast – >click to read<
BREAKING: Fishing boat from Deadliest Catch: Dungeness Cove” TV show capsizes in Newport
A commercial fishing boat that was part of the “Deadliest Catch” spinoff series capsized around 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Coast Guard officials said the Mary B. II, one of the boats from the “Deadliest Catch: Dungeness Cove” Discovery television show, requested a Coast Guard escort across the bar in Newport because the bar was restricted due to 12 to 15-foot waves. During that escort, the boat capsized and all three crew members ended up in the water.
The Coast Guard is currently attempting a rescue. >click to read<09:10
Timeline – Surf Rescue off Newport’s North Jetty – F/V Mary B 2 capsized – >click to read<
Coast Guard confirms three fishermen dead after boat capsizes near Yaquina Bay – >click to read<12:27
Crab season off to a stormy start
Local commercial Dungeness crab fishermen overcame challenging weather conditions over the weekend in delivering their first catch of the season. Washington and Oregon crabbers set gear during the three-day “soak” period over the New Year’s holiday under blue skies, but then faced stormy weather leading up to the official opening of the fishery on Friday. “It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies,” said Buck & Ann captain Dennis Rice, who delivered a vessel “plugged” with estimated 35,000 pounds of Dungeness crab Monday, Dec. 7 at Ilwaco Landing. >click to read<15:54
Crab fishing season delayed by weather, small crabs
Smaller crabs and bad weather are delaying the start of crabbing for Washington and Oregon,,,Fishermen could start setting up their Dungeness crab gear Jan. 1 — a month later than usual — because crab were under the legal size and molted late. That means the loss of the lucrative Christmas market. And even then they couldn’t start pulling traps on Friday, when stormy weekend weather kept some crabbers from harvesting their catch. Steve Manewal, manager of the South Bend Products processing plant in Chinook, didn’t start receiving crab shipments until Saturday afternoon. In the southern third of Oregon Coast and parts of California, the season remains delayed because crabs haven’t met weight requirements yet,,, >click to read<22:54
CDFW – Northern Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Further Delayed in Ocean Waters North of Patrick’s Point, Humboldt County due to Public Health Hazard >click to read<
Ocean Cleanup Device Malfunctions
A first-of-its-kind floating ocean cleanup system deployed to collect plastic pollution from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been taken out of service early after it broke apart while operating halfway between Hawaii and California. The wind- and wave-propelled cleanup system, launched from San Francisco in September by Dutch nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup, consists of a 600-meter-long U-shaped floating barrier with a three-meter skirt below that glides at the ocean surface to collect plastic and funnel all debris at its center. >click to read<15:16
Ocean Cleanup device breaks down, well before ridding Pacific of plastics – >click to read<18:33
