Category Archives: South Atlantic
In a bayman’s death is a lesson
On a summer day in August, a memorial was held at Green River Cemetery in Springs for a man named Dan King, who had died in North Carolina in April 2020. Dan grew up in the Springs section of East Hampton, where his family had roots going back three centuries to the first European settlers. Dan was a fisherman, specifically a member of the haul-seining community. That’s a method of fishing in which dories are launched from the beach into the surf and nets are spread out to encircle schools of striped bass that are then winched onto the shore. The Kings had done it for generations, as had members of the Lester family. >click to read< 13:09
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 29, 2021
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 17:07
Outer Banks shipwreck being removed from the beach
Cape Hatteras National Seashore this week began a $295,000 removal of the F/V Ocean Pursuit, a 72-foot scallop trawler that ran aground 18 months ago on the beach near Oregon Inlet.,,, On Monday, Cape Dredging, Inc. of Buxton began digging out the accumulated sand around the trawler and will eventually cut up the remains into smaller, “more manageable” pieces, which will be placed on a tractor-trailer and hauled away for appropriate disposal. >click to read< 12:53
Texas to Suspend Flounder Season as stocks continue to decline throughout the Gulf and South Atlantic
One of the most sought after saltwater fish on the Texas Coast will be off limits to commercial and sport fishermen starting Nov. 1. Citing negative trends and large scale declines in flounder populations over the past several decades, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will suspend the year round flounder season during a six-week period ending on Dec. 15.,, The fish’s native range stretches from North Carolina southward into Mexico, and nearly all of the states in this coastal region are witnessing similar population declines. >click to read< 12:30
Florida Keys commercial fishermen caught with over 100 undersized lobsters
Three commercial fishermen working in the Florida Keys are facing felony conservation charges after state wildlife officers say they caught them with almost 130 undersized wrung spiny lobster tails on their boat Saturday night. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers said they caught the men as they were selling their catch to a fish house owner near Coral Key in the Middle Keys around 6 p.m. The men were still being held in Monroe County jail Monday night on a bond of $50,550 each. >click to read< 10:03
Blown Away: Tucker Carlson Exposes How Wind Energy Is Destroying Landscapes, Jobs
In the episode, “Blown Away: The People Vs Wind Power,” Carlson and his production crew uncover the human cost of wind energy, traveling across the country to find out how turbines have the capability to decimate wildlife and, in turn, peoples livelihood. Three months into his presidency, Joe Biden issued permits to foreign companies for a massive 160,000-acre wind farm, known as Vineyard Wind 1, off the coast of Rhode Island. Rather than tinker with Barack Obama’s scenic view in Martha’s Vineyard, the government decided to place the wind farm 15 miles off the coast. The area is home to one of the most productive fisheries in the country. video, >click to read<. a little more >here<15:01
Shipwrecked Scalloper at Outer Banks set for removal
Officials say that work will soon begin to remove a shipwreck at the Outer Banks. A scallop boat called F/V Ocean Pursuit, also known as Cameron Scott, ran aground March 1, 2020, and is now deep in the sand. The crew was rescued. A dredging company from Buxton will begin a nearly $300,000 project on Monday, video, >click to read< 11:10
Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy
Miss Marilyn Louise, a third-generation commercial fisherwoman, is one of the largest contributors to the seafood supply chain coming through Mayport Inlet. The lifelong resident of Mayport Fishing Village walked me through what it’s like to live a life sustained by the ocean. As a child, Miss Marilyn learned to run shrimp boats from her father and grandfather. She’s since passed her knowledge and experience on to her own children, having taken her son out shrimping with her when he was only 11 days old, noting he had sea legs before he could walk on land. >click to read< 07:56
Opinion: Federal rules are sinking Maine’s lobster industry
As a lifelong Maine lobsterman, I understand the inherent dangers of my job. I keep watch on the forecast knowing that sudden weather changes can make the difference between a successful day at work and putting my crew’s life at risk. These days, however, the hazard posed by Mother Nature does not compare with the perfect storm of regulations coming out of Washington that threaten my job, our way of life and may eventually sink a fishery that has supported communities and generations of families here in Maine. By Kristan Porter >click to read< 15:18
Experts Slam Biden’s Plan To Build Taxpayer-Funded Offshore Wind Farms
Energy experts criticized President Joe Biden’s plan to prioritize wind farms, arguing wind power is costly, inefficient, and indirectly produces greenhouse gas emissions.,, On average, however, offshore wind produces just 45% of its energy capacity,,, “It is amazing that they’re touting wind at the very time when the EU is going through an energy crisis, in which they’re shutting down factories, fertilizer production, agricultural processing because their wind isn’t working,” ,,,“That the Biden administration is out there touting it and we want to go in the same direction they’ve gone in, I don’t know, you can’t make this stuff up,” >click to read< 21:08 Britain to Downgrade Renewables, Embrace Nuclear Power – In the wake of Britain’s recent catastrophic wind drought, the Boris Johnson administration appears set to embrace nuclear power as their main strategy for achieving net zero. >click to read<
Trident Seafoods’ Chuck Bundrant, a pioneer of U.S. fisheries off Alaska, dies at 79
Chuck Bundrant, an epic figure in North Pacific fisheries who started his career as a deck hand on a crabber and went on to cofound Seattle-based Trident Seafoods, died Sunday at his Edmonds home. He was 79. Bundrant was a fierce competitor who played a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in harvests off Alaska as foreign fleets were pushed out of the 200-mile zone and Americans rushed in to catch pollock, crab, black cod and other seafood. And as U.S. fleets gained control, he fought to ensure that Trident’s network of shoreside processing plants and seagoing vessels would prosper. >click to read< 08:02
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 15, 2021
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, including a synopsis of a one-day Capitol Hill visit by Jerry Schill. To read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 19:05
Biden plans to expand offshore wind farms to all US coasts
The Biden administration has unveiled plans to expand offshore wind energy farms in a move that could see turbines built along much of the US coastline.,,, The plan is expected to meet a backlash from some coastal and fishing communities, and it needs approval from state, local and environmental groups before any construction begins. Commercial fishing companies have argued such offshore wind projects would make it difficult to harvest valuable seafood species, like lobsters. Some conservation groups also fear the large turbines will kill thousands of birds and affect marine life. >click to read< 08:31
You gotta read this! Congress considers extensive appropriations for environment, fisheries
A congressional committee recently proposed billions of dollars in environment, and fisheries related appropriations, which may help protect and restore the North Carolina coast and its fisheries. Not everyone supports the proposed appropriations, however. N.C. Fisheries Association director of government relations Jerry Schill said in a strongly-worded email Oct. 9 to the News-Times he has no plans on reading, studying or lobbying for or against the proposed budget. Mr. Schill said he was in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28 to work on labor issues that relate to commercial fishing.,, “It was a frustrating day because, well D.C. just plain sucks,” Mr. Schill said. “ >click to read< 14:59 (Billions $$$ to NOAA!)
Fishing Vessel: Engine Room Only Shutoff Valve Let Fire Spread
Fuel shutoff valves outside the engine room might have stopped a fire that destroyed a shrimp boat after an explosion off Louisiana last year, federal investigators say. Other shrimpers saw the smoke and rescued all four people from the F/V Master Dylan. But the $300,000 boat was a total loss, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report issued Tuesday. The report said one of the boat’s two generators exploded while the crew was shrimping off Port Fourchon about 7:45 a.m. on Dec. 1. The boat was registered in Louisiana but had left Port Arthur, Texas on Nov. 29. The captain emptied a fire extinguisher into the engine room without diminishing the blaze. >click to read< 15:14
Tanker/Whale Strike Update: ENGO says number of whales killed by ships each year in the 1000s
We posted a story about a 32-foot whale carcass was found wedged on the bow of a Japanese tanker as it pulled into harbour. Shocking images, wasn’t much there. The article today has information that is useful to commercial fishermen trying to survive the ridiculous, engo inspired rules regarding fishery restrictions, and rule changes. Ship strikes are known to be one of the leading causes of death for endangered and vulnerable whale populations, according to WWF. Michael Fishbach, executive director and co-founder of the Great Whale Conservancy, an environmental NGO based in North Carolina, told Insider that a dozen whales are killed by a ship for each one that is recorded. >click to read< 10:46
Has the Precautionary Principle been blown away by wind power?
Clog our near shore and offshore waters with hulking (approaching 1,000 feet tall today, who knows what’s in store for tomorrow?) structures supporting huge rotors with tips moving through the air at velocities approaching 200 miles per hour? So what? Festoon our seabeds with electrical cables carrying huge amounts of electricity, the passage of which will generate electro-magnetic fields that will almost certainly have some effect on some of the species of critters that will be influenced at some level by those fields daily, monthly or annually? Who cares? Influence wave/current/tidal scouring and associated turbidity in undetermined-and very likely undeterminable-ways on the fish, marine mammals, birds, phyto- and zooplankton, and other sea life? What’s the difference? >click to read< By Nils Stolpe-FishnetUSA, more from Nils, >click here< 08:05
Sea of choices confronts Biden in ocean protection
The Biden administration appears to have a head start on protecting the United States’ oceans. After all, on paper, the nation is already more than two-thirds of the way to the goal. But as the administration puts together a tracking mechanism for its pledge to conserve 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, environmental activists warn that frequently cited statistics provide a misleading picture of ocean conservation. At the same time, advocates for the fishing industry question counter the nation is much closer to the final objective, if not already there. They argue that conservation shouldn’t always mean activities like fishing are banned and say their industry has shown itself willing to help protect vulnerable species. >click to leave< 17:04
Community pays tribute to commercial fishing families during annual Blessing of the Fleet
“This is a time when we come together to honor the commercial fishing industry and the lives lost in this dangerous trade,” N.C. Seafood Festival Chairperson Dale Gillikin said to open the ceremony. “I know how much this service means to you, because I know how much it means to me,” she continued. “It brings chills to my spine, 
a warmth to my heart and tears to my eyes. You see, I grew up in a commercial fishing family, so I know how hard it is to work in this industry.” Bradley Styron of Cedar Island, a member of the Carteret County Commercial Fisherman’s Association, threw the wreath, which had a blue ribbon attached. Family members of commercial fishermen who have died this year were invited to surround Mr. Styron as he threw it into the sound. 10 photos, >click to read< 09:59
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 76′ Steel Scalloper, Cat 3412, Limited Access-PT Small Dredge, Longfin Squid Permit-Tier1, Additional Permits
To review specifications, and information, >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:46
Reducing Ship Strikes: House of Representatives Important New Protections for Whales
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted in support of a slew of new protections for whales and marine mammals. These protections include measures to reduce vessel collisions with large whales and new programs aimed at reducing chronic underwater noise from vessels. If enacted, they would amount to the most substantial new legislative measures for marine mammals in years. >click to read< 10:59
A day in the life of a Georgia shrimper
Capt. Eddie Poppell, 61, arrives with his crew, sons Bubba, 40, and Jake, 24, to start outfitting the F/V Sea Fox for a day of shrimping in the shallow coastal waters of Georgia. Ice is shoveled into bins that are dragged from the fish house to the Sea Fox in anticipation of the boat’s refrigerator-sized coolers being filled with shrimp by day’s end. They throw some provisions for the day onto the boat — snacks, water, sodas and cigarettes — and do a routine systems check. The three men go about their tasks quietly, but with the sureness only countless trips can hone. photos, >click to read< 08:03 Additional COVID financial relief is available to members of Georgia’s marine fishing-industry – >click to read<
Roberto Gonzalez of Key West, Florida has passed away. He found and lived the American dream
Born to his parents, Maria Paula Oliva and Pedro Gonzalez on the 31st day of March, 1933, in Quiebra Hacha, Cuba. At the tender age of 2, he lost his beloved mother, and, shortly after his father followed, leaving him an orphan at the age of 6. At the age of 23, Roberto met his love Benedicta Herrera. Building their home together in Key West, where he worked as Commercial Fisherman for Stock Island Lobster along side of Peter Bacle. After hard work and sacrifice, in 1979, Roberto purchased his pride and joy, a 43ft. Torres, The Thunderbird, which is still up and running, and one of the most well known boats among the industry. >click to read< 10:39
Benedicta Herrera de Gonzalez – She met the love of her life, and later married her best friend, Roberto Gonzalez in 1956. She met the love of her life, and later married her best friend, Roberto Gonzalez in 1956. Together they voyaged into freedom, Although, she and Roberto separated they remained family, involved in their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren’s everyday lives, celebrating all their events together. They were a forever family. >click to read< 11:47
Delay Implementation of Gear Marking & Modification in Right Whale Rule
In a letter today to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Governor Janet Mills urged swift action by NOAA Fisheries to reduce the unnecessary economic harm to Maine fishermen that the recently announced Federal whale protection rule will cause. “I don’t believe this rule, as written, should take effect at all, and, at the very least, I urge you to direct NOAA Fisheries to delay the rule’s implementation of gear marking and gear modifications (including both trawling up and insertion of weak points) to July 1, 2022,” wrote Governor Mills. “It is entirely unfair that Maine lobstermen continue to be the primary target of burdensome regulations, despite the many effective mitigation measures they have taken and despite the data showing that ship strikes and Canadian fishing gear continue to pose significant risk to right whales,” >click to read< 14:38
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for September 24, 2021
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 12:13
NTSB to Host Roundtable on Fishing Vessel Safety
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy is set to host a virtual roundtable next month on improving fishing vessel safety. The commercial fishing industry remains largely uninspected and is a marine sector of concern.,, The roundtable will feature government officials, industry leaders, fishing vessel operators, safety experts and survivors of fishing vessel accidents to discuss what can be done to address commercial fishing safety concerns, implement NTSB safety recommendations and improve the safety of fishing operations in the U.S. >click to read< – The roundtable is set to take place October 14, 2021. More details can be found here. 13:27
SAFMC votes to allow rock shrimp harvest adjacent to Oculina coral reefs
Commercial rock shrimpers are one step closer to being allowed to fish on the Oculina coral reef bank that’s been protected from their bottom-raking trawler nets since 2014. The SAFMC Friday morning voted 12-1 to reopen 22 square miles of ocean bottom off Florida’s central Atlantic coast, ending a process that began seven years ago. The decision needs more approvals to be final. Dismayed environmentalists said the measure will allow the destruction of Oculina coral, also known as ivory tree coral, a deep water, slow growing live coral that provides essential habitat to many fish and marine organisms, including the targeted shrimp. >click to read< 12:09
Why Offshore Wind Farms Face Lawsuits – The American Coalition for Ocean Protection
Nantucket residents have filed a landmark lawsuit over federal approval of Vineyard Wind, the first industrial scale offshore wind project in the U.S. Federal law protects existing ocean uses: commercial fishing, vessel traffic, the viewshed, and endangered species from new energy projects. Since federal approvals of all offshore wind projects will likely use the same flawed process, a court win for this lawsuit may stop all the projects. Specifically, Ackrats is the group filing the complaint and is concerned about Vineyard Wind’s negative impact on the North Atlantic right whale, “one of the most critically endangered species on the entire planet.” Those Nantucket residents are not alone. Beach communities from North Carolina to Maine and the Great Lakes joined together to form the American Coalition for Ocean Protection. >click to read< 16:13
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 91′ Steel Shrimper, 625 HP Cat, Federal Permits
To review specifications, information, and 12 photo’s >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:16
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 64′ Steel Scallop/Dragger, 350HP Cummins
To review specifications, information, and 12 photo’s >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:14
