Category Archives: South Atlantic
Commercial Fisherman, Farmer, Joseph Michael Kelly has passed away
Mr. Joseph Kelly, 59, of Parksley, passed away on Tuesday, September 29th. Mr. Kelly was born to Thomas and Teresa Kelly on Long Island, and he grew up in Orient, New York, graduating from Greenport High School in 1978. He attended college in Farmville, VA and after a brief period in Long Island, he moved to Parksley, VA, and spent his career working both as a commercial fisherman and a farmer. He was particularly proud of his fishing boat “Toots”, which he used for both for fishing and long-line lobstering in the waters off the east coast of Virginia. Mr. Kelly was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. >click to read< 07:58
Honoring Captain Wayne Magwood
The Town of Mount Pleasant’s Special Events staff worked with the Magwood family to organize an event to honor the life of Wayne Magwood on Thursday, Oct. 1. Nearly 200 people attended the Celebration of Life ceremony for Magwood at the Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park from 6-7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 3 the Mount Pleasant shrimp fleet, followed by personal and charter boats, left Shem Creek in a parade in memory of Magwood. A gallery of 52 images is featured, >click to read< 15:47
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 02, 2020
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< 11:11
Community gathers for sunset memorial honoring Captain Wayne Magwood
Friends and family gathered on Thursday night to remember the loss of Lowcountry shrimper, Captain Wayne Magwood. Dozens gathered at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park to share stories, pray and walk the pier. When the group reached the end of the pier, they dropped flowers into the water. Moving forward, it’s Magwood’s legacy that will keep the community going. A boat parade in his honor is scheduled for this Saturday, October 3rd. Video >Click to read< 07:56
North Carolina shrimpers, fishermen concerned about mislabeled seafood
While brown shrimp, the most abundant of North Carolina’s shrimp landings, are typically harvested in the summer, now is the time for the whites, or green tails. “They are sweeter,” said Corey Galloway, with High Rider. “And when the water cools they are even better.” For Galloway, fall and winter weather improves a lot of local seafood. Breece Gahl of Fresh2U Seafood in Wrightsville Beach, for example, is looking forward to the wild oyster season, which begins Oct. 15. Until the pandemic, he often supplied seafood to restaurants. Earlier this year, Gahl switched to a “shore to door” delivery service and has been a regular at local farmers markets,, Pandemic related concerns aren’t at the forefront for this industry, though. Local shrimpers and fishermen are instead still being challenged by ongoing issues. >click to read< 07:35
Trump’s Offshore Oil Ban includes a halt to Offshore Wind Farms
President Donald Trump’s decision to rule out energy development along the coasts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas will bar not just offshore oil and gas drilling — but coastal wind farms too. The broad reach of Trump’s recent orders, which was confirmed by the Interior Department agency that oversees offshore energy development, comes as renewable developers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars snapping up the rights to build wind farms along the U.S. East Coast.,, The approach is being condemned by both oil drilling and wind energy advocates. Blow me. >click to read< 09:13
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for September 25, 2020
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< 14:59
Senators Introduce Legislation to Establish Offshore Aquaculture Standards
Senators Wicker-R, Schatz -D and Rubio -R introduced legislation, the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act (S. 4723) in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan AQUAA Act, which has companion legislation in the U.S. House, would support development of an offshore aquaculture industry in the U.S. to increase the production of sustainable seafood and establish new economic opportunities in federal waters. >click to read< 13:43
First Nations, commercial fishermen demands end to B.C. salmon farms – A broad coalition of First Nations leaders, wilderness tourism operators, environmental NGOs and commercial and sport fishing organizations gathered in North Vancouver Sept. 22 demanding the federal government fulfill recommendations of the Cohen Commission to immediately remove open-net salmon farms from the Discovery Islands, and abolish all others from BC waters by 2025. >click to read<
Magwood death a blow to Mount Pleasant. A Letter by Jimmy Bagwell
When I think of my hometown, my thoughts always go to Shem Creek and the shrimp fleet that has been the most recognizable image of our town for 70 to 80 years. On Sept. 11, one of the icons of that creek was killed in an accident on Coleman Boulevard. Wayne Magwood’s death was met with great sadness by all who knew and loved him. Wayne’s family began the shrimping industry on Shem Creek in 1930 when Capt. C. Magwood became the first fisherman to bring ocean shrimp into the creek. >click to read< 17:23
Dale Lisi launches his book “Good & Evil”, real life account of his life after losing his arm
Captain Dale Lisi recently announced the release of his breakout literary debut, Good & Evil. Lisi was inspired to write after reflecting on the incredible events of his life and his personal search to find God. He hopes that his work will inspire others to consider their pasts and embrace the possibilities of the future. Lisi is quick to point out, “If you do not take advantage of the opportunity you are given, it is no one’s fault but your own.” Good & Evil is the true account of Lisi’s life after the loss of his arm in a boating accident in 1992, which would ultimately go on to change his life completely. >click to read< 09:14
Wayne Magwood remembered as mentor by fishing community
Wayne Magwood was on his way to the Shem Creek dock to meet Lockwood Freeman when he was struck by a truck on Coleman Boulevard near the docks his family helped build nearly 50 years ago. “It still feels like a dream — I had just talked to him that morning,” Freeman said. “We were meeting at my boat and he wasn’t there, and I knew something had happened. I sat on my boat for 15 minutes and then I went up to an officer and he said Wayne was involved in the accident.” The incident involving the 67-year-old shrimper occurred Friday around 10 a.m. near the intersection of Coleman Boulevard and Mill Street when a truck turned at the intersection and struck Magwood, according to a report by the Mount Pleasant Police Department. >click to read< 16:15
Police: Truck driver ‘distraught,’ didn’t realize he’d hit local shrimper – Police have released new details on the tragic circumstances surrounding an accident that left Lowcountry shrimper Capt. Wayne Magwood dead. >click to read<
Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” pens heartfelt note after Lowcountry shrimp boat captain’s death
On Friday morning, Lowcountry shrimp boat Captain Wayne Magwood passed away after being hit by a car on Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. Magwood, the captain of The Winds of Fortune, once appeared on the hit TV show called Dirty Jobs with host Mike Rowe in Season 2 of the show. “Deadliest Catch was not yet a thing, and most Captains of any respectable fishing vessel would never allow a camera crew aboard. But Captain Magwood was game. He loved his boat, loved his home, and loved his job – all of which was made obvious to me on the day we spent together,” Rowe said.,,, The Winds of Fortune – I met Captain Wayne Magwood in 2005, back when he welcomed me aboard The Winds of Fortune, a shrimp boat that plied the waters off Shem Creek in South Carolina. We were shooting the second season of Dirty Jobs, and I wanted to do a story on the shrimp industry. >click to read< 18:00
Seafood Trade Relief Program: USDA tweaks farm assistance program to fund fishermen hurt by U.S. China trade war
Jeremy Leighton is a dive fisherman based in Ketchikan. But it’s not just geoduck fishermen. Frances Leach heads up United Fishermen of Alaska, a fishing industry group. “China seems to be one of the biggest markets for a lot of our seafood products in Alaska. And not just buying them for consumption, but also processing. We send a lot of seafood over to China to be processed,” Leach said. Now, Leighton and thousands of other U.S. fishermen could be eligible for a new program designed to help fishermen hurt by the tariff on seafood. It’s an Agriculture Department initiative called the Seafood Trade Relief Program. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said it’s a new twist on an old trade war strategy. “There have been long standing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that provide relief to farmers, when their products exported are hit with retaliatory tariffs,” Sullivan said. >click to read< 10:21
Georgia: Impacts of Coronavirus pandemic on selling shrimp
It’s been three months since the start of shrimp season. Back in June, a McIntosh County shrimp boat captain said his first catch could have been better. Shrimp boats hit the Georgia waters early in the morning Thursday. Darrell Gale said he’s had average catches, but when it comes time to selling the shrimp, that’s where he’s struggling. >video, click to read< 10:07
Where is the Jenny? Exhibit tells story of famed Beaufort shrimp boat from ‘Forrest Gump’
Tom Boozer knows almost everything about the shrimp boat that was plucked from Beaufort waters more than 25 years ago and set on a course for Hollywood fame. Everything, that is, except where the vessel is now. The 55-foot trawler Miss Sherri, then owned by Beaufort shrimper Jimmie Stanley, became the Jenny as christened by actor Tom Hanks’ character in the smash hit “Forrest Gump,” filmed in Beaufort.,, McIntyre and Boozer didn’t know what became of the trawler. The boat had been rumored to be sinking in the water where it was displayed and the men feared it had been removed and scrapped. But a Planet Hollywood spokeswoman said the Jenny still lives. >photos, links, click to read< 08:48
North Carolina Fisheries Association is working on relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Laura in the Gulf
Doug Cross of Pamlico Packing and Meade Amory are working on accumulating seafood and other items that will be trucked to Amory Seafood in Virginia and Evans Seafood in Washington NC. Thanks to NCFA Board member Ross Butler, a semi from True North Seafood will pick up the items and transport it to Louisiana. >click to read< 17:49
The Coast Guard has launched ‘Operation Bubba Gump’. No, seriously!
Besides an awesome name and a tribute to one of the finest fictional soldiers to ever serve, Operation Bubba Gump is a joint state and federal effort to protect and enforce fishing regulations in the waters off of South Carolina and Georgia that the service kicked off last week. Nine different Coast Guard units partnered with South Carolina and Georgia’s Departments of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement to patrol both state and federal waterways, according to a Coast Guard release. >click to read< 08:49
Good Morning! We celebrate our eighth birthday today.
Good Morning! It’s our birthday today. We’ve calculated some statistics from the back side of the website, to give a little insight Into the past eight years. In the past eight years, we’ve had 8,186, 234 visits. Our best day ever, 72, 221! We’ve posted 27, 725 posts, which are trails to articles collected daily, inventoried, categorized, and shared around the globe. We have tried to provide an accurate snapshot of the industry, continuously updated, daily, for eight years, which is ninety six months, and an average of 289 posts per month, which comes up to 9.6 posts per day, as an average day. We have posted 839 pages, (example), this, and this, and this, submitted from fishermen, former fishermen and industry representatives from around the world. This is the page with our first four posts on our first day. We have so many people to thank, including one gentleman that never forgets us, and Cousin Patty. We will pay you back someday! Thank you! Carol, and Bore-head 007. Time to set out for our first tow of the day! 08:15
The Judge has ruled! NMFS must list the North Atlantic Right Whale entanglement facts on paper. Case Closed!
Judge Boasberg has ruled! A new accurate ESA analysis has been ordered by next June. The National Marine Fisheries Service just needs to put the lobster entanglement facts on paper and it’s “Case Closed” Not only was there an unusual mortality event in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The Right Whales stopped reproducing. Basically the whales moved up into the South West Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 2015 and took the crab fishermen by surprise and also they set up feeding on copious copepods at the mouth of the St Lawrence River where the Spring flood of nutrients kicks off phytoplankton blooms. Unfortunately this is directly under a shipping lane used solely by cruise ships who traveled at night starting at the end of April.,, by Jim O’Connell, >click to read< 20:26
Coast Guard removes fishing vessel from St. Mary’s inlet, GA
The vessel posed a hazard to the marine environment and was an imminent threat to obstruct passage of the navigation channel. As the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville federalized the response using the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Over 500 gallons of oily water was pumped from the vessel, and contractors successfully removed the vessel and debris from the water. The Coast Guard completed pollution mitigation and removal efforts for the fishing vessel F/V Phuong Mai in St. Mary’s Inlet Georgia, Friday. >click to read< 15:42
The Coast Guard rescued two men after their fishing vessel ran aground in St Mary’s Inlet, Thursday., more, >click here<
Opinion: Been a lot about the Observer Program out there lately. My question is, why are they needed?!!
When our boats come to unload their catch, NOAA people are there to report their landings, and if they caught too much haddock, cod or flounder, or other species that are not allowed, the owner could face a fine. Of course, Electronic monitoring is an alternative to that. This would show what they caught each and every tow, thus not needing an observer that many can’t afford, and second it should be a NOAA financial obligation, not placed on our fishermen. There are so few of them left. There is a lot to think about, but the bottom line is, it should be a financial obligation of the government to harvest the government required data. Thank You, Sam Parisi, Gloucester 19:15
Crabber combines old methods with social media to sell his catch
Every morning, just as the sun rises over the marsh, Trevon Baum motors his aging boat named Bubba down a canal to Buzzard Bay on his way to catch crabs. He props his smart phone up on a bushel basket lid at the bow of the boat so nearly 2,500 friends can watch on Facebook live. “I get my orders as I am out working.” Fans watch him as he stands at his rudder stick and guides the boat to 150 crab pots, boxed-shaped wire traps that rest on the bottom. “I’m building a clientele,” he said. photo gallery, >click to read< 18:04
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for August 21, 2020
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< 09:08
Coast Guard rescues 2 fishermen from vessel aground in St. Mary’s Inlet
The Coast Guard rescued two men after their fishing vessel ran aground in St Mary’s Inlet, Thursday. A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and hoisted the two men to safety. Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received notification via phone at approximately 12:15 a.m. from the daughter of one of the men aboard the fishing vessel F/V Phuong Mai, stating that the 50-foot fishing vessel ran aground. >click to read< 11:50
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for August 14, 2020
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<20:00
SCRUB OBSERVERS ON FISHING TRIPS!
From all indications, on August 14, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration commercial fishing monitors will be back looking for a journey unless NOAA steps in and waives the requirement for data-collecting observers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information human observers collect can be temporarily gathered through electronic surveillance, but a momentary waiver has to come directly through your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative in Washington. Let them know as soon as possible because if you don’t email or call them now, don’t think anyone else is going to do this for you. >click to read< 08:11
Researchers find chemical toxins from personal care products in stranded N.C. and Fla. dolphins and whales
A group of Florida researchers have discovered chemical toxins used in some personal care products in stranded dolphins and whales. The study, led by Florida Atlantic University (FAU), examined five toxicants in blubber tissues of 83 dolphins and whales in North Carolina and Florida from 2012 to 2018. This included triclosan,,, “When dolphins and whales eat fish with concentrations of the chemicals, the toxic elements enter their bodies. “Dolphins eat a variety of fish and shrimp in these marine environments and so do humans.” >click to read< 13:00
A Letter to NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver about the resumption of Observer coverage
Mr. Oliver. Recently you sent out an announcement about the resumption of Observer coverage set to begin on August 14th in fisheries where coverage had been suspended due to the Corona virus outbreak for the last 5 months. Personally I find your reasons for the resumption of observer coverage to be not only reckless, but dangerous to the health and safety of the American fishermen who make their living from the sea.,, Yet you, in your infinite bureaucratic knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, think that at this time it is vitally important that observers be placed on fishing vessels where they can endanger the health of not only the crewmen but their families. Interestingly, you have not put your own employees at risk. You have cancelled trawl survey’s for the remainder of this year so as not to risk their exposure to this lethal disease. This despite the fact that the NOAA trawl survey vessels are state of the art, and their crew could actually be quarantined before a trip to assure their safety. I’m sure they would be happy to collect two weeks of pay for sitting around watching TV somewhere. >click to read< 15:05
Recreational fishers file lawsuit against State of N.C, and commercial shrimpers
After following this story for over a year, Recreational fishermen are suing North Carolina and commercial shrimpers, accusing them of diminishing fishing populations in the Pamlico Sound.,, The fishers said once the lawsuit is served to the state and shrimpers, they’ll have 21 days to respond. WNCT reached out to North Carolina’s Dept. of Environmental Equality, The State Division of Marine Fisheries, and The North Carolina Fisheries Association. All have declined to speak at this time. >click to read< 15:11
Coronavirus Uncertainties: NOAA Cancels Four Fisheries and Ecosystem Surveys for 2020
Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique challenges those are creating for NOAA Fisheries, we are cancelling four research surveys off the East and Gulf Coast of the United States. The cancelled surveys include: Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey (NEFSC), Summer Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (NEFSC), Northern Shrimp Survey (NEFSC), Summer and Fall Plankton Survey (SEFSC). These are difficult decisions for the agency as we strive to balance our need to maintain core mission responsibilities with the realities and impacts of the current health crisis. >click to read< 18:33
