Daily Archives: November 22, 2015
North-east boat that sank and killed three fishermen had fatal flaw on deck
Investigators probing a trawler disaster which left three fishermen dead found a fatal flaw on the deck of the vessel. A survey of the wreck of the Ocean Way revealed ports designed to allow water to drain away were not big enough to stop it being swamped by the sea. The 55ft Fraserburgh-registered vessel capsized and sank in bad weather off the north-east coast of England. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has now released its report,, Read the article here 17:58
Fate of shrimp fishery will be decided soon
Fishermen wondering whether there will be a shrimp season this winter won’t have long to wait for an answer. On Monday, Dec. 7, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel will meet in Portsmouth, N.H., to decide whether boats from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will be allowed to this winter. Last year, the regulators imposed a moratorium on fishing because scientists said the shrimp stock was on the verge of collapse. Read the article here 13:18
Barry “Baz” Kirk didn’t take to school life but when he went fishing, a new world opened before him.
TAKING in the sight of an engine room awash does wonders for your awareness of safety at sea. Barry “Baz” Kirk was 17 when it happened to him. “We were between Portland Island and Table Cape, on a big old ex-Scottish trawler called the Golden Grain,” he said. “I’d gone to bed and the skipper, Bruce Cordiner, had taken the boat. When I woke up I went upstairs to see where we were, and Bruce said we were sinking. I thought he was joking until he told me to go down to the engine room, and I saw the bilge was full of water!” That incident 35 years ago resonates with Baz’s later work with Coastguard and Maritime New Zealand. Read the article here 12:31
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, November 22, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 11:30
Seal tannery coming to Fleur de Lys
Plans are underway for a new seal tannery in the Newfoundland community of Fleur de Lys. The company PhocaLux is presently constructing the tannery, and has asked government for an environmental assessment. Once that approval comes through in December, general manager Shannon Lewis said the tannery should be operating by the next day. They also want to expand their oil processing facility. “We’re not just a fur industry, we’re not just a oil industry, we’re not just a meat industry,” said Lewis. “Our plan is to make sure we’re utilizing the full animal,,, Read the article here 11:09
Oceana, fishers and scientists differ on heavy anchovy declines
“Sea lions rely on forage fish for survival. But years of overfishing have put this important food source in jeopardy,” Ushkowitz narrates while underwater footage shows her swimming through kelp. “Join Oceana and help protect forage fish in the Pacific. … We need to stop this and replenish.” The West Coast’s leading fishery scientists, however, disagree. They believe the fish are most likely enduring natural population fluctuations and are on the cusp of making a big comeback. Oceana, a nonprofit advocacy organization favored by celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio,,, Read the article here 09:40
Interview – “Counting Fish” – Don Cuddy tells how the film came about
“Counting Fish” a new documentary by Don Cuddy, profiles the work of Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, researcher at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, in his efforts to improve the way scientists assess fish stocks. Stokesbury drags a net with an open end, which fish swim through. As the fish pass out of the net, cameras record them. Scientists can then identify fish by their images. This allows for longer tows – as much two hours at a time – and the fish are not killed by the process. Listen to the interview here 08:47
