Daily Archives: April 11, 2016
Officials work to remove capsized boat near Ventura Harbor
A boat remained partially submerged at the mouth of the Ventura Harbor on Monday after hitting the south end of the jetty while returning from a fishing expedition late Sunday night. Most of the 50-foot-long fishing vessel sank in shallow waters after hitting rocks along the jetty. Three people were rescued from the boat and one of them may have required medical care because of hypothermia, Brian Pendleton, business operations officer for the Ventura Port District, said on Monday as he stood on a balcony outside his office and looked across the harbor to the shipwrecked vessel. Read the rest here, 4 photo’s 19:56
Federal fishery disaster money eased Alaska salmon fishery failures, but only for some
The federal government’s help easing the impact of recent Alaska salmon fishery failures wasn’t enough to provide relief to all the players involved. Alaska initially received nearly $8 million in federal money after declaring a disaster in 2012 due to low king salmon runs on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers and in the Cook Inlet region. That’s according to a new study from the National Marine Fisheries Service, “Many commercial fishery stakeholders may have gotten little benefit from the relief payments because they were made to permit holders and may not have made their way to other key fishery participants,” it said. Those others include the nonpermit holding crew, vessel owners, suppliers of fishing inputs and owners, employees and suppliers of fish processing companies. Read the rest here 18:21
Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival celebrates, blesses a busy fleet
More than 20 vessels on Sunday were blessed by local clergy as part of the Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, continuing a more than 50-year tradition in support of a key economic engine in this small coastal town. However, most commercial fishermen weren’t around to receive such divine words of encouragement. They instead were scrambling to make up for the late start to the Dungeness crab season, which began less than two weeks ago, instead of the typical starting time in mid-November. “Most of the (commercial) guys are fishing today. Video, photo’s, read the article here 16:12
American-Canadian lobster industries digging in for a fight against E.U.lobster import ban
Exactly how 32 American lobsters wound up in Swedish waters isn’t clear. But because some of them were wearing the rubber bands that are put on lobsters’ claws in captivity, many suspect the shellfish had been exported to Europe and then either escaped into the wild or were set free by animal rights activists. Whatever the case, their discovery has set off a high-stakes trade dispute between Sweden on one side and the U.S. and Canada on the other. Sweden has asked the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc, saying the crustaceans could spread disease and overwhelm the smaller European variety by outcompeting them for food. Read the article here 15:40
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 11, 2016
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 15:05
Thursday: Challenges facing New England’s commercial fishing industry topic of public forum at RI College
A panel of government regulators, scientists, environmental advocates and fishermen will try to answer questions about the future of one of New England’s most iconic and important industries at a forum this Thursday. The event, which is free and open to the public, runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at Rhode Island College. The panel will include: John Bullard, regional administrator with NOAA’s Northeast Regional Office; Graham Forrester, professor in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island; Erica Fuller, senior associate attorney with Earth Justice; Matt Tinning, senior director, U.S. Oceans Program, Environmental Defense Fund; David Goethel, captain and owner of the Ellen Diane; Mark Phillips, captain and owner of FV Illusion; and Daniel Georgianna, Chancellor professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Read the rest here 12:40
Fishermen rescued from sinking beam trawler off the County Cork coast
Three fishermen were rescued from a sinking trawler on Sunday evening. The Kinsale RNLI lifeboat was at the scene within five minutes of the alarm being raised and the dramatic rescue was captured on video. All three men, who are Portuguese nationals, were rescued from the water and brought ashore. The Sean Anthony, which is a 20-metre beam trawler, is registered in Skibbereen. Video, read the rest here 11:57
Glasgow diner releases lobster into sea, “I couldn’t just sit there in a restaurant and watch a lobster being murdered.”
A lucky lobster has been saved from a boiling cooking pot at a Glasgow restaurant thanks to a kind-hearted diner. Iain Stewart, from Glasgow, refused to let Mercado Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant cook the crustacean, instead he bought it for £28 and released it back into the wild at Troon beach. The father-of-two posted a video asking viewers to save other lobsters they see awaiting their culinary deaths. He said: “I couldn’t just sit there in a restaurant and watch a lobster being murdered. (I wonder if he picked up the discarded bands!) Video, Read the foolishness here 11:26
2016 Blessing of the Fleet – Tradition in Chauvin draws crowds
Sunny skies and a light breeze greeted local fishermen and their families as they gathered Sunday morning to pray for a safe and bountiful brown-shrimp season at the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Chauvin. The Bayou Little Caillou ceremony kicks off this month’s volley of boat blessings in areas including Dulac, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Montegut and Golden Meadow. A mainstay in these traditional fishing, shrimping and crabbing communities, the Blessing of the Fleet helps ensure the safety and fortune of the fishermen who make their living on the bounties of the sea. Video, Read the rest here 10:40
Quinlan Brothers Bay de Verde fish plant is on fire, prompting evacuation
Firefighters are at a fish plant in Bay de Verde, where an evacuation is affecting half of the eastern Newfoundland fishing community as concerns mount over a large ammonia tank inside the burning building. Hundreds of people in the harbour section of the town have been forced out as of 7 a.m. ET, according to a town official. Bay de Verde Mayor Gerard Murphy told CBC’s St. John’s Morning Show that four fire departments were call in to battle the “massive” fire, which broke out around 5:30 a.m. Monday. Read the rest here 09:11
Magnuson-Stevens – Editorial: At 40, landmark fishery law needs revamping
This Wednesday is the 40th anniversary of the of 1976. Writing on behalf of the At-sea Processors Association, a columnist offers an enthusiastic opinion that the act sets the “gold standard” for U.S. and world fisheries. But it remains a disappointment in a variety of ways. This is perhaps most obvious on the East Coast, where groundfish stocks are a small fraction of what they were in 1976. Fisheries on the West Coast, and the U.S. in general, continue to struggle. Read the editorial here 08:46
Scotland Western Isles – Investigation following the worst local fishing tragedy in 50 years
A major investigation is underway after a crab boat sank off the Western Isles in what has been described as the worst local fishing tragedy for half a century. Two men died and another remains missing after the Stornoway-registered sank off the east coast of Mingulay in the early hours of Saturday. It is believed the four fishermen were asleep in their bunks at anchor, about 12 miles south of Barra, unaware that the vessel was taking on water. The crew abandoned ship onto a life raft – but there were claims last night that it had failed to properly inflate. Read the rest here 08:28
BREAKING – Fishermen rescued after boat capsized in Ventura Harbor
Three fishermen were rescued after their boat capsized in the Ventura Harbor, officials said. Their 50-foot fishing vessel capsized just before 11:00 p.m. Sunday, officials from the Ventura County Fire Department said. The boat was almost entirely submerged at the tip of the south jetty, officials said. The men were the only crew members on board, officials said. Link Will be updated photo, vcairunit 04:17
