Daily Archives: July 21, 2016
Once-bountiful scallop fishery collapses as oil leak persists in Newfoundland bay
The oil has been seeping for about three years — sometimes in drops, sometimes leaving large slicks — fouling a scenic area in western Newfoundland once known for its scallop fishing. Concerned residents near Shoal Point in Port au Port Bay have tried everything from news releases to photos and video of the bubbling leak from an abandoned exploration well, trying to spur a permanent fix. “If there was a leak in St. John’s harbour, the coast guard would probably jump on it within hours,” said Bob Diamond of the Port au Port Bay Fishery Committee. What is certain is that the scallop fishery, a once crucial economic driver in the area, has collapsed over the last three years, he said in an interview. Read the story here 20:48
All in a day’s work – dragging on the ‘Kestrel’ catching fluke and sea bass in the Sound
Wanna know what it’s like to go on a fishing trip with me, but you don’t spot any rods or reels (except a huge one with nets and chain on it)? Well, if you have ever stopped at Bacci’s Lobster Landing for the world’s best lobster roll, you have looked across the dock and have seen the bow of the Kestrel, a modest craft capable of catching enormous amounts of fish. Of course, you won’t see enormous amounts of fish because by the time you’ve taken your first bite of the roll, Capt. Doug Pogany has already delivered his catch to the market in New London. Sometimes he goes to Hunt’s Point, which has replaced the Fulton Fish Market; when that’s closed, he travels to New London To see the whole operation, you’d have to do what I did: Get up at 3:30 a.m., Read the story here 20:06
The Importance of Insurance. Keep you and your boat covered
Boat owners can be liable for more crew injury costs than they might expect. In high risk jobs someone is bound to get hurt or ill on deck. Dillingham attorney Jurgen Jensen explains the importance of insurances and how they can keep the captain and the boat protected. “Injuries are pretty obvious: somebody’s going to get hurt. If you lose a finger, obviously that’s an injury that could happen on the boat, But this can also come up with illnesses. If somebody falls ill with cancer and they’re on your boat fishing, the court will say that you owe maintenance and cure. You will owe for medical bills while they’re getting cured of cancer, and you’ll owe the daily maintenance rate, which generally ranges between $35 and $55 dollars a day.” Maintenance- means the boat owner has to cover room and board while a fisherman recovers from his or her injury. Cure refers to the medical costs accumulated during recovery. Jensen suggests that any boat injury be treated and documented to protect oneself against any future ailment claims from an injured crewman. Audio report, read the rest here 19:29Coast Guard crew assists disabled fishing vessel 100 miles East of Chatham, Mass.
The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma responded Sunday to a disabled fishing vessel 100 nautical miles East of Chatham and continued assistance through Tuesday. At 11:53 a.m. Sunday, a Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England watchstander received a distress call from a crewmember aboard the 62-foot eastern rigged trawler fishing vessel, Challenge. The crewmember reported Challenge was disabled due to engine failure approximately 100 nautical miles East of Chatham near Georges Bank with seven people and 1000 pounds of scallops aboard. At approximately 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, then 170 nautical miles from Challenge, was diverted to offer assistance. The Tahoma crew arrived on scene at 2:30 p.m. Monday and rigged a tow. Link 17:57
The fishermen’s filmmaker
Dave Kaltenbach has been capturing the Viking Village fishing fleet on video and in his art for years. He has several videos he has made on Long Beach Island, including one on the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. His most recent film, “Yesterday’s Fish, Today’s Challenges,” was show at the Lighthouse International Film Festival on Long Beach Island in June. It tells the long history of the fishing port of Barnegat Light, now commonly known as Viking Village. A longtime resident of Barnegat Light, now living in North Carolina, he considers himself the “Filmmaker for the Fisherman,” despite having made movies, documentaries on a variety of subjects, as well as commercial and music videos. “Capt. John Larson got me involved with filming the fishermen 18 years ago,” he said recently. Read the story here 17:23
Proposed “no discharge zone” by Washington State, Commercial vessels would have five years to comply
Boaters and vessel operators would not be able to release sewage, treated or untreated, into Puget Sound under a proposal by Washington state regulators. The Department of Ecology said Thursday, July 21 it and other state agencies petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate the waters of Puget Sound a “no discharge zone” to improve water quality and protect shellfish beds and swimming beaches from harmful bacteria. Critics say the proposal is too broad and will be costly for many who would have to retrofit their vessels to accommodate holding tanks. They say many vessel operators currently use marine sanitation devices to treat sewage before it’s pumped overboard. If approved, the zone would immediately apply to all vessels, with the exception of tugboats, commercial fishing vessels and some boats that would have five years to retrofit their vessels. There are more than 150,000 recreational and commercial vessels in Puget Sound. Read the rest here 17:11
Two fishermen rescued from burning fishing boat in Cook Inlet
Alaska commercial fishermen report a dramatic rescue in Cook Inlet early Thursday. Domnin Martushev said was getting ready to fish for sockeye salmon early this morning when he noticed thick, black smoke pouring out of a nearby vessel. “We knew something was wrong,” Martushev told KTUU by cell phone from the fishing vessel, Player. Matushev and his captain motored toward the burning vessel. Another fishing boat had also come to help but its engine died so it wasn’t able to assist. The Player approached the burning vessel, Winchester. “We went up to the bow and we grabbed the two passengers. We grabbed their hands and tossed them in our boat,” Martushev said. It turned out the smoke was the result of a fire in the engine room, Martushev said. Read the rest here 13:25
Invasive green crab population reaches record high in Shediac Bay
The population of green crabs in Shediac Bay has exploded this year, says Jim Weldon, of the Shediac Bay Watershed Association. Weldon, the green crab project manager, has been monitoring numbers of the aggressive invasive species since 2013. “This is the highest numbers we’ve ever seen,” he said. Weldon attributes the harsh winter of 2014 with keeping numbers at bay last year. “The ice was thick, the crabs that were hibernating in the mud were crushed, the numbers were way down.” The aggressive invasive crustacean can wreak havoc on eelgrass beds that provide shelter to other aquatic life. “They are going to go after the seed populations of mussels, oysters, quahogs and anything that is small enough that they can open.” Read the story here 12:59
When Whitburn fishermen plotted to overthrow the king
Today we recall the time when local fishermen begged to get rid of a man who was making their lives a misery. But he wasn’t just any old chap, as historian Douglas Smith explains, he was the king of England – Henry VIII. “It was the day the fishermen of Whitburn begged a Scottish king to rid them of the English king – a man they blamed for many of the miseries of life in a small fishing village.” The plea for help followed a revolt in 1536, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, against several royal enactments, principally the dissolution of great monasteries and abbeys. Much blame was popularly placed on Thomas Cromwell, chief minister to Henry VIII, who was “the cause of all our miseries and heresies” – according to those behind the rebellion. Two parts, P-1 today, P-2 tomorrow Read the rest here 12:18
Three face shrimping-related charges in Terrebonne
Three Chauvin residents face charges after complaints over the past two weeks about fishermen illegally catching shrimp in Bayou Little Caillou, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 
said. David Blanchard, 35, and his deckhand Ellis Gilling, 35, were cited Wednesday on charges of taking commercial fish without a commercial license, failing to comply with bait dealer permit regulations and using skimmers in a closed season. Kenneth McDuff, 59, was cited on charges of allowing unlicensed fishermen to use a vessel license and gear license, and failing to comply with bait dealer permit regulations. Agents said they spotted Blanchard and Gilling unloading shrimp from a boat about 1 a.m. and asked to see their licenses. Read the rest here 09:46
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission extends Herring catch limits to prolong catch of lobster bait
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has extended some of Maine’s emergency Atlantic herring restrictions to Massachusetts to try to close a loophole that threatened to derail the summer supply of lobster bait. On Wednesday, the Commission voted 2-1 to cut the number of days that herring boats can land fish each week within its jurisdiction from five to two, with Maine and New Hampshire representatives voting in favor of the landing day reduction and Massachusetts voting against it. Under its emergency rules, Maine had already cut its landing days down to two in an attempt to prolong the availability of fresh herring throughout the lobster season, but boats that fished that area could still land for five days if they sailed to a Massachusetts port such as Gloucester. “Without constraints on the landing (in Massachusetts) we would not make it into August, much less September,” said Terry Stockwell of Maine Department of Marine Resources. Meanwhile, Maine lobstermen are struggling. “The bait freezers are empty,” Stockwell said. And the bait that is available is expensive. Read the story here 09:11
“Make no mistake about it, the Town of East Hampton has sold out commercial fishermen,”
New York is close to approving the state’s first offshore wind farm, hoping to sidestep the controversies that have left other East Coast projects in limbo and the United States’ vast offshore wind capacity untapped. (only in America can the wind become a commodity!) More hyperbole. By contrast, the South Fork proposal appears to have local support, notably in the town of East Hampton, where the wind farm’s transmission lines would connect to land. The town council voted in 2014 to secure a completely carbon-free electricity supply by 2020, followed by transportation and heating in 2030. “The citizens of East Hampton have been visionary about that goal, very vocal in their support for offshore wind,” said Kit Kennedy, the director of the energy and transportation program for the Natural Resources Defense Council. (beware of anyone that calls herself “Kit”) One advantage that South Fork has over Cape Wind: Its 30-mile distance from land means that the turbines will not be visible on the horizon. (because the citizens would be reminded every month of being scammed, when the open they open their electric bills) Read the rest here 08:13
