Daily Archives: November 26, 2016
Statute Unveiled – Brixham honours fishermen lost at sea
A statue to honour those lost at sea has been unveiled at one of the UK’s last fishing ports after a decade of fundraising. It took residents in Brixham, Devon, 10 years to raise the £76,000 needed. Artist Elizabeth Hadley was commissioned to create the bronze life-size Man and Boy statue. Eighty-three British commercial fishermen died in the past decade at sea, according to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Victoria Bowen, who helped fundraise said: “It’s a high-risk industry and it’s important people remember what these guys face when they are bringing home what they call ‘the silvery harvest’.” Read the rest here with 19:00
Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology respond to sunken vessel in Westport, Wash.
Coast Guard and Washington State Department of Ecology crews responded to a 41-foot vessel that sank at the Westport Marina, Friday. Coast Guard Incident Management Division personnel, from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, are monitoring salvage and clean up efforts as Ballard Marine Construction response contractors start to remove fuel from the vessel Saturday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard 13th District Command Center in Seattle received a notification at 12:52 a.m., Friday, from the emergency position indicating radio beacon aboard the vessel Charlotte. A crew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor investigated the location of the beacon and found the sunken vessel, while watchstanders were able to contact the vessel owner and confirm they were safe elsewhere. Read the rest here 16:56
N.C. Commercial fishermen needed to help clean up fishing gear in coastal waters
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is currently accepting applications from commercial fishermen interested in assisting with an on-water cleanup of lost fishing gear from coastal waters. To qualify, watermen must have a valid Standard Commercial Fishing License and guarantee availability for work during the period of Jan. 18 through Feb. 7. They must also attend a mandatory training session to learn general project protocol and how to use project equipment. Compensation is $400 per boat, per day. Each boat is required to have two people onboard for safety reasons. In some locations, more than one week of work could be possible for those accepted to this program. Read the rest here, including contact info 15:04
Dumping Day Update: Weather delays opening
Forecast rain, snow and wind have delayed the opening of the lobster season in southwest Nova Scotia. A decision was made midday Saturday not to go ahead with Monday’s “dumping day” in lobster fishing Areas 33 and 34. Officials will decide on Sunday morning whether Tuesday should be dumping day. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Halifax, Lunenburg and Queens counties because of a low pressure system that’s expected to bring rain and snow over the weekend. Boats piled high with lobster traps in area 34 were to leave the wharves at 6 a.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. Monday in area 33. The province is reminding people who make their living on the water to be safe. Read the rest here 13:35
Crab pots set to drop
Spirits were high at the Crescent City Harbor as fishermen prepared crab pots and loaded gear onto boats Friday. Del Norte’s commercial Dungeness fishery is scheduled to open on time next week despite a delay to the season between according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Local crabbers will be able to drop their pots at 8 a.m. Monday and retrieve their catch starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. “We’re very excited to go fishing after the catastrophe last year,” said Richard Nehmer, who was loading more than 400 crab pots onto his fishing vessel, “Resolution.” “The crab were excellent quality when they did the pre-season quality test,” Nehmer said. “They’re ready to harvest.” Last year’s delay to the crab fishery left many in the industry, including local fisherman Mike Diehl, struggling to make ends meet. “Right now I’m six months behind in rent,” Diehl said. “I used to have a pickup truck and a couple cars; I’ve had to sell off most of that stuff. I’ve pretty much been living without any heat in the house for the last four or five months, which was OK until this last month. There’s no money to be spent on anything; no Christmas, reduced birthdays.” Read the story here 11:16
Prospect of “China” fisheries deal still of great concern for Bahamians
Since Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister V. Alfred Gray gave permission for Bahamian Ambassador to China Paul Andy Gomez to discuss further a $2.1 billion proposal for an agriculture/fisheries project with the Chinese government, the matter has been a hot topic in the country. The proposal, if approved would allow the Bahamas government to lease up to a total of 10,000 acres of crown land in Andros to 100 companies owned 50-50 by Bahamians and the Chinese. On social media and openly in public it is clear that this proposal has not struck home well, and as a result ‘Black Friday Marches’ have been organized to allow persons to show the growing concern with regard to this proposal that has sparked considerable fear. Grand Bahama resident and politician, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Member of Parliament for East Grand Bahama, K. Peter Turnquest expressed his views to The Freeport News. Read the story here 09:48
Weather may delay opening of lobster season
Rain, snow and wind could delay the opening of the lobster season in southwest Nova Scotia. Lobster Fishing Areas 33 and 34 are expected to make a decision about whether to go ahead with Monday’s “dumping day” late Saturday morning. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Halifax, Lunenburg and Queens counties because of a low pressure system that’s expected to bring rain and snow over the weekend. But if the weather is fine, boats piled high with lobster traps in LFA 34 will leave the wharves at 6 a.m. and in LFA 33, at 7 a.m. Whether or not fishermen will be setting their traps on Monday, the province is reminding people who make their living on the water to be safe. Read the rest here 08:52
Carlos ‘Codfather’ Rafael, Bristol County sheriff’s deputy seek seperate trials
New Bedford fishing kingpin Carlos Rafael and the Bristol County sheriff’s deputy indicted as Rafael’s co-defendant each are seeking to be tried separately in U.S. District Court in Boston. Rafael, known widely as “The Codfather” because of his vast New Bedford fishing assets and waterfront holdings, and Antonio M. Freitas, the Bristol County deputy sheriff, are scheduled to stand trial together on Jan. 9. Attorneys for both men filed separate motions with the court earlier this week to sever the cases. The motions also seeks to have the court try each defendant separately, each claiming the other’s statements to law enforcement officials would injure their own cases if tried together. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. “A joint trial presents a serious risk of compromising Mr. Rafael’s Sixth Amendment confrontation rights in light of incriminating evidence made to law enforcement by Mr. Freitas,” William Kettlewell, Rafael’s defense attorney, wrote in his motion to U. S. District Court Judge William Young. “Moreover, severance in this case would not be administratively burdensome as the defendants are jointly named in only one of 28 counts alleged in the indictment.” Read the story here 08:14
