Monthly Archives: March 2017
China has finally developed a taste for lobster—and it’s keeping Maine fishermen flush with cash
Seafood is a classic luxury item in China. But until recently, people there weren’t big on lobster. The iconic, bright-red crustaceans were known as the “Boston lobster,” and were a rarity compared to other fancy oceanic eats like sea cucumbers or geoduck clams. But the economic boom in China has given the country’s swelling ranks of rich people a chance to expand their culinary horizons. For Maine’s lobster industry, the crustacean craze couldn’t have come at a better time. In 2016, Maine’s lobstermen landed more lobsters than ever in recorded history: 130 million pounds (59,000 tonnes), a haul that weighs as much as three Statues of Liberty. continue reading the article here 19:40
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 86.7′ Steel Stern Trawler, CAT 3508, Lister-30 KW Genset, Price Reduced!
Specifications, information and 26 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 16:52
UPDATED: GOP Kicks Off Effort To Roll Back Obama’s Monument Designations
House lawmakers kicked off their effort to push back against national monuments designations, targeting the large swaths of ocean the Obama administration made off limits to fishing. “I don’t believe the Antiquities Act should have ever been applied to oceans,” Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young said during a Wednesday hearing on marine monument designations. “There was never intent of that.” Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources have long criticized former President Barack Obama’s use of the Antiquities Act to put millions of square miles off limits to commercial fishing with little to no input from locals. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, who couldn’t attend the hearing due to a snow storm, is a Democrat who represents a Massachusetts community dependent on fishing. Mitchell wants to change how national monuments are designated to include more local input. Mitchell was not a fan of Obama unilaterally designating the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in September. continue reading the story here 16:02
Fishing Industry Tells Committee Regulations Go Too Far – Allegations of bad science and lobbying by overzealous environmentalists dominated talks on marine sanctuary and monument designations during a Congressional hearing Wednesday. Read the story here 18:02
“They (seals) are destroying the crab stocks.” – Bearded seal harvested with a belly full of snow crab in Green Bay
Baie Verte native Danny Dicks recently harvested a bearded seal (square flipper seal) with 181 identifiable female and two male crabs in its stomach. The seal weighed between 200-300 pounds and measured approximately seven feet long. The Pilot spoke with Danny’s brother, Deon about the seal and what it was eating. “Bearded seals are not as common as the harp seals that are usually harvested,” Deon said. “They are much larger and can dive down in the deep water for crab and I’ve even seen them with rocks in their bellies.” “The females are needed to produce,” Deon said. “They (seals) are destroying the crab stocks.” Link 15:21
No sanctuary for fishermen
Sanctuaries are designated areas intended to provide a safe haven and protection. But for the watermen of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding tributaries, the word “sanctuary” is more often associated with anguish. So when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries initiated the designation process for Mallows Bay – Potomac River on October 7 of 2015, the watermen of the Potomac River began to grow wary of their future. On February 1, an assorted group of commercial fishermen from all across the Northern Neck of Virginia met with Maryland commercial fishermen at Mundy Point at Pride of Virginia Seafood and Trucking, Inc. to form together as the newly named Potomac River Working Watermen Association (PRWWA). One month later, on March 2, they held their second meeting to discuss their plan of action in opposition of the Mallows Bay – Potomac River sanctuary proposal. continue reading the story here 14:35
Lifeboat called to boat hit by ‘freak wave’ off Shetland
A crab fishing boat with eight crew on board lost power after it was struck by a large wave 40 miles (64.3 km) north west of Sumburgh in Shetland. The wave that hit the Edward Henry on Tuesday night broke windows and swept the boat’s skipper, Piotr Wrublennski, across the inside of the wheelhouse. Mr Wrublennski said the “freak wave” knocked out electronic devices. The skipper was able to alert the coastguard and Aith Lifeboat was launched to go to the aid of the boat. It was possible to start the engine again and the Edward Henry arrived in Scalloway at 07:00 on Wednesday for repairs. continue reading the story here 13:00
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing boat 38 miles west of Egmont Key
The Coast Guard medevacked a fisherman Tuesday from a commercial fishing boat 38 miles west of Egmont Key. At 6:10 p.m. watch standers from Sector St. Petersburg received a VHF-FM marine band radio call from the captain of the commercial fishing vessel Miss Brianna, stating he suffered an injury to his leg and was in need of emergency medical attention. A flight surgeon was notified and recommended the man be medevacked. Video, click here 12:15
Fisherman badly burned in Jersey Shore rental house explosion files lawsuit
As he reached to turn on a light switch in the Point Pleasant Beach house he was renting in 2015, Kurt Wagner saw a spark, and then the small cottage exploded. Wagner, who authorities say suffered burns on 40 to 50 percent of his body, is now suing the owner of the cottage for injuries and property he lost in the blast that destroyed the home. Wagner spent 31 days in the burn unit at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Epstein said. He said Wagner missed work and was unable to return to the commercial fishing job he had prior to the explosion. Epstein said Wagner had just returned to the Crooks Lane cottage after a three-day fishing trip. He awoke shortly before 2 a.m. to the smell of gas and went to turn on a light in the bathroom of the cottage. continue reading the story here 11:03
4 men charged in $1M Canada Day lobster heist
Four men have been charged in the theft of $1 million worth of lobster in northern New Brunswick company on Canada Day, say RCMP. Police believe the lobster theft is connected to a larger crime ring targeting cargo shipments in Quebec and New Brunswick, Cpl. Alice Desroches said in a news release on Tuesday. On July 1, a transport truck was stolen from Eco-Technologies Ltd. in Caraquet, N.B., said Desroches. The truck was then used to steal a refrigerated unit filled with frozen lobster from LeBreton and Sons Fisheries Ltd. in Grand-Anse, N.B., she said. continue reading the story here 10:27
Op-ed: Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission applauded for following the science
Serving on one of Oregon’s independent commissions is often a thankless job. We owe our thanks to Oregonians who do so. It’s not easy when the issues are complex and contentious. They don’t get any more complex or contentious than fish allocation on the Columbia River. That’s why I applaud the January decision of the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission and take exception to unfounded criticism from some politicians and special interests groups. Commissioners followed the science and Oregon law with respect to both the 2012 Kitzhaber Columbia River plan and their duties as members of an independent commission.,, This plan merely takes harvested fish away from commercial fishing families who fish for all consumers and gives harvest opportunities to sport fishermen who can get out on the Columbia to catch their own fish. read the op-ed here 08:59
The Deliciously Fishy Case of the “Codfather”
The fake Russians met the Codfather on June 3, 2015, at an inconspicuous warehouse on South Front Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Codfather’s lair is a green and white building with a peaked roof, fishing gear strewn across a fenced-in backyard, and the words “Carlos Seafood” stamped above the door. The distant gray line of the Atlantic Ocean is visible behind a towering garbage heap. In the 19th century, New Bedford’s sons voyaged aboard triple-masted ships in pursuit of sperm whales; now they chase cod, haddock, and scallops. Every year, more than $350 million worth of seafood passes through this waterfront, a significant slice of which is controlled by the Codfather, the most powerful fisherman in America’s most valuable seafood port. Big Read! continue reading the story here 07:56
Mitchell set to testify to Congress about impact of marine monument this morning
Weather permitting, Mayor Jon Mitchell on Wednesday will be in Washington giving testimony to Congress about an underwater marine monument which former President Obama created with a stroke of the pen in 2016 over the protests of the fishing community. The spans nearly 5,000 square miles 150 miles off Cape Cod, and it was hailed by environmentalists for preserving enormous underwater mountains and vast, deep canyons only now being explored. Three years earlier, an underwater remotely-operated vehicle sent back pictures of incredible life forms and geological features. The NRDC was among the leaders of many organizations that jumped at the opportunity to preserve the monument against human activity, fishing in particular. read the rest here 07:18
Fishery fund ‘biggest sellout’: Paul Davis says Ball government gave up $300M
The Progressive Conservatives are calling an Atlantic fisheries fund that will direct $100-million to Newfoundland and Labrador a sellout. “It’s the biggest sellout in the history of the fishery,” said Opposition Leader Paul Davis who went on the attack in question period in the House of Assembly Tuesday. “This is nothing but a sellout to the federal government.” Davis complained that, in the fund announced Friday, the province settled for a fraction of what was contemplated under a trade agreement between Canada and Europe [CETA]. That $400-million dollar fund would have included $280 million from Ottawa, with the rest coming from the province. The money was demanded by the province as the CETA took shape in 2013 to compensate for giving up minimum processing requirements. read the story here 20:00
Oversight Hearing on Examining the Creation and Management of Marine Monuments and Sanctuaries Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:00 AM
Oversight Hearing on: “Examining the Creation and Management of Marine Monuments and Sanctuaries” Click here to read the memo Witnesses and Testimony: Dr. John Bruno Professor, Department of Biology University of North Carolina, Mr. Chett Chiasson Executive Director Greater Lafourche Port Commission, Mr. Brian Hallman Executive Director American Tunaboat Association, The Honorable Jon Mitchell Mayor City of New Bedford Click here @ 10:00am and listen to the hearing. 19:05
We Are Not Pirates, Just Hard Working Fishermen Holding Oil Tanker Crew Hostage For Money
The hijackers who seized an oil tanker and its eight-man crew off Somalia are demanding “compensation” for a rise in illegal fishing in Somali waters. VOA’s Somali service spoke by phone to one of the hijackers Tuesday, a day after men boarded and seized the ship about 30 kilometers off the Somali coast, then anchored off Alula, a town in Somalia’s Puntland region. The hijacker said seven men took part in the raid. He asserted that he and his colleagues are fishermen, not pirates. “We have decided, as local fishermen, to resist illegal fishing. We have taken arms to defend ourselves, and we will continue,” said the man, who declined to give his name and did not suggest any dollar figures. continue reading the story here 18:11
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 13, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 16:01
Elver dealer indicted on charges of buying, selling illegally caught eels
Elver buyer William Sheldon, of Woolwich, faces a seven-count federal indictment on charges alleging he dealt in illegally harvested juvenile eels over a four-year period beginning in 2011. Sitting in Portland, a grand jury on March 1 charged Sheldon with one count of conspiracy, three counts of illegal trafficking in wildlife and three counts of “false labeling” under the federal Lacey Act. If convicted, Sheldon faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 on each count. On Monday, Augusta attorney Walter McKee said his client would enter not guilty pleas at his appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge John H. Rich III currently scheduled for March 30. The indictments arise out of a long-running federal and multistate investigation into illegal elver harvesting — called “Operation Broken Glass.” On April 30, 2014, federal wildlife agents and Maine Marine Patrol officers raided two rooms at Jasper’s Motel on High Street rented by Sheldon to execute a search warrant looking for evidence that he had taken part in the purchase and sale of illegally harvested elvers through his company Kennebec Glass Eels. Read the story here 13:07
‘Deadliest Catch’ Season 13: Tragedy, Drama, And Is It End For Two Captains?
Discovery has announced that the Deadliest Catch Season 13 will be returning on April 11. This is the final season for at least one captain, possibly two. Compound it with the emotional tragedy of the Destination and temperatures that are four degrees warmer than last year, means that keeping focused and finding the crab is tougher than before. Captain Sig Hansen appears to be back, but for how long? Captain Jonathan Hillstrand? It appears that the weather has become dramatically warmer, four degrees warmer than last season. It matters a great deal as any of the previous crab hotspots are now gone. The crab have moved to new, more comfortable locations, and the captains, who are under pressure to achieve quotas, need to use all of their skills and instincts to figure out where the crab are located. Read the story here 12:48
Commercial sockeye fishery faces closure on North Coast
If the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were using a Magic 8 Ball to determine the future of sockeye salmon fishery in the Skeena the answer would be — Outlook Not So Good. Early forecasts for sockeye salmon are poor and there is a possibility there won’t be a commercial fishery for the year. “We’re facing a really challenging year,” said Colin Masson, DFO’s area director for the North Coast. The forecasts are based on the sockeye that went to sea in 2014 and 2015, as well as the number of sockeye jacks, the premature fish who return a year early. Both indicators suggest the outlook is not good. For DFO to plan commercial fisheries, the total return of sockeye has to be greater than 1.05 million. continue reading the story here 10:50
Crew member fights for life as 3 still missing in Irish Coast Guard helicoper
Hopes are fading for the survival of four crew members of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter missing off the west of Ireland, the head of the rescue service said. One crew member was pulled from the Atlantic, in a critical condition, as an intense search continued for three others off the Co Mayo coast – around six miles (10km) west of Blacksod. The Dublin-based Sikorsky S92, which was providing cover for another helicopter involved in an early-morning rescue operation, lost contact at around 1am on Tuesday. Eugene Clonan, acting director of the Irish Coast Guard, confirmed the crew member found in the water at around 7am is fighting for their life. “We don’t hold out much hope for that person,” he said. “And indeed, at this particular point in time, hopes are fading of finding the remainder of the crew.” continue reading the story here 10:16
EU snow crab fishermen illicitly expelled from Barents Sea and Svalbard
Approximately 19 large boats from several EU countries remain tied up in port out of fear of being arrested for fishing snow crab in the Barents Sea and Svalbard waters. This is due to some being arrested by the Norwegian authorities who refuse to recognise the legitimate right of EU vessels to sustainable and legally operate in this specific area. Despite EU vessels being authorised to fish for snow crab in the Barents Sea and Svalbard waters since 2013, a recent Norwegian court ruling has declared Norwegian restrictions illegitimate and contrary to the international obligations undertaken by Norway. Javier Garat, president of Europêche, explained: “The legal fishery conducted by EU fishermen has been harshly interrupted, forcing EU authorised crabber vessels to remain at ports, while Norwegian vessels continue catching snow crab.” continue reading the story here 09:16
Maryland’s DNR chief won’t say why he fired longtime manager of crab program
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Secretary Mark J. Belton on Monday offered lawmakers no explanation for why he fired the longtime manager of the state’s crab program days after watermen complained to Gov. Larry Hogan about the employee. Belton repeatedly declined to justify the dismissal during a joint hearing with the House and Senate environmental committees, as Democratic lawmakers questioned whether the termination of , a 28-year state employee, was politically motivated. “Isn’t it true that since you couldn’t give these watermen what they wanted by changing crab policy, you gave them something else — Brenda Davis’s job?” asked Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George’s).Belton, who said he could not comment on personnel matters, said that critics were “trying to make connections where there are none” and that Hogan (R) had nothing to do with the dismissal. “It was my decision, and my decision alone,” he said. continue reading the story here 08:22
Steelheaders call for Buckmaster’s removal from fish commission
In the latest development in the feud between sports anglers and commercial fishermen over the use of gillnets in the lower Columbia River, a sports angling group is petitioning the governor to remove a state fish and wildlife commissioner who voted with three others to continue to allow the practice in late January. The Association of Northwest Steelheaders submitted a petition last week signed by nearly 6,000 people calling on Gov. Kate Brown to remove Commissioner Bruce Buckmaster. Buckmaster, a Brown appointee, has served on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission since 2015. Detractors argued at the time he was a lobbyist for the commercial gillnetting industry, a claim which Buckmaster denied. continue reading the article here 21:08
New England’s Wild Fish Oil – Skate liver oil could boost fishing industry
Two engineers showed up at the Chatham Fish Pier a few winters ago and struck up a conversation with some fishermen who were unloading their catch. Steve Daly and Bill Hannabach asked for some of the fish because they were doing research for a new business venture. The fishermen obliged and the men took home totes with a variety of species. “You have two rubes from out of town. They could have easily said get out of here,” said Daly with a grin. “They didn’t know what we were doing. We could have been making fertilizer, we could have been making pottery.” This week Daly and Hannabach were once again at a Cape Cod dock, this time at Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich, with some of the same fishermen they had met when they first began experimenting with everything from monkfish to dogfish. But now they had with them the results of their foray into the fishing industry, their first product, MassOMEGA: New England’s Wild Fish Oil, set to be launched today and almost totally made from winter skate brought in by local fishermen. continue reading the story here 17:42
Independent Kodiak Fisherman Addresses his Concerns to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Jim Balsiger
Dear Jim & Secretary Ross, Thank you, once again, for a response to my letters (19 October, 2016) re Trawl violations in the Gulf of Alaska. I appreciated the website reference(NOAA OLE Enforcement-Actions) that allowed review of the NOVA and/or NOPS cases concluded before June 30, 2016. I await review of the February report, as well. Obviously, since my letters and your responses, the NPFMC December session indefinitely postponed or tabled the GOA Trawl Bycatch program drafting. One can only hope this matter of privatizing the groundfish which causes an extremely negative effect on other species (and fish segments) —such as halibut, and crab recovery in the GOA— has seen its end.,, Had it not been for congressional end-runs of former Senator Ted Stevens, two key things would not have happened. Read the letter here Ludger W. Dochtermann 16:52
N.J.’s ocean canyons: Will these treasures be preserved like national parks?
Because about 75 to 100 miles off the coast of New Jersey — where the continental shelf divides shallow coastal waters and the deep sea — a tale of two canyons is in play involving these geological hot spots. The Baltimore Canyon and the Hudson Canyon, both considered national treasures, are among about 70 such areas along the Mid-Atlantic coastline that are prized by fishermen for their rich species diversity and abundance of marine life. “The canyons are where the fish are … they’re important resources that support our fisheries,” said Michael Luisi, chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, a Dover, Del.-based fishery management group representing the interests of commercial fishermen from New York to North Carolina. “By blocking this designation, the fishing industry is being selfish and only hurting themselves in the long run,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. Read the story here 13:30
Coast Guard medevacs 2 men from fishing vessel off Panama City
The Coast Guard medevaced two men from a commercial fishing vessel approximately 50 miles offshore of Panama City, Florida, Friday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report of two injured crewmembers aboard the fishing vessel Capt. Gorman III at about 7:00 p.m. A 50-year-old male suffered lacerations near his left eye and right hand, and a 55-year-old male suffered a laceration to his neck. Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, who hoisted the patients and transported them to Bay Medical Sacred Heart in Panama City. The cause of the incident is under investigation. link 12:29
Shrimp fishermen facing catch crisis
Shrimp fishermen in parts of northern Norway are reporting their worst winter ever, with catches down by between 50 and 75 per cent. Some say that if the situation continues they may be forced to sell their vessels and turn to something new. It is not just Norway which has problems. Some areas on the north east coast of Canada are also reporting a sharp decline in shrimp stocks. One prawn fisherman Lynne Prudence Sjåvik , based in Helgeand region, told the northern office of the state broadcaster NRK that for every year that passes the situation just seems to he get worse. Read the rest of the story here 11:25
Destination crew remembered at 89th “Blessing of the Fleet” ceremony
It’s been one month and one day since the Destination mysteriously disappeared in Alaskan waters. The Seattle-based crabbing boat went missing in the Bering Sea and all six crew members with it. On Sunday, the fishing community marked its 89th “Blessing of the Fleet” at Seattle’s Fisherman’s Terminal. Lutheran ministers raised a flag above a boat named St. Anthony and wished safe passage for all who risk their lives at sea. However, it was Destination that was on the minds of many people who attended. “I come to the blessing every year,” Laurel Schultz of Gig Harbor said. Schultz’s cousin worked on a crab boat and was lost at sea in 1989. “I’m drawn to this every year because it’s a powerful experience. It brings together a group of people who care about fishermen and women,” Schultz said. Video, photo’s, read the story here 10:00
Flying Wild Alaska – Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak
Air Station Kodiak, Alaska is a place that many may have seen on television and in movies. Air Station Kodiak has featured regularly in the Weather Channel show Coast Guard Alaska over the last several years, and was also a central focus for the movie “The Guardian” starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. But to those assigned Air Station Kodiak, it is much more. The true beauty of Alaska, or Kodiak island specifically, is hard to explain. Yet to some, the Coast Guard Air Station, it’s aircraft, rescue swimmers and pilots, are often the last bastion of hope for many that call the Kodiak area, the Aleusian islands that head southwest in a chain that stretches towards Russia or many of the other isolated Alaskan wilderness inside the massive service area covered by Coast Guard Air Station Alaska home. continue reading the story here 09:04
