Daily Archives: May 23, 2017
Rough seas destroy traps, kill lobster in Cape Breton
The lobster season along some parts of the eastern shore of Cape Breton has taken a devastating turn after getting off to a good start last week. Rough seas caused by heavy north winds damaged hundreds of traps, washing many ashore, according to people in the industry. “It was unreal,” said Glace Bay fisherman Herb Nash, who described it as the worst destruction of fishing gear he has witnessed since the 1970s. He was particularly upset by what he saw along the shoreline between Donkin and Port Morien. “When we walked the beach there were all kinds of spawning lobsters dead on the beach, lobsters broke apart,” he said. click here to read the story 21:34
Sad news: Barnegat Light Scalloper ‘Apparently Fell Overboard’ and Dies in Massachusetts
The Fishermen’s Story Memorial at the tip of Barnegat Light will have another name engraved in memory of commercial fishermen who died in their line of work, this one Pete Benya. “Barnegat Light is again mourning the loss of one of our own,” says the Facebook page of the Fishermen’s Story Memorial Fund. Capt. Pete Benya, 59, died the weekend of Sunday, May 14, when his body was found floating in Saquatucket Harbor, Mass., and later identified, according to the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office. Benya owned the Resolute and had been scalloping out of Barnegat Light for several years.“Pete was making a few trips out of Harwich, Mass., and apparently fell overboard while at the dock,” said representatives from Lighthouse Marina, his home port in Barnegat Light. “He will be sorely missed.” Click here to read the story. 19:33 We extend our deepest condolences to Captain Peter Benya’s loved ones, and his community. Rest in Peace, Captain.
Trial begins to settle $2.8M fishing tourney prize
It started in the open ocean off Maryland last summer and it’s likely to conclude in a federal courtroom in Baltimore. The battle over $2.8 million in prize money from the White Marlin Open fishing tournament went to trial Monday in U.S. District Court. On the line for three New Jersey men is $2.3 million of the pot.Trenton police officer Brian Suschke, Trenton firefighter Rich Kosztyu and Ocean County boat owner Damien Romeo were ecstatic after winning $767,091 for catching a 236.5-pound tuna at the August competition in Ocean City, Md. Then, the friends and fishing partners found out their catch might actually be worth millions. Click here to read the story 17:44
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission rejects NJ’s proposed flounder regulations
The drama surrounding New Jersey’s summer flounder regulations continued Monday, as a regional fisheries management board rejected the state’s adopted regulations for the popular marine catch just days before the fishing season is scheduled to start. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a regional agency that helps set fishing quotas for the 15 East Coast states, found New Jersey’s regulations for the upcoming season were not sufficiently strict to reduce the catches needed to keep the stock healthy and compensate for past years of overfishing. New Jersey’s Marine Fisheries Council adopted those regulations last week, in anticipation that they might be an acceptable compromise. The commission’s rejection means the state is “out of compliance,” a designation that could prompt federal regulators to shut down the entire flounder fishery for recreational and commercial anglers. click here to read the story 15:14
Coast Guard medevacs Fisherman 60 miles east of Atlantic City, NJ
A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Station Atlantic City medevaced a man from a fishing vessel 60 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Monday. Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders in Philadelphia received notification from the 90-foot fishing vessel Settler that a 51-year-old male crewmember was experiencing chest pains at about 8:38 p.m. A helicopter crew launched from Air Station Atlantic City and arrived on scene at approximately 11:45 p.m. The helicopter crew hoisted the man into the helicopter and transported him to Air Station Atlantic City, where EMS personnel transferred him to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for treatment. USCG Click for video 14:40
Limited-entry waiting list shortens
Fishermen on the Zone B commercial lobster and crab license waiting list have been bumped up several slots following last year’s council decision to amend the exit ratio for its limited-entry system. The Lobster Zone B Management Council heard that good news last Tuesday during a regular council meeting. Council members last year amended the exit ratio from one license issued for every five licenses retired to one license issued for every three licenses retired to help speed up the licensing process. Zone B is one of the most restrictive zones. Some people have been on the list for more than 10 years. Currently, there are 37 names on the list. click here to read the story 13:05
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument under review, Beaton hoping for modifications
The state’s top environmental official hopes the Trump administration modifies President Barack Obama’s 2016 designation of a marine monument area off the Massachusetts coast, which is on the Trump administration’s list of areas under review. Environmental protection activists last year applauded Obama’s decision, made under powers granted through the Antiquities Act, to create the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument covering a more than 4,900 square mile area southeast of Cape Cod. The designation came with strict limits on fishing that were greeted with pushback from port communities and some elected officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker, whose administration knocked an alleged lack of public process, potential negative impacts on commercial fishing, and conflicts with existing marine fisheries planning processes. click here to read the story 12:11
Celebrity trawlerman enjoys new lease of life on dry land
While the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote has provided a boost for exporters a veteran of the fishing business sees opportunities to grow UK sales of a Scots product that does well in Europe. Name: Jimmy Buchan. Age: 56. What is your business called? Amity Fish Co Limited. Where is it based? Peterhead, in wonderful Aberdeenshire. What does it produce? We are a fish trading company focused on sourcing wild-caught Scottish seafood for distribution throughout the UK.,, Why did you take the plunge? Amity came about because of my passion for seafood. Being a fisherman all my life, I met a lot of people in the industry and I felt I had a platform to start a brand from sea to plate. I realised I wasn’t just catching fish but catching fish with a story of provenance and sustainability which gave me the inspiration to get into the seafood supply chain. click here to read the story 10:53
A Fire Bug? Prince of Wales Island fires damage three commercial boats and a building
Fires on Prince of Wales Island over the weekend, but as of Sunday afternoon there were no reports of injuries related to the incidents. The first was at about 6 p.m. Saturday in Naukati. According to the Alaska State Troopers, a community-owned building was destroyed by a suspicious fire. Then early Sunday morning, three commercial fishing vessels burned while docked at a marina in North Cove in Craig (click here) .,,The Naukati fire follows another suspected arson case last week on Prince of Wales. On Tuesday night, someone set fire to a car parked at a boat launch near Klawock. click here to read the story 08:51
The story behind an alleged fraud worth millions in Nova Scotia’s lobster industry
In June of 2015, three men stepped out of a summer day thick with flies and into the Beaverdam Lake, N.S., cottage of lobster dealer Wayne Banks. It wasn’t a casual visit. They had arrived unannounced at his doorstep, claiming that in the space of about 10 days someone had ripped them off to the tune of $1.6 million. “Have a seat, you fellas,” said Banks. “I think I know why you’re here. But there ain’t nothing I can tell you.” The secret recording of that conversation, later provided to CBC News by one of the men, offers a glimpse into a large alleged fraud case, one that reveals the money and high stakes at play in Canada’s most lucrative lobster industry. Only later would local RCMP team up with the federal serious and organized crime unit to launch a joint investigation into what they called a complex criminal operation, one some feared could have broader ramifications to the industry. But on that June day two years ago, one name threaded its way through the conversation — Wayne Banks’s younger brother, convicted fraudster Terry Banks.”How many families get destroyed because of Terry f–king Banks again?” said one of the visiting men in exasperation. “I don’t understand why Terry’s still alive. I don’t.” Big Story. Click here to read it 08:06
Lobster thefts: Three facing charges in $3M international fraud and theft case – click here Charges laid after lobster theft investigation – click here RCMP concludes investigation into local and international lobster theft and fraud – RCMP click here
