Monthly Archives: May 2017
FISH-NL claims victory with DFO measures to help inshore harvesters
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is pleased with recent measures announced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to help mitigate the impact of declining quotas and strengthen enterprise viability. “This is most certainly a victory for inshore harvesters,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “DFO is to be thanked for listening to the concerns of harvesters when their own union, the FFAW, has tuned them out.” For harvesters in fishing zone 3Ps off Newfoundland’s south coast, DFO announced late last week that its combining policy will be amended to permit 3 to 1 enterprise combining for all fleets. In addition, combined enterprises in the 3Ps under 40-foot fleet will be permitted to buddy up. Click here to read the press release 12:28
Lobster season delayed in Cape Breton by weather
Fishermen from Bay St. Lawrence to Gabarus have caught a couple extra days to prepare for lobster fishing season. Herb Nash of Glace Bay, a fisherman and president of the 4Vn Management Board Association, said opening day for Area 27 was May 15 but was postponed until Wednesday at 5 a.m. He said it the decision came from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the harbour representatives due to high winds in the forecast. “They will be adding the two days to the end,” he said. “The fishermen don’t mind the cancellation because of the forecast — they can’t set traps in that weather anyway.” Click here to read the story 11:39
“Hero of the Seas” – Robin Alden wins more accolades
Robin Alden, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’ executive director, has been recognized as a “Hero of the Seas,” as a winner of the international Peter Benchley Ocean Awards. Alden was recognized for her career working at the grassroots, engaging fishermen’s knowledge and participation to build sustainable, healthy coastal fisheries and fishing communities. The awards ceremony took place at a gala on Thursday, May 11, at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. “It is just unbelievable to have international recognition for Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries’ basic approach: that the knowledge fishermen have about the ecology they work in every day is important to a healthy fisheries and our communities,” Alden said in a statement last Friday. Click here to read the story 10:16
Crab fishing organization says State of California commission unfairly changed policy on crabbing season
A crabbing association is suing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Fish and Game Commission, alleging violation of federal law. Tri-State Crab Producers Association filed a complaint on April 5 in the San Francisco County Superior Court against the defendants alleging that they attempted to alter and delay the beginning of the crabbing season. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that it suffered damages due to the changes in the departments’ policies regarding crabbing season. Click here to read the story 09:40
New restrictions seek to save Long Island Sound lobsters
A multistate fisheries commission is poised to slap more restrictions on Long Island Sound lobster fishing in another effort to stabilize the numbers of crustaceans. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission last week agreed to change the rules in hopes of slowing the continuing decline of lobster in southern New England. The numbers have been falling due to warmer water caused by climate change. “The goal is to preserve what there is,” said Mark Alexander, assistant fisheries manager for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and a voting member on the fisheries commission. “It’s a disgrace,” said Roger Frate, a veteran Darien lobsterman, referring to the commission’s proposed restrictions. Mike Kalaman, a Norwalk lobsterman, said fishermen prefer no additional restrictions. Still, he said the proposed 5 percent egg production goal is better than some of the commission’s more stringent proposals. Click here to read the story 08:14
Gladstone Ports’ $100m pain over dredging class action challenge
The Gladstone Ports Corporation could face at least 200 court claims worth $100 million over its 2011 dredging. Law Essentials and Clyde and Co are working to form a class action for people “negatively impacted” by the Western Basin Dredging and Disposal Project. Law Essentials director and solicitor Chris Thompson said already they have signed 200 people within the seafood and tourism industry who lost money because of dredging operations in Gladstone’s Harbour. He said claims were worth “in excess of $100 million” and now he’s making a plea for anyone else affected to come forward. Of the 200 claimants, he said there were commercial fishermen and seafood suppliers from Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Mackay and as far as Brisbane and Sydney. click here to read the story 17:25
New University of Houston graduate passes milestone without her beloved father
A bubbly personality and positive outlook quickly come across when you meet Sabrina Galloway. The University of Houston senior graduates in just days with a degree in elementary education and is getting married this fall. But many of her classmates may not have known the student beside them is a survivor.,,, In August of 2014, Sabrina was with her father, Ronnie Galloway Jr., on his shrimp boat in Galveston Bay. Her brother Cody and a deckhand were also there when a storm capsized their boat, the Mr. Anthony. Captain Galloway died. Sabrina was trapped in a compartment for hours and thought she was going to die. A charter boat fisherman cut a hole in the boat and stayed with her until she could be pulled out safely. Video, click here to read the story 16:31 a nice photo gallery also.
Pallone Supports Potential Compromise on Summer Flounder Cuts
This week, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) expressed support for a potential compromise between the State of New Jersey and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) on Summer Flounder Cuts. ASMFC agreed to consider a proposal by the State for conservationally-equivalent management measures for the 2017 summer flounder fishery, and is expected to reach a decision in the next two weeks. In exchange for a 104-day fishing season and the 3 bag limit, the size limit would be decreased to 18 inches. The Commission postponed a decision on that until the next meeting of the Interstate Fisheries Management Program in two weeks. Pallone and Senator Booker sent a letter to NOAA Fisheries about its proposal to reduce the ABC recreational and commercial quotas for summer flounder in 2017 and 2018. The New Jersey lawmakers requested that NOAA Fisheries postpone any decision on reducing summer flounder quotas until it conducts a new benchmark summer flounder assessment. Click here to read the letter 14:37
That bow…
The first thing you notice is the shape of the bow. Is that a trawler? There are plenty of opinions, both at sea and ashore. It’s variously described as impractical or simply as ugly – something that doesn’t look like a ship. So we talked to the designer to get his side of it and the long history of the inverted bow. Quentin Bates. Alfreð Tulinius at Nautic ehf is the man behind the design of the three HB Grandi trawlers. Nautic works closely with Skipatækni, run by veteran naval architect Bárður Hafsteinsson, responsible for the design of the quartet of new trawlers for currently under construction at Cemre in Turkey. Click here to read the story 11:28
P.E.I. scallop fisherman hooks more than he bargained for
Charles Doull knew his scallop drag hooked on to something big, but even he, a seasoned fisherman, was surprised to discover it was a massive anchor that’s “got to be well over 100 years old.” Doull was about 20 minutes out to sea off Borden-Carleton on Thursday when his drag, a device used to scoop the shellfish from ocean floor, hooked on to something big. At the time, he didn’t know it was an anchor. But he knew it was very, very heavy. “We hoisted it up as much as we could and I could see there was no way, it would just haul the boat down into the water,” he said.,, On Friday, divers from Charlottetown went down to survey the situation. Click here to read the story 09:47
Fishermen’s voices will not fall silent
As we look to the summer ahead, the Bristol Bay commercial fishing fleet again faces a season of uncertainty. To be sure, our fishermen face unknowns every year: be it the price per pound, strength of the run, or the possibility of dangerous weather. For over a decade though, our fleet has been living with an uncertainty more dangerous than them all. After 10 years of actively fighting the prospect of a mine that could end our centuries-old commercial fishery, we go into this fishing season with the proposed Pebble Mine as close as it has ever been to permitting. The issue weighs heavy over the fleet, and there is no denying we are more than a little tired of the fight. But that is what this foreign mining company is waiting for, us to get tired and quit fighting. That’s why I am excited about a new effort; Sustaining Bristol Bay Fisheries (SBBF), founded to represent commercial fishermen in the fight to protect our livelihoods. Click here to read the rest 09:16
1993 – Scallopers See a Livelihood Imperiled
Like the 19th-century whalers who lived and labored here before them, scallopers say they fear they may become the next fallen icons of New England, remembered only in museums, books and the tall barroom tales of fishermen.,,, Tensions soared last month when Federal agents raided 22 scalloping vessels in the Port of New Bedford, seizing $126,220 worth of scallops. The agents, armed and wearing bulletproof vests, charged six boat owners with catching undersized, or baby, scallops and a seventh with unloading a catch outside the 5 A.M.-to-5 P.M. “window” set by Federal officials. ,,, “We’re not drug runners; we’re not murderers; we’re not rapists,” said Bobby Bruno, a 52-year-old scalloper who started as a deckhand 33 years ago and now owns the Alpha & Omega II, a 96-foot scalloping ship. “We’re just fishermen, and we go out and we work hard so we can come home and be with our families and be happy.” Take a look back. Click here to read the story 08:34
Sealing industry is much more than the sealers. Its other jobs, too
The sealing industry is like most industries in that it employs many more people than simply the primary producer.,, There are many hundreds of Canadians who are dependent on the sealers for parts of their income. That income is threatened by attacks on the sealers and the sealing industry. Who are these people? They are the businesses who sell fuel, groceries, insurance (both personal and vessel), rifles and ammunition, and tools of the trade to sealers. Not to mention shipyard workers who repair damaged sealing vessels. They are truckers who transport seals from landing ports to the plants and buy gas, insurance and food in the process, as well automobile dealers who sell those vehicles. Click here to read the op-ed Jim Winter, St. John’s 17:21
Can scallops be farmed in Penobscot Bay?
Everybody knows that the waters off Stonington are a rich source of wild scallops. Could they also be a good place to farm them? Robert Brewer of Deer Isle hopes to find out. Brewer recently applied to the for a 3.8-acre experimental aquaculture lease in East Penobscot Bay, where he plans to grow scallops on suspended ropes using the ear-hanging method developed in Japan. The technique calls for drilling a tiny hole through the flat “ear” at the base of the scallop shell and inserting a plastic pin with a small line attached. The scallops are hung in pairs along ropes called “droppers” that hang vertically beneath the surface.,,, DMR has opened a 30-day comment period for Brewer’s application. Click here to read the story 13:12
Video: Coast Guard crew says goodbye to the Tamaroa
Forty-four boarded a boat in Cape May early Wednesday morning, including 10 former Coast Guards, to say goodbye to a storied ship with decades of service. The Tamaroa, a 205-foot Coast Guard cutter featured in the “The Perfect Storm,” was scuttled earlier this week 33 miles off of Cape May, becoming part of New Jersey’s artificial reef program. The sinking was delayed numerous times due to rough seas since last October when the state’s Department of Environmental Protection’s had originally planned to sink the ship on the storm’s 25th anniversary. Click here to watch the video, read the story 12:29
Territorial Dispute in Maine’s Lobster Industry
On July 9, 2009, Chris Young was shot in the neck with a .22 caliber pistol. Surprisingly, in a nation plagued by urban violence, this story comes from rural Matinicus, Maine, a small island home to all-too-frequent lobster gang turf wars. Young, a victim of such a dispute, was shot by Vance Bunker in the culmination of a weeks-long dispute over whether Bunker’s son-in-law, Alan Miller, could lobster off the coast of Matinicus Island, despite being a mainlander. For several days following the shooting, the waters surrounding Matinicus were closed to lobstering in an attempt to relieve tensions and prevent further retaliation, but the shock of the violence still resonates today. When examined further, incidents of territorial violence date back as far as the modern practice of lobstering itself. Click here to read the article 11:59
Oregon: Attorney General gives green light to Pacific Seafood to buy Trident, with a few strings attached
From Pacific Seafood: Thanks to quick action by Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Newport’s surimi processing plant, the last such plant on the West Coast, will remain in Newport and open in time for the 2017 Whiting season, which starts on Monday. The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) reviewed a proposal by Pacific Seafood to keep the plant open and word came today that it’s a green light. Governor Kate Brown and the Legislature’s Coastal Caucus, including Senator Arnie Roblan, Senator Betsy Johnson, and Representative David Gomberg, were instrumental in facilitating review in time for the season start. “We very much appreciate the Governor and Attorney General’s leadership in addressing this extraordinary situation,” said Dan Occhipinti, a spokesman for Pacific Seafood. “They moved quickly to reach a solution that saves 147 traded-sector jobs, retains the market for Newport’s commercial fishing fleet, and preserves Oregon’s access to a major export market.” click here to read the story 09:27
Sharks not a blessing to Georgia shrimp fleet
Men like Johnnie Ray Bennett and Ben McDowell do not have to read a federal marine biologist’s study to tell them sharks are thriving in the Atlantic Ocean. These Brunswick shrimp boat captains routinely see the evidence nowadays just about every time they pull in their trawl nets. After returning from a shrimping run Wednesday to the City Market docks, Bennett stood aboard the Flying Cloud and put his fist through one of many gaping holes in the net that hung from the rigging.,,, Marine biologists see the growing shark population as a sign of a healthy ocean ecosystem, and some folks would just rather not think about sharks in our waters at all. But for shrimpers these days, sharks are a downright nuisance. Shrimpers are spending as much time sewing patches in nets as they are dragging nets for shrimp. Click here to read the story 09:10
With no relief funds in sight, crab fishermen discuss next steps
After four years of poor crab and salmon fishing, including one of the worst crab seasons in recent memory, local fisherman and Eureka resident Bob Borck decided in November that it was time to move on. After selling his fishing vessel — the Belle J II — of four years in January, Borck is now planning to start work as a contractor. “I couldn’t be married to the boat,” he said Friday. “I’ve got enough family responsibilities on shore that it was too difficult to dedicate it to everything it needed to be.” Borck said he isn’t walking away from the industry completely if the right opportunity presents itself. But he said isn’t pining to return to it either, especially following a “pretty hard financial beating” after toxic algae blooms closed the 2015-16 Dungeness crab season for six months, placing many fishermen into debt. Borck’s story is not unique. Click here to read the story 08:01
Information Update: The Make Commercial Fishing Great Again Flotilla 2017
For those who are planning on attending the Make Commercial Fishing Great Again rally and want a sign please contact Oscar from American Beauty Signworks. His phone number is 401-767-2922. This guy is firmly behind us. He will keep the shop running all weekend to make 4X8 signs that will say anything you want! (remember to keep it positive). He told me that he will take calls all weekend. If he is not there he will call you back. Monday will be the break off point for orders so if you want him to make you a sign the sooner he knows the better. He has slashed the price of these 4X8 signs to from $140.00 to $90.00. He is committed to helping us in any way he can. Give him a ring and if you’re from out of state I will deliver them to your boat on Wednesday. Just tell him to write the boat name on the back. It’s coming together nicely folks! Thank you. Joel H. 20:55
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 12, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 19:45
Boat owners fooled by website charging high prices for vessel documentation
This is the time of year when Alaska fishermen make sure they have their paperwork in order so they’re ready to hit the water. But recently, some of those boat owners were targeted by a third-party service that charges much higher rates for Coast Guard certification. “I want to go fishing, I want to be done with all this paperwork,” said Haines commercial fisherman Norm Hughes. Earlier this month, he received a letter in the mail telling him to renew his Coast Guard documentation. It directed him to a website: uscgdocumentation.us. Hughes went to the website right away and paid $150 for a two-year renewal.,,, It’s not just Alaska fishermen and the Coast Guard here that have raised alarms about the US Vessel Documentation website. Click here to listen/read the story 18:02
$1.3-million for new safety gear coming for 600 N.S. fishermen
The Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board is buying $1.3-million worth of safety equipment for 600 fishermen, it announced Friday. The equipment purchase includes 1,200 immersion suits, 600 emergency position-indicating radio beacons and 100 additional personal flotation devices. The Fleet Planning Board will also buy an automatic electronic defibrillator for each wharf in the Gulf of Nova Scotia. “We hope we never have to use this new equipment,” the board’s managing director, said in a news release. “But if it saves just one life then it was money very well spent.”,,, Click here to read the story 17:11
A Day at Sea: Weir Fishing on the Nancy S!
The day starts at first light…motoring out of Hyannis Harbor aboard the Nancy S, a large aluminum diesel boat owned by Kurt Martin with crewmates Mike and Keith…we are going to his fishing weir located not far off the coast of Osterville…calm seas, mild May weather-clouds and sun…The weir looks like a complicated set-up—long hickory wood poles, lots of ropes tied in different directions and of course “endless” netting…but it’s a design that works and becomes second nature after many trips…a smaller motor skiff is towed with us to help with the fishing weir…Click here to read the rest, and view 31 image gallery 16:07
200,000 Salmon survive Oroville spillway’s erosion only to suffocate this week
A quarter-million hatchery salmon survived the near-collapse of a California dam’s spillway this winter, only to suffocate after a pump failed this week, officials said Thursday. They were among about 5 million baby fall-run Chinook salmon that were rescued in February after tons of mud washed down the Feather River, said California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan. The erosion came from the failing emergency spillway near the Oroville dam that caused the precautionary evacuation of nearly 200,000 residents. Click here to watch video, read the story, and view 31 images 15:46
FFAW calls for clarification from Premier on alleged interference in labour relations case
Yesterday, a press release by the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland Labrador (FISH-NL) referenced a meeting held with Premier Dwight Ball and Minister Steve Crocker. FFAW-Unifor is calling on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to clarify FISH-NL’s allegation that a discussion surrounding FISH-NL’s application to the Labour Relations Board took place during this meeting. The Labour Relations Board is an independent, quasi-judicial body which contributes to and promotes harmonious labour relations in the province. The integrity and independent nature of the Board is compromised if the alleged discussion did in fact take place. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has no role in ongoing investigations, reviews and decisions undertaken by the Board, and any such interference would be unacceptable. Courtney Glode, Communications Officer, FFAW- UNIFOR 13:56
Japanese fishermen start morning wake-up call service to help you get your lazy butt out of bed
Need to get up with the chickens? Leave it to the men who’re already awake and hauling in fish. The just-launched Fisherman Call is billed as “The world’s first wake-up call service by fishermen.” On the service’s website, you’ll find a list of available fishermen, along with their photos, voice samples, and schedules, which have some of them getting up at 2 in the morning to make their way to the harbor and head for open water. That crack-of-dawn schedule is key, because as shown in the Fisherman Call promotional video, the wake-up messages aren’t pre-recorded. The fishermen will actually be calling and talking to you live, quite possibly from the deck of their vessels. Click here to read the story 11:23
Pacific Seafood, DOJ in fiery clash over Newport expansion
Pacific Seafood Group, the industry’s billion-dollar behemoth, has thoroughly shaken up this bustling commercial fishing town with an expansion blitz that will increase its already dominant market position. But before going ahead with a deal to buy the hulking Trident Seafood processing plant in the heart of Newport’s Bayfront, the biggest player in the West Coast seafood business made what one lawmaker called an “unprecedented request.”,,, Pacific may have overplayed its hand. In a blistering response to the company late Thursday afternoon, the Department of Justice threatened to take enforcement action against the company unless it agrees to put the Trident plant on the market for a year and, short of a sale, operate it for at least three years. Click here to read the article 09:30
It’s On!! The Make Commercial Fishing Great Again Flotilla 2017
After reaching out to multiple agencies involved with security for the upcoming presidential visit to the Coast Guard Academy’s graduation ceremony this coming Wednesday, May 17th it has been decided we should move forward. As of now we have been told there will be a 500 yard security zone around the Academy. (This is subject to change) Hopefully we will be allowed to go north of the Rt.95 bridge which is just south of the Academy. If not we are certain there will be plenty of media folks all over and we are reaching out to several outlets in CT. to make them aware of our plans. Again, we can’t emphasize enough that this is a show of support and not a protest. We in no way shape or form want to upstage the events taking place at the Academy. In fact it would be a great gesture to have some make signs congratulating the Academy’s 2017 graduating class. We realize this is short notice and have been working hard with the authorities making them aware we are not there to take away from these Cadets’ special day. We also realize that this event could cut into your fishing time. However the importance of this event cannot be over stated and hopefully the short term loss will be made up for in long term gain. This is our goal. Read the full notice here. 08:50
Report: Increase in Alaska commercial fisheries landings despite nationwide decline
A recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a slight decline overall in the United States’ commercial fishing industry, but one state – the Last Frontier – stands far ahead of the rest. The NOAA report, which include 151 pages of data on commercial fisheries landings nationwide for 2015, says there was an increase in pounds of fish landed across the United States by about 2.4 percent. However, there was a decrease in value of those fish by about 4.5 percent. But in Alaska, it’s a different story. The Last Frontier led all states in both volume and value, with a 6 percent increase in the former and a 3 percent increase in the latter.(there is also an interactive data chart that shows state by state data) Video, click here to read the story 07:55
