Daily Archives: August 5, 2017
Coast Guard rescues two fishermen in distress near Coos Bay, Ore.
The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen after their vessel was engulfed in flames 20 miles west of the Cape Blanco light near Coos Bay, Oregon, Saturday. A Coast Guard Station Chetco River 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew met the fishermen, who had abandoned the 47-foot fishing vessel Beverly B into a life raft, and transported them and their raft to port in Brookings, Oregon. Sector North Bend watchstanders received the report of the fishermen in distress from Station Coos Bay, who were notified by a volunteer light keeper at the Cape Blanco light, stating that a fishing vessel was on fire. Watchstanders directed the launch of Sector North Bend MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, who arrived on scene to find the fishermen in their life raft, and lowered a rescue swimmer to assess the situation. The 47-foot MLB crew arrived on scene shortly thereafter. The vessel was reported to be completely engulfed in flames and partially submerged -USCG- 22:38
How a father’s shipwreck launched a message across an ocean to his grieving daughter
A chain of ocean currents that connects Alaska’s Prince William Sound to a beach on Hawaii’s Big Island delivered a piece of a 3-year-old shipwreck to a grieving family. The improbable voyage of a plastic fishing gear identification tag also had human help in the person of Alaska engineer Andy Baker, whose curiosity and diligence completed the connection. An expert on floating debris called Baker’s successful investigation “a very remote chance.” “It really is a very difficult thing to do,” oceanographer Curt Ebbesmeyer said. “It takes a lot of luck, a lot of effort and a lot of time. One thing out of a thousand is traceable. That tag you are writing about is a remarkable bit of serendipity.” In this case, the luck connected a father to his daughter after his death. click here to read the story Four posts about F/V Fate Hunter from 2013 click here to review 14:02
Maine Lobstering Union Pursuing Higher Profits
Maine lobstermen have long been known as a fiercely independent lot. But some are looking to the power of unity, in the form of a statewide, catch-to-table co-op. The goal is to harvest a larger and more predictable share of the profits. It’s 10 a.m. and Rock Alley has already been cruising Washington County’s Sequin’s Passage off Beals Island since a little after daybreak. The 60-year-old Jonesport fishermen tells his two stern men to get ready as he maneuvers his 46-foot, Jarvis Newman lobster boat through some shallow waters to get to his traps.,, Lobsters from the MLU are transported by union truck drivers to the Lamoine holding pound, where union employees sort, crate and eventually load them onto even larger trucks, also driven by union workers. click here to read the story 12:39
Post-salmon season: A boat haul out ride along
It is 2 p.m. and Carl Williams is behind the tractor wheel, hauling a boat out of water. He has not slept in 48 hours. He said he has to work with the tides to pull boats out, and when the tides are out there are repairs to take care of. “It’s just something that’s gotta get done,” he said. “Don’t have time for coffee. Just something that has to get done. Tide doesn’t wait for anybody, just have to keep going.” There are about 1,500 drift gill net boats in Bristol Bay, and 600 of those are hauled in and out of water by Carl. He owns and operates the business Anchor Inn Boat Storage in Naknek. He is in the last push of the season hauling boats out of water. Audio, click here to read the story 10:51
Book Review: I got caught by Caught
From Tony Small’s first photo and Glen Libby’s first quote, I was hooked by their wonderful book: Caught – Time. Place. Fish. “Changing the world was not as simple as it seemed here in Port Clyde, but a remarkable thing happened…” That’s the first thing I read, and it was so true: this is the story of a truly remarkable achievement in Port Clyde, Maine, one of my favorite places. As Port Clyde’s fishing industry declined, due to the disappearance of shrimp and other species, Glen jumped up and organized the first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) in the nation. The CSF was designed to process and sell the fish and allow fishermen to capture more of the profits. It was not an immediate success. click here to read the story 09:38
Time is running out to protect the Atlantic coast
President Trump has proclaimed that his administration is seeking “American energy dominance.” The reality is we’re already there. The United States produces more natural gas and oil than any other nation. We do import about 25 percent of our oil needs mostly from Canada and Mexico. However, that’s only because we export about 1 million gallons a week of the type of domestically produced oil we don’t want. The U.S. is beholding to no other country for our energy security. If these facts come as a surprise to you, then you are ripe for being deceived by those who want to use airgun blasting to explore for oil and gas off the Atlantic Coast. The petroleum industry and its allies are trying to convince you that current technology and procedures for testing for offshore oil and gas deposits are safe. click here to read the story 09:13
L.I. Sound lobstermen avoid regulatory pincers
Lobstermen working Long Island Sound dodged new limits on their fishery last week when federal regulators failed to adopt restrictions aimed at reversing a decades-long decline in the lobster population. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted down additional management measures, including a reduction in the size of lobster that could be harvested and a shorter season. “We are ecstatic,” said Mike Kalaman, a Norwalk lobstermen who believes the population is returning on its own, thanks to cleaner water and natural cycles. “We keep telling them that what’s in place is working,” Kalaman said. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. It’s fixing itself.” The decision by the American Lobster Management Board to defeat fishing restrictions was unusual; the board almost always adopts new management measures. The proposal on the table, developed by experts after months of research and deliberation, failed after numerous votes by a divided board. click here to read the story 08:20
RI And MA Lobstermen At Odds With Regulators Over Conservation Efforts – click here to read the story
