Monthly Archives: August 2017
Coast Guard issues order requiring approved salvage plan for grounded fishing vessel in Estero Bluffs State Park
The Coast Guard directed the owner of the commercial fishing vessel, Point Estero, to submit a salvage plan before making any arrangements to refloat the grounded vessel near Estero Bluffs State Park Thursday evening. The Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach commander, Capt. Charlene Downey, instructed the owner to submit a plan detailing actions to be taken by the owner to make the vessel seaworthy for safe transit to a facility to affect permanent repairs for approval by a local Coast Guard representative. After the Point Estero grounded July 28, the Coast Guard removed approximately 91 gallons of oil, 2.5 cubic yards of contaminated material and two marine-grade batteries to prevent pollution. -USCG-
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for August 18, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 12:37
WWII veteran reels in one more tuna
Frank Chase became the talk of the dock in Seabrook this week after the 91-year-old landed a 300-pound bluefin tuna and hauled it into Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative. Chase, who lives on Railroad Avenue, landed the catch Saturday afternoon after a 35-minute fight with the fish. He caught the tuna on a 22-foot boat with just one friend to assist. .,,, Chase said it was 1:30 p.m. when he saw his rod on the side of the boat hook up to a fish that pulled so hard he thought it was a shark. Chase grabbed the rod from its holder there and carried it to a holder at the front of the boat so he and his friend could follow the tuna from behind. The tuna became caught at the boat’s anchor, where many fishermen lose their bluefins that are able to use the anchor to cut free from the line. Chase skillfully guided the boat around the anchor without breaking the line, and the battle went on. click here to read the story 12:13
Falklands: Outwitting canny fur seals feasting on abundant Loligo
Falkland Islands Senior Fisheries Scientist Dr Alexander Arkhipkin explains the habits of fur seals and the efforts undertaken to reduce by-catch in the Loligo fishery. Stocks of Falkland calamari (Loligo) are very prolific this year. During the first season, the fleet harvested around 40,000 tons, and two weeks of the second season brought onboard another 10,000 tons of squid. Aggregations of calamari are so dense that fishing vessels worked up to their freezing capacities having an average of 60-65 tons of squid per vessel per day. Very unusually this year, dense squid aggregations also attracted their natural predators, fur seals and sea lions into the fishing area. As the vessels concentrate squid in front of the trawl, seals have their feeding frenzy in the close vicinity of the net, and within the net too. click here to read the story 11:44
Price plunge: P.E.I. lobster fishermen say they’re losing $2/lb
Some P.E.I. lobster fishermen say they were told Thursday they would get $4.50 a pound for market lobster and $4 a pound for canners — a $2 drop. New Brunswick lobster fisherman received similar news, which led a number of fisherman to tie up their boats in protest. Shelton Barlow fishes lobster out of Howard’s Cove, P.E.I., and when he heard of the lobster pricing Thursday he couldn’t believe it. In his 40 years of fishing, Barlow said, this quick price drop is the worst he’s ever seen. click here to read the story 10:44
New Blue Catfish Regulation Threatening Health of Chesapeake Bay and Business
The blue catfish is putting up quite the fight and it’s making Delmarva crabbers like Ryan Crouch frustrated. A new federal regulation will make it harder for those who catch blue catfish to sell them. The more catfish caught – the better off the crab population and the livelihoods of the watermen who catch them. The regulation, which goes into effect in September, requires watermen to hire an inspector before the fish can be sold. Watermen like Crouch and business owners like Joe Spurry Jr. of Bay Hundred Seafood are fighting this new regulation. They say the more catfish out of the bay, the more crabs there are to catch. click here to read the story 10:02
Capital Seafood rising from the ashes – literally
Eastern Passage-based Capital Seafood International is getting ready to rise from the ashes after a fire destroyed its lobster processing and storage building last November. “Last year, it was terrible,” Jiu Chang, vice-president of Capital Seafood, said in an interview Thursday. “Not only did we lose the working area and the equipment but also the production. We just can’t do anything.” The electrical fire that ripped through the two-storey building on Government Wharf Road last year took out processing equipment, damaged lobster holding tanks and burned through two offices. The total loss of last November’s fire is estimated at more than $1 million, including the building, equipment and inventory. click here to read the story 09:16
Hickeys Launch New Commercial Fishing Vessel
The Gunnar J is the new 46-foot aluminum trap net boat powered by a Cummins QSC 660 engine, built by Hickey Bros. Research. The construction was supervised by Todd Stuth at Hickey Bros. Research, with help from Dennis and Jeff Hickey, Steve Warwick and John Tong. The boat will fish Lake Michigan for the Hickey Bros. Fishery. It is named after Gunnar Stuth, son of Todd Stuth and the youngest grandson of Dennis Hickey. link 08:41
With My Brother, in Pursuit of Pink Salmon
The weather’s riled up today, blowing wind and web in my face as I stack the corkline that floats our seine net. The afternoon wind tosses our net around as waves spray saltwater over the boat rails and across the deck. We wrangle the bag of fish alongside and with a combination of manual strength and hydraulic power, pour the splashing pink salmon into the fish hold full of chilled sea water. This week feels like summer storming its way into fall, with beautiful days feeling almost tropical backed right up to days of sideways rain and gusty squalls. Nelly Hand is a commercial salmon fisherman from Cordova, Alaska. click here to read the story and more photo’s 20:11
Twillingate fisherman ready to sell cod, but no one is buying
John Gillett is ready to start landing cod, but no one is buying. “I didn’t sell either cod fish in July and (as of Aug. 11) I haven’t got one sold yet,” he said. “I was told processors are dragging their feet on purchasing cod because capelin and turbot are coming into the plants at the same time. There is a shortage of workers, also a shortage of fish tubs to hold the cod. But with more than 40 ground fish processing licenses in the province, Gillett wants to know why only a few are processing cod.,,, “I really don’t think the provincial and federal governments want a successful inshore fishery. It’s a form of resettlement, because in the outports, what is there other than the fishery?” click here to read the story 17:22
Commercial Crab Vessel Skipper Fined $15,000
On April 10, 2017, Van Tan Le, skipper of the commercial crabbing vessel Vitamin Sea Vl, pleaded guilty to violating the Fisheries Act by harvesting Dungeness crab, between June 21 and June 30, 2015, in a closed area. Judge H J Seidemann III ordered Mr. Le to pay a total of $15,000, with $14,000 of that to be used for fisheries preservation and conservation projects in and around Haida Gwaii and Hecate Strait. The charges stem from Mr. Le setting more than 49 crab traps inside the Soft-shell Management Area 10 – McIntyre Bay closure area. A routine audit of the vessel’s logbook and electronic monitoring data revealed possible fishing violations and triggered a DFO fishery officer investigation in the summer of 2015. click here to read the story 13:48
Some N.B. lobster fishermen tie up in protest over price
Some lobster fishermen in eastern New Brunswick have tied up their boats in a protest over the prices they’re getting for lobster. Fishermen in ports such as Pointe Sapin and Richibucto remained at the docks Thursday, saying landings are down and prices are low. Michel Richard, an organizer with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union, says processors suggested much higher prices before the fall season began on Aug. 8, but instead they’re paying about $2 per pound lower. Fishermen say right now they’re being paid about $4.25 a pound for canners and $4.75 a pound for market lobsters. Richard says fishermen are upset because they aren’t getting a clear answer from the buyers and processors on a reason for the lower prices. link 12:22
Lobster fishermen tie up boats after meeting processors about low prices – Fishermen have been getting paid, but none have received official pay stubs, so Richard said there is no proof of what the current prices really are. click here to read the story 16:37
Warming oceans: fish on the move
The oceans are getting warmer, and fish are adapting to rising ocean temperatures with their fins and swimming to waters that better suit their temperature preferences. Shifts in the distribution of important coastal fish species are resulting in changes to historical fishing options, new fishing opportunities and new fisheries management challenges.,, These northern shifts in fish populations have presented fisheries management challenges. Coastwide or regional Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are used to manage all of these species, but these FMPs have not always kept up with the changing distribution of these species. Take summer flounder and black sea bass as examples. click here to read the story 10:51
Christie rebukes Trump Administration over Atlantic offshore drilling plan
The Christie administration Wednesday issued a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s bid to open Atlantic Ocean waters to offshore drilling. In formal comments filed with the federal government, Gov. Chris Christie reaffirmed his opposition to any industrialization of the New Jersey coast that could affect the state’s natural resources, coastal communities or economy. It’s a rare case of policy agreement between environmental groups and Christie. New Jersey officials have long opposed drilling in the Atlantic because any spills could put New Jersey’s estimated $700 billion in coastal properties at risk. The state’s $45 billion Shore-based tourism industry and its commercial fishing industry, which generates $8 billion annually and supports about 50,000 jobs, could also be impacted by a spill. click here to read the story 09:20
Another dead North Atlantic right whale found off Cape Cod
Another dead North Atlantic right whale has been spotted off Massachusetts, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in North America this summer to at least 13. The U.S. Coast Guard documented and reported the latest carcass on Monday, Jennifer Goebel, public affairs officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Greater Atlantic region, confirmed on Wednesday. This is the third dead North Atlantic right whale discovered in U.S. waters, said Goebel. The news comes just one week after another whale was found floating off Martha’s Vineyard, the Massachusetts island south of Cape Cod. click here to read the story 09:04
Whale experts seek why of minke death – The whale had been found floating dead in Blue Hill Bay on Sunday. click here to read the story
FFAW admits error in handling Calvin Tobin death benefit
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union has admitted it made a mistake in relaying false information to the family of a dead fisherman. The union was too quick to say Calvin Tobin’s family did not qualify for his death benefit, when in fact they may qualify for the entire $30,000, said FFAW project manager Robert Keenan. “We did communicate the wrong information to the family and we’ve been heartbroken by that,” Keenan told the Central Morning Show. “We should be there to be the pillar of support they need and not to cause any further complications.” click here to read the story 08:45
Stock assessment meeting erupts into lively talk between NOAA scientists and fishermen
Diagrams, life-like statues and pictures fill the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to depict the history and future of the industry. NOAA scientists and local fishermen filled the small building on Bethel Street on Wednesday night to discuss future stock assessments. The meeting, though, told another aspect in the story of the Port of New Bedford: the decades old tension that continues to exist between the groups. “We all have to pull in the same direction,” Executive Director of New Bedford Seafood Consulting Jim Kendall said. Instead a powerpoint presentation listing stock limits led to a discussion, which evolved into an argument and ended with two fishermen abruptly leaving. Russ Brown, director of the Population Dynamics Branch of NOAA, ended his presentation to meet with the fishermen outside. They spoke outside for 20 minutes before parting ways with a semblance of mutual respect. click here to read the story 20:44
Developing … Peter Pan Seafoods Port Moller plant devastated in overnight fire
The Peter Pan Seafoods processing plant in Port Moller has been devastated by a massive fire that burned through the night and into Wednesday morning. So far no one has been reported injured, but power, running water, and most phone and internet connections are down in remote community. “The fire started kind of in the production end of things, kind of the freezing warehouse at Peter Pan Seafoods last night. And consumed most of the production facilities that we can tell,” said Bob Murphy, the ADF&G area management biologist based in Port Moller. Murphy was reached a little before 8 a.m. Wednesday. A fisherman who watched the fire from his vessel reported that he saw flames shooting 150 feet high, and that the long dock was eventually cut away to contain the fire. click here to read the story 15:21
Gulf dead zone bigger than ever, affecting shrimping
The Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone – an area starved of oxygen that cannot support life – has reached the largest size documented since mapping began 35 years ago, researchers maintain in a new report. The dimensions – this year the size of New Jersey – are of particular concern because they appear related to concerns expressed by shrimpers about their catch, particularly in Terrebonne Parish waters. “They may be catching some close to shore,” said Dr. Nancy Rabalais, the oceanographer who pioneered Gulf dead zone research and who compiled the most recent report on its effects. “But they are not going to get anything between Terrebonne Bay and 25 or 35 miles offshore.” That’s bad news, with the 2017 white shrimp season fast approaching. click here to read the story 14:49
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ Wesmac Gillnetter/Lobster, 585HP, 6 Cylinder CAT
Specifications, information and 16 photos click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 14:13
Stanley launches wood-glass hybrid
A thunderstorm cell loomed on the horizon, but bright sunshine greeted the small crowd that gathered Sunday afternoon to celebrate the launch of National Pride, the first of a new design of lobster boat by Richard Stanley. The sturdy hull of the handsome 38-foot boat was built with Maine white cedar planking on oak frames. But the top is fiberglass, which Stanley said will be easier to maintain. The hybrid style also should make deck leaks less likely, a primary driver of rot and decay for a wooden hull. click here to read the story 13:48
Fishing vessel sinks in New Bedford Harbor
The fishing vessel Challenge sank early Wednesday on city’s waterfront, officials said. Fire Chief Michael Gomes said the Fire Department found the 65-foot fishing vessel had sunk by its stern and was leaking diesel fuel and lube oil into the harbor when they arrived. The Fire Department was notified about 4:30 a.m. Fire officials deployed 600 feet of containment boom to contain the spill and multiple bundles of absorbent to absorb the oils once they were contained inside the booms. click here to read the story 12:50
Coast Guard oversees fuel spill cleanup in New Bedford Harbor – click here to read the story 17:43
‘A complete fantasy’ Merkel blasted over Brexit negotiations promise to German fishermen
Angela Merkel was today accused of peddling a “complete fantasy” after she told German fishermen she would fight for them to retain access to British waters after Brexit. The chancellor was slammed for “making promises she has no right to make” in a crude bid to boost her re-election campaign, which has lost momentum in recent weeks. Yorkshire MEP Mike Hookem said the remarks by the German leader showed the EU planned to “fight dirty” over access to Britain’s prime fishing grounds during the Brexit negotiations. Watch video, Fisherman hits out at foreign boats using flag of convenience click here to read the story 12:13
FISH-NL – Letter to Labour Board requesting the Board proceed immediately with a vote of inshore harvesters
FISH-NL e-mailed the following letter Tuesday, Aug. 15th, to David Conway, the new chair of the NL Labour Relations Board, requesting the Board proceed immediately with a vote of inshore harvesters to decide which union they want to represent them.,, As President of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL), I’m officially calling on the province’s Labour Relations Board to proceed immediately with a vote of inshore harvesters to decide which union they want to represent them. Before outlining the specific reasoning behind that, I’d like to give a brief overview of the labour climate the province’s inshore fish harvesters find themselves in. As it stands, inshore harvesters are the most controlled labour group in the province, country, and possibly Western World. click here to read the letter 11:39
New Organizers Carry on Tradition of Bristol Lobster Boat Races
Lobster boats cranked into high gear in Pemaquid Harbor on Sunday, Aug. 13 for the 31st annual Merritt Brackett Lobster Boat Races – a competitive event that is “serious fun,” said co-founder Donald Drisko. New organizers Brent Fogg and Sheila McLain took the helm of the event in 2017, signing on more than 40 sponsors and raising $17,000-$18,000 for cash awards and other prizes, said Laurie Crane, who had coordinated the event for the past 15 years with Drisko. Months of preparation go into the event, which draws dozens of lobster boats into the harbor, Fogg and McLain said. Both said they were happy to take on the work to keep Bristol’s tradition of lobster boat racing alive. click here to read the story, and race results 11:18
Fisherman stabs himself in leg while cutting shark off line
A man had to be flown to hospital after accidentally stabbing himself while cutting a shark off his fishing line. The commercial fisherman, who was in his 40s, had been out at sea in fairly rough seas on Monday when he caught a blue shark, Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter paramedic Chris Deacon said. While trying to cut it off the line he accidentally stabbed himself with his filleting knife. “They had been at sea for a few days and there was a reasonable-sized swell and they were fishing for blue-finned tuna when they pulled up a blue shark which was quite large, and he was trying to cut it off his line,” he said. click here to read the story, and be careful out there! 09:15
San Diego-Based USS Rushmore Departs on Fisheries Enforcement Mission
The San Diego-based amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore was steaming toward the South Pacific Tuesday to provide enforcement of fisheries around 10 island nations, according to the Navy.,, “Our crew is very excited to take part in the OMSI mission,” said Cmdr. John Ryan, commanding officer of Rushmore. “Working in tandem with the U.S. Coast Guard is a new experience for us, which will continue to demonstrate how the extensive range of U.S. Navy assets provides critical support to the embarked boarding teams in their mission of enforcing fishery laws.” click here to read the story 08:28
Carlos Rafael files a motion of opposition to forfeiture
Carlos Rafael filed a court motion Monday opposing the government’s motion for preliminary order of forfeiture. The New Bedford fishing heavyweight made the request in light of “ongoing discussions” regarding the vessels and permits associated with the guilty plea he made four and half months ago. Rafael pleaded guilty to falsifying labels and fish identification, cash smuggling and tax evasion on March 30. In the plea agreement, Rafael admitted the vessels listed in the indictment were subject to forfeiture. The agreement reserved Rafael the right to challenge the forfeitures. Rafael took advantage of that right,,, click here to read the story 20:49
Alaska’s losing battle
Bristol Bay – Alaska’s highest profile salmon fishery – had a banner year, and yet everywhere in the global market Alaska salmon fisheries look to be in more and more trouble over the long-term. A $2 to $3 dollar per pound commodity in the 1980s ($4 to $6 when corrected for inflation)Bristol Bay sockeye is today a $1 per pound commodity, and there is no sign the pricing is going to get much better. It could actually get worse. Chilean farmed salmon production is again on the rise and production costs in South America are falling. “AquaChile lowered costs by 13 percent in the first quarter of 2017, in line with other competitors,” Reuters reported from Santiago in mid-July.,,, Why does it matter? click here to read the story 19:54
Coast Guard medevacs fisherman off Manasquan Inlet, NJ
The Coast Guard medevaced a fisherman suffering chest pains approximately five-miles off Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey, today. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay were notified via radio, of a 49-year old man aboard a fishing boat, F/V Miss AM, who was reportedly suffering shortness of breath and chest pains at 2:30 p.m. A Coast Guard 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Manasquan Inlet responded, took the man aboard and brought him to awaiting emergency medical services at Station Manasquan Inlet. –USCG– 17:53
