Daily Archives: October 15, 2017
Quebec photographer shows the human side of sealing
Newfoundland and Labrador’s seal hunt has been through some difficult seasons in recent years. Ice conditions have been hazardous and the cost of insurance has gone up to the point many sealers don’t bother to go hunting. Prices were uncertain. Plus the European Union and other markets have banned the import of seal products like pelts and oil. The bans were the result of decades of protests by animal rights activist groups, which received many donations through ad campaigns showing dramatic footage of red blood on white ice, and some sealers behaving inhumanely. That’s where Quebec photographer Yoanis Menge’s career as a sealer began. photo’s, click here to read the story 18:04
Groundfishermen: ‘It feels like we’re just forgotten’
New Hampshire fishermen say temporary federal aid for at-sea monitor coverage is barely holding their industry afloat now that a court battle over the cost appears to have ended. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is currently covering 60 percent of the cost for third-party at-sea monitors to observe commercial groundfishermen’s compliance with federal regulations. That coverage is projected to end May 1, 2018,,, Jamie Hayward, a commercial fisherman out of Portsmouth, said it will be devastating for fishermen to go from paying 40 percent of those costs to the full bill when NOAA stops assisting.,, will be like we got hit by a bomb,” he said. click here to read the story 16:57
The consumer demand for local seafood: Industry leaders want to bypass imports
Brenda Johnson was having a pleasant time at last month’s Best of the Bayou festival in downtown Houma when she got a little hungry and was drawn to a vendor booth where the fare included golden fried shrimp. “I was getting ready to order some shrimp when I asked the girl where they were from,” said Johnson, a retired city court worker. The woman serving the shrimp wasn’t sure so she asked a man working the booth, who said with a smile that the shrimp were “Asian farm-raised shrimp.” Johnson waved her hand at the booth and went elsewhere. “I couldn’t believe they were selling that shrimp at a ‘Best of the Bayou’ festival,” said Johnson, who contacted her parish councilman and asked if anything could be done. click here to read the story 12:51
The powerful Hurricane Ophelia is about to hit Ireland
The powerful Hurricane Ophelia is due to hit Ireland on Monday in the strongest storm the country has seen in more than 50 years. According to Irish Times, The National Emergency Co-ordination Group met on Sunday morning to discuss preparations for the storm, which is expected to track along the west coast of Ireland before moving towards Scotland. Meanwhile, the country’s national meteorological service Met Éireann has issued a red weather alert, its highest level warning. The warning is in place for counties Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork and Kerry from 9 a.m. on Monday until 3 a.m. on Tuesday. click here to read the story 11:52
Lobster wars
Burned out fishing boats, thousands of pounds of dumped, dead lobsters and allegations of a booming black market for the popular crustacean have drawn federal investigators to Nova Scotia’s most lucrative fishing grounds in the lead-up to lobster season. Tensions have been running high in recent weeks along the small wharves in the communities that dot St. Mary’s Bay, a well-known breeding ground for lobsters during the summer. While conservation laws prevent lobster fishers from harvesting the shellfish during breeding season in order to safeguard stocks, stunned locals watched thousands of pounds of lobsters that appeared to be commercial loads pass over their docks though the summer months. click here to read the story 10:53
NOAA Fisheries rule should alarm taxpayers
NOAA Fisheries has discovered a devious way to increase their budget without the checks and balances guaranteed by our forefathers, and the courts have let it stand. I have been involved in a lawsuit with NOAA Fisheries over who pays for at-sea monitors (ASM) for the last three years. These are basically our own personal state police men who ride along on the boat and watch and record everything fishermen do at sea. Fishermen have been forced to sign contracts with for-profit third-party companies that provide this service for $710 per day. Recently, the Supreme Court refused to hear our case, effectively ending our pursuit of justice. Readers should be concerned, not only because this job-killing regulation effects their ability to obtain local seafood, but also because the loss leaves in place a precedent that will allow regulatory agencies to tax citizens by passing regulations while bypassing Congress. click here to read the op-ed 08:56
Groundfishermen: ‘It feels like we’re just forgotten’ – Fishermen who followed Goethel’s path through the federal courts said they were disappointed with the outcome. Goethel said he was “disillusioned” by the process. “Talk about feeling forgotten,” said Jamie Driscoll, a commercial fisherman from Kingston. “That’s how it feels. It feels like we’re just forgotten.” click here to read the op-ed
Coast Guard medevacs injured fisherman 25 miles off Nantucket
The Coast Guard medevaced a seriously injured fisherman Saturday from a boat 25 miles east of Nantucket, Massachusetts. A man aboard the fishing vessel Hera contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England Saturday evening and reported another crewman suffered a head laceration, and was in immediate need of professional medical care. A helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod deployed to medevac the man, and flew him to Massachusetts General Hospital where his care was transferred to medical personnel. –USCG– 08:26
