Monthly Archives: October 2017
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
Video: Crews respond to fire aboard F/V Pacific Paradise aground in Waikiki waters
Multiple agencies are responding to a fire aboard the Pacific Paradise, a fishing vessel stuck in shallow waters off Waikiki. Witnesses reported seeing thick black smoke coming from the vessel mid-morning Saturday. Coast Guard officials say they were informed of the fire just after 10 a.m. They continue to enforce a 500 ft. safety zone around the boat. Video, click here to read the story To view photo gallery, click here 20:00
“The fact is, law abiding, licensed commercial fishermen are considered by our government to be the most dangerous people in America.”
In September 1983 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the Balelo v Baldridge decided the first court challenge against the government policy of placing federal observers on commercial fishing vessels to monitor their operations. The plaintiffs were Pacific tuna purse seiners. This the first observer program in the American fishing industry was enacted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The first observers spent many weeks on the high seas with the fishermen at a time when there was literally no other way to assure that the newly enacted law — meant to bring the mortality of marine mammals in the tuna fishery as close to zero as possible — was being followed by these operations. It was provided for in this portion of the MMPA that the captains be given notice well in advance of the required observer trips and that the funding be fully covered by Congress. click here to read the story 19:21
Submerged fishing boat near Chebeague Island prompts Coast Guard investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating reports of a submerged fishing boat off the coast of Chebeague Island A captain, at the Coast Guard command center in South Portland, said a report came in just before 12:30 Saturday afternoon for a wooden fishing boat mostly submerged in the area of Chandlers Cove. The cove is located between Chebeague and Long Island off the coast of Falmouth. (We will update as details becomes available) click here to read the story 15:34
Coast Guard, federal agencies responding to offshore oil spill in the Gulf
The Coast Guard is responding to the report of a crude oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from the National Response Center at 1:30 p.m., Friday of a discharge from a damaged pipeline associated with a subsea well approximately 40 miles southeast of Venice, LA. The pipeline, which is operated by LLOG Exploration, has been secured. LLOG exploration reported that the volume of oil released is estimated to be between 333,900 and 392,700 gallons. Initial overflights identified three light sheens in the vicinity. click here to read press release 15:14
Coast Guard responds to oil spill off Louisiana coast – LLOG Exploration Company LLC, a privately-owned deepwater exploration company, reported the spill, which occurred 40 miles southeast of Venice, La., click here to read the story
NOAA has yet to determine fines and penalties in civil case involving Carlos Rafael
So far, New Bedford fishing mogul Carlos Rafael has lost a fraction of his fishing empire after pleading guilty to 23 counts of false labeling and identification of fish, as well as cash smuggling, conspiracy, falsifying federal records and tax evasion. He was found guilty and sentenced to nearly four years in jail last month. But there could be millions more in fines and penalties as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decides what civil measures to impose on Rafael. Fishermen and environmental groups have been lobbying for that money to go toward restoring the fishery, and many would like to see it pay for better monitoring of what fishermen catch at sea and land on shore. click here to read the story 12:47
British Columbia: What is behind the sockeye salmon collapse?
The sockeye salmon run this year, is, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other reputable sources, down considerably. The reason for this, depends on who you talk to. Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, says part of the problem is the fisheries ministry has dragged its feet on the Cohen Commission recommendations. The Cohen Commission, created in 2009, issued a report in 2012 with 75 recommendations on how Fisheries and Oceans Canada (working with its provincial partner) could monitor and safeguard the Pacific salmon fisheries. click here to read the story 11:43
N.S. firm taking lobsters to the world
World Link Food Distributors Inc. in the Aerotech Business Park near the Halifax Stanfield airport moves millions of pounds of lobster and other seafood every year to dozens of countries. “It’s like Canada,” co-owner and managing director Georges Jobert said of the multicultural and multilingual background of the 18 World Link employees who preside over shipping about eight million pounds of lobsters to retailers and wholesalers around the world. click here to read the story 10:52
Hurricane Ophelia 2017: Category 2 storm to pass near Azores, then head for Ireland
Hurricane Ophelia continued on a path that will take it near the Azores today as a Category 2 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center said Ophelia, the 10th hurricane in the Atlantic so far this year, will then track toward Ireland and the U.K., which could have to deal with hurricane conditions by Monday. click here to read the story Hurricane Ophelia Public Advisory – click here 10:02:
Pebble mine opponents at Dillingham meeting hammer EPA for changed course
In close to four hours of public testimony, dozens of people told EPA staffers that large-scale mining threatens a fishery and way of life in Bristol Bay. The unanimous opinion given during Wednesday’s meeting in Dillingham, held in the middle of the work day, was that the EPA should finalize preemptive Section 404(c) Clean Water Act restrictions, not withdraw them and wait for an environmental impact statement. click here to read the story 09:30
Ian MacPherson navigates waters of lobster industry
Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, admits he has no commercial fishing background. But he is still an important voice advocating for the association’s membership with the help of 1,300 experts at his disposal. Originally from Toronto, MacPherson joined the organization in 2010 after working in the transportation industry in Alberta and New Brunswick. According to Statistics Canada, the industry contributed about $73 million in 2016 to the Island’s GDP. To date, there is an estimated 1280 fishing licences held on the Island valued at $800,000 to $1 million per license, explained MacPherson. click here to read the story 08:53
A safety training exercise that every fisherman “needs to know”
Bob Scammon lived out the words of the medical training. Michael Oliveira experienced the man overboard training in reality. Scammon, a commercial fishing captain for more than three decades, tried to help a man on board suffering from a heart attack aboard one of his vessels years ago. Oliveira woke up to the news that someone on board the Miss Shauna had fallen overboard in July. In both situations, the crew dealt with death at sea. “All that mayday stuff, that is very, very important how to do it,” Oliveira said. “Everything that we’ve learned today is definitely to our benefit. I do think every fisherman, everybody that’s a seaman, needs to know this stuff.” The Fishing Partnership, a nonprofit organization geared toward improving the health and safety of fishermen, provided a safety training day at UMass Dartmouth SMAST on Friday. click here to read the story 08:31
Coast Guard, crews work to remove grounded fishing boat off Waikiki
The U.S. Coast Guard and private contractors were back in Waikiki today trying to refloat and remove the 79-foot fishing vessel that was grounded a few hundred yards off Kaimana Beach in Waikiki late Tuesday. Today’s late-morning high tide was expected to help the effort and officials were expecting to get the ship free today. On Thursday, crews worked to safely remove fuel and other pollutants from the Pacific Paradise ahead of today’s effort to remove the vessel. click here to read the story 22:35
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 13, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here for older updates listed as NCFA click here17:21
Pete Hanson 53 Years a Machinist
Pete Hanson began working for Ken Gallup at the Rhode Island Engine Company shortly after finishing high school, and continued working for both Ken’s son and his grandsons. Largely self-taught, Pete is a master machinist who spends his days turning out parts which keep Point Judith’s fishing fleet out on the high seas. In this short film by Markham Starr, Pete discusses his life in the industry and the changes to fishing equipment he helped engineer and build.. click here to watch the video 17:01
Baltic clams and worms release as much greenhouse gas as 20,000 dairy cows
Scientists have shown that ocean clams and worms are releasing a significant amount of potentially harmful greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The team, from Cardiff University and Stockholm University, have shown that the ocean critters are producing large amounts of the strongest greenhouse gases – methane and nitrous oxides – from the bacteria in their guts. The researchers estimate that this is equivalent to as much methane given off as 20,000 dairy cows. This is as much as 10 per cent of the entire Welsh dairy cow population and 1 per cent of the entire UK dairy cow population. click here to read the story 16:23
Prepping for Dumping Day in LFA 35 October 14
The Digby Wharf is looking even more colourful than usual as boats are stacked high with lobster traps, rope and buoys for this year’s Dumping Day on October 14. Chris Hersey is the captain of the Miss Addie, which he runs with crewmates and Mark Hersey, and is putting the final touches on the gear aboard his boat to get it ready for its first day on the water this season. He spent around twelve hours total setting everything up, and make six truck trips to get the buoys down to the wharf. It’s a process each fisherman handles differently, said Hersey. “One guy showed up two weeks ago. It’s different for everyone, and some people are doing it earlier this year,” says Hersey. click here to read the story 15:19
In Defense Of The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council
Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan is to be commended for his advocacy for the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and as well as the interests of the marine environment. As Civil Beat reported last week, the lawmaker is demanding an investigation of the Hawaii-based Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. However, I must differ with the congressman on his depiction of the council as being engaged in improper lobbying specifically in regards to the opposition to Marine Monuments that has aired during council meetings. (By Michael Markrich) click here to read the story 11:49
Stone crab season opens Sunday — but will the hurricane affect the haul?
But the big question this year is how abundant — and how expensive — the claws will be a month after a hurricane wrecked a huge swath of the fishing areas in the Florida Keys. Fresh Florida spiny lobster was hard to find in the last month, after the trapping industry bore Hurricane Irma’s brunt. The storm scattered and destroyed tens of thousands of lobster traps as the Keys’ fishing industry — the second-largest economic driver in Monroe County at more than $150 million — was paralyzed for three weeks. “What did Hurricane Irma do to the stone crab haul? We’re going to find out,” said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. click here to read the story 11:23
Civil penalities from NOAA could be next for Carlos Rafael
Judge William Young’s judgment filed Wednesday appeared to be the finish line to Carlos Rafael’s case. Young, though, by ordering the forfeiture of four vessels and every permit associated with the Bull Dog, the Olivia and Rafaela, the Lady Patricia and the Southern Crusader II began a new ripple effect throughout the commercial fishing industry revealing some questions but very little answers. It’s likely NOAA will take center stage now that the Department of Justice has closed its case. NOAA can bring civil penalties to Rafael. click here to read the story 09:47
ASMI Announces Winners of 1st Alaska Commercial Fishing Video Contest – Fisherman Kamirin Couch Takes Home the Grand Prize
Every day, fishermen brave the waters of Alaska to bring wild seafood from the sea to table for the world to enjoy. To recognize the men and women dedicated to harvesting wild, natural and sustainable seafood, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) put out a call for video submissions for the first-ever Alaska Seafood Commercial Fishing Video Contest. ASMI received entries from fishermen who shared their personal stories showcasing why an exhausting but beautiful life on or near the water is worth it for many reasons. Video, click here to read the story 09:26
State Sen. Goldfinch testimony for offshore oil drilling draws criticism
State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch told a U.S. House subcommittee panel Wednesday that he sees oil and gas exploration off the coast of South Carolina as an opportunity for economic expansion in the Palmetto State. Goldfinch, who represents Murrells Inlet, the Waccamaw Neck and part of Charleston County, was one of four people to testify before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Goldfinch told the House panel that he believes “offshore oil and gas exploration and development could write the next chapter” in Georgetown’s history. click here to read the story 08:37
Scientists urge international agreement on fisheries in Central Arctic Ocean
In an open letter released last week the nine scientists are calling on Canada, Denmark/Greenland, the European Union, Iceland, Japan, Norway, China, South Korea, Russia and the United States “to conclude a successful agreement, demonstrating their commitment to sound stewardship of the Arctic Ocean and peaceful international cooperation.” The letter comes seven months after, representatives of five Arctic nations and five major fishing powers met in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik in March to hammer out a deal on banning unregulated fishing in the international waters of the Central Arctic Ocean. click here to read the story 23:14
STOP DOING THIS: McKinleyville Dirtbags Continue to Disrupt Coast Guard Helicopter Flights With Their Stupid Laser Pointers
From the United States Coast Guard, Sector Humboldt Bay: The Coast Guard is asking the public for tips or information regarding recent laser attacks aimed against rescue helicopter crews. The latest attack occurred Tuesday evening near the Arcata-Eureka airport as an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay was conducting a practice instrument approach. The helicopter was southeast of the airport when a green laser coming from a wooded area about three miles east of McKinleyville, was shined directly at the aircraft. The pilots quickly landed so the crew members could receive medical checkups. click here to read the story 19:12
Crab boat White Diamond gets $2 million refit in Summerside, transformed to Arctic research vessel
A P.E.I. fishermen is putting his deep-sea crab boat to a new use — scientific research in Canada’s High Arctic. Arctic Research Foundation just finished a $2 million renovation to the boat White Diamond in the Summerside harbour. The Manitoba-based not-for-profit organization bought the boat from fisherman David McIsaac. McIsaac and his son Daniel have been working with the foundation in recent years. White Diamond is one of three research vessels now owned and operated by Arctic Research Foundation. click here to read the story 16:36
