Daily Archives: November 23, 2017
Female first mate untangling the net of male-dominated fishing industry
Nadine Adams began her prawn trawling career as a cook a few years ago, but she has moved out of the kitchen since then and during the recent tiger prawn season was controlling operations on the deck of the FV Ocean Thief, which is part of the Austral Fisheries fleet. “The skipper’s in the wheelhouse most of the time so I’m the person down on the deck making sure things happen the way they should be,” Ms Adams said. “I was kind of itching to move on from the cook’s position, because I’d done it for a couple of years and learnt what I could there.” click here to read the story 11:57
On Smith Island, Crab Is Everything. What happens when no one’s around to catch Maryland’s prized blue crab?
It’s the hottest day of the summer on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and at a tiki bar that doesn’t serve alcohol on a windless island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, two teenage boys appear, one holding up a small, live blue crab. “Hey Steve, will you cook this for me?” the boy holding the crab asks Steve Dunlap, who’s behind the bar. “Aw, put it back, Robert,” Dunlap says. Robert sulkily obliges, letting the crab scuttle off into the bay, but makes it clear that he wasn’t going to kill it. Here, on Smith Island, Maryland, there is an overpowering respect, almost a reverence, for the blue crab. At the dead center of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, 12 miles from Maryland’s shore, Smith is a central part of the Maryland crabbing industry, and has been for generations. Here, crab is everything: Food, money, work, family, tradition, history. Crab is life. But it might not be for very much longer. click here to read the story 09:36
Boatbuilders boosting capacity and hiring workers to keep up with demand
Wedgeport Boats is boosting its production capacity and hiring more employees to meet the strong demand for modern lobster-fishing boats.,, The challenge for Nova Scotia’s boatyards – some industry insiders say the biggest challenge – is finding those employees to build increasingly complex and larger lobster-fishing boats. “Boatbuilders are looking at replacing wood with some composite panels for deckhouses,” said Tim Edwards, executive director of the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association. “Many lobster boats are being fitted with live wells – to help improve the quality of landed catch. click here to read the story 08:54
All 7 crew of capsized Japanese fishing boat rescued
Two Japanese and five Indonesian crew members have been rescued after their 15-meter tuna fishing boat was found capsized about 400 kilometers from the Pacific island of Palau, the Japan Coast Guard said Thursday. Planes and ships from the U.S., Japan and Palau had been taking part in the search for the Japanese-flagged Gyotoku Maru No. 1, which capsized southwest of Palau.,, click here to read the story 08:23
