Daily Archives: December 20, 2017
Bering Sea cod conflict brewing between on and offshore buyers
“Cod Alley” is getting crowded, and some fishermen want to limit the boats in the narrow congested fishing area in the Bering Sea. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is looking at changes, including restricting flatfish factory trawlers from buying cod offshore. The Pacific Seafood Processors Association is pushing for restrictions on factory trawlers to protect its members’ shore plants in Unalaska, Akutan, King Cove and Sand Point. According to the PSPA’s Nicole Kimball, seven factory trawlers bought cod from 17 catcher boats in 2017,,, click here to read the story 21:23
Abandoned and adrift, North Pacific fishing vessel will be sunk by Coast Guard
A Coast Guard cutter is heading to a derelict fishing vessel adrift in the Northern Pacific with the sole purpose of sinking it, possibly with machine gun or artillery fire. “Certainly, a 170-foot fishing vessel drifting out there can cause some pretty serious damage to even a large commercial freighter,” said Lt. Cmdr. Orion Bloom, command center chief for the U.S. Coast Guard’s 17th District, Bloom said the vessel Alaska Patriot, currently adrift about 215 miles south of Chirikof Island, is a navigational hazard. click here to read the story 19:52
Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 4 from fishing vessel in the Gulf
The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued four people from a vessel 3 nautical miles south of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, Wednesday. The Eighth Coast Guard District watchstanders received an alert at 10 a.m. from an emergency position indicating radio beacon registered to the commercial fishing vessel Eunice Lemay with four people aboard. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and received a report from two good Samaritans, the commercial fishing vessel Erica Lynn and the sailing vessel J&B, of the Eunice Lemay keeled over with four people on its side. click here to read the story 19:24
Canadian government says chances are minimal that virus will spread from farmed to wild salmon
Canadian fisheries officials say their research concludes there are minimal risks to sockeye salmon in the Fraser River in British Columbia of an infectious virus from Atlantic salmon farms transferring to wild populations. Current fish health management practices such as vaccination and eradication of infected fish help to minimize the risk, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Ottawa. The advice in the report on infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) was developed by consensus of the peer review group of 39 experts from various disciplines, Canadian officials announced during a teleconference from Ottawa on Dec. 20. click here to read the story 17:47
New York State Looks To Promote Locally Caught Seafood
With 90 percent of U.S. seafood consumption coming from fish imported from other countries, New York State is looking to identify ways to promote locally caught seafood through legislation recently signed by Governor Cuomo that will create a New York State Seafood Marketing Task Force. The bill was supported by State Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Ken LaValle. The Task Force will address ways to grow resources and data available to the State’s local fishermen, aquaculturists and associated small businesses, develop the marketing of and sustainability of New York seafood, and examine previous studies, pilot programs and initiatives of both New York and other states to find the most effective seafood marketing practices. click here to read the story 16:43
Georgia extends shrimp trawling season until Jan. 15, announce the opening of commercial harvest of jellyfish
The state has extended the food shrimp harvest season 15 days until Jan. 15 and announced the opening of the season for the commercial harvest of jellyfish. Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams announced Wednesday he was extending the season that commercial trawlers may operate in state waters that are currently open until 6:15 p.m. Jan. 15.,, .,, The DNR also announced that state waters will open for commercial trawling for jellyfish from 6:30 a.m. Jan. 1 until 8:30 p.m. March 31. click here to read the story 16:04
A message from Sam Parisi – When senators and congressmen call you, you know you that your message is getting out there
A message from Sam Parisi – When senators and congressmen call you, you know you that your message is getting out there about the implementation of a US Fish Bill. You wonder why and then you realize that your dream to have federal legislation in the form of a Fish Bill has some merit. I have had calls from Senators on the West Coast and New England wanting to help and giving me advice. One of them said, “Sam this will have the backing of not only those engaged in the fishing industry, but also those associations for conservationists.” click here to read the letter 14:26
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44ft.11in. Samson Enterprises Lobster, Crab, Longliner, GM 6V71
Specifications, information and 32 photos click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:50
Cooke Aquaculture acquires Houston fishing company in $650M deal
Cooke Aquaculture acquired Omega Protein Corp. in a $500 million USD deal — approximately $650 million (Canadian) — in one of the single largest foreign investment deals a New Brunswick company has ever done in the United States. “It’s the single largest acquisition [our] company has ever made,” said Joel Richardson, vice-president of communications for Cooke. “When a New Brunswick company reaches beyond our borders and acquires a company outside our province, it helps strengthen jobs back here and at home.” click here to read the story 12:03
N.J. yacht captain pleads not guilty in 2015 death in waters off Westerly
A New Jersey yacht captain must surrender his merchant marine license and passport as he awaits trial for seaman’s manslaughter in the September 2015 death of an 81-year-old man in waters off Westerly. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on Tuesday released Cooper “Chick” Bacon, 78, of Cape May, N.J., on $50,000 surety on a charge that he failed to take adequate safety precautions while operating a 60-foot Princess luxury yacht on Sept. 22, 2015, near Fishers Island Sound, off Napatree Point. The yacht he was piloting collided with a 23-foot power boat, the Peggy K, killing its only occupant, Walter S. Krupinski, of Stonington, Connecticut. click here to read the story 10:49
Lobster fisherman defends maligned practice of ‘controlling agreements’
The federal government’s attempt to stop corporate control of the lucrative lobster fishery is facing another challenge, and the Nova Scotia fisherman at the centre of the case has taken the rare step of speaking out about it. Hubert Saulnier, 63, is a familiar face on the Meteghan wharf in southwestern Nova Scotia. He has been fishing for more than four decades and has held many positions with the local fishermen’s association. Saulnier is also one of 14 fishermen in a so-called controlling agreement with Yarmouth Sea Products, one of southwest Nova Scotia’s largest lobster buyers. click here to read the story 09:36
Market Price is a whopper
There may still be some small fishing boats being built along the Maine coast, but they seem to be few and far between. WESMAC Custom Boats’ latest surely isn’t among them.,,, Built for commercial scallop fishing, lobstering and gillnetting, Market Price will be homeported in Point Pleasant, N.J., and fish off the mid-Atlantic coast up to 100 miles offshore. With that service in mind, the Pot Luck Lobster Co. chose a big, rugged hull, built in this case to meet American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) construction standards, for its newest vessel. click here to read the story 08:07
