Monthly Archives: February 2018
Conservation Law Foundation files Lawsuit to protect right whales
After a year of major losses for North Atlantic right whales, a local environmental advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service Thursday, arguing that the agency should do more to protect the critically endangered mammals. But lawyers at the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, which filed the suit, argued that the agency should be doing more. “Regulators are not just morally mandated to act . . . they are also legally required to ensure fishing efforts do not cause harm to these animals,” said Emily Green, an attorney at the foundation. >click to read< 20:47
Desperate search continues 40 miles off coast as families of fishermen hold on to hope
The families and friends of two missing commercial fishermen are holding out hope that the two men will be found after their boat began taking on water and vanished early Thursday in international waters about 40 miles off the New Jersey coast. Paul Matos, 30, of Point Pleasant, and his crew member, Dennis Smallings, were aboard the 46-foot Queen Ann’s Revenge when one of the men sent out a distress signal at about 1:20 a.m. >click to read< 16:54
ASMFC to require Maine to collect catch reports from all lobstermen
An interstate fisheries commission voted Tuesday to require all licensed lobstermen in Maine to start filing catch reports within the next five years. Lobstermen in Maine, where currently only 10 percent of licensed lobstermen are required to file catch reports, overwhelmingly have been opposed to such a requirement. Other states, all of which have lobster fisheries smaller than Maine’s, already require 100 percent of active lobster harvesters to file daily catch summaries. Maine’s Department of Marine Resources also has opposed requiring all lobstermen to file reports. >click to read< 16:08
Helicopter lands on Frying Pan Shoal as rescuers try to save fishing captain
There are questions about why the captain of a fishing boat in trouble off the northeast coast of mainland Nova Scotia was not rescued Wednesday when the other crew members were picked up. Fisherman’s Provider II started sinking Tuesday after running ground on a rocky shoal about four kilometres off Canso. There were four people on board at the time. Another fishing vessel, the Miss Lexi, came to the stranded men’s aid and managed to get three of the fishermen off the vessel. But the captain refused to leave and stayed on the boat. >click to read< 14:11
Fire-stricken Fishing Vessel Grounds in the Samoan Islands
A fire-stricken commercial fishing vessel that had been adrift in the Pacific for more than three months has run aground in the Samoan Islands on Monday. The 88-foot Taiwanese-flagged Chu Zai Fa No. 1 reportedly caught fire in international waters on November 4, 2017 and remained adrift until this week, when it grounded in Leone Bay about 300-yards off the western part of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. The fire forced the Chu Zai Fa No. 1 crew to abandon ship, and most were rescued by a Korean-flagged vessel and brought to Fiji aboard a sister fishing vessel. The master and one crewmember are said to be missing. >click to read< 13:26
UPDATE: Contact established with Coast Guard searching for overdue fisherman near Jacksonville
Original story: The Coast Guard is searching Wednesday for three fishermen who failed to return to Jacksonville. The fishermen, including the captain John Zimmerman*, departed from Safe Harbor January 31st in the 34-foot fishing vessel Jessi K. ,, watchstanders received notification at 4 p.m. Wednesday from the vessels owner when the vessel failed to return home Tuesday. Update: Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center watchstanders were able to ping the cell phone of the 34-foot fishing vessel Jessi K’s captain and make contact. The captain stated they were delayed and out of communications range. >click to read< 12:57
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel off coast of Montauk, N.Y.
A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a 51-year-old man, early Thursday morning from a fishing vessel approximately 45-miles south of Montauk. Watchstanders at Sector Long Island Sound command center received notification at approximately 2:00 a.m., on VHF-FM channel 16 from the master of the vessel who was suffering severe stomach pains. At approximately 4:40 a.m., the Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted the man from the 75-foot fishing vessel ‘Ocean Blue.’ The man is reported to be in stable condition. -USCG- 11:43
Coast Guard searching for fishing vessel in distress off Barnegat, NJ
The Coast Guard is searching for a fishing vessel in distress approximately 40-miles off the coast of Barnegat, New Jersey, Thursday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth, Virginia, received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) alert for the Queen Ann’s Revenge, a 46-foot fishing boat, at 1:20 a.m., while watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay were notified by fishermen of a distress call over VHF radio shortly after the EPIRB alert. >click to read< 10:45
One Square Mile: Opioids In New Bedford’s Fishing Industry – Parts 1 and 2
Captain Mario Gonsalves drove up to the docks one December morning to find his fishing boat caked with ice. Gonsalves and his five-man crew fish for whiting, squid and scup year round — in all kinds of weather.“Right now we drug test all the time,’’ Gonsalves said. “We never used to do that but since a couple months back we started drug testing everybody…. Part 1 >click to read< Andrew Dillon has had a front row seat to the opioid epidemic in New Bedford. His dinner is a favorite for local fishermen. Sometimes he sees customers come in so high they can barely stay awake. Part 2>click to read< 10:01 
3 crew members rescued as Search and Rescue mission underway for fishing boat captain off Canso
A search and rescue mission is underway about four kilometres southeast of Canso, N.S., to find the captain of a fishing vessel that ran aground on rocks. The military’s Joint Task Force Atlantic said it received a distress call from the vessel at 11 p.m. Tuesday. Three of the four crew members were rescued when another fishing boat came to help, but the fourth person — the captain — stayed on the stranded vessel. There has been no communication with the captain since. >click to read< 23:32
Skipper of grounded trawler faces charges
The skipper of a fishing boat that ran aground off Lake Ellesmere has been charged with failing to keep a proper look-out and breaching work safety regulations. Christopher Lee Jarman, 35, of Heathcote Valley, was due to appear at the Christchurch District Court on Thursday, but got a registrar’s remand before the case was called. Jarman is charged with breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by exposing the The Lady Sarah’s crew to the risk of death or serious injury by failing to ensure a proper look-out was kept when he was the master of the vessel. >click to read< 21:41
Fisheries Act sea change aims for conservation, clarity but Bill C-68 includes plenty of work for regulatory lawyers
Proposed Fisheries Act amendments will roll back industry-driven reforms from 2012 that were condemned by marine scientists, restore the broad protection of fish and fish habitat sought by environmentalists, enhance Indigenous powers over fisheries and add more regulatory teeth and tools to enforce the law. Bill C-68 introduced by the Trudeau government Feb. 6 would also create a bit of a bonanza for lawyers who advise on environmental and other regulatory matters, particularly since it is to be followed on Feb. 8 by other environmental assessment legislation that will create a new Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act and amend the Navigation Protection Act. >click to read< 20:41
Fishing – what’s changed?
When Europe was inhabited by tribes of intelligent savages, fishing was one of the main sources of food. The associated seamanship and boat-building enabled the development of marine navigation and other sea trades. One of the oldest fishing centres called Sidon, which according to scholars of Semitic languages means ‘The Fishery,’ was populated by Phoenicians, who with their genius for navigation and commerce, specialised in trade in dried and salted fish and in collection of certain mollusks, of which they prepared the Tyrian purple that for the richness variety and stability of its hues, was prized higher than any other ancient dye. >click to read< 19:49
H.R. 2504 – House approves Poliquin’s proposal for swifter exports of Maine seafood
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) that aims to limit mandatory inspections and hasten exports of specific types of Maine seafood. H.R. 2504 would ensure fair treatment in licensing requirements for the export of certain echinoderms, namely sea urchins and sea cucumbers, a highly perishable product threatened by spoilage due to regulatory red tape around inspections, according to Poliquin’s office.>click to read< 19:21
Bad science journalism and the false dilemma of offshore wind and oil.
“If you’ve ever wondered why science journalism is so incredibly bad…” NPR Is Seeking A Science Editor. Science Education Not Required. The job ad is appalling. NPR, which to its credit at least attempts to cover science and health, is looking for a new Science Editor. Unfortunately, actually being trained in science is not required for the job.,,, Scientific American fared a little better with this story… Trump Wants Offshore Drilling, but States Are Choosing Wind Energy, While the article does go on to discuss the synergies that would occur with offshore wind farm installations and offshore drilling and production facilities,,, >click to read< 16:06
Linda Brandt: Mullet is so much more than bait
I grew up thinking mullet was only for bait and smoking for dip. That was probably because when I went fishing with my dad, he used mullet for bait. And because he fished with a rod and reel and mullet are mostly caught with cast nets, they didn’t show up freshly caught on our table. Apparently I have been missing out on not only one of Florida’s oldest delicacies, but a piece of state history as well. >click to read< 15:30
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 76′ Steel Dragger, Detroit 12-V-71, with federal/state permits
Specifications, information and 15 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >Click here< 13:57
DEC decides against extending the scalloping season
The last time Peconic Bay scallops were this plentiful was the winter of 2015, just before six weeks of hard weather put what should have been a five-month harvest on hold. Back then, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation responded by extending the season for commercial scalloping in state waters by a month to make up for lost time, but this year, the season will end in March, right on schedule. In a statement on Monday,,, >click to read<11:53
N.C. Watermen elect officers
Perry Wood Beasley of Columbia has been elected President of North Carolina Watermen United, with Outer Banks residents Andrew Berry and Greg Mayer serving as Co-Vice Presidents.,, NCWU, which originally came together in 2005 as a group of commercial, charter/headboat and recreational anglers, has worked hard to promote the North Carolina fishing industry and protect those who work on the water, along with recreational fishermen who enjoy being able to fish. Of equal importance is the consumer, who may not necessarily fish, but who wants the highest quality protein source in the world—North Carolina fresh seafood. >click to read< 11:21 
FFAW, FISH-NL at odds over what Fisheries Act amendments will mean for N.L.’s inshore fishery
The federal Liberal Government said Tuesday it is restoring protections for the fishing industry that were taken away by the former Conservative government in 2012. And, in making the announcement, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc said there is more good news for the country’s fishing industry. The minister announced $284.2 million to support the restoration of protections to fish and fish habitats and to incorporate new modern safeguards in the industry. >click to read< 09:32
Carlos Rafael’s boats to be raised on Thursday
Carlos Rafael’s two fishing vessels, Dinah Jane and Nemesis, which sank at the dock earlier this week, will be raised Thursday morning, according to the Mattapoisett company doing the work. Tucker Roy Marine Towing and Salvage plans to start the job bright and early,,, Roy said the boats are entangled under the water,,, >click to read< 00:43
Headless tuna in the woods case still an open investigation
The Gloucester man charged with illegally disposing a headless tuna in woods off Revere Street last fall had his case continued for another five weeks in Gloucester District Court on Monday. But a spokeswoman for NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement said that agency has not yet begun to advance its federal case against Harold E. Wentworth, 40, of 24 Liberty St., and crew members of his fishing vessel, the Went-Way, over their alleged illegal landing of the fish last October. >click to read< 18:41
FISH-NL – Ottawa’s failure to include adjacency principle in Fisheries Act amendments ‘grave injustice’
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) says Ottawa’s failure to include the principles of adjacency and historical attachment in the reformed Fisheries Act — to ensure inshore harvesters have priority access to fish off their shores — is a grave injustice. “It’s one thing for the Trudeau government to move to protect the independent commercial fishery, but that’s useless unless harvesters have fish to catch,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. >click to read< 15:15
Minister announces changes to federal fisheries act
Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced today $284.2 million to support the restoration of protections to fish and fish habitats taken away by the former Conservative government in 2012, and to incorporating new modern safeguards in the industry. It was part of amendments to the Fisheries Act that LeBlanc outlined at a news conference in Vancouver. “To preserve, protect and help restore our environment we need a Fisheries Act that Canadians can trust,” LeBlanc stated. >click to read< 15:05 
David Boyd – No footprints in the snow
I write this from my son’s living room, high in the east-end hills of St. John’s, overlooking the bustling streets of Newfoundland’s capital city, and I think — yesterday I spent my day repairing Father’s old fishing premises, now mine, in a small fishing village in Notre Dame Bay — a world far removed from the consciousness of the decision-makers in the upper chambers of the Confederation Building, visible now through the early morning mist. And I think, I think as I watch my grandkids absorbed in their devices, of my own childhood in that small fishing village — a place I will not name because it could be any of hundreds of outport communities — of the freedoms we enjoyed and the idyllic childhood we shared with our parents in the fishing boats and stages of our youth. >click to read< 13:30
Fatigue the cause of fishing vessel’s grounding
On 6 March 2017, the uninspected commercial fishing vessel ‘St. Dominick’ grounded in Pumicestone Bay, Alaska. The engine room flooded within 10–20 minutes of the grounding, and the four crew abandoned the vessel a short time later. None of them were injured, and no pollution was reported, but the vessel, valued at $1.1 million, was deemed a constructive total loss. US NTSB issued an investigation report on the accident. >click to read< 13:02
Survey of world’s unprovoked shark attacks singles out South Carolina
South Carolina was singled out in a worldwide survey of unprovoked shark attacks because it doubled its numbers in 2017. The Florida Museum of Natural History released the data, which showed a 2017 world total of 88 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks, 30 provoked attacks, and 18 cases of boats being attacked by sharks. Only five of the unprovoked attacks were fatal worldwide, none of which were in the U.S., says the report. Among the other top states for unprovoked attacks: Hawaii (6), California (2) and one attack each in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia. Australia was second to the United States in unprovoked attacks with 14.>click to read< 12:12
Watch new Serene being launched in Poland
A NEW 82-metre pelagic trawler made for the Whalsay based Serene Fishing Company has been launched in Poland. A ceremony for the partly-outfitted vessel took place in Gdansk on 1 February. The new Serene is due to be handed over to its owners later this year. She was built by Nauta Shiprepair Yard and will be completed at Denmark’s Karstensens Skibsvaerft. The old Serene was sold to new Norwegian owners last year. >click for video< 11:15
Whooshh growing rapidly in Europe, stalled by U.S. regulations
The difference between the Whooshh fish transport system and traditional fish ladders — data suggests — is like the difference between crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range with the Donner Party or snug inside the club car of the California Zephyr. Yes, fish can theoretically navigate fish ladders to get around dams and other impediments, but research over the past seven years shows that it’s a perilous journey that often takes several days and leaves the lucky survivors bruised, battered and too weak to complete their upstream migration. In contrast, the Whooshh transport system literally whooshhes the fish up and over the dam in a matter of seconds via a seamless pneumatic tube system that works something like a gentle vacuum. >click to read< 10:02 
4 things to watch for in Canada’s new Fisheries Act
The federal government will unveil long-awaited changes to Canada’s Fisheries Act later today. For federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, this is a rhetoric-meets-reality test on several hot-button issues. Fishermen and corporations are watching to see if LeBlanc fulfils promises to strengthen protections to preserve the independence of inshore fisheries.,,, Environmentalists also want to see a commitment to “science-based decision making,” and an “ecosystem” and “precautionary” approach to fisheries management,,, >click to read< 09:31
