Monthly Archives: March 2018
Mistrial declared in case alleging illegal fluke fishing
A federal judge in Central Islip has declared a mistrial in the case of an East Northport fisherman charged with illegally harvesting $400,000 worth of fluke. After three days of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case of Thomas Kokell, who was charged in a multicount indictment of falsifying federal fishing records, wire and mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Bianco declared a mistrial on Monday. Kokell, who pleaded not guilty, was the first Long Island fisherman to demand a court trial in the ongoing federal fisheries probe,,,>click to read< 09:27
“We live and die by stock assessments,” – Fishermen seek more responsive regulations
“We live and die by stock assessments,” said Jimmy Hull, a commercial fisherman from Ormond Beach, Fla. His statement during an informal question-and-answer period held by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is part of an overall grievance a significant number of fishermen have with the fishery management process — that it’s not responsive to current conditions in fish stocks, and instead responding to conditions months or years earlier. >click to read< 08:46
(PHOTOS) Crab Fishermen Rescue Young Deer That Was About to Drown Near Humboldt Bay Entrance
Late this afternoon, the crew of the Josie L was headed back to port after a day of crabbing when they spotted something in the water, some sort of animal swimming between the south and north jetties that frame Humboldt Bay’s bar crossing. “We didn’t know what it was,” Captain Dale Lindstrom told the Outpost. “We thought it might have been a dog.” As they got closer they could see that the creature was struggling to stay afloat in the choppy waters. They pulled the boat closer and the crew soon recognized the animal as a young deer,,, >click to read< 21:21
House kills fish bill: Does Virginia risk falling out of compliance with menhaden catch limits?
The House of Delegates on Tuesday killed a bill, opposed by an influential Northern Neck commercial fishing operation, that would have brought Virginia into compliance with new menhaden catch limits adopted last fall by a consortium of Atlantic states. Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, made a motion to send his House Bill 1610, which had been sent down by Gov. Ralph Northam last month, back to committee, effectively spiking it for the year. In an interview, Knight said he did so in hopes that Northam’s administration and Omega Protein,,>click to read<20:42
Proposed 2018 regulations on black sea bass and other commercially targeted fish covered at DMF public hearing.
With no proposed changes in conch fishing regulations on the agenda, the annual Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) winter public hearing on proposed regulations was a relatively collegial gathering. A baker’s dozen of Island fishermen and stakeholders gathered at the Katharine Cornell Theater on Monday morning to weigh in on the potential changes the DMF is looking to implement in 2018. The main topic of conversation was changes to regulations for the commercial black sea bass fishery. >click to read< 19:00
Disabled fisherman fights ‘arbitrary’ 5-year limit on substitute fishermen
A disabled Nova Scotia fisherman says he will continue challenging a federal rule that will prevent him from hiring someone to catch lobster under his licence. Dana Robinson lives in Granville Ferry, N.S., and has had an owner-operator licence to fish in the Bay of Fundy, Area 35, since 2007. But due to a medical condition, he’s no longer able to stand for more than a few hours a day and can’t operate his boat himself. Fisheries Act regulations permit someone who has a medical issue to find a substitute to fish under their licence, but only for five years. >click to read< 16:40
An example of activism, and how to get your point across
A freelance writer Frederick Hewett, from Cambridge Ma wrote a piece about the wonderful wind advantage the Bay State has, Massachusetts Could Win Big In Offshore Wind Energy. The article was posted on the WBUR website, licensed by the Trustees of Boston University. The piece describes what the wind industry repeats continuously, that its just Utopia! Barbara Durkin, a citizen that is opposed to wind energy for all the right reasons commented on the article, and with every comment included information to back up her claims. As fishermen are opposed to offshore wind, offshore drilling, and the emotional issue of the right whale, it is a lesson on how to get your point across with dignity, and knowledge. >click to read< Her tag line on twitter is, “Show me the evidence that wind energy works….still waiting” Follow her on twitter>click here<14:35
Dow honored, DMR Excellence Award named for Andy Mays
Two men known well to the Mount Desert Island commercial fishing community were honored at the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum last weekend at the Samoset Resort here. Specialist Sean Dow of the Maine Marine Patrol accepted the Officer of the Year award Saturday. The DMR Excellence Award, now named for its first recipient, the late Andy Mays of Southwest Harbor, went to Machiasport fisherman Mike Murphy. >click to read< 12:15
Brexit-supporting Fishermen Worried May Will Sell Them out After ‘30 Years of Torment that Seemed Neverending’
Fishing for Leave, the grassroots fishing industry campaign for Brexit which organised the seaborne protest which turned into the (in)famous Battle of the Thames, expressed concern after the Remain-supporting prime minister signalled fishing would form part of Britain’s “economic partnership” with the European Union. The lion’s share of Western Europe’s fish are in British territorial waters, but EU member-states are required to surrender control over their fisheries — like their trade policy — to Brussels, which has resulted in a massive reduction in “fishing effort” as British stocks have been doled out to other EU member-states. Talk of reduced “fishing effort” is a euphemism for massive job losses,,, >click to read<11:09
‘Wild West’: Controversy dogs Nova Scotia’s marine brokerage industry
A fisherman from Shelburne County says he will fight a lawsuit from a marine broker seeking a $38,000 commission on the sale of a boat and lobster licence. Donnie Roy, a lobster fisherman who lives near Lockeport, N.S., paid a commission to brokers in the sale of his lobster licence and vessel, Justified Expense. Now another marine brokerage, Novi Marine Brokers of Yarmouth, is suing Roy, demanding $38,000 in commissions because Roy had also signed a listing agreement with the company. The dispute raises questions about the unregulated marine brokerage industry in this province, which is involved in the sale of fishing boats and licences in the tens of millions of dollars every year in Nova Scotia.>click to read<10:35
Fishermen lodge class action over toxic dredge spill
A Class action is being brought against Gladstone Ports Corporation on behalf of commercial fishermen for losses they say resulted from large-scale contamination from toxic dredge spill in 2011-12. The fishermen are claiming losses of more than $100million following the Western Basin Dredging and Disposal Project in Gladstone Harbour. The dredging began in 2011 to prepare for the three Curtis Island LNG projects. >click to read<
Graying of Alaska’s Fishing Fleet Puts Key Industry in Peril
Once known for its young guns, Alaska’s commercial fishing fleet is now full of graybeards. The average Alaska fisher is now older than 50, according to the University of Alaska’s Sea Grant program. That is a big change from 1975, when fishers under 40 held half of commercial fishing permits in rural Alaska.,,, At the heart of the problem, experts have concluded, is “rationalization,” the system that has transformed Alaska fisheries from an open-access free-for-all into tightly managed harvests governed by quota shares and “limited-entry” permits that must be inherited or purchased – with prices that can soar well above $100,000. >click to read< 09:00
The fish that built Lofoten
In the far north of Nordland county, the Lofoten Islands stretch out into the Norwegian Sea like a row of teeth. Ever since the Viking Age, the islands have played an important role in fishing for the Norwegian Arctic cod or “Skrei” (pronounced ‘skrey’), which come here to spawn in the winter months. The fishing industry has left many a mark in the history of Lofoten, and is still important for people who live out here. >click to read< 18:25
So Cal Cities Sue Over Tijuana Sewage Polluting US Beaches
Southern California cities, tired of their beaches and waterways being polluted by sewage entering U.S. waters from Tijuana, Mexico, sued the international agency tasked with upholding the Clean Water Act on Friday.,, “Human sewage, enormous volumes of sediment, industrial wastes, pesticides, massive amounts of trash, and a host of other nefarious pollutants from defendants’ facilities barrage the Tijuana River, its Estuary, the Pacific Ocean, and the Imperial Beach beachfront, contaminating those natural resources, stigmatizing the beachfront as unclean and unsafe, and sickening members of the public who use the Tijuana River Valley, the beach, and the ocean for recreation,” the cities claim. >click to read<16:52
Green MLA Adam Olsen says it’s time to get Atlantic salmon out of B.C. waters
A major blow has been inflicted on the Atlantic-salmon-farming industry in Washington State. This has one provincial lawmaker calling for similar action in the coastal waters of British Columbia. Saanich North and the Islands Green MLA Adam Olsen says the time has come to end open-net farming of Atlantic salmon. Olsen is a member of the Tsartlip First Nation and has long advocated for protecting the Salish Sea and Saanich Inlet. >click to read< 15:50
What’s happening to the lobster babies? Portland dealer will pay to get an answer
Scientists want to know why the number of lobster babies in the Gulf of Maine is declining when their numbers at every other stage of their life cycle remain high. That question is considered so important to the future of Maine’s $1.5 billion lobster industry that one of Maine’s 200 lobster dealers – Ready Seafood of Portland – is funding a university study to investigate what some scientists call the big disconnect. “What’s happening to the babies?” asked Brendan Ready. >click to read< 14:18
Change of leadership at Maine Lobstermen’s Association
At the 64th annual meeting of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association on March 2, long-time president David Cousens stepped down from his position as MLA president and Kristan Porter, of Cutler, was elected by the MLA board of directors to the post. Porter, 47, was one of the MLA’s two vice-presidents. “I am honored to have worked with so many dedicated people over the years. We’ve had some rough times but I think the industry is in a better place than it was 27 years ago,” said David Cousens, in a news release. “Kristan is smart and a clear thinker so I know the organization is in good hands.” >click to read< 13:27
Millions of dead fish wash up on Yorkshire beach after Storm Emma
Millions of dead fish and sea creatures washed up on Yorkshire’s East Coast over the weekend. Tidal waves and gale force winds from Storm Emma are believed to have caused the “huge dump of animals”,,, Commercial fisherman Jack Sanderson was at Fraisthorpe with a group of fishermen rescuing live lobsters to release back into the sea. “It was just like a war zone, total chaos,” said Sanderson. “We have had strong easterly winds up to force nine and combined with a 6.2 metre tide, and the fact there was a lot of cold, frost and snow, meant the water temperature dropped two degrees in one day, which is massive.” >click to read< 11:37
It’s getting harder to reel in a living on South Carolina coast
Pete Kornack launched his oyster boat into “white knuckle” thick fog on a recent morning and came back with a good harvest, some 16 bushels. The hoist squeaked almost musically pulling the bags of oysters from the boat to the dock. But it wasn’t like the days when Kornack, 50, was young. Crews then would bring back 90 bushels, sometimes shoveling them into the boat. Today, commercial shellfish harvesters like Kornack often have to supplement the living they love by finding other jobs. >click to read<10:27
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Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 >Click here< for the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd. – We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd! >Click here< to visit our website!09:53
“Michelle Malkin Investigates: Fishing Wars ” Takes HIIDA Best Documentary of the Month
BEST OF THE MONTH “Michelle Malkin Investigates: Fishing Wars ” will take home this beautiful HIIDA Trophy during the Award Ceremony on March 24, 2018. A monthly film festival with a yearly live screening at Raleigh Studios, Hollywood exclusively for Documentaries. All monthly Winners of 2017 will be invited to attend the Mega Red Carpet HIIDA Award Ceremony Event held on March 24, 2018, @ Raleigh Studios Hollywood. >click to read< Michell appeared on Fox and Friends this morning and it is also discussed, >watch here<09:31
Wastewater worries
On Tuesday, the Ontario City Council voted to have City Manager Adam Brown send a returning letter to Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality. The letter will outline major concerns with a draft sent to the city by the department for review and comment of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The permit would allow the city to discharge wastewater into the Snake River, with new limits and pollutant monitoring six months out of the year.,, Among top concerns are the exorbitant costs to upgrade existing wastewater treatment facilities,,, Arsenic, along with copper and mercury are bioaccumulative toxins that aggregate in fish tissue,,, >click to read< 18:50
Maine’s 2017 commercial fishing landings are fourth highest ever
Maine commercial fishermen once again landed more than a half-billion dollars worth of marine resources in 2017. At $569,173,089, the total value stands as the fourth highest ever and marks only the sixth time that Maine harvesters have surpassed $500 million. “Maine’s commercial harvesters have again established our state as a leader in the sustainable, responsible management of marine resources,” said Governor Paul R. LePage.,, Lobster landings in 2017 were the sixth highest on record at 110,819,760 pounds, >click to read< 16:23
Inside the insane, dangerous lives of Alaskan crab fishermen who work 20-hour days in a ‘constant barrage of storms’
Being a crab fishermen on Alaska’s Bering Sea is a very dangerous job with back-breaking labor and 20-hour work days. In 2002, photographer Corey Arnold decided to give it a try. He ended up doing it for nearly a decade and brought his camera along for the many weeks at sea. The Bering Sea is constantly suffering storms which make the work even more difficult and dangerous. While working long, strenuous hours on the Rollo, Arnold often stole away with the captain’s permission to grab his camera and photograph the crew and the ship. Arnold eventually put together “Fish Work: Bering Sea,” a documentation of his seven adventurous and dicey crab seasons aboard the Rollo. Photo’s >click to read< 13:58
2 years to rebuild lobster plant, Paturel tells employees
It will take at least two years to rebuild the Paturel lobster plant on Deer Island, N.B., that burned to the ground last week. That’s what employees were told Saturday morning during a meeting organized by Paturel management, said Paul Richardson, who worked at the plant and was at the meeting. The processing and packaging plant was destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning, putting more than 100 people out of work. >click to read< 13:13
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting March 5-9, 2018 in Jekyll Island, GA
The public is invited to attend the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to be held at the Westin Jekyll Island 110 Ocean Way Jekyll Island, GA 31527Complete Agenda >click here< for details Webinar Registration: >Listen Live, Click here< To visit the SAFMC >click here< 12:33
70 stray cargo containers pose threat to mariners off North Carolina
The Coast Guard is warning mariners of navigation hazards after about 70 cargo containers fell off of a cargo ship Saturday night, about 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. The cargo ship Maersk Shanghai contacted watchstanders at Sector North Carolina’s command center via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16, notifying them that they lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due to high winds and heavy seas. The Coast Guard urges all mariners to transit this area with caution. –USCG– 11:35
Lobstermen pack meeting concerning right whales, possible gear changes at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum
Lobstermen from all over the state packed the Rockport Room at the Samoset Resort to overflowing Friday to hear about the potential for ropeless fishing and use of break-away lines to help save the endangered right whale. The panel discussion March 2 at the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum brought fishermen together with several experts including scientist Mark Baumgartner of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Amy Knowlton of the New England Aquarium and Mike Asaro of NOAA Fisheries. >click to read< 10:06
Winter Storm Riley: At Least 9 Dead on East Coast
Deaths have been reported in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, where two people were killed. Two of the victims – a 6-year-old boy in Chester, Virginia, and an 11-year-old boy in Putnam Valley, New York – were children. The governors of Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency due to the conditions. National Guard members were activated in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to assist in the aftermath. More than 1.9 million customers were still powerless Saturday afternoon, >click to read<09:14
Don Cuddy – Local Salvage Company has Unique Edge on Marine Work
Two fishing boats going down at Homer’s Wharf in New Bedford harbor in the wee hours of February 5 made headline news, particularly since both were owned by Carols Rafael Once the media focus turned to the next breaking story the incident was largely forgotten But the wrecks remained. Fortunately expert help was no further away than Fish Island, home to the Tucker-Roy Marine Towing & Salvage Inc. This family owned and operated outfit has acquired considerable expertise from it decades dealing with maritime casualties. >click to read< 19:58
