Monthly Archives: April 2018
It’s getting harder to reel in a living on the SC 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<15:54
Snow crab season still on ice, Fishermen remain hopeful of early opening
Despite widespread interest in an early opening date, the president of the P.E.I. Snow Crab Association says weather and ice could dictate when snow crab fishermen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence get on the water. Carter Hutt said there was a desire to have the fishery open by April 20, but he noted there is still a considerable amount of ice in the gulf and the weather hasn’t been co-operating in terms of moving it out. >click to read<11:43
New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Mystic, Ct. April 17 — 19, 2018
The New England Fishery Management Council will be meeting in Mystic, CT Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan Boulevard, April 17 — 19, 2018. To read the final agenda, >click here< Register for webinar >click here< to listen live 11:09
Fisherman’s “beloved” Arbroath trawler tracked down to Ireland for special 80th birthday surprise
A former fisherman from Arbroath has been reunited with his beloved boat for the first time in more than four decades. The Swankie family’s fishing trawler was sold in 1974 but skipper Jim Swankie’s love for the Morning Star grew stronger as the years passed. Attempts to find her over the years had come to nothing and he had all but given up hope of ever seeing her again. However, daughter Jillian Schofield knew how much the boat meant to her dad and secretly set about trying to track her down. >click to read<09:48
Opinion: Ryan K. Zinke – American energy dominance means Mass. wind
from the op-ed – As we look to the future, wind energy — particularly offshore wind — will play a greater role in sustaining American energy dominance. Offshore wind uniquely leverages the natural resources off of our East Coast, bringing jobs and meeting the region’s demand for renewable energy. Ramping up wind development and building new power grid systems also coincides well with Trump’s goal of enhancing and modernizing our American infrastructure. While we continue our commitment to the coal miners and other energy workers who built our nation, we also support wind as a valued component of a diverse and flexible energy policy. >click to read<07:22
How fishermen could thwart Cuomo’s offshore wind master plan
In the mist off New England’s coast, towering alien monoliths pierce the surging waters, soaring 600 to 850 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Hundreds of these titans, rising up to 200 feet taller than Trump Tower, chop the air with massive blades that are taller than Albany’s Capitol building. Offshore wind turbines like these, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says, are a critical part of his clean energy mandate to generate 50 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable energy. But those humble fishermen are threatening to derail the governor’s goals with a federal lawsuit they believe is their last best shot to save their livelihoods. >click to read<21:41
Don Cuddy: Why I’m returning for my ninth Boston Marathon
My first Boston marathon was in 1992. I’d sailed my boat to New England from San Diego, arriving in the fall of 1990 and running Boston ranked very high on the list of things I wished to accomplish. I was 39 and to obtain a number, the BAA required me to run a sub-3:15 qualifier, So 1991 became all about running. I targeted the Marine Corps marathon in D.C. that November for my qualifying race. Alas, my inexperience proved costly. I ran too fast, too early and finished in 3:19. >click to read< God Speed, Lad!
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Gulfport, MS April 16 – 20, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet April 16 – 20, 2018 at the Marriott Courtyard hotel, located at 1600 E. Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, MS 39501. The Committee and Council Agendas and meeting materials are posted on the Council website at www.gulfcouncil.org. Meeting materials will be posted as they become available. Council meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live over the internet. Register for the webinar. >click to read<14:49
New Sealord fishing vessel Totaku soon to head for Nelson
Sealord’s brand new $70m fishing vessel has been given a name as it nears completion in Norway. The Nelson-based fishing company has named its new 82.9m factory trawler Tokatu. Translated from Māori, Toka means rock and Tu means stand, and relates to the phrase “he tokatu moana” – a rock that withstands the ravages of the sea. It is said of a person who can withstand the test of time. A delivery crew is due to travel to Norway soon in preparation for her maiden voyage down to NZ. Tokatu will then embark on a 40-day voyage to NZ, by way of the Panama Canal.>click to read<13:31
‘SNL’ explains why you should never order the diner lobster, ‘Les Misérables’-style
Many diners seem to have absurdly long menus with far too many things on it, sometimes including lobster. And you should never get the diner lobster. In the “Diner Lobster” Saturday Night Live sketch, Pete Davidson orders a lobster at Big Nick’s Greek Diner, much to the surprise of his friend Chris Redd and waiter/host John Mulaney. He’s apparently the first person to ever actually order the lobster there. >click to watch<11:39
Huge wooden boat being built ‘old school’ on P.E.I.
Neil MacKay is building his largest wooden boat in his 32 years of making them; like most lobster boats in P.E.I. waters, Catcher is 45 feet long, but is four feet wider than the typical 14 feet. The 51-year-old has been building wooden boats in his shop in Murray Harbour for since 1986, starting right around the time the industry moved, en mass, to fibreglass vessels. Catcher ‘s owner Spencer Norton, 28, lives in nearby Alliston and designed the boat with MacKay. Norton even cut some of the wood himself, with his father-in-law.,, >click to read<09:26
Conservationists, West Coast bottom fishermen embrace ‘grand bargain’
People who love fresh Northwest seafood and the sea should take note of what happened this week in a hotel conference room by Portland’s airport. There, the Pacific Fishery Management Council approved a plan to protect more coral, sponges, reefs and other sensitive animals and formations from the nets of bottom trawlers who work off the West Coast. The measure also offers something for fishermen: a reopening of some prime fishing areas that had been off-limits. >click to read<18:22
Biologists expect early 2018 Togiak herring run
This year, Togiak could see one of the earliest herring harvests ever recorded. “We’re going to fly our first survey on Friday. And then I expect we’ll be seeing herring by [April] 20th, if not sooner,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist Tim Sands. That would be the Togiak fishery’s second-earliest start on record. The earliest recorded date a biomass was spotted in the district was April 14, 2016. But because of the unusual timing, fishing only began three days later. Herring spawn timing depends largely on water temperature >click to read<16:06
Bodies recovered from sunken boat confirmed as missing fishermen
Two bodies recovered from a sunken fishing boat raised from the seabed have been confirmed as those of two missing fishermen. Duncan MacDougall and Przemek Krawczyk were on board the Nancy Glen when it capsized in Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute on January 18. The alarm was raised by a third fisherman who was pulled from the water by the crew of a passing boat. A specialist lifting barge brought the vessel to the surface on Thursday and two bodies were recovered.,, “The families have been informed and the bodies have been released to them.” >click to read<14:09
Sign This Petition – MAKE COMMERCIAL FISHING GREAT AGAIN
1-Millions of jobs depend on reforming the Magnuson-Stevenson Act by passing HR 200. 2-Repeal Marine Monuments on our fishing grounds. 3-Say NO to wind turbines on our sacred fishing grounds. 4- Do all federal trawl surveys on industry boats and support increased cooperative research. 5- Restore all of the Saltonstall Kennedy money to the fishing industry>click to read, sign this petition<10:23
Key leadership changes afoot for United Fisherman of Alaska
Leadership changes are afoot for the United Fisherman of Alaska (UFA) this month, with a number of key seats being passed down following a standard election period, the collective announced on 12 April. Effective as of 15 April, Matt Alward will succeed Jerry McCune as president, Bob Kehoe will take over Alward’s former role as vice president, and new executive committee members Rebecca Skinner and Sue Doherty will be sworn in. >click to read<09:42
Crabbers face fines – Equipment seizure leads to pending charges on numerous violations
Fishery officers have seized more than 300 commercial crab traps in the Powell River area around Savary Island and Harwood Island. Since the beginning of January 2018, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers in Powell River have been conducting an investigation of two commercial crab vessels.,, Charges are expected to be filed in May on numerous counts in violation of the Fisheries Act, according to fishery officer Matt Conley. Owners of the boats face serious fines for failing to comply with conditions of their licenses, he said. >click to read<20:43
New England Fishery Management Council to hear Sector IX’s post-Rafael plans
The New England Fishery Management Council will be updated on the groundfish crisis involving several New Bedford-based fishing sectors when it convenes for three days of meetings next week in Mystic, Connecticut. The groundfish presentation by staff from the Gloucester-based Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office will be the centerpiece of the groundfish report on Wednesday and is designed to provide “an overview of (Northeast Fishing) Sector IX’s steps to address its shortcomings, as well as a summary of Sector IX’s operations plan,” according to the agenda for the meetings. >click to read<19:26
New safety gear needed for P.E.I. lobster fishermen, but supply comes up short
P.E.I. lobster fishermen will have some new safety gear on board when the spring lobster season opens at the end of April. At least, they are supposed to, after new federal safety rules came into effect last July. But the new fishery safety standards affect more than 22,000 Canadian boats and that has left many fishermen scrambling to get the gear they need. Under the new Transport Canada regulations unveiled in 2016, fishing vessels are required to have specific safety gear on board, including a life raft, survival suits and a location signaling device. >click to read< 18:10
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 13, 2018
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >Click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<17:55
Broken down coast guard ship delays spring science survey; DFO’s mismanagement borders on criminal negligence
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) says the delay of the 2018 multi-species survey in waters off the province because of a broken down science vessel is yet another example of Ottawa’s ongoing gross mismanagement of the fisheries. “Most commercial stocks off our province are in free fall, and the Government of Canada still can’t get the baseline science right,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. >click to read<12:53
The Business of Lobster
With one of the fastest growing economies, and an exploding middle class that extends onto the mainland, the Chinese have developed a taste for the better things in life – and Florida lobster is surely one of them. For the lobster, this was the culmination of a 9,000 mile journey – a journey that in recent years has transformed the commercial fishing industry in Florida. Before the Chinese started buying their lobsters, the fishermen of the Florida Keys were getting just $3 a pound for their catch. Boat captains from Key West to Miami were struggling to survive. >click to read< 12:24
Bill to restart Fishermen’s Energy offshore wind project goes to governor
A bill to restart the Fishermen’s Energy offshore wind farm project off Atlantic City passed both houses of the state Legislature on Thursday and now goes to the governor. Meanwhile, Fishermen’s Energy has an agreement in principle to sell the company and its project to EDF Renewable Energy, a French company with lots of experience with offshore wind in Europe and whose U.S. headquarters is in San Diego, Chief Operating Officer Paul Gallagher said. >click to read<11:39
Illegal shellfish trafficking ring caught on video
Pierce County prosecutors have charged several men in a seafood trafficking case, including the former Natural Resources Director for the Tulalip Tribes. According to case documents, Joseph Hatch Sr. and his son, Joseph Hatch Jr., poached at least a thousand pounds of Dungeness crab and shrimp, selling the shellfish over several months in 2015. Hatch is a Tulalip tribal member and was serving in his role as head of natural resources while officers monitored his movement over five months. Video, >click to read<10:51
New Bedford City Council Votes for Fishing Crisis Summit; Gomes Calls Out Senators
Concerns of local fisherman have been voiced in recent weeks about the restrictions put on the industry relative to the conviction of “Codfather” Carlos Rafael and the subsequent closing of Sector IX to commercial fishing, which has seen the docking of multiple ground fishing boats and hindered business on the port. On Thursday night, the City Council unanimously passed a motion that will request Mayor Jon Mitchell, Congressman Bill Keating, Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and the local State Legislative Delegation to form and hold an emergency summit in New Bedford to address the concerns of the fishing industry. >click to read<10:05
Search for missing fishermen over as Nancy Glen is recovered
An operation which took all night to complete saw the boat being lifted from the seabed just after 7.30am. Skipper Duncan MacDougall, 46, and crewman Przemek Krawczyk, 38, were still aboard the prawn trawler when it sank on January 18. A barge with a large crane attached raised the boat clear of the water took and took it to nearby Portavadie for salvage work to continue.,,,Following a fundraising campaign by the Clyde Fishermen’s Trust to “Bring Our Boys Home” the Scottish Government agreed to cover the costs of the salvage operation,,, >click to read<09:12
Offshore Wind States Beware
Off of the shore of Block Island on the Rhode Island coast, five wind turbines are operating and supplying power to the island. It took years of state and federal policymaking, environmental impact assessments, and town hall meetings for the 30-megawatt wind farm to come to fruition due to its cost and degradation of vistas. It cost $300 million—$10,000 per kilowatt—about 10 times more than the cost of a new natural gas combined cycle unit. Further, it is 55 percent more costly than what the Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects a first-of-a-kind offshore wind unit to cost—$6,454 per kilowatt. In terms of generation costs, EIA expects a new offshore wind farm to be 3 times more expensive than an onshore wind farm. And now, fishermen >click to read<08:16
Barry Richard: Warren and Markey are AWOL from Fishing Issues
A restless waterfront is demanding the attention of elected officials on the state and federal levels, but so far there has been little but lip service. This week, Governor Charlie Baker promised to listen to the concerns of the local fishing industry, as plans proceed for an offshore wind farm that could have grave consequences for the industry if not done right. Industry reps are concerned about the impact such development could have on fish stocks. They also worry that the budding wind industry could crowd them out along the waterfront and pose safety risks,, 10 minute radio call in.>click to read<20:24
Coast Guard medevacs injured fisherman near Texas City, Texas
The Coast Guard medevaced an injured fisherman off the 44-foot fishing vessel Donnie J near the Texas City Dike, Thursday morning. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a request from a crewmember aboard the Donnie J for a medevac after the vessel’s captain was injured due to being struck in the head by gear onboard the vessel. The Donnie J had a two person crew and needed an experienced boat driver to navigate the vessel back to port. A Station Galveston crewmember was placed onboard to safely transit the Donnie J to Pier 21 in Galveston. -USCG- 16:12
Kodiak jig fishermen explore other markets during poor cod season
Kodiak processors and fishermen are seeing the effects of the 80 percent cut to cod quota in the Gulf of Alaska. Some small boat fishermen who previously relied on targeting cod are turning to other means to make a profit. One way to do that is to join a community supported fishery, or CSF. That’s what some Kodiak jig fishermen are doing to bolster their incomes. Jig fisherman Darius Kasprzak holds up a scrap piece of iron from WWII. He says he picked it up off a beach and uses it as a weight for his line. “When people were making money cod fishing, you’d just buy lead weights, but those days are over.” >click to read< 14:36
