Daily Archives: May 19, 2018
Coast Guard says Maine lobsterman found dead in Jericho Bay
The U.S. Coast Guard says a lobsterman has died while fishing near Marshall Island in Jericho Bay off Stonington. The Portland Press Herald reports the body of 60-year-old Wayne “Butch” Ciomei was found in the water wrapped in a fishing line. His 36-foot lobster boat, the Chelsea Lynn, was aground and running. Ciomei was reported missing by his son at about 4:30 p.m. Friday. Coast Guard public affairs officer Chellsey Phillips says a call for help was sent to other boaters and a 47-foot rescue boat was sent to the scene. Ciomei was found by his son at about 5:30 p.m. >link<14:05
With 3 weeks to go in season, Maine’s baby eel harvest tops $20M
The value of landings so far in Maine’s 2018 baby eel fishing season have topped $20 million, the fishery’s highest annual value since the state adopted a statewide catch limit in 2014. Record prices this season of around $2,500 per pound for baby eels, also known as elvers, already have made the 2018 season the third-most valuable ever in Maine. Over the past four years, the highest annual landings total for the state’s baby eel fishery, which lasts from late March through early June, is $13.4 million in 2016. According to Maine Department of Marine Resources, as of Wednesday evening fishermen had caught 8,416 pounds, or 87 percent of Maine’s annual catch limit of 9,688 pounds. >click to read<12:44
Turf War: Cooler heads need to prevail in Lobster disputes
One thing’s for certain — things need to calm down, and soon, in an escalating dispute between two area families that’s already resulted in charges being laid for assault causing bodily harm, mischief causing danger to life (after a ramming at sea) and uttering threats. There have also been allegations of an attempted ramming and anonymous telephoned death threats. A DFO vessel and the coast guard were off Ecum Secum on Thursday in response to “civil disobedience and local unrest,” a DFO spokesman said. No trouble was reported that day. >click to read<12:01
Ryan Cleary: What makes an inshore fish harvester?
I write this letter to inform your readers why it’s important to define an inshore fish harvester for purposes of a vote by the Labour Relations Board to ultimately decide which union should represent them. Here are three, real-life examples: 1) Two men who hold commercial fishing licenses are on the provincial government’s “sunshine list” as having made more than $100,000 in base salary/overtime in 2016 (one alone made more than $130,000), should they also be eligible to vote? 2) A teenager worked aboard his grandfather’s boat a couple of summer’s ago to help him out, and had a fish sale put in his name, with dues automatically remitted to the FFAW/Unifor. Should he be given a vote? 3) A man works aboard a fishing boat for a trip or two a couple of summers ago, never to set foot on a boat again. Should he be entitled to a ballot? >click to read<10:41 
Boats and ships near Prince William Sound, the Coast Guard can’t hear you
If you’re on the waters of Prince William Sound, you’ll have to be extra cautious. That’s because if you run into trouble, depending on where you are, the Coast Guard says they may not hear your distress signal. The Coast Guard announced Friday afternoon that it can’t hear distress VHF transmissions until vessels reach Port Wells in Prince William Sound, specifically on VHF-FM channel 16. If you are in the following areas the Coast Guard won’t be able to hear a distress signal on channel 16: >click to read<09:28
