Daily Archives: June 24, 2018
Skipper of fishing vessel that caught fire feared he would never see family again
When the crew of the Challenger Traveler left on a crab fishing trip Friday morning, the last thing they expected to do was end the day clinging to safety on a raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. 4 people safely rescued after abandoning fishing vessel off St. John’s But after the 63-foot fishing vessel caught fire about 160 kilometres outside St. John’s, the four men on board — captain Stan Bennett, his brother Derwin Bennett, cousin Kevin Hewitt and Derek Nichol — had no other choice but to call mayday and abandon ship. >click to read<18:38
Gloucester: Intershell’s new boat a sign fishing still to be done
A week before Gloucester gives itself over completely to the annual St. Peter’s Fiesta, the city’s fishing fleet and shoreside stakeholders had something tangible to celebrate in the effort to return the city to its fishing glory. Undaunted by gray skies and passing showers, nearly 50 people assembled Saturday at the Intershell facility on Harbor Cove to honor the christening and blessing of the newest vessel in the Gloucester fleet — Intershell’s wholly refitted, 55-foot surf clam boat, F/V Bing Bing. The all-metal vessel, though built in Moss Point, Mississippi, in 1977 as a sea clam boat, has evolved into an all-Gloucester boat through the 10-month re-fitting that included the work of dozens of local tradesmen, the facilities at Rose’s Marine and the entire Intershell team. >click to read<15:23
Closing out the seventh season, ‘Wicked Tuna’ celebrating 100th episode
The hit National Geographic reality series “Wicked Tuna” is going to close out its seventh season with its 100th episode Sunday night. When producers first came to Gloucester back in 2011, none of the captains realized what they were in for. Even Capt. Dave Marciano of Beverly, who fishes out of Gloucester, admitted then that he didn’t think anything would come of it. Fast forward seven years; “Wicked Tuna” has remained a steady hit for National Geographic, and now airs in 171 countries and 43 languages. >click to read<14:41
Young fisherman survives bear attack in Naknek boatyard
It was dark when 19-year-old Stig Ure found himself walking through the Upper Lummy boat yard around 2:00 am on June third. He was close to his father’s salmon boat, the Coachman II, where he was staying, when his night took a turn for the worse. He explained, “I crested the bow of the [F/V] Gabey V and all of a sudden I was five to seven feet from this brown bear.” The bear was eating out of a dumpster when Ure surprised it. Almost immediately, Ure reacted. “I just kinda turned into an animal like at that point. Instinct just kicked in, and I bolted.” >click to read<12:30
DFO closes another fishing area in northern N.B. after right whale sighting
Another fishing area in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been closed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans after North Atlantic right whales were spotted. The latest closure in extends the no-fish zone farther east, well into the middle of the Gulf. The measures will see the following grid closed: GX39. Fishermen have until Tuesday at 3 p.m. to remove any fishing gear in the area. This is the seventh closure of a fishing area over the last month in the waters off northern New Brunswick that has forced crab fishermen and lobster fishermen to move their fishing gear to other areas. >click to read<11:33
The Factory Trawler – Akamalik
Akamalik is not just a fishing boat. This 280-foot floating factory pulls in up to 20 tons of shrimp per mission, all of which is sorted, boxed, frozen, and prepared for shipping. But it’s not easy. Reaching the haul means facing the ice-choked waters of Greenland in the dead of the arctic winter, where icebergs, sudden storms, and blinding fog are a daily reality. For the crew, their paycheck depends on the size of catch, and risking their lives is just part of the job. Forty five minute video >click to watch<10:56
Job-related injuries create mounting danger for search and rescue workers
Submerged underwater more than 270 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland, Sgt. Damien Robison almost ran out of air. He was tethered to a helicopter hovering over a nearby fishing boat that was in distress. He was in the water to help save five sealers, but was hit by a 12-metre wave that drove him below the surface. Chunks of ice in the water whipped by as Robison tried to puzzle out how he and the sealers would survive. That happened on March 5, 2017, on what Robison considers a good day on the job. It was good because he, his crew and the sealers all got home safe. After that rescue, Robison said he was pretty banged up. He’s not alone. >click to read<
