Monthly Archives: September 2018
Long Island turbine siting – ‘You’re impacting the whole resource’
Fishermen and city officials raised the alarm Tuesday about potential wind turbines in prime fishing and scalloping grounds south of Long Island. About 55 people attended a meeting with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to discuss the agency’s evaluation of possible offshore wind locations within a 2,300-square-mile portion of the New York Bight, between Long Island and New Jersey. Scalloper Eric Hansen said 40 to 50 percent of the scalloping grounds fished by New Bedford scallopers is within the area the federal government is considering leasing to wind developers, and if fishing there becomes dangerous, people will fish harder in the remaining places. “You’re impacting the whole resource,” he said. >click to read<13:35
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 55′ Dixon Tuna/Longliner, 1000HP CAT C18, 20 KW Northern Lights
Specifications, information and 26 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<12:56
Court battle pits liar vs. liar – Flawed men tussle over who committed Ilwaco strangling
The defendant made his case with a shaking voice. The witness re-enacted a vicious murder with scarcely contained glee. The defense attorney teared up. And after two days of sordid testimony concluded on Sept. 12, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton said he was no closer to understanding what really happened when Oregon fisherman John Adkins was beaten, then strangled in the Port of Ilwaco in July 2009. Adkins’ former business partner, Erin Rieman, 55, pleaded to manslaughter in 2010, after former Pacific County Prosecutor David Burke gave deckhand Walter Bremmer, 54, full immunity in exchange for his testimony. However, when Bremmer fatally strangled a Hawaii man, Robert “Johnny” Leong, in 2012, Rieman asked to withdraw his plea, saying he only took it to prevent Bremmer from killing his family members. >click to read<12:03
Additional boats to join search for missing fishermen, weather conditions kept many vessels off the water
With the weather improving, more vessels will be able to join in the search for two fishermen whose boat capsized near Tignish, P.E.I., late Tuesday afternoon. The distress call went out at about 5:30 p.m. The Kyla Anne, a 40-foot fishing vessel with three people on board, had capsized. One person had made it to shore to call for help but two were still in the water.,,, “Additional vessels in the area tried to assist initially, however very poor ongoing weather conditions prevented them from joining the search yesterday evening and last night,” Maj. Mark Gough, senior public affairs officer with Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax, wrote in an email to CBC News. >click to read<10:58
Chairman’s Death Comes At Crucial Time For Western Pacific Fishery Management Council
The unexpected death this summer of Edwin Ebisui has left the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council with an empty seat and a decision to make on who should take over as its permanent chairman. The leadership void comes at a crucial time for the council, which has been pushing the Trump administration to open up protected waters to commercial fishing. “You can be sure there is all kinds of lobbying going on right now,” said Rick Gaffney, a former council member and head of the Hawaii Fishing and Boating Association.,,, Ebisui, 67, was a Honolulu lawyer who fished commercially for bottomfish such as onaga and opakapaka. He was also a strong advocate for Hawaii’s $100 million tuna industry during his tenure on the council. >click to read<09:55
Twenty-Five Foot Basking Shark Led to Fishing Vessel Capsize
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has released an investigation report into the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Langley Douglas in September 2017, noting the presence of a 25-foot basking shark in the catch and the captain’s subsequent decision making. The 79-foot-long, 143-gross ton vessel developed a port list, capsized and subsequently sank 60 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescued the five people on board. No injuries or pollution were reported. The Langley Douglas was valued at $1.95 million.,, At 0910 on September 11, 2017, the captain ordered the crew to haul in the net and prepare the main deck and hog pen area. The crew also placed scupper plates in front of the port and starboard freeing ports to prevent catch from going overboard. The captain told investigators that he remembered seeing the cod-end sensor flashing, >click to read<23:26
Search underway for 2 missing fishermen off Tignish, P.E.I.
A search is underway for two people missing from a boat that capsized late Tuesday afternoon in Tignish, P.E.I. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax is co-ordinating the search. “At approximately 5 o’clock local time, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre here in Halifax received a report of two people in the water near Tignish, P.E.I.” said Maj. Mark Gough, senior public affairs office with Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax.,,, Local fishermen say the seas were rough and dangerous Tuesday in the area due to a strong wind from the northeast. >click to read<21:46
‘Barely a scallop’: fears oil and gas exploration will destroy fishery
There are calls for a moratorium on seismic surveys by the oil and gas industry from members of the fishing industry after new Australian research shows it has serious impacts on invertebrates such as lobster, scallop, abalone and crab. The calls come as three different oil and gas companies have told industry bodies they want to carry out seismic explorations in Otway basin this summer. Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council (TSIC) chief executive, Julian Harrington, says: “This is a big issue for our industry and we now have research that backs our concerns.” >click to read<20:19
Fishermen block entrance to Donkin Mine – “We want the mine to shut down”
Angry fishermen say a blockage of the entrance to the Donkin Mine on Tuesday is just the beginning if something isn’t done about the mine’s plans to ruin their industry. “We need immediate action on issues or we’re going to come back and do this again,” said Port Morien fisherman Don Messenger. Messenger said many of them don’t want coal transportation by barging, rail or by road, they simply want the mine to close. They are hearing seismic testing is scheduled within the next couple weeks but other issues include barging, contamination of their lobsters and the impact on the fishermen’s livelihood. “When seismic comes and the contamination of the coal, it’s going to destroy this fishery,” he said. >click to read<18:35
Chile purse seine project nominated for conservation award
In October, the Pink-footed Shearwaters begin to arrive on Robinson Crusoe Island, off the coast of Chile. “These [fishing fleets] are fishing in the same areas as these birds. They are capturing the very fish these seabirds eat,” said Cristian Suazo, a member of the Albatross Task Force Chile, which is working to combat bycatch. “The fleets are also out at the same time these birds, many of which are migratory, have the greatest need for food to both refuel and to feed their young.”,,, In Chile, the ATF has been working since 2007, where it began by trying to reduce bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries. In 2013 though, the team noted that there was also bycatch coming from purse seine fisheries, and began working to reduce bycatch in this industry as well. >click to read<17:43
N.B. fishermen feels boat sinkings racially motivated
A trio of fishermen in Northern New Brunswick are looking for answers after their boats were sunk over the weekend. The three boats, which were tied up at the Neguac wharf, are owned by Indigenous fishermen from the nearby Esgenoôpetitj First Nation. “We’re 2018 and the hatred and racism has no place in today’s world,” said Curtis Bartibogue, whose boat was targeted. “But it seems to be on the rise these past couple years.” “We do not suspect that racism would be a factor right now in the investigation,” said RCMP Sgt. Marc Beaupre. “But for some reason, the three boats were specifically targeting Esgenoôpetitj (First Nation).” >click to read<15:02
Four crewmembers rescued from capsized fishing vessel near Sabine Pass, Texas
The Coast Guard assisted in the rescue of four crewmembers from a fishing vessel after it capsized near Sabine Pass, Texas, Tuesday morning. Eighth Coast Guard District watchstanders in New Orleans received an emergency position indicating radio beacon signal from the 65-foot fishing vessel Captain M&M, which provided an approximate location of the vessel, and launched an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew. >click to read<13:31
Hurricane Florence: Shrimpers talk storm damage, losses
Davis Seafood is a family owned and operated business in Sneads Ferry, a little north up the river from similarly family owned and operated businesses Mitchell Seafood and B. F. Millis & Sons Seafood. They all specialize in shrimping, although they sell clams and various fish products as well. The water is their livelihood, and all three families suffered physical and financial setbacks from the recent downpour and winds. Davis Seafood had already been out of business for a week before the hurricane, according to Davis. They were out for the week of the storm. And they were anticipating another week of cleanup and recuperation before the business was back in operation. “We know all about it,” Davis said. “We’ve done it before. It’s just part of the livelihood.”>click to read<
Dory Fleet holds special piece of maritime history
Pacific City, a beautiful stretch along the stunning Oregon Coast, prides itself in being “The Home of the Dory Fleet.” What is a dory? How did dory fishing develop into what it is today in Pacific City? In general, a dory is a 16- 23-foot lightweight vessel with a flat bottom and tall sides made from wooden planks. Our traditional double ended dories were developed in New England in the early 18th Century. Designed for maneuverability, balance, and fairly easy rowing, a dory provides the skilled operator with a stable platform for navigating and hauling large amounts of fish. >click to read<10:25
NCFA – More Hurricane Florence info on ice, storage facilities, hot showers and DMF info
Armistead Perry of Evans Seafood and Evans Transport said he has some freezer space available and cooler space if you need to get inventory from your facility to save it.,, Wanchese Fish Co. has offered the use of their cold storage facility in Suffolk VA for anyone that needs it.,, Regarding our industry helping others, also let us know what you may be able to do to help, such as ice or whatever else you can assist with. ,,, >click to read<10:01
Pacific Salmon Treaty – Alaska salmon negotiators accept fewer ‘treaty fish’
For more than 30 years, the Pacific Salmon Commission has allocated salmon stocks shared between the U.S. and Canada. It’s re-negotiated every 10 years, and the latest version expires at the end of 2018. Formal talks finished in mid-August. Now, the numbers are out: Alaska will accept a 7.5 percent reduction, compared to 12.5 percent for Canada. In Washington and Oregon, the cuts range from 5 to 15 percent. “There’s some that would consider it to be winners and losers and I think in this case, I think everybody was equally disappointed,” said Alaska Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Charlie Swanton, who headed Alaska’s delegation. >click to read<08:55
Discovery of immature lobsters in deep Down East waters may be good news for industry
The discovery of baby lobsters in the deep waters off eastern Maine could be good news for the future of the U.S.’s most valuable fishery. Since 1989, scientists led by University of Maine professor Richard Wahle have looked for baby lobsters at 100 shallow-water test sites from Rhode Island to New Brunswick to monitor the health of this fishery. The number of babies found in the samples started to decline about a decade ago, leading scientists to worry that a population bust may be looming. “We couldn’t find the settlers,” Wahle said Monday. “Increasingly, we found they weren’t showing up where we had always found them.” >click to read<07:42
DFO investigation leads to another lobster pound in southwest Nova Scotia
For the second time in a month, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has moved against a lobster pound in southwest Nova Scotia. RCMP said fisheries officers went to the facility to seize lobster, though it’s unclear whether any was taken. Police were asked to assist “by keeping the peace, and help to maintain open lines of communication between DFO and the fishers who were involved,” RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said in a statement. DFO would not confirm if the investigation is connected to an ongoing probe into illegal sales of lobster caught under an Indigenous food, social and ceremonial licence, which does not permit sales. >click to read<20:30
Southeast Texas shrimpers struggle with slow season
Shrimp boats along the Southeast Texas coastline remain docked as their owners try to navigate an industry whose hardships haven’t stopped since Tropical Storm Harvey entered the Gulf of Mexico a little more than a year ago. With federal regulations curbing production and unfavorable sea conditions hampering shrimp populations, Port Arthur and Sabine Pass shrimpers are hoping for the best after a season of loss. Peak shrimping season, from mid-July to October, is closing out this year with about 20 to 25 percent less production than last year, Texas Shrimp Association executive director Andrea Hance said. >click to read<18:38
The Visionaries of Evolution: The Future of Fish Farming May Be Indoors
If it catches on, indoor aquaculture could play a critical role in meeting the needs of a swelling human population, Nordic CEO Erik Heim says. He believes it could do so without the pollution and other potential threats to wild fish that can accompany traditional aquaculture—although the indoor approach does face environmental challenges of its own. “There’s always some risk, but the risk of the land-based system is a small percentage of the risk of an outdoor system,” says Michael Timmons, an environmental engineer at Cornell University who has studied aquaculture for more than 20 years and is not involved in the Nordic project. >click to read<16:54
NCFA – Storm Damage Info Needed – Need Cold Storage Due To Power Outage? More Info For You!!!
Wanchese Fish Co. has offered the use of their cold storage facility in Suffolk VA for anyone that needs it. If you have a fish house or packing operation and in need of cold storage to save your inventory, please let us know and we’ll make the connection. They can also arrange for trucking if needed. You can respond to this notice or call me at the number below. If you need help with cleanup or fixing your damaged home, again, please let us know! As a reminder, we need as much information on damages the commercial fishing industry has sustained as a result of Hurricane Florence! We need to know about damage done to fish houses, boats, lost gear, etc. Also damages done to your homes, vehicles, or anything connected to commercial fishing. >click to read<15:30
American Samoa tuna fishing industry “is almost gone”
Guest speakers at the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce meeting last night, Hyong Park and Frank Barron, both long serving members of the purse seiner and longliner fishing industries provided a sobering but realistic view of American Samoa’s fishing industry. “It’s almost gone”, remarked Frank Barron. The GM of Purse Seiner Services cited several reasons why the long term future of purse seiner fishing vessels in American Samoa is coming to an end. “The cost is fishing in Pacific waters is driving boats out of business”. He noted that the cost of fishing licenses had risen from $100,000 annually to $1.8 million in some instances. Fishing in neighboring island home waters costs $15,000 per day with no guarantee of a catch. >click to read<11:57
Florence Death Toll At 17, Hardest Hit Areas May Be Without Power For Weeks
The storm that is now known as Tropical Depression Florence has seen its winds slacken since it first reached the Carolina coast on Friday (though it has battered parts of the state with wind and rains since Thursday), but the unceasing rains have continued, breaking floodwater records in North Carolina and pushing the death toll from the disaster past 17 individuals, as exhausted first responders have been overwhelmed by the number of calls. Meanwhile, more than 1 million people remain without power in the region, according to the Department of Energy (though the DoE said it had some success in restoring access to customers). However, some of the hardest-hit areas may be without power for weeks. >click to read<10:56
Mi’kmaq chiefs reject any ban on Indigenous fishing in marine protected areas
Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq chiefs say Indigenous fishermen should be exempt from any prohibition on fishing within marine protected areas because of First Nations’ treaty rights. “Our concerns and our input should have a greater weight in the decision making process than those of, for example, non-Mi’kmaw commercial fishers,” said Twila Gaudet, director of consultation for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs. That statement was part of a submission made to a federal advisory panel charged with developing standards for marine protected areas. The Trudeau government has committed to protect 10 per cent of coastal waters and oceans by 2020. >click to read<09:49
Pacifical Responds To Undercurrent’s Fake News With Facts
The menace of fake news and sensationalized lies has reached even the tuna world, with a London based seafood website, Undercurrent News (UCN), releasing an article with misleading and false information on Pacifical, the successful joint venture between Sustunable and the PNA countries. Pacifical has responded to what appears to be a hit job with a series of facts that aims to stop the efforts to spread information about the joint venture. >click to read<08:45
Alaska For Real: That shipwreck guy
If you live out in the wilderness in Southeast Alaska you will continually come across evidence of shipwrecks, new and old. My go-to place for hunting down the background details of a wreck is the website www.alaskashipwreck.com researched and written by Captain Warren Good. Having always been fascinated by shipwrecks myself, I asked him what got him interested in the subject and he responded: “During the 1970s, I worked as a seasonal deckhand, mostly fishing King Crab and Tanner Crab in the winter. I had off time between the two fisheries and spent it either in the library attempting to ‘self educate’ or out in the wilderness beach combing, prospecting and treasure hunting. Seasons passed and the number of friends I lost to the high seas kept getting larger.” >click to read<20:10
RCMP asking for public’s help with lobster boats vandalized in Neguac
RCMP are investigating what they’re calling a case of mischief after three fishing boats were damaged at the Neguac wharf on Saturday. Police believe the boats were damaged between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., said RCMP Sgt. Chantal Farrah. “We’ve spoken to several people in relation to this investigation, we’re still gathering some information,” she said. RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact them. >click to read<19:05
From North Carolina Fisheries Association – WE NEED INFO ON HURRICANE FLORENCE FISHING INDUSTRY DAMAGES!!!
We need as much information on damages the commercial fishing industry has sustained as a result of Hurricane Florence! We know there will be huge losses from a future income standpoint, but that’s not what we’re looking for at the moment. We need to know about damage done to fish houses, boats, lost gear, etc. Also damages done to your homes, vehicles, or anything connected to commercial fishing. We will be contacting federal and state officials and the first thing they want are numbers, so please help us with this information! >click to read<12:41
Commercial fisherman faces trial in Huron court
A longtime commercial fisherman in the Sandusky area says he’s worried about going out of business if his company loses a trial in Huron next month. Dean Koch, 69, Crystal Rock, no longer goes out on the boat run by his Whites Landing Fisheries Inc. His son Drew Koch now serves as the captain. But Koch says his company will be put out of business under the state’s “three strikes” rules if the company is found guilty of the claim that it unlawfully harvested 100 pounds of fish in 2015 in a location of Lake Erie where commercial fishing wasn’t allowed. >click to read<11:23
NOAA calls off active search for killer whale J50
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has called off the active search for a sick killer whale that garnered international attention. The southern resident killer whale known as J50 hasn’t been seen for several days and earlier in the week was presumed dead by a scientist, but NOAA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada hadn’t given up hope, until now. “It seems like the window of time she would likely be alive has passed,” said NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein on Saturday. Dan Bate, a spokesman for the department of fisheries, said the DFO and Straitwatch, a marine conservation organization, continued looking for J50 on Saturday, but to no avail. >click to read<10:33
