Monthly Archives: September 2018
LeBlanc in conflict of interest over surf clam licence, Clearwater to keep monopoly until 2020
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc was found in breach of conflict of interest rules Wednesday for approving an Arctic surf clam licence to a company that employed a family member — a violation that comes with no penalties. Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said in a report issued Wednesday that LeBlanc knew his wife’s first cousin was involved in the Five Nations Clam Co. and knew the cousin would have benefited financially when awarding the company a multi-million dollar license in February. >click to read<
Clearwater to keep Arctic surf clam monopoly until 2020 – Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has confirmed Clearwater Seafoods has been given the go ahead to catch the outstanding 25 per cent of the 2018 and 2019 total allowable catch (TAC) for Arctic surf clams. A statement issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on Sept. 11 reiterates the plan remains to identify a new Indigenous participant for the 2020 fishery, however. >click to read<18:49
NWS National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Florence Advisory Update 500 PM EDT
500 PM EDT Wed Sep 12 2018 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL …FLORENCE MOVING STEADILY TOWARD THE CAROLINA COASTAL AREAS… LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL EXPECTED… LOCATION…30.9N 72.5W ABOUT 385 MI…615 KM SE OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 420 MI…675 KM ESE OF MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…120 MPH…195 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW OR 315 DEGREES AT 16 MPH…26 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…949 MB…28.03 INCHES >click to read<17:48
Observe Hurricane Florence live from Coast Guard Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower
Want an up-close look at Hurricane Florence? Watch the video below to see live footage from an old Coast Guard light tower, 32 miles off the coast of southeastern North Carolina. If current storm projections are correct, that won’t be far from where Florence makes landfall. One camera, mounted on the tower’s helipad about 100 feet above the water, should capture long views, along with the hurricane-force winds whipping the American flag. Richard Neal, a software sales engineer from south Charlotte, is now the principal owner of the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower. Neal bought the tower at government auction for $85,000 in 2010. Frying Pan Ocean Cam powered by EXPLORE.org Live >click to watch<17:22
Pacific Balance Pinniped Society says halving seal numbers would mean more salmon for endangered orcas
There are more than 100,000 seals in B.C. waters, along with tens of thousands of sea lions. Pearce said the quickest way to reverse declining salmon numbers is to kill tens of thousands of them, reducing their numbers by 50 per cent. But that’s where the debate gets as murky as the waters of the Fraser. He cites a study that concludes pinnipeds are eating more than 600 metric tons of chinook salmon every year in Washington state waters alone. That adds up to millions of fish that could be harvested by humans, set aside for killer whales, or allowed to spawn. Earlier this year, lawmakers in the U.S. approved an expansion of an ongoing cull of sea lions that prey on salmon and steelhead in West Coast rivers. >click to read<16:42
Biologists, fishermen puzzle over late Kenai sockeye run
First they were underweight, with underwhelming numbers. Then they weren’t there at all. Then they were coming in late, showing up as Upper Cook Inlet fishermen were packing up their gear for the season. The unpredictable and significantly smaller Kenai River sockeye run frustrated a lot of fishermen this year. As of the last day of sonar counts on Aug. 28, about 1.03 million sockeye had entered the river. More than half of them arrived after Aug. 1, leading to a stop-and-start fishery that included significant time and area cuts for commercial fishermen in Cook Inlet and a complete sockeye salmon sport angling closure on the Kenai River from Aug. 4–23. >click to read<16:12
‘LeBlanc must go.’ FISH-NL demands Prime Minister fire Dominic LeBlanc from cabinet for violating conflict of interest rules
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fire MP Dominic LeBlanc from the federal cabinet for breaking conflict of interest rules when he was minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Further, Premier Dwight Ball and the province’s seven Members of Parliament should be unanimous in demanding LeBlanc’s immediate dismissal. “LeBlanc broke conflict of interest rules by awarding a lucrative licence to fish arctic surf clams to a company that was set to be run by his wife’s cousin — a decision that would have seen resource and jobs leave our province,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “LeBlanc’s conflict of interest as Fisheries and Oceans minister amounts to the highest act of treason against our province and people. Not only should the Prime Minister fire him, but the Premier and all seven MPs need to be loud, clear, and unanimous in saying, ‘LeBlanc must go.’ Anything less would be traitorous to our province.” >click to read<14:05
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 65′ Fiberglass Stern Trawler, 350HP 12-V-71, State/ Federal Permits
Specifications, information and 26 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<13:20
Many topics on the agenda for South West Lobster Forum taking place in Yarmouth on Sept. 19
Five industry organizations representing lobster fishermen in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 33, 34 and 35 are coming together to host the third annual South West Lobster Forum on Sept. 19 at the Grand Hotel in Yarmouth. The forum “is designed for the fishermen to come and get a handle of what’s going on in the industry,” says Bernie Barry, president of the Coldwater Lobster Association, one of the groups organizing this year’s event. The Scotia Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association, the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association, the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) Local 9 and the Brazil Rock 33/34 association are the other groups involved with the organization of the event. Barry says there are “numerous hot topic items” on the day’s agenda,, >click to read<11:17
Answering The Question: What’s Fishing For Leave’s Position On Fishing Entitlement?
Fishing For Leave (FFL) are adamant that all repatriated quota is held as a national resource and is divided out to all fishermen in a community. Under the principle of one ton to one boat. If someone doesn’t use their slice it goes back in the pot to be divided again. That is what we’ve represented to the highest levels of government repeatedly and has had some acknowledgement in the white paper. This is in spite of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) insisting all repatriated resources are distributed through the current Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) system which has facilitated and driven consolidation as the EU CFP quota system failed. >click to read<10:38
New York’s offshore wind plan faces commercial fishing opposition – $1 billion boat-to-plate industry at stake
The plan to turn ocean wind into energy calls for anchoring 15 wind turbines, each one a little taller than the Washington Monument, into the sea floor more than 30 miles off the coast of Montauk, Long Island.,,, And that’s right smack in the middle of where Chris Scola makes his living. Several days a week, Scola motors his rusting trawler – the Rock-n-Roll III — into the waters off Montauk’s coast, drops a dredging net onto the ocean floor and scoops up hundreds of pounds of scallops. Once those cables go in, Scola fears his nets will get entangled, making dredging so difficult he’ll need to find a place to fish further offshore with a larger boat, sending himself deeper into debt. >click to read<08:34
3 fishermen plucked from Cabot Strait describe harrowing escape from burning boat
Three people are safe after being plucked from the waters of the Cabot Strait Monday night by a Newfoundland-bound ferry after their fishing vessel caught fire. The captain, Blaine Hamilton, and two crew, Christian Phillips and Levi Poulette, had set out from Cape Breton midday on Monday on the Sulia’n to fish red fish. The 14-metre boat, which is owned by We’koqma’q First Nation, was about 90 kilometres northeast of Sydney, N.S., when the crew discovered a fire in the ceiling of the washroom, apparently caused by the boat’s exhaust. They thought they had it out but then noticed smoke coming out of the electrical panel. “It come quick,,, >click to read<21:23
NWS National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Florence Advisory Update
At 500 PM, the center of the eye of Hurricane Florence was located by satellite near latitude 27.5 North, longitude 67.1 West. Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h). A motion toward the west-northwest and northwest is expected through early Thursday. Florence is expected to slow down considerably by late Thursday into Friday.,,, Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 mph (220 km/h) with higher gusts. Florence is a category 4 hurricane,,, Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). >click to read<17:23
Five Wild Days Aboard a New England Squid Boat
Corey Harris wasn’t concerned about the storm. The captain of Rhonda Denise, a 77-foot commercial trawler, he’d been stuck in port all week, as two nor’easters, in early March, slammed the New England coast back-to-back. Now a third brewed offshore. But Harris saw an opportunity. “We’ll thread the needle between the storms,” he told me over the phone. We’d catch as much squid as possible, then haul ass back to port before the next system hit. Bring seasickness medicine, he added. “It’ll be rough—but worth it.”>click to read<15:51
Condition “Zulu” – Fishermen feel vacating the ports ahead of a tropical storm could be dangerous
For the City and County of Honolulu, the Coast Guard anticipated implementing condition “Zulu” by 6 a.m. Tuesday. If that happens, both Honolulu and Kalaeloa harbors will be shut down and all vessels must be evacuated, unless they have permission to stay in port. As of Monday night, Coast Guard officials said they were closely watching Olivia’s track before making any changes to port conditions. With Olivia approaching, some fishing boat owners say they would feel safer staying in the harbor than out at sea. “We are concerned for our fisherman, for their safety, and for their livelihoods. These boats are their lives. To put them into any more immediate danger is more troubling to me,” said Michael Goto, auction manager with the United Fishing Agency. >click to read<15:10
Coast Guard sets port condition ZULU for Hawaii, Maui, Honolulu Counties ahead of Hurricane Olivia – >click to read<
Setbacks for Ramea’s scallop fishery
Labrador Gem Seafoods owner Danny Dumaresque is anxious about having a decent season at Ramea’s scallop plant this year. A few glitches with a new on board tank holding system and issues getting independent fish harvesters to provide the raw resource resulted in plant employees working less weeks than they are accustomed to. Approximately three weeks ago, a new refrigerated, recirculating sea water system that enables a vessel to carry live sea scallops in temperature controlled water was slightly too high, effectively parboiling the scallops that must arrive to the plant alive in order to be properly processed into the line of products the company produces. The equivalent of a metric ton of finished product had to be discarded. >click to read<13:25
Tybee shrimper sentenced to more than six years in federal prison
A Tybee Island shrimper and fisherman has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for making fraudulent claims for losses from foreign competition, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Georgia. Michael Brian Anderson was convicted by a federal jury on March 22 for three counts of false statements, four counts of mail fraud, and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Senior Judge William T. Moore Jr. imposed sentence imposed sentence Aug. 30, ordering Anderson to 77 months in prison and $818,234 in restitution. >click to read<11:24
Ferry rescues 3 fishermen from Cabot Strait after fishing boat fire
Three people are safe after being plucked from the waters of the Cabot Strait Monday night by a Newfoundland-bound ferry after their fishing vessel caught fire and later sank. The captain and two crew of the fishing vessel Sulian, which is owned by We’koqma’q First Nation in Cape Breton, had set out to fish red fish, according to We’koqmaq Chief Rod Googoo. At about 10 p.m., the Canadian military’s rescue co-ordination centre contacted the MV Leif Ericson, a Marine Atlantic Ferry en route from North Sydney, N.S., to Port aux Basques, N.L. >click to read<10:52
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Price Sheet for September 2018 Has Arrived!
Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 For the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd., >Click here< – We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd! >Click here< to visit our website!09:59
On the water with bayman Sawyer Clark
When Sawyer Clark turned 16, he bought a boat and went into the family business: fishing. In the four years since, he has graduated from high school, given college a try and returned to the profession he was born for, despite having a pretty good idea of how dangerous and unpredictable the life of a bayman is. “I tried to stay out, but I fell in love with it,” he said. The Clark family has been fishing on the East End for so long, Clark’s great-great-grandfather took scallops in Peconic Bay with a sailboat before motors were used. >click to read<09:38
Wait, So How Much of the Ocean Is Actually Fished?
How much of the world’s oceans are affected by fishing? In February, a team of scientists led by David Kroodsma from the Global Fishing Watch published a paper that put the figure at 55 percent—an area four times larger than that covered by land-based agriculture. The paper was widely covered, with several outlets leading with the eye-popping stat that “half the world’s oceans [are] now fished industrially.” Ricardo Amoroso from the University of Washington had also been trying to track global fishing activity and when he saw the headlines, he felt that the 55 percent figure was wildly off. He and his colleagues re-analyzed the data that the Global Fishing Watch had made freely available. And in their own paper, published two weeks ago, they claim that industrial fishing occurs over just 4 percent of the ocean. How could two groups have produced such wildly different answers using the same set of data? >click to read<21:21
17 tons of dead fish cleared from beaches due to red tide
One Florida county has dumped more than 17 tons (15,420 kilograms) of dead fish collected since red tide algae crept up from South Florida into Tampa Bay. Fish are dying off at such a rate that officials are seeking more commercial vessels to sift dead sea life from the Gulf of Mexico and haul it to a landfill. Currently, two shrimp boats and three other pieces of commercial equipment are being used to collect the fish. But it is not enough. Contractors are being asked to bring in more equipment, including large beach rakes. The rust-colored bloom could be seen from the air off Redington and Madeira beaches on Monday afternoon. >click to read<20:37
The United Nations Is Considering Banning High-Seas Fishing
Far offshore are the high seas—waters beyond any country’s jurisdiction and the focus of a contentious debate. The high seas, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean’s surface, have recently seen an increase in fishing and other activities, such as deep-sea mining. To protect the biodiversity of this vast environment, delegates attending a meeting currently underway in New York are negotiating for a new international treaty, an addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Depending on the outcome of this and subsequent meetings, the United Nations could move to regulate—or even ban—fishing and other activities on the high seas. >click to read<17:55
Top Tax Tips for those in the Commercial Fishing Industry
It’s never too late to educate yourself and catch up with the tax (and accounting) requirements in certain industries, such as commercial fishing. The following article discusses some general principles and tax tips for clients or prospects in the commercial fishing industry. Self-employed status: A fisherman is considered self-employed (and not an employee) and required to pay SE tax if he/she meets the following conditions: Receives a share of the catch or proceeds from the catch, The share depends on the amount of the catch, Receives a share from a boat with an operating crew of normally fewer than 10 individuals, Generally, does not receive money from work other than a share of catch or proceeds, continues, >click to read<16:59
Charter boat gets stuck on sandbar in Seabrook
Captain Bob’s Lobster Tours and Fishing Charters had to cancel an outing Saturday when the 42-foot Miss Ava Lee got stuck on a sandbar. Capt. Jeanne Bailey said Capt. Bob Tonkin was expected to be stranded for at least six hours as the tide came in. He kept himself busy by cleaning the bottom of the vessel. Sand shoaling in Hampton Harbor has been causing serious issues for those who navigate the waters for work and recreation. The area was last dredged in 2012 and the channel is currently only 20 feet wide in some places. There has been federal legislation filed to get both Hampton Harbor and Portsmouth Harbor dredged, but until then, Bailey is hoping for better markers in Seabrook. >click to read<13:48
Coast Guard rescues 2 fishermen near Port Aransas, Texas
The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen after their fishing vessel began taking on water approximately 35 miles east of Port Aransas, Texas, Monday morning. At 11:52 p.m. Sunday, Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received notification that the fishing vessel Jenna Dawn was disabled and taking on water. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted a Station Port Aransas 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew and launched a Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew. Once on scene, the two fishermen were transferred from the vessel to the RB-M and taken back to shore. No medical assistance was requested. The vessel’s owner will coordinate salvage. -USCG- 12:01
PETA’s beef with lobster industry comes to Canada
The group’s latest target is a seafood shell recycling plant in Richibucto, N.B. Last month, CBC News reported that residents are frustrated by the odour being emitted from Omera Shells Inc., which grinds, heats and processes old lobster and crab shells and shrimp skins, turning the remains into a powder. The powder is later exported to Asia, where it’s used in the bio-medical industry and as a fertilizer. >click to read<10:31
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Florence Public Advisory
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 24.9 North, longitude 58.9 West. Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest is forecast to occur Wednesday night or Thursday. On the
forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the United States on Thursday. >click to read<09:17
Search For Missing Fisherman Suspended
The search for a fisherman reported missing Friday night after falling off of his boat into the Pacific Ocean about two miles off the Sonoma County shore has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The man, whose name was not available Sunday, fell off his boat, a 40-foot salmon trawler named the “Ricky Leboy,” about 7:45 p.m. Friday, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Athena Stricker. The man was not wearing a life vest, and it wasn’t certain how he fell into the water, Stricker said. A California Highway Patrol helicopter joined a 47-foot Coast Guard vessel in the initial search, and a Coast Guard helicopter later took over for the CHP’s air unit. >link<08:53
Pro and anti whaling nations brace for battle in Brazil
Pro- and anti-whaling nations are set for a showdown when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets in Brazil from Monday as Japan leads an assault on a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Tokyo heads into the biennial meeting as chair of the 88-nation body determined to shake-up what it says is a dysfunctional organization mired in dispute and unable to make key decisions. But Japan’s package of proposals, entitled “The Way Forward,” has left conservationists seething even before delegates have taken their seats at the 67th IWC meeting in the Brazilian surfing resort of Florianapolis. >click to read<17:59
