Daily Archives: October 11, 2018

Coast Guard medevaced 62-year-old Captain off fishing vessel 82-miles north of Kahului

The Coast Guard successfully medevaced a 62-year-old mariner off a fishing vessel 82-miles north of Kahului, Wednesday. At 1:15 p.m., Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a call from the owner of the 82-foot fishing vessel Pacific Star reporting the captain was experiencing a medical emergency. A duty flight surgeon was consulted, determined the captain was displaying symptoms of a stroke and recommended a medevac to a higher level of medical care. Video, >click to read<21:12

Despite average pay of between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, commercial fishing operations have trouble luring workers

John Corbin is the manager and partner at Buck & Ann Fisheries in Warrenton, where he’s worked for 29 years. The company operates three boats that fish black and pacific cod as well as shrimp. The company employs about 13 people. We spoke with Corbin — who is also chairman of the Oregon Crab Commission — about labor challenges in the fisheries industry. In December you spoke out about the labor shortage in the fisheries industry. Has there been any relief? No, there really hasn’t. In fact, the more people I talk to, it’s becoming more and more of an issue. >click to read<17:41

Fishermen, scientists, researchers convene to address reeling coastal communities, fisheries

Commercial fishing fleets are skeletons of their former selves and their communities, once known for their abundant natural resources and food production, are suffering from increased poverty and food insecurity. In response, about 50 state and local officials, scientists, researchers, business owners and fishermen convened Friday, Oct. 5, for a ‘Fisheries Roundtable’ discussion at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco. They explored options to improving coastal fisheries and the communities they serve. >click to read<16:17

Feds review this year’s right-whale protections

It was enough. But was it too much? That’s the question Fisheries and Oceans Canada wants to answer after a season of unprecedented measures to protect North Atlantic right whales — including mandatory ship slowdowns and fisheries closures. To date, none of the critically endangered whales has died in Canadian waters in 2018, unlike in 2017, when 12 died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, largely due to ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.,,, On the East coast, the department (DFO) is now holding regional meetings with members of the fishing industry to gather feedback on those management measures. >click to read<15:03

Taking a risk off the shores of Cape Breton, Recent mishaps remind fishermen of the dangers

Jack Billard gazes off into the middle distance as he silently prods his memory for details of his closest brush with death. The 79-year-old retired fisherman, who spent more than six decades hauling lobsters, crabs, fish and other creatures from the sea, returns to the moment and voices what he can recall of an incident that occurred when he was a teenager just starting his career on the boats. >click to read<13:21

NOAA Scientists Admit Finding In Recent Right Whale Report Just A Hypothesis

Federal fishery regulators are taking back their claim that newer lobster fishing gear is harmful to North Atlantic right whales.,, They found a 2015 rule requiring less traps with stronger fishing line is making entanglements of right whales worse. However, the agency said that statement is actually not based on science. Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said the report is still flawed. >click to read<11:52

The Kitzhaber Plan – State compensation for gillnetters trickles down

Money local commercial salmon fishermen will soon receive as compensation after reform policies pushed them off the Columbia River is “not nothing.” But it’s not quite something, either. “It means a little bit of a paycheck,” said David Quashnick, a gillnetter who has been fishing since he was a teenager and now has two sons who run their own boats.,,, Recreational and salmon conservation groups said the changes would protect salmon. The commercial fishermen said it would destroy their way of life.,, In the past two years, a number of Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife commissioners say they now agree with the commercial fishermen. >click to read<10:57

Sealord crew member missing near Cape Palliser

A Sealord crew member is missing and a search under way in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Cape Palliser. The crew member did not report for duty on one of the company’s fishing vessels, the Otakou, on Thursday morning. A “full muster” was conducted to confirm he was missing before a search commenced and authorities were notified, a statement from Sealord said. >click to read<10:11

A Woman at Sea

“I don’t really know that many women who do it,” Lauren Brady admits, looking out across the calm waters of Yaquina Bay on a rare sunny day in September. She has been commercial fishing since April, working on crabbing, shrimping, black cod fishing, and most recently tuna fishing boats. Brady agreed to meet with me to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of the few women who choose this career. >click to read<09:27