Daily Archives: October 19, 2018

FISH-NL accuses FFAW of conflict of interest in accepting funds from offshore oil companies/industry regulator

The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) questions the ability of the FFAW-Unifor to hold the offshore oil industry to account for its impact on the fishery when the industry has been funding the union for years. “The conflict of interest is blatant between the FFAW and oil companies — and the conflict even extends to the C-NLOPB, the industry regulator,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. >click to read<17:41

The Bike Stop Cafe – Fundraiser for Local Fisherman in Narragansett, RI October 28th from 12-6pm

John Mollo is a local commercial fisherman who was diagnosed with basel cell skin cancer which has spread to his nose and eye. The cancer was partially removed over the summer, however it could not be fully removed surgically without him losing his eye. In a final attempt to save his eye, John is currently undergoing radiation treatment in Boston 5 days a week for the next 7 weeks. He is currently unable to work and without a car or lodging for his treatment. We are hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, October 28th from 12-6pm in the bar at The Bike Stop Cafe. We are seeking items for a raffle and silent auction to help raise money. I realize this is extremely short notice, but there is a sense of urgency to this matter so we are going to do the best we can in the time we have. Casey Montanari, The Bike Stop Café, 148 Boon Street, Narragansett, RI 02882

Regrets of a Salmon Farmer – Swimming in Circles: Aquaculture and the End of Wild Oceans

Salmon farming is huge business, dominated by a single company in the U.S. The fish are fed toxic feed, laced with multiple troubling chemicals. Under these circumstances, they are vulnerable to disease and parasites, including sea lice, and surrounding wild sea animals are infected as well. The current industry response is to pour increasingly toxic pesticides into the ocean. Ocean salmon aquaculture, as it is currently practiced, eventually makes the area surrounding the fishery uninhabitable, and the fishery must either shut down or move. Avoid farmed fish for your health, the ocean, and all of the creatures in it. >click to read<

Wilbur Ross opens new front in trade war with $11M in fish farm grants

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross doled out $11 million Wednesday aimed at jumpstarting the U.S. aquaculture industry, or fish farming, and limiting dependence on foreign seafood imports. “With such vast coastlines, there is no reason the United States should be importing billions of pounds of seafood each year,” Ross said. As part of Wednesday’s announcement, the agency’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is launching 22 projects aimed at expanding sustainable U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes aquaculture>click to read<14:42

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 19, 2018

>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<12:45

Fishing groups sue Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District

A lawsuit was filed against the Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District by the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association and Trinidad Bay Fishermen’s Association. The two fishing groups are suing over a long list of allegations that include alleged dredging failures and money management issues among other things.,,,“Our objection is that the harbor district has essentially abandoned their mandated duty to maintain and protect the Woodley Island Marina for the benefit of the fishing fleet,” said Ken Bates, vice president of HFMA, who emailed a news release announcing the lawsuit. >click to read<11:45

Toxic gas accident on Scottish fishing boat nearly resulted in multiple deaths

A fatal accident on-board a fishing boat in an Aberdeenshire harbour nearly resulted in multiple deaths, an investigation has found. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has made safety recommendations after the “tragic accident” in Fraserburgh.  William Ironside, 52, died, while several other men fell ill while working on the Sunbeam in August. The MAIB report contains recommendations for the boat’s owners related to entering and working in refrigerated saltwater (RSW) tanks used for storing fish onboard. >click to read<10:56

Lower herring quotas squeeze lobster trade

Last year, according to the Department of Marine Resources, lobster was Maine’s most valuable fishery with landings of 110,819,760 pounds — the sixth highest ever — worth some $450,799,283. Despite all the talk about high value species such as scallops and elvers, according to DMR herring were the state’s second most valuable commercial fishery in 2017. Herring boats like the Sunlight and the Starlight owned by the O’Hara Corp. in Rockland or the Portland-based trawler Providian landed some 66,453,073 pounds of herring worth about $17.9 million at a record price of 27 cents per pound. >click to read<10:20

Facebook posts lead to first book deal for author, 68

Gloucester’s Faye Passanisi, who comes from generations of fishing families, has become an “accidental author” in the wake of feedback from her daily inspirational messages on social media. “I would just write my feelings each day and I received an outpouring of feedback from people who wanted more,” she said. Then she inadvertently became a member of a Facebook group for fishing families. “One day, I got a friend request from Bill Allen, after which began our journey in writing this book.” “Port Bliss” tells the story of Brandy Rogers, who joins the crew of the Sea Quest, the same vessel that led her husband to his watery grave six months before. >click to read<09:49