Daily Archives: November 19, 2018
The Frightful Cost of Virginia Offshore Wind
On November 6, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) regulatory agency approved a project to construct wind turbines near Virginia Beach. The plan calls for construction of turbines 27 miles off the coast,,, The project, named Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), will be the first offshore wind project in the mid-Atlantic.,, The wholesale price for electricity in Virginia is about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).,,The electricity produced from the two offshore turbines will receive 78 cents per kWh, or a staggering 26 times the wholesale price. >click to read<21:36
Maine scallop fishery, a conservation success story, to start for the winter
The state’s rebuilt fishery for scallops, which runs from November to April, is getting started for the winter in the coming days. Many in the state’s seafood industry consider Maine scallops a conservation success story, as the fishery collapsed in the mid-2000s and slowly rebuilt to the point where fishermen last year collected the highest total since 1997. >click to read<18:45
Washington state asks lawmakers for $90 million to improve habitat for orcas, salmon
If approved, a $90 million budget request to the state legislature could aggressively tackle what’s needed to help Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas survive. A request on Monday by Hilary Franz, the state’s Commissioner of Public Lands, would increases the money already being spent on restoring habitats for salmon, removing barriers that inhibit the fish from reaching their spawning ground, researching ocean acidification, and removing rundown vessels on waterways, according to an emailed statement from the state’s Department of Natural Resources. >click to read<
One king salmon worth more than a barrel of oil to AK fishermen; Updates for 2018/19
Salmon stakeholders are still crunching the numbers from the 2018 season, which up front has two distinctions: it ranks as one of the most valuable on record to fishermen at nearly $596 million, and at just over 114 million salmon, it’s one of the smallest harvests in 34 years. A breakdown by the McDowell Group shows the sockeye harvest was the second most valuable in 26 years; the chum catch was the third most valuable since 1975. Audio report, >click to read<17:06
Video Release – Coast Guard conducts long-range medevac near St. Paul, Alaska
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a man from a commercial fishing vessel approximately 100 miles north of St. Paul, Alaska, Sunday. The crew hoisted and transported a 63-year-old crew member from the 147-foot Blue Attu to awaiting Guardian emergency flight services personnel in St. Paul for further care and transport to Anchorage. He was reported to be in stable condition at the time of transfer. Video, >click to read<13:20
Alder Point man sentenced for damaging fishing boat
A 33-year-old Alder Point man has been sentenced in connection with an assault and damage to a fishing boat. Kenneth Anthony LeBlanc was sentenced on charges of assault, mischief under $5,000 (he was initially charged with mischief over $5,000), uttering a threat and two counts of breaching court orders. The offences are alleged to have occurred between May and June 2017 in Alder Point. He was charged after a fishing boat was damaged at the Alder Point wharf. Video tape evidence showed LeBlanc throwing rocks at a window on the boat and later of LeBlanc damaging an exhaust stack along with the vessel’s mast, which contained an electronic system. Repairs to the vessel totalled $3,436.66. >click to read<
New regulations for commercial Dungeness crab fishery now in effect
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife enacted new regulations to reduce the risk of marine life entanglements in commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear. These regulations became effective on Oct. 30, 2018, and will be in place for the upcoming 2018-19 commercial Dungeness crab season. The new regulations allow no more than two trailer buoys to be used at the surface and establish a maximum distance between the front end of the main buoy to the tail end of the last trailer buoy depending on the depth that a trap is deployed. >click to read<11:34
Offshore oil spill appears to be largest in Newfoundland history, effects still unknown
Officials were trying Monday to determine the impact of Friday’s estimated 250,000-litre oil spill — the largest in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history — in the White Rose offshore oil field. The oil is believed to have spilled from a flowline to the SeaRose floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), which is stationed about 350 kilometres off the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula. If Husky’s estimate of the spill volume — 250 cubic metres, or 250,000 litres — is correct, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) has confirmed that it is the largest oil spill in the province’s history. >click to read<10:55
Arbroath trawler’s love boat past in sizzling Scacchi seafaring romp surfaces
The new owner of a historic Arbroath fishing trawler has discovered its love boat past in a steamy seafaring flick. More than six decades after being launched as the Murella from the slip of famous town boatbuilder Gerrards, the boat is now being toured by its current owner David McDermott. The unusual addition to the story of the boat is the latest layer of a remarkable history for the craft, which is thought to be the finest remaining example of her type. >click to read<07:56
