Monthly Archives: January 2019
Coast Guard medevacs a fisherman 43 miles northwest of Key West
The Coast Guard medevaced a 42-year-old man from a fishing vessel approximately 43 miles northwest of Key West. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Key West received a call via VHF-FM channel 16 at approximately 1:20 a.m., from the 67-foot fishing vessel, Fortuna stating a crewmember was reportedly experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing. > click to read< 16:23
Time for an Overhaul!
Greetings!
Sometime around mid October, I had some health issues arise that for the first time since we started this website that interrupted our commitment to gather the news of the day, and post it as we found it for your viewing pleasure. For the first time in seven years of posting material on an uninterrupted daily basis, we were stopped in our tracks.
Tomorrow, I will be undergoing heart surgery. They are replacing two heart valves, and opening up my main artery. I will be down for a few days, and will be posting info just as soon as I possibly can. It is an honor, and a privilege to serve you the freshest fish news we can find.
I send you all my finest regards, and hope to be back in my wheelhouse soon.
Bore Head, Moderator @ Fisherynation.com 06:04
Sink or swim time for 93-year-old gillnetter Phyllis A.?
We were over at the Gloucester Marine Railways the other day, which is one of our favorite stops in the city, and we checked in with the yard’s venerable foreman Douglass Parsons to see what’s up with the efforts to repair and restore the lovely 93-year-old gillnetter, the Phyllis A. The project has been hampered by uneven funding streams and Parsons said he and some other members of the Phyllis A Marine Association have come to the conclusion that they either procure the $200,000 this year that would allow them to do enough repairs to get the 58-foot gillnetter back in the water or call it a day. >click to read<19:26
Cod mortality – Northern cod’s fate not the same as southern cousins
There are some fundamental differences between northern cod and their southern gulf cousins that could save the former from extinction, says Dalhousie University professor Jeff Hutchings. That will be a relief to anybody who saw newly published research that predicts Atlantic cod in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could be extinct by 2050.,,, There are a couple of fundamental differences in the two cod populations, Hutchings said, that make the situations difficult to compare. For one, southern gulf cod are being eaten by grey seals, while northern cod are affected by harp seals — a much smaller animal. >click to read<17:50
Trawlers catching “unheard of” amounts of shrimp off Corolla
South of the Virginia border, the shores off Corolla have become an Outer Banks hot spot to catch winter shrimp. Trawlers have clustered there within 3 miles of shore in recent weeks, each bringing in as much as 20,000 pounds of the delicacy per trip. Last week, the “Capt. Ralph” hauled in 30,000 pounds, the most ever for the crew, said Ashley O’Neal, manager of O’Neal’s Sea Harvest. In the past, 12,000 pounds was a good catch no matter where it came from, he said. “This 30,000-pound stuff is unheard of,” O’Neal said. “We are seeing a lot of shrimp.” >click to read<17:04
N.S. FREEZE ON ISSUING NEW SEAFOOD BUYERS/PROCESSTNG LICENSES
While 2018 as a year leaves us, many event announcements took place during this year. The two I personally felt got little action from the NS fishing industry, are the right whale lobster closures, and the announcement of ” NS Provincial Gov’t No Longer issuing New Seafood Buyers/Processors Licenses” – an indefinite freeze on new entrants. My old trusty dictionary states the meaning of “freeze” as an act of holding or being held at a fixed level or in a fixed state. Over my 50 plus years in this fishing industry, I recall the humble beginnings of today’s major buyers/processors as stories of starting with a single wheel barrow or perhaps NS largest buyer/processor today selling from a half ton truck on the Bedford Highway; or yes, here in my home town of an independent, family, fishermen writing an l.O.U. as a loan and today, that buyer/processor being one of the major largest players in the area. However l feel there are more of these success stories right across NS, so l ask you, the reader, to insert that success story here ( ) Sterling Belliveau >click to read<13:00
Letters to the editor: The best method to catch swordfish?
Re: “Can Sustainably Caught Swordfish Make Waves on the Central Coast?” As someone whose family has fished for swordfish for 50 years, the answer is YES: recognize the Drift Gilnet (DGN) fishery for the sustainable, well-managed fishery it is. Among other misstatements,,,, >click to read<10:55
‘What Happened in Craig’: True crime novel delves into unsolved fishing-boat murders
It’s been 37 years, and the unsolved murder of eight family and crew members on a fishing boat in Craig, Alaska, is still the subject of conjecture among fishermen, legal analysts, crime followers and conspiracy theorists. Seattle author Leland Hale has now published a true crime account, based on his extensive research, of what happened on that day in early September 1982 and in the months and years of investigation and trials that followed. >click to read<10:16
Western Australia lobster families rally for industry’s future after government’s ‘cray grab’ announcement
WA lobster families took to the steps of Parliament House on Sunday to raise their concerns over the government’s plan to seize a sizeable portion of their catch. Over a 100 people stuck the sticker “Fishing Families Matter” over their clothes, and some spray-painted it onto their surfboards and sticks. Ana Paratore opted for a more creative approach to voice support for her second-generation crayfisherman husband, James. She stuck the sticker on her pregnant belly to show that the coming generation would also be impacted. >click to read<08:42
New Cat® C13B engine delivers more power in a compact, lightweight design that allows OEMs to downsize engine platforms
The new Cat® C13B leverages a proven, reliable core engine with over 109 million off-highway field hours combined with design improvements to create customer value, allowing OEMs to downsize their engine platforms, lower installation costs and maximize uptime. The 12.5-liter engine features a patented non-EGR aftertreatment system to meet EU Stage V and U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards and is available in multiple power ratings from 340 kW (456 hp) to 430 kW (577 hp) with peak torque reaching 2634 Nm (1943 lb.-ft.). >click to read<15:08
ITQ’s: A crash course – How feds let fishing privileges be sucked up by big money, much of it foreign.
Wild fisheries are humankind’s greatest single source of protein. They are fully renewable, we don’t have to till soil, plant seeds, apply fertilizer or pesticide, water them or feed them; we just have to manage the harvest. As global populations continue to grow, much is at stake as we determine who benefits from the greatest renewable food resource. At home who benefits from fish harvested in B.C.’s waters? (or anywhere?) You’d be logical in thinking the answer is mostly people who make the B.C. coast their home and who fish for a living. And you’d be wrong. >click to read<14:39
Developer: Belfast woman has no standing to challenge $250M Bucksport salmon farm
A Belfast woman lives too far from a proposed $250 million indoor salmon farm in Bucksport to appeal a wastewater discharge permit state regulators have issued. That’s the argument Whole Oceans LLC is making in a motion filed with the state Board of Environmental Protection earlier this week to dismiss Holly Faubel’s appeal of the wastewater permit the Maine Department of Environmental Protection granted the company in November. Whole Oceans hopes to start building the aquafarm this spring at the former Verso Paper mill site. >click to read<14:04
Shelburne company pleads guilty to 4 charges in fisherman’s death
A Shelburne, N.S., company has been ordered to pay $60,000 after pleading guilty Thursday to four violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in the 2017 death of lobster fisherman Jimmy Buchanan. Buchanan, a 44-year-old married father and grandfather, was working about 50 kilometres southeast of Cape Sable Island when he fell overboard on Jan. 7, 2017. >click to read<13:12
PETA lobster complaint not being prosecuted
The Hancock County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to pursue a complaint against Maine Fair Trade Lobster in Prospect Harbor filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “Mr. [District Attorney Matt] Foster concluded that a precedent from 2013 in District 6 (Knox County), where a nearly identical claim was made by PETA against another lobster processing facility using the same, or similar processing methods as Maine Fair Trade Lobster currently uses, supported the decision not to prosecute,” >click to read<10:52
Please donate to New Jersey Fisherman James Lacey’s Memorial Fund
Today we mourn the loss of our brother, son, cousin, uncle, and friend James Lacey. Jim died when the fishing boat he worked on capsized in the waters off the Oregon coast. (Full story.) We always knew Jim had one of the hardest jobs in the world and he wouldn’t have it any other way.,,, We’re raising money to help return his remains to the east coast so that he can be laid to rest. Any additional funds raised will go to support charitable causes that support the families of fisherman lost at sea. Thank you for your generosity, your thoughts, and your prayers. May he rest in peace. >click to read, and please, donate if you can.< Thank you.10:18
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for January 11, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<20:49
Developer withdraws plan for waterfront hotel in Portland, citing concerns by fishermen
A hotel will no longer be included in a developer’s plan for one of Portland’s wharfs, the city manager announced Friday. The news that developer David Bateman of Fishermen’s Wharf Portland LLC is dropping its pursuit of a hotel comes as the city grapples with concerns by fishermen over the future of Portland’s working waterfront. A group led by local fishermen has argued non-marine development on and around the city’s piers has squeezed out the working waterfront,,, >click to read<19:59
Claim that Annapolis tidal turbine violates Fisheries Act puts science under review
Is the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station killing a lot of fish? The protesters waving placards on the causeway crossing the Annapolis River on Wednesday and Thursday claim that it does. Scientists and stakeholders meeting over the same period at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography were attempting to answer the same question. But even as The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat was performing its review of available data, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Nova Scotia Power may already know whether the turbine is in violation of the Fisheries Act. According to correspondence obtained via a freedom of information request between high level staff at both the federal regulator and the turbine’s owner, both already know it kills fish. >click to read<
On This Day: 1-11- 2006, F/V Lady of Grace rescued a year before she sank
On this day in 2006 the Coast Guard towed a 76-foot fishing vessel to safety after the vessel became disabled near Nantucket early Monday morning. The Lady of Grace with four crew members on board, contacted the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England Command Center at 3:34 a.m. and reported they were without power and drifting approximately 10 miles east of Great Point, Nantucket. A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Brant Point on Nantucket launched a 47-foot motor life boat to take the vessel in tow. >click to read<17:25
Oregon starts killing fish-eating sea lions
Oregon wildlife officials have started killing California sea lions that threaten a fragile and unique type of trout in the Willamette River, a body of water that’s miles inland from the coastal areas where the massive carnivorous aquatic mammals usually congregate to feed. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife obtained a federal permit in November to kill up to 93 California sea lions annually below Willamette Falls south of Portland to protect the winter run of the fish that begin life as rainbow trout but become steelhead when they travel to the ocean. >click to read<15:57
N.L. skipper found guilty of trying to throw wife overboard, even after she told judge the story was made up
When a Newfoundland judge was about to sentence the skipper of a fishing boat for trying to throw his wife overboard, he suddenly found himself in a tricky legal position. The skipper’s wife — the victim of the crime that had just been proved beyond a reasonable doubt — came forward to say it never happened, that she made it all up because she was angry. This was a problem, raising fears of a miscarriage of justice, and the judge’s ultimate solution is a rare illustration of the law on victims who recant criminal accusations. >click to read<13:19
Crab Fishermen Warn: With the Season Closed Elsewhere, Loads of Out-of-Town Crabbers Will be Coming to Humboldt and There’s Hardly Any Places to Tie Up
From the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association: North Coast crab fishermen from Fort Bragg to Crescent City are facing double jeopardy — one from a warming ocean and one man made by a local agency. As of January 8, 2019, the date of the most recent test results for Domoic Acid levels in Dungeness Crabs, both the Patrick’s Point test (north of Trinidad) and the Crescent City test failed due to one crab each over the 30 ppm,,, >click to read<12:44
Harbor may see influx of transient crabbing vessels with season set to begin – >click to read<15:01
This Lobster Trap Aims to Protect Endangered Whales — and Fishers’ Livelihoods
So a team of conservation-minded engineers set about finding a solution for the problem of right whale entanglements—while also keeping in mind the needs of lobster fishing families. The winners of last year’s Make for the Planet Borneo hackathon at the 5th annual International Marine Conservation Congress came up with a device they dubbed the Lobster Lift. Here’s how it works: At its essence,,,, >click to read<12:03
Bruce Tarr pushing bill to expand lobster processing industry in Bay State
State Senate Majority Leader Bruce Tarr didn’t waste any time in the new legislative calendar to again push the state to liberalize its lobster processing laws to allow in-state processing and sale of raw and frozen lobster parts. And this time, the Republican from Gloucester is armed with a report from the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries that supports the legislative reform and spells out some of the economic benefits of allowing in-state processing rather than sending the live lobsters out of state — often all the way to Canada —for processing. >click to read<22:27
Southeast purse seiners to hold another permit buyback vote
Southeast Alaska purse seine fishermen are preparing to vote on another permit buyback, with an eye toward making the fishery more viable in an era of more efficient vessels and smaller salmon runs. The National Marine Fisheries Service is scheduled to send out ballots to fishermen starting Jan. 15 asking whether the fleet should take on $10.1 million in federal loans to buy out 36 permits, removing them from the fishery forever. If successful, the move would reduce the number of permits in the fishery to 279, down about 100 permits since 2012. >click to read<14:35
Coast Guard was escorting boat when it capsized off Oregon, killing 3 fishermen, 2 from New Jersey
The U.S. Coast Guard was escorting a commercial fishing vessel into an Oregon harbor under heavy seas when it capsized on Tuesday night, killing three fisherman, two of whom were from New Jersey. A 52-foot Motor Life Boat Victory went out to to meet the 42-foot Mary B II near the entrance to Yaquina Bay, the Cost Guard said in a statement. The fishing boat was under its own power in the stormy Pacific Ocean contending with waves of 14-to-16 feet when it capsized just after 10 p.m., officials said. >click to read<11:24
Please donate to Oregon Fisherman Josh Porter’s Memorial Fund
The Mary B 2 crab boat capsized about 10pm Tuesday Jan 8, 2019 while crossing the Yaquina Bay Bar Newport Oregon. Three fisherman died in he accident including my brother-in-law, Josh Porter, age 50. He is survived by his wife, Denise Barrett-Porter and a loving family. Josh was the sole financial supporter for his family and tirelessly (and happily) worked difficult jobs as a fisherman and logger in the off-season. >click here, and please donate if you can<10:26 Go Fund Me To Help Fisherman’s Family – >click to read<
Wind turbines are neither clean nor green and they provide zero global energy
The Global Wind Energy Council recently released its latest report, excitedly boasting that ‘the proliferation of wind energy into the global power market continues at a furious pace, after it was revealed that more than 54 gigawatts of clean renewable wind power was installed across the global market last year’.,,, Here’s a quiz; no conferring. To the nearest whole number, what percentage of the world’s energy consumption was supplied by wind power in 2014, the last year for which there are reliable figures? Was it 20 per cent, 10 per cent or 5 per cent? None of the above: it was 0 per cent. That is to say, to the nearest whole number, there is still no wind power on Earth. >click to read<09:48
Canadian seafood giant Clearwater convicted of ‘gross violation’ in lobster fishery
Canadian seafood giant Clearwater was convicted of “gross violation” of fisheries regulations last fall after senior management ignored federal government warnings to change the way the company conducts its monopoly offshore lobster fishery, CBC News has learned. The decision to prosecute North America’s largest shellfish producer occurred amid a lengthy and still ongoing lobby effort by Clearwater to change the rule it broke: a Canadian requirement that fishing gear at sea must be tended every 72 hours. Clearwater company CS ManPar was convicted for storing 3,800 lobster traps on the ocean bottom off the Nova Scotia coast for upward of two months in the fall of 2017,,, >click to read<08:46
F/V Mary B II: Coast Guard to investigate capsizing on Yaquina Bay Bar in Newport, Ore.
The Coast Guard is investigating the capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II, which lead to the deaths of three fishermen at the entrance of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon, Tuesday night. The three fishermen were inbound the Yaquina Bay Bar aboard the 42-foot vessel Mary B II when it capsized without warning tossing two of the fishermen overboard into the stormy Pacific Ocean with reported waves of 14 to 16 feet with occasional waves of 20 feet.Prior to the Mary B II capsizing its crew requested a Coast Guard escort across the Yaquina Bay Bar.,,, >click to read<
