Monthly Archives: February 2019
Lake Huron – Thriving family fishery spans 2 centuries, 5 generations
Tim Purdy gets a little emotional when he talks about his son Josiah becoming the fifth generation to work at the family fishery in Point Edward. “It’s good to see your kids want to be involved,” Purdy says. Though proud his son is part of a thriving business that’s operated for nearly 120 years, he’s worried too. “We’re trying to figure out how to stop the Asian carp,”,,, >click to read< 18:07
Seawatch: Board of Fish meets March 9
The Alaska Board of Fisheries kicks off its meeting dealing with state-wide finfish proposals on March 9 in Anchorage, covering about 20 proposals and expected to last four days. Those proposals include some that, while generalized to fit the criteria of a state-wide proposal, are clearly aimed at the relentless “fish wars” in the Upper Cook Inlet salmon fisheries. One of the proposals, submitted by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association,,, >click to read<17:06
Game wardens seized large amounts of shrimp
Local Texas Parks & Wildlife game wardens seized just over 1,800 pounds of shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday afternoon. According to Calhoun County Game Warden Chelsea Bailey, she along with a couple other game wardens were patrolling the Gulf of Mexico specifically for shrimp boats. “We inspect their catch, the net and the Turtle Excluder Device (TED) that they use on the boat,” Bailey said. These guys get rousted. >click to read<15:57
Rhode Island Approves Vineyard Wind Project, but, the fishing industry sure don’t like it.
The offer to compensate Rhode Island fishermen harmed by the latest offshore wind project was disliked by just about everyone in the packed auditorium, but the deal was ultimately approved for fear it might slip away. “We’ve been backed into a corner. Is there a way out of it? No,” said Grant Moore, fisherman and president of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association.,, Meghan Lapp from fish processor Seafreeze Ltd. of North Kingstown and Point Judith submitted a petition signed by 170 workers in the commercial fishing industry who oppose the compensation plan. Various video’s, >click to read<13:54
Tignish Fishers’ Award Banquet will be a time for laughs and tears
The western P.E.I. community of Tignish will hold an inaugural awards banquet for the fishing industry this year, as the town looks back on a difficult end to the season in 2018. On Sept. 18 the fishing boat Kyla Anne capsized. Glen DesRoches and Moe Getson died in the accident. A third crew member was able to swim to shore. Ruby Arsenault, one of the organizers, said the community had considered an awards banquet before, so the decision to have one is not directly connected to the accident, but she is sure it will be on everyone’s minds. >click to read<12:03
Army Corps releases Pebble Mine draft EIS hearing schedule
The Army Corps of Engineers published the draft EIS last week, sparking comment from both Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan. Murkowski said she has not made it all the way through the EIS but has started digging into the 1,400 page document. Sullivan met with reporters last week in Juneau, telling them he felt that 90 days is too short for a comprehensive comment period. The public comment period for the draft EIS will begin March 1 and end May 30, according the Pebble project website. Public hearings will be held in nine different communities between March 25 and April 16. The full schedule is as follows: <click to read<09:50
Life with Industrial Wind Turbines in Wisconsin: Part 9, “then what will it do to fish?”
Scott Srnka speaking about stray voltage trouble on his farm: [Video image: an ohm reader with flickering numbers] This is a five hundred ohms resistor here, this wire is hooked to my stall, this white wire is a remote ground rod way across way, way away from the buildings. So I can go shut the power off across the road and this will still read the same. So it’s coming out of the earth. And I’m four wired. When I shut my power off all four wires are disconnected. So my ground and neutral don’t even come to the farm either. This is coming out of the earth getting on my stalls, and this is where the cows are living. Q: What kind of impacts are you having? Low milk production, health issues, reproduction problems, cows dying of cancer and stuff like that. Video>click to read<22:15
Shrimp – Record Lows in Louisiana and Florida-and a Near Record High in Texas-Close Out 2018
The Fishery Monitoring Branch of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center released shrimp landings data from the Gulf of Mexico for December 2018 and January 2019. For December, NOAA reported that 6.5 million pounds of shrimp were landed in the Gulf of Mexico, down from 6.9 million pounds last year, and 24.4 percent below the prior eighteen-year historical average of 8.6 million pounds. The decline in landings for the month was due to low shrimp landings in Louisiana and on the west coast of Florida. >click to read<21:04
Newport firefighters, Coast Guard extinguish fire sparked by space heater
Firefighters spent hours early Wednesday morning extinguishing a blaze aboard a fishing vessel at Port Dock 5 on Southeast Bay Boulevard. Crews with the Newport Fire Department were dispatched just after 12 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the fishing vessel BJ Thomas. Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire using portable dock pumps, but were hampered by extreme heat from the fire, snowy conditions, and by having to force entry into the wheelhouse, fire officials said. >click to read<19:49
Salmon gill net fishing ban narrows focus to Columbia River
A push to ban non-tribal gill net fishing for salmon on the Columbia River is no shock to Pete Knutson, who has witnessed several similar attempts like it in his lifetime. “You can sell it to people who know nothing about the resource, and it sounds like a good idea,” Knutson said. Knutson owns Loki Fish Company, a business his entire family has helped build. It’s families like his that he’s worried about if the ban passes. “If you’re concerned about the resource, you want to keep those portions of the population that are living from the resource in business because they are the best stewards of the resource,” Knutson explained. >click to read<15:31
Study looks at socio-economic impact of offshore oil and gas industry in Newfoundland and Labrador
A newly-released study exploring the socio-economic impact of the offshore petroleum industry over a three-year period from 2015-17 offers a clear snapshot of how much it contributes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s prosperity. But while the numbers remain big, they’re also in decline when assessing both the direct and indirect impact the industry is having on the province. Funded by Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador (PRNL), a non-profit organization supported by big oil companies operating in the province, the study confirms the industry is still an essential element to gross domestic profit. >click to read<14:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 72′ Steel Longliner, CAT 3408, 2 Gen Sets,
Specifications, information and 15 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<12:00
The 2019 Maine Fishermen’s Forum tackles issues facing state’s key industry
The 2019 Maine Fishermen’s Forum arrives at the Samoset Resort in Rockport Thursday, Feb. 28, and continues until March 2, bringing together fishermen, scientists and government regulators to talk about issues including the ongoing concern about right whales and the impact of climate change on the fisheries. “This is the largest event of its kind in New England – one dedicated to offering fishermen, clammers, lobstermen, aquaculturalists and other related seafood industry participants an opportunity to meet on neutral ground with fisheries managers, state representatives, congressmen and senators,” the forum’s website states. >click to read<10:37
Vineyard Wind Offshore wind project clears hurdle despite opposition
A project to create a wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard has cleared another hurdle. The Coastal Resources Management Council met for its semi-monthly meeting at Corless Auditorium at URI Bay Campus Tuesday night. The council voted to approve Vineyard Wind’s application for an 84-turbine project and a compensation package for fishermen. In reaction to the approval vote, Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Pederson said in a statement, “We thank the members of the CRMC, the Fisheries Advisory Board, and other fishermen for working with us to develop a package that will allow the offshore wind and fisheries industries to share the ocean resources and grow together.” >click to read<09:21
Aussie made, Whangārei registered new scampi trawler in town
A new fishing trawler designed to fish the cold-water scampi fields off New Zealand’s deep south was built in Adelaide and is registered with Whangārei as its home port. It is not the first commercial fishing trawler to work out of Whangārei but the 25 metre Karearea is the only one hunting scampi and possibly the only fishing boat registered in Whangārei to fish the southern seas. >click to read< 20:02
Latest DFO assessment of NL snow crab presents a ‘mixed bag’ of stock health
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released its stock assessment for snow crab Tuesday, Feb. 26 and overall it was described as a “mixed bag.” According to information provided in a technical briefing, there are modest increases in overall exploitable biomass of snow crab but it is near its lowest observed level since the mid 1990’s. DFO crab scientist Dr. Krista Baker did point out there is a return to cooler waters, which is a positive sign going for the stocks. >click to read<18:14
Coast Guard aids fishing boat taking on water
The U.S. Coast Guard came to the aid of a fishing boat in danger of sinking early Monday morning. The FV Captain Bligh was “was taking on water and needed help” while in 15- to 20-foot seas 28 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard, Petty Officer Nicole Groll told The Times. The crew reported their generator failed, Groll said. A Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod lowered a dewatering pump to the crew, enabling them to keep the vessel afloat, she said. >Video, click to read<16:24
The grim lesson of Little Bay Islands
I can remember traveling to Little Bay Islands in 1957 when I was 10 years old with my father on the MV Grace Boehner delivering flour and other freight. I marveled at how alive that community was. Boats going and coming in the harbour, wheelbarrows full of salted cod as they were pushed to the weights. Wheelbarrows full of Atlantic salmon. Seemed like hundreds of people working on the wharf. Children at play, singing and laughing. Now, this fishing outport community is beaten to its knees and voted to relocate because the loss of fish resources and the closure of its fish plant.>click to read by John Gillett, Inshore fisherman, Twillingate<14:55
Licence Revoked! Change Islands family says herring licence lost due to paperwork error
Lloyd White is warning others in the commercial fishing industry after he lost his herring licence in 2018 and had a review of his licence reinstatement revoked by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Be sure to fill out your paperwork correctly, said the Change Islands man, who blames his situation on a clerical error. Heather White, Lloyd’s wife, incorrectly filled out the paperwork online in 2017 when applying and paying for her husband’s licences for the upcoming season. Lloyd has been a commercial fisherman for the last 40 years. She paid, in full, for the licences she had correctly filled out — but Heather had simply missed a check-box,,, >click to read<14:09
State officials to vote Tuesday on Vineyard Wind project
The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council is scheduled Tuesday to vote whether Vineyard Wind’s proposed 84-turbine offshore wind energy farm – the first large-scale project of its kind in the nation – is consistent with state policy. The council’s decision – called a federal consistency determination – is needed as part of the federal permitting process. Much of the vote is expected to rest on a newly agreed upon $16.7 million “financial mitigation package” between New Bedford-based Vineyard Wind and the Rhode Island Fisheries Advisory Board to provide compensation for anticipated impacts of the project on the state’s commercial fishing businesses. >click to read<12:54
Tuesday’s council meeting is open to the public. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at the Corless Auditorium at the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus on South Ferry Road in Narragansett.
Governor Dunleavy has a gag order on AK fish budgets, bills
Alaska’s new slogan is “open for business” but good luck trying to find out any budget details when it comes to the business of fishing. The Dunleavy administration has a full gag order in place at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and all budget questions, no matter how basic, are referred to press secretary Matt Shuckerow. Likewise, queries to the many deputies and assistants at the ADF&G commissioner’s office are deferred to Shuckerow who did not acknowledge messages for information. “It isn’t just the media or Alaskans. Legislators are faced with that same gag order,”,,, >click to read<10:27
Fishermen Approve Controversial Compensation Deal
“Many of the commercial fishermen gathered at the Holiday Inn on Route 1 were displeased with the agreement. Dockside buyers of seafood felt excluded from the process and wanted compensation for the loss of squid and other seafood moving through their fish houses. Meghan Lapp, fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., which owns four fishing boats and two processors at Davisville Pier in North Kingstown, said the new offer was only made known two days earlier and the fishing industry needs to comment. “There has been no public meeting that has heard public comment on the proposal that is before the FAB today,” Lapp said before Dellinger cut her off.” (Go to minute mark 24 to watch). Fishermen who showed up were not allowed to speak. Their livelihoods are on the line and they weren’t given the time of day. The FAB finalized negotiations with Vineyard Wind on Feb 15 and CRMC signed on Feb 21, without anyone knowing. The final documents were made public on Feb 22, and this meeting took place on Feb 23. >Video, click to read<09:19
Mark Phillips wanted to bring up some low points of a special Vineyard Wind meeting
A Rhode Island fishing board on Saturday voted in favor of a revised compensation offer from offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind in a decision that boosts the New Bedford company’s chances of securing a key approval from state coastal regulators later this week. >R.I. fishermen, Vineyard Wind reach deal on compensation<. After letting Fred Mattera give glowing praise to the Fishery Advisory Board for 3 minutes. Lanny shutout industry from commenting even though the audience was asking to be heard and had been told two days before that they would be allowed to speak at this public meeting. The meeting two days earlier had the media and state representatives kicked out. Also the attorney never disclosed that she was attorney for two of the FAB members and Fred Mattera group who will ultimately control the funds. Capt. Mark Phillips 17:16
Head of Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance upset with Vineyard Wind plan
Vineyard Wind wants to build an 84 turbine offshore wind farm, fifteen miles from the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, and right in the heart of squid ground. “It will chase pretty much every species out of that area which is an extremely large area,” Richard Fuka said. On Saturday, the Fisheries Advisory Board voted unanimously to move forward with the project, accepting a nearly 17-million dollar compensation package from Vineyard Wind. That money would be aimed at mitigating any negative impacts the project would have on the fishing industry. But Fuka says the majority of the state’s fishermen do not support the deal and are not represented on the advisory board. “Nobody from those three fish houses is on that board,” Fuka said. Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management Council is now set to vote on the project on Tuesday. >click to read<16:17
Newfoundland and Labrador 1994 crab quota agreement not a contract: judge
A judge’s decision last week brought an end to a nearly 13-year-old court case between a group of Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishermen and the federal government. The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador ruled in favour of the federal government saying that there was no “contract” in place between the group of fishermen and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans following an agreement on quotas in 1994. The background of the case is that in the fall of 1994, two years after the moratorium was placed upon the northern cod stocks that crippled the fishing industry in the province, fishermen were struggling to keep their boats on the water. >click to read<14:20
Commercial Fishing Assistance Offered – Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program
Some North Carolina commercial fishermen can receive financial help from the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program. The state Division of Marine Fisheries was to mail packets last week to those that are eligible based on October and November landings. Packets are only being sent to those fishermen who had lower landings in October and/or November 2018 as compared to their average landings from the same months in the previous three years. The second round of payments from the program, state legislature appropriated $11.6 million to DMF to help commercial fishermen and shellfish harvesters who suffered income losses from harvest reductions due to Hurricane Florence. >click to read<13:49
Season looking better for SC shrimp after die-off, industry woes
The first sample trawls of the new year netted a welcome sight: shrimp, and in good numbers. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources ran its monthly trawl last week in the lower Ashley River and Charleston Harbor, reinforcing January’s trend and heightening expectations after a relatively warm winter. That bodes well for the summer shrimp season opening on time — a year after the start was delayed for more than a month because a bitter winter cold had devastated the crop. >click to read<21:44
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for February 22, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 18:52
How a flipping crab led researchers to discover that a commercially harvested species feeds at methane seeps
Researchers have documented a group of tanner crabs vigorously feeding at a methane seep on the seafloor off British Columbia – one of the first times a commercially harvested species has been seen using this energy source. There are many implications, researchers say, and surprisingly most of them are good. Human consumption of tanner crabs – one of three species sold as snow crabs – that feed on methane-eating bacteria and archaea should not pose a health concern because methane seeps are not toxic environments. The discovery actually may mean that methane seeps could provide some seafloor-dwelling species an important hedge against climate change – because nearly all models predict less food will be falling into the deep sea in coming years >click to read<17:30
Cape Bald Packers fish plant ‘total loss,’ says Cap-Pelé fire chief
The Cape Bald Packers fish-packing plant in Cap-Pelé, N.B., is a “total loss,” the village’s fire chief said. “Everything is gone,” said Ronald Cormier. “We couldn’t control the fire. There was too [much] flame and too [much] black smoke.” Cormier said the call about the fire came in around 10:30 a.m. “It’s a vicious fire,” said Cap-Pelé Mayor Serge Léger, who was at the site.,,, Léger said he was in shock and too upset to continue speaking. “We could lose up to 500 jobs here. “It’s the biggest employer in Cap-Pelé. It’s a very sad moment. I hope the community will come together and they’ll rebuild.” >click to read<14:36
