Daily Archives: April 23, 2019
Jared Golden asks feds to delay fishing restrictions that aim to protect whales
U.S. Rep Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents Maine’s 2nd District, on Tuesday asked federal officials to reconsider regulations meant to protect North Atlantic right whales. Maine lobstermen say the proposed changes would significantly harm their livelihoods. Golden said in a release that he is “deeply troubled” by the manner the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) plans to reduce right whale mortality by 60 percent to 80 percent, and by “the impact its actions may have on the future viability of our lobster fleet.” >click to read<22:50
FISH-NL calls on Ottawa for ice compensation for west coast harvesters
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is calling on Ottawa to extend EI benefits for fish harvesters on Newfoundland’s west coast impacted by severe ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Some harvesters and their families are having a hard time of it. The heavy ice means they can’t go fishing, and the wolf is beating at the door,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL, in calling for ice compensation in the form of an EI extension. >click to read<17:15
Commercial vessel a ‘total loss’ after Monday morning fire at Westport Marina
The commercial fishing vessel Mary Ann L was a total loss after it caught fire on Float 11 at the Westport Marina early Monday morning. South Beach Regional Fire Authority Chief Dennis Benn said the call came in at 2:45 a.m.; when responders arrived on the scene the vessel was about 5o percent involved in flame. “A good Samaritan was using a garden hose already on the dock, to protect a boat that was next to the burning vessel,” said Benn. At 02:45 this morning, we were dispatched to a commercial fishing vessel fire, on float 11 in Westport. >click to read<16:31
NEFMC Public Hearing Sessions for Limiting Entry to Federal For-Hire Groundfish Fishery
The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) has scheduled a series of public listening sessions throughout New England. The purpose of the sessions is to have preliminary public discussions on the possibility of developing an amendment to the Northeast Multispecies Groundfish FMP to establish a limited access program for the party and charter boat fishery. >click to read dates, time, and place< 15:55
North Uist brothers all at sea with new scallop vessel
Two North Uist-based brothers who founded a scallop fishing business a decade ago have bought a new vessel, thanks to a six-figure funding package. Konrad and Kamil Kosieradzki moved to North Uist from Poland following a one-year university placement on the island in 2004, and established K&K Fishing in 2009. “We’ve seen some challenges since establishing K&K Fishing ten years ago, including the fuel crisis in 2013, but we feel now is the right time to invest in our business.” >click to read<13:27
Bickering in D.C. holds up Florence relief for N.C. fishermen
Political infighting in Washington over Puerto Rico seems to be holding up needed relief for North Carolina victims of Hurricane Florence. Keith Bruno, whose business, Endurance Seafood, sustained devastating damage, said federal dollars could drastically speed up the pace of rebuilding and get his business back on track. “People get tired of asking if I’m back in business and they just forget about you,” >Video, click to read<11:40
Helicopter crew found safe on New Zealand island after crash
Three crewmen aboard a helicopter that crashed off the New Zealand coast while on a rescue mission were found alive on a remote island Tuesday after they were missing overnight. Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman Mark Dittmer said the men were found shortly before noon in their survival suits walking along a beach on uninhabited Auckland Island, some 500 kilometers (311 miles) southwest of the town of Invercargill where they’d left from 16 hours earlier.,,, The helicopter left Monday evening to evacuate a person aboard a fishing boat who needed urgent medical attention,,, >click to read<10:19
Shark Research Could Help Ga. Shrimpers
Shrimpers like William “Catfish” McClain have a shark problem. “They, well they just attack your nets and they eat holes everywhere in ’em,” he said. “And there’s nothing you can do to get rid of them.” Those nets are expensive, in the thousands of dollars each, and the sharks cost shrimpers in other ways.“It hurts us. It hurts the commercial fishermen, because like I say he works for two days, and then he’ll have to sew on his nets for two days. So that’s two days he’s not fishing,” said McClain. “And it causes a lot more work.” >click to read<09:59
Assessing the consequences of oil spills on commercial fish
Each spring, Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) travel from the Barents Sea to spawn further south along the Norwegian coast from Møre to Lofoten, releasing millions of eggs into the ocean. These eggs then begin their own journey, developing into fish larvae as they drift with the currents, north and east towards the Barents Sea. The journey is perilous and their chance of survival is small. For every million eggs, only about 800 larvae survive the first half year. Their fate depends on the movements and prevailing environmental conditions of the North Atlantic Current, >click to read<09:17
Man jailed 47 days for illegal lobsters
The Gloucester man caught landing 230 illegal lobsters in two separate incidents — 183 in one case, 47 in the other — now is essentially paying for his most recent crime by spending what amounts to as a day in jail for each illegal crustacean. James A. Santapaola Jr., 42, of 16 Forest Lane, has begun serving 47 days in Middleton Jail after he entered guilty pleas to 28 counts of possession of illegally short lobsters and 19 other counts related his possession of 16 V-notched lobsters and three oversized lobsters among his illegal landings. >click to read<08:19
