Monthly Archives: June 2019
EPA officials visit Dillingham to gather opinions on Pebble Mine
Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency arrived in Dillingham Thursday morning, meeting with fishers and community leaders to gather opinions on the proposed development of Pebble Mine. “It’s important to hear people’s views on all sides of the issue,” said Matt Leopold, the EPA’s general counsel. “And here in Dillingham I can tell right away that people are opposed to the project.” >click to read<11:33
Happy Fathers Day to the Fishermen Fathers at Sea Today
Happy Fathers Day to those fathers that are at sea today, providing for their family’s, and providing us with fresh seafood. Thank you. 10:00
Hundreds swarm Boothbay Harbor for Maine’s first lobster boat races of 2019
As Maine as lobster rolls, blueberries and Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy, the 2019 lobster boat racing season began Saturday in Boothbay Harbor. Under sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s, sailboats, motor boats and even a sardine carrier tied up in the harbor by 10 a.m. to watch working and recreational lobster boats rev their engines and skim across the sea’s surface in a series of heats to prove whose engine was most powerful. >click to read<08:59
34th annual Boothbay Harbor Lobster Boat Races – Drag racing on the water, photo’s, >click to view!<08:12, 6/17
Bailey Barco crew assists mariners with submerged vessel near Mitkof Island, Alaska
The Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco (WPC 1122) crew assisted the fishing vessel Heather Anne crew when their vessel began taking on water in the Wrangell Narrows, near Mitkof Island, Alaska, Friday. All three people were reported to have been safe on Mitkof Island and are not in distress. At 6:59 a.m. Friday, Sector Juneau command center watchstanders received notification from the Heather Anne reporting the vessel had run aground and was sinking in vicinity of Mitkof Island >click to read<21:00
Boat sinks in Wrangell Narrows south of Petersburg – >Click to read<
Dewatering efforts fail in Southeast Alaska currents – June 20, 2019 – >click to read<
Monterey 8th-grader brings life rings to the wharves
After conducting a series of interviews with various maritime officials, and hearing them preach about the need for flotation devices, a Monterey eighth-grader began noticing that neither of the two Monterey wharves had the very safety equipment he was told was critical. But Ladislav Nozicka didn’t write it off as ironic. He acted.,,, when he walked both Fisherman’s Wharves and the commercial wharves where his dad works, he realized both piers lacked the flotation devices he had learned were so important. “He has a very keen eye,” Elizabeth Nozicka said. “He realized something no one else noticed.” Ladislav knew marine safety devices well. His father, Jiri Nozicka, is a commercial fisherman out of Monterey and captain of the San Giovanni. >click to read<16:48
The Rockall fishing dispute explained – Rockall Q&A: Fishing dispute between Scotland and Ireland
Rockall lies 260 miles (418km) west of Scotland’s Western Isles. The UK claims ownership over the outcrop and a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea around it. But the Republic of Ireland does not believe any country should own Rockall and insists the waters around it are shared by all EU member states. “We don’t have a claim on it. We don’t accept any other sovereign claim on it,” Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar has said. He made the comments after Scotland’s Fisheries Minister Fergus Ewing warned Irish vessels could be boarded for fishing within 12 miles of Rockall. >click to read<13:43
Lobster boat racing season is here, officially dedicated to Galen Alley
The Maine lobster boat racing season gets underway this weekend, but however the season goes, it just won’t be the same. Racing begins Saturday, June 15, in Boothbay Harbor and moves up to Penobscot Bay on Sunday, June 16, but two of the most iconic figures in Maine lobster boat racing — Galen Alley and his race boat Foolish Pleasure — will be missing. >click to read<11:48
2011 Stonington Lobster Boat Races (Foolish Pleasure) Fastest Boat Afloat – >click to watch<
Remembering Galen Alley of FOOLISH PLEASURE – JONESPORT – There are a number of names that come to mind when a discussion takes place on who had a major influence on Maine lobster boat racing over the years. Names such as Gus Alley; Benny Beal; Calvin Beal, Jr.; Isaac Beal; Merle Beal; Jim Clemons; Glen Crawford; Richard Duffy; Sid Eaton; Andrew Gove; Bill Hallinan; Corliss and Glenn Holland; Andy Johnson; Steve Johnson; Freddy Lenfesty; Alfred Osgood; Jim Preston; Lewis Stuart; and the Young Brothers (Arvin, Arvid and Colby) to name a few. In recent years one name that has been talked about the most is Galen Alley. >click to read<(must read!)
Deer Isle lobstermen offer whale rule alternative
For Maine lobstermen, 2019 is likely to bring a summer of discontent. Fuel prices are high. Cuts in herring fishing quotas — with further cuts likely — mean that bait is likely to be extremely scarce, and whatever’s available extremely expensive as the season develops. And that’s the good news. What really has lobstermen worked up is the demand by federal regulators that they reduce the risk of death or injury to endangered right whales in the Gulf of Maine by 60 percent.,, Deer Isle lobsterman Julie Eaton had a number of suggestions for DMR,, “Was any thought given to the glut of gear that’s going to develop and to the safety of the fishermen?” >click to read<11:29
Early numbers show strong start for commercial sockeye salmon harvest in Prince William Sound
Commercial sockeye salmon fishing in Prince William Sound is off to a strong start, while it’s weaker in a handful of other fisheries, according to Anchorage consulting firm the McDowell Group. The statewide sockeye harvest of 696,000 fish through June 8 was more than three times what it was at the same time in 2018, according to numbers the McDowell Group prepared for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Most of that harvest — 607,000 fish — was in Prince William Sound. Kodiak, Cook Inlet and Chignik fisheries were off to a slow start, McDowell economist Garrett Evridge said. Pink salmon numbers spiked in the second week of June, >click to read<10:38
Cape Breton lobsterman gets court’s OK for replacement to trap under his licence
A Federal Court judge has temporarily granted a disabled Nova Scotia lobster fisherman the ability to hire someone to fish for him. Justice Sylvie Roussel ruled in favour of Lester Martell’s request to extend his use of a substitute operator,,, He’s been fishing since 1947 and personally fished lobster under the licence from 1978 on a full-time basis until excruciating knee pain and balance difficulties in 2009 prevented him from doing so.,, DFO approved Martell’s request for a substitute operator for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, but told him future requests would not be considered.>click to read<09:09
What About Carlos Rafael, His Permits and His Boats? [OPINION]
There has been little public talk about “The Codfather” and his fishing empire since he was sentenced to federal prison for crimes related to fishing. In September of 2017, Judge William Young sentenced Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael to 46 months in federal prison. Additionally, Judge Young fined him $200,000 and three years supervised probation after his release from prison.,,, hearing rumors that two big players have emerged as the buyers of the boats and the all-important federal permits. One buyer wants the groundfish operation and one wants the scallop operation. There is concern locally that “Wall Street money” is coming in to buy up the local operations. >click to read<08:21
Community Opens Hearts To Braun Seafood After Fire
It’s a story that speaks to the heart and fiber of the North Fork community: After a fire ripped through a storage building at Braun Seafood in Cutchogue Wednesday, not only did owners and staff work tirelessly to open the business just hours later — but the love of the community came pouring in as sea of neighbors, friends and other businesses stepped up to help. Almost immediately, friends and customers turned to social media to urge heading to Braun for take-out dinners or to buy gift cards for Father’s Day, as a way of showing support after a fire that left the fish market and grill intact — but caused major damage to a back storage building. “What makes our company so great, are the people in it,” >click to read<00:02
Sea Lions, Other Marine Mammals Discovering South Sound Anchovy Boom
A large suite of marine mammals has discovered Deep South Sound’s new bounty of anchovies, schools of which are now so numerous they’re routinely observed during regular aerial surveys. For three months this past winter, WDFW biologist Steve Jeffries observed hundreds of California sea lions, as well as harbor seals, harbor porpoises and long-beaked common dolphins feeding on a massive pod of the skinny, silvery baitfish in Case Inlet north of Olympia. Anchovy populations have boomed in these waters since 2015 and the Blob’s warm waters. What’s more, the pinnipeds and cetaceans appeared to be teaming up on them. >click to read<20:01
Canada’s next-generation RADARSAT satellite constellation successfully launched
Canada’s RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) was launched successfully into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The constellation of three satellites will provide daily images of Canada’s vast territory and maritime approaches, as well as images of the Arctic, up to four times a day. It will have daily access to 90 percent of the world’s surface. The RCM is also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), allowing improved detection and tracking of ships, including those conducting illegal fishing. >click to read<18:19
Town of Mount Pleasant acquires ownership of Wando Dock
The Wando Seafood Dock on Shem Creek has changed hands twice in less than a week, this time its ownership has fallen into possession of the Town of Mount Pleasant. The acquisition was announced Friday on the heels of previous owner Brett Elrod, who closed on the property and then flipped it to the town for $4.35 million. Last August, Elrod entered into a contract to purchase Wando Dock for an undisclosed amount, which encompasses a 1-acre lot and 350 feet of dock space. He signed with the intent of refurbishing its preexisting state of affairs which were in need of repairs and an environmental study. >click to read<17:36
Skipper calls on governments to sort out Rockall fishing row
The Donegal skipper of one of the first trawlers to return from disputed waters around Rockall has called on the Irish and Scottish governments to “sort out” a growing fisheries dispute. Northern Celt skipper Adrian McClenaghan landed his catch at Greencastle at first light yesterday before his brother Hugh and a new crew set out to return to fishing grounds around Rockall. An isolated Atlantic outcrop 260 miles west of the Co Donegal coast, Rockall has historically been at the centre of disputes involving Ireland, Scotland, Denmark and Iceland. It is currently at the centre of a growing row between the Irish and Scottish authorities over who has rights to fish around it. >click to read<15:58
Critics ask: How much for wind power? – Divided on wind cable; Heated talk of climate change and Nimbyism
Simon Kinsella, a resident of Wainscott, a candidate for East Hampton Town Trustee, and a persistent critic of the proposed South Fork Wind Farm, spoke during a press conference Tuesday about his lawsuit against New York State, which seeks to compel the Long Island Power Authority to disclose the cost to ratepayers represented by the proposed wind farm. >click to read< A divide among neighbors and generations was apparent on Tuesday as the New York State Public Service Commission hosted its first information sessions and public hearings on the proposed South Fork Wind Farm,,, On Tuesday, the P.S.C. took public comment here on the wind farm’s export cable. Its landing site has stirred nearly as much opposition in some quarters as has the wind farm itself among commercial fishermen, who say the underwater cable installation threatens their livelihood. >click to read<14:30
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for June 14, 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<12:20
Meeting a need – College to offer boat/ship welding program
Starting this Fall, students and adult learners can take courses in welding from Oregon Coast Community College, thanks to a partnership with the Port of Toledo, Northwest Oregon Works, and the Lincoln County School District.,, “Since I arrived at the College in 2014, I have heard from industry and community about the need for welding and maritime workforce training,” said Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge, OCCC President. “Through this private-public collaboration we start building, rather than importing, our future maritime-industrial workforce. >click to read<11:43
The power to open Bonnet Carré spillway rests 200 miles from ‘struggling’ Gulf Coast
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens the Bonnet Carré to prevent Mississippi River flooding in New Orleans, but Coast residents on less populated shores of South Mississippi and Louisiana feel the fallout. The fresh, polluted water floods Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound. For the first time in history, the spillway has opened two years in a row — 2018 and 2019 — and two times in one year — 2019. Dolphins and oysters are dying. Shrimp are disappearing. Fish are covered in lesions. And the oxygen-starved Dead Zone, documented annually in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected this summer to be the size of Massachusetts, which is close to the 2017 record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. Video, photo’s >click to read<10:23
Council turns down petition sought to protect Adak processor
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council decided not to approve an emergency petition from a group of Aleutian Islands stakeholders at its meeting June 9, instead taking a longer route through a discussion to look at the set-aside options for the area. The petition had sought an emergency quota set-aside of Pacific cod, separate from the general Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands quota, to help sustain the shore-based plant and thus the community. >click to read<09:36
MacArtney Lobster Monitoring Tech for SLU
In 2009, MacArtney supplied SLU with a camera and light system that utilised direct telemetry and standard cabling for the original Lobster Sledge. A decade later MacArtney is still collaborating with SLU and has completed the co-design of the Lobster Sledge upgrade that incorporates an HD camera, LED lights, fibre optic multiplexer and interfaces. The system, designed to be towed along the seabed, collects data on the current lobster population. The data collected monitors the lobster population and informs fishing quotas for the southern coast of Norway and the Swedish coast. >click to read<08:44
WDFW and partners apply to kill sea lions in Columbia River and tributaries
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with a consortium of state and tribal partners, on June 13 submitted an expanded application to lethally remove California and Steller sea lions preying on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia River and its tributaries. California sea lions — and increasingly, Steller sea lions — have been observed in growing numbers in the Columbia River basin, especially in the last decade, the agency said in a press release. These sea lions prey heavily on salmon and steelhead runs listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), including thousands of fish at Bonneville Dam each year.>click to read<23:05
‘Wicked Tuna’ captains re-up for 9th season
The hit National Geographic series “Wicked Tuna” has been renewed for a ninth season, and the finale of season eight airs this Sunday, June 16, at 9 p.m. in an extended 90-minute episode “The Final Tail.” “Wicked Tuna,” which is filmed on location in Gloucester and the surrounding waters, airs internationally on National Geographic in 171 countries and in 43 languages. The producers have found that this television series has hooked millions of viewers not only from the region but from around the world. Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken knows the city benefits from this wave of notoriety. “It’s great for the city as it continues to put us on the map,” she said. >click to read<22:03
State mails final round of hurricane assistance checks to NC fishermen
Fisherman and shellfish harvesters hit by Hurricane Florence will soon receive more financial help from North Carolina leaders. On Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper’s office announced $450,000 had been sent out to more than 1,100 applicants. The funds are the last disbursements of a $11.6 million package of Hurricane Florence relief efforts specifically for commercial fishermen. >click to read<19:53
Why fishermen are mailing corks to Murkowski
Bristol Bay fishermen who oppose the Pebble Mine are adding an unusual task to their pre-season chores: They’re writing messages on cork floats and mailing them to Sen. Lisa Murkowski.,, It turns out, you can put stamps directly on a cork, add an address and the Postal Service will deliver it. “There are letters and forms you can send out, but this is more like a personalized, very fisherman way to show her that we care,” Ure said. Dillingham fisherman Katherine Carscallen said they’ve probably sent hundreds of corks by now. “This idea caught on pretty quick,” >click to read<17:23
NEFMC Initiates Monkfish-Skate Specifications; Approve Monkfish RSA Priorities; Discuss Skate Limited Access
The New England Fishery Management Council covered several issues related to monkfish and skates during its mid-June meeting in So. Portland, Maine. The Monkfish and Skate Plan Development Teams (PDTs) will work on specifications and related measures over the summer and report back to their respective committees and advisory panels.,,, Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program The Council approved the following research priorities for the upcoming 2020-2021 RSA request for proposals. These are ranked in order of preference. Monkfish RSA Priorities for 2020-2021 >click to read<16:45
Southwest village prepares to harness river in harmony with salmon
A small Southwest Alaska village is trying to integrate the power of an iconic Alaska river into its electric grid without interfering with the millions of salmon that rely on the same water. The Village of Igiugig and Maine-based Ocean Renewable Power Co. are in the midst of a years-long partnership to refine and eventually utilize the company’s RivGen Power System generator in the Kvichak River. >click to read<14:29
On the way to Bristol Bay, a sunken boat buoys a friendship
My two friends and I have been talking about the zombie apocalypse. It’s our shorthand for when things go very, very wrong.,,, Last week in a brief moment amidst chaos I remarked to her, “Well, here we are in the zombie apocalypse. I’m glad I’m here with you.” We were standing in the cabin of the Catch 22, the commercial fishing vessel belonging to Adri and her husband Luke. We had been accompanying him as he headed out to Bristol Bay for the summer when the boat hit a rock in a very shallow section of the Kvichak River and sank. >click to read<10:27
Fisheries Survival Fund: HabCam Failure Threatens 2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Survey
The loss, recovery, and now electrical failure of the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center “HabCam” habitat mapping camera means that the all-important 2019 Northeast sea scallop survey now continues as a dredge-only survey. The federal survey will thus conclude on June 15 without crucial sampling instruments, including cameras that photograph the ocean bottom. The HabCam, towed just above the ocean floor, provides a non-invasive, extensive, optically-based survey of the Atlantic scallop resource and ocean floor. NOAA Fisheries is working to make the HabCam a centerpiece research and survey tool. >click to read<09:51
