Daily Archives: September 18, 2019

Bristol Bay Native Corporation to acquire two giants of Alaska’s Pacific cod fishery

Clipper Seafoods and Blue North Fisheries are freezer longline catchers, two giants of the Pacific cod industry. Clipper has six hook and line vessels, and after retiring one of its vessels, Blue North will have four. Now, the Bristol Bay Native Corporation is poised to acquire all of them. “Blue North and Clipper Seafoods, as of Friday last week, have officially merged together. And then BBNC’s intentions are to acquire the merged companies – the Blue North Clipper Group – on Sept. 30.” Audio,  >click to read< 18:20

How much fishing gear is lost at sea, worldwide?

The first ever estimate of commercial fishing gear lost in the world’s oceans has been published by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear or ‘ghost gear’,,, Until now there has not been a clear global picture of the quantity and type of fishing gear lost worldwide.,,Using data from 68 studies Currently, much of the data on gear loss is from the United States and Europe, highlighting the need for more information about gear losses in the African, Asian, South American and Oceania regions. >click to read<  16:27

Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44’11”x21 Novi Lobster/Scalloper, Price reduced

Specifications, information and 45 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<

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Five processors have monopoly on inshore fishery: FFAW-Unifor

Fish harvesters gathered in St. John’s Tuesday to speak out against what their union describes as the cartel-like behaviour of the province’s fish processing companies. FFAW-Unifor union says that, as a result of what it claims are co-ordinated efforts by some of the largest companies, who refused to buy species such as northern cod and squid for several weeks this season, harvesters are calling on the provincial government to issue new processing licences and develop a strategy to attract more competition and investment within the industry.  >click to read< 12:56

ACR Electronics Launches SM-3 Automatic Buoy Marker Light

ACR Electronics is introducing its new SM-3 Automatic Buoy Marker Light, a high-intensity LED strobe that provides brighter light in all directions for clear marking of a man-overboard site. Featuring industry-leading light weight, compact size and durability, the SM-3 provides 360° visibility for approximately 2 miles (3.22 km) and is ideal for any global commercial and leisure users requiring a reliable Crew Overboard (COB) marker light. When thrown in the water, the new ACR light automatically activates and rights itself to float upright in all conditions, strobing for over 24 hours,,, >click to read< 12:08

New study addresses changes in lobster molt timing, Gulf of Maine temperature shifts

Variation in lobster molt timing has been increasing in recent years, and is related to changing ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine,,, Creating a time series for lobster molts and outlining the relationship of the initial intra-annual molt season to bottom water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine is important to the lobster industry because shifts in water temperature could result in changes in timing of the molt season, led by then UMaine graduate student Kevin Staples, who was pursuing a dual master’s degree in marine biology and marine policy. >click to read< 09:45

9 U.S. environmental groups seeking Canadian snow crab import ban, stronger right whale protections

“We do believe that, at this point, at least Canadian snow crab needs to be banned from the United States,” said Sarah Uhlemann, program director of the Seattle-based Center for Biological Diversity. Uhlemann was one of nine conservation groups who signed a letter sent Tuesday to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging it to “press the Canadian government to immediately strengthen right whale protections, in order to avoid an import ban and to help save the species from extinction.”  >click to read< 07:35

Coast Guard rescues 6 fishermen and an observer from a fishing vessel on fire off Oahu

Six crew and an NOAA observer are safe following a Coast Guard rescue eight miles off Ko’Olina, Tuesday. A Coast Guard Station Honolulu 45-foot Response-Boat Medium crew rescued the crew of the fishing vessel Miss Emma from a liferaft after the ship reportedly caught fire. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Watchstanders received a mayday call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 4:29 p.m. reporting the crew was battling a vessel fire. Photo’s, >click to read< 06:56