Monthly Archives: September 2019
Coast Guard aircrew rescues 2 off Coos River jetty
A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted two persons from a jetty near the Coos River entrance Sunday morning after their 54-foot commercial fishing vessel became disabled and drifted onto the rocks. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Sector North Bend hoisted the two persons and transported them to awaiting emergency medical services at the air station. Photo’s, >click to read< 18:59
New England Fishery Management Council Meeting in Gloucester, September 23-26, 2019
The New England Fishery Management Council will be meeting at Beauport Hotel, 55 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930. To read the final agenda, >click here< Register for the webinar >click here< to listen to the meeting, live. 18:12
Legislators, lobstermen press case against ‘draconian’ whale rules
Two area legislators led a delegation Wednesday to the Maine Attorney General’s Office to press their case for a full representation for the state’s lobster industry against what they say are draconian and unjustified measures being proposed by the federal government to protect right whales. Independent Reps. Jeffrey Evangelos of Friendship and Bill Pluecker of Warren met Sept. 18 with Attorney General Aaron Frey and two staff attorneys who represent the Department of Marine Resources. >click to read< 11:25
‘Whitey’ Bulger involved in shipment of weapons for IRA, programme claims
A claim that notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger was involved in a shipment of arms for the IRA is set to be aired. The allegation concerns the Marita Ann trawler which was intercepted off the Co Kerry coast by the Irish navy on September 29, 1984.,,, In autumn 1984, the seven-tonne arsenal of weapons was delivered to Gloucester, north-east of Boston, for shipment to Ireland on board a fishing boat that the south Boston mob gang had bought and renamed the Valhalla. >click to read< 08:57
North Carolina’s First Lady pays visit to hurting fishermen
It’s been a difficult year for commercial fisherman Down East which is why Crystal Coast Waterkeeper hosted First Lady Kristin Cooper in Harkers Island Saturday, Cooper was able to see first hand the struggles many commercial fisherman are facing as a result of Hurricane Florence. “Everything that goes in upstream is eventually going to come down here and it’s impacting the environment and the water quality in this area,” says Crystal Waterkeeper Larry Baldwin. Because of Hurricane Florence’s impact on water quality and commercial fishing, the industry, economy, and many communities are now suffering. Video, >click to read< 08:06
Eel fishing on Lough Neagh is dying out. Husband and wife team helping to keep tradition alive
As Anne Marie McStocker pulls in the draft net she pauses every now and again to remove tiny fish that have become entangled in it, and throws them back into the lough.The boat is rocking over a place known as the Foot of the Hole, the deepest part of Lough Neagh, and one of the best places for fishing. As the stones weighing down the net start clinking on to the deck, her husband, Gary McErlain, moves from his station at the other pulley and lifts the draft net into the boat. Inside, a dozen eels are wriggling. Not a great catch. He empties them into a barrel and McStocker goes back to the rether – the local word for the tiller – and moves on to another location, to start the process all over again. Photos, >click to read< 20:50
Offshore wind energy looks more promising for Oregon
“There will be some impacts to fishing grounds, some good, some bad, and some unknown,” he said. (where’s the good?) “But at the end of the day, the issue is: some people can’t fish where they want to or have historically fished.”(where’s the good?) Any offshore wind farm on this stretch of the Pacific will essentially act as a marine reserve, because commercial and recreational fishing will likely be limited in the area. >click to read< 18:19
A renowned boatbuilder reimagines a piece of Maine history.
This summer, not long after Rockport Marine owner Taylor Allen presided over the launch of the William Underwood, a 78-year-old sardine carrier he spent 12 years painstakingly restoring, a landlubbing interviewer suggested to him that chatting with wooden-boat fanatics can feel like talking to collectors of ancient Egyptian pottery — the experts’ aesthetic is often lost on those outside the subculture. “I think the word you’re looking for is cult,” Allen offered. Photos, >click to read< 15:40
Coho harvests still coming from gillnet fishery
Coho harvests in Prince William Sound rose to 497,000 fish this week as drift gillnetters in the Coghill district made dozens of deliveries, and the Sound’s overall preliminary wild salmon deliveries hit 55.8 million fish. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Cordova office opened the Coghill District for an 84-hour driftnet fishing period on Sept. 17 in the wake of a 60-hour period that opened on Sept. 12, while the purse seine fisheries remained closed. >click to read< 14:51
Senator Collins proposes changes to Federal reforms to support Maine lobster industry, protect whales
“Over the last several months, we have had a number of conversations with lobstermen, the scientific community, environmentalists, and state regulators,” Sen. Collins and the members wrote in their letter. “The message has been undeniably clear: these whales require increased protections in order to ensure the viability of the species — and that focusing all of our risk reduction efforts on Maine’s lobster fishery will not get us there.” >click to read<11:44
New Jersey fishermen to donate bycatch to NJ food bank
A new partnership between New Jersey fishermen and a local food bank will mean that some of New Jersey’s hungry residents will have plenty to eat.
For decades, a large portion of the fish caught by commercial fishermen in the United States has gone to waste.,,, But a new program launched in New Jersey Friday means that some of this wasted fish will be donated to Fulfill, the food bank of Monmouth and Ocean counties. “That fish gets turned over to the people in Monmouth and Ocean counties who need it the most. And there are a lot of them,” says former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the CEO of Fulfill. >Video, click to read< 10:14
Trawler runs aground in Rarotonga
Efforts are underway to refloat a fishing boat lodged on a reef at Rarotonga. The boat became wrecked on the reef just offshore the Rutaki area on the main island on Friday, the Cook Islands News reported. On Saturday afternoon work with a ship and heavy machinery was underway to get the vessel off the reef. It could be seen from the nearby Rarotongan Beach Resort. Photos, video, >click to read< 09:27
Fishermen brace for cuts to striped bass fishing
East End fishermen are speaking out against proposed cuts that could reduce the harvest of striped bass,,, The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates fishing in coastal states from Maine to North Carolina,,, Commercial fishermen must adhere to strict limits on striped bass. Capt. Mark Phillips of the Illusion in Greenport, for example, was issued tags for 219 stripers this year, according to his wife, Mary Bess.,,, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) is an outspoken critic of the proposed cuts. >click to read< 08:42
North Carolina: Upon further exploration of the matter, Spanish Mackerel fishery to reopen!
On September 10, 2019, I wrote you denying your request to have DMF issue a proclamation,,, Upon further exploration of the matter,,, Secretary Regan letter about Spanish Mackerel, Attached please find a letter from Secretary Michael Regan to Glenn Skinner concerning the Spanish Mackerel fishery. Mackerel harvest will reopen with a 500 pound daily trip limit sometime next week! Please stop calling Secretary Regan, Director Murphey and DMF staff on this issue, with thanks to those who took the time to call., >click to read < 22:45
Crab fishermen fined, protest against crab fishing policy proves costly
Five Northern Peninsula crab fishermen have received their sentencing after being found guilty of charges relating to a 2017 incident off of Port au Choix. In provincial court in Port au Choix on Sept. 19, the five men were ordered to pay various fines, totaling $16,000.,,, The charges stemmed from an incident on May 8, 2017, when the five Area 4R crab harvesters took their boats off the shores of Port au Choix and laid down their pots in Area 13 — where they were not permitted to do so. >click to read< 21:42
Monterey fish pump being torn down at commercial wharf
An industrial symbol of the heyday of commercial fishing in Monterey is being torn down this coming week after a conflict with the city resulted in a four-generation fishing family losing the lease on its wholesale processing warehouse on Monterey Municipal Wharf No. 2. A huge fish pump — not that anyone can particularly tell that’s what it is — can easily be seen from Del Monte Avenue straddling the truck ramps between the edge of the dock and the Royal Seafoods warehouse on the commercial wharf.,,, Once the pump is dismantled Pennisi said he will store it on his horse ranch until he decides what to do with it. As for Royal Seafoods, that business no longer exists, Pennisi said. >click to read< 21:18
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for Sept 20 , 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< 19:27
Oregon researchers investigate latest marine heatwave that could hurt Pacific ecosystems
Earlier this month, the feds announced there was trouble brewing in the Pacific: a mass of warm water was building off the west coast, reminiscent of another event nicknamed “The Blob,” which caused havoc for wildlife and fishermen just a few years ago. Experts caution that the current marine heatwave is still in its infancy and could dissipate today, tomorrow or next week.,,, “This marine heatwave took shape in June, persisted, and has grown in size,” said Chris Harvey, a research biologist at the Northwest Fishery Science Center, >click to read< 17:54
The 23rd annual Choptank Heritage Skipjack race set for Sept. 21
The 23rd annual Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race will be held on the Choptank River in Cambridge at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. This event, which is hosted by the Dorchester Skipjack Committee, will include a parade of boats and the race.,,, This year, in addition to 8 to 12 skipjacks, several buyboats will be in attendance.,,, The race starts at 10 a.m. after the parade, and generally takes about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. The event is free. >click to read< 16:17
Panel Of Third Graders To Dictate Nation’s Climate Change Policy
At a panel on climate change held yesterday, the Senate brought in a group of excited third graders for ideas on fighting climate change. “These kids have ideas and they are passionate, so we must listen to them,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. “There are no possible downsides to taking kids who have been told the world is ending by the public school system and allowing them to dictate national policies on important issues.” The kids came up with the following list so far, though they say they’re “just spitballing” and the ideas need some fleshing out,, >click to read<
Pebble project permit application changes spark outrage
A decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider without additional public input recent changes in a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application for the proposed Pebble mine in Southwest Alaska is sparking controversy anew Word spread after the USACE affirmed during a Sept. 17 media teleconference that there would be no additional public comment taken on 10 changes the Pebble Limited Partnership made to that application via a memo to the Corps. >click to read< 12:41
Hurricane Dorian ‘Totally Destroys’ 80% Of Fishing Industry
Fishermen yesterday said Hurricane Dorian had “totally destroyed” 80 percent of the industry in Abaco and Grand Bahama amid uncertainty over how the government will aid recovery. “Eighty percent of the fisheries sector in Grand Bahama and Abaco is totally destroyed. We’re not sure what the government will do to help us after Dorian,” said Keith Carroll, the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance’s (BCFA) vice-chairman. >click to read< 10:38
Northern Pulp opponents question how province can be ‘lender, regulator and judge and jury’
With the province’s two highest courts questioning Gordon Wilson’s ability to make an unbiased decision on Northern Pulp’s effluent treatment plant, the Department of Environment offered up a two-sentence written response on Thursday.,,, Meanwhile, those opposed to Northern Pulp’s controversial plan to pump effluent into the Northumberland Strait are planning further court action,,, “I would think there are lawyers looking at injunctions right now,” hinted Allan McCarthy, a Caribou fisherman and one of the leaders of the opposition to Northern Pulp’s proposal. >click to read< 09:29
On This Day: September 20,1938 The ‘wind that shook the world’ kills 700, and nobody saw it coming
The hurricane of 1938 has been called, “the wind that shook the world”. In 1938 the U.S. Weather Bureau wasn’t what it is today . Meteorologists depended on the merchant ships and aircraft to forecast the weather. At 2:15 on Wednesday, September 21 1938 a Long Island fisherman saw what he thought was a huge fog bank, then, he realized it wasn’t fog. It was a churning wall of water 50 feet high bearing down on the New England coast and thirteen million unsuspecting people, with 200 miles per hour winds. >click to read< 07:44
Shrimp boat captain jailed for damaging another boat fishing ‘in his spot
The Sheriff’s Office sent marine units to an area of the Rigolets Pass near Geoghegan Canal to respond to a call about an altercation between the occupants of two shrimp boats, according to a news release. Casey Russell, 35, became angry when he spotted someone else shrimping “in his spot,” the Sheriff’s Office release said. >click to read< 18:40
Police called as FISH-NL execs crash FFAW meeting in Baie Verte – Cleary and Leonard physically forced out
The president of an upstart fisheries union says he didn’t barge in on an meeting in search of a confrontation with the union that represents the province’s in-shore harvesters, but a confrontation is what he got.,,, What ensued was momentary, aggressive chaos, as Cleary shouted “I tell the truth” and “we want a debate,” amid other people yelling and swearing, before meeting attendees physically forced him and Leonard from the room. The RCMP were also called to the incident. >click to read< 16:37
Three Charged with Violating Laws Intended to Protect Rebuilding Atlantic Herring Stock
The investigation, which took place during August and September, found that the fishing vessel Western Sea, operated by Glenn Robbins, exceeded the 160,000-pound weekly limit on two occasions. “At a time when regulators have drastically reduced harvest limits to address declining Atlantic herring recruitment, this is an especially egregious violation.”, said Marine Patrol Colonel Jay Carroll.,,, Ethan Chase, 42 of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who also operated Robbins’ vessel, was cited,,, Dealer Dustin Reed, owner of wholesale seafood dealer New Moon Fisheries, has also been charged,,, >click to read< 14:58
Two Mainers, N.H. man cited in landing of too many herring – >click to read<
Feds seek expanded habitat protection as salmon, orcas battle climate change, habitat degradation
Advocates for the designation say it provides another layer of review and more legal protection for the whales. “We are thrilled,” said Steve Jones, spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity,,, However, Lynne Barre, head of killer-whale protection for NOAA, said she did not anticipate big changes if the designation is approved after a public comment period, because activities such as dam operations and fishing already are subject to review by the agency for their effect on endangered species. >click to read< 13:32
Leo White: Comparing open-net to recirculatory fish farming
In his letter, Cyr Couturier claims that open-net pen (ONP) aquaculture is alive and well in Newfoundland and Labrador and everywhere else. Nothing could be further from the truth.,,, In Norway, the birthplace of ONP technology, it is not possible to even get a licence to establish a new salmon aquaculture farm.,,,licences for Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), which are land-based, are free. Clearly in Norway RAS is seen as the future for farming Atlantic salmon. Meanwhile in N.L., access fees are negligible and salmon farmers pay nothing for the incredible damage and pollution they create. >click to read< 11:36
Preliminary summary gives Bristol Bay highest exvessel value ever
After reviewing preliminary data from the season, Alaska Department of Fish & Game says that 2019 appears to be have produced the highest exvessel value of all time at $306.5 million. That means the money paid to boat captains as they unloaded their catches at dock was the highest ever, though the numbers don’t include adjustments for icing, bleeding, or production bonuses. The ADF&G summary also shows that the sockeye fun of 56.5 million >click to read< 10:46
