Monthly Archives: October 2019
South Texas shrimpers cling to culture as industry undergoes change
Doan Pham leaves Rockport Harbor just after after 6 a.m. aboard his 40-foot shrimp boat named Margie.,, From a small cabin at the front of the boat, Pham reaches out to other bay shrimpers by radio.,, This is how Pham, one of the few remaining bay shrimpers in Texas, has started almost every morning for the last 41 years. The number of shrimp boats operating in Texas has drastically decreased since the late 1980s. That’s also when sales of farm-raised shrimp imported into the U.S. from other countries began to take off. >click to read< 12:28
Burmese fishermen ‘faint’ after mistaking $20 million of floating crystal meth for natural deodorant
Sacks of crystal meth scooped from the sea by Burmese fishermen who mistook it for a deodorant substance had a street value of $20 million (£15.4m), an official said on Sunday, in a country believed to be the world’s largest methamphetamine producer. The accidental drug haul off Burma’s coastal Ayeyarwady region occurred when fishermen spotted a total of 23 sacks floating in the Andaman Sea on Wednesday. >click to read< 11:21
Stories of Honor – Guy Cravath: A predecessor to aviation survival
Sixty-nine-year-old Orcutt resident Guy Cravath was part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue program before his profession became the domain of the highly-elite. That was when the Coast Guard used hoists with baskets to pluck distressed boaters from the water, rather than rescue swimmers. “I had no plan,” Cravath said. “I was going to graduate and get a job and wait to be drafted. That’s how stupid I was. >click to read< 10:11
Admiralty and Maritime Law: Nearly 50% of Marine Accidents Involved Commercial Fishing Boats
According to data on CDC.gov, commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average worker fatality rate.,, The CDC has found that the biggest risks to fishermen are vessel disasters, falls overboard and machinery on deck. >click to read< 08:48
Lobster boat capsizes off of Bailey Island
A lobster boat with two people on board capsized off of Bailey Island. According to the Emergency Management Director for the town of Harpswell, Art Howe, an uncle, 60, and his nephew, 15, were in the process of hauling a trap when an unexpected wave hit the boat which caused them to capsize about a mile off of Land’s End on the tip of Bailey Island. >click to read< 18:34
Coast Guard assists four mariners aboard disabled fishing vessel 90 miles off Georgetown, South Carolina
The Coast Guard assisted four mariners aboard their disabled vessel approximately 90 miles Southeast of Georgetown, South Carolina, Friday morning. Sector North Carolina watchstanders received a report from District Seven watchstanders that the good Samaritan vessel Costco Hope had located the 67-foot fishing vessel Morgan Lea that had become disabled due to engine failure and was in need of assistance. >click to read< 16:32
20th anniversary ceremony: Preserving the Memory of Those Lost at Sea in Montauk
It rises up 15 feet, an 8-foot bronze sculpture resting atop a 7-foot granite base. Standing closer to the cliff’s edge than the lighthouse itself, a soaring and sobering reminder of just how tenuous the relationship is between fishermen and waters that both provide a living and claim life without warning. Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous professions on earth, and the memorial, and this Sunday’s October 20 ceremony honoring the 20th anniversary of its completion are a reminder of how closely that danger hits home and how many lives it touches. >click to read< visit lostatseamemorial.org 15:39
East Hampton Candidates Debate Future
The candidates fielded questions on issues ranging from offshore wind and energy sustainability to coastal retreat due to climate change,,, On how the proposed South Fork Wind Farm will affect local fishermen, Mr. Gruber said the Danish firm Orsted, which now owns Deepwater Wind, the original company that got leases and power purchase agreements for the project, knows from its experience in Europe the importance of not locating wind farms in fishing grounds. “If there is displacement [of fishermen] it is compensated as a matter of law,” said Mr. Gruber, adding that the proposed wind farm, is on Cox’s Ledge, “one of the most fertile fishing grounds in the northeast.” >click to read< 11:42
B.C. seafood company pleads guilty to illegally importing fish into the U.S.
A British Columbia seafood seller has admitted to illegally importing into the U.S. thousands of pounds of fish that were deemed unsafe to eat.
Seven Seas Fish Company, a seafood wholesaler based in Richmond, B.C., and its owner, John Heras, pleaded guilty in court in Seattle, Wash., on Friday. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the fish — which had been purchased in Mexico — had previously been rejected from entering the United States during an inspection. >click to read< 09:35
Honored for Bravery. Fishermen brothers honoured 63 years after rescuing 13 people from drowning
Three fishermen who rescued 13 people from drowning have been given an award for their bravery — 63 years after the disaster. Brothers James and Mickey Gallagher, 80 and 85 respectively, received honours at the National Bravery Awards yesterday and even picked up an award on behalf of their late father, Michael Gallagher Sr.,, The Gallaghers had been lobster fishing nearby when they spotted the chaos and quickly threw out firing ropes to help save passengers, before towing the boat to safety. >click to read< 08:49
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel 15 miles west of Coos Bay
U.S. Coast Guard 13th District PA Detachment Astoria – A Coast Guard aircrew medically evacuated a 28-year-old man Friday morning off the fishing vessel ‘Alaska Ocean,’ which was operating 15-miles west of Coos Bay. A Coast Guard Sector North Bend aircrew hoisted the man after he experienced chest pains and seasickness. Watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District Command Center were notified at 3:15 a.m. by the company who owns the fishing vessel that the man was suffering medical issues. Photos, >click to read the rest< 17:27
1 passenger dead in Unalaska crash of PenAir plane flying from Anchorage that injured 10 others
A 38-year-old man from Washington state died when a PenAir plane went off the end of the runway Thursday afternoon at Unalaska’s airport, officials say. David Allan Oltman died of “traumatic injuries suffered in the crash,” according to updates Friday morning from Unalaska officials and Alaska State Troopers. Another critically injured passenger was flown to Anchorage. Nine others were also hurt, according to the city’s Department of Public Safety. Responders had to extricate one patient and evacuated the others. >click to read< 15:30
Wenatchee man killed in Alaska plane crash – Alaska State Troopers in a news release identified the man as 38-year-old David Allan Oltman. Marjie Veeder, a city of Unalaska spokeswoman, said Friday that he lived in Wenatchee. >click to read< 19:40
Aquaculture, lobstering tussle headed to Maine statehouse
Democratic state Sen. David Miramant, of Camden, is proposing a bill that would make approval criteria for new aquaculture leases stricter. Miramant’s bill would require new lease applicants to demonstrate that no practical alternative exists that would have less of an impact on existing uses. The proposal would also reduce the maximum lease acreage a person can hold from 1,000 acres to 50 acres. The proposal comes as some lobstermen are sounding the alarm that the increase in fish and shellfish farming in Maine’s waters could limit their ability to lay traps. >click to read< 13:04
Annual Irish Groundfish Survey Commences End Of This Month
The annual Irish Groundfish Survey (IGFS 2019) will take place off the North, West and South Coasts for six weeks from 31 October. Carried out by the Marine Institute, the IGFS is a demersal trawl survey consisting of around 170 fishing hauls, each of of 30 minutes’ duration, in ICES areas VIa, VIIb, VIIg and VIIj. As part of the requirements for the 2019 survey, fishing will take place within a 2-nautical-mile radius of indicated positions. >click to read< 09:50
Maine DMR to hold two lotteries for scallop licenses
The Department of Marine Resources announced last Friday that it was opening two lotteries for scallop fishing licenses for the upcoming 2019-20 fishing season. One of the lotteries will be for scallop drag licenses, while the other will be for scallop dive licenses. Based on the number of licenses retired in 2018, DMR has determined that six scallop drag licenses and four scallop dive licenses will be available for the 2019-20 season. Both lotteries will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. >click to read< 08:52
‘Family man’ fatally struck by car in United States, was dedicated to helping hundreds of fishermen around the island
Michael (Mike) Craine died six days after his 68th birthday while on holiday with his wife Lynn in Williamsburg, Virginia. Both he and his wife were crossing the road when he was hit on Tuesday last week (October 8). Mrs. Craine, ’Since he’s been retired we’ve been travelling together and have been all around the world, including Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland.’,,, Over the years he had written articles for and supplied photos to Commercial Fishing Magazine, Fishing News and until his death he was a monthly contributor to magazine The Skipper – based in Ireland – where he reported on fishing activity around the island. >click to read< 23:16
Drowned Fisherman’s Mom: ‘I Want To Know What Happened To My Son’
Services have been set for the young commercial fisherman who died Monday off the coast of Montauk. Justin Charles Zinno, 26, of Narragansett, Rhode Island, passed away unexpectedly on, October 14, his obituary said. Born in South Kingstown, he was the loving son of Karen Darke and Charles Zinno and his wife Emmeline (Westcott) Zinno. Justin was a hardworking commercial fisherman working beside his father and brother his whole life, his family said. Please >click here for services details, and the rest of the story< In lieu of flowers donations in Justin’s name may be made to the Pt. Judith Fisherman’s Scholarship Fund, PO Box 386, Narragansett, RI, 02882.
Louisiana’s Seafood Future Releases 2019 Findings Report on Fishing Industry and Coastal Change
The resulting outreach effort, Louisiana’s Seafood Future (LSF), sought to highlight innovative strategies created by seafood industry members as they confront a changing coast. LSF’s 2019 report distills ideas from crabbers, shrimpers, finfishermen, oyster fishermen, dock workers and processors—people at the heart of Louisiana’s seafood economy and culture. Overall, people who provided ideas to LSF said they wanted to stay in the seafood industry, even as they worried about future trends and wanted more information about what to expect. >click to read< 18:01
An opinion letter from Barnacle Bill: New Bedford Number One Fishing Port In America…..Oh How Far You Have Fallen
It is no secret that New Bedford is not the fishing port it once was. If it retains it’s title as the number one fishing port in 2019 then that just goes to show how bad things have gotten in the fishing industry as a whole. There is one thing that is certain the amount of money that is actually going to the people who catch the fish is at an all time low. Between quota lease and falling crew shares due to increased costs in the difficult environment the workers are getting less and the boat owners and fish lords are getting more. >click to read< 16:45
Congressman Elijah Cummings Has Died at 68
Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a longtime advocate for civil rights and a leader in the Democratic caucus who led multiple investigations into President Trump as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, has died. Mr. Cummings died early Thursday at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, due to complications from longstanding health challenges, according to a statement from his office. He was 68. Word of Mr. Cummings’s death drew condolences from Democratic and Republican lawmakers Thursday morning. >click to read< 14:35
Already the most dangerous profession, drug and alcohol use an increasing problem on fishing boats
One of Canada’s largest and most lucrative fisheries appears to be facing a growing drug problem, with sources saying drugs ranging from cannabis to cocaine have become increasingly commonplace on fishing boats off Nova Scotia’s southwest coast.,,, “Drugs and alcohol are a big issue,” said Stewart Franck, former head of the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia. “It adds another dimension to the level of risk.” >click to read< 12:09
Fishing industry welcomes move, Emera forced to bury a third of Maritime Link’s submarine cable
Halifax-based energy conglomerate Emera buried 59 kilometres of electrical cables beneath the ocean floor between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland this past summer to protect the Maritime Link from “substantially increased” bottom fishing the company did not see coming. Completed in 2017, the $1.5-billion Maritime Link was built to carry electricity generated from the Muskrat Falls hydro project in Labrador into Nova Scotia and on to New England. The company is responding to an unforeseen explosion in the population of redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,,, >click to read< 10:48
North Carolina: Proposal to regulate coastal fishing draws strong differences of opinion
A proposed coastal fishing regulation designed to protect species is drawing sharp differences of opinion from some of those affected. Some think the measure is necessary to prevent continued loss of important fish species. Others think the measure won’t work as intended and could prove catastrophic for coastal fishing industries. >click to read< 09:43
Whale Deaths and Ship Strikes: The casualty of a global problem
A humpback whale was recently spotted in the River Thames near London. This unusual sighting sparked national media interest, similar to “Benny” the beluga who also called the river home for several weeks last year. However, while Benny eventually left the Thames and headed home to the Arctic, the humpback whale was not so lucky. Ironically, despite the human-interest factor, the whale died as a result of human impact. In doing so, it had the dubious honor of being the first humpback whale known to have died in UK waters from being hit by a vessel. >click to read< 08:41
Crabbers face another round of harvest cuts
Bering Sea crabbers started their 2019-20 season this week with a mixed harvest bag and an uncertain future for their fisheries. The NPFMC and Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, which collaboratively manage the state’s crab fisheries, announced the catch limits and overfishing limit for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Bristol Bay crab fisheries last week, just in time for the fisheries to open Oct. 15. While the eastern Bering Sea snow crab fishery’s total allowable catch is up, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery’s is down and there won’t be a Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery at all. >click to read< 21:52
Lifejacket could have avoided Shetland fisherman’s death, FAI finds
The death of a fisherman working off Shetland could have been avoided if he wore a lifejacket, a Fatal Accident Inquiry has found. As a result a sheriff has called for it to be mandatory for all fishermen to wear a lifejacket while working on deck. Scott James Rennie, 31, died on June 23, 2016, at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick. An hour before his death he was working on the fishing vessel King Challenger. >click to read< 19:55
Salmon disease was present but Northern Harvest denies it was a factor in die-off
The aquaculture company at the centre of a massive fish die-off on Newfoundland’s south coast is on the defensive again after a revelation Tuesday that disease was detected in its sea cages this summer. But Northern Harvest Sea Farms denies that infectious salmon anemia was a factor in the disastrous loss of 2.6 million Atlantic salmon, with a total weight of 5,000 tonnes. >click to read< 17:51
New Maine proposal to protect whales, spare lobster fishing
Maine fishery regulators are unveiling a new right whale protection plan they feel will satisfy federal requirements while also preserving the state’s lobster fishery. Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher says his department’s new proposal would remove 25 percent of the lines beyond an exemption line for inshore fishermen. >click to read<17:16
Maine’s plan to protect right whales will likely affect a minority of lobstermen – “Our goal was to develop a plan that was protective of right whales but is also protective of the economic prosperity of Maine fishermen, and more importantly, for their safety,” said Commissioner Pat Keliher. “We can do that by addressing the risk where it actually occurs.” >click to read<
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 69.3” Steel Dragger/Gillnetter, Cummins KT19-M, W/ Federal Permits
Specifications, information and 5 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 15:12
