Monthly Archives: November 2019
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for November 8, 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< 17:50
Industrial Park Will Be Dedicated To Processing Asian Carp
Construction on Ballard County, Ky.’s new International Fisheries Industrial Park is underway, with four Chinese companies that process Asian carp having already closed on lots. Two more companies have signed agreements, with sales of those lots expected to be finalized soon. The sales create the first commercial park dedicated to the processing of Asian carp anywhere in the United States. “It’s really neat to see how all of this has played out,” Ballard County Judge-Executive Todd Cooper said. >click to read< 15:32
A Snow Crab sells for $46,000, a likely world record
In a story that some might find hard to believe, a bidder in Japan just paid 5 million yen-or $46,000 USD-for a 2.7-pound snow crab at an auction in Tottori, and it is likely to be recognized as a Guinness World Record.,, The crab, described as a gourmet itsukiboshi (five shining stars) crab, will be sold to a restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. >click to read< 11:31
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Price Sheet for November 2019
“The only thing we treat our fish with, is respect” – Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273. To review the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd., >Click here< – >Click here to visit our website<10:42
Nova Scotia calls tender for Fundy tidal power site
The energy is there and so is the wire. All you need to do is catch it and put it in the wire and the province will guarantee you a subsidized rate for 15 years. But there’s two big caveats on the offer. First you have clean up the mess left by the last company that tried. The province is requiring any responders to a call for tenders to take over Berth D at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy pony up a $4.5 million security for the removal of the 1,300-tonne turbine abandoned at the site. Another caveat is that you have to figure out how to get the energy out of the water hauled through the Minas Passage by the tide. So far no one has been successful. And finally you need to find someone to lend you money to build this machine. >click to read< 09:52
FISH-NL extends membership drive
“We always knew a time extension was available if we needed it,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “We need the extra time based on the unique challenges associated with collecting membership cards over a 90-day timeline from thousands of inshore harvesters spread out over a massive geographical area, as was the case 22 years ago.” “In order to make sure all inshore harvesters have the opportunity to decide their future we have decided to go with an extension.” Precedent for an extension of the 90-day rule was set in 1997 when the province’s Labour Relations Board agreed to extend the timeline up to 180 days for the United Food and Commercial Workers union,,, >click to read< 08:30
Morro Bay: Local fishermen, businesses impacted by delay of Dungeness crab fishing season
It’s a season that has already been cut by two-and-a-half months and for some fishermen, it’s becoming harder to keep their businesses afloat. “Could you go home and take a week off with no pay? Or two weeks, or three months like we’re forced to? Not very many people can,” said Lori French. French and her husband own a fishing boat in Morro Bay. Their main catch is Dungeness crab. >click to read< 07:51
Station Menemsha aids disabled fishing vessel
Station Menemsha dispatched a 47-foot motor lifeboat Thursday morning to aid a commercial fishing boat that lost propulsion about 42 miles off Aquinnah. A motor lifeboat crew got underway at 6:45 am and arrived on scene two hours later,,, The fishing boat, a 46-footer called Mary Emmalene was “dead in the water” with two mariners aboard, Photo’s, >click to read< Then, there was this from July, Fishing boat beaches while captain snoozes – >click to read< 18:10
Video: Coast Guard medevacs man near Sitkinak Island, Alaska
The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a fishing boat near Sitkinak Island, Wednesday. A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted the man who had sustained an arm injury, and transported him to awaiting EMS in Kodiak. Watchstanders in the Sector Anchorage command center received a request for the medevac from the fishing vessel Irene H at approximately 11:53 a.m., stating they were about 3 miles south of Sitkinak. Video, >click to read<16:04
Senator Lisa Murkowski: Investing in seafood industry pays off
Alaskans know just how essential fisheries are to life in the 49th state. The seafood industry is the largest direct employer in our state, providing 60,000 jobs and generating over $5 billion for Alaska’s economy. Over 15 percent of Alaska’s working age rural residents are employed by the industry. And commercial fisheries are a cultural and economic cornerstone in small communities across the state’s 33,000 miles of shoreline. Alaska’s seafood industry also provides for our nation. Catches in Alaska make up more than 60 percent of all seafood harvests in the United States, >click to read< 15:11
Lobster bait challenge winner receives $30,000 prize at Ignite Labs announcement in Yarmouth
Vince Stuart had 30,000 reasons to smile when he was announced the winner of a lobster bait challenge in Yarmouth. But he was coy when it came to one thing – actual details about his bait entry that had won the competition. For now, Stuart is keeping these details to himself and said he expects to have more to say and share about his innovation when spring rolls around. That will follow some more trials of his innovation that will take place in February during the lobster fishery off southwestern Nova Scotia. Video, >click to read< 12:43
Deckhand on a fishing boat alleges he was denied prompt medical treatment
A former deckhand on a fishing/shrimping vessel alleges after he fell and suffered injuries and then suffered a stroke, he did not receive medical attention until six hours later when the ship returned to port. Hung Manh Tran filed a complaint Oct. 23 in Harris County District Court against Platinum Seafood Services Inc., alleging negligence and violation of the Jones Act. >click to read< 11:33
Hank the cat came back, but only after stowing away on a fishing boat
When Hank the cat disappeared from his home on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, his owners thought he was gone for good. Instead, he was on a grand adventure. The story of Hank’s escapades began last week when he went missing from the home of Leanne and Ray Mosher in Ostrea Lake, N.S.,, It was a Facebook post from Murray Rowlings, who had discovered Hank on his fishing boat and posted a picture of the crew cuddling the furry stowaway. >click to read< 10:14
Clock ticking on FISH-NL’s 2nd certification drive
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters-Newfoundland and Labrador has until Friday to sign up enough members to trigger a vote on whether it should be the union to represent the province’s inshore fishermen. Union president Ryan Cleary says collecting cards has been a covert operation because people are worried about repercussions from the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union — the union FISH-NL is looking to unseat as the inshore industry’s bargaining unit. >click to read< 08:47
Lobster industry split over whale protection plan called Maine’s ‘line in the sand’
Some fishermen at the South Portland meeting cheered the plan. One gave Keliher a standing ovation, saying the new proposal was much better for the lobster fleet than the task force plan rolled out in August that called for 50 percent fewer buoy lines. But fishermen in Ellsworth and Waldoboro, the site of the first two meetings this week, urged Keliher to resist federal pressure to make concessions that would hurt lobster fishermen when they pose no real threat to the whale.,, “Grow a backbone,” one lobstermen told Keliher. “Don’t give them anything now.” >click to read< 07:47
China says it has agreed with the US to cancel existing trade tariffs in phases
Gao Feng, a ministry spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry, said that both sides had agreed to simultaneously cancel some existing tariffs on one another’s goods, according to the country’s state broadcaster. The ministry spokesperson said that both sides were closer to a so-called “phase one” trade agreement following constructive negotiations over the past two weeks. >click to read< 07:09
Canada-U.S. tensions expected to be big topic at right whale meeting Thursday
Canadian-U.S. trade relations and tensions around fishing regulations are expected to be top of mind Thursday at a discussion about North Atlantic right whales. Dozens of people from the fishing industry and conservation groups are in Moncton to meet with officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. ,, Hanging over Thursday’s meeting is the threat that in 2021, the U.S. could ban Canadian seafood imports if officials here don’t put in place equivalent protection for marine mammals.,, After six whale deaths had been reported by Canada by early July, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver requested an emergency meeting with Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada, urging immediate action. >click to read< 19:09
Three Fishermen Narrowly Rescued from Sinking Boat
Three men were narrowly rescued from a sinking fishing boat in Breiðafjörður fjord, off the coast of West Iceland, yesterday. “The crewmembers were exhausted when we arrived, so this was a very close call,” Sigurður Þórarinsson, captain of the fishing boat Leynir, tells Morgunblaðið. “They were lying on the lifeboat, which was upside down on the water. The crew of Leynir received a message from the Icelandic Coast Guard shortly before noon yesterday, asking them to look for the boat Blíða, which had disappeared from radar. >click to read< 18:13
Halibut bycatch increases as council considers cod options
Data released preceding the International Pacific Halibut Commission’s upcoming interim meeting shows that almost all the regulatory areas of Alaska from Southeast to the Bering Sea — areas 2C through 4E, respectively — caught more halibut as bycatch in the 2019 season than they did in 2018, with the exception of area 4B, which covers the western Aleutian Islands. Coastwide, from California and British Columbia through the Bering Sea, bycatch increased by more than 1.5 million pounds,,, >click to read< 15:48
Proposed Customs and Border Protection Modifications Will Weaken the Jones Act
By Meghan Lapp – The Jones Act, or Merchant Marine Act of 1920, has been the foundation of U.S. maritime commerce for 100 years, requiring coastwise trade, i.e. transport of merchandise between two U.S. points, to be conducted on U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned, U.S.-built vessels, which must be crewed by a minimum of 75% U.S. citizens and/or permanent U.S. residents.,,, On October 23, 2019, Customs and Border Protection issued a bulletin, “Proposed Modification and Revocation of Ruling Letters Relating to CPB’s application of the Jones Act to the Transportation of Certain Merchandise and Equipment Between Coastwise Points” (see page 12). >click to read< 14:35
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 2017 45′ (Dixon Hull) Fiberglass Lobster Boat, 6 Cylinder Baudouin, 12kw Genset
Specifications, information and 21 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 12:15
Century-old fishing boat set to be scrapped at Port of Garibaldi
Built in 1915, the Amak likely has a sea of stories to tell. Unfortunately, the ship’s tale is ending in a disheveled state sitting tilted to its side on parking lot concrete. Charles Ells bought the ship in 1938, converting it into a fishing boat before hydraulics were used to pull in nets, according to former owner Alex Ells. It sailed the Oregon Coast from 1938 until 2015 and was sold two years later. It sat in the Port of Garibaldi, aging away, until October 13, 2019. Video, photo’s, >click to read< , and >here< 10:29
EDITORIAL: Menhaden harvest limit actually means something
Last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the partnership, or “interstate compact,” that sets harvest limits for 27 fisheries up and down the Atlantic Coast, officially accused Virginia of allowing Omega Protein to overfish,,, In a December 2017 press release on the deal, Cooke hinted at a new use: “The animal feed ingredients produced by Omega Protein are an important component in Cooke Aquaculture’s production of healthy Atlantic salmon, making this acquisition a strategic move that greatly enhances Cooke’s vertical integration.” So instead of rockfish, maybe the Bay’s menhaden will be feeding farm-raised salmon in Canada. >click to read< 09:15
Boat fire sends smoke billowing over Portland
A fire at the Portland Fish Pier sent smoke billowing over part of the city Tuesday. The fire was reported around 9:30 a.m. Officials said people were working on the boat at a dock when the fire started. The Office of Rep. Chellie Pingree tweeted that the fire was right outside their offices. “A boat neighboring my @CityPortland office caught fire this morning,”>click to read< Video, >click to read< 08:09
Legal playing field tilted against dead fishermen
When commercial fishermen and other seafarers die on the job, does the law provide justice for their survivors? The case of the Mary B II’s deadly sinking off Newport in January of this year shows the legal process tilts toward boat owners in several ways, largely to benefit the economy. “Once a seaman dies, the estate has very few remedies,” said Joe Stacey, a Seattle maritime lawyer who represented late crewman Joshua Porter’s estate in reaching a settlement with the boat’s owner. >click to read< 06:55
‘The Worst In 15 Years’: Opening day for Peconic Bay scallop season was dismal and the forecast is even more grim
Phones were ringing at seafood shops and restaurants across the North Fork and East End Monday with hungry diners hoping to celebrate the first day of Peconic Bay scallop season. But for those who’ve waited months for that much-heralded first taste of sweet goodness, the news was grim: This year’s season is, quite simply, a bust. >click to read< 16:17
‘It’s a miracle I am here:’ Fisherman found clinging to buoy meets his rescuers
When David Sigo was dragged off his fishing boat last month and spent an hour in the cold Puget Sound before being rescued,,, The 63-year-old from Suquamish didn’t panic — though he did admit to yelling at his boat in anger right after he landed in the water — and he took steps to increase his chances of getting home alive: saving his voice until a helicopter overhead passed, directing his calls for help toward the shore along with the direction of the wind, bear-hugging a buoy with all his might. photo’s, >click to read< 15:42
Commercial oyster farms that float in SC creeks need closer eye, lawmakers say
Two state senators are asking for more scrutiny on the permitting for caged oyster farms, a growing South Carolina industry that has attracted ire from some locals as they expand in coastal waterways. Sens. Chip Campsen and Sandy Senn, both Charleston Republicans, have asked two state agencies to do a better job of notifying neighbors when a business applies to grow oysters with floating cages. >click to read< 11:59
D.C. court rules fisheries remain closed to help right whales
Thursday, a federal district judge ruled two lobster fisheries can remain closed to protect the lives of right whales moving through the area. The case began nearly two years ago as a set of environmental groups Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States filed a complaint against the federal government because they disputed the finding of “no jeopardy” to right whales in the lobster fisheries, despite the finding that an average of 3.25 right whales a year would die through gillnet fishing operations. >click to read< 10:31
Maine fishermen snag unusual catch from the ocean
Oh dear, it’s a deer. Commercial fisherman Ren Dorr, was about 5 miles off of Harrington when he brought in an animal from the sea that was definitely not part of his normal catch. Dorr posted on his Facebook page that he and his crew found a small deer drifting further and further away from land. photo’s, >click to read< 09:04
