Monthly Archives: December 2019
At 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve the last ferry left Little Bay Islands for good.
The community, which was settled almost 200 years ago, turned off its lights for the last time. Remaining behind are Mike and Georgina Parsons, who are now the only remaining full-time inhabitants of the small former fishing community. The couple is prepared to live off of the grid, including installing solar panels and wireless internet with preparation which began weeks ago. Video, >click to read< 19:11
Crabbing commences: Rich fishery attracts out-of-area boats
“Just the excitement of it. There’s no quotas, may the best man win,” said F/V Nordic Fox captain Cub Jansen, 29, when asked about the appeal of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery. “It’s one of the last things you can do where hard work can really reward you.” Jansen, with crew Dru Rowe, Larry Bell, Cub Jansen, Mitch Clark and Raj Clark, was among several commercial skippers crabbing out of the Port of Ilwaco for the first time. 21 Photos. >click to read< 17:45
Mullet on the run, fishermen running into rough weather, waters
“We had a little lick today,” Jason Walker, 45, of New Smyrna Beach, said Dec. 18. Walker has worked as a mullet fisherman for 22 years. He called a “lick” a small catch, while a “load” would be a big catch. When there’s a load, the parking lock at the Cortez, Bait & Seafood Retail Market, 12110 Cortez Road W., is full of trucks towing trailers loaded with the commercial fishing boats, which carry the catch on board after a good day on the water. “No loads this year,” said Walker, who still anticipated big catches to come. >click to read< 16:26
$110M fish farm would mean changes for Jonesport
Nobody expects a major employer moving into town to solve all the challenges the towns face, even if the yellowtail aquaculture company Kingfish Zeeland does what CEO Ohad Maiman says it plans to do — hire 70 people up front, establish a job-training program with the local high school and Maine colleges, (sounds like the wind farmer model!) and possibly expand production later. But local officials and residents say the development could help boost and diversify the area’s economic prospects without sacrificing the rural, hard-working character of what has been a fishing town for more than 200 years. >click to read< 10:53
A memorial service for a fisherman lost at sea was held at the Seamen’s Bethel in New Bedford
On Sunday, a celebration of life service was held at Seamen’s Bethel in downtown New Bedford for Mark Cormier, one of the crew from the F/V Leonardo, which capsized in November off Martha’s Vineyard. Pastor Paul Wheeler of the Trinity Lutheran Church conducts a service in celebration of the life of Mark Cormier Jr. held at the Seamen’s Bethel in New Bedford. Cormier, 35, along with two other fishermen, was lost at sea aboard the New Bedford fishing vessel Leonardo on November 24, 2019. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends. There are 17 images, >click to read< 09:46
Commercial Crab season to start at $3 per pound
Commercial crab fishing season begins overnight into Tuesday with a $3-per-pound market price, roughly the same as the going rate in the Bay Area. The season’s start was delayed by a gap in meatiness (crab meat levels need to be at a certain level for fishing to begin) and lengthy negotiations over an official market price.,, As they have done ahead of past seasons, some crab fishermen worried about where price negotiations would wind up. Historically, crabbers have even gone on strike over market price disagreements. , >click to read< 08:34
Dungeness crab delivered to Sonoma County ahead of New Year’s Eve
“I won’t say it’s poor,” said Bodega Bay fisherman Dick Ogg, before offering a laugh. “I’ll say it’s less than good. It’s not exactly what we had expected. Our original anticipation was that there were a fair quantity of crabs in the area. Unfortunately, that is not the case.” The prediction of a mountain of Dungeness crab lying in wait at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean prompted a number of fishing boats from outside the area to descend this month on Bodega Bay. Photos, >click to read< 06:42
Sam Parisi: Its 2020 and time to move this industry forward!
Here we are again, at the end of the year, and decade for that matter, as 2019 is ending, and its time to move forward. As some of my fellow Fisherynation readers know, I am motivated to try improving the U.S. fishing industry for our country’s working U.S. fishermen. I have reached out to my Senators Markey, and Warren, and also to Congressman Moulton to help draft a US Fish Bill. This is an opportunity for everyone in this ridiculously diverse industry from sea urchin, and scallop divers, to clam dredgers, and every faction of the industry, traditional, and exotic, to have personal input into a bill built for you, built by you, and built by your fellow industry members. >click to read< 16:50
South Georgia supports 8,000-mile homecoming for historic Hull trawler Viola
The campaign to bring the historic steam trawler Viola back to Hull from her current resting place in the near the Antarctic has received messages of support from South Georgia. Nigel Phillips CBE, Her Majesty’s Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, was presented with a bottle of Viola gin, a commemorative Viola calendar and a signed Viola book by Dr Robb Robinson, maritime historian and one of the trustees leading the £27m Yorkshire Maritime City project. video, >click to read< 12:49
Asian Carp: Chinese investment and wisdom rescue Kentucky’s fisheries
As New Year 2020 nears, 62-year-old Angie Yu is marketing her fish products harder than usual. The Chinese American businesswoman views the holiday season as a prime opportunity for the delicacies to gain wider popularity.The entrepreneur prides herself on her choice of location. As the name Two Rivers Fisheries indicates, her plant sits on the confluence of two rivers－the Mississippi and its major tributary, the Ohio., After receiving carp from local fishermen, the plant processes, flash-freezes and boxes up the fish before shipping them out to destinations across the globe. >click to read< 10:15
Cod fishery closure, Trident plant shutdown slam Sand Point
Earlier this month the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council completely closed the Gulf of Alaska cod fishery after several years of decreased catch limits. Although the closure of the valuable fishery will have a wide impact across the Alaska seafood industry, the city of Sand Point was already facing a blow after Trident Seafoods announced it would close its processing plant in the city for the winter. “It’s a big challenge for the community. We have a lot of people who are actively involved in the fishery. >click to read< 08:30
“There are a lot more boats coming and bigger boats,” Tensions rise after suspected sabotage of Eskasoni fishing boat
The RCMP are investigating the apparent act of sabotage at the St. Peter’s Canal and have copies of recordings from video cameras there. The Eskasoni fishermen were catching lobster under the banner of a moderate livelihood fishery. While the right was acknowledged by the Supreme Court of Canada in its 1999 Marshall Decision, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has yet to reach an agreement with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs on how to implement it. Meanwhile, tensions rise as First Nations fishermen on the Northumberland Strait, Cape Breton, Eastern Shore and South Shore have started to fish outside of the normal commercial seasons. >click to read< 07:44
The Holidays in Tilgham
It was an island holiday celebration with the lighting of the giant crab pot tree and boats covered with beautiful lights moving through Knapps Narrows on Tilghman Saturday evening, Dec. 14. The evening began with a cocktail party for the adults at the Characters Bridge Restaurant, and cocoa and cookies with Santa for kids at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. 19 photos >click to read< 12:59
Letter: Fishing and farming communities need solutions
Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s draft report on the lower Snake River dams raises important questions about the future of our region’s salmon runs, energy and infrastructure. But one of the most important considerations in the report is the future of our rural economies — from here on the Pacific coast to the inland Northwest. Commercial salmon fishermen and wheat growers have a lot in common. We work hard and we have deep pride and commitment to the land and waters we call home. We also face similar challenges when it comes to keeping our communities vital and thriving. Too often, we feel we’ve been left behind. >click to read< by commercial fisherman Joel Kawahara
Trawler catches fire and sinks during making of documentary about dangers of fishing
The crew of the Susanne II had to be airlifted to safety 100km off the east coast by the Irish coastguard after an emergency beacon was activated. Ironically, the boat was one of several being followed by TV cameras for eight months for a documentary highlighting the dangers fishermen faced on a regular basis and their battles against the quota system. >click to read<11:02
New England: Crackdown needed on fishing violations
The local fishing industry has seen itself beset with a seemingly never-ending barrage of challenges during the past few decades. Collapsing fishing stocks, rising fuel prices, and strict government oversight have created an imperfect storm that has decimated what was once a thriving and vibrant industry. Now a new report by the United States Coast Guard has revealed an extensive series of efforts by some to circumnavigate those restrictions,, >click to read< 09:46
Cruise Ships: When is Maine and Mass going to ban exhaust scrubbers?
An undue burden is being imposed on the lobster industry by foreign flagged ships that are dumping poisons on our lobsters. This should be a violation of the Jones Act which is in need of a revision to address the exploding cruise industry. It should be viewed as an undue burden inflicted on a Port of Call by a foreign vessel. Cruise Ships were not envisioned when this act was written. Cruise ships anchor all day right next to towns with their engines burning lots of fuel, and discharging sewage and graywater up and down the coast, and even while using scrubbers a cruise ship is still legally allowed to emit a deadly cloud,,, By Jim O’Connell >click to read< 07:58
Eskasoni lobster fisherman ‘saddened’ after boat vandalized
Sceven (Seki) Anthony Bernard said he and other crew members of the April and Brothers found the 10-metre vessel underwater on Boxing Day. “I started noticing that the boat was sabotaged,” Bernard said in a phone interview Saturday, adding that he spotted lines that had been untied or cut. A crane arrived the next day to hoist the boat from the water. Bernard said RCMP, the Canadian Coast Guard and DFO were also on scene. >click to read< 07:25
Coast Guard experiencing communication degradation in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders are experiencing intermittent communications within the 3,745 square-mile area of Prince William Sound and may not be able to hear mariners on VHF-FM radio. “As technicians work to analyze and restore Coast Guard radio coverage for Prince William Sound, I urge mariners to listen more carefully to channel 16 and to relay any possible distress calls to the Coast Guard via other means, like HF radio, satellite communications and cell phones,” said Cmdr. Scott Smith, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Anchorage. >click to read< 06:31
Oregon ground fishing fleet could get loan-interest relief
Bipartisan language was added to the 2020 spending bill Dec. 16 that will forgive more than $10 million in accrued loan interest that was forced on the Pacific Coast groundfishing fleet. The language included in the 2020 spending bill was presented by Oregon’s Democratic Reps. Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader and Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. >click to read< 13:03
Crab-price talks set to continue Saturday – processors initially pushed for an open ticket
A fleet leader said Friday night that “We have only one price offer on the coast of $2.75. Fishermen will be continuing talks tomorrow [Saturday] with hopes the processors will come out with a more realistic price offer under current market conditions.” Crabbers are urging an opening price of $3.25, while processors initially pushed for an open ticket, meaning they could pay whatever they determine to be appropriate after crab are delivered. In Northern California, where the season opened on Dec. 15,,, >click to read< 10:09
Record of decision on Pebble delayed to autumn 2020
A final environmental impact statement that will determine the future of a proposed copper, gold and molybdenum mine abutting the Bristol Bay watershed in Southwest Alaska has now been delayed until the summer of 2020. “The delay is caused by us deciding that we needed more time to refine our analysis, and to finalize the respond to the concerns raised through the public comment period,” said Sheila Newman, deputy chief of the regulatory division of the Corps. The final EIS was previously anticipated no later than the beginning of March. >click to read< 09:19
Commercial Fisherman James Wallace “JW” Cicchitti, 33, of Cape May has passed away
James Wallace “JW”Cicchitti , – 33, of Cape May passed away on December 20, 2019. JW truly was a “jack of all trades” but his true passion regarding his working career was fishing, he worked on his father’s fishing boats from the time he could walk and later became a commercial fisherman. He not only went fishing for work but also for fun. He had a passion for the water whether he was working on it or just enjoying the view. He had the biggest heart and kindest soul; he loved his family more than anything and spent his life trying to do his best for them. >click to read< 07:56
Fishermen adjust after Charleston ice house burns down
Fisherman are still trying to adjust after the Charleston ice house burned down. When the fire broke out last Friday, it initially started an ammonia plume that resulted in a recommended evacuation in the immediate area, according to the Coos Bay Fire Department. Now that the ice house is gone, many fishermen said that it was tremendous loss for a community that relies heavily on fishing to make a living. Video >click to read< 06:52
They were trapped inside the wheelhouse at the time of capsize and it was full of water, no air pockets, and Curtis Green from Russell’s Marine fuel pier jumped in the water,”
Curtis Green saw the 40-foot Darean Rose get stuck on a sand bar Thursday as he worked the dock at his family’s business in Charleston, Russell’s Marine Fuel & Supply. “As they were trying to get off, I think that something inside broke from their keel and they started taking on water,” Green said. “As they were trying to get off the sand bar there is when it kind of sluffed off and then we saw it take a turn for the worse and capsized.” Green yelled for someone to do something. Photos, Video, >click to read< 06:14
Federal appeals court upholds Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
Fishing groups sued over the creation of Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a 5,000-square-mile area that contains fragile deep sea corals and vulnerable species of marine life. The monument was established in 2016.,,, Attorney Jonathan Wood, who represents the fishing groups, said previously that the matter deserves to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court but that he would need to consult with his clients before making a final decision. >click to read< 15:03
Fish farm owners say most salmon that escaped due to fish farm fire likely eaten by sea lions-Critics want farms phased out
Mowi Canada West downplayed threats to wild salmon stocks because of the number of sea lions feeding on the 21,000 non-native salmon held in pens there, CoastAlaska reported Thursday. Mowi Canada West’s fish farm off Robertson Island, north of Vancouver Island, caught fire Dec. 20. The fire has prompted critics of the industry to call for an end to this kind of farm fishing on the west coast. Phasing out net-pen fish farming in B.C. waters was a Liberal campaign promise in this year’s federal election. >click to read< 13:51
Kerry fishermen call for seal cull to protect fish stocks
Inshore fishermen in Dingle, Co Kerry are calling for an immediate cull of the local seal population, claiming the damage to fish stocks and nets is now “unsustainable”. Population numbers of grey seals, and the smaller common seal, have visibly increased in recent years with thousands of grey seals now taking up residence on the Tra Bán on the Great Blasket Island. >click to read< 10:23
Oregon: Crab season getting underway
Commercial Dungeness crab is Oregon’s most valuable fishery, and the economic benefit attributed to that fishery for just our area alone is huge. According to ODFW’s website, Dungeness crabs have been landed commercially on the West Coast of the United States since 1848, when San Francisco fishermen began the fishery. And, since the fishery was established, Oregon has consistently been one of the largest producers of Dungeness crab overall. >click to read< 08:46
Coast leaders file federal lawsuit to change procedures for future spillway openings
In the spring and summer of 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Mississippi River Commission opened the Bonnet Carré spillway element of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, releasing copious amounts of freshwater through the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and into the Mississippi Sound, wreaking havoc on the natural resources, communities and businesses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.,,, “The members of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United want to be recorded in history as having fought to defend the environment and marine life in our Mississippi Sound,” said Ryan Radley, a fifth-generation fisherman and executive director of Mississippi Coast Fisheries United. >click to read< 07:46
