Daily Archives: December 31, 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
