Monthly Archives: January 2020
F/V Pappy’s Pride: Bodies Of 2 Missing Crewmen recovered, and identified
Authorities have recovered two crew member bodies from a capsized fishing boat missing since the boat collided with a tanker in dense fog. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said the bodies were recovered from the fishing boat Pappy’s Pride Thursday afternoon. The county medical examiner identified the two as 44-year-old Antonio Robles of Pharr and 56-year-old Raymond Herrera of Texas City. >click to read< 19:57
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for January 31, 2020
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< 17:49
Peconic Bay scallops die-off tied to newly detected parasite
The catastrophic die-off of Peconic Bay scallops in eastern Long Island waters may be tied to a previously undetected parasite that can infect the kidneys of adult and juvenile scallops, state regulators reported Friday. The specific parasitic organism, known as coccidian parasite, was discovered in kidney tissue of all 32 scallops collected and sampled from Shelter Island’s Hay Beach last November, >click to read< 16:28
Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market May Not Be Origin Of Coronavirus That Infected Over 20 Countries
When news of the mysterious coronavirus broke out, all fingers were pointing to Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market as the culprit. However, some studies are showing that the condemned market may not be the source of the virus. Instead, it’s possible that a person was infected outside of the market, but later brought the virus there. >click to read< 14:27
Coast Guard Assists Disabled Fishing Vessel Triple G Near Oregon Inlet
U.S. Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet responded to a report of a vessel offshore that had been experiencing complications with its fuel system on Thursday morning, January 30, at approximately 9:30 a.m. The vessel, which was located an estimated six miles south of the sea buoy, had lost power entirely and could also not retract their outlying gear. Once the Coast Guard boat crew arrived on the scene,, photos, >click to read< 13:24
Despite the late start, California Dungeness Crab season is winding down
“There was a feeling from everyone, I mean all of us — because the season ended early last year, and we had seen a lot of short crabs at that time — that there was going to be a lot of production this time,” said Dick Ogg, vice president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association. “There had been evidence that that was probably going to be the case and, as it turned out, there was a few crabs in a very specific area, and because of the pressure that was there, those crabs were harvested quickly, and it impacted our opportunity to stretch out the season.” >click to read< 11:48
Day in the Life: the RNLI volunteer
In 2020, Scotland’s Coasts and Waters will be celebrated with a programme of activity designed to inspire both visitors and locals to explore and experience our unrivalled shores. Each month we’ll shine a light on some of the people who live, work and have a passion for our coasts and waters. We’re starting the year with Wull Wood, 39, an RNLI volunteer who is 2nd Coxswain at Anstruther Lifeboat Station, Fife, and a skipper of a commercial fishing vessel out of Pittenweem. >click to read< 10:00
Coast Guard medevacs F/V Enterprise crew member off Manasquan Inlet
A crew member from the F/V Enterprise, a fishing vessel located 50 miles off the Manasquan Inlet on Thursday afternoon, suffered a medical emergency and needed to be airlifted by the Coast Guard. The Enterprise’s captain had radioed Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay to request a medevac for a crew member who was experiencing severe abdominal pain, the Coast Guard said in a prepared statement. >click to read< 08:19
F/V Pappy’s Pride: Lone survivor of shrimp boat dragged under after tanker collision
The only survivor from a boat crash near Galveston is still fighting to recover. One man was killed and the search continues for two others. Out on the water, Steven Edison felt at home. He’s been in the fishing business for 11 years and he says the only way he survived this incident is a miracle. On the morning of Jan. 14, Edison took a picture. He was leaving on a three-day shrimping run to Key West aboard the Pappy’s Pride along with three other men. But just as they got going, conditions started to change. Video, >click to read< 07:10
One day before Brexit and Breton fishermen fear the worst!
“Cataclysm”, “catastrophe”, “brothel without name” … Breton fishermen are on the warpath with the approach of Brexit, which could deprive them of a large part of their fish resources and create enormous tensions in the English Channel. “A Brexit without agreement for fishermen, it will be a real disaster. Their worst fear: a hard Brexit, without agreement with the United Kingdom, which would prohibit access to British waters overnight. “It would be a cataclysm,” recognizes Olivier Le Nezet, president of the Breton fisheries committee. >click to read< 21:38
NOAA calls for monitors on all groundfish trips, calls for Public Comments on proposal
The draft amendment to set at-sea monitoring coverages aboard all Northeast groundfish vessels has led an adventurous existence in the three years the New England Fishery Management Council has dedicated to developing the contentious measure. There was last year’s partial shutdown of the federal government that delayed the rule-setting process. The council, in March 2018, also chose to tap the brakes on the development of the measure known as Amendment 23, >click to read< 20:28
Boats can be replaced, people cannot
Our fishing village is mourning the recent loss of lifelong commercial fisherman Captain Joey Nickerson of the F/V Hayley Ann, a fourth-generation commercial fisherman from Cape Porpoise. Well-known, well-loved, a hard-working family man, a seasoned, experienced and skilled captain, Joey left behind a wife, daughter, grandchild, siblings, parents, nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins, countless friends and a life and legacy to be proud of. by Shelley Wigglesworth >click to read< 18:00
Coronavirus shuts down Chinese market for live Nova Scotia lobsters sending industry into panic mode
The sudden and unexpected temporary loss of the Chinese market for Nova Scotia live lobsters due to the coronavirus epidemic is creating a panic situation for the lobster industry.,, “Some people had inventory put away for the Chinese New Year that never got all their product over there in time,” “Everybody’s trying to push lobsters into the U.S. now so they flooded that market on Monday. To be honest we have no sales at all for our lobsters at this point,” said Cotter. >click to read< 14:42
A message from NOAA’s Chris Oliver on conservation and management efforts for North Atlantic right whales
United States and Canada Must Sustain Additional Efforts to Reduce North Atlantic Right Whale Mortalities, Serious Injuries – Last Friday, we met once again with Canadian officials to continue our bilateral focus on the conservation and protection of North Atlantic right whales. The United States and Canada have a shared interest in recovering right whales, and it is critical for both countries to take and sustain additional efforts to reduce right whale mortalities and serious injuries. >click to read< 12:27
This is a story of a long-haul lobster – we’ll call him Larry
Rockport lobsterman Larry Stepenuck was hauling traps aboard his F/V Amie. The 46-year-old, Essex-built wooden boat was sitting in about four fathoms of water at the southeast tip of Straitsmouth Island, just off the coast of Rockport. As one trap broke the surface and came to the rail, Stepenuck saw what appeared to be a larger-than-average male lobster nestled among a group of females. “It was a big boy,” Stepenuck, 73, said. “It was borderline,” Stepenuck said. “I think it was just under 5 inches. I still decided to throw it over.” But then his attention was drawn to a greenish plastic tag that encircled a knuckle,,, >click to read< 10:20
Oregon suspends Columbia River reforms review, Spring Chinook allocation also in question
The Lower Mainstem Columbia River Fisheries Management Reforms were heavily negotiated and meant to ensure concurrency between the states of Washington and Oregon concerning salmon fishing rules on the Columbia River. It also provides a mechanism to move gill and tangle net commercial salmon fishing off the main stem of the river, and into off-channel fisheries. After five years, the states opened a review of the policy. Each state appointed three members of their fish and wildlife commissions to the Policy Review Committee, (PRC). The committee would then refer possible changes to the policy for eventual action by the full commissions. >click to read< 09:33
Crew safe after fire onboard Ocean Choice vessel
A fire broke out and was contained onboard a fishing vessel Wednesday afternoon, with all crew safe and accounted for, according to Canadian seafood company Ocean Choice International. OCI said in a statement Wednesday evening it had been working to get the crew of the Newfoundland Lynx back to shore. >click to read< 08:22
Alaska: Seafood industry facing challenges beyond harvest cuts
The Alaska seafood workforce, both on boats and on shore, is aging, and fewer young people are going into careers in the industry. While the graying of the fishing fleet is in part because of the high cost of entry for permits, boats, and equipment, there is also a looming shortage in processing plant workers. >click to read< 07:15
Federal regulations to protect right whales are delayed until at least this summer
Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is responsible for protecting the critically endangered species, had planned to issue the regulations last year. But they were delayed after months of criticism from the region’s powerful lobster industry, which is worried that new requirements could be harsh and expensive. >click to read< 18:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ High Sheer Provincial Lobster Boat, 750HP John Deere, Price Reduced
Specifications, information and 30 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 14:11
NASA, NOAA’s Latest Climate Scare Based On Intentionally Flawed Data
Because science is the pursuit of knowledge, and political actions almost necessarily restrict personal freedom, science, laws, and regulations should use the best available data. Using bad data undermines both the pursuit of truth and the legitimate justification of laws and regulations. Everyone, from the far left to the far right on the political spectrum, should be able to agree about this. >click to read< 12:11
From July 30, 2019, ‘Hidden’ NOAA temperature data reveals 6 of the last 9 months were below normal in the USA, and NOAA can’t even get June right – >click to read<
Donovan Bill, 2020-H 7261, Would Ban Release of Balloons
The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday on legislation introduced by Representative Susan Donovan. The legislation attempts to protect the environment and wildlife by banning the intentional release of balloons into the air. Dead sea creatures continually wash up on our shores, their stomachs filled with plastic debris or bodies tangled in the strings of released balloons. Norbert Stamps, who supports the legislation, is Vice President of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association,,, >click to read< 10:23
Maine lobster group backs Canadian fishermen over right whale deaths
The president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, Kristan Porter, opposes a move to ban some Canadian seafood because of the deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters. “I think that doing that type of thing would only hurt the industry and not really solve the problem,” said Porter, a commercial fisherman from Cutler, Maine. Last September, nine conservation groups signed a letter urging the United States to ban Canadian snow crab imports when a new U.S. marine mammal protection act comes into force in 2022. >click to read< 07:54
A 2017 shipwreck off Hilton Head killed 3 people. Now other boats are in danger.
A shifting shipwreck that left three boaters dead in 2017 has caused perfect storm conditions for other ships and contributed to the demise of one just 4 miles off Hilton Head Island’s south end. As first reported by the Charleston Post and Courier, >click to read< a wooden fishing boat named “Miss Annie” was torn apart Dec. 19 when it hit wreckage,,, Turns out, the crew aboard the “Miss Annie” wasn’t the first to have troubles in the water between Hilton Head, Daufuskie and Tybee Islands. How did it happen? On May 23, 2017, a steel-hulled fishing boat named “Miss Debbie”, Photos, >click to read< 07:08
Coast Guard medevacs fisherman with severe burns near Saint Paul, Alaska
The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a fishing vessel approximately 46 miles southwest of Saint Paul, Monday. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak safely hoisted the 43-year-old man at 2:56 p.m. and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services personnel in Saint Paul for further transport to Anchorage. At 9:56 a.m., watchstanders in the 17th District command center received a medevac request from fishing vessel Bountiful for a crewmember with severe burns. Video, >click to read/watch< 05:57
Houston Ship Channel Reopens After 7-hour Closure to raise F/V Pappy’s Pride
The Houston Ship Channel reopened on Tuesday morning after a seven-hour closure to raise a fishing vessel that sank in mid-January near the waterway’s entrance in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Houston ship pilots association. Two people aboard the 81-foot (25-meter) fishing vessel Pappy’s Pride remain missing following a collision with the 600-foot tanker Bow Fortune on January 14, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. >click to read< 18:17
Tiverton fishing vessel and cargo ship collide off Martha’s Vineyard
No one was injured in the collision between the fishing vessel Edna May and the tanker Iver Prosperity, Petty Officer Third Class Ryan Noel said Tuesday. The cargo ship was carrying petroleum on its inbound trip to Providence but no pollution was reported, Noel said. Two small punctures on the starboard quarter of the tanker were discovered during an inspection of the ship at sea, but it is unclear if the damage resulted from the collision, Noel said. The fishing vessel only suffered minor cosmetic damage. >click to read< 16:26
NOAA Announces 2020 At-Sea Monitoring Coverage Levels for Groundfish Sector Fishery
NOAA announces that for fishing year 2020, the total target at-sea monitoring coverage level is 40 percent of all groundfish sector trips subject to the at-sea monitoring program. For more information, please read our letter to the New England Fishery Management Council and the Summary of Analysis Conducted to Determine At-Sea Monitoring Requirements for Multispecies Sectors FY 2020. >click to read< 15:27
In a matter of days, N.S. lobster shipments drop ‘dramatically’ to China due to coronavirus
Exporter Stewart Lamont of Tangier Lobster said the sharp drop in lobster exports to China happened in a matter of days. “We’ve seen them diminish dramatically to the point that as of yesterday and today they’re almost non-existent,” he said.”There’s a recognition that the coronavirus is a significant health issue in mainland China. Under those circumstances, there aren’t the normal people in the shops and the restaurants and the cafés. >click to read< 14:37
Fishery Mismanagement?: Research suggests DFO worsened impact of salmon fishery crisis
Unifor has released a new report that says artificially low catch limits over the past 25 years pushed the West Coast salmon fishing industry to the brink, leaving it unable to cope with the 2019 crisis. “The federal government created a commercial fishing economy so precarious that when the salmon collapsed this year, the industry went with it,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Commercial salmon fishing may never recover.” >click to read< and to read A Report to Governments on the 2019 Salmon Season >click here< 13:18
