Daily Archives: January 27, 2020

Police say fisherman’s death in Portland Harbor was accidental

Portland police said the fisherman who fell into Portland Harbor and died on Jan. 15 had lost his footing as the boat he was aboard docked at the Portland Fish Pier. Police Lt. Robert Martin declined to identify the man, but an obituary posted to the Brunswick-based Brackett funeral home identified him as David Downes, 51, a long-time commercial fisherman who lived in Brunswick. The U.S. Coast Guard said he was aboard the Tara Lynn II. >click to read< 19:30

A Funeral of fisherman who died off Wexford coast takes place

Fisherman Willie Whelan, who was missing for almost three weeks after his trawler sank early this month, has been buried in Co Wexford. Funeral mass for the 41-year-old took place this afternoon in Poulfur, not far from his native Saltmills. A large crowd braved the wet, cold weather to pack into the church and outside for the ceremony, which took place three days after the popular fisherman’s body was recovered from the sea. >click to read< 15:46

Kerry fishermen renew call for immediate seal cull

The fishermen are operating on the Dingle Peninsula, a region which has one of the largest grey seal colonies in the country.  Seals are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Wildlife Acts. Conservationists say the Irish colonies of grey seals are of international importance. Dingle fisherman Liam Flannery says that seals are actively following their boats now and that fishing for inshore fishermen like himself is now unviable.  >click to read< 14:00

New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Portsmouth, N.H. January 28-30. 2020

The New England Fishery Management Council will be meeting at the Portsmouth Event Center, 100 Deer Street at 22 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth, N.H.  To read the final agenda, >click here< Register for webinar >click here< to listen live. 12:48

North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seattle, Jan. 27 thru Feb. 2, 2020

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will meet at Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, Washington. . Read the Agenda >click here<, Read the schedule >click here< To listen online, >click here< while the meeting is in session. 12:01

Brexit: Fishermen on high alert as EU trade talks loom

The UK is leaving the EU on Friday night after which both sides will get ready to talk about its future relationship with the aim to conclude these negotiations by the end of the year. Documents from the European Commission show that the EU’s negotiation position clearly aims for continuing with the status quo of reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources. Meanwhile the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is quoted as saying that access to UK waters must continue for EU fishing boats if the UK wants a trade deal on banking. >click to read< 11:19

Study connects marine heat wave with spike in whale entanglements

A new study shows how the record-breaking marine heat wave of 2014 to 2016 caused changes along the U.S. West Coast that led to an unprecedented spike in the numbers of whales that became entangled in fishing gear. “With the ocean warming, we saw a shift in the ecosystem and in the feeding behavior of humpback whales that led to a greater overlap between whales and crab fishing gear,” said Jarrod Santora, a researcher in applied mathematics at UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering and first author of the study,,,,>click to read< 10:02

On this day in 2007: Coast Guard launches a massive search for the missing 75-foot dragger

The Coast Guard launched a massive search for the Fishing Vessel Lady of Grace after the 75-foot dragger failed to return as scheduled to New Bedford. The four-man crew of the boat was last heard from the night before, struggling to cross Nantucket Sound in a winter gale with 6- to 9-foot seas buffeting the Sound. >click to read<, with related stories at the bottom of the page. 08:58

Fishers of men? Here’s the catch

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.,, From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. >click to read< 07:35