Monthly Archives: January 2020
After the sinking of the F/V Scandies Rose, an aftermath of anguish
Before Alaska crabber Brock Rainey headed out to start a new season, he checked in with his longtime friend Mike Daily. This winter was no different. “Tossing lines for the Bering Sea today…Love you brother,” Rainey texted in the hours before the boat he crewed on, the Scandies Rose, left Kodiak on Monday. The 130-foot vessel never reached its next port. Rainey and four others, including two men from Washington, were not found during a 20-hour search that was called off Wednesday night. >click to read< 16:53
A Fundraiser has been started by Hailey and Lukas Engstrom for the family’s of F/V Scandies Rose – >Please click here<
A rundown on the proposed offshore Skipjack Wind Farm
When it comes to discussions of the proposed offshore Skipjack Wind Farm and the related proposals to bring cables carrying the wind-generated power ashore at the Fenwick Island State Park, there seem to be two — maybe three — schools of thought, generally. Officials from the company that wants to build the turbines says they will be barely visible from the coast; opponents say otherwise. Those who favor the projects,, Those who are against it often cite,, And then there are those who simply feel they need more information in order to make an informed comment or decision. >click to read< 14:00
How Elver Eels Became America’s Hottest Black-Market Item
In the dark of the night, a group of fishermen huddles around a net. They’re gathered at a riverbank in Ellsworth, Maine, collecting one of the most lucrative seafood in the world: elvers, or baby glass eels. A 5-gallon bucket brimming with these translucent creatures is worth $32,500—higher than prices for gold. “It’s like Christmas!” exclaims Rick Sibley, one of the fishermen. “I can’t wait to see what’s in that net.” This would all come crashing down in 2014. Beginning in 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement—along with a long list of local, state, and federal agencies launched Operation Broken Glass, 15 minute video, >click to read< 12:12
F/V Scandies Rose: “He definitely was doing what he loved.” Family, friends speak on Kellogg man after boat disaster
Thoughts, prayers, and support is pouring in from the city Brock Rainey called home: Kellog, Idaho. “He truly loved being a fisherman,” Dolph Hoch, a friend of Brock Rainey and Kellogg resident, said. “He would’ve probably died on that ship if it was January 1st, 2020, or if it was January 1st, 2050. He loved the ocean. He loved the Bering Sea. He loved everything about it,” Hoch said. Video, >click to read< 09:46
Maine Seeks to Aid Lobstermen as Federal Whale Protections Loom
On Friday, the state’s Department of Marine Resources released a plan it says protects the endangered whales and lobstermen, whom the feds say need to do more to prevent traps and lines from killing the whale. Maine’s suggestions include having lobstermen use ropes with weak points the whales could easily break and calls for a 25% reduction in the amount of vertical trap lines. >click to read< 08:29
Maine Plan Aims To Reduce Lobstering Impact On Right Whales – The Maine Department of Marine Resources tweaked its October proposal to balance the needs of lobstermen while protecting the whales,,, >click to read< 09:32
F/V Scandies Rose: Survivor Dean Gribble Jr. describes 20-foot seas,”worst possible conditions.”- Calls to loved ones reveal rough conditions before sinking
In a YouTube video, Dean Gribble Jr. explains the people on board the Dutch Harbor-based vessel – with business operations out of Seattle – went “from sleeping to swimming” in about 10 minutes when the vessel began to capsize. “It happened really fast,” Gribble Jr. said. The video from Gribble Jr. can be seen in its entirety >click here< ,, Gribble Jr. says he and John Lawler were in a life raft for “five hours or so” before being rescued by a Jayhawk helicopter. They were wearing survival suits. >click to read< 14:18
Calls to loved ones reveal rough conditions before sinking – The 130-foot (40-meter) Scandies Rose was traveling in an area with warnings about strong winds and heavy freezing spray, said Louise Fode, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service. >click to read< 14:39
Maine Department of Marine Resources Submits Right Whale Proposal to NMFS
In response to requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has submitted a proposal for regulatory changes to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in advance of federal rule making. >click to read< 13:21
Former state rep calls on local officials to denounce offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine
Gov. Chris Sununu has said the proposal has “tremendous potential.” Some local officials, like in Seabrook, have expressed concerns about their impact on wildlife, the fishing community and overall impact on Seacoast towns. Others in Hampton who oppose the wind turbines include commercial fisherman David Goethel, who fears the turbines will make it harder for the already struggling fishing industry to stay afloat. He said he is optimistic opponents of the turbines will have their voices heard. >click to read< 09:19
A Fundraiser has been started by Hailey and Lukas Engstrom for the family’s of F/V Scandies Rose
From the fundraiser, My name is Hailey Engstrom. My brother Lukas and I are raising money for the families that suffered this horrible tragedy. Our father, We Engstrom recently retired from the Scandies as the deck boss for 10 years, and with the company for nearly 20 years. Coming from a fishing family, this accident hit home with us extremely hard. >click to read< Please contribute to this fundraiser if you can! 08:36
F/V Scandies Rose: Family of missing fishermen mourn but pledge to keep fishing
Fishing runs deep in the DNA of the Cobban family so they know as well as anyone how dangerous the profession can be. Four generations of commercial fishermen from the family have fished out of Kodiak. On New Year’s Eve, members from two generations were lost when their vessel capsized off of the Alaska Peninsula near Sutwik Island. On Wednesday evening, the Coast Guard called off the search for five of the crew members who weren’t located during the initial response. That’s left family members coming to terms with the fact that their loved ones likely won’t be coming home. >click to read< 07:08
F/V Scandies Rose: Coast Guard suspends search, Releases names of five missing fishermen and two survivors
The Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday at 6:08 p.m. for five missing fishermen in the waters near Sutwik Island, Alaska. The five missing are:
Gary Cobban, Jr. (Master), David Lee Cobban, Arthur Ganacias, Brock Rainey, and Seth Rousseau-Gano. The two survivors are Dean Gribble Jr., and John Lawler. The search spanned over 20 hours, 1,400 square miles and included the following assets,,, >click to read< 19:17
F/V Scandies Rose: Five Crew Members Feared Dead
Five crew members missing after a crab fishing vessel sank in the frigid waters off Alaska were feared dead after authorities called off a search for those working in the one of the most dangerous industries in the U.S. Two other crew members were rescued after the disaster Tuesday,,, The agency didn’t release any details Thursday on what caused the boat to sink, saying talking to the survivors is part of the investigation. The boat, named the Scandies Rose, was carrying a load of crabbing pots for the start of the winter season,.. >click to read< 17:29
“This is our line in the sand,”: Facing new threats, lobstermen take hard line against right whale protections
“My administration will not allow any bureaucrat to undermine our lobster industry or our economy with foolish, unsupported, and ill-advised regulations,” Governor Janet Mills told a crowd of cheering lobstermen at a protest this summer at a protest this summer in Stonington. The backlash started shortly after a government-appointed team of scientists, fishermen, and others urged the agency to require lobstermen to reduce their buoy lines, among other measures.,, But with increasingly vocal protests across Maine’s rugged coast from rank-and-file lobstermen, the state’s leaders — including their entire congressional delegation,,, >click to read< 12:17
Innovative Longline Fishing Boat Sinks off Finnmark
Norway’s Accident Investigation Board has opened an investigation into the loss of the recently-built longliner Fay, which sank off Norway’s northern Barents Sea coast on Saturday. All 12 members of her crew were safely evacuated by helicopter. According to the Fay’s captain, Ken-Åke Grahn, the ship lost auxiliary generator power off Honningsvåg. Without power for the Fay’s hydraulics,,, >click to read< 09:17
FISH-NL Taught FFAW A Lesson About Communication
If the challenge created by FISH-NL taught the FFAW anything, it’s about ensuring good communication with your membership. That’s according to FFAW President Keith Sullivan who was responding to the dissolution of FISH-NL, a group that had been trying to gain certification to represent inshore harvesters in the province. The FISH-NL movement was born from dissatisfaction with the Fisheries Union from some members. >click to read< 08:40
Coast Guard suspends search for 5 missing fishermen in waters near Sutwik Island
JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday at 6:08 p.m. for five missing fishermen in the waters near Sutwik Island, Alaska. The search spanned over 20 hours, 1,400 square miles,,, ”Watchstanders at the 17th District Command Center in Juneau were notified of a mayday call via High Frequency radio on Tuesday evening from the fishing vessel Scandies Rose, which capsized and sank approximately five miles southeast of Sutwik Island. >click to read< 05:26
F/V Scandies Rose: Coast Guard searching for crew members of crab vessel that sank in Gulf of Alaska
The Coast Guard has not officially identified any of the crewmembers. The crew placed a mayday call around 10 p.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard said. McKenzie said she didn’t know what time the two crew members were found, or what their condition is. McKenzie said investigators don’t know what might have caused the ship to sink. Efforts right now are focused on finding the remaining five fishermen, then an investigation will launch into what caused the vessel to sink. She said families of most of the crew have been notified. >click to read< 20:46
Coast Guard searching for 5 Fishermen after crab boat sinks near Sutwik Island. 2 Fishermen were rescued – >click to read< 14:36
Coast Guard searching for 5 Fishermen after crab boat sinks near Sutwik Island. 2 Fishermen were rescued
JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard crews are searching for five people in the water Wednesday after their boat sank near Sutwik Island, Alaska. F/V Scandies Rose, a 130-foot crab fishing vessel homeported in Dutch Harbor, sank at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday with seven crew members aboard. Two survivors were rescued, five crew members are still missing. The vessel’s last known position was 170 miles southwest of Air Station Kodiak. >click to read< 14:36
F/V Scandies Rose: Coast Guard searching for crew members of crab vessel that sank in Gulf of Alaska – >click to read< 20:46
Coast Guard completes 5-hr tow of fishing vessel offshore Yachats, Ore.
A Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew towed a disabled 52-foot commercial fishing vessel Tuesday night across the Yaquina Bay Bar approximately 2.5 miles northwest of Yachats, Oregon. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a report at 12:57 p.m. Tuesday that the 52-foot Pacific Cloud with three people aboard and 2,500 pounds of crab experienced a loss of power and were drifting toward the surf zone. >click to read< 13:17
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 49 ft.11 in. Fiberglass Dragger, 543HP Mitzubishi, Kabota auxiliary
Specifications, information and 32 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 12:32
2019: The Year Of Peak Green Bullsh*t
2019 was the most extraordinary year of green bullshit yet. Despite the planet being a wealthier, healthier and safer place than it was when fears of global warming first appeared on the political agenda in the 1980s – and despite the failure of more than half a century of green prognostications – crazy and destructive green ideas still dominate politics. >click to read< 10:48
Alaska’s 2019 fisheries bring new records, continued concern
Alaska’S fisheries in 2019 had several bright spots, yet many areas of concern will return into the next year. Once again the sockeye fishery in Bristol Bay was the shining star of the commercial sector. Fishermen caught Bristol Bay’s 2 billionth sockeye salmon since records were first kept. The in-shore run of 57 million fish clocked in at the fourth-largest run on the record books, but the ex-vessel value of $306 million ranks as the best of all time. >click to read< 09:15
