Daily Archives: February 17, 2020
Scoping Hearing on Lobster/Gear Right Whale Entanglements
On Tuesday night there will be a scoping meeting from 6-8 PM at Mass Maritime Academy to receive public input on ways to alter the American lobster fishery regulations to reduce mortality of North Atlantic right whales by 60%. This is a followup to the August 21, 2019 NOAA Fisheries GARFO (Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office) public meeting in Bourne that sought input on the recommendations from the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team,, >click to read< 20:29
Fort Myers Beach Annual Blessing of the Fleet performed for the shrimpers and their boats
We witnessed the annual blessing of the shrimping fleet on Fort Myers Beach Sunday, a ritual to spread good omen upon people who work one of the most dangerous jobs. “This is not a job to play with,” fisherman Shaun Hunt said. Hunt explained dangerous equipment, life-threatening storms and an increasingly cut-throat business makes for a dangerous profession. Rev. Dr. John Adler bestowed the blessing upon the Fort Myers Beach shrimpers and their boats this weekend. Every prayer for the Fort Myers Beach shrimp boat fleet makes the crew members feel safer. Video,>click to read< 18:42
Crewman from disabled fishing boat taken to hospital with minor injuries, another went on his own.
A Station Gloucester 47-foot Coast Guard lifeboat escorted the F/V Angela Michelle into Gloucester Harbor on Monday morning after the fishing vessel experienced a disabling mechanical problem at sea. Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said one crew member was transported to Addison Gilbert Hospital for an “unspecified illness.” Conley said another crew member suffered a minor injury, but was able to help secure the vessel at the pier before going to the hospital on his own. photo’s, >click to read< 14:05
Harry Roberts, a popular and well respected member of the team at Morecambe RNLI is “hanging up the yellow wellies”!
Harry has seen plenty of action out in the bay over the last three decades. On February 4, 2004, the night of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, when 21 Chinese labourers drowned after being cut off by the tide – Harry was the commander of the RNLI’s hovercraft, and flew the vessel for 22 hours. Despite Harry and the crew being both physically and mentally exhausted, they relaunched again the next evening for another emergency call out. >click to read< 13:06
MP Rachel Blaney: Trudeau government breaks promise to remove fish farms by 2025
She says they’re backpedalling on an election promise to remove British Columbia’s open net salmon farms in five years’ time. “Sadly, it doesn’t surprise me,” Blaney says. “I think about how many promises they’ve made to our region and not followed through and this seems like another one.” This is a trend she’s noticed again and again. “They say one thing and then they do another and people are left not knowing.,, DFO is still playing a dual role as “the protector of wild salmon,, “But, they’re also supposed to promote fish farming. >click to read< 11:32
Right Whale Case Alright To Proceed Past Motion To Dismiss
The self-proclaimed activist “Prince of Whales,” Richard Strahan, received a partial victory this week in his lawsuit alleging that Massachusetts’ regulations requiring lobster fisherman to use certain gear violate the Endangered Species Act. On February 7, 2020, United States District Judge Talwani granted in part and denied in part the motion to dismiss.,, The Court noted that these allegations do not prove that Massachusetts-regulated VBRs have killed or injured right whales, but are sufficient at the early stage in the case to survive a motion to dismiss. The Court went on to dismiss Strahan’s other two counts. >click to read< 09:58
As both sides crank up the rhetoric, UK to outline post-Brexit trade vision. France warns both sides could ‘rip each other apart’
The UK is expected to contest the bloc’s demands that Britain stick closely to EU rules in exchange for access to European markets. It comes as France has warned that the two parties risk tearing themselves apart during the talks,, On Sunday the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian used strong language while predicting that tense negotiations lie ahead.,, The EU wants to keep access to British waters for European fishing boats, and leaders have suggested the issue will be linked to other matters such as financial services in the upcoming talks. >click to read< 08:46
Menhaden regulations have plagued lawmakers for decades.
Every year, the drama has followed the same lines. Some lawmakers and environmentalists concerned about the health of the valuable fishery, the only one managed by the legislature rather than regulators, push to transfer its management to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. The industry and its unionized fishermen, concerned that regulators will cramp their business, push back. It’s been perhaps the state’s dullest political tug-of-war. But then, this winter, it ended when Omega Protein, the Reedville-based Canadian company that is the largest single player in the U.S. menhaden industry, told a Senate panel that it supported legislation to hand over fishery management to the VMRC. >click to read< 07:39
