Daily Archives: March 13, 2020

Marathon kids grow up to be industry professionals

When visitors and locals pour in to the Original Marathon Seafood Festival this weekend, they’ll be thinking about the tasty seafood. Maybe they’ll wonder about the commercial fishermen who do battle to provide the delicacies. Few will consider how young some of these fishermen are. Well, we GROW fishermen in the Keys. They come out of the womb and, seemingly, in no time they’re holding a pole. Or driving the boat. Or working the stern. That’s the case for two young men from Marathon — Cole McDaniel, 16, and Tony Palma, 15. They do it for fun and they do it for work. more, >click to read< 17:24

Beth Said Yes! But what was the question?

Beth Said Yes! and I thought he had popped the question. But what question did he ask? It was the boat I wrote about a few weeks ago. While visiting Bar Harbor, Maine, on a cruise aboard a huge liner, my wife and I, along with our friends Bob and Beth were taking an excursion on a sightseeing boat when it appeared. The lobster boat with traps piled on the back had the name Beth Said Yes! painted boldly on her stern and both sides of the bow. more, >click to read< 15:55

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 13, 2020, Industry Funded Economic Survey reminder

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< Industry Funded Economic Survey:  It is very important that all fishermen fill out this survey and return it. This information is so NC can get an accurate value for our fishing industry. Deadline will be March 20, 2020. If you have not received an economic survey, or have questions, please contact Chris Dumas 910-962-4026 or via email [email protected]   11:19

Marine Electronics: Time to work, sonar tells squid fishermen

We have a hundred times more efficiency using Wesmar sonar. Without it we wouldn’t go fishing. For sardines you have to have it. Sonar is the main thing for us. It tells us when to start work,’ said Anthony Russo, owner of two large purse seiners in the Monterey fleet. He owns two of the largest purse seiners in the fleet, 88-foot King Philip and 78-foot Sea Wave. He bought Sea Wave in 1989 and built King Philip in 1999. They are part of a 25-vessel fleet in Moss Landing, California that fish almost daily for squid, sardines, anchovy or mackerel. more, >click to read< 08:22

Lawmakers kill SB948 bill threatening watermen’s oyster licenses

A bill that recently prompted hundreds of watermen to descend on the Maryland State House to protest threats to their ability to harvest oysters has been withdrawn from consideration. Senate bill 948’s axing marks a legislative victory for Maryland watermen, who have had to defend their livelihoods from state regulation on numerous occasions through the years. “We’re tickled that it was killed,” said Jeff Harrison, president of the Talbot Watermen Association. more, >click to read< 07:14

Lobster buyers and processors call for shutdown of N.S. fishery as coronavirus guts world markets

Lobster buyers and processors in Nova Scotia want an immediate stop to all lobster fishing in the province because the coronavirus pandemic has crushed the markets for it,,, The industry association held an emergency conference call Thursday to discuss “the current unprecedented market situation.” The problem is that more lobsters are being caught than the industry or market can absorb. “The collapse of markets in the Pacific Rim, Europe and now North America make the challenge monumental as of today and for the short term future at least,” the summary states.  >click to read< 06:07

Lobster fishery temporary shutdown proposed by buyers for LFAs 33 and 34 due to ‘collapse’ of markets -“Over 75 companies participated in the conversation and agreed all lobster harvesters in LFA 33 and 34 should immediately stop fishing and that a variation order be issued by DFO,” more, >click to read< 09:58