Monthly Archives: March 2020
Coronavirus: Stockfish Production Company Worries About Corona Effect
For Glea, a stockfish producing company on the island of Røst in Lofoten, Norway, it is more or less business as usual during the corona crisis. The company mainly produces stockfish, cod dried on wooden racks in the winter and springtime. Stockfish has a long shelf life and the company therefore takes the chance on producing a certain volume this year too. “The fishers land fish here the way they use to do.,, “Our main market for stockfish is Italy, and some 70 to 80 percent of our sales is exported there”, he says. “Right now, sales to Italy have come to a full stop,” >click to read< 08:32
DFO report says Gulf of St. Lawrence herring that spawn in the spring in deep trouble
The grim projection was shared earlier this month by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, just days before the spring herring fishery is set to open in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Quebec. Predation is killing six of 10 older fish each year and a warming ocean is knocking down a critical food source for young. Spring spawners, as the population is called, have been in trouble for many years, but data gathered in 2018 and 2019 indicates very high levels of mortality, said Francois Turcotte,,, Seals, tuna and warm water, >click to read< 17:18
Coronavirus Adaption: So That’s What They Mean By Doormat: Fresh Fish At Your Doorstep
With the supply chain into Manhattan constricted, if not completely cut off due to the coronavirus crisis, the fishermen who ply their trade on the East End are facing a dwindling demand for their product. “If there is no call for fish, a fisherman may not go fishing,” said Pete Haskell of Haskell Seafood in Quogue. “If we can create enough of a market to keep him out there, it’s a win.” “We have a commercial fishing fleet that needs more outlets to get its seafood to people,” Deliveries have grown almost daily. >click to read< 15:15
Coronavirus devastates Bowen’s fishing industry, farmers face uncertain winter
The live coral trout trade, which underpins the fishing sector in the north Queensland town of Bowen, has been shut down since January with dozens of crews out of work and boats for sale. Ben Collison, a 22-year veteran of the Bowen line-fishing industry, said it was the worst he had ever seen the market. “Ninety per cent of the boats — as soon as China stopped, they stopped,” he said. “They all relied on the Chinese market.”,, Adding to the pain for Bowen’s fishermen, prices crashed from $60 per kilogram early in the year to just $17 last week, less than half the break-even price. Retailers suffer,Uncertainty for farmers, >click to read< 11:52
Senate Democrats, Greens Seek Climate Mandates In Federal Stimulus Bills
Senate Democrats and environmentalists want to tack climate change mandates onto proposed federal aid to major airlines and cruise lines reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to the House and Senate leadership, eight Senate Democrats said last week that any financial assistance to the travel industry “should be paired with requirements that companies act in a more responsible fashion” by reducing their carbon footprint. “Climate change damages will wreak havoc on a scale even greater than the coronavirus,” said the Friday letter headed by the Center for Biological Diversity. Democrats who signed the letter were Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon, Cory A. Booker of New Jersey, Edward Markey of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. >click to read< 10:12
Oil, Fishing, Tourism: Alaska Economy Faces Triple Hit from Coronavirus
The U.S. state of Alaska is so far distant from the worst medical ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, but its economy is in critical condition. Alaska is especially vulnerable because it depends on oil, tourism and fisheries – basic industries that are reeling from the global coronavirus pandemic – and the state government gets most of its revenue from investment earnings that have now evaporated. “Alaska is experiencing a perfect storm, a most terrible trifecta, the hat trick from hell,” said state Senator Natasha von Imhof, co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, at a hearing Saturday. “We are being hit on all sides with the stock market crash, oil prices plummeting and the tourism and fishing season all but idle.” >click to read< 09:04
Federal study surveys spawning Atlantic Cod – Research area sits in waters zoned for offshore wind projects.
NOAA, the state Division of Marine Fisheries, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology are all participating in the study, which is funded by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The research is focused on what may be one of the last remaining major seasonal spawning gatherings in the Northwest Atlantic, according to the state Division of Marine Fisheries. “It’s certainly been a persistent spawning aggregation and there are not many in New England,” said fisheries scientist Steve Cadrin, principal investigator on the project for the School of Marine Science and Technology. Atlantic cod populations are at historic lows, hammered by chronic overfishing and climate change. >click to read< 07:06
Castletownbere fishermen give away fish to locals in West Cork
Over the last number of days communities across the country have come together to support each other and the latest story of goodwill comes from Castletownbere. Skippers and fishermen from the town filleted and bagged 40 boxes of fish to give away to the local communities in Castletownbere and Bantry. Several boats brought the fish to shore and they were then taken to Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co Op where they were filleted under hygiene controls by fishermen and their families. Video, >click to read< 14:08
Saipem, Equinor collaborate on floating solar panel park solution for coastal applications and rough weather conditions
According to a statement by Saipem, the technology will be based on the in-house developed concept by offshore rig designer Moss Maritime, part of Saipem’s XSIGHT division dedicated to high value-added services, which is a modularized system, designed for easy fabrication, transportation, and installation at the operation site. >click to read< 12:42
Environmentalists are dragging us back to the Dark Ages
In the early 1990s, our small group of Potlatch employees in cooperation with members of the Lewiston and Clarkston chambers of commerce were researching environmental claims that the lower Snake River dams were devastating salmon runs, when we learned about East Sand Island, a man-made island in the estuary of the Columbia River. The island was formed from dredging deposits in 1983 and by 1984, Caspian terns, cormorants and gulls had colonized the island and were feasting on salmon smolts. We thought: “Wow, this is an easy fix. Tear out a man-made island and save millions of endangered fish.” The environmentalists beat us to the punch. They filed in federal court to protect the island and the birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Now we have the largest nesting colony of these non-endangered birds in the world on a man-made island. by Marvin Dugger >click to read< 09:50
Coast Guard boat crashing through waves is having a f*cking blast!
CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT — Witnesses in the southwestern corner of Washington state have reported that a 47-foot Coast Guard vessel was last seen having the time of its f*cking life crashing through gigantic 18-foot breakers past the Columbia River bar. The Coast Guard boat, known for its durability in treacherous weather, was heard yelling things like “WEEEEEEEEE!!!” and “Guys guys guys guys guys, waaaatch this, BWOOOOSHHHH!!” >click to read< 08:46
Fishermen and road salt contractor eviciton deadline from State Pier is delayed
State Pier operator Gateway has extended the deadline for port tenants to move out, giving commercial fishermen and a major local road salt distributor an extra four months to find a new home. The extension is not coronavirus related, rather the result of negotiations among Gateway, the Connecticut Port Authority and tenants who were expecting to be displaced March 31 to accommodate the offshore wind industry. Construction activity associated with a $157 million planned overhaul of the port is expected to begin later this year as it converts into a wind turbine staging area for joint partners Ørsted and Eversource. >click to read< 08:01
Coronavirus: Seafood processors respond to COVID-19 with added precautions
Seafood industry processors say they are in ongoing discussions with local, state and federal partners,,, The seafood industry talking points including working around the clock on prevention and response, coordinating with partners that include public health officials, preventing the spread of COVID-19 within Alaska and keeping seafood safe, said Stephanie Madsen, executive director of the At-Sea Processors Association. The Seattle-based trade association represents six member companies who own and operate 16 U.S. flagged catcher/processor vessels participating principally in the Alaska Pollock fishery and West Coast Pacific whiting fishery. The group includes American Seafoods Co., Arctic Storm Management Group LLC, Coastal Villages Region Fund, Glacier Fish Company LLC, Aleutian Spray Fisheries Inc. and Trident Seafoods. >click to read< 20:56
Coronavirus: Gov. Mills asks President Trump for direct financial assistance in support of Maine’s fishing and seafood industries
Governor Janet Mills pressed President Donald Trump to marshal the resources of the federal government to support Maine’s vital fishing and seafood industries. “I am writing today to ask for your immediate assistance in support of Maine’s iconic seafood industry. The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a substantial toll on Maine’s independent fishermen, aquaculturists, wholesale dealers, and seafood processors,” wrote Governor Mills. “The markets for their products are collapsing both globally and locally. The men and women who ply our waters harvesting lobster, groundfish, herring, shellfish, countless other species, and farming aquacultured products are the very backbone of our rural coastal economy.” >click to read< 15:19
Coronavirus: Fishermen return from sea with a big catch and no place to sell
The coronavirus literally traveled over them from Asia to California while they were on the high seas catching tuna. They were as safe as anyone doing one of the most dangerous jobs, and now? Fishermen are returning home to California to find a state all but shuttered and nowhere to sell their catch. A handful of tuna boats filled with tens of thousands of pounds of fish are now floating off San Diego’s coast as they scramble to find customers. Many wholesalers stopped buying as restaurants were ordered closed except for takeout. photo’s, >click to read< 11:42
Coronavirus: Fishing markets impacted by new restaurant guidelines and shifting markets
One of the owners of ‘Erickson and Jensen’ says these changes have not impacted the prices of their shrimp, but it has impacted their actual sales. ‘Erickson and Jensen’ has been a family-run shrimp business since the 1950s. “Well we’ve been doing this for a long time, my family is multi-generational, we’ve always been fisherman,” said Grant Erickson.,, While they’ve seen their sales to restaurants go down, they have seen their sales to markets like Publix go up. “We can see the change happening in that there is a heavier demand in retail than in the restaurant area,” said Erickson. >click to read< 10:03
CDFW’s Salmon Evacuation Decision Pays Exceptional Dividends
In February 2017, damage to the Oroville Dam’s spillways prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000 people living downstream along the Feather River. The raging muddy waters also triggered an emergency decision to relocate millions of young salmon from the Feather River Hatchery to the Thermalito Annex Hatchery to be raised and held until river water conditions improved. Most, if not all, of the young salmon would have otherwise died when mud from the raging river overwhelmed the hatchery waters. >click to read< 08:39
Coronavirus: Fish processor closes as markets collapse
One of the country’s largest fish processing companies is shutting down because the EU’s fish markets have collapsed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Processors are now calling on the Government to set up a task force to save the industry. All 64 of the boats managed by the Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-Operative have been asked to come back into port. “The world has collapsed a little bit and we can’t do anything in the European market. There are loads of fish but there is not sufficient enough market. >click to read< 07:37
Coronavirus: Maine DMR Temporarily Closes Elver Fishery
Due to public health concerns associated with COVID-19, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has announced the closure of Maine’s elver fishery, which had been scheduled to start Sunday, March 22, 2020. The closure, done through emergency rulemaking, will be for a minimum of two weeks and will be reassessed at that time. “The Coronavirus pandemic continues to impact Maine’s fisheries in ways we could not have imagined,” said Maine DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “Portions of the elver fishery make it impossible to follow social distancing recommendations, including maintaining 6 feet from other people to reduce the spread of this disease.” >click to read< 18:41
Coronavirus: NOAA Fisheries is temporarily waiving requirement for vessels to carry a fishery observer or at-sea monitor.
As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries is temporarily waiving the requirement for vessels with Northeast fishing permits to carry a fishery observer or at-sea monitor. The waiver will be in effect through April 4, and future extensions of this waiver will be evaluated weekly.
For details, please read the letter from the Regional Administrator Dear Partners and Stakeholders: As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries is temporarily waiving the requirement for vessels with Northeast fishing permits to carry a fishery observer or at-sea monitor. The waiver will be in effect through April 4, and future extensions of this waiver will be evaluated weekly. >click to read the rest< 15:56
Small Business Relief Tracker: Funding, Grants And Resources For Business Owners Grappling With Coronavirus
Some 30 million American small businesses are high on the coronavirus’ list of victims. Nearly half of these companies say the pandemic is to blame for unprecedented revenue declines, and with no clear end in sight, the possibility of temporary closures has become a reality for many. In an effort to help business owners find financial relief, we’ve rounded up all of the government agencies, private companies and nonprofit organizations that are extending support. We’ll be adding to this list as the situation develops, so check back for updates. >click to read< 13:01
Coronavirus: Fishermen cite at-sea monitors as potential virus source
Groundfishermen and sector managers are growing increasingly frustrated at NOAA Fisheries over what they perceive as the lack of clarity on at-sea monitoring requirements in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Dave Leveille, manager for Northeast Fishing Sectors II and VI, said Thursday that he has fielded numerous queries from fishermen asking why they still are being forced to accept assigned at-sea observers on their boats while health experts and the federal government are encouraging measures to reduce human contact to try to halt the spread of the dangerous virus. >click to read< 11:19
Coronavirus affecting Maine fisheries
As of early Wednesday morning, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention had yet to report a single confirmed or presumed case of COVID-19, the respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus, in eastern Maine, but the lobster industry is already feeling the impacts of the global pandemic. “The market is really poor,” Stonington lobsterman Hilton Turner said Tuesday afternoon.,, The uncertainties arising from the coronavirus will likely affect other fisheries. The state’s elver fishing season opens on Sunday, and virtually the entire harvest is shipped to buyers in China. >click to read< 10:19
Coast Guard suspends search for possible person in water near Dutch Harbor, Alaska
The Coast Guard has suspended its search Thursday for a possible person in the water near Dutch Harbor. Missing is 33-year-old Steven Mencer, last seen wearing a neon green pullover rain jacket with orange and black pants. Mencer was reported missing after failing to report to crew check-in while the Alaska Mist, a 164-foot fishing vessel, was moored at Coastal Transportation Northern Dock, Thursday. includes original alert. >click to read< 09:23
Coronavirus: NOAA closes Gloucester office to public, takes meetings to web
NOAA Fisheries is restricting access to its Gloucester office and the New England Fishery Management Council is converting many of its meetings to webinars as precautions against further spread of the novel coronavirus. NOAA Fisheries said its Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in the Blackburn Industrial Park continues to operate, but it is limiting access to the building to employees, as well as to visitors and deliveries deemed essential to its mission. “This measure is taken out of an abundance of caution and our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our employees and constituents during the COVID-19 virus pandemic,” NOAA Fisheries said in a statement. Suspend the observer program, right now! >click to read< 07:01
Coronavirus: The country is shutting down. Shutdown NOAA’s Fisheries Observer Program, nationally. Right Now.
I am writing this editorial today as a responsible, conscientious American fishermen and citizen, in complete disbelief of the irresponsibility of a U.S. government agency during the current international coronavirus crisis. While the nation is in national emergency mode, states are closing public spaces, schools, universities, daycares, restaurants, encouraging social distancing, putting people in quarantine, outlawing large gatherings, and taking unprecedented emergency measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, NOAA Fisheries is pursuing the complete opposite when it comes to the fishing industry and ignoring all public safety precautions. more by Hank Lackner, F/V Jason and Danielle >click to read<06:03
Some of the many reasons why federal marine sanctuary management is a bad idea
The claim: A sanctuary will enhance our economy. The fact: Not true.,, The claim: Sanctuaries have never harmed commercial or recreational fishermen.
The fact: Monterey sanctuary leadership led the effort in California’s marine protected area process to close many of the best fishing areas. This occurred despite early promises made by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) and elected leaders that the sanctuary would not create fishing regulations nor take actions that would threaten fishermen’s livelihoods. Mr. Christie refers people to sanctuary leadership’s testimony before the Morro Bay City Council in 2016. People who heard this testimony and who know of the sanctuary’s role in creating no-fishing zones found this testimony to be disingenuous, if not dishonest. The claim: Sanctuaries offer protection for endangered species,,, >click to read< 18:05
Coronavirus: EU fishing industry calls for urgent measures to secure fish supply
The EU fishing sector has presented to European authorities the critical measures that have to be taken in order to overcome the operational, commercial, and safety problems that the sector has only begun to endure and which will inevitably and without doubt worsen in the coming weeks due to the protective measures taken against the spread of the COVID-19. The primary concern of the sector is the continuity of fishing activities and food supply .,, Europêche also urges policy-makers to modify the fisheries fund regulation in order to quickly adjust and provide financial aid for those fishing companies that are forced to cease their operations for imperative reasons such as member states measures to avoid the spread of the COVID-19, designation of high risk areas, crew infections or lack of market demand. >click to read< Letter with recommendations to the EU Commission >click to read< 17:01
Falling Asleep on Watch-Crew Fatigue Led to the Grounding and Loss of F/V Freyja
The vessel was in the Bering Sea near Point Tebenkof, Unalaska Island, Alaska, when she grounded and remained stranded on the rocks. The four crewmembers abandoned the vessel and swam to a nearby Good Samaritan vessel. The vessel was considered a total loss, with damage estimates at $550,000. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the grounding was the failure of the deckhand on watch to monitor the vessel’s track as a result of falling asleep due to an accumulated sleep deficit and the vessel owner’s lack of countermeasures to mitigate crewmember fatigue. >click to read< to read the NTSB report, >click here< 13:26
Dana Point Harbor fish market adapts to coronavirus restrictions with curbside service
It was the last day of the lobster fishing season Wednesday, March 18 and a Dana Point Harbor fish market was making the best of the new coronavirus restrictions. To accommodate customers, Jon’s Fish Market was selling the live ocean bugs curbside. They were also offering red snapper, halibut, mahi-mahi, bluefin tuna, yellow-tail and salmon.,, “Our production line is small and we process them in house,” Mansur-O’Keefe said, adding that she buys whole fish. “So we don’t have to shut down.” Mansur-O’Keefe said there are still hundreds of fishermen out on boats and her market will not only continue to feed customers in search of fresh food but also help fishermen with their livelihoods. Sometimes, how customers get their fish can be unique. Bartering,,, photo’s, >click to read< 11:36
