Monthly Archives: March 2020
Amaltal skipper to plead guilty for fishing in marine reserve
On 4 March 2020, in the Nelson District Court, the skipper of the Amaltal Mariner intimated a guilty plea to one charge under the Marine Reserves Act 1971 for an incident that occurred in March 2019. The vessel started a tow outside the Hikurangi Marine Reserve, off the Kaikōura coast and then accidentally crossed the line into the reserve. During the brief time the net was in the reserve $213 worth of fish was caught. No benthic organisms were recorded as being caught in the tow. more, >click to read< 11:11
European Offshore Wind Takes Shape at Providence Innovation Hub
A new glass-and-steel office space is less about the number jobs or the company that will occupy it and more about the industry taking root there. Seven co-working desks at the Wexford Innovation Center on Dyer Street in the Jewelry District will soon be used by Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind. (wonder if Bob gets a desk, too?!) The Danish company is joining seven other wind-related companies already there. And judging by the 200 or so attendees at the March 2 office opening, a nascent industry is on the verge of rapid growth. “This is a brand-new industry and it’s being born right here in the state of Rhode Island. It’s unbelievable,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said. more >click to read< 10:10
PFMC releases alternatives for 2020 West Coast Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted three alternatives for 2020 ocean salmon fisheries off of Washington, Oregon and California for public review. The Council will make a final decision on salmon seasons at its meeting in Vancouver, Washington, on April 5-10.,, Forecasts for many Chinook and coho stocks are lower than last year. In addition, the Council is constrained by requirements to conserve Fraser River (Canada) coho and other natural coho runs; to conserve lower Columbia River natural tule fall Chinook; and to protect Sacramento River winter Chinook and Klamath River fall Chinook. more, >click to read< 08:44
Coronavirus: Luncheon cancellation pinches New Bedford seafood industry
The International Seafood Buyers Luncheon, which for years has showcased the city’s fishing industry and seafood processing plants, has been cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus. It is one of the first cancellations locally due to the infectious disease first identified in Wuhan, China at the end of last year which has since spread across the globe. The luncheon helps raise New Bedford’s profile to international buyers and media participating in the International Boston Seafood Show, according to One SouthCoast Chamber’s website. more, >click to read< 07:28
“Tide Runners: Exploring the Life of Shrimpers & Fishermen” presented by photographer/author Tim Barnwell
This nine-year exploration took him to the Outer Banks and seaside towns of North Carolina and to dozens of seaboard locations in South Carolina and Georgia where he met, photographed and interviewed folks for this project. From before sunrise until after dark these men and women work, in all types of weather, through the seasons. Bound by the rhythms of the tides, they struggle to support themselves,, Over numerous trips to the area, Barnwell visited dozens of small communities, going out on a variety of shrimping and fishing boats, spending time getting to know the boat captains, strikers on the back of the trawlers, dock workers, food processors and restaurant employees. more, >click to read< 19:30
House passes shark fin ban with carveout for domestic fishermen by Rep. Toby Overdorf amendment
The House passed the Senate version of a bill (SB 680), which outlaws the import and export of fins to or from Florida. Rep. Toby Overdorf offered an amendment essentially gutting the bill,, The amendment permits the “sale of shark fins by any commercial fisherman who harvested sharks from a vessel holding a valid federal shark fishing permit on January 1, 2020. The export and sale of shark fins by any wholesale dealer holding a valid federal Atlantic shark dealer permit on January 1, 2020.” more, >click to read< 16:24
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr, has passed away, was a founding member of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr., 67, of South Bristol, passed away unexpectedly on the afternoon of March 4, 2020 in Rockport. Born in Damariscotta on Dec. 31, 1952, he was the son of Arnold Sr. and Gloria (Chipman) Gamage. Arnie grew up in South Bristol, attending local schools and graduating from Lincoln Academy. He began lobstering at the age of 10, following in his father’s footsteps, and creating a family tradition that continues to be carried on today. Arnie was also very involved in Maine’s lobstering industry, and was one of the founding members of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, serving on their board for many years. He was also a longstanding board member of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, more, >click to read< 14:20
Big Bar Landslide blasting resumes, In-river drilling and excavation underway.
The huge remediation project is jointly managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the B.C. government and B.C. First Nations, who are guided by an Indigenous leadership panel. It involves equipment operators for excavators and rock trucks, drillers and blasters, rock scalers, emergency medical, river rescue and helicopter evaluation crews, environmental specialists and archeologists. “Blasting in waterways is not uncommon and the methods the contractor is using to drill and blast rock near and in-water are well understood,” the department said. more, >click to read< 12:02
Maine lobstermen tell federal regulators: We’re not killing the whales
The Maine Lobstering Union accuses the agency of caving to environmental organizations when it should be defending the industry. Kristan Porter, a Cutler lobsterman who heads up the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said the modeling tool the agency had come up with to determine risk had been sharply criticized by a team of independent scientists during a peer review conducted late last year. Stonington lobsterman Julie Eaton urged regulators to stop playing dangerous games with fishermen’s lives and livelihoods. We don’t want to see any animal go extinct, but blaming us for the right whale’s decline is like blaming Mexico for the plight of the polar bear, she said. >click to read< 09:47
Retain and report American lobsters
American lobsters have been imported to the UK since the late 1950s for consumption in restaurants and homes. In 2015, 1744 tonnes were imported, worth £15.75 million. American lobsters tend to grow to larger sizes than European lobster, have a larger dietary range, are more tolerant of different habitats, are more aggressive and produce more eggs than European lobsters. This means they are at a competitive advantage over the native species. American lobsters might also carry the bacterial disease, Gaffkaemia, or Epizootic Shell Disease. Transferring these diseases to native stocks could result in major economic losses to the fishing industry. more, >click to read< 08:25
The North Sea industrial estate
In order to reduce CO2 emissions The Netherlands put a lot of money into an energy transition by building a vast windmill park at sea. Dutch fishermen have serious concerns. Their fear is that the North Sea will become an industrial estate while fishermen will lose fishing grounds and space. So far, many windmill parks have already been placed in locations that had been prime fishing grounds for beam trawlers, flyshooters and whitefish trawlers from fishing ports in the south-west of Holland. photo’s, more, by Willem den Heijer >click to read< 16:40
Scalloper stranding draws crowd, ice-coated ship appeared as a broken toy of the elements to the spectators
The Cape Cod Canal had become the preferred route for mariners, but the occasional wreck still occurred, such as the New Bedford-based scalloper Cape Ann’s demise just north of Nauset Light at 3 a.m. on March 6, 1948.,, The 82-foot vessel, carrying a load of scallops valued between $4,000 and $5,000, was returning from a ten-day fishing trip on George’s Bank. The temperature was hovering just above zero and winds were approaching gale force when the first mate mistook Nauset Light for the Pollock Light Ship. more, >click to read< 14:24
A living link to the past
This year, Josephson’s Smokehouse celebrates its 100th year of smoking fish. Store owner Mike Josephson is the fourth generation of his family to lead the store. Throughout the smokehouse’s duration, Josephson and his family have adapted through changing times and conditions to continue the family’s tradition of welcoming visitors into the historic shop. Josephson’s great grandfather, Jacob Baker, fished in the lower Columbia River during the 1870s. In the 1880s, one-fifth of Astorians were fishers, according to the U.S. Census. At the time, there were over 39 canneries along the lower Columbia River. more, >click to read< 11:22
Glum outlook scares salmon fishing industry – Wednesday, an expedition leaves for the Gulf of Alaska to try to help crack the puzzle
This year’s preliminary salmon outlook from Fisheries and Oceans Canada says overall expectations for salmon returns are generally low and similar to those in 2019. In many cases, expectations have even declined, it said, noting that the picture is brighter in “very few cases.”,, On Wednesday, a B.C.-based expedition leaves Victoria for the Gulf of Alaska to try to help crack the puzzle of plummeting stocks. Scientists from Canada, Russia and the U.S. will be on the chartered 37-metre commercial trawler Pacific Legacy No. 1. It returns April 4. more, >click to read< 10:00
Decision to Keep Fishing Despite Flooding Led to Sinking
About 0330 local time on February 15, 2019, the commercial fishing vessel Pacific 1 was engaged in cod fishing in the Bering Sea near Kashega Bay, Unalaska Island, Alaska, when the vessel began to take on water at the stern. The five crewmembers abandoned the vessel and were rescued by the nearby Good Samaritan vessel Kona Kai. No crewmembers were injured in the accident, and an oil sheen was reported. The vessel sank and was considered a total constructive loss, valued at an estimated $720,000.,, The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the sinking was the captain’s decision to remain at sea with continuous flooding in the lazarette from an undetermined source, which accelerated,, more, >click to read< Read the report >here< 19:54
The women behind the sardine factories of Southwest Harbor
“It was guaranteed employment,” Corliss said, “You didn’t need an interview. “And it was really good money back then. If you were a fast packer, you could get more than the [standard] hourly wage. A lot of people would earn money for school clothes in the fall.”,, Sardines are in the herring family. When the fish were schooling, fishing crews would go out and haul in. When boats were out fishing, the factory whistle would blow to let people in town know to get ready to work, Corliss said. more, photo’s, >click to read< 18:05
Pacific Legal Foundation: Lawsuits filed to preserve swordfish industry and livelihoods
Swordfish is one of the most popular types of seafood. It is also a primary source of income for Chris and Dania Williams and a way of life for their entire family. Chris has been a swordfisherman for decades, and husband and wife have been selling their fresh catch at their Ventura market for nearly a decade. Chris is among approximately 20 active swordfish permit-holders in the state, many of whom also have run small, family-owned businesses,, California recently passed a law to phase out the remaining permits for swordfish, or drift gillnets, which are the only viable method for commercial swordfishing. This would end swordfishing in the state, even though federal regulations clearly allow the practice. more >click to read< 14:12
Coronavirus outbreak has Alaska fishing fleets on guard
“The protocols on cleaning and how to prevent a virus are already part of the procedures that we follow,” said Chad See, executive director of the Freezer Longline Coalition. “But the sense was that this is an issue we need to be on top of.”On the large vessels that catch and process seafood, dozens of crew members may be employed to work in remote areas of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. While at sea, the crews’ isolation shields them from a virus spreading on shore. But crew shifts bring new people on board, and could allow for the spread of the virus to a vessel. more >click to read< 12:04
Coronavirus: Snow crab fishery worries outbreak could be bad for business
Next to the lobster industry, snow crab is the biggest fishing industry in the province, as millions of dollars worth of New Brunswick snow crab is sold internationally. About 85 per cent of snow crab products are sold to U.S. markets, particularly casinos, restaurants, and all-you-can-eat buffets, popular in states like Florida, Georgia and Maryland. The New Brunswick delicacy is also popular on cruise ships.,, The industry won’t know what kind of impact the virus will have on the fishery until the season starts in April. more >click to read< 10:35
NAFC students make complete trawl from scratch
The Sea Fishing course runs over a period of 12 months with two college blocks to cover theory and other practical tasks which may be difficult to complete at sea. The latest college block saw the students make a complete trawl net from basic materials. NAFC boat skipper and fishing gear technician Arthur Johnson said; “It is a valuable exercise that gives the students an in depth knowledge about all the parts of the gear. photos, >click to read< 09:35
Canada unveils 2020 protection measures for North Atlantic right whales
Over the past several years, Canada has put in place comprehensive measures to help protect this species from interactions with fishing gear and vessels.,, announced the enhanced 2020 measures that will help reduce the risks to North Atlantic right whales during the 2020 season from April to November. To help prevent entanglements with fishing gear, Fisheries and Oceans Canada: will implement new season-long fishing closures in areas where whales are aggregating in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, expand temporary fishing closure areas into the Bay of Fundy, more >click to read< 07:59
Dungeness crab: Central California numbers rise to average of five times that of past decades
Fishermen from California to Washington caught almost all the available legal-size male Dungeness crab each year in the last few decades. However, the crab population has either remained stable or continued to increase, according to the first thorough population estimate of the West Coast Dungeness stocks. “The catches and abundance in Central California especially are increasing, which is pretty remarkable to see year after year,” The secret to the success of the Dungeness crab fishery may be the way fishing regulations protect the crab populations’ reproductive potential. >click to read< 14:34
Maine’s lobster catch down in 2019 season, but the value stayed high
Maine lobstermen saw the overall catch drop in 2019, but prices remained high and many fishermen earned roughly the same amount they did the year before.,,The report shows the lobster catch was 100,725,000 pounds. That’s down more than 20 million pounds from the previous year, but because prices remained high, the value of the catch to fishermen totaled more than $485 million — nearly the same as the year before. Last year’s long, cold spring weather was blamed for the unusually slow start to the season, affecting water temperatures which, in turn, affect lobster. Video, more >click to read< 13:46
Knox County lobstermen earned $139 million in 2019 -The value of Maine’s commercially harvested seafood in 2019 was the second highest of all time at nearly $674 million, and an increase of more than $26 million from 2018. Knox County continued to be near the top in the state for lobster landings,, more>click to read< 15:14
A fishing vessel grounded near Cape Hatteras National Seashore
A fishing vessel grounded near Cape Hatteras National Seashore the morning of March 1st. As of this morning, the scallop boat remains grounded approximately 50 yards from shore. The U.S. Coast Guard safely removed all crew members via helicopter the day the vessel grounded off Bodie Island. It’s currently located roughly a half mile south of ORV Ramp 4. photos, >click to read< >more here<, and >here< 11:52
Gambardella Wholesale Fish Inc. Owner/Operator Michael Gambardella, Jr., has passed away
Michael Gambardella, Jr., 65, of East Haven passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 with his loving family by his side. He is the husband of Laura Silvestro Gambardella. He was born in New Haven on April 9, 1954 to the late Michael and Elizabeth Martin Gambardella, Sr. Mike was the owner and operator of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, a family business that has thrived for more than a century. He was a true family man, who loved to cook, garden, root on his beloved Red Sox and enjoyed an occasional trip to the casino. Calling Hours, Sunday, March 08, 2020. Funeral Service, Monday, March 09, 2020. To read service details, sign/review guest book. >click to read< 09:42
Fishermen hope bumper sticker gets Trump’s attention – The sticker features a picture of Trump giving a thumbs-up next to a fishing boat with the slogan “Make Commercial Fishing Great Again,” a spin on Trump’s popular campaign slogan “Make America Great Again. (Mike) Gambardella said if fishermen just had the chance to explain the long-standing problem to Trump, “his head would spin.” Mike posted an addendum to the post. >click to read<
This is a page with many posts about Mike and his many associates in various efforts to inform the public, and politicians!! >click to read<
This is ugly. Coronavirus Makes Lobsters So Cheap That Sellers Face a Fatal Blow
U.S. lobster prices have plummeted to the lowest in at least four years after the spread of the virus halted charter flights to Asia at a time when sales usually boom for Chinese New Year celebrations. The fallout has left thousands of pounds of unsold lobster flooding North American markets and squeezing U.S. businesses that were already hurting from lost sales due to China’s tariffs from its trade war with Washington. >click to read< 08:18
Interview: ‘Wicked Tuna’ star Dave Marciano talks misconceptions about fishermen
“Wicked Tuna” star Captain Dave Marciano has been in the fishing business for over 30 years… “The series gives viewers an in-depth look at the intense battles, fierce competition, crushing losses and major paydays of the country’s toughest captains,” according to a press release. Marciano spoke with Fox News about the trials and tribulations of Season 9, if he’ll ever retire, and how he’s trying to help save the oceans and its various fish species. >click to read< 07:24
Quinlan Brothers Ltd. Tenacity and community can overcome adversity
Eight hours. That’s all it took to put an entire season of production, hundreds of jobs and 62 years of work by three generations of the Quinlan family in jeopardy. On April 11, 2016, a massive fire at the Quinlan Brothers’ flagship plant in Bay de Verde, Nfld., sent smoke billowing,, and though no lives were lost, nothing remained of the plant. Now, a fire is never convenient, but to hear president Robin Quinlan tell it, the timing couldn’t have been worse. “It was the start of snow crab season and that was the plant where we processed it,” he says. “There were boats in the ocean full of crab, ready to go. And we had no facility.” more >click to read< 16:45
NCLA Sues Commerce, NOAA, NMFS over Its Unlawful New at-Sea Monitor Mandate
The New Civil Liberties Alliance today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island,,, The suit challenges the agencies’ unconstitutional and statutorily unauthorized effort to force fishing companies to pay for a new agency enforcement program. NCLA represents Relentless Inc., Huntress Inc., and their related company, Seafreeze Fleet LLC,,, The at-sea monitor mandate for the nation’s Atlantic herring fleet violates the U.S. Constitution’s Article I, and the agencies have exceeded the bounds of their statutory authority because Congress never allowed these agencies to create or to require the industry to finance at-sea monitors or an at-sea monitoring program in the Atlantic herring fishery. more >click to read< 15:07
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary management plan open for comment through April 10
Comments can be made online, by mail or in person at public scoping meetings. The 90-minute public scoping meetings all start at 6:30 p.m. The first is March 11 at the New England Aquarium, Harborside Learning Lab, 1 Central Wharf, in Boston. The second is March 12 at Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop in Gloucester, and the third is March 18 at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Admiral’s Hall, 101 Academy Dr. in Buzzards Bay. Comments can be made online at regulations.gov and searching for docket number NOAA-NOS-2020-0003. You can also submit comments by mail to NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate MA 02066, Attn: Management Plan Revision. more, >click to read< 13:33
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