Monthly Archives: March 2020
Clearwater Seafoods explores possible sale or merger
Nova Scotia-based seafood giant Clearwater Seafoods Inc. (TSX:CLR) says it is exploring a possible sale of the company after receiving several expressions of interest. In a news release issued Thursday, the company says it has formed a special committee of independent directors as part of a strategic review. It says the committee’s options include a sale of all or a portion of Clearwater’s assets in either one transaction or a series of transactions, an outright sale of the company, or a merger. more >click to read< 13:21
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan names members of the Atlantic Seal Science Task Team
The Atlantic Seal Science Task Team was established to gather fishing industry and stakeholder input on the Department’s current science activities on Atlantic seals, relating to seal predation on commercial fish stocks. The Task Team will serve for a maximum of one year and will provide: input on the priorities of the Department’s Atlantic seal science program, input on how to increase the involvement of the fishing industry in seal science projects, advice on how the Department could better communicate its scientific findings to the fishing industry and other stakeholders >click to read< 12:25
Notice Regarding Loss of Vessel Monitoring Service
The McMurdo (formerly Boatracs) Omnitracs Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) operated by vessels with Greater Atlantic Region (GAR) permits will not be supported by its satellite provider after March 31, 2020. All current owners of the Omnitracs unit were notified via a letter from McMurdo dated December 19, 2019 about this issue. What should you know if you own an Omnitracs unit? >click to read< 10:27
Good Samaritan Vessel Rescues Three Fishermen from Capsized Trawler off Le Havre
At about 1245 hours Tuesday, the Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) Jobourg received an alert from the trawler La Rose des Vents (Compass Rose) reporting that the fishing vessel Antarès had capsized just off Cap de la Heve, a cape northwest of the port of Le Havre.,, Minutes later, the three crew members of the capsized fishing vessel were picked up by La Rose des Vents. The motor lifeboat rendezvoused with the good samaritan vessel and collected the survivors, along with the Antarès’ life raft and distress beacon. >click to read< 09:48
Watermen protest on Manokin River and call for Oyster Sanctuary to be re-opened
Watermen gathered on the Manokin River Wednesday, calling for the oyster sanctuary to be opened up for harvesting. In 2019, the Manokin River was chosen as the 10th Chesapeake Bay tributary for large-scale oyster reef restoration. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement calls for the restoration of the native oyster population in 10 tributaries by 2025. The Manokin River is the final tributary to be selected for this Chesapeake Bay Program partnership effort. Video, >click to read< 09:00
PFDs: Too few commercial fishermen wear life jackets
I recall a great quote from the late Molly Benjamin, a Cape Cod Times fishing columnist and well-known voice for the New England fishing community. In one of her articles on a marine casualty, she wrote, “the Sea is not the home element of humans; we visit at our own risk.” Not wearing a lifejacket while fishing is the equivalent of driving down the most dangerous road in Maine, at high speed, with your seatbelt in the trunk of your car. The frustrating thing is fishermen know the hazards but continue to flout the lifejacket’s indisputable life-saving value. by Capt. Brian LeFebvre, USCG >click to read< 07:22
92nd Annual Blessing of the Fleet is this Sunday
This weekend, Seattle’s fishing fleet will be honored in the 92nd annual Blessing of Fleet to mark the start of the 2020 fishing season. The event, happening Sunday, March 8 at Fishermen’s Terminal, will bring together crews, friends, family, and the greater community to send the fishing fleet off with a ceremony and blessing from Pastor Elise Scot of Ballard First Lutheran Church. >click to read< 19:33
Enviro group says it may sue NMFS and Coast Guard to prevent whale deaths from ship strikes
The Center for Biological Diversity, which has an office in Los Angeles, alleges that the government agencies are ignoring the requirements of the Endangered Species Act in agency consultations, studies and actions such as speed limits in shipping lanes or protecting critical habitat areas. Ship strikes are a leading cause of death and injuries to whales migrating along California’s coast and are more lethal than previously understood >click to read< 16:22
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 57′ Fiberglass Scalloper, 350HP Cummins, Price Reduced!
To see specifications, information and 26 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 11:39
Coronavirus: Crayfish ‘losses will compound financial hardship’ for fishers
Moves by the government to support the crayfish sector in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak may not be enough to stop some businesses going under,,, New Zealand fishers had already paid to catch those 400 tonnes at $50 a kilo, because the right to catch fish costs money, under a system known as ACE, or Annual Catch Entitlement. This is part of the quota management system. To alleviate those losses, after consultation with the industry the government yesterday announced it would allow fishing companies to carry forward 10 percent of the unused catch entitlements to next year.,, >click to read< 11:00
Comment Period Extended for Nordic Aquafarms
DMR is accepting comments solely about the potential impacts of the proposed dredging operation on fishing in the area to be dredged and on impacts to the fishing industry of the proposed route to transport dredge spoils to Mack Point in Searsport where material will be offloaded and transported to an approved upland disposal site. This facility will require the construction of intake and discharge pipes which will be buried across intertidal and shallow sub-tidal lands to a maximum depth of 10 feet with a minimum of 5 feet of cover. >click to read< 09:52
Harpswell lobsterman announces bid for Maine House
Steve “Bubba” Davis of Harpswell has announced plans to run as a Republican for Maine House District 51, which includes East Brunswick, Harpswell and West Bath. The seat is held by Democrat Joyce “Jay” McCreight, who has announced her plans to run for reelection last month. ,, Davis said that while Marine Resources is his top priority, he also believes in career and technical education. “We need pipe fitters, welders, plumbers, electricians, people who can raise a family and work at BIW or start their own small business,” Best of luck! >click to read< 09:11
Coronavirus: Seafood expo postponed over COVID-19 concerns
The annual Seafood Expo North America was expected to welcome thousands of industry buyers and suppliers from around the world in Boston for a three-day convention starting March 15. Diversified Communications, the event organizer, made the announcement Tuesday through the expo’s official media partner.,, Diversified Communications could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday evening. >click to read< 07:42
Big, bold venture – the new Crystal Sea has begun fishing from Newlyn.
There’s no doubt that for the last 20 years the average age of boats brought to the port has significantly decreased as private individuals and company owners have seen fit to invest heavily in modernising the fleet. New builds ordered to fish from Newlyn have all been 15m or under; the Rowse family have had three crabbers built, Stefan Glinski, Sam Lambourn and Ocean Fish have all had various sardine ring netters built to order, all also under 15m. Lots of photo’s and video, with historical recollections >click to read< 07:35
Federal fishries disaster funds granted To NC Fishing Industry
North Carolina will receive $7.7 million in federal fisheries disaster assistance to help the State’s fishing industry recover from Hurricane Florence. An assessment from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the September 2018 storm caused $38 million in damages to vessels and businesses and nearly $57 million in lost revenues. >click to read< 19:33
Offshore Wind Farm: Clean, Green…Profitable?
In most lifetimes, there are only a few chances to participate in the birth of an industry,,, Ohleth is the senior manager for stakeholder engagement of Orsted, the Danish energy firm that has the contract to build Ocean Wind,,, According to Ohleth, big opportunities are on the way. Not everyone was as sanguine about the proposal. Jeff Kaelin, of Lunds Fisheries, presented a slide that showed the overlap of the project area for Ocean Wind with the path of fishing boats in the region. “The clam guys fish inside of there,” Kaelin stated that the fishing industry would face a disproportionate impact from the wind energy proposal. He described commercial fishing as a $6-billion industry that employs about 30,000 people in a half-dozen different ports, including the Lunds facility, near the Middle Thorofare Bridge, just in from Cape May Inlet. >click to read< 17:27
Fishing Vessel Endurance makes her first trip to Flugga
The 75ft vessel has been bought from Skerries partners Leslie and Colin Hughson and Leonard Johnson who had operated her for a long time as Fairway II. The first tow yielded seven boxes, including four of monkfish, but more importantly, the gear was all working fine, said one of the partners, Ian Irvine, who is also the father of two of the other partners. Grant and Ben Irvine, skipper Ed Leask, David Irvine and fish selling agents LHD complete the partnership set-up. >click to read< 12:53
New era beckons for Isles fishing vessel – >click to read< 13:02
Are they overpopulated, and should they be managed? Study Documents Growing Population of Gray Seals
Gray seal pupping season comes to an end off the coast of Massachusetts and Maine, as a group of federal, state and local scientists are finishing a study on the health of the animals. One of the research teams did its work on Muskeget island, a 240-acre spit of sand west of Nantucket that hosts the largest gray seal pupping colony in the U.S. Referred to by some as the diesel engine of the booming seal population in the region, which in the 1970s faced near extinction (BS), Muskeget has become dominated by breeding seals during pupping season.,, Ms. Murray said a 2016 study found 27,000 seals in Cape and Islands waters,, >click to read< 09:36
Judge hears arguments on lawsuit against EPA over withdrawn protections for Pebble
Monday U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason heard arguments on whether or not to dismiss a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to withdraw a proposed determination which had effectively blocked developing the Pebble Mine. Last October, the Bristol Bay Defense Alliance, a coalition of groups representing native tribes in Bristol Bay, commercial fishermen and the seafood industry filed suit against the EPA. Environmental groups then filed two additional lawsuits. The three lawsuits have since been consolidated. >click to read< 08:51
Farm raised salmon die in cages at a Cooke Aquaculture operation near Baie d’Espoir
In a statement, the company said the farm has a total of about 550,000 fish, and estimates about 14 per cent of them died off, which would put the number at more than 70,000 fish. The company’s statement blames the higher than expected number of deaths on “severe winter storm events experienced over the past month.” Cooke said they think the deaths happened in two of eight cages on the farm, which is run by Cold Ocean Salmon Inc., a subsidiary of New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture. >click to read< 07:28
It’s back out to sea for fisherman Billy ‘the Kid’ Carman
It was just 12 days since Billy “the Kid” Carman and his crew had been rescued after the fishing trawler New Age took on water in heavy seas 20 miles south of Fire Island Inlet. Now, on Feb. 24, Carman was back at the Montauk commercial fishing dock, preparing for another deep-sea trip. The need for income had forced him to change hats from captain of the New Age to deckhand on the longline fishing vessel, the Kimberly, Carman said during a break from a day of preparations for up to 10 days on the water. >click to read< 06:23
New era beckons for Isles fishing vessel
A new chapter is beckoning for a fishing boat after she was bought by a group of Whalsay fishermen. The Whalsay boat Endurance is due to head off for a 16-day stint at sea after coming under new hands. She was previously known as the Fairway. Skippered by Edward Leask, her crew also includes three Irvines – Grant, the vessel’s mate, and engineer Ben, as well as second David Irvine. Giving his backing to the venture is fellow isle man Ian Irvine. Grant Irvine said he was delighted to play a part in the Endurance’s ongoing story in the Shetland fishing fleet. >click to read< 21:57
Glen Johnson, 64, of Wareham, MA, a retired fisherman
Glen Johnson of Wareham, MA, died at home on February 19, 2020 after a short battle with cancer. His Mother and Daughters were by his side. Glen was born in Quincy, MA on February 25, 1955, to Fred and Barbara Johnson.,,After his marriage to Amy Borjeson he became interested in the commercial fishing industry. He owned his own dragger, the “Louise” for many years, before moving to offshore fishing where he was a successful Captain. In his daughter’s eyes “he could fix anything.” Glen adored his grandchildren Tanner and Reese,,, >click to read< 19:08
Shark fin ban ready for Senate floor
The Senate Rules Committee passed the bill (SB 680), which outlaws the import and export of fins to or from Florida. Jerry Sansom of the Organized Fishermen of Florida said Florida has more fisherman than any other state licensed by the federal government to participate in the heavily regulated and fully sustainable practice of capturing sharks. He noted a sunset on the finning ban in 2025 he says signals legitimate concern about the commercial future of those fishermen. “I don’t remember when the Florida Senate has put an expiration date on an industry before they made us come back and get a pardon,” >click to read< 14:46
“With a bit of prodding by some valued colleagues”, we will be launching a series “Looking Back”
A few of us were conversing, and the topic of resurrecting’s some of the posts, pages, and information of the past to gauge the changes and improvement’s achieved though the past few decades of fishery management and sacrifice, or if there have been any improvements at all! Nils Stolpe, Jim Lovgren, and I thought perhaps these various posts and articles would give an indication of how the domestic fishing is doing! Both of these gentlemen are exceptional writers, with exceptional knowledge of the domestic fishing industry and they have been featured here many times. We hope people revisit these articles, and for many of the newer fishermen in the industry today, this may be the first exposure to this interesting, and valuable info, and other stories. We’ll kick it off with “With a bit of prodding by some valued colleagues,” >click to read< 13:07
Coronavirus: Despite no shipments to China, Nova Scotia seafood business is thriving
“Our first thoughts are with the people in Asia and China and the rest of the world, Iran, Italy and other countries that are affected by the virus,” says Leo Muise, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance. Shipments to Asia have slowed almost to a halt since mid-January when the virus began to spread. “Geo-political events that happen all over this world have a great effect on this industry. Three years ago when the U.S. government and the Chinese government got into that trade war, and China put retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., that’s when our sales to China started to boom because we have a financial advantage there,” >click to read< 10:53
Fishing: Why it is the first flashpoint issue in EU-UK trade talks
The Father McKee is the Greencastle man’s 65m trawler and is out with his sons in the north Bay of Biscay off France fishing for boarfish, a small fish used to make meal for feeding salmon. Cavanagh does not fish anymore – “too many birthdays”, says the 70-year-old. The UK’s decision to exit the European Union and the potential closing of soon-to-be British waters, on top of existing restrictions, has made life stormier onshore for Irish fishermen like Cavanagh. “We have more challenges ashore than when we are at sea,” says Cavanagh, buffeted by blustery Donegal weather on the quayside. Video, >click to read< 10:20
Feds reject removal of 4 US Northwest dams
The four dams on the lower Snake River are part of a vast and complex hydroelectric power system operated by the federal government in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The massive dams, built in eastern Washington between 1961 and 1975, are at the center of a years-long battle that pits the fate of two iconic Pacific Northwest species — the salmon and the killer whale — against the need for plentiful, carbon-free power for the booming region.,, Snake River sockeye were the first species in the Columbia River Basin listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1991. Now, 13 salmon runs are listed as federally endangered or threatened. Four of those runs return to the Snake River. >click to read< 08:17
On this day in1977: 200-mile limit fishing zone takes effect
On this day in 1977, a 200-mile territorial fishing zone took effect, with the waters off Cape Cod being one of the two areas where the Coast Guard focused its enforcement efforts. Coast Guard vessels also patrolled the rich fishing grounds near Kodiak, Alaska, to protect American fishermen from foreign competition.”Poachers illegally fishing U.S. waters or taking the wrong kind of fish can be seized,” United Press International reported. Foreign vessels were required to obtain permits to fish within 200 miles of the US coastline, while some coastal areas and species of fish were deemed off-limits altogether. The federal government warned other nations that Coast Guard patrol boats would not hesitate to board foreign fishing boats within the 200-mile limit to ensure compliance. >click to read< 06:53
Cormorants damaging fish populations
It is estimated there are about 230,000 double-crested cormorants around the Great Lakes, each eating an estimated 1.3 to 1.6 pounds of fish a day. That equals more than 77 million pounds of fish per year, according to a report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The birds eat minnows, alewives, shad, round gobies, other prey-fish, and they also devour significant numbers of yellow perch, stocked trout, salmon, walleye, pike, and panfish. “Cormorants are uncontrolled and wreaking havoc on our Great Lakes,” said Lakon Williams, who manages the Bay Port Fish Company. “Since the Zebra Mussel invasion, the lakes and the water are cleaner than ever.” >click to read< 15:43
