Daily Archives: April 18, 2020

Shon Myers, 43, commercial fisherman, lobsterman

He was a commercial fisherman and lobsterman who had a passion for being on the water. He was an artist, musician, writer and photographer. He had an appreciation for knitting. “He was 6-foot 6 and had a smile that would melt your heart,” said his mother, Gayle Myers of Cape Elizabeth. Myers was a skilled lobsterman and commercial fisherman who worked on boats in Maine and elsewhere. He fished in Gloucester and New Bedford, Massachusetts; Point Judith, Rhode Island; Charleston, South Carolina; and Cape Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His mother said he found peace on the ocean.  >click to read< 17:52

Fishing vessel crashes into Menemsha commercial wharf

The scalloper Martha Rose allided with the commercial wharf in Menemsha at roughly 6 am Saturday morning. The impact smashed a section of plank and rail along the wharf and left a piling akilter. Chilmark Harbormaster Ryan Rossi said the vessel suffered a mechanical failure in the middle of the harbor which triggered the allision. “Good thing is nobody was hurt,” Rossi said. The Martha Rose also clipped the fishing vessel Miss Jenna during the incident. Rossi described the damage to both vessels as “cosmetic.” >click to read< 16:20

Shem Creek blessing

On Tuesday, April 14 there was a downscaled version of the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony without the Seafood Festival and the large crowds. A more private family gathering took place on the Shem Creek Park side of the creek with several shrimping trawlers docked and ready for the start of the provisional season on Wednesday, April 15. Chaplain Jeff Wallace of Charleston Port and Seafarers Society blessed each vessel with holy water and prayed that each would have a bountiful season for a bountiful season for each. Boats included: Winds of Fortune, Eleanor Paige, Miss Bridget, The Family Thing and the Lady J were all blessed at the ceremony. 20 photo’s, >click to read< 15:13

Northern cod growth off NL stalled, latest science indicates

Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on Friday released it’s latest stock status assessment information on northern cod. “We continue to be concerned about the status of the northern cod stock, which remains in the critical zone,” a technical briefing document states. “Survey indices suggest that recently observed stock growth (2012-2016) may have stalled. Ecosystem conditions indicated limited productivity and reduced food availability may be limiting growth of cod. “The precautionary approach requires that removals be kept at lowest possible levels.” >click to read< Does the precautionary approach include a plan for a major extraction of marine mammals? Asking for a friend. 11:32

A life hooked on uncertainty – Delaware fishermen just hoping they can survive impacts of the coronavirus

Brian Hoffecker almost didn’t make it through the first year he ventured off on his own as a commercial fisherman. It was the mid-1990s and he owed a lot of money on the boat he had just bought when a historic winter storm hit his prey – Delmarva’s iconic blue crabs – hard. “When it was time to go crabbing, I was broke,” he said. “It was brutally cold and it killed most of the crabs. There weren’t any crabs to catch.” After more than two decades making a living on the water, the impacts of the coronavirus, Hoffecker’s livelihood is threatened once again.,, Like commercial lobsterman and black sea bass fisherman Wes Townsend says, the only thing certain in the world of fishing is the uncertainty.,, But he’s never seen anything like this before, he said. photos, video,>click to read< 09:21

Coronavirus: Concerns raised about pending Cheticamp snow crab fishery

Setting day for the lucrative fishery is Friday and it runs until June 30. “Residents of Cheticamp are really scared and upset about the coming of the crab fishery,” Cheticamp resident Yolande LeVert said.  “I’m not sure what’s happening here, I don’t know why there is not more communication with the residents of Cheticamp. Are there rules on the wharf when the fishermen come in for the ones that unload the boats?” ,, LeVert noted the snow crab fishery will see more than 30 boats arrive from around the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, mainly from New Brunswick and Quebec, for the Zone 12F snow crab fishery. That equates to about 120 fishermen, in addition to dozens of plant workers, many of whom arrive from Mexico. >click to read< 08:35

Coronavirus: North-east fishing chiefs fear Holyrood funding package may not be enough to rescue ‘all’ of industry

More than 1,000 businesses dependent on fishing are now eligible for financial assistance. The scheme will help businesses operating a vessel larger than 12 meters, about 40ft, to land shellfish by providing capped payments of up to £21,370. Those operating more than one boat could be eligible for up to £42,740. Chief executive of Peterhead-based Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, said the processing sector welcomed measures to ensure it would still have catches to sell. He said: “I welcome the new funding and I hope it is enough to save all of the industry, and not just part of it. “Fishermen and processors play a significant role in feeding the nation, now even more so. We play an important part in keeping people healthy.” >click to read< 07:23