Daily Archives: April 25, 2020
Port of Coos Bay Ice Plant Rebuild Project – Some businesses express frustration with officials over new layout, lack of inclusion
Mike Babcock, of Oregon Seafoods, is leading a group of local businesses and fishermen who he said feel left out of the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay’s new Ice Plant Rebuild Project. “Our company hoist is on the northwest corner of the dock and the public hoist is in the northeast corner of the dock,” said Babcock. “The new building, which shows it’s been moved over to the north side, severely limits the corner use of the dock.” The dock, which houses the ice plant, has historically been used for other reasons outside of fishermen accessing commercial grade ice, >click to read< 16:25
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 24, 2020
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< 15:18
Trudeau pledges $62.5M for fish and seafood sector amid mounting food supply concerns
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $62.5 million for Canada’s fish and seafood sector amid mounting concerns over the state of the country’s food supply.,, Keith Sullivan, president of Fish, Food and Allied Workers, a trade union representing 15,000 workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, called the financial relief “encouraging”. “Harvesters from all of Atlantic Canada right across to B.C. have been looking for some relief since the pandemic began,” Sullivan.,, Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said in a Saturday news conference that help for harvesters is on its way. >click to read< 14:00
Dungeness Crab Season Closed Early Due to Dubious Whale Crisis, COVID-19 Economic Impact on Coastal Communities Made Worse by Closure
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced that effective May 15, 2020, the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season, which began in December, will be closed due to the perceived risk of commercial crab fishing gear harming migratory whales. Ironically, as a result of ongoing cooperative measures between the California Dungeness crab fishing fleet and CDFW, interactions between Dungeness crab fishing gear and the two subgroups of Humpback whales, or Distinct Population Segments (DPS), which are “endangered” and “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are extremely rare. “The risk of crab fishing gear harming endangered whales is statistically insignificant because of low concentrations of whale, as well as the relatively small amounts of gear being deployed along the Central California coast,” said Ben Platt, president of the California Coast Crab Association (CCCA). >click to read< 12:26
Maine lobstermen are not a threat to right whales
The voices of Maine’s lobster fishermen are being drowned in a sea of injustice. I’m determined to speak for them. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasburg’s recent ruling is the latest blow to Maine’s billion-dollar industry. Boasburg’s decision that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration violated the Endangered Species Act by authorizing the American lobster fishery despite its potential to harm the North Atlantic right whale population comes on the heels of new regulations imposed on fishermen last year. With many fishermen just starting to mark their fishing gear according to the new regulations, Boasburg’s ruling has left them in a state of uncertainty. Will this be the end of the industry as they know it? by Carol Smith, >click to read< 09:15
Coronavirus: Some P.E.I. fishermen dismayed by delay to season, others relieved with May 15 start date
At a time when Ottawa is spending billions to help people make ends meet, some Island fishermen are taking a different tack. They want permission to fend for themselves and go fishing. “We just want to try to make enough money to get by. That’s all we want to do,” said Tignish fisherman Kenneth LeClair.,, Other fishermen, though, are relieved by the two-week delay. “The majority of people are relatively pleased,” said Gerard Holland, who fishes at North Lake. “Some is not pleased at all and in fairness to them, they need to be heard too, but the biggest concern most of us had was to make sure that everyone had a buyer, so the later we went, the better the chances of the market improving.” >click to read< 08:27
Anchors aweigh for community seafood pilot program
“Although state and local regulations and federal guidelines have designated fishing operations as essential businesses, many large fish buyers have shut down or are offering prices too low for fishermen to recoup operating expenses and pay crews and other employees,” an MVFPT press release states. “Additionally, with restaurants and wholesale markets closed, many fishermen have [fewer] options to offload product. As a result, many commercial fishing boats have been unable to leave the dock. At the same time, widespread unemployment from lockdown orders have left many communities in greater need of food than in a generation. This project aims to help both the fishing businesses and the community food organizations who are assisting people experiencing food insecurity.” The initial participants in the program are Capt. Sam Hopkins of the FV Endurance and Capt. Wes Brighton of the FV Martha Rose. >click to read< 07:37
