Daily Archives: May 30, 2020

Trawler docked in Bellingham testing 100-plus crew for Coronavirus after 1 hospitalized

More than 100 crew members of the American Dynasty trawler docked in Bellingham are being tested for COVID-19, a ship spokesperson said Saturday, May 30. One crew member from the American Seafoods fishing vessel tested positive for the new coronavirus and was admitted to St. Joseph hospital Friday, May 29, for treatment, according to a Friday evening news release from Whatcom Unified Command. The ship docked in Bellingham Thursday, May 26, according to unified command, the multi-governmental agency that’s directing local new coronavirus pandemic response. >click to read< 17:18

Leaving as soon as possible – Oil supply ship to resume search for missing fishing boat off St. Lawrence

MHA Carol Anne Haley says the province has secured a vessel to continue the search for the Sarah Anne, a fishing vessel that went missing off the coast of St. Lawrence last week. Haley, the member for Burin-Grand Bank, said she and the premier have worked to engage the Paul A. Sacuta, a supply vessel for the offshore oil industry, to help continue the search for Issac Kettle. Kettle is the lone crew member of the Sarah Anne who has not been found. The Sarah Anne, along with it’s four crew members, did not return to St. Lawrence after leaving to fish crab Monday morning. >click to read< 16:34

The Creed

Years ago a visitor from Central Oregon stood on the Depoe Bay Bridge, which runs along the Pacific Coast Highway, otherwise known as State Highway 101. She looked out to see a silver boat zipping around in the ocean, and thought to herself ‘that looks fun and I want to drive that boat.’ “I had no prior knowledge of the Coast Guard, but at that time in my life I was looking for a purpose,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Kelsi Dozier, (surfman #561) from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. “After that family vacation to Depoe Bay and a little video research on YouTube, I reached out to a Coast Guard recruiter.” The Coast Guard has certified 10 surfmen during the past 8 months. In order to earn the surfman qualification a Coast Guard coxswain requires a lot of hours at the helm while operating in the surf. Excellent photo’s, great story. >click to read< 15:34

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 29, 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< 13:06

Lobster season off to good start says P.E.I. fisherman

Lobster catches are starting strong this season, but the industry continues to adapt to an unusual market, says one P.E.I. fisherman. “The catches have been good. The weather’s kind of up and down depending on the day,” said Charlie McGeoghegan of Pinette. “The prices are, well, they’re definitely lower than we feel they should be, but there is kind of a unique situation going on, compared to other years.” Market-sized lobsters are selling for $4.25 per pound while canners go for $4. It’s the price buyers committed to at the start of the season. Last year, the same lobsters would have fetched $7 and $6.50 per pound. “That’s about $100 million that’s gone out of the economy,” said McGeoghegan. >click to read< 11:54

The Mayor of Kiniklik

Time had slipped by while studying each of the 118 Memorial Plaques attached to the railings that surround Joan Bugbee Jackson’s inspiring statute of a rain-battered fisherman steering into heavy seas. Having lived in Cordova all my life and worked on tenders or crewed on seine boats for years dating back to the early 1960s, it was hard not to be lost in memories inspired by these tributes to so many famous local fishermen. Each plaque had a story to tell, and indeed, as is often the case with those who go to the sea, each of the bygone was a master storyteller. Many of the plaques had tidbits I did not know. Yet the plaque that fascinated me the most was a tribute to The Mayor of Kiniklik. No, Cliff Alber had not been elected to this office. The term is used in this context to signify a fisherman who spends his whole season at one particular spot, learning the secret nuances of time, tide, currents and hidden underwater obstacles, as well as their impact on the flow of salmon in that area. photo ‘s, >click to read< 10:35

F/V Sarah Anne: The deadly, relentless sea reminds us of the steep cost of fishing

I’ve long wondered how many people in North America, as they peruse the offerings at their supermarkets, specialty stores and menus, ever give much thought to the unseen, human cost behind their tasty seafood. Those who live close to the ocean know too well the perils that come with fishing. Those who don’t may never know.  This week, Newfoundland and Labrador felt that chill as St. Lawrence became the focus of a story that is both sadly and terrifyingly familiar. The Sarah Anne, a fishing boat with four men aboard, did not come back as expected Monday night with a load of crab, and indeed never came home at all. By John Gushue >click to read< 08:50

‘Nothing is normal’: LFA 34 & 33 lobster fishery draws to a close in southwest N.S.

The commercial lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and along the south shore, draws to a close May 31. Crews are bringing gear back ashore at the conclusion of a season that saw a promising start with catches and the price paid to fishermen, but then hit rough waters due to the coronavirus pandemic. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of people that are already hauled up. Some five days early or more,” said Yarmouth County fishing captain Shawn Muise, following a day of fishing on his vessel, Force Awakens, on May 29. “Nothing is normal.” “The season was going so well at the start. Finally the prices were reflecting the market. But when COVID started, and as the price started to drop, you could see it in the fishermen’s faces,” Lots of photos,  >click to read< 07:29