Monthly Archives: June 2020
So long and thanks for all the fish: Irish fishermen say UK Brexit position could spell ‘unmitigated disaster’
Although a debate between the UK and EU around immigration has garnered more headlines in recent years, fishing rights are perhaps the most tangible example of why the UK wanted to leave in the first place. Over two-thirds of the EU’s fishing waters, and two-thirds of the EU’s fishing catch, belong to Ireland and the UK. Around half of Ireland’s fishing catch take place in UK waters. Now that the UK is leaving (and, theoretically, taking its waters with it) Ireland’s fishermen and fishing industry are under threat of being locked out of waters that had been frequented by Irish trawlers long before either country joined the EU. >click to read< 23:11
Substance Abuse and Safety: Coast Guard Identifies Concerning Trend in Maritime Law Violations in Alaska
U.S. Coast Guard investigators and inspectors have identified a concerning trend throughout the state of Alaska, ranging from illegal drug use to unserviceable life saving equipment. Investigators at Coast Guard Sector Anchorage have observed an increase in the number of positive drug tests for non-credentialed mariners throughout the Arctic and Western Alaska., Another concerning trend observed by inspectors with the Coast Guard Marine Safety Task Force relates to unserviceable or missing life-saving equipment aboard commercial fishing vessels. From June 8 through 22, members of the task force removed 119 immersion suits during commercial fishing vessel exams in the King Salmon area because they were not in serviceable condition. >click to read< 19:44
Re-Deploying Observers and At-Sea Monitors: Northeast Observer Waiver Extended Through July 31, 2020
Although we had announced plans to resume observer deployments on July 1, we recognize the Coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve and as such, has required us to re-evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances. In response, NOAA Fisheries is extending the waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits to carry human observers or at-sea monitors through July 31, 2020. This action is authorized by 50 CFR 648.11, which provides the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator authority to waive observer requirements, and is also consistent with the criteria described in the agency’s emergency rule on observer waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. >click to read< 16:00
Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA Certified as Sustainable
Longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii), also known as loligo, and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) caught by Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA off the U.S. East Coast achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification today. The accomplishment firmly places the USA as a 
global leader in the production of certified squid, as the only two MSC-certified sustainably managed fisheries occur in US Atlantic waters. Certification was granted by independent certifier SCS Global Services based on the MSC sustainable fisheries standard following a 10 month assessment, and will remain certified through 2025. The fishery will undergo annual audits during that timeframe to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met. >click to read< 15:30
Transportation Safety Board says ‘countless’ reports show fishermen need to wear PFDs, use EPIRB emergency beacons
Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigator Chris Morrow said it has concluded many times that fishermen need to wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) and they have to have emergency beacons on board. He said the investigation into the capsizing of the Ocean Star II lobster 
boat found those to be consistent issues. An emergency beacon, known as an electronic position indicating radio beacon or EPIRB, might not have helped the crew aboard the Ocean Star II, but Morrow said they were in the water a long time without PFDs.,, On May 5, 2018, > Richard Moreau and Liz O’Connell <drowned after their small crabbing boat capsized near Port Medway, N.S. >click to read< 14:40
Dominion debuts first offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters
Gov. Ralph Northam joined state and local officials, industry representatives and stakeholders Monday for a boat excursion 27 miles off the coast to take an up-close look at the massive turbines. Before embarking on the tour, Northam signed landmark offshore wind legislation during a ceremony in front of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach. He said the legislation will continue to position Virginia as a national leader in offshore wind development as the state builds a new industry with thousands of clean energy jobs. >click to read< 12:09
California plans to protect whales from crab traps rankle all sides – one thing was clear, no one’s happy.
Stakeholders on both sides of the aisle had complaints — environmentalists don’t think the protections go far enough, while industry groups say the regulations threaten the economic viability of the crab fishing industry. Set to take effect Nov. 1, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) will serve as the primary mechanism for mitigating entanglement risk to humpback and blue whales and leatherback sea turtles whose populations are endangered and could suffer additional casualties due to getting caught in Dungeness crab fishing gear. The regulation would replace the interim authority given to the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife,, >click to read< 09:13
#FishermensLivesMatter: Until this pandemic is over, say no to fishery observers being placed on fishing vessels
On July 1st the Trump Administration’s agency, NOAA will require that fishing vessels resume taking fishery observers on their fishing trips. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic these activities have been suspended for almost three months due to the danger of spreading the deadly disease among the
fishing industry and their families. Fishery observers are required by National Marine Fishery Service regulations to observe commercial fishing operations in almost all of our countries fisheries based on various criteria that include likelihood of interaction with marine mammals or other protected species, amount of bycatch in each fishery, adherence to regulations, and anything else they can justify to support this huge taxpayer money gobbling con game they have created. >click to read< by Jim Lovgren #FishermensLivesMatter 22:27
Two die after fishing vessel sinks near Florence
A well-known Florence couple has died when the fishing vessel they were on sank in the Siuslaw River bar early Monday morning., The two who died were reported to be Kyle and Amber Novelli of Florence. In addition to commercial crabbing, their business was Novelli’s Crab and Seafood in Florence. “With a heavy heart I am saddened to to inform the many award-winning crab chowder followers of the passing of Kyle and Amber Novelli,” Novelli’s Crab and Seafood reported on its Facebook page. “Sharing their love of crabbing was always their dream. Their personalities will forever leave a lasting impression on anyone who met them. >click to read< 19:26
Coast Guard assists after F/V Aquarius sinks near Florence, Ore. with loss of life
Coast Guard crews responded to a fishing vessel crew who abandoned ship in the early morning hours Monday near Florence. At approximately 1:50 a.m., Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector North Bend received a distress call from the captain of fishing vessel Aquarius stating all crew members were abandoning ship. The vessel had struck the south jetty in the Siuslaw River Bar and was beginning to take on water. Shortly thereafter, the 13th District command center received a signal from the vessels Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon [EPIRB].,, One responsive individual was located and rescued near the shoreline. He was able to confirm that two others were onboard the vessel with him when it sank. The helicopter crew located a second unresponsive person and hoisted them into the aircraft. They were brought to awaiting EMS at Florence Municipal Airport. >click to read< 17:24
UPDATED! Bail Fundraiser: Fisherman steals a King Salmon fire truck Saturday Night, drives to the bar with emergency lights on
An Eagle River man stole a fire truck from the King Salmon Fire Station Saturday night and drove 15 miles with lights flashing to a bar where he was arrested, police said. Dawson Cody Porter, 22, used a piece of lumber to break a window of the fire station and made his way inside the building around 9 p.m., the Bristol Bay Borough Police Department said in an online statement. Once inside, Porter started a fire truck and drove it through the station’s closed bay doors. >click to read< 16:32
Bail Fundraiser to Free Dawson Cody Porter – Last Sunday night, innocent man Dawson Cody Porter, 22, of Eagle River, Alaska, was wrongfully placed under arrest for burglary, vehicle theft, criminal mischief, and parole violations. He is currently held on a $10,000 bail at the Bristol Bay Detention Facility in King Salmon. >click to read/donate< Organized by Nicholas Scott, Naknek, AK
Maine: Not about to be trapped, captains push vessels to limit for bragging rights, top prizes
Hauling: Lobster boats make waves in watery race party – On Saturday, June 27 in Rockland Harbor just inside the breakwater, there was no time for these usual working vessels to stop and pick up a pot because the race finish was in sight and there were bragging rights on the line. In this case, the lobsters had to wait. In beautiful, early-summer weather, in front of hundreds of spectators on the breakwater and dozens of moored boats that had traveled far and wide from Maine’s watery nooks and crannies, and, on this day, combined to create a small floating city in the harbor, the annual Rockland Lobster Boat Races turned out to be a roaring, with emphasis on roaring success. >click to watch video, see more than 120 photos<13:31
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Price Sheet for July 2020 Has Arrived!
Contact our sales team today! To review the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd., >Click here< – “The only thing we treat our fish with, is respect” Seafreeze Ltd! >Click here< to visit our website! 10:43
The Things That Didn’t Make It To The Screen On Deadliest Catch – Other Fishermen Have Suffered As A Result Of The Show’s Success
Much of what fans see on screen is true to life, with a bit of Hollywood’s embellishment for dramatic effect, of course. But while fans witness everything the crew does, much of what’s captured on camera, hundreds and hundreds of hours of footage, doesn’t even make it past the cutting room floor. Furthermore, while fans see how the fishing season affects the crew, they don’t see how it affects the town or other local fishermen. While Discovery has been praised for the award-winning show, there’s plenty that goes on behind the scenes that have never made it to the screen. Deadliest Catch speaks to the lives and risks the Bering Sea crews take every year, and while truly crazy things are captured on camera, not everything is revealed to the world. >click to read< 09:15
Sakonnet Lobster found a way to deal with Coronavirus. Door-to-door delivery
Doug Mataronas saw what restaurants were doing during the initial weeks of the governor’s orders to stay at home, so he figured he’d give it a try. He started delivering fresh lobsters to the doors of customers in Little Compton and Tiverton, and then went as far as Boyd’s Lane in Portsmouth — all the way over the Sakonnet River Bridge — where customers who placed orders online or by phone would meet him at the Park and Ride. Mataronas thought the deliveries would only last for a short time while restaurants were closed, but he continues to get orders from people for his Saturday deliveries, though the retail delivery orders have slowed a bit since restaurants have started to open up to outdoor dining. >click to read< 08:07
Fishermen Haul in Monster Squid Off the Humboldt Coast
A pair of local fishermen hauled in a monstrous 14-foot, 150-pound squid while bottom trawling 10 miles from the Humboldt Bay Entrance Channel earlier this month. Fishermen Shane Ranstrom and Clark Ward of the “Joy Ann” say they were in 1,500 feet of water when they caught the enormous cephalopod on June 14. “Pulled up the Kraken last trip,” Ranstrom wrote on Instagram. >click to read< 17:02
Lucky 13, and the Latest Fishfinding Tech
Delivered from its Danish builder to owners in Orkney, Aalskere is the third trawler for Iain Harcus with the same name and number – keeping to the Orkney preference for a registration number that adds up to 13., Iain Harcus has fished for 20 years with the 33.90 metre Aalskere that was acquired in 2000, built as Vandal, photo’s, >click to read< Aalskere’s wheelhouse has an uncluttered layout a single E Vejvad Hansen skipper’s chair at the centre 
of Aalskere’s wheelhouse, facing a bank of 55-inch 4K monitors, supplemented by an overhead row of seven Neovo X24 monitors, plus six 19-inch screens at the aft wheelhouse trawl console. There are ten monitors altogether integrated into the Woodsons Quad view system, controlled using a trackball with a cursor that moves seamlessly from one screen to the next. Photo’s, >click to read< 15:46
New Co-Op Allows Fishermen From Four Villages To Participate In Kuskokwim Bay Commercial Fishery
A group of fishermen in Quinhagak has formed an organization to revitalize commercial salmon fishing in Kuskokwim Bay. Their group is called the Independent Fishermen of Quinhagak Cooperative. On Monday, June 29, there will be a 12-hour commercial opening in Kuskokwim Bay from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fishermen are limited to six-inch mesh or less. It’s the area’s first commercial opening in five years.,, The board has approved 70 fishermen to participate and has limited the co-operative’s eligibility to fishermen residing in four nearby villages—Quinhagak, Goodnews Bay, Platinum, and Eek. >click to read< >click to read< 11:22
Coronavirus results in falling New England lobster prices
The American lobster fishing industry, based mostly in Maine, has had to cope with a supply chain that has been disrupted by the pandemic. Wholesale prices were lower than previous years this spring, and consumers started to see lower prices at markets earlier in June. Members of the industry said prices could likely fall more in July. America’s lobster catch typically picks up in the summer, when lobsters shed their shells and reach legal trapping size. This year, fishers will likely bring lobsters to the docks in a time when restaurants are slowed or shuttered and seafood processors aren’t taking nearly as many of the crustaceans, industry members said. >click to read< 08:25
Hawaii’s impact from Corona-Local Fishermen
Aloha Kakou, I am a small commercial fishing/charter boat owner and wanted to bring awareness to our local micro-industry’s condition due to Coronavirus and lack of need for our product. I saw a report regarding the Hawaii long-liner fishing industry, but wanted to express how our local independent fishing and charter boat business have been gravely impacted. So many local fishermen whos sole income is from fishing and selling their catches as well as the charter fishing industry have lost 90-100% of their income due to tourism shutdown and Covid restrictions. >click to read< Mahalo for your time and interest in this information. Capt. Jerry Gillgren, F/V Jovan Lee 16:05
An East Coast Perspective on Coronavirus Impacts
This was initially to be about how the New Jersey commercial fishing industry was coping with the coronavirus crisis. However, there is a seemingly infinite number of websites running commentaries on the national and/or international aspects of the ongoing pandemic in general and, surprisingly, as it specifically applies to and as it affects commercial fishing and the seafood industry. Considering this, sharing more than an overview of what the New Jersey industry, or at least that part of it that I have been in touch with, would probably not have much of an impact. But happily, at this point it seems that U.S. consumers aren’t really as averse to preparing quality seafood at home (when it isn’t available or is only limitedly available elsewhere) as most of us have believed. >click to read< By Nils Stolpe 12:05
Yorkshire looks to Canada to boost fortunes of ‘Europe’s lobster capital’
Landings of lobsters into Bridlington are the largest in the UK and Europe The 310 tonnes caught last year represents 17.5 per cent of the European lobsters landed into England and 9.5 per cent of the global landings for the species.. But with the vast majority of its catch exported to France and Spain and visitors to the town eating imported Canadian lobster, its significance goes by largely unremarked. In January a group of fishing industry representatives and academics visited Shediac in New Brunswick. >click to read< 11:04
Salmon harvest coming in below forecast
Commercial harvests of Alaska’s iconic salmon are generally below expectation so far this season, particularly in the Copper River, where the preliminary catch to date includes 81,228 reds, 5,815 Chinooks and 1,296 chums. And overall for the drift gillnet harvesters and purse seiners in Prince William Sound, so far it is a smaller run that forecast, with a preliminary collective harvest of some 736,453 fish. That’s according to statewide data compiled by biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who update their preliminary harvest report daily and post. >click to read< 09:42
Officials examining right whale found dead off N.J. – wounds are “consistent with a vessel collision”
The whale’s carcass was spotted floating in the ocean near Monmouth Beach at 12:15 p.m. Friday after first being seen a few miles south in the water off of Long Branch, according to a statement from NOAA.,, was working on a plan to tow it to shore so it could be examined and its cause of death could be determined by a team of investigators.A preliminary examination of the mammal showed several wounds along its head and body that are “consistent with a vessel collision,” however its official cause of death was still unknown, NOAA officials said. >click to read< 08:50
With seven decades of working at sea under his belt, Rolly Rollisson has “done every job in fishing that you can mention”
The port’s oldest fisherman, and former chairman of Bridlington and Flamborough Fishermen’s Society has seen the harbour adapt from the days when cod and haddock was King, to today when shellfishing reigns supreme. When Mr Rollisson, 91, started out there was little in the way of navigational aids – now as son Rolo, 58, puts it “you can now see the seabed in 3D, every nook and cranny.,, “We had four seasons, end of September to March for cod and haddock with long lines. “There was crab and lobster fishing with lobster pots until July and August, then we used to go herring fishing from August 10 to the end of October, then back to line-fishing.” >click to read< 08:00
Governor Mills Urges Commerce Secretary Ross to Reject Pew Charitable Trusts prohibition petition
Standing up for Maine’s vital lobster industry and its hardworking men and women, Governor Janet Mills today urged U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to deny a petition by Pew Charitable Trusts that would prohibit the use of vertical lines in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries in four areas of the New England coast. In a letter sent to the Commerce Secretary yesterday, Governor Mills explained that the petition, which asks for immediate year-round closures south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and three seasonal offshore closures in the Gulf of Maine to protect North Atlantic right whales, “not only fails to provide additional protections for right whales, but contrary to Pew’s assertions, it will also cause significant economic impact to Maine’s iconic lobster fishery.” >click to read< 17:03
2020 shrimp price disagreement for NL fish harvesters goes to arbitration
There’s 58 cents worth of disagreement over shrimp prices between the union that represents fish harvesters and the organization that represents processors in Newfoundland and Labrador. According to the union, the Association of Seafood Processors (ASP) proposed 70 cents per pound while the FFAW proposed $1.18. The matter is now before the Standing Fish Price Setting Panel, which met today in St. John’s to hear the proposals from both sides.,, The union also said, “This is a challenging year for shrimp, as the market is lower than it was last year.” However, the union also said the 70 cent offer from the ASP “is a price that cannot be justified by any rational assessment of the market.” >click to read< 16:07
When Lobster Got Fancy
Once called the poor man’s protein, it was only fit for the poor, servants, prisoners and being soldiers’ staples to everyone’s idea of a delicacy, “The Cockroach of The Sea”- some 150 years ago, did become one of the most remarkable re-branding in product history.,, If today’s lobster wears a top hat, 80 years ago he wore overalls and was probably picking up garbage. The lobster is a self made creature and quite the social climber. So how did they climb the social ladder? >click to read< By Joanne Blais 12:48
A Little More Normal? Lobster boat races Sunday
According to the MaineLobster Boat Racing Association, the planned races in Boothbay Harbor, Stonington and Harpswell have been canceled or postponed. But races in Rockland on Saturday, Bass Harbor on Sunday and Moosabec Reach/Jonesport/Beals on July 4 are all set to go forward. >click to read< 11:16
North River Boats
Last spring, North River Boats added a new 33,750 square foot manufacturing building to house all commercial and large boat recreational fabrication. The upgrades have helped North River Boats set pace to build just over 300 vessels this year for a combination of commercial, government and recreational customers. Its current orderbook includes a mix of vessels ranging from fire, pilot and patrol boats to charter fishing vessels. “North River Boats has a very diverse strategy that includes offering several different boat models to many different market segments,” says Mike Blocker, the builder’s sales director., >click to read< 10:58
