Daily Archives: June 7, 2020
Lifeboat rescuer relives the dramatic seconds when, as fishing boat sank, he and the crew leapt into the sea
Standing on the stricken fishing vessel, 23 miles off the Shetland coast, the RNLI Lerwick volunteer watched as his colleagues on board the Michael & Jane Vernon lifeboat sped back toward him after being buffeted away from the 24m-long steel trawler. With only seconds to act and knowing the lifeboat would never reach them in time, Darren yelled at his crewmates to abandon ship as the Ocean Way shuddered and sank beneath their feet. But that was only half of the story.,, Dramatic footage of the Ocean Way crew being pulled from the water as their ship sank on March 3, 2017, was beamed worldwide as headlines praised the courage and quick-thinking of the The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) team. Now, Darren has recalled the daring rescue in a new book Surviving The Storms, published this week to raise funds for the RNLI. >click to read< 22:27
Proclamation on Modifying The Northeast Canyons And Seamounts Marine National Monument
June 5, 2020 – In Proclamation 9496 of September 15, 2016, and exercising his authority under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), the President established the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, reserving for the care and management of objects of historic and scientific interest approximately 4,913 square miles of water and submerged lands in and around certain deep-sea canyons and seamounts situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government. The President prohibited commercial fishing, with a phase-out period for American lobster and red crab fisheries, within the monument’s boundaries. This proclamation lifts the prohibition on commercial fishing, an activity that is subject to the Magnuson‑Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson‑Stevens), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and other applicable laws, regulations, and requirements. This proclamation does not modify the monument in any other respect. >click to read the Proclamation< 18:34
New oil regulation means step backwards for fishermen
The change to allow environmental assessments for exploratory drilling offshore to be done quicker will impact Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry,,, The move was made to help the province’s oil and gas industry, which has faced countless setbacks over the course of the year. However, FFAW President Keith Sullivan says the new regulation has removed fishermen from the consultation process. Sullivan said the faster approval of environmental assessments, along with seismic work expected to take place in the province later this year, adds up to a larger impact on the environment and the waters people fish in. “More exploration and drilling in areas can cause problems either directly, and then there’s added risk of things like oil spills >click to read< 17:37
New Zealand: There’s something fishy about the government’s relationship with seafood
The government’s decision to delay the installation of monitoring cameras on fishing boats is being condemned by critics (of course) A pattern of delay and scuttling has emerged over the three years of the current government when it has faced a decision that could impose strict The National Party and Greenpeace have suggested that the government’s moves reflect NZ First undermining Labour and the Greens at the cabinet table, however NZ First MP Shane Jones dismissed the allegation in an interview with The Spinoff. His ardent vocal support for fisheries in parliament and reports that he’s received financial backing from the industry isn’t reflected in the government’s decisions, he said. >click to read< 14:41
Mass Senators want an additional $500 Million in CARES Act Coronavirus Fisheries Assistance Funds
In their June 5 letter, the senators said $28 million in fisheries assistance already allocated to Massachusetts should be supplemented as the pandemic continues to affect demand through the summer month’s peak harvests. “Compared to the previous five-year average, in March and April of this year, Massachusetts bivalve shellfish landings lost 60 percent of their value, lobster landings lost 40 percent of their value, recreational head boats have been completely shut down, and seafood processors have lost their usual restaurant market,” the letter stated. >click to read< 11:25
Victoria fishermen say catch has dropped by 80 per cent since the start of seismic testing
Tyson Pollard and his father Tony have been octopus fishing for three years and their catch is sent from Lakes Entrance to Melbourne and Sydney. But in recent months, the pair’s haul has plummeted. Mr Pollard said he noticed a change when two large ships started surveying for oil and gas in his usual fishing area. “New Year’s Eve, the bushfires in our region meant we had to evacuate; New Year’s Day, the seismic ship activity started,” he said. Several fishermen in the area have been compensated for their losses due to the testing, but the concerns of the industry go beyond money. >click to read< 10:13
“We’ve caught some big ones before but nothing close to that.”
A Whalsay fisherman has told of his surprise at catching a massive monkfish – the biggest his crew has ever encountered. Skipper Arthur Polson’s five man crew were out in Resilient on Wednesday when they netted the 57kg (125lb.) beast. Mr Polson said he was “very surprised” to catch such a huge fish. “We spent 10 years in our old boat targeting monkfish and never saw one this size,” he said,,, The crew, which is made up of John Montgomery, Ian Reid, Stephen Anderson and Theo Polson, was trawling 90 miles east of Lerwick when they caught the monkfish in their seine net. >click to read< 08:43
