Monthly Archives: June 2020
Here you go, Fishermen. Feds see 2,000 East Coast turbines over 10 years
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) this week issued a supplement to its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind I project, a joint venture of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables seeking to build an 84-turbine wind farm 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. A 45-day public comment period begins Friday. “This supplement analyzes reasonably foreseeable effects from an expanded cumulative activities scenario for offshore wind development, previously unavailable fishing data, a new transit lane alternative, and changes to the proposed Vineyard Wind 1 Project,” the document says. >click to read< 10:06
A ‘little ship’ of Dunkirk hero is being saved at its original home in Bideford, Devon.
In May 1940 the Jane Hannah MacDonald III (JHM), then known as Jane Hannah, set off from Blakeney in north Norfolk and became one of the little ships of Operation Dynamo. The ships rescued more than 300,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk after the fall of France to Nazi Germany. The ship had been bought for fishing and leisure fishing trips out of Blakeney, after previously serving as a 35ft lifeboat at Flamborough, Yorkshire. 
It was owned by Bernard Chase and skippered by George Long, a 60-year-old Blakeney fisherman. Helped by Billy ‘Fat Freddie’ Long, the son of George’s brother William, he took the boat from Blakeney to Lowestoft and then on to Ramsgate in Kent, from where it was then requisitioned by the navy and taken across the choppy waters of the Channel on the night of June 5, 1940. >click to read< 09:30
A win for Alaska trollers – Judge denied request for injunction to keep season closed
Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson, of the US District Court of Western Washington, ruled on Tuesday (6-9-20) that an injunction petition filed by a Washington state environmental organization to protect killer whales circumvents established fisheries law. During oral arguments before her in May (5-28-20), Judge Peterson put hard questions to counsel for the Wild Fish Conservancy about whether the federal court had jurisdiction over the case, when the matter had not been tested before the Alaska Board of Fisheries, or the National Marine Fisheries Service — organizations which have regulated fisheries for the last four decades under the overall umbrella of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. So Judge Peterson’s ruling wasn’t unexpected. Nevertheless Kurt Beardslee, executive director of the Conservancy, says he’s disappointed. >click to read< 08:14
Coast Guard medevacs Fisherman 10 miles west of Hernando Beach
The Coast Guard medevaced a man with severe abdominal pain from a fishing vessel 10 miles west of Hernando Beach, Florida Thursday. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew responded to the call and safely transported the 49-year-old man to Tampa General Hospital in stable condition. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a VHF marine radio call on channel 16 at approximately 10:44 p.m. Wednesday from the fishing vessel Morning Star. Video, >click to watch/read< 19:00
Ships not complying with right whale protections in Cabot Strait
Oceana Canada has released one week of results from its ongoing study, which is assessing data from vessels travelling inside speed restriction zones. Between May 19 and May 25, 72 per cent of vessels recorded passing through the strait between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia were observed travelling at speeds above the requested 10 knots, with the highest observed at 21.1 knots. The findings will be part of a fuller study to be released in July that will look at the first trial period of the speed restriction. >click to read< 17:55
In Newport, a coronavirus outbreak spreads to local economy
Pacific Seafood ceased operations at all five of its Newport plants. The Oregon Health Authority said the outbreak is contained to Lincoln County and that risk to the public is low. But Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer said most of those who tested positive are locals. The town’s economy is hurting again without a major fish buyer and supplier. And businesses are shutting back down to try to slow the spread of the virus. “They live here, they work here, they’re community-based people,” Sawyer said. “And, of course, the problem with that is that people live and work with people that work in other industries.” >click to read< 12:16
Shrimp Season begins in Georgia waters
Darrell Gale and his crew hit the Darien River Tuesday night and had an early morning for the start of shrimp harvest season. Gale said he had a good catch, but it could have been better. The captain caught more small fish than he would have liked, but still ended up catching about 1,000 pounds of shrimp. However, that’s 2,000 pounds less than last year’s season opening. “They waited a little long to open the beaches and the smaller shrimps came out. Well…you don’t get as much profit with the smaller shrimps,” Gale said. Video, >click to read< 10:02
Fisherman Darren Porter has been keeping a one-man vigil at the Windsor causeway since last Thursday
The Hants County weir fisherman and marine science data collector has been floating in his open boat up to 20 hours a day to raise awareness for the lack of fish being allowed up the Avon River. “About six minutes on a tide,” said Porter of the amount of time the big gates in the Windsor causeway are opened to allow water through. That, he argues, is not enough time to allow the inner Bay of Fundy salmon, shad, gaspereau, striped bass and tom cod to get up the Avon River. That also, he argues, puts the operators of the gates (Department of Agriculture) in violation of the federal Fisheries Act. >click to read< 09:03
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the incident involving F/V Sarah Anne
On its website, the TSB said the investigation will consist of three phases. First, investigators will examine the wreckage and site of the incident and collect any pertinent information. The investigation will be led by Shannon Pittman. The Sarah Anne and its crew left early on the morning of May 25 to fish crab but did not return.,, The bodies of Edward Norman, Scott Norman, Jody Norman, and Isaac Kettle have been recovered. It is known that the Sarah Anne didn’t have an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, or an EPIRB, on board. The vessel had a two-way radio instead, as regulations didn’t require it to have an EPIRB. >click to read< 18:40
Have Faith: A fisherman’s journey of deep belief
Stanley Larsen’s fishing boat, Four Kids, pulled up to the dock in Menemsha a little after 10 am last Thursday, under a bright blue sky. Stanley steers it so it eases up next to its sister vessel, Richard & Arnold.,, Stanley was born and raised here, and has been a fisherman since childhood; he helped his dad lobstering from the time he was a kid. His father died when Stanley was in his early 20s, and then he carried on the family tradition, going out on long trips, steaming six, eight, even 10 hours at a time in his dad’s old boat: “I’d head down to Nantucket, out to New Bedford, south of the Island. I’d have fishing magazines that I’d probably read about 10 times, and I happened to be going through [his dad’s] drawer one day, and came upon the King James Bible. I just started reading it.” >click to read< 17:06
Offshore wind to have major ‘adverse’ effects
Offshore wind farms could have a major “adverse” impact on commercial fisheries, according to a long-awaited analysis from the Interior Department released yesterday. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s draft supplemental environmental review for Vineyard Wind, the first anticipated large-scale wind project in the United States, arrives nearly a year after a final decision on the project was expected. BOEM delayed a final environmental analysis at the eleventh hour last summer and announced the launch of the supplemental review, arguing that the rapid expansion of offshore wind proposals and coastal state wind procurement policies necessitated a broader examination of wind’s foreseeable impacts >click to read< 14:37
RODA Receives NMFS Grant to Convene State of the Science Symposium on Fishing and Offshore Wind Interactions – The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) has received a $150,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to aggregate existing knowledge, then convene a first-of-its-kind symposium on the current science regarding fisheries and offshore wind interactions. The project, “Understanding the State of the Science,” will advance agency, fishing industry, offshore wind energy developer, and public understanding of existing research on interactions between the two industries. >click to read<
Big Bar Landslide: 99% of early Stuart sockeye, 89% of early Fraser River chinook salmon runs were lost
The officials with Fisheries and Oceans Canada told a Commons committee that 99 per cent of early Stuart and 89 per cent of early chinook salmon were lost. Rebecca Reid, the department’s regional director for the Pacific region, said salmon survival improved later in the summer when work started to transport fish past the slide, helping them reach their spawning grounds. It’s believed the massive landslide north of Lillooet, B.C., occurred in late October or early November 2018, but it wasn’t discovered until last June after fish had already begun arriving. Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan told the committee the volume of the slide was equivalent to a building 33 storeys high by 17 storeys wide. >click to read< 13:06
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 68′ Steel Trawler with Fed Permit 35,000 lbs. GOM ACE and Mass CAP Permit
To review specifications, information, >click here< Vessel is in good condition. To see all the boats in this series, >click here<12:14
It aint looking good – Low prices, weak run hammer Copper River fishermen
Fishermen headed into the 2020 season knew it would be different, but in the weeks since the Copper River District opened on March 14, low prices and a weak run has dealt a one-two punch to fishermen. “The 2020 gillnet season for the Copper River and Prince William Sound is definitely the worst one I’ve experienced so far,” Mike Mickelson, a Cordova based fisherman, said. “The managers just have us closed for the Copper River fishery because they’re worried about getting escapement, >click to read< 10:33
Trump Rights a Wrong by Opening Marine Monument to Commercial Fishing
President Trump used the occasion of a visit to Maine last week to do right by an industry that hasn’t had much good news lately when he reopened to commercial fishing nearly 5,000 square miles of ocean south of New England that President Barack Obama closed in 2016. Stay tuned. In the process of righting a wrong,,, Obama created the area, known as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, just a few months before he left office. He portrayed the monument, the only one in the Atlantic, as a hedge against climate change.,,, Obama also >considered the area around Cashes Ledge<, 80 miles off Rockland, for monument status, which would have been devastating for Maine fishermen. Ultimately, he took a pass, but environmentalists have not given up on the idea. By Jerry Fraser, >click to read< 08:00
City Officials Announce Financial Relief Plan For Crabbers Impacted By Pier 45 Fire
Mayor Breed, the San Francisco Port Commission and Supervisor Aaron Peskin said they hope the financial assistance will ensure that a crab season happens this year. Some have called it the biggest disaster the San Francisco fishing fleet has ever experienced. More than 30 crabbers lost 8,000 crab, shrimp, and black cod traps pots during the four-alarm fire that ravaged Pier 45 on the morning of May 23. Shed C, which housed the vast majority of the crabbing community’s pots, was engulfed in flames and completely destroyed. The fire essentially brought the local crab fishing industry to a halt. >click to read< 19:29
Jimmy Buchan warns no-deal Brexit ‘will hurt’ Scottish fishing industry
The warnings come just days after the final round of scheduled talks between London and Brussels broke off, with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier accusing his opposite number, David Frost, of not showing “any true will” to reach a deal. Since the outset of negotiations the EU has demanded “status quo” access to UK waters, which would essentially mean a continuation of the common fisheries policy, something that has been categorically rejected by Boris Johnson. Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, told the Commons environment committee that, despite the differences, a deal must be done “no question”. >click to read< 16:57
Depoe Bay Harbor: “Best Harbor in the U.S.”
The second annual contest to find the best harbor in the U.S. wrapped up on Sunday, May 31, with winners announced shortly thereafter. US Harbors, an online site for tides and weather, providing localized information on more than 1,400 harbors on the coast and Great Lakes,,,, Depoe Bay Harbor captured the most votes, and runners up in this year’s contest were Onset Beach, Mass.; Padanaram/South Dartmouth, Mass. (Best Harbor 2019); Boothbay, Maine; Cuttyhunk, Mass.; and Oriental, N.C.,, Depoe Bay, a picturesque harbor of only six square acres, claims the title of “smallest navigable harbor in the world.” It is both the whale-watching capital of Oregon, and home to a working fishing community. >click to read< 14:25
Why New England Aquarium is fighting back against the Trump administration
Decades of work at the New England Aquarium went into securing special protected status for an area of underwater canyons and mountains off Cape Cod.,, During a visit to Maine last Friday, President Donald Trump announced he was signing a proclamation to allow commercial fishing in the nearly 5,000-square-mile ecosystem, which was declared a national marine monument by former President Barack Obama in 2016.,, Vikki Spruill, the CEO and president of the New England Aquarium, called the Republican president’s proclamation“irresponsible and shortsighted.” “The Trump Administration has chosen a moment of national vulnerability to take aim at the environment,” Spruill said in a statement Monday, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic and the national protests against police brutality. >click to read< 13:00
Glace Bay Fisherman celebrates 80 consecutive years of working on the water
In a year that has been anything but normal, Jim Munden continues to be a figure of both consistency and longevity on the Glace Bay wharf. The longtime fisherman, who will celebrate his 89th birthday this summer, still plays an active role in the former coal mining community’s other big industry. And this year marks the 80th consecutive year that Munden has taken to the coastal waters off Cape Breton to ply the trade he first experienced as a nine-year-old boy.,,, When asked about the beginnings of his lifelong career, Munden likes to mention that it all started in a foreign country. “I was born in Newfoundland back in 1931 when it was still part of England,” he recalls.,, they moved to Glace Bay when I was a boy.” That’s where he started fishing. And at his side the entire time has been Dot (Billard), his childhood sweetheart, wife of almost 70 years and mother of their six children. >click to read< 10:54
Judge weighs shutting down Southeast Alaska Chinook fishery
Fishermen in Southeast Alaska could see their season cut short if a federal judge issues an injunction requested by a Washington environmental group to protect the food supply of a subpopulation of orcas. The Wild Fish Conservancy filed a lawsuit against NOAA,,, “We are getting blamed for harvesting their food source, which really isn’t the cause of the problem,” Amy Daughery, executive director of the Alaska Trollers Association said. “The problem as we see it, is the exponential population growth in Seattle, which has lead to a lot of toxicity and pollution and habitat loss in that area. And so these whales are really struggling, this one population. The Northern killer whales that we see off the coast of Southeast Alaska are doing very well. In fact they’ve increased.” >click to read< 10:19
‘It’s like a weight has been lifted’ – Family of Newfoundland Fisherman Isaac Kettle relieved his body was found
It wasn’t how they wanted to find him, but Isaac Kettle’s family is comforted in knowing that at least his body can finally come home. “This is the best, worst news we could get,” his wife, Kerri Lynn Kettle, said after hearing that a body found near Arnold’s Cove on the weekend is her husband’s. “But it was such a relief to know he’s finally coming home. It’s like a weight has been lifted.” Kettle, 33, was one of four St. Lawrence fishermen lost at sea aboard the Sarah Anne, a 36-foot fishing vessel, after it set out from their hometown to go crab fishing on May 25. >click to read< 09:00
RCMP confims identification of the body found on Placentia Bay beach as Fisherman Isaac Kettle
The body recovered from a beach in Placentia Bay over the weekend is that of Isaac Kettle, a crew member of the Sarah Anne, which was lost at sea late last month. The RCMP confirmed the identification late Monday afternoon. Lobster fishermen on Saturday found a body in the area of Doughboy Cove, east of Arnold’s Cove, according to police. Police said at the time they had been in communication with the family of Kettle, who was one of four crew members who did not return to St. Lawrence after heading out to fish crab on the morning of May 25. The bodies of Edward Norman, 67; his son, Scott Norman, 35; and his nephew, Jody Norman, 42, were recovered the following day. >click to read< 16:59
Letter: Can you imagine they’re soft talking Whales and Wind Turbines? We don’t want to create the UNDERNET!
They have no Data! There’s an impact study in great need! Where the Hell is Lube Job Jane? So they are like maybe the Whales won’t mind a little inconvenience?! Talk about vertical lines! How about a Wall?! A physical one, with a combination of Electrical Current and Audio. The New Undernet! If I were a lobsterman i’d be pissed. Real pissed! At least those guys are mobile, They can get the Hell out of the way. In fact, they’re already doing it…We’re just starting to get a handle on things out there.. Let’s not turn it into an industrial dump! The Whales deserve better. >click to read< 16:14
Family Fishermen Move to Block Industry-Killing At-Sea Monitoring Rule
Cause of Action Institute (CoA Institute) today filed a motion for summary judgement on behalf of a group of New Jersey fishermen, asking a D.C. Federal Court to vacate job-killing fisheries regulations called the “Omnibus Amendment.” CoA Institute filed suit in February to challenge the industry-killing rule, which requires certain boats in the Atlantic herring fishery to carry “at-sea monitors” at their own cost. The Omnibus Amendment—designed by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) and finalized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce—is expected to cost fishermen upwards of $700 a day, leading to a projected 20% drop in returns-to-owner (profit). Not only is this industry already overregulated, but the agencies are forcing this unlawful rule upon fisherman without any statutory authority to do so. >click to read< 15:25
How can Maritime fisheries prevent another species collapse?
At a time when the Atlantic fishery industry is facing pressure from the Coronavirus crisis and reaching out for federal help, a Concordia researcher is focused on how to help the industry. “One of the things that can make fishing a difficult profession is the inherent uncertainty of the availability of fish stocks. The abundance of any single species can change quite a bit from one year to the next, and the kinds of regime shifts that I study can lead to even larger and longer-lasting shifts that are difficult to predict,” says Eric Pedersen, assistant professor of biology in the Faculty of Arts and Science. For those who experienced the 1990s collapse of the cod fishery in the Atlantic northwest, life was very hard. The government moratorium put tens of thousands out of work and had a catastrophic effect on the regional economy. At the time, the common perception was that overfishing had caused the crisis. >click to read< 13:02
The people causing the predation the Professor never brings up, are supporting the problem. Could 2020 finally bring an end to the commercial seal hunt in Canada? – >click to read<
Family of Newfoundland fisherman Isaac Kettle fairly certain he has been found
It wasn’t how they wanted to find him, but Isaac Kettle’s family is comforted in knowing that at least his body can finally come home. “This is the best, worst news we could get…,” his wife Kerri Lynn Kettle said after hearing that a body found near Arnold’s Cove on the weekend is likely her husband’s. “But it was such a relief.” Kettle, 33, was one of four St. Lawrence fishermen lost at sea aboard the Sarah Anne, a 36-foot fishing vessel, after it set out from their hometown to go crab fishing on May 25.,,, Work is underway by police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to identify the body, which was sent to St. John’s for examination.The RCMP contacted Kettle’s family, but no positive identification has yet been made. While they’re still waiting for confirmation, the family is certain Kettle has been found. >click to read< 11:01
UPDATED: 124 cases reported – Pacific Seafood Coronavirus outbreak due to out-of-state workers, say former employees
James Nelson, a 10-year veteran at Pacific Seafood, said he had to quit his job May 8, “due to the COVID-19 virus,” and said he was forced to resign after expressing concern over the company bringing in “100+ migrant workers” from California to process seafood in Newport. Nelson said he would not put his family’s safety in jeopardy because implanting workers from a more contaminated area was too dangerous. He brought his concerns to managerial staff and said some had their own concerns, but they told him the higher-ups made the decisions. >click to read< 09:39
124 coronavirus cases reported at Pacific Seafood facilities in Newport – Pacific Seafood on Sunday disclosed that 124 of its employees and local contractors have tested positive for coronavirus in what is the second largest workplace outbreak of the virus in the state to date. >click to read< 10:43
Unique lobster caught by Malpeque fisherman
Chris Wall, who fishes out of Malpeque, recently caught what he described as a unique lobster. “It almost had a second shape claw growing off one of the claws,” explained Wall, who added the catch was made in 60 feet of water or so. “I have handled a lot of lobsters myself and I have never caught a blue lobster, but I have caught a split lobster a few years ago, which was half red on one side and natural colour on the other side. “At the time I put it back, but I didn’t realize that type of lobster is one in 50 million where the blue lobster is one in two million.” >click to read< 08:48
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
