Daily Archives: August 6, 2020
Recreational fishers file lawsuit against State of N.C, and commercial shrimpers
After following this story for over a year, Recreational fishermen are suing North Carolina and commercial shrimpers, accusing them of diminishing fishing populations in the Pamlico Sound.,, The fishers said once the lawsuit is served to the state and shrimpers, they’ll have 21 days to respond. WNCT reached out to North Carolina’s Dept. of Environmental Equality, The State Division of Marine Fisheries, and The North Carolina Fisheries Association. All have declined to speak at this time. >click to read< 15:11
August is Coast Guard Month in Newport
Newport City Council proclaimed August as Coast Guard Month in the city of Newport. Mayor Dean Sawyer read a proclamation honoring the United States Coast Guard at the regular meeting Monday evening, encouraging “all residents and visitors to celebrate and thank the U.S. Coast Guard and Station Yaquina Bay and its individual members for protecting our shores for 230 years.” Sawyer continued, “The United States Coast Guard plays a vital role in the city of Newport and the state of Oregon. Station Yaquina Bay personnel work diligently, keeping safe the commercial fishing fleet, recreational mariners and locals and visitors in their use of the ocean and beaches.” >click to read< 13:14
New Brunswick: Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association says financial support program may not be enough
On Wednesday the federal government announced a $469-million program to help fish harvesters deal with financial burdens amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association worries it won’t be enough. Melanie Sonnenberg told Information Morning Saint John the program leaves out new fishermen and that’s concerning. “They’re our future, and we have to have some recognition, some special programming or something that we can plug them into to make sure they’re looked after so when we come out of this we’ll have a fishing industry that is every bit as robust as it was.” The fish harvesters benefit covers 75 per cent of income losses over 25 per cent for the 2020 tax year, compared to 2018 or 2019. The maximum benefit is $10,164. >click to read< 11:22
Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Palazzo Announce $30M in Aid for U.S. Shrimp Industry
The announcement comes after the Mississippi lawmakers sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he use his authority to purchase and distribute Gulf seafood to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Recently-enacted legislation, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, includes additional support for USDA programs that provide food to distressed communities. “Mississippi’s shrimp industry has been hit hard by COVID19, with many vessels having to stay tied to the dock due to collapsing markets. We are glad to hear the USDA is stepping up purchases of Gulf shrimp and applaud the hard work of our Congressional delegation to make it happen,” >click to read< 09:17
Coronavirus outbreaks keep sidelining vessels owned by one of Seattle’s largest fishing companies. No one’s entirely sure why.
It’s not surprising that fishing vessels would become potentially high-risk environments as the pandemic worsened. Like cruise ships, which became notorious Covid-19 hotspots in the early days of the outbreak, fishing trawlers tend to confine people in close quarters for prolonged periods of time. But several additional factors make fishing vessels susceptible to outbreaks: Living arrangements require people to cram into tight spaces together, sharing bunkrooms, dining areas, toilets, and other facilities. “These people are four to a room,” said Dr. Marisa D’Angeli,“They’re in bunk beds. They share a bathroom with the four people [in the] adjacent [room]—so eight people total. People don’t wear a mask when they sleep.” The work environment, which requires people to work closely together in wet, chaotic circumstances, is no less fraught with transmission opportunities. >click to read< 08:08
