Daily Archives: August 24, 2020
John C. Gowie, a distant water skipper and fishing journalist has passed away
John C. Gowie, the former technical editor of Scottish Fishing Weekly, sadly passed away recently. A former fisherman from Aberdeen, his love of fishing and everything related to the industry always shone through, as did his compassion and wonderful sense of humour. After retiring from sea, he became Scottish Fishing Weekly’s technical editor in 1989. Based in Aberdeen, John covered a wide range within his work. As well as boat reviews and general reporting from the East Coast, he wrote the popular ‘Gearbox’ column, where he looked at technical issues facing the successful operation of a fishing vessel. ‘John lived and breathed the fishing industry and was very proud to have served and contributed on all levels. He and his wife Sheila had five children, 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. >click to read< 19:06
Feds distribute first of 322 dormant commercial fishing licences to Maritime First Nations
The federal government has started to distribute dormant, or “banked,” commercial fishing licences to First Nations in the Maritimes to finally implement a 1999 Supreme Court ruling that First Nations are entitled to earn a moderate livelihood from the fishery. The first 10 “banked licences”, out of a pool of 322 available in the Maritimes, were issued this month to Elsipogtog and Esgenoôpetitj First Nations in New Brunswick as part of historic Rights and Reconciliation Agreements signed in August 2019.,, The pool of 322 banked licences cover a wide variety of species including lobster, scallop, swordfish, herring and oysters. The total breakdown per province: 99 licences in Nova Scotia, 122 in New Brunswick and 101 in Prince Edward Island. There is a complete list,,, >click to read< 17:34
New Jersey family fighting for return of fisherman jailed in British Virgin Islands
His family is now scrambling to free him, including asking the U.S. government and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for help,,, According to the British Virgin Islands Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, on June 8, Fisherman Michael Foy, 60, of Stafford Township, was caught in territorial waters near Peter Island and Norman Island by Her Majesty’s Customs. Foy was the captain of the commercial fishing vessel Rebel Lady, which was carrying 7,000 pounds of fish. Also on board were Indonesian nationals, who could not speak English and were holders of C-11 transit visas, which are only applicable to persons working on a fishing vessel. >click to read< 15:15
Brexit fishing victory: UK sector to explode after leaving EU as thousands of jobs created
THE UK Government should ignore the current small percentage of GDP that Britain’s fishing industry accounts for due to the fact it will soar after Brexit according to the Chairman of Lowestoft Fish Market Alliance. The UK’s fishing industry has the potential to grow from around 0.5 percent of Britain’s GDP to 3.5 if zonal attachment is reintroduced after the post-Brexit transition period. Mr Lines added that Britain’s coastal communities will thrive off having a fishery and it may result in thousands of jobs created within the fishing sector. >click to read< 14:00
Fire crews fight Port Stanley boat fire that caused $750,000 in damage, man arrested
Police and firefighters responded to the town’s harbour shortly before midnight Saturday after receiving reports a commercial fishing vessel was on fire, Const. Troy Carlson, a spokesperson for Elgin OPP, said. Officers arrested a 19-year-old man, who remained in custody Sunday afternoon. No charges had been laid as of then. Video captured by Chris Gregurovic showed the boat, called Lady Pietra, fully engulfed in flames, smoke billowing from the top of the vessel and firefighters attempting to put out the blaze. >click to read< 09:35
UPDATED: Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura Advisories
At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located near latitude 20.9 North, longitude 79.7 West. Laura is moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph (33 km/h), and this general motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. >click to read< 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Marco was located near latitude 28.1 North, longitude 88.4 West. Marco is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h). Marco is forecast to approach the coast of Louisiana this afternoon, and then turn westward and move very close to the coast of Louisiana through Tuesday night. >click to read< 08:15
