Daily Archives: September 19, 2020
Application deadline extended for fish harvester benefits program – will have until Oct. 5th
Fishers financially impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic have two extra weeks to apply for the federal government’s Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program. The original Sept. 21 deadline is now extended to 3 p.m. on Oct. 5 for self employed harvesters to submit their applications online. In a press release Sept. 18, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan encouraged anyone who thinks they may be eligible to visit the DFO website and learn how to apply. >click to read< 17:44
Nova Scotia: Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan asking sides to meet to de-escalate lobster fishing tensions
And late Friday afternoon the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs declared a state of emergency for mainland Nova Scotia because of what it calls political unrest and violence. Early Friday evening Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan issued a statement,, “Our Government’s first priority is to ensure everyone involved remains safe. In Canada, anyone can participate in peaceful protests and that process is fundamental to our democracy,” she said. “At this time, it is imperative that all parties, and the public work together to lower tensions on the water and in our communities, to foster understanding between one another,,, “To that end, I’m extending an invitation for Indigenous leadership and industry leadership to meet with me as soon as possible. >click to read< 15:13
Southeast’s commercial Dungeness crab summer season the second highest on record
Commercial salmon fisheries in Southeast are looking to be a bust this year, but that’s not the case for Dungeness crab. This summer’s harvest ended up being the second highest on record. But the value of the fishery was not near a record breaker. Fishermen brought in 5.81 million pounds of crab in a commercial season that ran from mid-June to mid-August. Joe Stratman leads crab management in Southeast for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “What was taken this summer is more than double the previous ten year average,” he said. >click to read< 11:40
Two fishermen rescued from Westray creel boat
Kirkwall RNLI came to the aid of a stricken fishing vessel aground on rocks off Westray on Friday. Two people were onboard the Kirkwall-registered creel boat Kingfisher. Kirkwall’s volunteer lifeboat crew arrived on the scene at 10.50am to find the vessel hard aground on a shelf of rock. They were assisted by two other vessels along with the Westray Coastguard team on the cliff top. >click to read< 10:31
Hurricane Teddy continues its path toward Atlantic Canada
Hurricane Teddy will likely impact Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence region as a strong post-tropical storm over Tuesday and Wednesday, said an information statement issued by Environment Canada. In the statement issued early Saturday morning, Environment Canada said Teddy is currently a category three system over the Tropical Atlantic well southeast of Bermuda. Over the next two days, it will slowly move up, passing east of Bermuda on Monday, when it will begin to accelerate towards Nova Scotia. >click to read< 09:48
Seafood Trade Relief Program: Funding available for Maine lobster fishermen affected by China’s tariffs
Lobster fishermen have started applying for a portion of a $527 million relief program recently unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help offset losses incurred due to China’s new tariff policies. The Seafood Trade Relief Program (STRP) is paying 50 cents for every pound of lobster; in 2019, Maine landed roughly 100 million pounds. The Notice of Funds Availability notes President Donald Trump’s June 24 memorandum, “Protecting the United States Lobster Industry,” directs the USDA to consider appropriate action to provide assistance to eligible U.S. commercial fishermen whose business has been impacted by foreign government trade actions that have led to the loss of exports. >click to read< 08:11
