Daily Archives: November 4, 2020
Demolition nears for old codfish processing plant – what a story it has to tell!
The building is all that remains of what was, at its founding, the first codfish processing plant north of San Francisco. Many of the untreated pilings, eroded by time, tide and critters were driven by Capt. J.A. Matheson when he built the processing plant in September 1891. By October, the former Provincetown, Massachusetts, sea captain’s schooner, Lizzie Colby, arrived from the Bering Sea with its holds full of cod, ushering in an era of fish curing and fish canning that would provide jobs for hundreds and fuel the economy of an infant city, according to news stories at the time in the Anacortes American. >10 photos, click to read< 15:15
Varied New Jersey Fishing Businesses May Apply for Grant for 35 Percent Loss in 2020
Since the pandemic began, fishing revenue in New Jersey is down about 35 percent, according to the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection. Viking Village commercial dock General Manager Ernie Panacek said, “All the commercial entities will be awarded something … it depends on each individual case” and may not be “a lot,” he said. “We deferred some (fishing) trips away from March and April because of the business slowdown. I kept everybody working here, but we lost revenue because we lost trips and limited the trips, made them smaller.” Fortunately, there are always consumers attracted to a quality product. If they weren’t able to get it inside a restaurant, a number of consumers bought it anyway. >click to read< 13:04
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 66’x18′ Wood Dragger with Longfin Squid Tier 1 permit, additional permits
To review specifications, and information, and 3 photos >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here<11:53
Seafood Company Owner Says It’s Unfair To Call Commercial Fishermen Racists
Nathan Cooke, the owner of the wholesaler, says he and his 12 employees have received death threats because of the Facebook posts, and there have been calls to boycott his business. Cooke claims that neither he nor the lobster fishermen are racist. Cooke also says he supports the Mi’kmaq right to fish in their native waters, as laid out in treaty agreements with Canada. But he believes fishing should happen within the DFO-defined seasons, for the sake of conservation. The issue is it hasn’t been defined yet; it’s unregulated.” “No one is denying them access and anyone would buy off them (in season), any buyer.” >click to read< 11:00
The Magwood family is grateful for love, and support
The Magwood family would like to sincerely thank the town of Mount Pleasant, the surrounding Charleston community and the many friends for the beautiful outpouring of support that was bestowed upon us after the sudden passing of our father, Capt. Wayne Magwood. Our hearts were touched and we were truly comforted by everyone who showed their love for our father. The acts of kindness, loving words, prayers and tributes shared to honor his memory fille
Mi’kmaq Chief involved in Nova Scotia lobster fishery dispute re-elected
It will be a third term for Chief Mike Sack in the community of Sipekne’katik, formerly known as Indian Brook, located about 65 kilometres north of Halifax. The returning officer of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq says Sack won more than 72 per cent of the vote. Heather Knockwood and Kim Paul were the other candidates for chief in the community of about 2,770 people. Sack gained national prominence after he officially opened a “moderate livelihood’’ fishery for his community on Sept. 17 in Saulnierville, N.S. >click to read< 09:27
Coronavirus lockdown: ‘Feeling of dread’ for fishing industry that it may be as bad or worse than the first lockdown
Prices dropped in March when the first coronavirus lockdown caused worldwide demand for seafood to fall drastically. Jim Portus, from the South Western Fish Producers’ Association, said there was “a feeling of dread that it may be as bad or worse than the first lockdown”. The government said it was continuing “to monitor the situation”. “This is a very uncertain time for the fishing industry,” said Mr Portus, who has called on the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to make a case to the government for financial support. >click to read< 08:56
Opening day is a no show for scallops and baymen
Shelter Island’s town dock was deserted, not what you expect on opening day for bay scallop fishing. A few minutes later, bayman John Kotula arrived, but not to go scalloping. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Kotula said, ignoring a stiff wind and soul-sapping 39 degrees.,, Keith and Louise Clark of Shelter Island renewed the license for the scallop-processing facility in their basement, an act that was equal parts stubbornness and ungrounded optimism. The death of the adult bay scallops in 2019 was shocking, but hope truly eroded in August of this year when researchers and baymen documented a second mass mortality. >click to read< 07:57
One day into the new season, and there are few if any adult scallops – For Ms. Phillips and her husband, Mark, a commercial fisherman who seems to work around the clock all year long, their family-owned seafood business on the creek in Greenport diversified long ago to help them weather situations like this year’s scallop crop. “But this lack of scallops will really hurt so many people who each year depend on them for their income.” >click to read<
