Daily Archives: November 16, 2020
Independent inshore lobster fishermen fear the Clearwater purchase could decimate their livelihoods
In 2018, then-Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Dominic Leblanc, put an end to Clearwater’s 20-year monopoly on the lucrative offshore fishery of Arctic surf clam when he allocated a quarter of the clam quota to the Five Nations Clam Company,,, Clearwater threatened legal action over the deal, and after it emerged that LeBlanc had family ties to Premium Seafoods, the plan was cancelled. Clearwater regained its surf clam monopoly for a year. Then in 2020, just nine days before Sipekne’katik First Nation launched its moderate livelihood fishery in Saulnierville in Southwest Nova, Clearwater announced that Membertou First Nation had purchased two of its eight licences for offshore lobster, over which the company had a monopoly,,, >click to read< Search Results for: Five Nations Clam Company, (lots )>click here< 20:56
RCMP charge 22 year old woman with assault amid lobster fishery tensions in southwest Nova Scotia
In a news release Monday afternoon, RCMP said they charged 22-year old Kristen Sack of Hants County with one count of assault in relation to the incident on Oct. 14. A man from Digby County was charged with two counts of assault on Saturday in relation to the same incident. Another man was arrested last month for allegedly assaulting Sipekne’katik Chief Mike Sack that same day. RCMP spokesperson Andrew Joyce said Monday there were multiple victims during the day’s events and all three people facing charges allegely assaulted different people. >click to read< 17:50
Three New Calves! North Atlantic Right Whale calving season is now underway
Right whales are an endangered species that usually migrate south along the Georgia and Florida coastline to give birth to their calves. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced over the weekend that calving season is now underway and lasts through March. In the 2020 calving season, there were 10 calves born, which was up from seven in the 2019 season. Despite the increase in calves, the species is still endangered. In the 2020 calving season, there were 10 calves born, which was up from seven in the 2019 season.>click to read< 15:27
Restore the oyster dredger Vanguard! Plea to help fund restoration of Essex boat used at Dunkirk
The Vanguard Restoration Foundation hopes to restore the oyster dredger Vanguard by securing the vital £500,000 needed to have it rebuilt. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the group hopes the boat, now residing in Burnham, will get a fresh boost of Dunkirk spirit. The aim is to get her ready for a return to Dunkirk in June 2025 to take part in celebrations marking the 85th anniversary. >photos, click to read< 13:35
Pure Salmon to invest $228 million in Southwest Virginia
Pure Salmon will invest about $228 million in Southwest Virginia, which is one of the largest private capital investments in the area’s history, according to officials in Russell, Buchanan, and Tazewell counties. The construction of “Project Jonah” will be the world’s “largest vertically integrated indoor aquaculture facility.” The facility will raise and process up to 20,000 tons of salmon annually. >click to read< 12:51
‘Reconciliation in Canada’: The Clearwater deal marks Indigenous nations’ growing clout
Chief Terry Paul, of Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia, who is leading the Mi’kmaq coalition, described it as a “transformational opportunity for the Mi’kmaq to become significant participants in the commercial fishery,” and praised Clearwater’s management expertise, infrastructure and global presence. A spokeswoman for Clearwater said the new owners have no plans to make any operational changes other than taking the company private. The deal is a major leap for Paul’s Membertou Nation, which posted $67 million in revenue in 2019, with a diversified revenue stream from fishing, the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre on Cape Breton Island and a number of other businesses. >click to read< 10:50
Obituary: Rocky Winston Ross
Richmond – Rocky Winston Ross, 31, of 291 Front St., Richmond, Formerly Bath, passed away suddenly on October 31, 2020. He was born in Bath on March 2, 1989, son of Margaret Keenum and Gary Ross. He attended Bath schools and graduated from Morse High School. He spent many years as a lobsterman on Mattinicus Island and later off-shore with Shaft Master Lobster Co. He recently started his painting business, Perceptive Painting, as well as house flipping investments. He had an exceptional mind especially for business. He loved the art and details of making the next deal and his natural talent for this was remarkable. >click to read< 08:42
One lawsuit dismissed, another filed against State of North Carolina over fisheries management
The latest suit was filed on Tuesday in state court, the same day another group’s legal action against government officials’ management of marine fisheries in North Carolina was dismissed in federal court. The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina, along with 86 North Carolinians, filed their civil action Tuesday against the state in Wake County Superior Court. In an unrelated case, an organization called the North Carolina Coastal Fisheries Reform Group filed a federal lawsuit in August saying regulations that allow large, ocean-going shrimp trawlers to work in the state’s sounds violated the Clean Water Act. >click to read< 08:01
