Daily Archives: December 2, 2020
‘There’s Death Threats’: Indigenous Fishers Nervous as Nova Scotia’s Commercial Lobster Season Opens
Some Mi’kmaq have fished alongside commercial fishermen on these wharves for years but this year, after violence erupted in the past few months, they’re now divided largely by race—the white Acadian fishermen at Meteghan, and the Mi’kmaq at Saulnierville, with each flying their own flags. A court injunction, sought by the Mi’kmaq, has further separated the two groups, in an effort to prevent any more aggression and harassment towards band members on the Saulnierville wharf and on the water as they continue to fish until Dec. 17, the end of their moderate livelihood plan. The commercial inshore lobster fishery, expected to launch later this week, runs until the end of May. >click to read< 20:37
Irish Shipyard Supplies Trawler To Shipping Company In Shetland
The latest new fishing vessel built and equipped from the Irish shipyard Mooney Boats in Killybegs is a trawler for the shipping company One Way Fishing Company in Shetland. The ‘Ocean Challenge’ LK-253 was built for the owner Leslie Hughson and his family. Three years ago, the former vessel ‘Ocean Way’ was lost north-east of Shetland and until the end of February this year they had been fishing with the other vessel in the ‘Fairway’ shipping company. Video, >click to read< 19:48
Dec. 3, 09:00 start confirmed for LFA 34 lobster fishery
After days of delay because of the weather, the LFA 34 commercial fishery off southwestern N.S. will get underway Thursday, Dec. 3. It’ll be a later start with boats leaving the wharves at 9 a.m. as opposed to the traditional 6 a.m. start. It was decided to take advantage of daylight for the season start. The season opener was confirmed during a Wednesday morning industry conference call with other stakeholders. >click to read< 14:24
25 years after the Florida net ban – “When they take your gear from you and they tell you that you can’t fish,,,
Generational islander Rhonda Dooley has a burning desire that no one forget the Florida net ban. She says many people still don’t realize what it was really about, and how it continues to affect the island and the families who made their living on the water. “When they take your gear from you and they tell you that you can’t fish,,, She said commercial fishermen are food producers. “There were over 300 fishing families on the island back in the day,” she said, referring to life before the net ban. “Everyone had their hand in fishing — that was all they did and all they talked about.” >click to read< 13:04
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 43′ Scalloper/Dragger, 204HP Mitsubishi
To review specifications, and information, and 21 photos, The vessel is very well maintained and very clean. >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here<12:29
From surf to turf – ‘Codfather’ Carlos Rafael nets real estate deals
Carlos Rafael used to own one of the largest commercial fishing operations in the US before he was taken down in 2016 by federal agents disguised as Russian mobsters. He sold the last of his fishing fleet in February as part of a settlement with the federal government keeping him out of the industry for good. Now the Dartmouth resident says he is planning to restore the Hawthorne Country Club on Tucker Road to its former glory as a function hall, and has already set plans in motion for a new 149-unit apartment complex for residents over 55 on Hathaway Road. “Actually, the government did me a favor by putting me out,” Rafael said. “I ended up with a bucketload of money out of the deal, and instead of having the money in the bank, I’m investing it.” >click to read< 10:42
Touting Potential Economic Benefits, Crescent City Harbor District Commissions Offshore Wind Farm Study
Though the Crescent City Harbor District will move forward with a study on the “pluses and minuses” of offshore wind energy production to Del Norte County, the decision wasn’t unanimous. However, their colleagues Carol White and Rick Shepherd, a commercial fisherman, said they were concerned about the environmental impacts those turbines would have on Del Norte County waters. “Plus the last article I read said it cost up to four times more to put these out on the ocean as opposed to putting them on land,” Carol White said. “I’m with Rick I don’t think we should be messing with the ocean at this point, especially when fishermen are struggling to make ends meet.” >click to read< 09:37
Official inquiry launched into the sinking of the F/V Joanna C, an exclusion zone has been set
An exclusion zone has been set up around the wrecked Brixham scalloper as part of the investigation. An official government investigation into the sinking of the Brixham fishing boat Joanna C has begun. The 45-foot scalloper went down early in the morning on November 21. The MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) investigates all maritime accidents in UK waters and accidents involving UK registered ships worldwide. It sets out to establish the cause of accidents, to promote awareness of risks and prevent recurrence. >click to read< 08:42
Humpback whale boosts spirits in struggling Alaskan town
A humpback whale has been frequenting Ketchikan, Alaska, almost daily for the past month, helping to lift spirits as the city reels from a lack of tourism. The whale, nicknamed Phoenix, is feeding on herring and possibly salmon fry with dramatic upward lunges, sometimes just yards from onlookers on docks and walkways. As days shorten and a bleak winter approaches, more residents are discovering the joy of searching for Phoenix throughout the channel fronting the town. photos, >click to read< 08:02
