The pre-dawn blaze in May devastated an 85,000-square-foot warehouse at the end of Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf. Fishers, who lease space from the port to store their equipment, say the port knew but did not stop homeless people from entering and setting camping and cooking fires within the building, which contained flammable materials and lacked automatic sprinklers and fire extinguishers. Many businesses were forced to acquire new gear for this month’s Dungeness crab season while some remain shut out altogether, they say. >click to read< 08:31
Monthly Archives: December 2020
Crab-22: how Norway’s fisheries got rich on an invasive species
The Norwegian fishing village of Bugøynes, 310 miles north of the Arctic Circle and a frigid, dark place for much of the year, was on the edge of ruin. Work was scarce. Years of overfishing and mismanagement had stymied cod quotas. Boats lay idle in cold waters. Those who chose to stay were forced to rely on what meagre wages they could still muster from fishing and processing. That is, until the crabs arrived.,, Unknown to the fishermen, the crustaceans had traveled from Russia, where scientists had introduced red king crabs on the Murman coast during the 1960s with the goal of establishing a new, lucrative fishery. Slowly, the crabs scuttled the 60 or so miles over the border,,, >click to read< 07:39
Search for missing fishermen in Bay of Fundy has paused
The search for five fishermen, and clues about what happened to their missing scallop vessel in the Bay of Fundy, has been put on pause, again.What began as a search-and-rescue mission on the water, as well as by ground and air on Dec. 15, turned into an RCMP recovery mission 36 hours later. All efforts were suspended when a winter storm hit the province on Dec. 17, and resumed only briefly by helicopter the following day. In an update Saturday morning, RCMP said the ground search has been suspended indefinitely because of unsafe conditions. A search by air may resume Sunday if the weather allows. >click to read< 12:14
LI fishermen see ‘tough’ days ahead as NYC restaurants back in lockdown
With New York City restaurants back in lockdown, Long Island fishermen once again face the loss of one of the biggest markets for their fish as a choppy 2020 comes to a close. Hank Lackner, who operates the state’s largest commercial trawler, a 93-foot dragger out of Montauk, said he’s already applied for the relief. “It’s been really tough,” said Lackner, adding his revenue is down 40% to 45% this year. “It’s only going to get tougher,” with city restaurants in lockdown, and talk of a bigger statewide pause in January. >click to read< 10:39
Please Contribute to Chief William Saulis Families Fund
Charles “Hot Dog” Roberts, Leonard “Layback Lenny” Gabriel, Aaron Cogswell, Eugene “Geno” Francis, Dan Forbes, Mike Drake. These six men were tragically lost while returning to port from a trip fishing for scallops aboard the Chief William Saulis on the morning of December 15th 2020. So far, only Mike Drake’s body has been recovered. Any funds collected from this GoFundMe will be added to that account and will then be provided to the families of these men. Please >click to read< and donate if you can. Fundraiser organizer is Alain D’Entremont. Thank you, Alain. 22:14
An Fundraiser – Help for the Family of Mike Drake of Fortune, NL
Mike Drake at the age of 48 from Fortune, NL was among the crew of six on the Chief William Saulis, a scallop dragger, that sank in the Bay of Fundy this past Tuesday, December 15, 2020. Mike’s body was recovered late Tuesday from the frigid waters off the coast of southwestern Nova Scotia. At this time Mike remains at a funeral home in Nova Scotia while he awaits a flight home to Newfoundland to be returned to his family who are all anxiously awaiting for his arrival back home to give him a proper burial and hopefully give the family some closure to this great tragedy and loss. >click to read the rest<, and, please! Donate if you can. Thank you Joan Caines 20:56
Shell shocked: ‘Lobster capital’ braces for Brexit
More than 80% of crabs and lobsters from East Yorkshire are sold in Europe. On a typically blustery morning on Bridlington Harbour the lobster lorry arrives from France. Live shellfish exporters in England have warned a wave of form-filling, certification and tariffs will hit the industry in 2021. “The cost of everything will rise with all the extra tariffs businesses will have to pay on goods going in both directions,” according to Jo Ackers, “We are looking at extra tariffs of 8% on lobster and 7.5% on crab with EU countries having similar import tariffs. It is the fishermen and the end of line customers that would get hit with these costs in the long term,” she said. >click to read< 20:11
Price Negotiation Delayed! Will there be Oregon Dungeness crab for Christmas? Fleet still in port
Commercial Dungeness crab season, Oregon’s most valuable fishery, opened Wednesday. But crab boats remain tied up on docks in Coos Bay. “We’re kind of sitting here with our hands tied behind our back. We’ve got really no options,” Rex Leach, owner of the fishing vessel, Ms. Julie, said this week. While weather can be a hold-up, that’s not the case right now. Fishermen are stalled because of price negotiations with processing plants. video, >click to read< 18:15
Hokkaido fishing villages face tough decision over nuclear disposal sites
A frosty wind was blowing in from the Sea of Japan at the Suttsu fishing port in Hokkaido in late November. There, catching anglerfish with a grim look on his face was 77-year-old fisherman Kyozo Kimura.,, In 1977, Kimura, a native of the town of Matsumae,,, Longline fishing of trout prospered at the time, and he reminisced about the time when he got a new 29-ton ship,,, But that dream did not last long.,, Kimura ventured into scallop farming. In August, local residents saw shocking headlines that Suttsu was considering applying for preliminary research into being a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste produced from nuclear power plants. Hearing the news, Kimura,, >click to read< 13:51
Search resumes for missing F/V Chief William Saulis fishermen in Bay of Fundy
Police say the search for five missing fishermen from the Chief William Saulis fishing vessel in the Bay of Fundy will resume from the air on Friday morning. Nova Scotia RCMP said in a news release that they are partnering with the Department of Lands and Forestry to search by helicopter. The ground search is still suspended due to safety concerns, after a snowstorm that hit the province on Thursday. Police say they will reassess conditions on Saturday. >click to read< 11:37
Courts Need To Stop Presidents From Calling Oceans ‘National Monuments’ To Illegally Put Them Off-Limits
In Lewis Carroll’s classic “Through the Looking Glass,” Humpty Dumpty says to the befuddled protagonist, Alice, “When I use a word … it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.” Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association v. Ross, a pending cert petition filed by my colleagues at Pacific Legal Foundation, asks the justices to resolve a curious circuit court split to clarify that the ocean is not land, up is not down, and words have meaning. In 2016, President Barack Obama made one such designation: 3.2 million acres of the Atlantic Ocean south of Cape Cod, beyond our nation’s territorial waters. How Did We Get Here? >click to read< 09:45, Where are we headed? The ocean under Biden -“Big picture, a return to science on how we approach the ocean and ocean policy,,, Early steps include naming John Kerry as a cabinet-level climate czar and pledging to reenter the Paris Climate Accord that he signed. Climate change,,, >click to read< 09:56
Crescent City Harbor: Crabbing as a family
After the state of California announced crab season would not open until Dec. 23, most of the owners and crews headed home to wait another week. The only boat with activity was the F/V Resolution, where boat owner Richard Nehmer and his crew made some final preparations. Nehmer also took the extra time to work with greenhorn Blake Mihelich, who is going crabbing for the first time. Nehmer was joined on the boat by his wife, Annie, and their children, Alana and Connor. “My grandfather was a fisherman, my father was a fisherman,” Richard said. “Connor will be a fourth-generation fisherman. Connor literally fishes with us. It’s his business, he just has to wait a few years.” photos >click to read< 09:18
F/V Chief William Saulis: Support being extended to families of lost and missing fishermen – Vessel Owner Issues Statement
“As our community continues to grieve, it is most important that the families and friends of those lost know we are here to support them in whatever way they need – physically, mentally, spiritually,” said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood on Thursday, Dec. 17. “We are a resilient community but now is not the time to talk about bouncing back. Now is the time to grieve. To cry. Be angry. To feel.”,,, With families at the forefront during this time of grief, Mood reached out to Bertha Brannen, a grief recovery specialist in Yamouth, who will work with families of those lost. >click to read< 07:49
Search Suspended; Owner Of Capsized Vessel Issues Statement – Yarmouth Sea Products issued a statement Wednesday about the loss of the Chief William Saulis and the six fishermen aboard. >click to read the statement in full<
U.S. Coast Guard Works to Make BSAI Crab Fishery Catch Less Deadly in 2021
Within the commercial crab fishing fleet of Alaska’s Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) sail some of the most widely admired and respected fishermen on earth. The BSAI crab fishery was widely considered the most hazardous U.S. commercial fishery in the 1990s after 73 fishing-related fatalities.,, laws did not address the problem of overloading vessels with crab pots, a major cause of vessel disasters and deaths. This gap in safety regulations was partially corrected by the Coast Guard in 1999 with the introduction of a dockside stability and safety compliance check program.,, Recent tragedies in these fisheries have shed light on just how important stability checks are for the fishing fleet. F/V Destination and F/V Scandies Rose sank in February 2017, and New Year’s Eve 2019, respectively, claiming the lives of 11 fishermen. >click to read< 22:50
This Year May Decide the Fate of BC’s Wild Salmon – Feds to phase out all Discovery Islands fish farms in 2022
Three decisions may well seal the fate of wild Pacific salmon along the coast of British Columbia this year. The first was the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ decision to essentially legalize high sea lice infestations on fish farms for periods of time last spring. The second was DFO’s calculated response to the Cohen Commission’s recommendations that fish farming must end by Sept. 30, 2020 in the Discovery Islands unless the federal fisheries minister can show that they cause less than minimal risk to migrating juvenile Fraser River sockeye salmon. Minister Bernadette Jordan said that there was no real risk. The third decision is said to be imminent. >click to read< 19:07
Feds to phase out all Discovery Islands fish farms in 2022 – The federal government says it will phase out all fish farms in B.C.’s Discovery Islands by June 2022. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says no new fish of any size may be introduced into the region from now until the phase-out date. Existing salmon farms can continue to operate in the island archipelago, located between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, until June 30, 2022. After that date they must be free of fish and closed down. >click to read< , Government of Canada moves to phase out salmon farming licences in Discovery Islands following consultations with First Nations – DFO press release, >click to read<
Livelihoods Threatened: Massachusetts lobstermen concerned about proposed regulations to protect whales
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is proposing multiple amendments to current rules regulating fixed gear fisheries in an effort to protect an the North Atlantic right whale. Two local lobstermen say the proposed regulations threaten their livelihoods. “It’s gonna take roughly 30% of my income away from me,” said Dave Magee,,, Tom Tomkiewicz, a Fairhaven lobsterman, was not sold on the regulation, the regulations could cut 30% of his catch and up to 50% of his income,,, “All the bait guys, the marine supply guys, the shipyards, down to the restaurants we go to once or twice a week. We’re not going to be able to go because we won’t have the money. It’s going to affect a lot of people not even involved.” >click to read< 13:07
Icelandic Fishermen haul back an unexploded World War II mine
The Icelandic Coast Guard received a call yesterday afternoon when a trawler caught an unexploded mine in its fishing gear. The Coast Guard’s command centre requested that the ship return to harbour in Sandgerði and dispatched the explosive ordnance disposal unit. When the boat landed, 
the crew evacuated, and the EOD unit prepared to move the mine from the ship with floatation devices. When the boat landed, the crew evacuated, and the EOD unit prepared to move the mine from the ship with floatation devices. >click to read< 11:20 Unexploded World War II mine detonated – >video, click here<
Yarmouth is heartbroken by fishing tragedy – ‘It’s such a feeling that ‘sad’ doesn’t even describe’
If there is one thing Yarmouth prides itself on, it is for being a fishing community.,, There are ups. And there are downs. It’s almost like wedding vows. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. And sometimes, tragically, ‘till death do us part.,, Southwestern Nova Scotia has not been immune to loss, heartbreak and tragedy on the sea. And it can also be cruel. And now comes more heartache. The scallop dragger F/V Chief William Saulis and its six-member crew was on its way into port on Tuesday, Dec. 15 when something went terribly wrong. >click to read< 10:19
F/V Chief Williams Saulis: ‘Hearts are extremely heavy’ as search for missing N.S. fishing crew ends
The Maritime Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said late Wednesday afternoon that it is suspending the search for five missing fishermen in the Bay of Fundy. The news comes after 36 hours of searching for the crew of the Chief Williams Saulis, a scallop vessel based out of Yarmouth, N.S. The RCMP will now handle the investigation as a missing persons case. The JRCC said the search covered 260 nautical miles by sea and air. One body was recovered on Tuesday night, but had not yet been publicly identified. >click to read< 07:16
Body of Newfoundland Fisherman Recovered, Search for Others Called Off in Nova Scotia – Residents of the Town of Fortune are rallying around the family of a man whose body was recovered,,, The man, Michael Drake, was one of six crewmen on board the Chief William Saulis,,, >click to read<
RCMP suspend search for Chief William Saulis fishermen due to impending storm – Chief Deborah Robinson of Acadia First Nation also expressed her condolences in a statement on Thursday morning. Eugene Francis, nicknamed Geno, was a community member who lived on the Yarmouth reserve, growing up in Milton, N.S., where his parents and son still live. “We were devastated to hear that Geno was among those on board and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all the families, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who are impacted by this tragic event,” Robinson said. >click to read<
Oregon: Commercial Dungeness crab season not starting as fishermen hoped
Wednesday signifies the official start of the commercial Dungeness crab season, but it’s not starting out the way fishermen had hoped. This is the day they would normally be pulling crab pots out of the water and getting crab to the processors. But the boats are all still tied to the docks. That’s because market prices are still in question. Two processors have put an offer on the table of $2.50/pound, but Pacific,,, >click to read< 20:39
Missing fishermen identified as Bay of Fundy search stretches into 2nd day
The mother of one of five fishermen still missing in the Bay Fundy says she has accepted her son won’t be found alive, as searchers continue for a second day to comb a stretch of Nova Scotia coastline for signs of the crew of a scallop fishing vessel that hasn’t been heard from since Tuesday morning. Aaron Cogswell, Leonard Gabriel, Dan Forbes, Michael Drake and Geno Francis, along with captain Charles Roberts, were the six men on 
board the Chief William Saulis. Lori Phillips said her son, Cogswell, 29, had been fishing with the captain of the vessel for seven years. “I know he’s not coming back alive, but I want him to come back home,” Her son had high-functioning autism, Phillips said, and Roberts, the captain, took him under his wing. “He was always there for him. He was his protector,” Video, photos, >click to read< 16:35
Digby, NS residents apprehensive as search continues for missing scallop boat – Digby resident David Stephens talked about the impact on the local community, while fellow scallop fisherman Kim Emino discussed his own personal search and rescue effort for the missing fishermen. Video, >click to watch<
Search continues for 5 remaining fishermen of missing scallop boat, crew identified
Searchers are back on land, sea and on the ground today, Dec. 16, looking for missing crew members of the Chief William Saulis,,, The body of one crew member was recovered from the water Tuesday night. Five others remain missing. Multiple people, including the Coldwater Lobster Association, have posted on social media that the crew consisted of Captain Charles Roberts and crew members Aaron Cogswell, Michael Drake, Dan Forbes, Geno Francis and Leonard Gabriel. “We’re going to be out through the rest of today,” JRCC spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Brian Owens said Wednesday morning. “No determination has been made as to any change to that posture right now.” >click to read< 13:16
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: Menhaden Business – 2 vessels, with permits, and quota
To review specifications, and information, and 60 photos, Turn key business includes 2 vessels, seines, and existing customers, permits and quota for New Jersey, MA permit >click here<, To see all the boats in this series. Seller is encouraging offers for a quick sale. >click here12:00
Tale of skipjack captain and caper still worthy of praise
This is the story of a gift of Chesapeake waters, no less important than any bounty of seafood. It’s about Art, the late Art Daniels, Jr., that is, legendary Deal Island oyster dredger, captain for more than half a century of the skipjack City of Crisfield. It’s also about the art of the oyster, which appears to be the least glamorous of Chesapeake seafood, no match for the blue crab’s colors, the sportiness of striped bass or the eel’s epic migration from Bay streams to Sargasso Sea. No method of harvesting the Bay was more artful than the wind filling the outsize mainsail of a skipjack as the captain drove her skillfully, >click to read< 09:35
B.C. spot prawn industry nets new markets close to home
For forty years, Guy Johnston has worked six-week stints on his fishing boat without a break harvesting spot prawns on the central coast of British Columbia. Johnston said he still likes fishing the red crustaceans, found only in West Coast waters, after all these years. Johnston lives in Cowichan Bay and, like many prawn fishers in the area, saw the international demand for his catch decline due to COVID-19. “The price dropped by over 50 per cent,,, However, along with the disappointment, Johnston also saw hope: Fishers pivoting to sell in local markets. >click to read< 08:20
UPDATED: One F/V Chief William Saulis crewman found dead, search continues for 5 others on Bay of Fundy
Searchers were combing the Bay of Fundy by air and sea after the scallop boat Chief William Saulis and its six crew members went missing in rough seas early Tuesday morning. Late last night, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, which is leading the search for the vessel, reported that one of men was found dead. Former crewman Jacob Jacquard heard some names of those believed to be on board, but that list was more than six names so he didn’t know for sure who was working. He said the RCMP in the area were going to homes to confirm with families whether their loved ones were on the boat. >click to read< 06:53
Search continues for 6 fishermen aboard missing fishing vessel in Bay of Fundy
An emergency signal from a scallop fishing vessel, the Chief William Saulis, came in at 5:51 a.m. Debris was spotted from the air around 8:22 a.m. Two life-rafts washed ashore but no one was on board, said Lt.-Cmdr. Brian Owens, with the JRCC. “We’re going to continue the search into the rest of the evening and as long as it takes to make sure that we make all possible attempts to find these individuals,” he said. At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, he confirmed that the search would continue throughout the night. >click to read< 17:09
Crew of five abandons vessel and makes it to shore
A fishing vessel went aground in rough surf off Yarmouth Bar early on Dec. 15. Lieutenant commander Brian Owens, senior public affairs officer with Joint Task Force (Atlantic) and Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Halifax, says the centre received a call at 6:12 a.m. “The vessel went aground from all indications and five persons onboard abandoned the vessel, but thankfully, made it ashore,” he said. >click to read< 15:15
Scallop boat, crew missing off Nova Scotia coast
The rescue centre says debris was spotted on the water at 8:22 a.m. A Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft were dispatched from Greenwood, N.S., but as of noon local time there was no word of any survivors being found. Alain d’Entremont, president of the Full Bay Scallop Association, confirmed that the boat is owned by Yarmouth Sea Products, which is a member of the association. D’Entremont said the 15-metre scallop dragger was on its way to Digby when it “seemed to have sunk …. As far as I’m aware none of the crew are accounted for.” >click to read< 13:39
Search on for fishing boat after debris found along shore of Annapolis County
RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce said the force was contacted this morning just before 8 a.m. about two life-rafts that were near the shore, washing in and out on the tide near Hillsburn Road Hillsburn, Annapolis County. They contacted the rescue centre, which said it was already searching for a vessel in the area. More info, as we find it, >click to read< 11:11
