Monthly Archives: January 2021
Caught: New Zealand Company faces losing $20m trawler fishing in a protected zone
Sanford Ltd, and two employees, skipper/master Grant Walker and first mate William Lash, used trawl nets on several occasions in a Benthic Protection Area (BPA) in New Zealand seas in 2017 and 2018. The company, along with Walker and Lash, have pleaded guilty to breaches of the Fisheries Regulations and are being sentenced at Christchurch District Court. Sanford is the registered owner of the 64m deep-water stern trawler San Waitaki,, On both trips, 50-year-old self-employed fishermen Walker and Lash, 45, trawled along the Puysegur BPA seabeds on several occasions. Sanford said they relied on the professionalism of the master and crew of their vessels to follow company instructions and be familiar with all the relevant laws. >click to read< 21:35
Scientists puzzled by 30,000 chinook that seem to be missing from Yukon River
Salmon counts on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border in 2020 were discussed recently at a meeting of the Yukon River Panel. One finding stood out. Last year about 77,000 chinook salmon were counted swimming by the Pilot Sonar station near the mouth of the Yukon River in Alaska. About 1,750 kilometres upriver, at the Eagle Sonar station, just before the Alaska-Yukon border, about 49,500 were counted. This could mean fish are dying or being miscounted, or that harvesting is going unreported, though there is no evidence of that. All parties agree that it’s a mystery and requires investigation. >click to read< 19:25
Lake Michigan Commercial Fisherman Robert E. Strege has passed away
Robert E. Strege, age 90, passed away on January 1, 2021. He was born on November 8, 1930 to parents Richard and Amelia (nee. Schultz) Strege in Jacksonport, WI. Robert proudly served in the United States Army during the Korean War, and for his honorable service, was awarded the Purple Heart. Following his military service, Robert owned and operated his own commercial fishing company, called Robert Strege Fish Co., for many years. He caught chubs, perch, and whitefish, on his boat, >“The Palmer”<, on Lake Michigan. Robert will be remembered, as a loving, hardworking man that took care of his family and will be dearly missed. >click to read< 14:47
Disposal of Hazardous Waste: The dark side of ‘green energy’ and its threat to the nation’s environment
Wind farms and massive arrays of solar panels are cropping up across public and private landscapes, (offshore, also),,, President Joe Biden, in fact, has directed the Interior Department to identify suitable places to host 20 gigawatts of new energy from sun, wind or geothermal resources by 2024,, But how green is green? Although countries are feverishly looking to install wind and solar farms to wean themselves off carbon-based, or so-called “dirty” energy, few countries, operators and the industry itself have yet to fully tackle the long-term consequences of how to dispose of these systems, which have their own environmental hazards like toxic metals, oil, fiberglass and other material. >click to read< 12:37
Massive, unexplained bivalve die-off sends many Louisiana oystermen back to square one
Mitch Jurisich, a third-generation oysterman, dropped a long pair of oyster tongs into the Gulf of Mexico and lightly raked the water bottom. When he brought up his catch, all but one were dead. The more resilient hooked mussels, typically found clustered along the area’s oyster reefs, had suffered the same fate. The stench of rotting bivalves filled the air. “That’s the smell of death,” Jurisich said. Early this month, millions of pounds of oysters in leases that line Plaquemines Parish’s west bank were found dead, their mouths agape. It’s unclear why. >click to read< 10:15
Fisheries Advocate Calling for Independent Task Force to Help Rebuild Industry
Gus Etchegary’s involvement in the Newfoundland fishing industry predates Confederation, he’s now with the Fishery Community Alliance.,, Etchegary indicates more needs to be done nearly three decades since the commercial cod moratorium. Etchegary says an independent assessment of stocks needs to be carried out and consideration has to be given to seal predation, threats to the caplin stock and joint management. >click to read< 09:12
Sea Trust, Goodwick, Bangor University and Macduff Shellfish work on bait bag pollution
Sea Trust is working Macduff Shellfish, the largest shellfish supplier in Europe, , and the specialist BioComposites Centre at Bangor University in seeking to find a sustainable alternative to woven, plastic bait bags that are used by shellfish fishermen and in seafood processing factories. The bait bags, commonly used in the whelk fishing sector, are not easily recyclable often ending up in landfill or can sometimes fly away overboard when used at sea, impacting on marine and coastal wildlife. >click to read< 08:15
20 crew members on vessel in Dutch Harbor test positive for COVID-19 in latest seafood industry outbreak
A factory trawler joined a growing list of seafood processors and vessels in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands that have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks recently. Twenty members of the 40-member crew on the factory trawler Araho, owned by the O’Hara Corp., tested positive for the virus, the City of Unalaska said Friday. Upon arrival in Unalaska from Seattle on Wednesday night, a couple of crew members reported symptoms of COVID-19, according to Unalaska city manager Erin Reinders, who said testing began when the vessel arrived. >click to read< 19:46
A cold snap can’t stop him… and sea scallops fear him! I asked, “Do you love it?” And Captain Zach Storer admitted he did love it…
Captain Zach Storer, the skipper of the Jenna Lee, pulled his jacket a bit tighter when I must of reminded him (me all bundled up, shivering a little) how cold it actually was, just prior to snapping the top photo of him… as if he had forgotten… as if he hadn’t realized… as if being cold had been last on his morning list of “things to do,” the man surrounded by heavy-metal fishing gear layered with sea ice. photos, >click to read< 11:02
Southeast Alaska’s 2020-21 commercial Dungeness crab season harvest is the 2nd largest on record
The harvest for Dungeness crab in Southeast Alaska’s commercial fishing season is the second largest on record. The catch from the fall fishery added to one of the few bright spots from last year. A few areas of Southeast’s commercial Dungeness crab season are still open through February but most areas closed at the end of November. The estimate for the fall harvest is 813,000 pounds. That’s down slightly from recent years. But the 2020 summer harvest was so large–at 5.87 million pounds–that it still makes the total season harvest the second largest ever. “What we saw last year was a big harvest, it was a big season poundage wise,”,, The price paid to fishermen was below recent years. >click to read< 10:24
Coronavirus relief: N.J.’s sinking fishing industry nabs $11M life raft from state
Nearly a year after being approved by federal lawmakers, financial relief is being handed out to New Jersey’s battered fishing industry. Gov. Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday that $11.3 million in grants are being distributed to Garden State fishermen, and the businesses that support them. The relief money was part of the $2 trillion CARES Act which was passed by Congress and signed by former President Donald Trump in March. >click to read< 09:47
Shrimp boat stranded by Hurricane Zeta a headache for all
The smell from the fuel spill on Friday, along with the noise from the clean-up, was annoying to residents who lived on the north side of the canal. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Coast Guard responded to the spill early Friday morning. The residents who live near the docks on a canal off of Old Fort Bayou said they have complained about the shrimp boats in the past to no avail. And that was before Hurricane Zeta left one of Benjamin Nguyen’s boats in one of the neighbor’s yards in October. For Nguyen, the storm killed his business of selling shrimp from the dock. >click to read< 08:44
May Day! Maine man charged with false distress call to Coast Guard
Nathan Libby, of Rockland, is charged with making a false distress call to the Coast Guard on December 3rd, 2020 via VHF-FM radio channel 16. Based on the call, the Coast Guard initiated a search spanning more than five hours, which included the use of a local Coast Guard vessel, a Maine Marine Patrol vessel, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. A criminal complaint was filed on January 27th in the U.S. District Court in Portland against Libby, who faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the crime. >click to read< 07:45
Proposed Frenchman Bay salmon farm plan prompts call for review of state licensing rules
Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage is calling for the Maine Department of Marine Resources to not only reject an as-of-yet unfiled proposal for a roughly 110-acre penned salmon fishery, but also revise the rules governing how such projects get approved. The group argues that without proper regulatory constraints, the state’s fast-growing aquaculture industry could disrupt traditional fishing activity and overtake the coast with large, 
industrial fish farm operations. In October, American Aquafarms entered into an agreement to purchase the Maine Fair Trade Lobster facility in Gouldsboro, where it plans to develop its hatchery and processing facilities, officials said in a news release. Backed by Norwegian investor Mikael Roenes, the American Aquafarms proposal includes 30 150-foot salmon pens,,, >click to read< 17:37
The Maine Fishing community weighs in on offshore wind development
Maine’s fishing community is deeply concerned that wind development will end our fishing heritage, which has sustained coastal communities for centuries and is integral part of Maine’s identity. Without dedicated research proving otherwise, we are skeptical that offshore wind can deliver on its promise of affordable clean energy as promised by global energy companies. “The state of Maine should be wary of trading its fishing heritage by entering a race to fulfill empty promises from international energy companies,” warned Executive Director Patrice McCarron of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. Wise words from the Executive Director. >click to read< 11:30
Missing fishermen named as Irish Sea search continues
A fishing boat crew missing off the north Wales coast since Wednesday night has been named as Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and skipper Carl McGrath. The three men were working on the Nicola Faith,,, A major search operation, including coastguard teams and RNLI lifeboats, moved into a second day on Friday. The Coastguard said the alarm was raised on Thursday at 10:00 GMT and a major operation, including seven RNLI lifeboat crews and three coastguard search teams, was launched. >click to read< 10:38
CARES Act Applications Now Available for Maryland Fishing Industry – Deadline to Apply is Feb. 28, 2021
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that applications remain available through February 28, 2021 for economic relief funds for the commercial seafood industry through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), for those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The application will be available to eligible members of the seafood industry on the Maryland OneStop website. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28, 2021. >click to read< 09:27
Shipwreck off coast of Hilton Head caused $60K in damage to shrimp boat
After leaving the docks at Hudson’s Seafood at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2019, the captain of the “Miss Annie” was on his way to catch shrimp on Hilton Head Island’s south end. At 7 a.m., the boat came to an abrupt stop. It began flooding and tipping onto its starboard side. The captain told federal investigators he felt like he “hit a rock,”,,, The shrimp boat did not hit a rock, like the captain thought. Instead, it hit a moving shipwreck. >click to read< 08:49
DFO is making new fishing rules. Will they work? (without addressing seal/sea lion over population issues they won’t)
The proposed rules codify pre-existing internal DFO policies and require the ministry to assess the health of key fish populations in “batches”, salmon, rockfish and cod are in the first batch of 30, to figure out why their populations have declined (or could decline) and lay out a plan to bring the stocks back to healthy levels. If the ministry doesn’t comply or opens a threatened fishery, it could be sued. Similar, but more stringent, regulations have been successfully implemented in other jurisdictions with major fisheries, like the U.S. and the EU. >click to read< 07:50
Star ship Enterprise – Biggest beam trawler yet arrives in Newlyn
Sporting new company colours, the Enterprise PZ99 has joined the OceanFish fleet in Newlyn, and at 42 meters and 471 tons she is by far the biggest boat in the port. 15 great photos, and a video! >click to read< 22:05
Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission bans inshore lobstering during whale migration
Meeting via webinar, the MFAC overwhelmingly approved five of the six recommendations presented by the state Division of Marine Fisheries, setting the stage for a hectic start to the state’s 2021 lobster fishing season.,, A Feb. 1 to May 15 closure to commercial trap gear in all state waters,, weaker buoy lines,, A Jan. 15 to May 15 gillnet closure in Cape Cod Bay,, All but one of the approved measures passed on unanimous 8-0 votes. The exception was the recommendation for the Feb. 1 to May 15 commercial trap gear closure in all state waters. The lone dissenting vote on the measure came from longtime Gloucester lobsterman Arthur “Sooky” Sawyer, “I can’t support this motion. The Massachusetts inshore lobster fishery has never killed a right whale. I’m voting no.” >click to read< 18:35
U.S. Coast Guard to hold virtual formal hearing for loss of F/V Scandies Rose
The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a formal hearing starting Monday February 22 in Edmonds Wash., to consider evidence related to the sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose. The hearing will focus on the conditions influencing the vessel prior to and at the time of the casualty. This will include weather, icing, fisheries, the Scandies Rose’s material condition, owner and operator organizational structures and culture, the regulatory compliance record of the vessel, and testimony from the survivors and others.>click to read< 12:21
Marine Board of Investigation: Coast Guard looking for details regarding F/V Scandies Rose ahead of public hearing, November 25, 2020 – >click to read<
Back to the Shovel Ready Job Dogma? Biden’s Energy Policies Are Naive, Expensive, And Misleading
The Biden administration represents itself as following science with regard to energy policy, yet it presents a simplistic clean and dirty energy narrative with the obvious solution to get rid of fossil fuels and “go green.” Unfortunately, this narrative is naïve, expensive, and misleading. It will harm U.S. energy security, the economy, the environment, and the impoverished. >click to read< 10:55
Lobster spaghetti is not just for special occasions
The once-standard summer fare has morphed into a celebratory treat. But why limit lobster to special occasions or a specific time of year? This is a recipe for any time. It’s understated and comforting, yet carries the swag of fresh-cooked lobster meat. If you prefer not to use lobster meat, shrimp are an excellent alternative, and they will bump this recipe onto your roster of easy weeknight meals. When using shrimp, simply saute them in olive oil with a pinch of salt before adding them to the dish. recipe, >click to read< 10:10
California’s fish population rebounds thanks to strict fishing rules
Among the West Coast’s shrinking fish populations 30 years ago, the largely bottom-dwelling groundfish species were particularly hard hit by overfishing and were declared a federal economic disaster. That spurred one of the world’s most aggressive fishery management programs, with an approach that includes science- and data-driven catch limits and no-fishing zones. Of 17 global regions with ocean fishery management programs examined in a new study by the University of Washington, the west coasts of the United States and Canada had the strictest approaches. >click to read< 09:16
Out with the old Oyster Creek nuclear plant, in with a new one? The choices ahead. Enough offshore windfarm nonsense!
For more than a half-century, the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant energized the region and local pocketbooks before shutting down three years ago, the start of what was expected to be a tedious, unremarkable and costly mothballing. Now the path forward for Lacey doesn’t seem so clear or unremarkable. While Oyster Creek wraps up one chapter in energy generation, it seems poised to start another — with development of a smaller, cheaper nuclear prototype plant. >click to read< 08:16
Tributes to Skipper John, who faced pirates and broke fishing records
He spent 50 years breaking numerous records and battling all weathers at sea as he was named a port’s top skipper. Now touching tributes have been paid to a long-serving fisherman from Lowestoft who has been hailed as a “town hero” following his death. Family and former colleagues of John Ketteringham – known to his friends as JK – have honoured a “great man” who will be sadly missed. photos, >click to read< 07:20
Canadian Space Agency to use satellite data to track North Atlantic right whales
The Canadian Space Agency is harnessing satellite technology to monitor and protect endangered North Atlantic right whales in the country’s waters. The agency said Tuesday it will lead a $5.3-million project funded by the federal government called smartWhales, which will use satellites to detect the presence of right whales and to predict the animals’ movements. Canada is giving a total of $5.3 million over three years to five companies for a series of projects to help protect the endangered species. One of the projects will involve a system that can rapidly provide location data and detect if the whales are approaching a fishing vessel. >click to read< 18:05
Trawler firm says one-off trip is ‘sticking plaster’ as UK-Norway deal is needed
On Wednesday, Kirkella left Hull for a trip to the icy waters around the island of Svalbard which the vessel’s owner, UK Fisheries, has described as a “sticking plaster”. UK Fisheries says its licence means the number of fish it can catch will only allow this one trip. But this is about 10% of what it would have been allowed under the pre-Brexit regime. UK Fisheries chief executive Jane Sandell said: “We’re glad to be going out fishing at last, but this is only a sticking plaster. “Kirkella will be out for a few weeks but then, unless something changes very soon, we’ll have no more work for our crews for the foreseeable future.” >click to read< 11:38
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 40′ Aluminum Catamaran/Tuna, 370HP, Twin Volvo D6-370A-D Diesels
To review specifications, information, and 21 photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here<10:49
