Daily Archives: January 7, 2021
Obituary: Grant Thompson, 40+ years owner operator of commercial fishing vessels, industry innovator in Bristol Bay
Grant Thompson, 73, passed away on September 14, 2020, while playing tennis with friends at Zephyr Cove, Nevada. He grew up in Seattle, and at age 15 was invited by neighbor Erling Thomason to work on purse seiner Betty in Petersburg, which proved to be a life-changing experience. He spent the next 40+ years owning and operating commercial fishing vessels, became a founding partner of Norquest Seafoods in 1982, and contributed to revolutionizing the commercial fishing industry in Bristol Bay. >click to read< 15:15
Sonar tech company says RCMP declined offer to help find F/V Chief William Saulis
Kraken Robotics offered to deploy its ultra-high-resolution sonar system in effort to find the Chief William Saulis, which went down last month in stormy seas near Digby, N.S., with six men on board. “We just wanted to help. And that’s what’s confounding us,” said Karl Kenny, CEO and president of Kraken Robotics.,, Sgt. Andrew Joyce, a spokesperson for the RCMP, said the force frequently gets offers to assist in high-profile cases. He said the force may still take Kraken up on its offer, but for now it has the resources it needs, including sonar. >click to read< 12:57
Meet the Merchant: Kurt Englund, Englund Marine & Industrial Supply
Describe what Englund Marine & Industrial Supply does and who it serves. “We supply fishing gear and boat parts for commercial and recreational fishermen and marine applications. We also stock a full line of industrial supplies. A lot of it goes to our local mills, loggers, construction companies, fabricators, municipalities and so on. And we get a lot of general residents in for home projects as well.” Tell me about the history of Englund Marine,,, >click to read< 11:05
Price strike drags on for California crab fleet holding out for better price
“We can’t afford to do these operations with the price they’re offering. We go backward,” said Ben Platt, president of the California Coast Crab Association. “That’s why everyone’s holding together, holding strong. We were starting at $3 a pound 10 years ago, and our costs have definitely gone up.” The additional two bits that crabbers are seeking before they’ll be wiling to leave dockside makes an enormous difference when multiplied by thousands of pounds.,, Veteran Bodega Bay crabber Tony Anello, part of a family long tied to the industry. “You’re not going to be able to keep your crew long, because you can’t sustain them. >click to read< 09:01
China’s lobster ban helped lift Australian Christmas seafood purchases by 30 per cent
It was a difficult 2020 for Australian fishermen with COVID-19 affecting both food service and export markets. “We needed a bumper Christmas period to help us claw our way back,” Veronica Papacosta, CEO of Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) said. It seems that SIA’s campaign calling on consumers to support the struggling sector, by switching one meal on the Christmas table to seafood, worked. “We’re hearing from retailers and producers right across the country that they’re up, on average, 30 per cent from last year’s December sales,” >click to read< 07:49
Oregon: Commercial Dungeness crab fishermen reject another offer from processor
Commercial Dungeness crab fishermen declined another offer from Pacific Seafood on Wednesday.,, It’s been three weeks since the commercial Dungeness crab season started. With prices still in question, boats continue to float at the docks. Russell’s Marine Fuel and Supply hasn’t sold fuel to the commercial fleet in two weeks. “Everybody can be off work for a month, but you start getting into month two, month three and you do start seeing that effect,” says operations manager Curtis Green. >click to read< 07:04
