Daily Archives: February 3, 2021
Lobster fisherman ruined financially by the Long Island Sound lobster die-off, escapes a prison sentence
Carlos Santos of Westbrook was described in federal court as a successful lobster fisherman until the total collapse in the Long Island Sound lobster population,,, Santos, 58, agreed to work off some of his debt by taking an offer from the owner of a Bridgeport marina to secretly sink boats that had been abandoned by the owners on marina property. Santos was charged with obstruction of navigable waters by sinking vessels The cause of the collapse of the lobster fishery, by some estimates, lobster landings fell 100% in 1999-2000, is still a subject of debate; explanations have run from an increase in water temperature to pesticide use. But there is no question that Santos and the 1,300 other Long Island Sound lobstermen were out of work. >click to read< 18:58
Barhan Boat Works: Built by fishermen for fishermen
Salmon fisherman Dave Barhan picked an unusual spot to build boats during the off season: White Bear Floral’s greenhouse. On his second season of boat building, the retired teacher recalls driving around the area looking for a shed or pole building large enough to construct a 28-foot commercial fishing skiff. He spied the greenhouses behind the florist and thought it the perfect place. Owner John Birkeland was skeptical at first, but became a believer when Barhan, his two sons and a fourth fishing partner rolled out the first aluminum boat, dubbed “Big Momma.” They call the business Barhan Boat Works, or BBW. Their motto: “Built by fishermen for fishermen.” >photos, click to read< 16:24
A legal dispute over the sale of boats owned by Carlos ‘The Codfather’ Rafael is heading to court
Carlos Rafael, whose fishing operations were based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was once the owner of one of the largest commercial fishing operations in the U.S. Rafael was sentenced to nearly four years in prison in 2017 for dodging quotas and smuggling profits overseas. The case against Rafael included forced divestiture of his assets,,, Rafael complied, but a New Bedford fish auction house sued him with a complaint that he didn’t honor a right of first refusal agreement to buy boats. BASE Inc., filed suit claiming it suffered millions of dollars in damages because it wasn’t able to buy the boats. >click to read< 15:04
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 83′ Steel Shrimper/Trawler, Caterpillar 3412 Diesel, Kort Nozzle
To review specifications, information, and 15 photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here<11:44
CDQ Leaders, Western Alaskan communities join to buy out crab industry pioneers
Thirty communities, Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF), and Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC) announced significant crab industry acquisitions to bring new revenues to Western Alaskan communities. The buy-out of the Mariner Companies, a Seattle-based fishing enterprise majority-owned by Kevin Kaldestad and Gordon Kristjanson, provides participating communities with opilio and red king crab quota, equaling 3% of the total crab fishery; while CVRF and BBEDC will acquire full ownership of seven crabbing vessels. The deal enables communities to increase their revenues from the fisheries to deliver more programs and benefits to their residents and provides additional revenue for CVRF and BBEDC programs that serve those communities. >click to read< 10:53
Sipekne’katik files court action against Nova Scotia to claim fishing treaty right
The Sipekne’katik First Nation has filed a court action against the Attorney General of Nova Scotia to challenge a provincial regulation on purchasing fish products, saying it’s unconstitutional.,, The Sipekne’katik First Nation launched its moderate livelihood lobster fishery in September 2020,,, Though the term “moderate livelihood” was not formally defined by the court, a subsequent decision ruled that the government has the authority to impose some regulations for the purposes of conservation, subject to nation-to-nation consultations. >click to read< 10:09
Betrayal – Brexit fishing deal ‘fell short’ of industry expectations, government admits
The deal signed by Boris Johnson with the EU on fishing after Brexit fell “short” of industry expectations,,, Speaking at a House of Lords committee on Wednesday George Eustice told peers that “it’s fair to say that we didn’t get everything that we wanted on fishing”. Boris Johnson previously hailed his fishing agreement as a success, but fishermen accused the prime minister of “sacrificing” them in trade talks and having “totally capitulated”. >click to read< 09:24
Coronavirus: Unalaska fish processing plant reopens after outbreak forces monthlong shutdown
The reopening is a bright spot for the Bering Sea fishing industry, which has been hampered by COVID-19 outbreaks at multiple boats and onshore plants. UniSea’s processing plant has a year-round workforce, and its facility handles multiple species from cod to crab. The pollock season opened Jan. 20 but the 11 boats that typically deliver their catch to UniSea have been able to hold off, That’s because the pollock fishery operates as a cooperative, where vessels have a fixed quota of fish they can catch and deliver to a specific plant. “Our fleet have been extremely supportive of our situation and patient with our reopening schedule,” Enlow said. “But they, like UniSea, are anxious to get the season started.” >click to read< 08:32
Roy ‘Admiral’ Waller tributes as king of Hull trawler skippers dies aged 90, went to sea at age15
Tributes have been paid to Roy Waller, one of the giants of Hull’s post-war fishing industry, who has died following a short illness aged 90. He was a trawler skipper for 40 years, eventually retiring in 1995. During his career at sea, he twice won the prestigious Silver Cod Trophy awarded annually by the British Trawler Federation to the skipper, crew and vessel landing the greatest quantity of fish within the year. He became a skipper at the age of 25, having started out as a deckie learner. He was one of the youngest ever skippers. “In the 1970s, he was even given the nickname of ‘The Admiral’ because that’s how everyone saw him. He was hugely respected in the industry.” >click to read< 07:22
