Monthly Archives: February 2021
SAFETY: A gradual culture change has been taking place across much of the fishing industry
As one of the world’s leading insurers of fishing vessels, Sunderland Marine keeps a close eye on the fishing industry’s evolution and has encouraged increasing safety awareness. Sunderland Marine has taken the initiative where it has seen that improvements can be made,,, This is not just in the UK, but also through initiatives in Australia and New Zealand, both of which have also seen a safety culture developing in the right direction In the US, Sunderland Marine has also been instrumental in making available independent safety drills for crews working on East Coast draggers and scallopers. In addition, the offshore crab fishery that’s familiar to anyone who has seen the Deadliest Catch on TV has seen positive changes. photos, >click to read< 17:32
Kirkella, the fish and chip ship stranded in Brexit
The vessel, considered the “pride” of British distant water fishing, frequented the Arctic seas of Greenland and Norway, its main fishing ground until last January, when the divorce between London and Brussels was consummated. Before Brexit, the Kirkella operated under European Union agreements with third countries, but now that the United Kingdom is an independent coastal state, the trawler must wait for the British Executive to seal bilateral agreements. Meanwhile, the boat is barely staying afloat thanks to a partial license to fish for cod in the waters of the Barents Arctic Sea, where it has been fishing since the beginning of February,,, >click to read< 12:01
A Fundraiser by Lawauna Cappa – Westport Fisherman loses livelihood & home at sea
This morning my brother Matt Finley and his crew left the Westport dock with f/v Terry F loaded with crab pots to finally begin the crab season.,, The fishing vessel began taking on water and sinking.,,, I am tearful writing this with the thoughts of how things could have gone. I am thankful that my brother, his two crewmen, and his dog were all rescued. The fishing vessel is a loss…it was Matt’s livelihood and his home. >>click to read< and please, donate if you can! 11:30
Waterfront companies suing New Bedford, port authority over North Terminal expansion project
Marine Hydraulics, a steel fabrication and machinery repair and maintenance company, is located on Herman Melville Boulevard and sits in the North Terminal. Nordic Fisheries co-owns Eastern Fisheries, a scallop fishing company located on Hervey Tichon Avenue just south of the terminal.,, The plaintiffs state in their complaint that much of their business depends on immediate access to the water to haul, service and store vessels, and that without direct access, their companies would be irreparably harmed. >click to read< 09:50
Three people to appear in court following N.S. fishing dispute
An Indigenous band councillor and two fishermen are due to appear Monday in a Nova Scotia courtroom. Brandon Maloney is facing charges of unsafe operation of a vessel in relation to a September 20th incident on the water, after a Mi’kmaq First Nation launched a self-regulated fishery in the southwest corner of the province. Chief Mike Sack of Sipekne’katik said the band would fund a legal defence for the 34-year-old, who was fisheries manager for the First Nation at the time. >click to read< 08:30
Lodge Bay fisherman remembered for his love of life, skills as master mariner
Keith Rumbolt died in a boating mishap last Sunday. He was 51 Keith Rumbolt’s name means many things to many people. To his brother Brad Rumbolt, Keith was a mentor, and his best friend. Family was the centre of Keith’s life, says his brother, and he was the centre of theirs. Keith was mayor of Lodge Bay, but his impact was felt throughout Labrador. Keith spent most of his working life on the water. He was most recently boatswain 
aboard the MV Northern Osprey, and built a strong reputation for his adept leadership and attention to trawls. He worked offshore in the shrimp fishery for more than 30 years. Rumbolt leaves behind his wife Cheryl Lynn, daughter Hailey, son Colin, mother Barbara, sisters Nancy, Yvonne and Sherry, and brother Bradley among many family and friends >click to read< 18:25;
Maine Commercial Fisherman Paul G. Johnson of Waldoboro has passed away
Paul G. Johnson, 60, died unexpectedly on February 8, 2021 at his home in Waldoboro. He was born September 8, 1960 in Rockland to Jesse Johnson and Winona Miller Johnson. After high school he worked for the Poiriers of Massachusetts in the salt factory at Upton Fuel Company for a short time. Soon after, Paul returned to work on the water as a fisherman back home. He dug clams, built traps and lobstered with his father and brothers, even hauled his own gear by hand out of a wooden flat bottom skiff built by his father, Jesse, and Fernald Carter. Paul was an elver fisherman, went pogie seining, was an urchin tender for many cold winters,,, He had a big heart, and he would give you the shirt off his back, a place to stay, and his last dollar if you needed it. >click to read< 13:43
“We just met out of the blue,” – B.C. couple celebrating nearly 70 years of Valentine’s
Inspirational stories leading up to Valentine’s Day are abundant, but few can match how true love has stood the test of time quite like long-time Chemainus couple Ejlif and Anna Mose. They’ll be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this year on June 9. Ejlif will turn 93 on June 9 and Anna reaches another milestone later in the year with her 90th birthday on Oct. 8. “We came to Canada, fell in love with it, Vancouver Island, and we’re still here,” enthused Ejlif. But commercial fishing was in Ejlif’s blood and he just stepped up that aspect of his life when the mill closed. He bought a bigger boat and fished fulltime after that. With the family all grown up, Anna went out fishing with him for 10 years. >click to read<, and Congratulations!
Endeavour V – Latest And Largest Macduff Build
The first trawler to be built at Macduff for skipper Peter Lovie, Endeavour V, is the latest instalment in a relationship that goes back 35 years – and the yard’s largest newbuild to date. The design and build process behind the 34 metre LOA, 10.50 metre breadth Endeavour V began in 2017 when the owners approached the yard, looking to improve fuel efficiency, service speed and sea keeping compared to their existing vessel. photos, >click to read< 11:02
Former BASE auction employees allege owners involved in ‘Codfather’ fraud
Two former employees of Buyers and Sellers Exchange (BASE) are alleging owners and brothers Raymond and Richard Canastra were aware of and involved in Carlos Rafael’s falsifying of fish quotas, according to two affidavits filed last week as part of an ongoing lawsuit. In their written statements, signed in September 2020 under the penalties of perjury, former BASE employees Peter Medeiros and Nelson Couto allege Raymond Canastra and Rafael instructed them to destroy and falsify paperwork detailing the species and quantity of fish caught,,, >click to read< 09:05
F/V Terry F runs into serious trouble, Coast Guard rescues crew and a dog, vessel breaks up, Fundraiser!
The crabber F/V Terry F ran into life-threatening trouble near the north end of the peninsula Saturday morning in the first hours of the Dungeness 73-hour pre-soak period. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three crewmembers after the vessel reportedly lost power and began taking on water at about 7:30 a.m. about 4 miles offshore from the mouth of Willapa Bay.,, They instructed the crew to enter the water one at a time to meet a rescue swimmer. All three were wearing survival suits and communication gear. The commercial crab season started Saturday morning when boats were allowed to set their pots offshore. John Weldon photos, >click to read< 17:50
Video: Coast Guard rescues 3 people, 1 dog from fishing vessel taking on water near Willapa Bay, WA – A Coast Guard Sector Columbia River aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue three mariners and a dog from a sinking vessel near Willapa Bay, WA, Saturday, Feb. 13. >click to watch<
A Fundraiser by Lawauna Cappa – Westport Fisherman loses livelihood & home at sea – This morning my brother Matt Finley and his crew left the Westport dock with f/v Terry F loaded with crab pots to finally begin the crab season.,, The fishing vessel began taking on water and sinking.,,, >>click to read< and please, donate if you can!
Maine fishing regulators are closing the state’s richest scallop fishing grounds
The state is closing Cobscook, Whiting and Dennys bays for the rest of the fishing season starting Sunday to help conserve the scallop population, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday. Cobscook Bay is home to some of the most productive scallop fishing in the state. Maine is also closing a handful of other scallop fishing areas around the state, including instituting a partial closure of western Casco Bay, >click to read< 13:27
Autopsy Report: Deadliest Catch’s Nick McGlashan ‘overdosed from a toxic mix of meth, cocaine and fentanyl’
Part of the report, filed by Investigator Krista Hammonds for Nashville’s Center for Forensic Medicine, says “this 33 year old male was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his hotel room,” adding “the decedent had a known history of illicit drug abuse.”,, In a final Tweet on December 10 he posted about his “trauma” saying: “Trauma be making me fall asleep randomly. It also wakes me up randomly. Navigate carefully”. Nick started his sea career by crabbing at the age of 13 and quickly rose up the ranks as a fisherman. photos, >click to read< 12:27
The World’s Supply of Mackerel Is on the Move
The Northeast Atlantic mackerel is a small fish with grey or greenish-blue scales and tigerlike black stripes from mouth to tail. Lacking a swim bladder, the gas-filled organ that helps most fish move up and down in the water, the mackerel would sink and die if it ever stopped. So it is always on the move, looking for plankton, crustaceans, and other small fish. In recent years, the mackerel’s unceasing motion and radically increased abundance have taken it farther north, to Greenland or Svalbard, which lies between Norway and the North Pole, and northwest, to Icelandic waters. And when the fish turned up, the Icelanders took advantage. By tradition, their nation had no claim to this fish, but starting in the mid-2000s, when the lucrative fish arrived in great numbers, they struck. >click to read< 11:09
Gina Raimondo – Secretary of Commerce nomination rekindles fish vs. turbine fight
In 2019, long-simmering differences between Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) and the state’s fishing industry boiled over. The dispute concerned a plan to limit fishermen’s financial losses associated with a proposed $2 billion offshore wind project. Many boat captains felt the deal undervalued their catch, and they directed their ire at Raimondo, an outspoken offshore wind advocate, accusing her of freezing the fishing industry out of negotiations with Vineyard Wind, the project developer. At a meeting of the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council that February, many lined up to blast the package. Council members, who are appointed by the governor, expressed sympathy for the concerns but argued that it represented the best offer. They ultimately signed off on the deal. >click to read< 09:46
Big news for a major Michigan industry: commercial fishing.
Changes to the rulebook in January had fisheries warning the fresh catch may soon come from Canada. The DNR is now walking back those rules, requiring fishermen to cast their nets in water under 80 feet and suspending part of the whitefish season,,, “Everyone’s ecstatic.” A reversal from the DNR, effectively lifting the depth and seasonal restrictions the Williams’ and other commercial fisheries argue had upended their ability to make a living, means it’s now back to business as usual. >click to read< 07:42
Michigan House Bills Ban Commercial Perch Fishing on Great Lakes – Lakon Williams of the Bay Port Fish Co. expressed her concern. The company nets whitefish and perch in Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. >click to read<
‘Mask police’: Commercial fishermen, watermen required to wear masks on boats via Biden, Coast Guard COVID orders
The U.S. Coast Guard is requiring masks be worn on commercial fishing boats and other vessels as part of President Joe Biden’s executive orders mandating face coverings on federally regulated transportation vehicles.,, Now, they are also going to be enforced on watermen and those working on fishing boats, according to the Coast Guard. U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st, said mandating the mask on watermen and fishermen working outdoors is burdensome, goes against the science of how of and where COVID is spread and could require masks to be worn at all times on boats, including while sleeping. >click to read< 19:10
Congressman Harris Asks for Clarification on Mask Mandate for Small Craft Fishing Vessels – The Coast Guard has issued guidance that all commercial fishing vessel occupants will be required to wear masks, and that they will enforce this mandate. >click to read<
Working Waterfronts: Development threatens Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River fishing industry
The Great Lakes’ commercial fishery is nothing like what it was a hundred years ago. But from Lake Superior to Lake Ontario to the St. Lawrence River, there are still people who make their living catching and selling fish. However, they face increasing competition from hotels, condos and other developments for loading and docking space along the shoreline. One example,, The Minor family has been a long standing fishing family, they’re now in their third generation. And they recently had the experience of coming back from a day of fishing, and found that the place that they’ve been unloading fish for generations was suddenly unavailable, because there was new construction for a cruise ship dock going in. >click to read< 16:34
Tough times felt by renowned Port Townsend lutefisk business
Scott Kimmel, owner of Port Townsend’s New Day Fisheries, says COVID-19 has caused his lutefisk operation to take a nosedive. But the pandemic isn’t solely to blame for a downward trend,,, Lutefisk is dried cod that has been rehydrated in a lye solution before being boiled or baked,, It is perhaps more-aptly described as a traditional Scandinavian dish which either strikes mortal fear into the hearts of those who’ve known it,,, It just depends on who you ask. But as Kimmel’s lutefisk sales show, most folks these days probably fall into that former category. “Our sales have been declining for years and years just because our customers have been passing away and the younger generation’s not picking up the slack,” Kimmel said. “So, it’s a dying business, is what that is. >click to read<13:19
Sources: Body found in St. Johns River near Buckman Bridge is missing crabber
According to a spokesperson for the FWC, the lead agency in the search, FWC and Clay County personnel recovered the body and took it to the Mulberry Cove Boat Ramp at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Authorities have not yet said if the body found in the river Thursday is 20-year-old Michael Vaughn III, of St. Augustine, who disappeared on the river last week. But a family friend told News4Jax it’s him. Vaughn had worked with his dad on a crab boat since he was 8 years old and took the lead role in the family business when his dad had to deal with medical issues. >click to read< 11:53
Ropeless Fishing Shows Promise, But There’s a Catch: Financial, Safety, Technology Challenges
On a cold January morning, a lobster trap sitting on a table at a manufacturing facility in Wareham is rhythmically beeping. Two final beeps have a special meaning. “So that’s the release confirmation,” explained Rob Morris, who sells acoustic release systems for the underwater technology company EdgeTech. These “ropeless” systems do away with the high number of vertical lines that run from buoys on the surface down to traps on the ocean floor. Looking at this table, Morris sees the future of the fishery, and many conservationists share that hope. Ropeless fishing eliminates vertical lines in the water column that are blamed for around half of all reported North Atlantic right whale deaths. >click to read< 10:22
Brexit trade deal leaves Welsh fishermen ‘devastated’
New rules to replace the EU Common Fisheries Policy mean 76 French and Belgian trawlers can fish within six miles of the Welsh coast until 2026. It means many Welsh fishermen may struggle to survive, the Welsh Fishermen’s Association said. The UK government said it protected fishermen’s rights. But those working in Wales said they were already struggling with export red tape. Barry Thomas, who voted for Brexit, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson “bottled” the deal “at the last minute”, after promising to keep foreign trawlers outside the UK’s 12-mile limit. >click to read< 08:40
New Fees at Cape Charles Harbor Hit Hard for Virginia Commercial Watermen
“We as commercial fishermen feel like we are just kind of systematically being driven out of the harbor,” Scott Wivell said of continually rising harbor rates and expectations from harbor management that make him, as a waterman, feel unwelcome. The Cape Charles town council approved the new harbor management agreement Sept. 17, 2020, which took effect at the beginning of the new year. According to the town harbor management vision statement, the Cape Charles Yacht Center pledged “to improve the appearance, function, and financial position of the Town Harbor,” which is deteriorating and struggles to break even, much less turn a profit. >click to read< 07:59
Mount Pleasant honors late iconic shrimper Capt. Wayne Magwood, with commemorative plaque
The Town of Mount Pleasant will commemorate the life of iconic Shem Creek shrimp boat captain, Wayne Magwood, with a special plaque on Thursday. Captain Magwood was struck and killed by a passing truck while crossing Mill Street at Coleman Boulevard in September 2020. His boat, Winds of Fortune, was a familiar sight on Shem Creek, according to the town. They say he was a passionate advocate for the local shrimping industry and a “great town partner at the Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival for the past 33 years.” Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie and members of town council joined the Magwood family on Thursday afternoon to unveil a commemorative plaque on the new Shem Creek pedestrian bridge. video, >click to read< 18:45
Wow. Just, Wow. A belly full of fish ramps up seal debate
If you have a weak stomach, the video might be difficult to watch. But for fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, the images of a seal stomach being cut open to reveal a gut full of small herring and Arctic cod is proof enough that seals are a factor in the slow recovery of cod stocks. Last week Dion Weir and a buddy hunted a few seals for personal use in Hall’s Bay, off the Baie Verte Peninsula. They were filled with small fish. “Up in these bays now they’re eating herring and Arctic cod,” Weir said. “Wherever the cod is, the seals are there.” Multiply that by 7.6 million seals,,, >click to read< 15:42
The Biggest Hauls Ever Made on Deadliest Catch
When most people think of fishing, they immediately envision a serene and relaxing activity,,, However, that image changed for a lot of people in 2005 when Deadliest Catch debuted on the Discovery Channel. The series follows crab fisherman as they venture out into the ocean in search of Alaskan king crab and snow crab. The fishermen often have to brave harsh weather and intense storms and the job can quite literally turn deadly in just a matter of seconds. At the same time, however, the reward that comes with huge hauls makes many people feel like the job is worth it. So, just how big can these hauls be? >click to read<13:50
Long Island Commercial Fishermen oppose Governor Cuomo’s artificial reef expansion plan
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to expand artificial reefs in the waters off Long Island is hitting a wave of opposition from commercial fishermen who say it would rob them of their fishing grounds and income. The state wants to double the size of the reefs.,, Malcolm McClintock, who owns two fishing trawlers, says he has already spent a long time learning where the existing artificial reefs are. He says more would create a larger problem for an industry already under stress. “One more thing piled on top of many other things. Every little bit hurts.” video, >click to read< 12:40
Network Failure: Emergency VHF radio channel unreliable across Southeast Alaska
Coast Guard Commander Lyle Kessler said mariners calling on Channel 16 may have trouble getting through to watchstanders. The Coast Guard is advising mariners to carry an alternative means for sending distress calls. That ranges from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, satellite phone or even a conventional cell phone. As of Wednesday, Kessler said nine VHF repeaters — Althorp, Cape Fanshaw, Duke, Gravina, Mt. Robert Barron, Mud Bay, Mt. Ripinski, Yakutat and Zarembo — are working only intermittently due to the microwave interference issue. >click to read< 09:59
CARES Act relief funds for New Bedford fisheries topped $5 million
In May 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an allocation of $300 million for fisheries assistance. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Massachusetts received the third-highest amount in funding with about $28 million. Alaska and Washington received the most with $50 million each and Maine was fifth with about $20.3 million. New Bedford alone received about $3.8 million, or approximately 13.6% of the state’s allocation. The funds provided much-needed relief for an industry seeing up to a 49% drop in landings revenue,,, >click to read< 08:12
David Ismay, undersecretary for climate change resigns following remarks about reducing emissions by seniors on fixed incomes
“Let me say that again, 60 percent of our emissions that need to be reduced come from you — the person across the street, the senior on fixed income,” he said. “There is no bad guy left, at least in Massachusetts, to point the finger at, turn the screws on, and, you know, break their will, so they stop emitting. That’s you. We have to break your will. I can’t even say that publicly.” >click to read< 09:18
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