Monthly Archives: February 2021
California lobstermen ride high-price wave from China
Since it became home to California’s first lobster fishery in the early 1870s, the coastal city of Santa Barbara has established a long and proud history of lobster fishing. The industry is now experiencing a surge in demand because of a trade war between nations that are thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. Almost all of the lobsters caught in the waters off of Santa Barbara’s coast this season will end up in China, where an ongoing dispute with Australia has worked to the advantage of California’s lobster fishing community. The surge in demand from Chinese markets has resulted in high prices that fishermen and distributors here say are without precedent, as well as plenty of uncertainty. >click to read< 08:36
Investigation launched following the disappearance of a fishing vessel and its three crew.
A major search for Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine and skipper Carl McGrath was called off on Friday, January 29 after two days. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is now looking into the incident. Under its current probes, vessel ‘Nicola Faith’ is listed. Investigation notes say: “Loss of UK registered fishing vessel along with its three crew members in the area of Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy County, North Wales.” >click to read< 07:46
Crabbing families deserve TLC in this tough season
In normal times, this year’s disastrous Dungeness crab season would be big news beyond the coast. Even in this abnormal year, it’s time for elected officials and agencies to pay closer attention to how local families are being hurt by lack of crabbing. Typical measures of economic pain fail to capture the extent of damage.,, The most immediate problem for both commercial crabbing and recreational clamming is the marine toxin domoic acid,,, There are a lot of needy folks this year. That creates a risk that crab-dependent families may be overlooked. This fishery is a disaster and should be treated as an emergency. >click to read< 20:22
Halibut catch limits soar for Central Gulf fishermen
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) completed its 97th Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, on Friday (Jan. 29), with decisions on total halibut mortality, fishery limits, fishing dates, and other fishery regulation changes for the upcoming season… The 2021 Pacific Halibut commercial fishery catch limits went up significantly for fishermen in the regulatory Area 3A, the Central Gulf of Alaska, with a 26.95-percent increase from just over 7-million pounds available in 2020, to nearly 9-million pounds this year. All other areas but two saw an increase in poundage from last year. Canadian fishermen in Area 2B get a two-percent increase, equivalent to 11,000 pounds. >click to read< 17:26
34th Annual Blessing of the Fleet will be April 25th, craft show applications available
The Town of Mount Pleasant Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival craft show applications are now available. The 34th annual festival will be April 25 at Memorial Waterfront Park. The Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival aims to promote local fishermen and the town’s seafood legacy, educate the public on the importance of supporting local fishermen and shrimpers by buying wild-caught and local seafood, and to give back to the community by giving proceeds to a nonprofit that supports Mount Pleasant residents as well as the event. >click to read< 14:44
Mark Siino inherits a fishing boat hand-built by his grandfather, and transforms it into a floating classroom.
Mark Siino never met his grandfather, Angelo Siino, but he now spends his days running his hands over a boat his grandfather built. The General Pershing is a 60-foot fishing boat hand-built in the 1920s in Monterey by Angelo, with his brothers Gaetano and Francesco and their father, Erasmo, all Sicilian immigrants. Now, after moving from owner to owner for nearly a century, the boat has retired its fishing permits and come home, and back to the descendants of its original craftsmen. Siino, along with a team of volunteers, has for years been restoring the boat to convert it into a floating environmental and marine science classroom. >click to read< 10:05
Peterhead community and famed fishing family mourn loss of ex-skipper James West
James West, a father-of-five, was born, raised and married into fishing families, leaving little surprise that he went straight to sea aged 15,, Mr. West, who died suddenly aged 70, will be remembered for his wealth of knowledge and passion for the North Sea and its fishing industry and for his dedication to his family. The youngest son of Alex and Elsie West, of Gamrie, he was born with fishing in his blood as his father was skipper of Be Ready then Golden Sceptre, making it little surprise that he too began a career at sea after leaving Bracoden School, aged 15. >click to read< 08:38
Troll leaves family of missing fisherman ‘disgusted’ after claiming to have shot at boat
A troll phoned the family of a missing fisherman to claim he had “shot” the boat he was aboard. Carl McGrath, Steve Minard and Ross Ballantine disappeared after heading out to sea from Conwy on Wednesday, with major searches for the men and the boat they were on so far drawing a blank. Mr McGrath’s sister Lauren Hynes, and her partner Jake Cox, had posted their phone numbers online so anybody with information could quickly get in touch. In the post, which he asked people to share, he said he was phoned on Sunday evening by a “young lad” stating he had information regarding the boat. >click to read< 07:47
