Daily Archives: April 2, 2021
Fishing trawlers, a no-show submarine and mutiny: the full story of a historic drug haul
This failed drug importation was the third of five smuggling attempts by the ambitious NSW-based syndicate over two years. Only on the fifth attempt did they succeed in bringing drugs to Australia. But the victory was short-lived, as a massive police operation culminated with mass arrests and a 500-kilogram cocaine haul seized when it was brought into the Hawkesbury River on Christmas Day 2016. The end result was 18 related convictions, with combined prison sentences of 250 years. After the final sentence was handed down last week, the full story, starting with the beginnings of the syndicate back in mid-2014, can be told at last. The dramatic saga involved mutiny at sea, a mysterious “submarine”, the French Navy and a cast of colourful characters. >click to read< 21:32
Fishermen, DMR: New North Atlantic Right Whale regulations could cripple lobster industry
The proposal, released in late December 2020, includes measures like regional gear marking, breakaway rope, extra traps per trawl line and restrictions on certain fishing areas. But it is the emphasis placed on ropeless fishing traps that has officials at the Maine Department of Marine Resources most concerned. In its Biological Opinion regarding right whales and the fishing industry, NMFS identifies ropeless fishing as a solution, among others, to reduce whale entanglements that cause death or serious injury. DMR argues that ropeless gear is largely under-researched and unaffordable. DMR used EdgeTech traps to estimate cost increases associated with converting to ropeless fishing,,, An EdgeTech fishing unit costs $3,750, >click to read< 19:36
U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Florida In Water Fight
After years of legal battling, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously rejected a lawsuit in which Florida argued Georgia has used too much water in a river system shared by the states. The 12-page ruling dismissed the lawsuit that Florida filed in 2013 after the oyster fishery collapsed in Franklin County’s Apalachicola Bay. Florida contended that Georgia drew too much water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, which starts in northern Georgia and ends in Apalachicola Bay, and that more water should be directed to Florida. >click to read< >Supreme Court Ruling< 17:15
Fisherman’s Friend: Calls for memorial to Lancashire philanthropist Doreen Lofthouse
Calls have been made for a memorial to honour Fisherman’s Friend tycoon Doreen Lofthouse in her hometown in Fleetwood. The businesswoman, who grew the cough sweets from a small firm into a global brand, died aged 91 on Wednesday. Since her death, many have called for a permanent 
tribute to the Lancashire philanthropist, whose generosity had helped “transform Fleetwood”. Fisherman’s Friend lozenges were originally developed by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory problems commonly suffered by fishermen. >click to read< 12:33
“DFO operates in denial of Reality”- Scientist says seal predation not having a significant impact on spawning cod stocks
Instead, Karen Dwyer, weighing in on the contentious debate over the health of cod stocks, said Thursday that environmental factors and a limited supply of the cod’s primary food source — capelin — are more to blame.,, Trinity Bay fisherman Keith Smith said DFO continues to downplay the impact of seal predation on cod. “It’s like DFO operate in denial of reality,” Smith said. “Fishing mortality is at an all-time low while natural mortality, likely led by the growing seal population that consumes vast amounts of both capelin and cod, remains high,”,,, >click to read< 11:04
New Bedford Port Authority Probed by Feds Over Grant Application
A federal grant application submitted by the New Bedford Port Authority is the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of the Inspector General. The probe was initiated in October of 2020, according to Port Authority General Counsel Blair S. Bailey. Bailey did not say if the investigation is continuing, or what findings, if any were rendered by the OIG. Another source confirmed that the probe is ongoing. >click to read< 09:37
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 02, 2021
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<09:01
