Monthly Archives: May 2021
Tired of being “ignored” by politicians, Irish Fishermen to set up political movement
There is no name yet for the movement, but organisers are planning to hold a series of public meetings in coastal towns and villages. Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said the ambition is to organise a national “roadshow” to gauge opinion and to promote the need for more TDs dedicated to rural Ireland. He said: “We are sick of politicians promising us the earth while in opposition, only for them to ignore us when they get into power. >click to read< 16:57
With the Ocean Wind Offshore Wind Farm on the horizon, a storm is building
Ocean Wind, according to those closely following the project, is headed for a series of turf wars, loud debates and protracted legal battles, even before the first turbine is sited off the coast of southern New Jersey.,, even supporters and opponents of the proposed wind farm at times disagree among themselves on how to move forward. Environmentalists, commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, labor unions, homeowners, boardwalk businesses, NIMBYs and ratepayer advocates are all circling Orsted, the Dutch wind power company behind what could be one of the largest wind farms in North America. Local, state and federal officials are also starting to feel the heat. Just about everyone involved, including David Hardy, CEO of Orsted US, worries the project could devolve into chaos. >click to read< 13:11
Operation Roll Call: Royal Canadian Legion hopes to connect all remaining WW II vets in N.L.
Eight decades after the Second World War was in full force, how many veterans of that conflict are left in Newfoundland and Labrador, and how do we best make use of the time left with them? Those are questions that Jenn Deon hopes to tackle this summer. Deon, volunteer secretary for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Branch 56, in the Pleasantville neighbourhood of St. John’s, is overseeing Operation Roll Call, a project to contact all remaining veterans, whether members of the legion or not. >click to read< 10:41
F/V Nicola Faith has been raised from sea off the coast of North Wales
F/V Nicola Faith vanished on January 27 along with its crew, which consisted of skipper Carl McGrath, 34, and his crewmates Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20. It’s understood that the Nicola Faith will be taken ashore to a secure location for further examination before being prepared for a stability assessment. Asked when they saw the Nicola Faith raised out of the water, an eyewitness at the recovery told us that it was approximately 10.10am this morning. Video, photos, >click to read< 09:05 GOV.UK – Fishing vessel Nicola Faith recovered from seabed – >click to read<
Memorial Day surprise: Fleet of Flowers to sail quietly
An unannounced and unofficial “Fleet of Flowers” will cast off from the harbor Monday morning, May 31. The popular event was cancelled in 2020 during a statewide pandemic shutdown and not rescheduled to reboot until Memorial Day 2022. But organizers were unable to quell the desire for tribute to Depoe Bay’s heroic past and recent losses. On Friday, volunteers were busy draping the U.S. Coast Guard station with floral wreaths. >click to read< 07:40
Memorial Day – May 31, 2021
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain 07:00
Proposed salmon farm highlights competing visions – Groups Oppose Industrial Aquaculture in Frenchman Bay
American Aquafarms wants to put 30 salmon pens in Frenchman Bay at the foot of Acadia National Park While the company said the proposed aquafarm will be good for Maine, people who currently make their living on the water aren’t convinced, and oppose the project. “These are the wrong people with the wrong project and the wrong technology in absolutely the wrong place,” >video, click to read< – Groups Oppose Applications for Industrial Aquaculture Leases at the foot of Acadia National Park in Frenchman Bay – The pens in Frenchman Bay would grow 66 million pounds of farmed raised salmon and compete with lobstermen who have also expressed their concerns. Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation Executive Director Crystal Canney said, “There are many things wrong with this project, especially as it relates to the deleterious effects it may have on the environment. On a statewide level, these conflicts continue to grow. PMFHF has heard from more than 30 lobstermen who fish in Frenchman Bay. They are concerned about the loss of bottom but also concerned that the rules and regulations at the Department of Marine Resources are risking the livelihood of a $1.6 billion industry.” >click to read< 14:53
Hugh Akagi – Inherent Indigenous rights are not a gift from government
The Supreme Court of Canada has begun to repair the hundreds of years of friction between Indigenous people and European settlers. The court recently ruled that “persons who are not Canadian citizens and who do not reside in Canada can exercise an Aboriginal right.” Many people are thinking long and hard about the implications. Imagine, rights protected by the Canadian Constitution being extended to people who have never lived in Canada. Here’s the background: >click to read< 11:32
F/V Nicola Faith: recovery of the fishing vessel is underway off Colwyn Bay coast
A platform, which includes a large crane, can be seen in the water and will be used to help raise the sunken boat. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch began raising the boat on Sunday and expect it to be fully recovered by Monday afternoon. The Nicola Faith went missing with skipper Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, on January 27. The bodies of all three men were discovered several months later. >click to read< , and >click here< 10:14
One of the last great Gloucester schooners: The L.A. Dunton of Grand Bank celebrates 100 years
She was a 10-dory schooner, with two men to a dory while fishing a crew of 22 men, including captain and cook, who lived in very cramped quarters. When the schooner reached the fishing grounds the dories were lowered over the side and rowed off from the vessel. Baited trawls were set and hauled. If the fish were abundant the men worked around the clock, fishing and cleaning the catch, snatching food and sleep as they could. The 
Dunton, built for captain Felix Hogan of Boston, fished the nearby Georges Banks and as far away as the Grand Banks for halibut in the summer and haddock during the winter.,, Maurice Kearley, 93, of Fortune is the only doryman still living who ever sailed on the vessel. He was on the ship with captain Arch Evans for eight months in 1953, its last year as a fishing schooner. >click to read< 08:26
Northwest tribes unite over GOP congressman’s pitch to breach Lower Snake River dams
The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling for breaching of the Lower Snake River dams to rebuild salmon runs, save endangered orcas and secure funding from Congress to replace the benefits of the dams. The group represents 57 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California, Southeast Alaska and Western Montana. A plan proposed by Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, to do just that was panned by key leaders in Washington state earlier this month. >click to read< 20:48
Offshore Wind Farms : We’re from the government and we’re here to _______ you!
It is just another example of the commercial fishing industry being “thrown under the bus” for the benefit of more politically powerful interests-in this case the wind energy industry and the political support that has been generated by it. But then again, perhaps not. Gina McCarthy, described as the Biden Administration’s “Climate Czar” (actually the first-ever climate advisor) “said the administration already took those complaints.” These are the comments RODA and various other folks and organizations made on the COP which were never addressed. “McCarthy said offshore wind is emerging as an even more important linchpin of the Biden administration’s clean energy strategy than had originally been expected. There are about 16 projects currently in the pipeline,,, >click to read< 15:52
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr wants more MEP whale patrols to reduce entanglement, prevent shutdowns
A state senator wants to step up marine patrols for endangered North Atlantic right whales to reduce collisions with boats, entanglements with fishing gear and prevent shutdowns of the state’s lobster fishery. An amendment to the $47 billion state budget, offered by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, would earmark another $250,000 for the Massachusetts Environmental Police to conduct more whale patrols in state waters. >click to read< 14:16
Hallelujah, time for halibut, with a nice recipe, too!
My husband fishes with Captain Joe Brewer aboard the boat Hey Jude II. A traditional lobster boat, this fishing vessel is rigged with lines and hooks every May to “hook” for halibut. On May 18, opening day of Maine halibut season, they were fortunate to land a 45-inch, 34-pound, delicious flatfish from the family of right-eyed flounders.,, Halibut is delicious baked, broiled, poached and grilled. We particularly enjoy it marinated and grilled, with a salad of freshly harvested spring greens. The recipe for Romagna Grilled Halibut is adapted from Marcella Hazan’s “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.” >click to read< 12:52
Want to join us in making a difference? A Fundraiser for F/V Miss Kim. Any donation will help make an impact.
“We are grateful to be alive” said Skipper Freeman. What could have been a devastating day for our community ended by the Fishermen being rescued. Unfortunately, the vessel has been declared a total loss. Shem Creek Fisheries is asking our local community to once again come together and show support. >click to read, and please donate if you can< Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to our community. 11:00
Fundraiser established after shrimp boat capsizes on first day of shrimping season in South Carolina
A commercial shrimping vessel, F/V Miss Kim, has been deemed a loss after capsizing on opening day of inshore shrimping season in South Carolina. A GoFundMe has been established to support the crew. Organizers say Skipper Lockwood McCants Freeman and his two-man crew set out to begin the season when the boat capsized near Morris Island on Thursday morning. >click to read< 09:44
Ireland: Fishing’s struggle to stay afloat
All of them are based in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and all are integral to a fishing community they believe is dying. Damien Turner, who is the skipper and owner of the MFV Roise Catriona, has been fishing for more than 30 years. video, >click to read< 08:24
Transport Canada urged to enforce ship speed limits protecting endangered right whales
For the second year in a row, the majority of vessels passing through the Cabot Strait, between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia on Canada’s East Coast, are not complying with a Transport Canada voluntary slowdown request intended to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales in a key migratory passage. The Strait is also the primary route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the country’s second-busiest port in Montreal. The voluntary initiative, established in 2020,,, >click to read< The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released a key report called a Biological Opinion yesterday – >click to read<17:20
Biological Opinion to Protect Right Whales Met With Opposition on All Sides
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released a key report called a Biological Opinion yesterday that calls for a 98 percent reduction in risk to North Atlantic right whales over the next 10 years. The goal is meant to be achieved over the course of four phases that correspond with increasingly tight restrictions on lobster and crab fisheries as well as other fixed-gear fisheries that use vertical buoy ropes. Vertical ropes attached to trap/pot gear is known to lethally entangle the whales. >click to read< 16:38
Memorial on Great Orme to F/V Nicola Faith fisherman Ross Ballantine is destroyed
A memorial to one of the fisherman who lost his life onboard the stricken F/V Nicola Faith has been destroyed. Ross Ballantine was a crewman on the fishing vessel alongside skipper Carl McGrath, 34, and Alan Minard, 20 when it vanished off the coast of Colwyn Bay on January 27. Following the 39-year-old’s funeral on April 16, his loved ones headed up the Great Orme where they created a memorial to him, spelling out ‘Ross’ using small pieces of limestone from the nearby Bishop’s Quarry. The large memorial lay alongside other names and was clearly visible from the air. >click to read< 14:52
Home in Maine, Fisherman Taylor Strout reflects on the Alaska commercial fishing industry during the pandemic
From Maine, it takes him a good 24 hours and four airports to get where he is going. Taylor Strout is a mate aboard the Fishing Vessel F/V Northern Defender which was tied up at the dock in Dutch Harbor. As the crow flies, he is more than 4000 miles away from home. What is the draw? “It’s kind of a different level of fishing out here. And it was something that I’ve always wanted to do and try back when I first got into it. I had the opportunity to do it, and to try it, and I didn’t just try it, I ended up kind of falling in love with it. And continue to do it since. I love the rotation of it. You know, you go to work, you work hard, you put it in there, and then when it’s time to go home and focus on your family you get to come home and just be Dad and take care of the family that way too,” says Taylor. >Video, click to read< 12:50
NAFTA 2.0? No shovel ready jobs in Joe Biden’s Offshore Wind Farm Big Blow Show! Manufacturing jobs years away!
Offshore wind project developers plan to ship massive blades, towers and other components for at least the initial wave of U.S. projects from factories in France, Spain and elsewhere before potentially opening up manufacturing plants on U.S. shores, according to Reuters interviews with executives from three of the world’s leading wind turbine makers. That is because suppliers need to see a deep pipeline of approved U.S. projects, along with a clear set of regulatory incentives like federal and state tax breaks, before committing to siting and building new American factories, they say – a process that could take years. “For the first projects, it’s probably necessary” to ship across the Atlantic, said Martin Gerhardt, head of offshore wind product management at Siemens Gamesa, the global offshore wind market leader in a comment typical of the group. >click to read< 10:58
BREAKING: Fishermen angry at ‘incident’ with foreign trawler off south coast this morning
Fishermen are furious after an incident off the south west coast early this morning that saw an Irish fishing trawler alleging it was threatened by a foreign-registered vessel inside the 12-mile Irish fishing limit. The incident was filmed by the crew of the Irish trawler and shows the other vessel coming dangerously close to the Irish boat. The Irish skipper can be heard radio-ing the other vessel and telling them to ‘stay away from us’,,, The incident comes just two days after southern fishermen held a peaceful rally in Cork city about the plight of the industry. >click to read< 10:05
Coastal Job: Tuna Auction Manager
I was born and raised in a fishing family. I was swimming before I could walk, and at a young age, I could say the scientific and common names of Hawaiian fish. My family did not want me to go into commercial fishing, so I pursued marine sciences. But when I started working at the auction as its assistant general manager in 1979, something came over me. It was like, This is home. The first seven years, I took no vacation. I pulled 18-hour days and spent the night sometimes. Even people who’ve visited the auction don’t truly understand the depths of the operation. >click to read< 08:51
Hull trawler sold to Greenlandic fishing interests as owners blame Government ‘failure’ in post-Brexit negotiations
The Icelandic owners of Norma Mary have sold the 32-year-old trawler, mainly crewed by fishermen from Hull and Grimsby, to Greenlandic fishing interests, blaming “the Government’s failure to negotiate fishing opportunities”. News of the sale emerged as Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy told the Commons on Thursday that the country had been promised a “‘sea of opportunity’” that turned out to be no more than a stagnant millpond”.>click to read< 08:07
Coast Guard halts illegal use of “paper captains” in WA-based tuna fishing operation
Since 2019, Coast Guard personnel, working collaboratively with CBP and NOAA agents, detected eight separate “paper captain” violations operating in the Pacific Northwest. Paper captain is a term applied to an individual listed on documents as a U.S.-flagged vessel’s captain but in actuality serves as a deckhand or in a similar lower‐level capacity. Thus far, one Washington-based fishing fleet has paid $9,150 in civil penalties and has been cited for $140,000 in additional penalties still pending adjudication. >click to read< 17:54
SC shrimp season opens with a brighter outlook – “One of the restaurants said its like July Fourth every day,”
“Over the past several years we’ve seen a lot of larger shrimp offshore that are probably coming down from up north, just because of the range expansion of (white) shrimp.” There’s hope that this season will see a comeback for the industry that sells these shrimp, in part because measures to combat coronavirus in 2020 severely restricted restaurant dining and dampened demand for local product. Last year, Cindy Tarvin of Tarvin Seafood, based on Shem Creek, told The Post and Courier that restaurant orders had dropped to between one-quarter and one-third of normal. This year, she said, sales have bounced back dramatically as diners have rushed back to restaurants. “One of the restaurants said its like July Fourth every day,” she >click to read< 16:21
N.S. Mi’kmaq to start season with scaled-down plans, RCMP makes statement on Moderate Livelihood Fishery
A Mi’kmaq community is scaling down plans for a lobster harvest in southwestern Nova Scotia next week, after Ottawa threatened to pull traps that aren’t licensed by the Fisheries Department. Sipekne’katik Chief Mike Sack told reporters today that instead of pursuing a “moderate livelihood” fishery with up to 50 traps per boat, Indigenous fishers will begin the season by pursuing a food, social and ceremonial fishery. >click to read< , RCMP Make Statement On Upcoming Moderate Livelihood Fishery – RCMP say they will ensure a coordinated, appropriate and measured approach, if required. Resources will be deployed based on operational needs. >click to read< 14:46
NOAA Fisheries Releases Final “Batched” Biological Opinion & North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Framework
NOAA Fisheries released its Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7 Biological Opinion on the authorization of eight federal fisheries management plans under the MSA two interstate fishery management plans under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, and the implementation of the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2. We also released the North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Framework for Federal Fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region (Conservation Framework). NOAA Fisheries has evaluated the effects of the authorization of the fisheries, as modified by the Conservation Framework, on endangered and threatened species. The 10 fisheries included in the Opinion are: >click to read< 12:22
DFO: Lobster Science Partnership Roundtable with Indigenous partners, commercial fishing reps, and researchers
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced the launch of the Lobster Science Partnership Roundtable. On June 15th, Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists, Indigenous partners, commercial fishing representatives, and other key researchers will come together to discuss their most important research questions and priorities, with the shared goal of increasing our knowledge around lobster stocks. >click to read< 11:22
