Monthly Archives: May 2021
Silence from Shoreline Press on Undersea Electric Problems – We’re not talking what you can see, it’s what you can’t
All the exciting press about the installation of windfarms focuses on the seemingly blithe turbine blades swirling innocently in the free breeze,,, the mantra offered by Baker, Raimondo, Lamonte and Cuomo. The necessary undersea electric cables that connect the swan like turbines to the shore are viewed by the wind industry itself as their Achilles Heel. It has already shown its ugly face in the functioning of the five turbines off Block Island. This has placed an unexpected $80 million repair bill (just five turbines, mind you, and less that 18 miles of cable) on the rate payers. Orsted, which has 
bought the Rhode Island wind company, has publicly said “we do not discuss our financial matters.” The repair will take two years, and a large swath of ocean is closed to commercial fishing—blues, sword, squid, lobster, clams, flounder, haddock. No fishing! Trawl gear hauled along the bottom will catch on that now exposed cable and strum it like a banjo string. Twang! Snap!! >click to read< 16:54
A reminder! ‘Always have a working fire extinguisher onboard’
Following a boat fire in Port Hardy, fire crews are putting out a reminder to always have a working fire extinguisher onboard your boat. On Tuesday (May 11th), Port Hardy Fire Rescue was called after a small boat caught fire that same morning at Fisherman’s Wharf. “A great response by our crews for a small fire in the cab of a commercial fishing boat,” they said. >click to read< 15:34
USDA approves $25 million wild caught shrimp-buy program to help distressed seafood industry
The USDA announced the purchase of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild-caught shrimp through its Section 32 Program for distribution to food banks and other nonprofit nutrition programs. The Gulf Coast is a leading source of the shrimp caught for domestic consumption. The $25 million shrimp purchase is authorized under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935. Section 32 purchases support a broad variety of U.S. agriculture producers and provide USDA Food and Nutrition Service nutrition assistance programs with commodities for distribution. >click to read< 11:03
Jaime Battiste: Balancing conservation and fairness in a ‘moderate livelihood’ for Indigenous fishermen
What is fair to the Mi’kmaq, who have been deprived of their legal right to a practice passed down for generations? What is fair to the commercial fishermen, many of whom today are of Mi’kmaq descent, who depend on the fishery and healthy stocks for their own livelihoods? There is no easy answer. The report addresses two misconceptions that have added fuel to this fire.,,, As someone who is fluent in the Mi’kmaw language, the Mi’kmaw language has no way to describe “an individual unfettered right, to accumulate wealth.” In fact, the closest would be a pejorative term that’s closer to greed. Much like the how the government’s right to regulate has limits, the right to a moderate livelihood also has its limits and responsibilities. >click to read< 09:42
F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB to Hold Meeting to Determine Probable Cause for Sinking
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Thursday its plan to hold a public board meeting to determine the probable cause for the 2019 sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose. The 130-foot Scandies Rose sank December 31, 2019 about 2.5 miles south of Sutwik Island, Alaska with the loss of five crew members. Two others were rescued. The loss of the Scandies Rose marked the worst accident to hit Alaska’s commercial fishing industry since the sinking of the F/V Destination with the loss of all six crew members in February 2017.,, The Coast Guard previously convened a Marine Board of Investigation concluding in March to consider evidence related to the accident. >click to read< 08:55
Four fishermen rescued from liferaft after fishing vessel fire off the Cork coast
Shortly before 2am this morning, Valentia Coast Guard was alerted to a fire on board the ‘Horizon’ fishing vessel around 20 miles south east of the Old Head of Kinsale. A multi-agency response co-ordinated by the Valentia Coast Guard,,, Within minutes of the mayday alert being issued, the crew abandoned the vessel to their liferaft as the fire had engulfed their boat. Shortly afterwards, the crew was recovered from their liferaft by the Offshore Supply ship Pathfinder that had been operating at the Kinsale Gas field. >photos, click to read< 07:52
Mass DMF – Effective May 14, Seasonal Trap Gear Closure and Speed Restrictions Lifted
Beginning tomorrow, commercial trap fishermen may set their gear in those waters under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth east and north of Cape Cod up to the New Hampshire border. These waters have been closed to trap gear fishing since February 1. Additionally, mariners operating vessels less than 65’ overall length may run them at speeds greater than 10 knots. Operators of vessels with an overall length of 65’ or greater are reminded the federal 10 knot speed limit remains in effect in Cape Cod Bay Seasonal Management Area through May 15. >click to read< 18:36
North Carolina Commercial Fishermen can’t stay afloat under biased regulations
Many commercial fishermen feel like they’ve been playing defense for a decade, fighting for their livelihood. “It’s a hard day to fight when you get up and you know you’re fighting for your survival every day, and you’re regulated to the point where you can barely make it,” said Doug Cross. Cross runs Pamlico Packing Company with his brother.,, The storms and bad seasons come with the territory, but there’s another issue tangling these nets. “Regulation is the single biggest wild card,” said Cross. “How do you plan in the future without knowing what you’re going to be facing. >click to read< 17:00
Members of Parliament issue conflicting reports on contentious Moderate Livelihood fishery in Quebec in the Maritimes
Parliamentarians issued dissenting reports Thursday on implementing First Nations moderate livelihood fisheries,,, Although all parties supported the right to a moderate livelihood fishery, the committee was not unanimous. Both the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois issued dissenting reports. The Conservatives consider moderate livelihood fishing a commercial enterprise and subject to the same regulations, including seasons, as all commercial fisheries, with enforcement and regulation unambiguously under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The Bloc called for co-management. The office of federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan issued a statement Thursday that said it had received the report that morning and “look forward to reviewing its recommendations closely.” >click to read< 16:09
Obituary: William G. Englehardt of Salem, Ma., WWII-Korean War Navy Veteran, Commercial Fisherman
William G. Englehardt, 96, died May 10, 2021 after a brief illness. He was the husband of Maria C. (Constantino) Englehardt. He was born in Salem to the late Albert and Agnes (Buckley) Englehardt. William was an honorary discharged veteran of the United States Navy, who served our country from the Navy’s submarines during WWII & Korean War. He worked on assembly at the United Shoe for many years. William retired at the age of 62 he loved fishing so much that he became a commercial fisherman which he continued until the age of 88. >click to read< 13:25
F/V Nicola Faith: Fishing vessel to be raised – MAIB investigation update
Since locating and identifying Nicola Faith in April, the MAIB has gathered and analysed dive survey data from the vessel. We now intend to raise the vessel so that an in-depth examination and stability analysis can be carried out. >click to read< Missing Conwy fishing boat to be raised from sea bed – Familes of the crew members have been told about the plans to lift the vessel from the sea bed off the Welsh coast. “The vessel will be raised using a specially designed barge crane that has been chartered by MAIB,” >click to read< 12:34
The Faroe Bank Cod: How a ‘mythical’ Faroes delicacy has vanished
The head chef at Barbara Fish House, one of four restaurants located in tiny wooden houses in Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands’ capital, Christensen was hosting what has become known as a “Bank evening”, because of the main dish. The Faroe Bank cod’s reputation is partly built on its size. It is huge: a three-year-old specimen is already twice as large, on average, as the Atlantic cod. But it is also legendary because of its rarity. A genetically distinctive member of the cod family, it was once plentiful before being nearly fished to extinction. In 2008, all commercial fishing of Faroe Bank cod was banned. Only the Faroe Marine Research Institute (Famri) is now allowed to catch them, when its researchers survey the fish population twice a year. >click to read< 11:05
We’re losing fishing grounds – Trump says Vineyard ‘will never be the same’ after Vineyard Wind Farm
Will Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first permitted commercial-scale wind farm, change island life in Massachusetts forever? Former President Donald Trump thinks so. On the day that the massive wind farm planned off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket won the federal approval from the Biden administration that it had been fruitlessly seeking from Trump for years, the former president weighed in with a touch of sarcasm. The project, however, still has opponents, including the commercial fishing industry and some environmentalists worried about how the farm will impact the migratory patterns of rights whales and other marine life. >click to read< 10:01
Two dead whales found lodged under hull of Australian warship docked in San Diego
The whales were discovered as the ship, HMAS Sydney, berthed at Naval Base San Diego, the Australian Royal Navy said in a statement. Experts say the physics of the situation are somewhat common, even if the presence of more than one whale makes this scenario rare.,, John Calambokidis, a leading expert on West Coast ship strikes, said the incident highlights what he’s concluded in his research: ship strikes are dramatically underreported. “We think it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or less of the number of ship strikes occurring are getting documented,” >click to read< 08:55
Commercial Fisherman Thomas Allen Hoxsie of the Point Judith Fishing community, has passed away
Thomas A. Hoxsie,64, passed away Sunday May, 9, 2021. A lifelong resident of Narragansett, Tom was the son of the late Samuel Bailey and Anne Nichols Hoxsie. He was the beloved husband of Doris Aschman and devoted father of Sarah and Benjamin Hoxsie Tom was a fixture of the Point Judith Fishing community, spending over 30 years tending floating fish traps, lobstering on his boat, the North Star, and raising Point Judith Salts oysters. Tom was unique in his ability to see forward and backwards in time. He saw the fishing industry in its entirety – as a business, a way of life and as a part of a whole. >click to read< 07:15
TriNav Marine Design’s battery powered fishing boat wins $500K efficiency competition
A marine engineering company based in Newfoundland and Labrador has won the grand prize of a government competition to design a more full-efficient inshore fishing boat in Atlantic Canada. TriNav Marine Design of St. John’s was one of three finalists,,, Henry Demone, a former CEO of High Liner Foods, chaired the selection committee for the competition, He said TrivNav’s design is more efficient but has similar characteristics to the type of vessels that fishermen use today. “We didn’t want to choose a winner that fishermen would have difficulty considering when they upgrade their vessels,” >click to read< 18:24
Memories of Fishing Trawler Kotuku sinking in Foveaux Strait still vivid 15 years later
Widow Judy Hayward will visit the cemetery and gather together with some of those involved in the tragedy, just as she does most years. Hayward’s husband Ian (known as Shorty) was one of nine people aboard the fishing boat when it was hit by a rogue wave on the afternoon of May 13, 2006. Hayward remembers the day well. It was the day before Mother’s Day, Not long after she returned home, she had a visit from Woods’ partner. Hayward instantly knew something was wrong. “A surreal state takes over, and the feeling of being outside your physical body as the shock of it takes over. I can still hear information and conversations as if they are just happening.” >photos, click to read< 17:19
Mississippi: Shrimp industry leader Richard Gollott has passed away
Richard Gollott, a longtime commissioner with the Commission on Marine Resources and seafood industry leader, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 77. Gollott opened Cap’n Gollott Seafood in 1969, which grew to be one of the largest oyster processing companies on the Gulf Coast. He served as president of Gollott’s Oil Dock & Ice House, Inc., and vice president of Golden Gulf Coast Pkg Co., Inc, working alongside his son and brother as partners. Gollott was a lifelong resident of the Coast and a founding member of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. He also was a board member of the American Shrimp Processors Association. >click to read< 14:21
U.S. Commercial fishermen are frustrated by mask mandates from Maine to Alaska
Commercial fishing crews must be masked at all times, regardless of the number of people. The requirement stems from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rule issued in February saying all those on public transportation must be masked. The Coast Guard interpreted the rule to apply to all vessels, including commercial fisherman who sometimes work with crews of just three to five people. There are around 39,000 commercial fishermen in the United States. In a hearing with top administration health officials yesterday, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) brought this up. saying they’ve heard deep frustration from fishermen who argue that wearing a mask while doing their work is unsafe. >click to read< 12:43
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 82′ Steel Stern Dragger, 525 HP Cummins, 40 kw Cummins genset,,,
To review specifications, information, and 8 photos, >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:32
More Celtic visitors in Newlyn
Amaven Uno, another visiting Spanish flag stern trawler is in Newlyn Tuesday morning, while another Scottish prawn boat moored on the end of the Marwy Williams pier – her namesake fished her 30 years ago along with the Loranthus, Wavecrest and Bounteous – they made two pair teams that fished for winter mackerel landing in Penzance dock. as can be seen from this photo, with the fully laden Loranthus laying outside the Bounteous having her mackerel pumped ashore – most likely for fishmeal – sadly, the Bounteous was lost one night when she capsized while hauling her midwater trawl full of mackerel >19 photos, click to read< 10:55
Potlotek First Nation seeks injunction against DFO over self-regulated fishery
A number of First Nations communities in the province, including Potlotek, launched their own self-regulated lobster fisheries last year to mark the 21st anniversary of the historic Supreme Court of Canada decision that affirmed Mi’kmaw rights to fish for a moderate livelihood. Many commercial fishermen have opposed the fisheries operating outside commercial seasons. In March, federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said Ottawa will not licence any treaty-based fishery in Atlantic Canada unless it operates within the commercial season. >click to read< 10:15
RODA Condemns Administration for Putting Goals Ahead of Fishermen Safety
Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), a broad membership-based coalition of fishing industry associations and fishing companies, condemns in the strongest possible terms the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) issuance of a Record of Decision for the previously terminated Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project. BOEM continues to abdicate its responsibility to the public and leave all decision making to large, multinational corporations, including this Decision which includes effectively no mitigation measures to offset impacts to critical ocean ecosystems and commercial fisheries. >click to read< 09:21
My! How things have changed! Will there be a Flotilla to greet Joe Biden at the CG Graduation this year?
A Statement by Donald J. Trump on Vineyard Wind. Congratulations to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts for the privilege they will have in looking at massive windmills that have been approved by the Biden Administration and are being built, in China of course, as part of an extraordinarily large wind farm. Wind is an incredibly expensive form of energy that kills birds, affects the sea, ruins the landscape, and creates disasters for navigation. Liberals love it, but they can’t explain why. In any 
event, Martha’s Vineyard, an absolutely wonderful place, will never be the same. Good Luck! >click to read< It’s On!! The Make Commercial Fishing Great Again Flotilla 2017 Remember? >click to read< Looking back at Flotilla 2017, When there was, well, some kind of unity. Great photos that represent the end of an era. >click for photos< 07:30
Biden-Harris Administration Approves First Major Offshore Wind Project in U.S. Waters
Today’s Record of Decision (ROD) grants Vineyard Wind final federal approval to install 84 or fewer turbines off Massachusetts as part of an 800-megawatt offshore wind energy facility. The project is expected to create 3,600 area jobs and will power up to 400,000 homes. Turbines will be installed in an east-west orientation, and all the turbines will have a minimum spacing of 1 nautical mile between them in the north-south and east-west directions, consistent with the U.S. Coast Guard recommendations in the Final Massachusetts and Rhode Island Port Access Route Study. >click to read< 15:05
Canada’s lobster dispute goes international – UN committee seeks answers from Canada over racism, violence against Mi’kmaw fishers
The chair for the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) asked Leslie Norton, Canada’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to explain what Canada has done to Investigate alleged acts of racism, violence and vandalism against Mi’kmaw fishers and supporters, Investigate alleged lack of response by officers with the RCMP and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to protect Mi’kmaw people,,, The UN committee has given Norton until July 14 to provide a response. Sipekne’katik Chief Mike Sack said he was happy to see the letter from the UN committee. “It shows some hope that Canada has to answer for their actions or their lack of actions,” >click to read< 12:38
Canada’s lobster dispute goes international -Indigenous fishers say they have treaty and Supreme Court rights to fish where and when they want,,, Commercial fishers say the season is regulated and limited in order to conserve the resource,,, >click to read<
Retired Charlestown fisherman can’t afford to live in his fishing village sets record straight with new book
Retired Charlestown fisherman Lyndon Allen believes there has been so much rubbish written about his beloved village,,, A commercial fisherman for 36 years, the 56-year-old has been researching the history of Charlestown for the best part of four decades. Charlestown-Time and Tide (A History of Charlestown) is, as the title suggests, a history of the town from its humble beginnings as a fishing village known as Polmear to the holiday destination it has become today. Mr Allen said he has seen the town evolve since it was sold off to whoever could afford it in 1986 when it in 1986 when, as a privately owned single estate, it was broken up into lots. >click to read< 11:12
James Farrell Styron, 89 of Davis, Commercial Fisherman, James Styron Fish Co., has passed away
James Farrell Styron, 89 of Davis, passed away Friday, May 7, 2021, at his home with family at his side. The eldest of four, James was born to Alice and Virgil Styron Aug. 2, 1931. James met the love of his life, Nadine, at Smyrna High School and they were married Oct. 21, 1950. Soon after, James served in the U.S. Navy. James returned to Davis to start his more than 40-year career in the commercial fishing seafood industry. In his lifetime, he fished several vessels, including the Lorraine, Gulf Stream, Ken-Pat and Dickie Boy, from the waters of Virginia south to Key West before later focusing on seafood sales. Beginning in Beaufort in the mid-1960s with his father Virgil, his business later migrated to Davis. James Styron Fish Co. was a thriving seafood venture with clients all over the country, >click to read< 09:59
Alaska Supreme Court upholds legality of fish landing tax
Fishermen’s Finest, a Washington state seafood company that operates factory trawlers and exports most of its product overseas, had challenged the state’s tax in court. It argued that there are protections against state taxation on shipping in coastal state waters, and a lower state superior court agreed. But the justices, writing in a unanimous opinion, found that the fees assessed on Fishermen’s Finest’s products are not unconstitutional “The landing tax is not opportunistic taxation of vessels ‘merely transiting’ adjacent waters without landing or benefitting from any local services,” the justices wrote. >click to read< 08:56
Shelburne Warden Advocates Extension Of Georges Bank Oil and Gas Exploration Moratorium
Warden Penny Smith says the moratorium is important for the fishing industry. “Billions of dollars of lobster, scallop and ground fish landings come from Georges Bank. This industry is our coastal communities’ economic mainstay, and it cannot be put at risk. It’s one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, and it supports the provincial economy, so we must continue to protect these important fishing grounds,” said Smith. The moratorium has been in place for 33 years, and a decision on extension needs to be made by the end of 2022. >click to read< 07:50
