Monthly Archives: June 2021
More of the same a good thing as Bristol Bay gets underway
Early indicators are pointing to yet another strong year in the massive Bristol Bay sockeye fishery, which is contrasted against the continued struggles in many of the state’s other large salmon fisheries. Just more than 3.2 million sockeye had been harvested through June 27, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game figures, with the Nushagak District accounting for more than half of the catch so far at nearly 1.7 million fish. The 3.2 million-fish harvest to-date this year is between the comparable totals for recent years; 1.2 million sockeye were harvested through June 27 last year, while more than 4.4 million were caught by the same day in 2019. With sockeye harvests of more than 40 million fish and total runs greater than 56 million sockeye, both of the last two years have been among the most productive in the history of the Bristol Bay fishery. >click to read< 19:54
Waterman Allen Ray Crockett of Tangier Island has passed away
Mr. Allen Ray Crockett, beloved husband of Jeanette Bowden Crockett, passed away Monday, June 28, 2021. Allen was the son of the late Merrill Ray Crockett and the late Ruth Hall Parks Crockett. He was born Dec. 26, 1936, on Tangier Island, where he remained a pillar of the community throughout his 84 years. Allen’s lifelong career as a waterman began when he was just a boy standing on a crate as he worked alongside his father. Over the years he would travel to Crisfield, Md., to sell his Dad’s crabs, where the buyer always greeted him by saying, “Look out! Here comes Merrill’s boy.” Throughout his career, he owned three boats, The Wellington K., The Jeannette C., and finally, The Claudine Sue, which is now proudly owned and operated as The Samantha Paige, by his grandson, Thomas Reed Eskridge. >click to read< 17:26
Commerce Department Announces 2021 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils
The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the appointment of 31 members to the regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage marine fishery resources. Established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, councils are responsible for developing region-specific fishery management plans that safeguard and enhance the nation’s fisheries resources. Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight,,, >click here to read< 15:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 79.8′ Steel Raised Foc’sle Lobster/Crabber, 525HP Cat
To review specifications, information, and 14 photos, >click here< , To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:27
Choppy waters limit crowd, times at Bass Harbor lobster boat races
More than three dozen lobstermen battled it out in Bass Harbor this past weekend as part of the annual lobster boat races, but perhaps their toughest competitor was race day’s choppy waters. Conditions were a little rougher than ideal, but nothing the boats couldn’t handle, said Jon Johansen, the president of the Maine Lobster Boat Racing Association. Thirty-seven boats from across the region showed up, about half of what the race has boasted in the past. Some only had to travel from their mooring in Bernard to the starting line but others came from locales such as Prospect Harbor, Stonington, Beals, Searsport, Milbridge, Corea and Islesford,,, >photos, click to read< 10:49
‘Free’ Offshore Wind Farm Power Costs Six Times the National Average Cost of Power in USA
Americans are fast learning that the cost of wind power is staggering, and the cost of offshore wind power is astronomical. Joe Biden and his Squad are eager to plant thousands of these things up and down the Atlantic coast, claiming that offshore wind power is ‘free’ and getting cheaper all the time. It’s a myth, to be sure, as Willis Eschenbach carefully details below. Block Island Wind Farm – And what are the economics of the Block Island Wind Farm? (insanity!) How much is that energy worth? The nationwide average to the customer is around 13 cents/kWh,,, And how much is Rhode Island paying for this “inexpensive” wind energy? Hang on to your jaw so it doesn’t hit the floor … they’re paying 24.4 cents/kWh, six times the national average, and it’s going up by 3.5% per year … so in ten years it will be 34.4 cents/kWh. But wait, there’s more.,,, Oh, plus the surcharge to pay for the transmission cable,,, >click to read< 09:54
Coronavirus pandemic moves local fishermen to embrace entrepreneurship
Thirty-one-year-old cousins CJ Owens and Jeff Frye, Jr. embraced entrepreneurship when commercial fishing hit a snag last year. “At the beginning of Covid, we had a hard time selling stuff because state lines were shut down and we couldn’t ship nothing out,” said Frye. “If we didn’t sell it locally, we didn’t sell it.” That dilemma inspired the cousins to open North Star Seafood, and also carries offerings from other local fishermen, Owens’ grandfather and father, Clifford Hill Owens, Sr. and Jr., both fished commercially. Frye fished alongside his father, Jeff Frye, Sr. and grandfather, Mack Liverman. photos, >click to read< 08:43
Fishing boat skipper has been hailed a hero after he died trying to save a young crew member
Lachlan Robertson, known as Lachie, did not think twice about leaping into the water when a member of his crew fell overboard in rough seas in the Sound of Rum last week. Another crewman managed to pull the younger man from the icy water, but by the time they reached 61-year-old Mr Robertson, he was in a critical condition. It is understood one man fell as he and Mr Robertson tried to pull the nets back aboard in rough seas. “Somehow the crewman fell overboard and Lachie immediately jumped into the water after him, fearing he would drown. “The remaining young crewman, from nearby Skye, managed to pull his crewmate out of the sea but it took much longer to retrieve Lachie, by which time he was showing little sign of life.” >click to read< 07:40
F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB announces probable cause of the sinking – Issues Report
The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously approved the investigative team’s findings on the sunken vessel’s probable cause. On Dec. 31, 2019, the F/V Scandies Rose was traveling southwest, west of Kodiak Island, but sank in frigid waters near Sutwik Island. Only two of the seven crew members survived the wreckage.,, Combined with heavy lopsided ice accumulation due to wind and sea conditions, which were more extreme than forecasted during the voyage, caused the vessel to sink near Sutwik Island. >click to read< NTSB Issues Report on the Sinking of the Scandies Rose – According to the NTSB, Scandies Rose likely accumulated 6-15 inches of ice on surfaces exposed to wind and icing during the voyage. The added weight from ice accumulating on one side of the vessel – plus the stacked crab pots on deck – raised the Scandies Rose’s center of gravity, reducing her stability and contributing to the capsizing. >click to read< 17:41
Significant Commercial Fisheries closures in BC – DFO to offer licence buyback to those ready to call it quits.
Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan today announced “an initial step towards longer-term reductions in fishing pressure on stocks of conservation concern with significant commercial salmon closures for the 2021 season.” Jordan also announced there will be a federal fishing licence buyback offered to commercial fishers who are ready to call it quits. DFO’s Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for 2021-22 will result in closures to about 60% of commercial salmon fisheries in B.C. for 2021. >click to read< 15:22
English Channel Fly-Shooter Agreement Breakdown – Opinions are divided!
For some, fly-shooting is seen as a gentle method of fishing, with low fuel consumption and limited seabed impact. This is a technique has become increasingly popular, although in the Eastern Channel region and in other parts of France it has come in for criticism from small-scale fishermen, who claim the fly-shooters are stripping their grounds bare in record time. Fly-shooting is now prohibited inside the 12-mile zone off the coast of Brittany, and in the Channel, the situation has become critical, with more and more French, Belgian, Dutch and English fly-shooters operating in the region. >photo’s, click to read< 13:29
Commercial fisherman frustrated by red tide fish kills destroying his livelihood
Dead fish by the thousands are causing a smelly mess in the water and on the shorelines around parts of Tampa Bay. Commercial fisherman David Gill was shocked when he first saw it Monday morning near the mouth of the Alafia River. “I wanted to scream and rip my hair out because I watched my livelihood die right in front of me,” says Gill, who has been fishing these waters since he was a boy. For years, Gill and other fishermen have traveled miles to get away from red tide, which he believes is exacerbated by pollution, including the release from Piney Point. He’s angry about it. video, >click to read< 10:59
Devon lifeboats race to French trawler fire
Two South Devon lifeboats took part in a five-hour mission far out in the English Channel after a French trawler caught fire. Firefighters were winched down to the deck of the stricken trawler during the operation. Torbay and Salcombe both launched their RNLI lifeboats to go to the aid of the French fishermen. A spokesman for Torbay RNLI said the trawler had suffered an engine room fire 36 miles south east of Berry Head on Sunday afternoon. Four French trawlers joined the two lifeboats in the rescue,,, The stricken trawler was towed out of the Channel shipping lanes,,, >click to read< 09:45
The calamari comeback state, part 2? Fishing industry booming in RI following pandemic
Restaurants are packed, outdoor dining has expanded, and tourists are flocking to Rhode Island for the seafood the state is known for. Although the local fishing industry is booming, prices are skyrocketing and it’s all because of the pandemic. During the peak of the virus, prices dropped, and fishermen had a hard time selling what they caught. “Narragansett just happens to be the home port for the world’s largest squid producers,” Operations Manager at Seafreeze Shoreside Rich Fuka said. “In fact, Rhode Island leads the world in squid production.” >click to read< 08:49
Senate Approves Bill Exempting Commercial Fishermen from State Unemployment Tax
“Currently, New Jersey’s commercial fishermen are on the hook for unemployment taxes, but they are not paid hourly wages, and they have never been able to collect unemployment benefits,” stated Testa. “This bill will have significant impact on the state’s vital fishing industry that has been extremely hard-hit by the pandemic.” According to a release, Testa’s bill (S-3501) would exempt commercial fishermen who are paid on the percentage of fish caught or a percentage of the selling price of those fish from the state unemployment law and its costly tax on earnings. >click to read< 07:52
Video: Coast Guard rescued three fishermen 72 miles southeast of Montauk Sunday evening.
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders received a VHF radio call at approximately 21:30 Sunday from the F/V Nite Nurse, reporting that the vessel was taking on water and sinking. The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and dispatched a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, a HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew, and Coast Guard Cutter Kingfisher to the scene. >video, click to read< 18:17
Remember this guy? Joseph Vaudo faces charges in the death of $10k worth of lobsters
Superior Lobster and Seafood lost approximately $10,000 worth of lobsters after a Sandwich man turned off the compressor and oxygen supply to their tank of live seafood, Vaudo was arrested and charged with felony vandalism of property and illegal dumping. Vaudo has been posted from trespassing at the business and is due in court Monday for arraignment, the post stated. Vaudo is the store’s former owner. >click to read< Vaudo has had multiple run-ins with the state. Here’s what we’ve got! >click here<, and >here< 16:45
It may be a limited 2021 season, but Giovanni’s Fish Market in Morro Bay begins annual dock sale
“The community treats us super well so we just want to give back and do like an annual special,” De-Garimore said. “We just knew that we want to support the local fishermen too. Getting the local catch to the local people at a killer price, it’s a win-win for everybody and that’s why you see the giant lines.” The fish from this year’s sale are from all over the California Coast, primarily the area near Bodega Bay. De-Garimore and other market employees drove up to get the fish from there, returning Saturday night with almost 10,000 pounds of salmon. >Video, click to watch< 15:34
Ireland’s fishing industry: A post-Brexit quandary
Fishermen and women are in a quandary over sharp Brexit cuts to their catch in the EU-UK trade agreement. The deal eliminates some €20 million from mackerel and prawn quotas this year. By 2026 the annual value of all stocks will drop €43 million, a 15 per cent cut from 2020. For the fishing industry, this is the opposite of the decisive European solidarity that buttressed Ireland’s efforts to keep the Border open after Brexit. Trawlers sailed into Dublin port last week to protest outside a meeting of the Dáil in the convention centre. After huge price cuts because of coronavirus, the mood is grim in coastal communities. The Seafood Task Force, a Government-appointed group that includes the industry, reports a “deep sense of grievance”. >click to read< 13:35
Daniel Harrington of North Kingstown, R.I., a lifelong commercial fisherman, has passed away
Daniel Harrington, 57, of North Kingstown passed away peacefully on June 22, 2021 surrounded by his loving family, after a brief illness. Born in Warwick, he was the son of the late Gerald T. Harrington Jr and Sonia (Smith) Reed. Danny spent a lot of time at his grandparent’s beachfront home in Wickford where he found appreciation for everything about the ocean and fishing. He was a lifelong commercial fisherman, working out of Wickford, Point Judith, and Marathon, Florida. Danny was one of a kind and a friend to all who knew him. >click to read< 10:32
Feds told again to allow Indigenous commercial fisheries
Canada must stop controlling how five First Nations in B.C. harvest and sell salmon, halibut, and dozens of other marine species, a B.C. court has ruled. The decision marks the end of a 15-year legal battle waged by the federal government to prevent the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, a coalition of five First Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island, from reclaiming their traditional commercial fisheries decimated by colonial policies. “We are just trying to establish a commercial fishery that provides income to the families,”, “That’s the message we’ve been trying to give DFO as the Mi’kmaq fisheries on the East Coast have tried to do as well.” >click to read< 09:35
EU ‘fly-shooting’ fishing boats in Channel spark concerns
The UK has been accused of allowing a fleet of mainly EU “fly-shooting” fishing boats “unfettered access” to the Channel, without a proper assessment of the impact on fish populations, the seabed or the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. Organisations representing small-scale fishers on both sides of the Channel have warned that the fleet is having a “devastating” effect on their catches. They are calling for a review of the vessels’ UK licences until an impact assessment has been carried out. Fly-shooter fishing boats, sometimes called Danish or Scottish seiners,,, >click to read< 08:41
An Organized Act of Civil Disobedience: East Hampton Baymen Take to ‘Truck Beach’ to Protest Court Ruling
East Hampton baymen and their supporters drove a caravan of 39 trucks onto what is popularly known as Truck Beach on Napeague on Sunday morning to assert what they believe is their right to use, and drive on, the ocean beach there. A panel of four New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division judges determined in February that the 4,000-foot stretch of beach is owned by landward residential property owners. Baymen had promised such action in the wake of a June 4 injunction reiterating the Appellate Division panel’s Feb. 3 affirmation,,, >click to read< 07:39
“All I am is a fisherman. That’s all I’m guilty of Your Honour.”
On May 31, 2010, the biggest haul of cocaine ever found in UK waters was discovered in 11 holdalls along the shore of the Isle of Wight, worth £53 million. Four fishermen and a local scaffolder who masterminded the operation were charged and found guilty of the offence, and were sentenced to 104 years in prison between them. They have always denied any involvement. Subsequent appeals have been lost but the men continue to protest their innocence. A new book tells the story from the perspective of one of the convicted fishermen, Jamie Green. The book, The Freshwater Five: A Fishing Crew’s Fight For Justice After Being Jailed for 104 Years is Jamie’s story written by Mike Dunn and Nicky Green. >click to read< 21:05
From Magnus Johnson – Any chance you can complete this and promote it in your networks please, BH?
Magnus, how broad an outreach would you like? We can get this in front of a worldwide, diverse group. That’s exactly what we are after! We don’t just want a NE Europe and US perspective. Fisheries Horizon Scan – This survey asks you to identify three issues as part of a Horizon Scan of Fisheries. These can be either opportunities or challenges. Horizon Scans have been conducted in other areas of research to identify and prioritise emerging and current issues. You are asked as a participant to identify three issues and provide any supporting references, or information based on your own experiences, wider research and perceptions. >click here to take the survey< If you have any questions about the study, please contact Dr Magnus Johnson ([email protected]) or Dr Charlotte Hopkins ([email protected]). 13:55
The big bust
The 2020 decline in North Pacific salmon numbers appears to have been the greatest in recorded history, according to a trio of scientists who’ve spent much of their careers studying the secret lives of salmon in the ocean. They suggested to the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC), an international monitoring group, that the crash was likely driven by warmer ocean waters and an explosion of pink salmon in 2018 and 2019.,, “Unexpectedly, the high abundance of Pacific salmon came to an abrupt end in 2020. Preliminary commercial catch statistics for all salmon species indicate Pacific salmon harvests, which provide an index of abundance, declined more in 2020 than in any other period on record since 1930. >click to read< 11:01
Tributes paid to Scot fisherman Lachlan Robertson, who died after falling overboard.
Lachlan Robertson, 61, passed away in the tragic incident after being pulled from the water in the Sound of Rum, near the Isle of Skye. The fisherman, and another man working on the boat, was recovered from the water by a third crew member. But Lachlan, also known as Lachie, was pronounced dead at the scene. Now heartbreaking tributes have been posted on social media following the tragic news. >click to read< 10:07
Copper River set for 24-hour opener on June 28
Commercial fishing on the Copper River begins an eighth opener on Monday, June 28, for a 24-hour drift gillnet fishery. The announcement on Saturday, June 26, from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Cordova office,,, All the Monday openers begin at 8 a.m.,, Preliminary harvest estimates for Prince William Sound, including the Copper River, as of Saturday, June 26, included 7,548 Chinook, 333,667 sockeye, 489 coho, 588,533 chum and 2,166 pink salmon. >click to read< 08:40
A Worthy Investment – Port of Toledo student intern from Waldport HS gets the job done
Waldport High School sophomore Jake Turkaly was one of three high school student interns at the Port of Toledo this Spring. On his last day, Turkaly assisted boat builder Dave Stocker to replace the main engine, generator and refrigeration unit of the F/V Pacific Pacer. “He’s a pretty talented guy,” Stocker said of Turkaly, who that day fabricated gussets to reinforce a refrigeration unit and helped Stocker dismantle the engine and remove it. Turkaly and the other interns worked in the yard a few days a week,,, In addition to welding, Turkaly earned to drive a fork lift, operate a scissor lift, how to weld and fabricate metal parts, and helped to install a tail shaft in a commercial fishing boat. >click to read< 07:42
Mallaig fisherman killed in tragic fall overboard, remembered as a ‘gem’ of community
Lachlan Robertson, 61, died on Thursday after he and a fellow crew member fell into the sea in the Sound of Rum. Investigations are currently under way onboard his vessel, the Reul a’Chuain. In a social media post, his daughters told mourners they could lay flowers at Mallaig Harbour in his memory. Coastguards received a Mayday call from a fishing vessel at about 7pm on Thursday reporting that two out of three crewman onboard had entered the water. The pair were rescued from the water and brought back on board by the third member of the crew, before being attended to by the helicopter’s winch paramedic. >click to read< 10:24
