Daily Archives: June 25, 2021

“They just took our democracy away, folks,” – Heroic Ocean City BLASTS Bill to Fast Track Offshore Wind Farm

City Council on Thursday night blasted state legislation that would speed up development of a proposed offshore wind energy farm as a blatant power grab that strips Ocean City and other local communities of New Jersey’s longstanding tradition of home rule. “Essentially, they’ve taken our right to home rule away from us,” said Councilman Michael DeVlieger, the governing body’s most outspoken critic of the wind farm project. In the latest salvo by Ocean City opposing the wind farm, Council voted 7-0 to approve a resolution that denounces state legislation that would make it easier for the Danish energy company Orsted to build the project off the South Jersey coast.,, “A foreign entity is driving the political machine,” >click to read< 19:34

Shrimp prices set for Nfld. and Labrador, stockpiles and restaurant closures reducing shrimp demand in U.K.

A dollar a pound was not enough to lure the inshore shrimp fishing fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador to set their gear this spring. But most boats are hitting the water now, as the crucial summer shrimp fishing season opens. This week saw the price increase by 10 cents, to $1.10 a pound, for summer catches following a ruling by the province’s Fish Price Setting Panel. The U.K. and Europe are the main markets for shrimp exports from this province. >click to read< 13:54

Fishermen drive trenching support vessel out of Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm

The International Offshore Wind Farm media is outraged! Too bad. Trenching support vessel Aethra was forced to leave the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm,,, The Aethra was deployed on the site when a large number of fishing boats surrounded the vessel. The fishermen then proceeded to breach the 500-metre safety zone around the Aethra, fire distress flares, and threaten to board the vessel and sabotage the propulsion and hurl insults at the captain of the Aethra via VHF, according to Préfecture maritime de l’Atlantique. >click to read< 11:01

F/V Scandies Rose: NTSB board meeting set to determine probable cause of deadly sinking

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a virtual public board meeting later this month to determine the probable cause for the 2019 New Year’s Eve sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose. During the meeting, the NTSB’s five-member board will vote on the findings, probable cause and recommendations, as well as any changes to the draft final report. The NTSB board meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 29, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, and will be streamed live to the public, with the board members and investigative staff meeting virtually. >click to read< 10:21

Banned Australian lobsters are sneaking into China via Hong Kong

Since direct shipments to China virtually ground to a halt last November, Hong Kong has become the world’s largest importer of Australian lobsters, with monthly trade growing more than 2000 per cent from October to April. While lower prices will have spurred some increased demand from Hong Kong consumers, experts say the dramatic spike is more likely due to a grey trade as the tasty crustaceans are sent across the border to the mainland. >click to read< 09:22

State government shutdown could close Alaska fisheries – “And with that, that summer fishery does not commence.”

If Alaska state leaders can’t resolve an impasse over the budget, large swaths of state government will shut down in July. That could include Alaska’s lucrative summer salmon fisheries, which is causing concern across coastal communities. Southeast Alaska’s summer salmon troll fishery opens July 1. That’s the same day nearly 15,000 state workers could be out of work. Among those is Grant Hagerman, a state fisheries biologist managing the fishery from Sitka. “We’re planning not to be here on July 1 unless we hear differently,” Hagerman said. “And with that, that summer fishery does not commence.” >click to read< 08:37

Commercial Fishing Up Close – Pat Morss

There has been a lot of sport fishing in close to the Eastern Point rocks recently, and this morning a spotter plane and two commercial fishing boats out of Gloucester got our attention. The photo captions below may just be my imagination, but this is what it looked like. >click to view ten photos< 07:43