Daily Archives: July 2, 2021
“Our industry is quite happy,,, Lobster prices are back up just as 2021 season ends
Charlie McGeoghegan, chair of the P.E.I. Lobster Marketing Board, said overall it was a “very good year” for lobster fishers. “Our industry is quite happy with the way things went when you compare it to last year and many other years actually,” McGeoghegan said. “It’s a welcome change for sure.” The season was delayed two weeks due to COVID-19 concerns for the safety of boat crews, and questions over the demand for lobster. The season was extended by four days, but losing 10 days still negatively affected last year’s overall catch numbers and prices. >click to read< 16:12
Captain dead, 2 crewmen survive sinking of F/V Pneuma in Nushagak Bay
The captain of a commercial fishing vessel died and two other crew members apparently escaped uninjured when it sank in southwest Alaska, authorities said. Lance Eric Norby, 45, of Texas, was identified as the captain, Alaska State Troopers said Friday. His remains were being sent to the State Medical Examiner in Anchorage. Two other people on board survived the incident, said the online dispatch report. The two survivors declined medical attention after being saved by Alaska Wildlife Troopers patrolling the area. >click to read< 14:14
Grounded 90-foot vessel American Challenger to be refloated
Hopes are to have the 90-foot American Challenger refloated and towed away later this summer, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response. The decommissioned commercial vessel grounded north of Dillon Beach on March 6 after running adrift under tow from Puget Sound to Mexico, where it was to have been scuttled. The tugboat operator towing the decommissioned vessel said later that a steel shackle connecting the boats failed in Bodega Bay, ultimately causing the American Challenger to drift into shore, though a Coast Guard crew was monitoring it at the time. photos, >click to read< 13:40
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg sets port condition Whiskey for Port of Tampa for Hurricane Elsa
Effective 12 p.m. Friday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port set port condition Whiskey for the ports of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Manatee, and Ft. Myers due to the expectation of sustained gale force winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 40 mph generated from Hurricane Elsa that may arrive within 72 hours. These ports and facilities are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect. Sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph are possible within 72 hours. For information on Hurricane Elsa progress and hurricane preparedness, please >click to read< 12:55
29 years of northern cod moratorium have cost NL at least $26 billion
In his 1992 book, No Fish and Our Lives, Some Survival Notes for Newfoundland, Cabot Martin wrote that a rebuilt northern cod stock could support annual harvesters of 400,000 tonnes (881 million/lbs).The moratorium remains the biggest layoff in Canadian history, and while there’s a small-scale inshore stewardship fishery, Fisheries and Oceans does not set a total-allowable catch (TAC), and it’s not considered a full-fledged commercial fishery. Where are we today? All three commercial cod stocks adjacent to Newfoundland and Labrador are categorized by DFO scientists as in the critical zone, meaning removals are to be kept to a minimum. >click to read< – 25 Years ago Today – The Northern Cod Moratorium – Sunday, July 2, 
marks a quarter of a century since then federal fisheries minster John Crosbie announced what was planned to be a two-year moratorium on the northern cod fishery. It continues on today, though it has often seemed lost in the wake of a lucrative crab and shrimp fishery that remarkably saved the industry and many communities. But back in 1992, a province settled and built on the back of the mighty cod fishery, >click to read< 11:20
New Bedford mayor unhappy with Baker pick for council pick
Plymouth resident Michael Pierdinock was named to a seat representing Massachusetts on the New England Fishery Management Council, a panel that sets rules for the fishing industry such as catch limits. It is one of eight such regional councils nationwide. Pierdinock will replace former state Rep. John Quinn, a Dartmouth resident and longtime member who had years of expertise regarding commercial fishing issues in Greater New Bedford. “When it comes to commercial fishing in Massachusetts, New Bedford should be top of mind, not an afterthought,” Mitchell added. >click to read< 09:46
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 1, 2021
More than 1.9 million sockeye returned to the Nushagak District, the fleet hauled in its largest single-day harvest ever of 1.773 million fish. The timing isn’t a surprise, but the sheer size definitely is. A commercial fisherman has died after a vessel sank in the south end of Nushagak Bay on Thursday morning,,, Nushagak District fishermen caught the most fish ever in a single day in the history of the district. Josh Crozby owns and operates the tender Icelander. He and his crew were on the south line of the Nushagak River, about 25 miles downriver from Dillingham. Crozby said the huge swell of salmon caught them by surprise. Audio report, >click to listen/read< 08:28
Commercial fishing reforms come into play across South Australia
South Australia’s much-anticipated $24.5 million reform of the marine scalefish fishery officially went into effect on July 1. The state government says changes will strengthen the long-term financial and ecological sustainability of the commercial fishing industry. Changes include a trading system where fishers can exchange and bid for quotas to catch certain species, as well as new zones and other regulatory changes. The changes have not come without some disruption, as the government bought out licence holders. For example, as many as half of Kangaroo Island’s commercial marine scale fishermen decided to surrender their licences. Late last year, applications for nearly 130 commercial fishing licence surrenders had been received in the state government’s reform of the marine scalefish fishery. >click to read< 07:44
