Monthly Archives: July 2021
No Crabs, No Scallops: Seafood Is Vanishing From Menus in U.S.
Prices went “crazy,” says Mike Price, who co-owns the Greenwich Village restaurant, and so he yanked them off the menu. Over in Napa Valley, Phil Tessier, the executive chef at a popular spot called PRESS, did the same. And in Atlanta, at the tapas joint the Iberian Pig, chef Josue Pena didn’t stop at scallops. The Alaskan halibut and blue crab are gone, too. That last one was a killer, Pena says. Crab croquettes had become a signature dish. “People were like ‘what’s up?’” But, he says, with wholesale costs soaring like they are, “the price we had to charge to be profitable was almost insulting.” For restaurants across the U.S., the re-opening from Covid lockdown has been anything but easy. >click to read< 11:47
Warming rivers in US West killing fish, imperiling industry
Salmon fisherman Mike Hudson sits on the bow of his boat at the Berkeley, Calif., Marina on Thursday, July 22, 2021. Baby salmon are dying by the thousands in one river and an entire run of endangered salmon could be wiped out in another. The plummeting catch has led to skyrocketing retail prices for salmon, hurting customers who say they can no longer afford the $35 per pound of fish, said Hudson, who has spent the last 25 years catching and selling salmon at farmers’ markets in Berkeley. “An extreme set of cascading climate events is pushing us into this crisis situation,” said Jordan Traverso, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Wildlife and Fish. 14 photos, >click to read< 10:03
Maine Lobsterman Ronald C. Weeks Jr., 45, of Friendship, has passed away
Ronald C. Weeks Jr., 45, of Friendship, died unexpectedly aboard his lobster boat while doing something he loved, tuna fishing. Ronnie passed away on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Ronnie was born on Feb. 2, 1976, in Augusta. He attended local schools and graduated from Medomak Valley High School in 1994. He served in the U.S. Army from 1994 to 1998, stationed out of Fort Story, Va. Ronnie served as a watercraft engineer and received many awards and medals, including the Expert Marksmanship Badge. He then went on to work as a lobsterman until his final days. Ronnie enjoyed many outdoor activities, including fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and spending time with his family. >click to read< 09:02
Men at work on the Manin on a muggy Monday morning in Newlyn
Hardly a breath of wind to disturb the tranquil waters of Newlyn this morning as the crew of the Ocean Pride struggle to pull the Sapphire II back into her berth before making her way to the slip cradle. Meanwhile on the fish market there are couple of big trips of haddock and other quality white fish for the Irish trawler Unity. hake from the Ajax, and quality flats form the beam trawler Sapphire II. Lots of beautiful fish, beautiful photos! >click to read< 08:08
Coast Guard assists 5 aboard vessel after 2 fishing vessels collide near Port O’Connor, Texas
The Coast Guard assisted five crew members aboard an 84-foot fishing vessel near Port O’Connor, Texas, Monday. At approximately 9 p.m., Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a mayday call over VHF-FM channel 16 from the crew of fishing vessel Aiden Boy reporting a collision with the fishing vessel Joseph Vu approximately 15 miles off Port O’Connor. Neither crew was reportedly in distress. Video, >click to read<22:45
Huffman and Case Introduce Legislation to Reauthorize Magnuson-Stevens Act
Jared Huffman D-CA, and Ed Case D-HI introduce the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act. The following is a statement from Eric Schwaab, Senior Vice President, Ecosystems and Oceans, and a former administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service at NOAA under the Obama administration. “The Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act, introduced today by Reps. Huffman and Case, brings much-needed attention to key challenges facing modern fisheries management. We fully support the bill’s goal to strengthen the MSA by arming fisheries managers with tools that can better address some of the most significant problems facing the sustainable future of U.S. fisheries, including threats from climate change. >click to read< 18:28
George S. Carmines, Sr., of Poquoson, Va. was a commercial deep sea fisherman
George S. Carmines, Sr., 84, went to be with The Lord, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. A native and lifelong resident of Poquoson, he was a commercial deep sea fisherman and a member of Tabernacle United Methodist Church. George loved NASCAR, racing, building and restoring classic cars and Poquoson High School Sports. He also enjoyed watching his grandchildren participate in their activities and participating in the annual Poquoson Work Boat Races. George was a member of The Order of Knights of Pythias. Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 60 years, Linda Burroughs Carmines; children, grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and dear friends. >click to read< 15:22
Scallop fishermen and industry advocates call for changes to proposed NY Bight offshore wind farm area’s
In an online call with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) officials, industry representatives highlighted the need for a buffer zone to protect the most valuable scallop area in the Mid-Atlantic and expressed concern over environmental and fisheries impacts of offshore wind development generally. Proposed lease areas need to be thoroughly re-evaluated to reduce impacts to scallops and scallop fishermen, who operate in the most valuable federally managed fishery. >click to read< 13:36
Greek traditional wooden boat builders a dwindling craft
Each beam of wood, each plank, has been felled, trimmed and shaped by one man alone, hauled and nailed into place using techniques handed down through generations, from father to son, uncle to nephew. But the current generation could be the last. The art of designing and building these vessels, done entirely by hand, is under threat. “Unfortunately, I see the profession slowly dying,” said Giorgos Kiassos, one of the last remaining 
boatbuilders on Samos, an eastern Aegean island that was once a major production center. “If something doesn’t change, there will come a time when there won’t be anyone left doing this type of job. And it’s a pity, a real pity,” Kiassos is working on two: a 45-foot pleasure craft and a 30-foot fishing boat. The boats are being made to order, with the bigger one costing around $70,000, and the smaller one around $35,000. >click to read< 11:41
Fake ‘Green’ Energy: So Much Spent On Wind & Solar For So Little Return
Wind and solar are not just costly they are entirely useless. Never in the field of energy generation has so much been spent, by so many, for so little return. Forget the colossal and endless subsidies, forget the community division, forget the environmental destruction and landfills full of toxic blades and panels and start with the fact that wind and solar are simply incapable of delivering electricity as and when we need it. On that score, we’ll hand over to John Hinderaker for a look at wind and solar power’s utterly pathetic performance in the USA. At AmericanExperiment.org, my colleague Isaac Orr deals a double-barreled blow to the fantasy of “green” energy. First, after all of the hype surrounding wind and solar energy, where did Americans actually get their energy in 2020? >click to read< 09:20
Connecticut: Stonington celebrates 68th Blessing of the Fleet
During Sunday morning’s Fishermen’s Mass at St. Mary Church, the Rev. Dennis Perkins read the names of the 41 fishermen from the Town Dock fleet who have died at sea. “If that doesn’t touch you, I don’t know what will,” said Cris Cruz, a Knights of Columbus member from Groton, who has attended the Mass for the past decade. The Mass marked the traditional beginning to the 68th Blessing of the Fleet, which remembers the local fishermen lost at sea and prays for the success and safety of current fleet members. photos, >click to read< 08:20
New vessel is part of the Atlantic Dawn Group’s ambitious programme of fleet renewal
Built for the McHugh family in Killybegs, Ella G-233 is primarily a pelagic vessel with options for whitefish, and replaces Star of Hope. Ella has been delivered by Mooney Boats and has stylish lines, courtesy of its Vestværft design. At 24.47 metres and with an 8.10 metre beam, this compact pelagic catcher complements the company’s three new Salt-designed 64 metre vessels currently under construction. Veronica, Lauren and Leila are being built at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey. Photos, nice video, >click to read< 18:03
Will Interior Secretary Haaland see more than ducks and eel grass at King Cove?
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is slated to visit with residents of King Cove during a visit to Alaska in September. During her confirmation meetings, she reportedly promised U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan she would meet with villagers to talk about a short, one-lane gravel road,,, The Aleut fishing village of about 950 has fought for decades to get such a road to the Cold Bay all-weather runway for medical evacuations in poor weather, but without success. The roadway would be routed along the edge of the 330,000-acre Izembek refuge.,, The 11-mile stretch would complete a 30-mile road that would provide a reliable ground link to Cold Bay’s all-weather runway when the area’s notoriously fierce weather grounds small planes. >click to read< 14:11
Province wants cash, house from banned commercial fisherman
The B.C. government is asking to seize a Gabriola Island home and more than $1.3 million in cash from a commercial fisherman who is banned from fishing until 2038. In a petition filed on June 28 in B.C. Supreme Court, the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office says the cash and the home are proceeds of illegal fishing and money laundering. Named in the civil lawsuit are the commercial fisherman Scott Stanley Matthew Steer, and his spouse, Melissa Dawn Larocque, also known as Melissa Steer. Also named are Melissa’s mother, Diane Gail Butz, and several companies.,, The lawsuit alleges Steer, Larocque and the companies “continue to engage in commercial fishing, possession of fishing gear, and the illegal capture and sale of fish.” >click to read< 15:05
State of the art super trawler Mekhanik Sizov launched in Russia
The Admiralty Shipyards, located in St. Petersburg, have been the scene this Sunday of the launching ceremony of the super trawler of last generation Mekhanik Sizov. The ceremony, held during the day of Russian Navy Day, was attended by the country’s president, Vladimir Putin. Ships of this type measure 108 meters in length and 21 meters in beam. In addition, they have warehouses of 5,500 cubic meters. The ST-192 project ships reach a speed of 15 knots (almost 28 kilometers per hour), while their autonomy allows them to remain in the open sea for 45 days with a crew on board up to 139 members. photo, gif, >click to read< 13:21
Coast Guard search for missing fisherman off Seal and Sunset Beaches has been suspended
A 35-year-old crew member of the Sea Queen II, a 100 foot commercial fishing vessel, went missing Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies were searching for the man, described as Asian and wearing a red sweatshirt and black sweatpants, in the ocean waters off of Sunset and Seal Beaches. He was last seen at around 2 a.m. when the boat was anchored in the area being searched, according to the Coast Guard. Video, >click to read< – Coast Guard suspends search for crewman missing near Seal Beach – After searching more than 43 square miles off the coast of Sunset Beach and Seal Beach for more five hours, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended it’s search, >click to read< 11:50
The RNLI is now a taxi service for human traffickers in the Channel migrant crossing crisis
They’re undoubtedly one of my favourite charities. And while I celebrate the bravery of the RNLI in that they’ll risk their own lives to save anyone irrespective of colour, creed, age or nationality, I’m not sure I’m supporting the Lifeboat Charity so they can act as an escort service for the French Navy in its abject failure to do its duty. That task seems to have fallen to them on a daily basis now the Channel migrant crossing crisis has reached a never before seen high point. Last week definitive proof arrived that when it comes to patrolling their borders and preventing vile people traffickers plying their dubious but ridiculously lucrative trade across one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet, the French don’t have a Clouseau. >click to read< 09:54
All about freshness: Local seafood rushed to markets near and far
As the crew of the Jenna Lynn II offloaded its catch earlier this month at the Town Dock, Eddie Gambardella watched as six of his employees quickly filled about 30 boxes with ice and 60 pounds each of fluke, scup, ling, sea bass, squid and other species that slid down a sorting table. The owner of Gambardella Wholesale Fish Dealers already had orders for the catch from his customers, mostly wholesalers in New York City. He credits his late uncle Mike Gambardella, a fierce supporter of the Town Dock fishing community who died in March 2020, as his inspiration. A color photo of him hangs on the wall, along with black-and-white images of Gambardella’s grandfather and great-grandfather. “Everything I learned was through my uncle. He was my teacher. I never went to college. He showed me everything,” Gambardella said. “I owe everything I have to him. It sucks that he’s not here. I miss him every day.” >click to read< or here 08:17
Maine Fishermen slow offshore wind farm development – Keep Fighting
Actions by Maine fishermen directly affected the process of offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine with a bill signed into law on July 7 by Governor Janet Mills. The measure was a response to plans that surfaced last year for a 16-square-mile, 12-turbine wind farm, called a “research array,” off the southern coast of Maine. Proponents promised good jobs and cheap, green electricity. Fishermen weren’t so sure. They envisioned wind farms springing up throughout the Gulf of Maine, harming marine life and damaging coastal communities. “We as fishermen work and take care of the water,” said Virginia Olsen, a Maine Lobstering Union director who lives in Stonington. “We feel these things will get dumped on the water and then someone will say, ‘Just leave them there, it’ll be a coral reef.’ But it will just be trash left for us.” >click to read< 16:55
The Herring Girl Collection: Barra Knitwear brand honours the Herring Girls legacy
It takes its name from the band of formidable young women from the Outer Hebrides who followed the shoals of herring around the British coast undertaking gruelling work to gut, cure and pack the fish for local merchants. While away from their families, the “Herring Girls” would pass the time knitting using patterns incorporating anchors, ship’s wheels, hearts, or marriage lines that were handed down through the years. Hundreds of young 
women, some as young as 15, left their homes in Barra, Lewis, Orkney and Shetland in the 1880s and the early 1900s to travel to industrial ports around the UK. The work that they carried out was gruelling,,, The women went on strike, twice, and were successful in achieving modest pay rises. Many of the girls met their future husbands at one or other of the fishing ports. >click to read< 12:57
‘This film is a love letter to Gloucester’ – Sundance winner ‘CODA’ premieres before local crowd
The charms of Gloucester exploded on the big screen at the local unveiling of the film “CODA,” a four-time winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The special event Thursday evening, intended for those who worked or assisted in some way with the film, turned out to be “the” premiere after director Sian Heder learned that the West Coast screening was canceled.,, Heder thanked everyone involved in the film and the support of her family. “You don’t make a movie alone, and this was not an easy film to make,” she told the full house. “All this fishing stuff is such a crazy undertaking.” >click to read< 09:35
Tribal fishermen claim WDFW targeting tribal members in new age of Fish Wars
It’s been more than five years since two Tulalip Tribe members were taken into custody at a marina in Everett; but what led up to that moment is still a debate that’ll be settled in court. What’s clear is that regardless of how the court system plays out, neither side will ever see eye-to-eye. Hazen Shopbell, one of the tribal members, says it’s the new age of the Fish Wars, an era when tribal fishermen were beaten and battered for attempting to fulfill their treaty rights in Puget Sound. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says what played out is a standard investigation, that two fishermen violated state laws and trafficked in illegal shellfish trade. >click to read< 08:41
Fishing fleet lives a productive but unstable existence in New London
The 96-foot trawler Mystic Way is back home from a four-day stint at sea and its crew is unloading a 35,000-pound haul, using a crane to swing to shore containers overflowing with whiting and a variety of other fish species. The crew members join with dock workers to move the fish, shovel ice and pack the fish into hundreds of wax-coated boxes. A teen on a forklift hauls the pallets of boxes into an awaiting refrigerated truck headed to a fish market in New York. Workers are tired and sweating but focused on moving the fish out of the summer heat before too much of the ice melts. Overseeing the operations at Fisherman’s Landing is Gary Yerman, 71, owner and president of New London Seafood Distributors and one of the two men credited with bringing this modern-day fishing fleet to New London. >click to read< 08:20
Ten pirates get 12 years in prison for kidnapping 18 crewmen from the F/V Hailufeng II
A court in Lagos sentenced 10 men to 12 years in prison on Friday for kidnapping the crew of a Chinese-flagged merchant vessel last year, the navy said, a verdict that officials hope will help tackle piracy in the waters off Nigeria’s coast. Federal high court Justice Ayokunle Faji, who also fined each man 250,000 naira ($608) for each of the three counts for which they were charged, said their actions in kidnapping 18 crew from the FV HAILUFENG II in May 2020, were “an embarrassment to the nation that has impacted the economy negatively”. >click to read< 22:36
How the U.S. Fishing Fleet Served the Navy and Coast Guard in WWII
In the early days of World War II, demand skyrocketed for vessels to fill the needs of the U.S. sea services. The Coast Guard was no exception as they competed with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army for new construction as well as privately owned ships. Facing a high demand for vessels, the service turned to the U.S. fishing industry as a source for its cutters. These emergency acquisitions included East Coast trawlers, whalers from both coasts, and East Coast menhaden fishing vessels, such as the Emergency Manning vessel Dow (WYP 353). During World War I and World War II, the menhaden fishing fleet became a ready reserve for the Navy and Coast Guard. Both services needed small, shallow draft vessels for coastal convoy escort, mine planting, minesweeping, and anti-submarine net tending duty. Many of these vessels were purchased or leased, while others were loaned to naval forces by fishing businesses as their contribution to the war effort. >click to read< 18:28
A Day in the Life of Maine Lobsterman, Mike Sargent, in his own words.
“A lot of people think it’s like Deadliest Catch,” Mike Sargent says with a laugh. But his days are very different from the high-stakes drama of a reality show. Learn about what it takes to bring lobster from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to your plate with a day in the life of Sargent, in his own words. 3 am: I’ll get up and check the weather forecast. I’ll check the marine buoy data, see if there’s any inclement weather coming or going. If we’re all good to go, I will message my crew, say, “Yep, we’re set to go today.” They’re usually up and at ’em anyway, so I have them on standby. And then, I pack my lunch and head to the wharf. 4 am: I meet my crew down at the wharf,,, >click to read< 16:41
North Carolina commercial fishermen landed less seafood last year
In 2020, 42.9 million pounds of fish and shellfish were sold, a decrease of 19% from 2019 and about a 23% decrease from the previous five-year average, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries. The decrease in commercial harvest was linked to a 41.3% decrease in hard blue crab landings from 2019, which may be related to COVID-19 impacts. The Division of Marine Fisheries said several fishermen told officials that they found it difficult to move blue crabs at the beginning of the state’s stay-at-home order when many restaurants were closed. >click to read< 15:26
Drone Joins HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Team
The first operational drone flight will join manned helicopters, planes, boats, and cliff rescue teams on lifesaving missions at sea and over land in North Wales for the first time, this summer. The drone was initially tested a year ago and recently during a phase of operational integration training, the drone flew for the first time in formation alongside both the HM Coastguard S92 helicopter and HM Coastguard’s King Air surveillance aircraft. >click to read< 12:13
Peconic Bay bay scallop fishery – Scallop Disaster Declared, But Some Hope for 2022
Ask any bayman, and all would agree that the bay scallop fishery in the Peconic Bay estuary system in the past two years was a total calamity. As such, it was no surprise to learn that the United States Department of Commerce recently declared the events of 2019-20 a fishery disaster. The declaration makes the fishery eligible for disaster assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Baymen may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration, according to the Department of Commerce. The department has balances remaining from previously appropriated fishery disaster assistance and will determine the appropriate allocation,,, >click to read< 10:27
Bristol Bay Fishermen Donate Salmon To Yukon River Villages responding to lack of subsistence salmon fishing
Around 10,000 pounds of Bristol Bay chum and Chinook salmon are scheduled to arrive in a Lower Yukon River hub on July 23. The fish will then be distributed to surrounding villages. The donation is in response to a lack of subsistence salmon fishing on the Yukon River this summer, following record low salmon runs and tight fishing restrictions. A nonprofit called SeaShare has partnered with commercial fish processors in Bristol Bay to donate the salmon to Lower Yukon communities. >click to read< 08:17
