Monthly Archives: July 2021
Investigation continues into fishing boat struck by WWII explosives off Skegness coast
The boat, Galwad-Y-Mor, was damaged and abandoned when an explosion occurred just 37 miles off the coast of Skegness, on December 15 last year, according to a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. A crew of seven were operating in potting fishing grounds east of the Wash, off Lincolnshire’s coastline, after departing from Grimsby. At around 11:20am, some of the crew were hauling in a string of crab pots, whilst the 
skipper was in the wheelhouse with the rest of the crew members belowdecks working the pots. The vessel was thrown up from the sea surface and quickly landed back down. All electrical power was immediately lost. The crew members were all hurt. Some endured life-changing injuries. >click to read< 09:04
Sold Out! Biden, Mitchell, and the Dems Jeopardize the New Bedford/New England Fishing Industry
The New Bedford fishing industry, which has kept New Bedford out of the poor house for years, opposes the windmills. Environmentalists say the windmills will mess with the migration patterns of whales and other inhabitants of the deep. They oppose wind farms, too. Vineyard Wind was stopped in its tracks by the Trump White House, but Biden fast-tracked it earlier this year along with a windmill farm in the New York Bight, a rich fishing ground frequented by the New Bedford fleet. The Mayflower Wind project could win federal approval soon as well. Remember, the Obama-Biden Administration banned fishing in an area just off the New England coast. Trump overturned that foolishness. Wonder where the news media is on all of this? >click to read< ,, Are journalists failing today’s public? – Most reporters appear to be amateurs with no formal training in the field. >click to read< 07:51
Tuna Longliner Mira Š: the newest addition to Klokan Fishing, based at Port Stephens in New South Wales
When blessing a new boat, it’s considered bad luck if the bottle of champagne doesn’t break. As luck would have it, when 16-year-old Mira Skoljarev swung the bottle hard at the Mira Š tuna longliner named after her, the bottle didn’t do what was expected of it. Building the boat was a little over a two-year journey, stretching from April 2019 to May 2021. ‘It was blood, sweat, and tears – literally. Mira Š was designed by Oceantech in Adelaide 
and built by CTB Industries in Kooragang, Newcastle. The internal fit-out was done over five months by an army of tradespeople, and John. Video, photos, At the boat’s helm is skipper Dieter Wagener, who moved with his wife to Australia from South Africa in January 2021. >click to read< 20:46
Minister for Marine McConalogue Rejects Plea for Help from Skipper who Raised Serious Safety Issues
Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue has rejected a plea for help from an Irish skipper who bought a beam trawler in the Netherlands which proved to be dangerously unstable. As The Sunday Independent reports, skipper CJ Gaffney (49) of a well known Arklow fishing family has incurred substantial losses over the purchase of the vessel which had been certified as safe by German authorities. The beam trawler Mary Kate was bought in the Netherlands by CJ Gaffney of Arklow, Co Wicklow and his father in 2007, borrowing 620,000 euro for the purchase. When CJ Gaffney began fishing the vessel in January 2008, he noticed that it was significantly more unstable than his previous older,,, >click to read< 18:10
Areas Disputed By The US And Canada along the world’s longest undefended border
The U.S. and Canada have maintained cordial relations for about a century, but some border disputes between the two countries still remain. The U.S. and Canada have a total of 5 ongoing border disputes. The border disputes between the U.S. and Canada all center around maritime claims. Some call the border between the U.S. and Canada the world’s longest undefended border. There were times when relations between the two countries were frosty. In fact, the U.S. and Canada have even engaged in armed conflict with each other, such as in the War of 1812. The days of conflict and even outright hostility between the two countries, however, are long gone. Indeed, the two neighbors have maintained a very cordial relationship with each other for the last century. Nevertheless, the U.S. and Canada still have their differences and disagreements. >click to read< 16:05
Red Tide Crisis: ‘It’s a ghost town out there’ – Fishermen and Protestors ask DeSantis for Emergency declaration
“It’s a total ghost town out there, I mean, I’ve talked to fishermen that are fishing for mullet and other fish, they can’t hardly find nothing,” said Steven Morrow, a commercial fisherman based in Tampa. Hundreds gathered near the St. Petersburg Pier on Saturday for a “rally for red tide.” The group was standing in solidarity with city councilors, who earlier in the week, passed a resolution asking Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency due to red tide. Commercial anglers say they want to step in to help clean up the dead fish, while their regular jobs aren’t there, video, >click to read< Protesters call for help dealing with Tampa Bay fish-killing red tide – More than 100 people took part in the event along the St. Petersburg waterfront carrying signs and shouting, “Save our bay, make polluters pay.” >click to read< -12:24
Long Island: When will bay scallops once again be plentiful?
After years of up and down harvests, 2021 is shaping up as another potentially poor year for bay scallops. Bay scallops have been a multi-million-dollar crop for the fishing industry, from the baymen or women who work hard to harvest them in, to the markets that sell them and the restaurants that feature them prominently on menus. The loss of this cash crop, such an iconic symbol of our bays, hurts many people and calls into question the present and future health of our bays, as changes in water temperatures and steady sea rise continue. For perspective, consider this: After the huge crops of previous years, a die-off in 1985 caused by algae blooms brought the scallop almost to extinction. >click to read< 11:07
After 58 years, Fisherman Peter Marche is hanging up his oilskins, and he’s going out in style
At the age of 13, Peter Marche bought his first lobster fishing licence for 25 cents. He would get up in the morning, set up his lobster pots, and go to school. After school, it was time to return to the pots to see if anything was there. It was a tough life, but he always had a passion for fishing. Fast-forward 58 years, and he is finally hanging up his oilskins and rubbers after catching a 196-pound halibut. >click to read< 09:34
Support Small Boat Fishermen By Making It Easier To Buy Fresh Off The Boat
The pandemic changed many things in Hawaii, including access to fresh fish. The swift departure of hundreds of thousands of tourists and the consequent closure of many hotels and restaurants eliminated the bulk of the demand for fresh fish literally overnight. One major fish wholesaler resorted to curbside sales at Pier 38 in Honolulu Harbor just to keep the lights on, and some large commercial fishing vessel owners shut down to avoid their extensive costs of operation. Creative solutions for distribution quickly surfaced. >click to read< 08:25
Cape Carteret commission endorses anti-gill net, net ban legislation
Cape Carteret commissioners Monday night endorsed state legislation that would set up a statewide referendum on whether to ban the use of gill nets and other “entangling” nets in coastal waters. The action to endorse House Bill 513 came during the panel’s regular meeting in town hall and virtually via GoToMeeting and was proposed by Commissioner Steve Martin. It passed by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Jeff Water opposed. N.C. Fisheries Association Executive Director and commercial fisherman Glenn Skinner has voiced opposition to the proposed referendum and net restrictions. >click to read< 17:04
Crab Goes to Auction Again
Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries has rolled out plans to run a second round of crab quota auctions. This is not likely to happen soon, as among other reasons, because there is simply no capacity to build crabbers in Russia’s Far East. ‘Federal Agency for Fisheries is working on the second round of crab auctions,’ confirmed the Agency’s director Ilya Shestakov, adding that just like during the first round, quotas are planned to be sold with “investment liabilities.” It is estimated that the first-round winners embarked on the construction of 35 crabbers with a total value of 57.4 billion rubles ($800 million). >click to read< 13:50
Commercial Fisherman: 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Dave Carraro
Dave Carraro probably never thought that his career as a commercial fisherman would eventually result in him becoming a reality TV star. However, thanks to the show Wicked Tuna, that’s exactly how things have planned out for Dave. He has been a cast member on the show since it debuted in 2012 and during that time he has become a fan favorite. Dave is great at what he does and he’s always willing to go the extra mile to make sure things are done right. His contributions to the show are a large part of why commercial fishing has gotten so much attention over the last decade. >click to read< 11:37
They’re not blown away by NJ’s offshore wind power plans!
Opposition is growing among citizens groups, and even some green energy-loving environmentalists are wary of the pace and scope of the plans. The most commonly voiced objections include the unknown effect hundreds or even thousands of wind turbines might have on the ocean, fears of higher electric bills as costs are passed on to consumers, and a sense that the entire undertaking is being rushed through with little understanding of what the consequences might be. Recreational and commercial fishermen have long felt left out of the planning for offshore wind, much of which will take place in prime fishing grounds. Similar concerns have been voiced by offshore wind opponents in Massachusetts, France and South Korea, among other places. >click to read< 09:50
F/V Falling Star reportedly was not carrying an EPIRB aboard the vessel
Glenn Tuttle, co-manager of boatwatch.org, says men on the ill-fated Falling Star lobster fishing vessel could all have been rescued had the boat been equipped with an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). Ten of the 15-member crew were rescued Thursday and the other five are now said to be dead. F/V Falling Star was returning from dry docking/routine maintenance overseas when it went missing on July 6. According to Tuttle, had there been an EPIRB installed on the vessel more men could have been saved. >click to read< 08:07
Five F/V Falling Star fishermen have died at sea
Kingston, Jamaica – Observer online sources have confirmed that five of the fifteen crew members who were onboard the Falling Star lobster fishing vessel all died at sea. The source said that four of the men went down with the vessel and died, after it made a sudden rollover 30 miles west of Pedro Bank. The 11 remaining crew members, including the captain of the Falling Star, boarded a skiff. >click to read<, At some point while they were floating around, the captain died and had to be thrown overboard. The ten men who were rescued on Thursday by a commercial ship that had left Kingston for Guatemala are receiving medical attention. >link< 19:46
Editorial: Florida needs to get its act together to fight Red Tide
The awful smell of dead fish across Tampa Bay cries out for a better response. Red Tide is overwhelming St. Petersburg, and the damage to the fisheries, tourism and public health is increasing with no end in sight. State and local officials need to collaborate on the cleanup. Residents, visitors and businesses need to be kept informed. And Florida needs a better strategy for managing these toxic algal blooms. >click to read< 17:13
Coast Guard search suspended for missing boat fire victim near Carlsbad
The Coast Guard crews suspended their search efforts Friday for a missing Carlsbad boat fire victim at approximately 8 a.m. Missing is the owner and resident of the Relentless, a 50-foot boat that caught fire Thursday morning. >click to read< Coast Guard and local partner agency crews searched over the course of 21 hours, covering more than 600 square miles. The Coast Guard cutters arrived on scene and worked together to extinguish the boat fire while the Jayhawk helicopter crew searched for survivors. The boat sustained significant damage and eventually sank in approximately 1,800 feet of water. >click to read< 15:19
Coast Guard responds to a boat fire near Carlsbad
Coast Guard responded to a boat fire Thursday morning near Carlsbad. Coast Guard Sector San Diego watchstanders received several reports of a boat, 50 feet in length, on fire approximately seven miles off the Carlsbad coast around 9 a.m. Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutters Munro, Benjamin Bottoms and the Haddock. While Coast Guard assets were en route, the Oceanside Harbor Master confirmed that the boat’s name was the Relentless, Coast Guard Sector San Diego. photos, >click to read< 15:07
Man charged with arson for fish plant fire
A 24-year-old man from East Pubnico, N.S., is facing a charge of arson in connection with a lobster pound fire in Middle West Pubnico, last October. RCMP say they were called to the fish plant near midnight on Oct. 16, 2020, after receiving a report of a fire. The fire destroyed the plant, which was unoccupied at the time. Brendon Douglas James Porter of East Pubnico was arrested on Wednesday and charged with arson. He has been released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Shelburne provincial court next month. >click to read< 14:14
Shellenberger Discusses Offshore Wind Farm Proposal – “This is literally the worst project I have ever seen,”
The California resident, author and environmental advocate spoke about how an offshore wind farm project planned 15 miles off the coast from Atlantic City to Stone Harbor is bad for the environment, wildlife, marine life and the fishing industry. Shellenberger, who is a proponent for nuclear energy, spoke of how the wind farm would not be an efficient way to receive power, would take up too much real estate and not be a consistent source of power. Tricia Conte, of Ocean City, founder of Save Our Shoreline, said in an interview prior to the program, “We are very excited to have Michael Shellenberger here in Ocean City. He is presenting the side that no one else is telling us.” Video >click to read<10:27
UK: Fishing industry is ‘drowning in sea of government incompetence’ following Brexit
North MP Jamie Stone has warned that the fishing industry is “drowning in a sea of government incompetence” following Brexit. Highlighting the plight of fishermen in the Highlands since the UK left the European Union, Mr Stone accused of Boris Johnston’s government of a “negligent attitude” towards the industry.,, One skipper has informed him there are “increased stand-offs between boats which pose serious risks to life”, while another wants aggressive boats banned from landing their fish in British ports. >click to read< 09:16
Community mourns passing of ‘a great American’, Capt. Warren Butler
Lifelong waterman, Captain Warren Butler, 92, died unexpectedly, Friday, July 2, of apparent heart failure. Upon learning of his death, Jerry Harris, founding family member of Harris Seafood, and Harris Crab House at Kent Narrows, said, “My whole family knew Captain Warren. He was a great man, a great American. He sold oysters to my father. I looked up to Captain Warren all my life. Black or white, he was a role model, someone to model your own life by. I wish there were many more people in the world like Captain Warren!” Butler had a lifetime passion working as a waterman, first, working alongside his father and brothers to help support their family. From 1954 to 1983, Butler worked in the oyster and crab industry in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Throughout his life, he owned and operated 17 commercial boats, carrying may fishing parties out of the Chesapeake Bay, also oystering and sightseeing. photos, >click to read< 08:10
F/V Falling Star: 10 missing crew members have been found and rescued
At least 10 of the 15 Honduran crew members from the Falling Star lobster fishing vessel, who had been reported missing at sea last week Tuesday, are now rescued. Five members of the crew are still unaccounted for, but the Jamaica Observer understands that the 10 were found in one of two life-saving rafts that were on the vessel before it sank, giving hope that the others could be alive. >click to read< 07:07
At 101, Maine woman may be the oldest person in the world still lobstering
Virginia Oliver lobsters her 200 pots in the waters off of Rockland, usually three days a week. Her sea legs aren’t as steady as they used to be, but she might be more at ease on a rocking boat than possibly anywhere else. “They call me the Lobster Lady.” Virginia grew up between the mainland, Rockland, and Andrews Islands, where her family has a home and where her father lobstered and fished for sardines to sell to the local factory. She started lobstering when she was just 8 years old and would go out with her big brother John. All of her four children lobster, just as her late husband had. What does Virginia like best about lobstering, “being the boss.” She doesn’t go out if she doesn’t want to but she likes the independence life on the water has afforded her and her family. Video,>click to read< 21:19
Lobster fishermen oppose plans to build land-based salmon farm
Two southwest Nova Scotia lobster fishermen say an aquaculture company’s proposal to build a land-based salmon farm south of Yarmouth, N.S., could threaten the region’s coastal environment and economy. They want the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth to reject an application by Boreal Salmon Inc. to build a facility on wetland in Chebogue Point. The New Brunswick-based company, backed by Chilean investors, has already bought about 22 hectares in the area and a public meeting about their proposed project is scheduled for July 20. >click to read< 18:20
RODA Receives NOAA Fisheries Grant
The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a broad membership-based coalition of fishing industry associations and fishing companies, has received an additional $155,000 grant from NOAA Fisheries to conduct a second “Synthesis Of the Science” symposium on floating offshore wind interactions with fisheries. This funding builds upon the $150,000 grant the agency awarded to RODA in 2020 to conduct the first-of-its-kind symposium on the current science regarding fisheries and offshore wind interactions. >click to read< 16:04
“Sailing Back To the Bay” trip gets closer to launch
The launch of No. 76, a 29-foot restored Libby, McNeil and Libby double-ender sailboat once used for commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, and its journey in the decades-old wake of fishing boats traveling from Homer to the bay have been rescheduled for 2022. The delay was fortuitous, allowing time for Frank Schattauer Sails of Seattle to complete a new sail that was hoisted on the vessel’s single mast by Dave Seaman and friends on July 3, in the NOMAR parking lot. Seaman oversaw the restoration work and will captain No. 76 when it makes its voyage a year from now. “(The vessels) had keels and ribs of white oak, planking of Port Orford, Oregon’s yellow cedar, and were sprit-rigged with a wing-shaped sail,” said Seaman. “Belying their sweet lines, these boats were built for work.” photos, >click to read< 14:44
The“30 X 30 Plan” – The Biden Administration’s Latest Eco Con Job
Via yet another decree (Executive Order 14008), President Biden has ordered government agencies to “permanently protect” at least 30 percent of all US lands and waters by 2030. This “30 X 30 Plan” appears to presume that any areas not designated as park, refuge, or wilderness are not “protected,” even though the vast majority of federal lands are already effectively off-limits to mining, drilling, timber harvesting, and even grazing, by virtue of policies heavily tilted toward preservation and against any development.,,, But matters get truly interesting when we examine Team Biden’s plans to eradicate the 80 percent of US energy that now comes from fossil fuels and replace it with pseudo-renewable wind, solar, and battery power. >click to read< 12:20
Audit fishing vessels operating in Jamaica following the worst seafaring incident in nearly 60 years
Maybe because its entire crew was Honduran, the disappearance last week of the fishing vessel, F/V Falling Star, appears to have evoked little emotion among Jamaicans. Yet, the loss of the vessel’s 15 hands, if, indeed, there are no survivors, would represent, perhaps, the island’s worst seafaring incident in nearly 60 years, since the Snowboy tragedy of 1963. Forty men, 39 Jamaicans and their Australian captain, went down with Snowboy in the seas in the vicinity of the Pedro Banks, a series of Jamaican-owned cays off the island’s southwest coast. >click to read< 11:19
Frank Teague, Storyteller, Trucker, Commercial Fisherman, has passed away in Bend, Oregon
“It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Edward Franklin Teague, beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather who passed away in Bend, Oregon, surrounded by family, on June 6, 2021,” He spent the first half of his life as a truck driver at Weaver Brothers, working for his father-in-law, Russell Weaver. When Frank retired from trucking, he realized a lifelong dream of buying a boat and becoming a commercial fisherman. “With his wife at his side, Frank and Janet moved to Wrangell, spending the next 30 years plying the waters of Southeast Alaska. Their days were spent sometimes fishing, sometimes sightseeing, but always together and that was what mattered most.” “Frank is once again with Janet.” >click to read< 09:36
