Monthly Archives: December 2021
Maine lobsterman hands out hundreds of pounds of free lobster as part of Christmas tradition
What has now become the annual gracious giveaway for the Ames’ family all started when local lobsterman Noah Ames decided to first handout free lobster on Christmas Eve in 2014. A lifelong lobsterman who fishes the rough waters some 50 miles offshore, says it has become more so his job as a parent that sparked what is now a family tradition. Video, >click to read< Merry Christmas to the Ames family! 09:01
Merry Christmas. Peace on earth, good will toward fishermen
To those that are gone, and there are so many, you are thought of with sadness, reverence, and awe. “It Just ain’t Christmas Without You”. >Click to listen<
Macduff Shipyards completes Fruitful Vine vessel for owners
Macduff Shipyards has recently signed over its latest new build fishing vessel F/V Fruitful Vine to owners Nicol Fishing. This new build replaces its previous fishing vessel of the same name, which was built by the yard in 2010 and is intended to fish around the coast of Scotland, occasionally pair trawling alongside the family’s other fishing vessel, the Steadfast Hope. Photos, >click to read< 14:57
DFO responds to Ryan Cleary’s allegations of a ‘backroom’ plan
The interim executive director of Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador accused the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of orchestrating a “backroom” plan to rebuild the cod stock off southern Newfoundland and exclude the voice of inshore harvesters. According to Cleary, DFO has assembled a working group, made up of DFO and FFAW union officials, fish processors, indigenous interests and the offshore, sector to develop a rebuilding plan for cod in the 3Ps fishing zone. An official for DFO, however, says when DFO established the working group they invited members of the 3Ps Groundfish Advisory Committee to participate. >click to read< 13:32
Kenai Peninsula Municipalities still working to oppose EEZ closure
Peninsula municipalities are still fighting back against the closure of federal waters in Cook Inlet to commercial salmon fishing. The city councils of both Kenai and Homer have agreed to file amicus briefs in a lawsuit brought forth by the United Cook Inlet Drift Association, which has a goal of reopening the waters before the 2022 summer fishing season. Groups across the peninsula, including the cities of Homer and Kenai as well as the Kenai Peninsula Borough, have consistently voiced their opposition to the closure of Cook Inlet’s federal waters to commercial salmon fishing. >click to read< 10:59
Wind reps, Ocean City fishermen still far apart – “We’re going to be pushed out,,,
Last week, representatives from US Wind, Director of External Affairs Nancy Sopko, Director of Marine Affairs Ben Cooper and Fisheries Liaison Ron Larsen, briefed the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on their progress in the area and their discussions with fishermen. “They’re trying to say they’re going to work with us said Roger Wooleyhan. When asked if the meeting signaled significant progress, Wooleyhan replied, “No, I don’t. We’re going to be pushed out and all these guys who are making a living are going to be put out. >click to read< 08:43
US Wind extends moratorium, Ocean City fishermen remain skeptical – Their fishery liaisons are working directly with local fisherman to ensure strong coordination between the industries. However, longtime Ocean City fisherman Jimmy Hahn wasn’t too thrilled by the supposed good news from US Wind. >click to read< 08:43
‘That’s Pampi’s tree’: Lobster trap tree honors Maine fisherman killed at sea
Lobster trap Christmas trees are a common holiday sight along the Maine coast, but the one in Cape Porpoise has special meaning this year. Nearly two years ago, Capt. Joe Nickerson and his crewmate, Chris Pinkham, were killed when their fishing boat, the Hayley Ann, sank about 70 miles off the coast of Portland. “It was a shock to us because he just went to work, and it was a beautiful day, sun was shining,” said Nickerson’s daughter, Hayley Brown, said. Nickerson grew up in Cape Porpoise and became a fisherman. >video, click to read< 07:36
Increased quota offers ray of hope for bluefin tuna fishing industry
The decision to increase the quota cheered Takao Iwane, a 73-year-old fisherman who has plied the Sea of Japan waters off the town of Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture, for about 40 years. “Bluefin tuna prices go up in winter, so the announcement encouraged me,” said Iwane, who catches tuna using a handheld line with a single hook. Fukaura is known as one of the rock stars of Japan’s tuna fishing industry. Fishermen could operate without restrictions in waters off Fukaura several decades ago, but catches plunged around the time after regulations were introduced in 2015. In 2021, the four fishery cooperatives in Fukaura were allocated a combined quota of 302 tons. >click to read< 23:18
Looking Back: Nov.7, 1998 – “Conflict of interest, and fishery management”, By Nils Stolpe
This Looking Back features Nil’s insightful research into the funding source of fishery management bodies in the USA. This article was written in 1998, and the funding sources are still the same, although the monetary amounts are certainly different now. In light of the recent ASMFC /MAFMC allocation steal, covered in dec 20th posting on Fisherynation by Jim Lovgren, [who mistakenly stated that the management funding was by SK money, which is an import-based tax, it is actually Wallop-Breaux funding which is the tax on recreational gear and fuel]. This issue needs to see the light of day again, the conflict is clear, and now they’re using bad science against us. >click to read< 18:35
Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association files motion to join lawsuit
The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association filed a motion to join the Maine Lobstermen’s Association’s lawsuit, challenging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 10-year right whale protection plan. The plan requires lobstermen to make significant changes to prevent whales from getting tangled in their gear. The group filed the motion in Washington D.C. District Court, looking to join the lawsuit as a third party. >click to read< 16:50
Sanctuaries aren’t working
One of the things I am not seeing in the discussion over a new marine sanctuary off our coast is how well are the ones we have working? As written by Lori French, “Unnecessary protection, there are four national marine sanctuaries designated in California since 1980. Also, there are 124 state marine protected areas, reserves and preserves, plus another five rock fish conservation areas. From the point of view of fishermen, all of this coverage is not producing more fish. The promised “spillover affect” hasn’t worked. So what is the answer from government and environmentalists? >click to read< 14:00 By Steve Rebuck
Killybegs welcomes first of three sister ship
The Atlantic Dawn Group based in Killybegs has welcomed their new 64.65 metre pelagic trawler, ‘Leila’ to the local fishing fleet. “We took delivery of the new vessel last week and all went well for us. We’re now preparing for the new season and new quotas in January,” The vessel will fish with a crew of nine and will be skippered by Karl’s brother Kevin McHugh, who is also Director of Fishing Operations in the Atlantic Dawn Group. >click to read< 12:30
With the shortest day of the year over, summer is on its way!
First light this morning sees Tom keeping his ever-watchful eye over the fleet. Almost all are now safely tied up in port, though the crabbers and netters will look to put in a few days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to keep supplies going. As light floods the harbour the sky almost resembles the aurora borealis as the sun rises. as the hues intensify above the horizon. >Photos, click to read< 11:22
Barnstable Superior Court Judge Rules Against Gloucester Clammer ‘Monte’ Rome
‘Monte’ Rome of Gloucester, owner of the F/V Tom Slaughter and the wholesale seafood company Intershell, must pay the Provincetown Public Pier Corp. for docking at Provincetown’s MacMillan Pier in 2014 and 2015 when he was using hydraulic dredging gear to harvest sea clams from a two-square-mile area inside a 40-foot “contour zone” off Herring Cove Beach. Rather than pay his docking fees, Rome sued the town in 2015 after being served with a cease-and-desist order prohibiting him and three other fishing boat owners from conducting hydraulic dredging. >click to read< 10:38
Maine: Whale rules, pending lawsuits focus of gloomy Lobster Advisory Council meeting
A complicated and potentially grim future is predicted for the commercial lobster industry, with environmental groups, gear changes, the closure of offshore waters to lobster fishing and judicial rulings painting a “doom and gloom” picture, in the words of Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “I think there’s going to be a lot of moving pieces,” Some of those pieces could spell the end of the commercial lobster fishery in Maine, DMR Deputy Commissioner Meredith Mendelson said, as she ran through the current lawsuits aimed at preserving the North Atlantic right whale. If any or all prevail, the lobster fishery will bear the brunt of the results. >click to read< 08:12
Ireland: Future of fish industry is very ‘bleak’ – ‘We ask for no more than equal rights,,,
The future of the fishing industry remains very bleak, with scientific advice not matching the reality of what fishers are witnessing, an abundance of fish in our Irish fishing grounds. That’s according to Patrick Murphy, head of the Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation. Mr Murphy said there was ‘clear evidence’ showing many stocks in our zone could allow for far higher catches and sustainable quotas for Irish fishers ‘many of whom will be forced to leave the industry if the Common Fisheries Policy remains in favour of our visiting fleets.’ ‘We ask for no more than equal rights and equal opportunities for Irish fishermen in Irish waters,’,,, >click to read< 07:13
Proposal for Authorization to Conduct Ropeless Fishing Activity Within Mass Trap Gear Closure Area
The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has received a proposal from the Pioneers for a Thoughtful Co Existence, Inc. (“Pioneers”) for a Scientific Project Permit and Letter of Authorization. The Pioneers—collaborating with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare—seek to fish so-called “ropeless” lobster trap gear through the use of on-demand vertical buoy line systems affixed to their trap gear. >click to read< 15:47
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 60′ Steel Seiner/Scalloper, 871 Detroit Diesel,12.5 KW Norpro Genset
To review specifications, information, with 21 photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11: 53
Plymouth lobster pot tree honors lobsterman Mike Furlong
Plymouth lobster fishermen have turned their popular annual Christmas tradition into a tribute to one of their own. The lobster pot tree that the group assembles on Town Wharf every Christmas season is dedicated this year to Michael Furlong, a 65-year-old lobster fisherman who died after an accident on the water in November. Furlong, or ‘Furley,’ as he was known to fellow fishermen, was a Plymouth native and Kingston resident who had been working out of the harbor for decades. Photos, >click to read< 10:33
Factory Trawler Kirkella may be sold or moved abroad’ after devastating fishing deal
The Kirkella has been standing idle since December 2020 when the UK lost its rights to fish in Norwegian waters following Brexit. UK Fisheries, who operate the Kirkella, said that the new deal struck with the Scandinavian country leaves the crew with a quota amounting to just one week’s work. The fishing pact will see fleets from both countries able to catch up to 30,000 tonnes of cod, haddock and hake in the North Sea according to the government. But the owners of the Kirkella said it won’t be enough to sustain their ship or crew of 30. >click to read< 10:03
UK secures fishing access and quotas with Norway
Today (21 December 2021) the UK, negotiating as an independent coastal State, has reached an agreement with Norway on fisheries access and quotas for 2022. These discussions mark the start of a new arrangement between the UK and Norway, in which both parties permit some access to each other’s waters and exchange a number of fish quotas in the North Sea and the Arctic. The agreement on mutual access will allow respective fleets more flexibility to target the stocks in the best condition throughout the fishing year, supporting a more sustainable and economically viable fishing industry. >click to read< 09:07
Gulf of Maine: Shrimp fishery to remain closed for three more years
For the eighth straight year, Maine’s commercial shrimp fishery will remain closed to harvesters. The Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section voted last week to keep the fishery shut down for at least three more years citing an assessment update that indicated the stock in the Gulf of Maine remains depleted. A commercial fishing moratorium has been in place since the 2014 season,,, >click to read< 08:30
Karstensen is not slowing down. Another fishing vessel will sail to Scotland
Just a week after the last launch, Karstensen Shipyard Poland in Gdynia made another, thus the last launching this year. This time, the shipyard launched a pelagic trawler with a length of 75 meters and a width of 15.6 meters, which will be called “Artemis”. The home port of this unit will be Banff in Scotland. Some excellent photos, and video. >click to read< 21:41 These guys know how to move very large objects!
Hurricane Ida: Local trawler pushing forward, despite changes in the industry
Louisiana – Local trawler Brad Duet has been trawling for all of his adult life. “I make a good living, and I love what I do. It’s just a shame there’s no more people getting into this. I feel like those of us out there now are a little bit like the last of a dying breed.” At 18, he became the captain of his own boat. He partnered with his mother to run a boat and get his start as a full-time captain. By 25, it was time for him to be fully on his own, so he went to the bank and secured financing for the F/V Sassy Sandy the boat he runs today. Hurricane Ida has done a lot to change the local trawling industry, and he’s not sure if things are ever truly going to get back to the “old normal.” >click to read< 17:25
F/V Joanna C: Sinking findings released year after tragedy
Experts investigating the sinking of the scalloper F/V Joanna C, which went down in November last year with the loss of two lives, have completed their investigation. The crew were recovering their fishing gear when the boat capsized, the interim report confirms. A full report is now being prepared on the incident in which Brixham fisherman Adam Harper and crewmate Robert Morley died. Skipper Dave Bickerstaff was rescued from the sea after hanging on to a lifebuoy for four hours after raising the alarm. >click to read< 13:17
The Biggest Corporate Welfare Recipients Ever: Big Wind and Big Solar
How much do solar, wind and electric vehicle companies get in federal handouts and tax loopholes in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill? Well over $100 billion in taxpayer largesse. If all the tax credits are included, that number could reach half a trillion dollars. No other industry in American history has ever received this lucrative paycheck. The folks at the Institute for Energy Research calculated that this is on top of the more than $150 billion in subsidies these industries received from Uncle Sam in the last 30 years. The umbilical cord to taxpayer wallets never gets cut. Yet, laughably, the left says all these subsidies to “green energy” are necessary for an “infant industry.” >click to read< 11:13
Harbour Breton in Mourning Following Fatal Fishing Accident
The town of Harbour Breton is in mourning after a fishing accident took the life of a man over the weekend. Three men were aboard the scallop vessel on Sunday morning when it overturned near the community. Robert Hynes, training officer with the Harbour Breton Fire Department, describes how one of the men was able to swim to shore and get help. He says the boat was situated in the middle of a sheltered part of the bay. The man swam through the frigid water, and once on land walked through the woods to get to a cabin. >click to read< 10:35
Crewman admits leaving vessel’s bridge before collision
A fishing boat crewman who had left the bridge unattended when the vessel collided with a bulk carrier outside the Lyttelton Heads has admitted a charge under the Maritime Transport Act. Christopher Anderson, who had been employed by the fishing company for 12 years, admitted the charge of causing unnecessary danger or risk to the F/V Leila Jo fishing boat, and the bulk carrier, and the people on board, in the incident on January 12, 2020. >click to read< 08:53
Crab Fisherman Zip-Ties a GoPro Camera Inside a Crab Pot – a Feeding Frenzy Ensues
Have you ever wondered what happens inside crab pots when they’re underwater? Fortuna resident Robert Wall decided to find out. “My friend John said we should put a GoPro in one of the pots. Honestly, I was just curious and wanted to see what goes on down there.” So they zip-tied the little camera to the inside of the cage, loaded some herring and chicken in there for bait and pressed record. Before the silt has settled, the shadows of hungry Dungeness descend, their claws and legs clattering against the bars of the metal grate. “I didn’t expect the crab to be at the pot in under 30 seconds,” Wall said. “It gets pretty crazy down there.” Video, >click to watch< 07:54
Electronic Monitoring: Hearings set for new electronic lobster boat tracking rules
An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster and Jonah crab boats that have federal permits. A Jan. 19 hearing will be held via webinar and in person at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The other hearings will be held virtually. Others are slated for mid-Atlantic states, Maine and Massachusetts and Rhode Island. >click to read< 16:15
