Daily Archives: January 26, 2022
F/V Nicola Faith: Grieving families in lasting legacy vow on anniversary of dreadful tragedy
One year ago today three fishermen went to sea on the F/V Nicola Faith and they never returned home. The boat set off from Conwy Harbour on January 27, 2021 to fish the seas off Colwyn Bay. On the anniversary of that terrible day, the families of the three men have revealed the pain and anguish of the last 12 months and their determination to create a lasting legacy to their boys. They recently attended a “man-overboard recovery and life jacket training” session at the RNLI’s their purpose-built college in Poole. In an interview with the RNLI, Ross Ballantine’s sister Lowri Taylor said: “One year on, we’re wanting to create a lasting legacy to the boys and use our experience to share our story and hopefully save more lives. photos, video, >click to read< 21:24
Commercia Fisherman Matthew “Matt” James Washington of Sedro Woolley, WA has passed away
Sedro-Woolley – Matthew “Matt” James Washington, age 38, passed away January 22, 2022, at Skagit Valley Hospital, Mount Vernon, Washington. He was born August 9, 1983, in Mount Vernon to William “Dean” and LeAnne (Drivstuen) Washington. Matthew worked as a commercial fisherman and crabber. Anyone who worked with Matthew knew him to be a hard worker who could count on to get the job done. >click to read< 15:48
Superseding Indictment Charges New York Fisherman with Conspiracy, Fraud and Obstruction
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York unsealed a superseding indictment charging a fisherman with both conspiracy and substantive charges in connection with a scheme to illegally overharvest fluke and black sea bass. Christopher Winkler, 61, of Montauk, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, to obstruct NOAA through the falsification of fishing logs, and to unlawfully frustrate NOAA’s efforts at regulating federal fisheries. The superseding indictment alleges that between May 2014 and February 2017, Winkler, as captain of the F/V New Age, went on at least 220 fishing trips where he caught fluke or black sea bass in excess of applicable trip limits. >click to read< 16:55
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44’x17′ Novi Gillnetter, 405HP Cummins QSL Diesel
To review specifications, information, with photos, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:07
Dead seals turn up on North East beaches as dead crab mystery continues
It has been almost four months since reports first emerged of scores of crabs, lobsters and even octopuses being found dead on beaches stretching from Whitby to Hartlepool. Yet the investigating authorities appear to be no closer to identifying the cause despite extensive laboratory tests and studies. In recent weeks, dead seals have begun washing up on the region’s beaches though it is unclear whether this is linked to the crustacean wipeout in October. >click to read< 10:21
Fishermen voice concerns about Humboldt County offshore wind farm project
While the proposed wind energy area off Humboldt Bay is estimated to have a minimal to low impact on the region’s commercial fishing, some industry members do not fully agree with site assessment and characterization survey findings. During a virtual meeting hosted Tuesday morning by BOEM,,, Pacific Seafood consultant Mike Okoniewski stated during public comment most fishermen in the region he has spoken to about the project have not been reached to participate in the discussion. Eureka-based fisherman Travis Hunter also voiced concerns over potential impacts on the local fishing industry. He stated that the relevant reports do not state how the project will displace the fishing industry. >click to read< 09:04 Online meeting on Wednesday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Links to the meeting and more information regarding the projects can be found at Humboldt Wind Energy Area | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (boem.gov)
Who wants the disappearance of fishermen? The answers are here.
In recent months, worrying signs have multiplied indicating a desire, sometimes obvious, to make fishermen disappear or, very often, to marginalise them to make way for more lucrative activities in the Blue Economy.,, We are witnessing at sea, with the stranglehold of environmental NGOs on MPAs, the same phenomenon denounced by the historian Guillaume Blanc, in his book “Green Colonialism“: the grabbing of land in Africa, This is the case with the evolution of the marine world towards a “Blue colonialism” which is shamelessly displayed, multiplying MPAs prohibited to fishing, a subsistence and eminently sustainable practice of many oceanic peoples, and which, in Europe and elsewhere , only rarely involves small-scale fishermen in decisions about the oceans, of which they are nevertheless secular managers. >click to read< 07:52
Maine: Lobstermen could soon face another new gear regulation
Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the state’s Department of Marine Resources, says recent research shows that the number of juvenile lobster floating in the water column or settling to the bottom is declining for a third year in a row. Now Keliher says that lobstermen should also consider another new rule to create a “trigger” mechanism for reducing the catch of juvenile lobster when their abundance falls below a certain level. Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, on Tuesday told members of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that fishermen will be “in shock” when they learn about the potential new rule. >click to read< 07:01
