Monthly Archives: January 2022
Hurricane Ida turns Houma oysterman’s life upside down
For more than six hours, fifth-generation Houma oysterman Jacob David Hulse; his girlfriend, Lindsey Willis; and his dog, Change; huddled inside a friend’s oyster shop as Hurricane Ida slammed ashore Aug. 29. As the more than 140-mph winds started to subside, Hulse, 33, thought he had gone through the worst of it. But as many Louisiana fishermen are finding out, his troubles were only beginning. “Many in our Louisiana seafood families like the Hulses are still homeless from the hurricanes and not sure from where their next meal is coming,” said Ewell Smith a board member with the Gulf Seafood Foundation and a member of the Louisiana Fishing Community Recovery Coalition. >click to read< 11:30
Maine Woman Proving Women Can Fish Even Facing a 35-Foot Rogue Wave
Brittany Finch had no idea what she was getting into. Brittany moved to Maine from Pennsylvania about a year ago. She lives in the Ellsworth area and decided to challenge herself with fishing. She’s 33-years-old and has always challenged herself. She started lobstering/groundfishing after working at a Co-Op. She’s only been on a lobster boat for a couple of months. It’s been a struggle as a woman, but also an incredible adventure. For nine days she went ground fishing and of those days, most of the time the weather was deplorable. photos, video, >click to read< 09:59
B.C. fishers celebrate DFO announcement allowing spot prawn ‘tubbing’ to continue
The announcement Monday by Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray is an about face from an announcement less than a year ago when DFO served notice it was making tubbing illegal. “This is huge,” said Mike Atkins, executive director of the Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association. For decades, the celebrated B.C. fishery has relied on small boat fishers freezing just-caught spot prawns in tubs to preserve them for transport to local markets. Instead of outlawing the practice, the new 2023 regulations will limit the packaged volume of tubbed prawns to 710 millilitres or less. It will also require that all packaging material be transparent. >click to read< 08:26
Fishing activity before, during, and after reopening of Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
Evaluation of the economic impacts of marine protected areas is hampered by the fact that it is impossible to observe what would have happened if the protected area had never been closed to fishing. Catch reports and vessel tracks are used to perform an analysis of the potential negative economic impacts of establishing the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument on three commercially important fisheries that were identified as having potential to be harmed. The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is a highly protected MPA off the east coast of the United States of America that was created by US President Barack Obama on September 15, 2016. >click to read< By John Lyman 07:43
West Cork Fishermen celebrate 50th anniversary by buying respite house for local charity despite ‘tough times’
A group of fishermen in West Cork have bought and donated a house worth 250k to a local charity that works with over 750 adults and children with intellectual disabilities, even though they say the fishing industry is experiencing “extremely difficult times.” “We wanted to do something to mark our 50th anniversary that our founding members and every Castletownbere who has lost their lives at sea would be proud of, we’ve never been about glitz and glamour and we’d no interest in a big party, we’ve always been about community,” John Nolan, the General Manager of the co-op said. >click to read< 06:50
Maine: Abden Simmons running for Senate District 13
Abden Simmons will be seeking the Maine Senate District 13 seat. Simmons has been a shellfish harvester for three decades and has operated A&A Shellfish, a buying station for clams, for twenty-five years. He is also an elver fisherman and spent more than 20 years inshore fishing and working as a sternman. In 2016, his community elected Simmons to serve the people of Friendship, Waldoboro, Washington, and part of Union in the Maine House of Representatives. While in the House he served as a member of the Marine Resources Committee. >click to read< 18:37
Special interest hit piece unfairly targets Southeast fisheries
I was disappointed by what I consider to be a targeted attack on Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries. A report on interceptions of British Columbia salmon in Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries was publicly released on Tuesday by Canadian environmental groups. Many Pacific salmon stocks are highly migratory and often travel across state and international borders. Several stocks migrate into Alaska’s waters to take advantage of the rich marine environment in coastal Southeast Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska where they feed and grow before starting their journey back to their natal streams to spawn. Our quality habitat allows these salmon to thrive and return healthy to their natal streams to renew their life cycle. >click to read< by Doug Vincent-Lang 13:41
Brittany fishing company La Houle builds for the future
Brittany fishing company La Houle has been facing a case of invest or die, according to managing director Jacques Pichon, and a new addition marks the start of renewed investment in its fleet. The new trawler has raised a few eyebrows in St Guénolé, as its design is a departure from the usual French layout for vessels in this size bracket. La Houle went to Danish designer and shipbuilder Vestværft for its new trawler. Behind this decision is also La Houle’s ownership with Irish shareholders, including Niall Deasy who already runs two Vestværft-built trawlers of his own. photos, >click to read< 12:19
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for January 17, 2022
The issue of Southern Flounder management, or mismanagement as some have claimed, has been a hot topic lately. Claims that commercial overharvest, imminent stock collapse, failed commercial harvest reductions, and inaction by the state are to blame for declining catches of Southern flounder are rampant. But are they true? If you asked the CCA or NC Wildlife Federation the answer would be yes but if you asked me, I’d say their claims are absurd and not supported, by the numbers. Continue reading at the update. >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 10:33
Brexit News: Britons Rage At Boris Over Fishing Move: ‘Not Done What He Was Elected To Do’
Fury has erupted after the F/V Africa and the F/V Zeeland, two of the largest fishing vessels in the world, were seen just 15 miles off the Cornwall coast on several days throughout last week. Jayne Adye, director of the pro-Brexit campaign group Get Britain Out, said: “Both are registered in the Netherlands, and for some obscure reason, have been given licences to fish in UK waters. They are both well over 100 meters long and use nets which can be the size of six football pitches.” >click to read< 07:31
A new day of fishing to help children with cancer
Once again this year, a day like no other took place Saturday off the coast of Nanaimo, mobilizing fishermen, truckers and volunteers to raise funds for children with cancer by selling a huge amount of herring. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of
it,” says Aaron Chin, a board member of Fishermen Helping Kids With Cancer. The 1925 bags were quickly sold, representing just over 19 tonnes of fish and $38,000 for cancer patients at the BC Children’s Hospital. >click to read< (you may need to click translate) 21:01
North Atlantic Right Whale: Extinction Is Looming. Everyone’s Fighting.
This May, new rules created for the lobster industry by the National Marine Fisheries Service will become official policy for boats operating in right whale territory. The agency estimates that lobster and Jonah crab traps are responsible for 95 percent of vertical end-line ropes in the areas where whale protections apply and therefore pose the most risk for entangling whales. The Fisheries Service says these changes will reduce the risk of death and serious injury by 69 percent. But in the months after the rules were finalized, the agency has seen pushback from conservation groups, who argue the new protections aren’t enough, and lobster fishing crews, who say the rules will harm their business. >click to read< 14:22
Tonga tsunami: Tutukaka damage has business wondering, ‘what next?’
The clean-up is set to continue at Tutukaka Marina on Monday, after a tsunami surge from the Tongan earthquake hit the marina on Saturday night. About eight to 10 boats have sunk, numerous other boats have been damaged, and there is extensive damage to marina structures,,, While the tsunami surges were noticed across Northland’s west and east coasts, Tutukaka appears to be the only place where there is significant damage. >click to read< 11:07
California’s 5 most deadly, devastating tsunamis
Fortunately, it appears that the Bay Area and the rest of California on Saturday escaped the worst kind of damage that can be inflicted by a tsunami. Following the eruption of an undersea volcano near Tonga, surges of water flooded or threatened harbors and low-lying areas in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Berkeley and Marin County. The worst tsunami threat to the West Coast in more than a decade also prompted advisories, evacuations and beach closures up and down the coast. But by Saturday evening, it appeared that the region had dodged the tsunami bullet, with some damage to boats and property reported in Santa Cruz and other communities and no reports of major injuries. But history offers more deadly examples of when massive tsunami waves, generated by earthquakes or volcanoes erupting an ocean away, have barreled into California’s coastal areas,,, >click to read< 09:06
Fishermen scared for livelihoods as sea creatures disappear from Yorkshire coast
Fishermen across Yorkshire fear they could be forced out of business after masses of dead sea creatures have been washed up on the shoreline. Robert Harrison, from Filey in North Yorkshire, said he is scared for their livelihoods amid claims there “isn’t a living thing” within three miles of the coast. Dead crabs and rotting lobsters were littered across the coastline between Marske and Saltburn in October but now fishermen in Filey are experiencing a similar issue. >click to read here< and >here< 07:40
A Custom Build for Southern Australia
Based in Western Australia, Dongara Marine last year completed its first new vessel for an established fisherman in the South Australian rock lobster fishery, the yard’s first opportunity to venture into this new territory. Customized to the client requirements, F/V Raging Bull’s aluminium hull features the seakeeping and performance of Southerly Designs’ offshore capable monohulls, topped by a single level wheelhouse, an arrangement that is common for crayboats built for South Australia. photos, video, >click to read< 19:52
Dunleavy’s super-special election year bycatch task force – Bycatch is on the ballot.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy recently announced the formation of a shiny new “task force,” charged with studying the impacts of bycatch on Alaska fisheries and making recommendations to policy makers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has supposedly been doing exactly this for nearly half a century with its permanent voting seat on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, or NPFMC. >click to read< By Alexus Kwachka 17:12
The future of fishing is innovation.
Maine’s lobstermen begin 2022 with a unique opportunity to fundamentally solve the whale entanglement issue. Throughout history technology has been used to improve our lives and solve complex problems. Invention has brought us cell phones, computers, satellites, and soon, self-driving cars and a base on the moon. >click to read< By Zack Klyver 10:55
Different Ways to Cook the Perfect Scallops
It’s no surprise that scallops are a favorite of seafood lovers. Tender and slightly sweet, when properly prepared, they’re a culinary marvel. And, with a bit of guidance, you can create restaurant-worthy scallops right at home. Scallops can also be purchased either wet or dry. Opt for dry scallops whenever possible for a better taste and texture. Now that you have some background on which scallops to buy, let’s get cooking! Some excellent recipes for Seared Scallops, Grilled Scallops, Scallops in Cream Sauce, and many more! >click to read< 09:55
After a yearlong closure, Tanner crab season makes a comeback off Kodiak Island
Dave Kubiak spent a recent rainy Thursday stacking the deck of his boat, the Laura Lee, with crab pots in preparation for Kodiak’s Tanner crab season. According to him, the night before the season is always exciting. “We’ll leave in sufficient time to get there and to go someplace and anchor up,” he said. “And then wait for the morning and then run out and get all nervous and jittery on the opener, which is silly, but we do.” Kubiak said that he got a nickel per pound for Tanner crabs back in the 60s. Due to low supply and high demand across the country, prices for this season, which opens Jan. 15, are much higher,,, >click to read< 09:20
Looking Back: Life on board the Hull Trawler Ross Orion
We look back through a collection of images taken on board a Hull trawler named Ross Orion. They were taken just months before the horrific triple trawler tragedy that claimed the lives of 58 crew members on three other vessels. A photographer captured life on board another Hull trawler less than a year before the disasters. The Ross Orion set sail for Greenland from Hull’s docks and the photos were snapped on 15 July 1967 just off the coast. 11 photos, >click to read< 07:52
Options open for solo and pair trawling – The latest delivery from Macduff Shipyards
Like its predecessor of the same name, the new F/V Fruitful Vine is designed to fish around Scotland, operating mainly solo, but with the opportunity to operate as part of a pair team opposite the family’s other trawler, F/V Steadfast Hope BF-340. There’s no better sign of a satisfied customer than one who returns for more business – and F/V Fruitful Vine’s predecessor was also a Macduff build, delivered in 2010. F/V Fruitful Vine’s hull is built entirely from steel, topped with an aluminium wheelhouse and masts. The layout is largely in line with that of other recent new builds from Macduff. photos, >click to read< 13:06
Louisiana Fishing Industry Suffered $579 Million in Damages Due to 2020-21 Hurricanes
Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida, which swept through Louisiana during various points in 2020 and 2021, resulted in an estimated $579 million in losses to the state’s fisheries infrastructure, revenues, and biological resources, according to a study by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU and Louisiana Sea Grant. The study’s findings, released today, analyzes monetized losses to fisheries infrastructure (including vessels), sales or gross revenue, and resources losses to fish and oysters. The study also projects financial losses that are continuing into 2022. >click to read< 10:14
Fishermen slam ‘soul-destroying’ decision to end Clyde fishing exemption
Fishermen have slammed the Scottish Government’s ‘soul-destroying’ decision to introduce new cod stock protection measures in the Firth of Clyde. The government is ending an exemption letting creel and scallop dredgers and langoustine trawlers use the area during the approaching spawn season. For more than two decades, measures were in place to protect spawning cod in the Firth of Clyde, with the area being closed off for 11 weeks between 14 February and 30 April. The group said that the “total loss of income” would affect many small family boats for months, which is a burden to the fishing communities following Brexit and the pandemic. >click to read< 09:11
Lobsterman v. Lobsterman – Ropeless Fishing Divides Industry
At a virtual hearing last night, the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries (DMF), presented the case of five commercial lobstermen who are seeking a Letter of Authorization to test the controversial equipment,,, But nearly 20 commercial lobstermen at the meeting said they were opposed for multiple reasons. Many said testing the gear during the closure puts the entire fishery at risk if a whale does get entangled. >click to read< 07:55
New Bedford Fire Department respond to reports of a fishing vessel on fire
“This morning at 1055 hrs, the New Bedford Fire Department received 911 calls reporting a fishing vessel fire at the southeast end of Leonard’s Wharf. Upon arrival, Command reported smoke extending from the F/V Prowess which was moored to two other fishing vessels. Crews advanced one handline and extinguished the fire. Crews performed ventilation and checked for fire extension with the assistance of battery-powered rotary and reciprocating saws. Marine 38 responded and was used to push the three vessels together due to the wind separating them making climbing between them hazardous. photos, >click to read< 19:16
SEA-NL says bottom-trawling must be banned from all three adjacent cod stocks (not just two)
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) has recommended that Fisheries and Oceans expand its ban on bottom-trawling to include all three cod stocks off the province’s shores. “Fisheries and Oceans cannot scientifically justify banning bottom-trawling for cod in two adjacent stocks when all three are in the critical zone,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s interim Executive Director. DFO allows for bottom-trawling of the cod stock off southern Newfoundland in fishing zone 3Ps. However, bottom-trawling is banned in the northern cod fishery off eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, and for cod in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. All three cod stocks have been designated by DFO science as in the critical zone, meaning fishing must be kept to a minimum. >click to read< 12:06
The Bodega Bay crab industry grew out of food demand during World War II
On a stormy spring day along the Sonoma Coast in 1951, brothers Steve and Bill Smith wove stainless steel wires around the sides of a steel crabpot in preparation for a day of crab catching. By the early 1950s, there were five fishing operations at Bodega Bay and about 100 fishermen who saw commercial crab fishing as a good side hustle, according to news reports at the time. Previously, Smith Brothers Fishery was the sole fishing business on the bay. Crab processing plants also employed women workers through the 1940s and 1950s to pick, weigh and pack Dungeness crabs. 18 photos, >click to read< 11:08
Virginia Olsen: People in Maine’s fishing industry are pleading for rational policies, not denying them.
As a member of the Maine Lobstering Union and a multi-generational lobsterman from Stonington, I read with interest The Lobster Trap, a collaboration between The Boston Globe and the Portland Press Herald. On one hand, I was impressed by the authors’ captivating storylines on the people and families who comprise our multi-generational industry and the recognition of the day-to-day challenges confronting us. On the other hand, I could not help viewing some of the series’ broad-brush inferences and conclusions as inaccurate, unfair and condescending. Precious few lobstermen qualify as wealthy “one-percenters,” as the authors suggest. The Maine lobsterman is not an “average worker,” and any comparison is an unfair characterization, whether made directly or by inference. >click to read< By Virginia Olsen 10:19
Trudeau Comments On Moderate Livelihood Fisheries
The Prime Minister says the federal government continues to work on implementing moderate livelihood fisheries with Indigenous communities. Justin Trudeau says reconciliation is important, but the fishery needs to be done right. “We’ve been engaged in very very close dialogue, both with commercial fishers and Indigenous communities to establish the right path forward,” >click to read< 09:23
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