Daily Archives: February 8, 2022

Video: Coast Guard rescues two fishermen from sinking vessel near Sitka

The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from their sinking vessel, Monday in Islet Passage, near Sitka, Alaska. A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew hoisted the two fishermen at approximately 9 p.m. from the 40-foot fishing vessel, F/V Glory, approximately nine miles south of Sitka. The aircrew lowered a rescue swimmer to assess the vessel that was taking on water. The fishermen were unable to secure the source of the flooding and the rescue swimmer advised the fisherman to abandon ship. Video, >click to read< 18:39

‘Once in a millennium’ rogue wave recorded off Ucluelet

A giant wave off Ucluelet in 2020 is the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, says a group of Victoria scientists. The 17.6-metre swell. as high as a four-story building, was recorded with sensor buoys at Amphitrite Bank, about seven kilometers off Ucluelet. The wave recorded by MarineLabs off Ucluelet was 17.6 metres in a sea state with wave heights of six metres, so it was nearly three times the size of the waves around it. Video, >click to read< 16:15

Alabama: Seafood bill raising questions about tax breaks pitched to lawmakers

For Ernie Anderson, the legislation that passed out of the Alabama House last week will help a dwindling number of commercial fishermen save costs while purchasing equipment to do their jobs. Problem is, no one seems to know how much that is. The bill, HB10, allows the entire commercial fishing industry similar tax exemptions and reduced tax obligations like those offered to farmers, who pay 1.5% on sales taxes. Commercial fishermen, excluding commercial shrimpers, currently pay a 4% sales tax rate whenever they purchase equipment like netting and bait. >click to read< 14:01

Fishermen sue to end industry funded monitoring program

A group of fishing companies in New England is bringing its bid to try to end industry-funded monitoring programs to federal appeals court. The companies are part of the industry that harvests Atlantic herring, which are heavily fished off the East Coast. The federal government requires herring fishing boats to participate in, and pay for, at-sea monitoring programs. >click to read< 13:30

Photo’s: Monday morning in Newlyn – a misty start to the day.

A nice selection of photos from Lawrence Hartwell. >click to review< and click on the photos to enlarge them! Thank you, Lawrence! 13:01

Judge advances lawsuit over California drift gillnet ban

A federal judge has advanced a lawsuit against a California state law that bans the use of swordfish catching gillnets,,, Two fishermen sued the state two years ago, arguing that because they obtained federal permits to use gillnets, California cannot pass a law that deprives them of those federal rights. The fishermen, Joseph Abad and Austen Brown, asked for a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of the state law, but a federal judge denied that request. >click to read< 10:17

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for February 07, 2022

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had quite a few calls regarding the information we’ve shared about the disinformation surrounding the management of Southern Flounder. After last week’s newsletter, I received a call from a gentleman who was obviously an avid supporter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and Coastal Conservation Association. The caller, a recreational angler, was concerned with my articles because he felt I was blaming anglers for “overfishing” the Sothern Flounder stock. 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< 08:50

Maine wants whale protections delayed

Maine’s governor and congressional delegation are calling on the federal government to push back new fishing rules designed to protect whales so fishermen can comply with them. New lobster fishing rules require fishermen to start using weakened rope or special inserts to weaken existing rope beginning in May in some waters. They said a lack of compliant gear is making it hard for harvesters to comply with the rules. >click to read< 07:27