Daily Archives: February 11, 2022
New memorial scholarship honors Wrangell commercial fishing siblings Sig and Helen Decker
21-year-old Sig Decker and 19-year-old Helen Decker grew up commercial fishing with their parents on the family boat. “That was a really fun time as a family. It’s sort of the most genuine family time you can get is all being in a little tiny boat in the middle of nowhere and working together,” says Julie Decker, Sig and Helen’s mom. “At a certain point, I think they wanted more. So then they started crewing on seine boats and were on a couple 
different boats, and then eventually were in the same boat, the summer of 2020.” On July 27, 2020, Sig and Helen and two other crewmates, 29-year-old Ian Martin of Petersburg and 37-year-old Dennis Lord of Elmira Heights, New York, were killed in a car crash on Mitkof Island south of Petersburg while on a break from commercial fishing. >click to read< 15:14
Fishermen not feeling the effects of ‘marked decrease’ in Atlantic cod population
What started as a research presentation on rising ocean temperatures and decreasing cod supply by NOAA quickly turned into a revealing conversation about how scientists and their data often do not reflect fishermen’s experiences. Findings by a working group of researchers indicated that the lifecycle of the species is being influenced by the environment, specifically rising ocean temperatures, which have changed the fish’s spawning behavior and their predator-prey relationships. Fishermen did question is whether these facts are having the same implications that the researchers believe. Al Cottone, a Gloucester fisherman, says he feels cod are in different areas, and that he has noticed a change in the tides, too. >click to read< 10:56
Video: Commercial fisherman medevac’d 58 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass
The Coast Guard conducted a medevac of a fisherman 58 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Southeast New England watchstanders received a notification from the fishing vessel F/V Jean Marie, reporting that a crewmember was having trouble breathing, and were requesting assistance. Video, >click to read< 09:38
Could Shetland’s first RNLI lifeboat return home?
Shetland’s historic first RNLI lifeboat is looking for a new home, and its owner is keen to see if anyone in the isles would be interested in taking her on. The Lady Jane and Martha Ryland was brought to Lerwick in 1930 to give the RNLI its first presence in Shetland. After going out of service, she ended up in Dartmouth at the other end of the UK. She is currently owned by 30-year-old Charles Anderson, who bought the boat during lockdown with the aim of carrying out a restoration. Photos, >click to read< 09:02
Brexit deal branded ‘sell out’ after ‘shameful’ treatment of fishermen
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement which went live at 11pm on December 31, 2020 and is widely referred to as the Brexit deal, set out plans to fulfil the promises made during the Leave campaign. An estimated 92 percent of British fishing communities voted for Brexit, likely lured by promises of “reclaiming our seas” and turning Britain into an “independent coastal state” with higher quotas for fishermen already struggling in the face of European competition. >click to read< 07:57 United Kingdom
The Man at the Wheel: The story behind The Fisherman’s Memorial in Massachusetts
If you live in Gloucester, you may already be familiar with the story of the most iconic statue in town. If you’re a visitor, you may have noticed it, maybe wondered about it, or maybe not thought much about it at all. Regardless, the Fisherman’s Memorial statue is certainly the most recognizable landmark in town. Standing and looking out towards Gloucester Bay, this memorial in Massachusetts has a story, and we are going to tell you all about it. Photos, >click to read< 07:01
