Daily Archives: February 18, 2022
A Spanish fisherman’s life on the high seas: harsh, risky and badly paid
The tragedy, Spain’s worst fishing accident in nearly 40 years which claimed 21 lives and left only three survivors when their ship foundered in stormy waters off Newfoundland, has thrown into sharp relief the risks and harsh working conditions faced by fishermen. Often these deep-sea fishermen will spend months at sea, far from their families. “You’re away for so long: you go out to sea when your child’s just been born and when you come back, he’s already doing his first communion,” jokes Martínez as he takes a coffee at a bar popular with fishermen in Marín. He used to spend six-month stints at sea fishing for cod off Newfoundland but is currently not working after having a hernia operation. commercial fishing. >click to read< 14:04
Historic lifeboat from shipwrecked Maid of Lincoln rescued, restored, and needs a new home
A 137-year-old historic lifeboat rescued from the rafters of an old farm shed is now restored and in need of a public home. The lifeboat, which had hung in the shed’s rafters for decades, came from the Maid of Lincoln which was shipwrecked and sunk off Jurien Bay in the Mid West of Western Australia in 1891. It came to the attention of archaeologist Bob Sheppard who organised its rescue in March last year. Once it was safely removed from the rafters, Jurien Bay local Ron Snook took to lovingly restoring it. With the job now complete, the lifeboat is in need of a home. Video, >click to read< 12:53
N.S. MP Rick Perkins grilled federal fisheries minister over clawback of COVID-19 help paid to fishermen
Conservative fisheries critic Rick Perkins grilled Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray Thursday over her department’s clawback of COVID-19 assistance paid to thousands of fishermen, but the exchange may be more remembered for his “confrontational and aggressive” questions and interruptions than the answers. “Six years I’ve been a parliamentarian, I have never seen a more rude member of parliament to a witness. Ever,” said Dartmouth Liberal MP Darren Fisher. “He was extremely rude.” Perkins pressed Murray at the parliamentary fisheries committee meeting on DFO’s decision to claw back a fish harvester benefit. The benefit was paid to crew members across Canada who are paid a share of the catch. >click to read< 11:01
F/V Villa de Pitanxo: survivors en route to Canadian port of St. John’s
Three survivors from a Spanish fishing trawler that sank hundreds of miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, were en route to this port city on Thursday amid stormy conditions. The Spanish vessel F//V Playa de Menduiña II that is transporting those survivors and seven of the recovered bodies is expected to arrive in St. John’s, capital of Newfoundland and Labrador province, on Saturday, the port authority told Efe. The remains of two other recovered bodies are being transported by the Canadian vessel Nexus, which is expected to reach that same port city on Friday. >click to read< 09:14
FFAW “Shocked” by Federal Fisheries Minister’s Comments on Climate Change
The union says Minister Murray put forward her ideas and vision for the east coast fishery at the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters Federation annual meeting. She outlined her goal to leave as many fish in the water as possible and to grow as much vegetation in the water as possible so that the Atlantic Ocean can better absorb carbon to combat climate change. She indicated that fish harvesters would have to accept the sacrifice as part of Canada’s commitment to fight climate change and noted that with technological advancements harvesters could change career paths and work remotely from their homes. >click to read< 08:29
