Monthly Archives: March 2022
Retired fisherman shocked to hear online troll used his photograph
Cyril Lawless got quite the surprise this week when he discovered his photograph was used on a fake social media profile used to troll female politicians. The 62-year-old retired fisherman who lives in Riverton, Southland was used as the face behind the fake Hamish Eggstein account, created by Young Nat Jessee MacKenzie. MacKenzie admitted on Thursday he was the person responsible for misogynistic trolling of at least three female politicians via two fake social media accounts under the names of Eggstein and Emiliano Donnrumma. >click to read< 19:42
Maine’s politicians seek delay on whale protection rules
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Riamondo, Gov. Mills and other officials urge federal fisheries regulators to extend the May 1 deadline to comply with the new regulations, which are aimed at protecting critically endangered north Atlantic right whales by setting a seasonal closure and requiring modifications to gear. They are requesting a July 1 deadline. The state’s commercial fishing industry is working “in good faith” to comply with the new rules but are facing supply chain issues and other complications with less than six weeks to go until implementation of the new rules. >click to read< 17:40
Seafood Biz Braces For Losses Of Jobs, Fish Due To Sanctions
The worldwide seafood industry is steeling itself for price hikes, supply disruptions and potential job losses as new rounds of economic sanctions on Russia make key species such as cod and crab harder to come by. The latest round of U.S. attempts to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine includes bans on imports of seafood, alcohol and diamonds. The impact is likely to be felt globally, as well as in places with working waterfronts. One of those is Maine, where more than $50 million in seafood products from Russia passed through Portland in 2021, according to federal statistics. “If you’re getting cod from Russia, it’s going to be a problem,” said Glen Libby, an owner of Port Clyde Fresh Catch, a seafood market in Tenants Harbor, Maine. “That’s quite a mess. We’ll see how it turns out.” >click to read< 13:39
Higher Snow Crab Quota in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2022
DFO’s management practices in recent years, supported by evidence-based science advice, favourable ocean conditions, and the stewardship of local harvesters, have rejuvenated the snow crab stock in most areas throughout the Province. Improvements in the stock are likely to continue in the short-term and point to continued growth and a sustainable fishery into the future. For these reasons, Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, is pleased to announce that the 2022 total allowable catch for the Snow crab fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador will be 50,470 tonnes. This represents a 32 per cent increase from 2021. >click to read< 12:05
Snow crab quota jumps 30% for 2022 season – For fishermen like Aaron Ferriera, the quota increase is welcome news. “For a lot of fishermen, crab season is the only thing they fish all year-round, especially now with the price of everything skyrocketing. It’s a good thing for sure,” he said. And the cost of doing business is going up. >click to read< 17:13
Captain Michael John Morgan of Newport, Oregon has passed away
Michael John Morgan, 68, of Newport, Oregon passed away on March 26, 2022 after his fishing vessel, F/V White Swan III, capsized in the Pacific Ocean. Mike was born in Oakland, California in 1953 to US Coast Guard Lt. Col. Jack Morgan and Beth (both deceased). He would become the oldest of three siblings, followed by Douglas (deceased) and Patricia. At age 12, Mike’s family moved to Newport, when his father was stationed with the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard. Twelve year old Mike took to fishing immediately upon moving to Newport. Mike’s final resting place is at sea with his F/V White Swan III. >click to read< 11:14
Rising fuel costs could lead to job losses in fishing fleet
Shetland’s fishing fleet faces tie-ups and job losses as vessels are crippled by rising fuel costs, according to the local fisherman’s association. The organisation said that due to the conflict in Ukraine the cost of marine diesel in the isles has more than doubled compared to this time last year, making fishing trips “uneconomical and local businesses unviable”. Over one month on from the start of hostilities in Ukraine, governments elsewhere have been grappling with global supply chain concerns – with food and energy security on consumers’ minds as prices begin to rise. “It’s almost a forgotten fact that fishing crews help to feed the nation,” said SFA chair James Anderson, who is the skipper of Alison Kay, LK57. >click to read< 09:43
Family of woman who died after fishing boat sank near Florence speaks out
The U.S. Coast Guard said a woman has died and a man is missing after F/V White Swan III sank off the coast of Florence on March 26. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said the man, Mike Morgan, was the captain. The 68-year-old is still missing but the Coast Guard called off the search after 24 hours of searching. The Coast Guard was able to recover the body of Billie Jo Hooton, who was a crew member on the boat. “She did everything, she would drop anything to do anything for anybody else,” Brandi Christner, her sister said. Hooton was close with her nephew, Jeremiah Gower. Video, >click to read< 09:03
Whitby’s 103-year-old lifeboat Robert and Ellen Robson pulled through streets
Whitby’s RNLI crew and other volunteers gathered at Coates Marine to pull Whitby’s old rowing lifeboat, the Robert and Ellen Robson, back to its home at the lifeboat museum on Pier Road. The boat has been at Coates Marine undergoing restoration work but will now get a final lick of paint at the lifeboat museum – the RNLI hopes to reopen the museum this summer. Until 1957 RNLB Robert & Ellen Robson was still in service in Whitby with 10 members of crew providing the muscle power on the oars. Video, >click to read< 22:35
Ottawa announces closure of Atlantic mackerel, bait fisheries to restore stocks
Fishers on the East Coast are expressing their disappointment with Ottawa after DFO closed the Atlantic mackerel and commercial bait fisheries, citing concerns that dwindling stocks have entered a “critical zone.” The department said in a release Wednesday it was taking “urgent action” to help preserve the stock of southern Gulf spring herring and Atlantic mackerel with the closures in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Fisheries Minister Joyce 
Murray said she recognizes many harvesters depend on the fisheries, and she promised to work with them and others in the industry to preserve the stocks. Fishers in the sector, however, want the decision reversed. Martin Mallet, “It’s going to have a major impact — an atomic bomb impact — on our whole East Coast fishery, from Newfoundland to Quebec to southwest Nova Scotia,” >click to read< 18:52
Mi’kmaw negotiator advocates for reduction in commercial catches to bolster treaty fishery
A top Mi’kmaw negotiator insisted commercial catches should be reduced anyway to ensure the treaty right is realized, while the president of a commercial fishermen’s association responded that enough has been done and the failure rests with Ottawa and First Nation leaders. “You heard from the chiefs, the buy-back program hasn’t been successful. So maybe at this point, Canada and DFO have to be more aggressive in taking back access 
for the Mi’kmaw people and Indigenous people,” Janice Maloney told the committee. Colin Sproul, president of the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliances, challenged the demand. Sproul represents 1,900 commercial fishermen. “It’s clearly unfair and un-Canadian to repossess access to the fishery from coastal communities without any consultation or compensation,” Sproul said. >click to read< 17:31
SEA-NL calls for Derek Butler’s resignation from Association of Seafood Producers
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, representing owner-operators in the inshore fleet, is calling for the resignation of the executive director of the association representing buyers/processors after publicly criticizing the province’s snow crab resource. “Derek Butler said on NTV News Tuesday that our snow crab is second-rate compared to product from the Maritimes, worth 30% less,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s Executive Director. “For the spokesman for seafood companies in this province to say that publicly shows poor judgement and reflects poorly on what is the best snow crab in the world. He must no longer speak for industry.” >click to read< 13:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 85′ Shrimper/Scalloper, 3412 Cat, 2 JD Auxiliaries
To review specifications, information, and 45 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:55
Commercial Fisherman Captain Jason Ian Nevel of Ohio has passed away
Jason came into this life on November 19, 1977, in Hamilton, Ohio. As early as age 6 he was drawing pictures of fish and boats and said he wanted to be a fisherman when he grew up. He became a crewmember on a commercial fishing boat and over the years worked his way up and passed the test to obtain his Commercial Captain License, something he was very proud of. Like most commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, Captain Jason worked hard and played hard. In the past couple of years, he returned to Hamilton but would travel back to Florida to work on fishing boats. He was at home on the ocean, he said that is where he found peace and tranquility. >click to read< 11:09
‘CODA’ – A win for America’s oldest seaport
CODA’s big wins at the 94th Academy Awards Sunday night was not only a win for the deaf community, it was also a win for the nation’s oldest seaport in its portrayal of the fishing industry and its families. CODA did not turn to special effects to tell the story on the water. Instead, it turned Capt. Paul Vitale’s 50-foot fishing vessel F/V Angela Rose into a working movie set in August and September of 2019. Vitale said Monday morning his phone was “going nonstop and more” after CODA’s big wins. “I’m so psyched for them to win all three Oscars last night,” Vitale said. It was a surprise, but he credited the cast and crew for making it happen. “On the boat, they worked real hard.” photos, >click to read< 10:24
Fishers are key players
This week we celebrate the fisheries and the crucial role it plays in the Island economy. The value of the fisheries exceeds $590 million in this small province which boasts a population somewhere in the neighbourhood of 160,000 residents. The worth is evident in the fact harvesting and processing of fisheries and aquaculture products accounts for about 9,500 jobs. Among those involved in the industry are skilled lobster and crab fishers, mussel farmers, oyster harvesters and all who earn a living from the water. All Islanders benefit from a lucrative fishery. However, those engaged in it will be especially challenged this coming season with escalating fuel prices which influences the cost of bait, transport of product and other essentials. >click to read< 09:16
Copper River Seafoods not buying Cook Inlet salmon amid declining harvests
Another seafood processor is moving out of Kenai this salmon season. Copper River Seafoods is ending its run in the old Snug Harbor Seafood plant, leaving one major salmon processor in the area but promising the addition of a new company soon. Processors like Copper River buy catch from commercial fishermen and bring that catch to market. As commercial fishermen have dealt with declining salmon runs and management changes, processors from Kenai to Homer have left, too, leaving fishermen with fewer options. >click to read< 08:53
Largest Cod of the Year?
The crew of the trawler Bergey VE from Vestmannaeyjar islands had a reason to cheer this week, when they caught a huge cod, “It was a cod that weighed about 50 kg (110 lbs) and measured 1.8 meters (70 in),” states Captain Jón Valgeirsson. “It was old and respectable and managed to escape all nets and trawls year after year.” This could be the largest cod of the year. It was caught in the the Háfadýpi fishing ground. Last year’s largest cod weighed 51 kg. It was caught by the crew of the boat Sólrún EA near Kolbeinsey islet, north of Iceland. >click to read< 07:35
$1.8m for THA’s Capital of Paradise to be seaworthy again
After being out of compliance for some four years, the THA-owned Capital of Paradise commercial fishing vessel has been repaired and returned to the people of Tobago at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. The boat, operated by the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company (Tadco), was deemed unseaworthy during the term of the former THA administration. A team of officials, led by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, toured the vessel at the Scarborough Port on Tuesday. >click to read< 21:01
The Clean Water Act, passed into law 50 years ago, has fallen well short of its goals
Nearly half of the rivers and streams across the U.S. are considered too polluted to meet quality standards for swimming, recreation, aquatic life, fish consumption or as drinking water sources. The Environmental Integrity Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit formed by former Environmental Protection Agency attorneys, published a report that found alarming results of water quality tests in all 50 states. More than 700,000 miles of waterways, about 51 percent of assessed river and stream miles, are impaired by pollution. That’s in addition to another 55 percent of lake acres and 26 percent of estuary miles. >click to read< 16:49
Sac roe herring fishery opens as first spawn is seen in Sitka Sound
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery opened on Saturday, March 26. Seiners landed an estimated 450 tons of herring in 75 minutes of fishing, in beautiful weather along the eastern shoreline of Kruzof Island. The fishery moved into Hayward Strait on Sunday and was open for eight hours, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. As of press time, the total catch for the day has not been published. Matt Kinney is one of 47 permit holders in the fishery. “We have such a large GHL that we’ll never even come close to scratching the surface of actually processing what we’re allowed to catch,” Kinney said. >click to read< 13:57
Fishermen join forces to tackle North Sea cod quota ‘mismatch’
Skippers and other industry representatives from Shetland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and England met in Copenhagen to discuss a “quota mismatch” they are facing at sea, Shetland Fishermen’s Association said today. Vessels are encountering more cod than current official assessments, the industry group said, adding the recent talks in Copenhagen “painted a unanimous picture” of an abundant stock stretching across the whole North Sea and beyond. But quota for the species, a staple of fish suppers in many parts of the UK has been slashed by 70% in just three years. According to the SFA, this “poor science” leads to quota recommendations that bear no resemblance to the volume of fish in the sea. >click to read< 12:46
‘It used to be just simple:’ Maine lobstermen concerned for future of industry
From new regulations to high fuel prices, some Maine lobstermen say they just can’t catch a break. Many are concerned for the future of the industry that is so much a part of Maine. Steve Train grew up lobstering. “I’ve just always had a love for this as a way to make a living,” Train said. Lobstermen are facing many obstacles, from offshore wind farms to impending federal fishing regulations meant to protect endangered right whales and even high fuel prices. photos, video, >click to read< 10:09
Hundreds of Newfoundland fishermen protest prices, pressing minister for changes
Fishermen from across the Avalon Peninsula took their complaints and concerns about pricing for this year’s inshore fishery straight to Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg in St. John’s on Monday, with a concurrent protest happening in Corner Brook. For fish harvesters like Conway Caines, the $12 per pound in Cape Breton this season is proof enough harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador deserve more than last year’s $7.60 a pound. The Port Saunders man said he managed to get by in 2021 but said that price isn’t good enough given the higher cost of living this season. “I ain’t got no big quotas. I got enough to pay me instalments, feed me family and try to give me crew a decent share.” >click to read< 08:45
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update, March 28, 2022 – Seafood Consumers Beware
Seafood Consumers Beware The post below was made by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of North Carolina. After decades of promising NC anglers more fish and then supporting every recreational harvest reduction that’s been proposed, over the last 25 years, it appears the CCA has shifted its focus to North Carolina’s seafood consumers. I guess they’ve taken all they can from the anglers who like to harvest a mess of fish but feel seafood consumers still have more to give. While their message seems innocent enough, expressing a love of seafood and concern for the stock, don’t be fooled! >click to read< 19:50
It’s hard to go green if you’re facing the red
It is a fact brought back into focus by the war in Ukraine. For decades, governments have promoted and promised a move away from oil and gas, getting ever greener, at least in their messaging, in response to the justified eco-concerns of modern-day voters, writes Daniel Lawson, newly appointed executive officer at the Shetland Fishermen’s Association. Now energy costs are rising even higher, our reliance on imports is being called into question – and our governments, who only a few months ago hosted the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow – are having to reconsider just how green our society can really afford to be in this moment. This sharp rise in fuel costs affects us all, every household, every industry. Such remains the scale of our reliance – still – on fossil fuels. The practical reality is that we can’t yet manage without oil and gas. It’s an example that highlights a wider point: it’s hard to go green if you’re facing the red. >click to read< 19:01
Fisheries Minister Confronted by Protestors at FFAW Rally
Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg stepped into a lion’s den earlier today as he addressed a crowd gathered at an FFAW protest. The Union organized rallies in St. John’s and Corner Brook to highlight issues around the setting of fish prices. The crowd was loud during the initial speeches, but things took a turn when provincial Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg took to the microphone. Bragg faced heavy criticism from the vocal crowd on the steps of Confederation Building during his speech. photos, video, >click to read< 16:05
R.I. innovator develops ‘ropeless’ lobster fishing technology
Traditional lobster and crab traps operate through a simple mechanism, using ropes and buoys. Vincent “Bud” Harold, president of DBV Technology LLC in North Kingstown, believes he has the solution: one of his company’s signature products, the RISER. While traditional lobster and crab traps are rigged by rope to a buoy, the Ropeless RISER uses underwater acoustics to send signals from a fishing vessel to gear on the ocean floor. This signal triggers an underwater bag on the trap to inflate with air,,, >click to read< 14:41
F/V Alaska Ranger—the historic Bering Sea rescue that defied the odds
On Easter morning in 2008 at approximately 3:00 a.m., the fishing vessel F/V Alaska Ranger’s mayday call raced across radio waves of the Bering Sea bound for the radio room of any Coast Guard rescue center within reach. Forty-seven fishermen aboard the Alaska Ranger were donning survival suits for what would become one of the largest and most dramatic rescue cases in modern Coast Guard history. At the time, the 378-foot high-endurance Coast Guard Cutter Munro was on patrol near the Bering Sea fishing fleet. For days before its mayday call, the fishing vessel had been forcing its way through destructive pack ice. Very early on March 23, without any warning, frigid water began rushing into the ship’s rudder room, flooding adjoining spaces and disabling the ship. The Alaska Ranger lost steering and power and was at the mercy of the unforgiving Bering Sea. photos, >click to read< 13:41
Yorkshire crab and lobster deaths: Government closes investigation for second time
The North Sea around the Tees Estuary has been affected by the issue as far south as Staithes and Whitby since last autumn, when large numbers of dead crustaceans washed up on beaches. An investigation was launched and after causes such as pollution, disease and undersea cable disturbance were ruled out, it was eventually announced that toxic algae was responsible. Yet fishermen are still reporting poor catches,,, >click to read< 11:29
Licence fee reduction among government’s lobster support
The state government is set to provide relief to the state’s commercial rock lobster industry including a 50 per cent reduction in licence fees and an independent review into cost recovery. The industry has continued to feel the effects of ongoing trade sanctions imposed by China, which had been its biggest market, on top of a decline in domestic markets due to COVID-19. This includes a 50 per cent reduction in commercial rock lobster licence fees for the next year, which the government says will save the industry nearly $2.6 million in 2022-23 according to current Rock Lobster Cost Recovery Statements for 2021-22. >click to read< 09:45
