Daily Archives: March 1, 2022
Coast Guard, partner agencies continue salvage operations for grounded boat on Kehoe Beach
The Coast Guard and partner agencies are continuing salvage operations Tuesday that began Saturday for the grounded 42-foot commercial fishing boat F/V Seastar on Kehoe Beach. Contractors removed all fuel and hazardous materials from the F/V Seastar Saturday afternoon before commencing salvage operations. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received reports of the unmanned boat F/V Seastar adrift just North of Point Reyes around 9:20 a.m. Friday. The boat crew arrived on scene around 10:15 a.m., boarded the F/V Seastar, which was on the rocks, and did not attempt to tow the boat due to pollution and boat damage concerns. The boat crew confirmed the Seastar was unmanned, reported the captain missing and immediately began searching,,, photos, >click to read< 20:14
Local crane service salvages damaged boat, Rough Rider III
Art Henry Crane Service from Thomaston was on the scene of where Rough Rider III had smashed against the rocks on Spruce Head Island to handle the salvage of the damaged fishing boat on Feb. 28. The boat had crashed into the rocks just days before on Feb. 23. There had been wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour overnight when the incident had happened. Photos, >click to read<19:11
Lawmakers endorse legal fund for Maine lobstermen
A legislative committee reversed course Tuesday, voting to support a roughly $900,000 fund to pay for the lobster industry’s legal fight against federal rules that aim to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Two advocacy groups, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the Maine Lobstering Union, would split the funding. The Marine Resources committee’s majority voted against the measure last week. >click to read< 16:30
Fishing organization tells members to avoid Russian waters
Fiskebåt, the organization, on Monday told its members that caused by the tense situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it would be recommended to avoid fishing in the Russian economic zone until further notice. “Our thoughts go first and foremost to those who live in Ukraine, but at the same time we must continuously consider what consequences this situation will have for the activity of our members,” says Audun Maråk, CEO in Fiskebåt. Right now, there are no Norwegian fishing vessels in the Russian zone, as most of the Barents Sea over the past few weeks has been closed due to massive military maneuvers and shootings by the powerful Northern Fleet. Led by President Putin, the nuclear deterrence forces were exercising earlier in February. >click to read< 12:40
Crabs vs. Whales – Fracas over pop-up crab traps dangles Dungeness season in the balance
On multiple occasions sources for this story referenced being intimidated, scared and even worried about “getting shot” for their role in seeking a solution to California’s crab gear challenges. And it isn’t limited to one side. People take their livelihoods and their whales seriously. But amid the fear there is hope. Geoff Shester leads the parade on that front. He works with conservationist outfit Oceana as its senior scientist, and he’s very enthusiastic about how innovative new crab trap designs,, Longtime fisherman Dick Ogg,,“We’ve minimized interaction,” he says. “We’re on the right track, we’re doing the right things and those things are working really well. We’ve already solved the issue. How is this fair?” >click to read< 10:33
Demand is going to be strong! Remarkable snow crab season ahead for Gulf of St. Lawrence crabbers
The snow crab industry in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence can expect an excellent 2022 fishing season, both in terms of catches and prices. The preliminary report of the most recent scientific assessment of the stock, carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, shows a growth of 4% in the commercial biomass made up of males of 95 mm and over, compared to last year. It is now valued at close to 81,000 metric tons (MT). “We consider that we have a good breeding stock and that the stock is healthy,” >click to read< 09:14
Canadian lobster exports have biggest year ever, topping $3.2B last year
The value of Canadian lobster exports topped $3.2 billion last year, the highest ever and more than $700 million higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to new trade data. Soaring sales of Canadian frozen and processed lobster in the United States during 2021 accounted for most of the increase. “We had a very strong bounce back from the pandemic as people ate premium protein that they bought in grocery stores. They wanted healthy food, they wanted safe food and they wanted a treat. So they buy lobster,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, an industry trade group. >click to read< 07:57
