Monthly Archives: March 2022
Can True Fin Buoy Maine’s Floundering Groundfish Fleet?
It’s true, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Maine fishermen, though, haven’t had much choice but to leave them there. Over the past several decades, the state’s groundfishing fleet dwindled because of low market prices, suppressed by international competition, that didn’t keep up with the cost of gear, diesel, and labor. By 2020, groundfish, including New England staples cod, haddock, halibut, and flounder, accounted for just 1 percent of Maine’s commercial catch. Most of what’s landed nowadays is shellfish. For finfish, many restaurants have to source from elsewhere what’s abundant just offshore. >click to read< 08:47
FFAW Demonstrations Tomorrow (Monday)
FFAW-Unifor is holding demonstrations for all members and community supporters on Monday, March 28 at 11 am at the Confederation Building in St. John’s & Civic Centre in Corner Brook to call attention to unfairness in the setting of fish prices. For years we have asked the provincial government to move forward with policies that would hold processing companies more accountable and to increase competition in fish processing. In particular, we have demanded: >click to read< 20:30
Researchers return from open-ocean Pacific salmon study
After spending more than a month at sea studying Pacific salmon, scientists and crew aboard the Sir John Franklin Coast Guard vessel returned to Victoria last week. The ship was one of four participating in the 2022 International Year of the Salmon Pan-Pacific Winter High Seas Expedition, which was the largest-ever research expedition to study salmon and their ecosystems in the North Pacific Ocean. The Sir John Franklin was joined in the expedition by a research vessel from the United States, a research vessel from Russia and a commercial fishing vessel from Canada. “All of the different countries have been tracking their salmon in fresh water and coastally, and very few other than the Russians have really gone far out into the open ocean.” >click to read< 19:40
Coast Guard suspends search for the Master of a 32-foot sunken fishing vessel off Florence
The Coast Guard suspended search efforts at 12:30 a.m. Sunday for the master of a 32-foot fishing vessel that sank approximately 35 miles offshore Florence late Friday night. The missing man has been identified as Mike Morgan, 68. Rescue crews saturated approximately 232 square-miles of search area over a 24-hour period but were unable to locate Morgan. The Coast Guard recovered an unresponsive female victim early Saturday morning, later discovered to be a crew member aboard the White Swan III. The female victim was pronounced deceased by local emergency crews. >click to read< 14:19
California: Closure of commercial fishery causes seafood price increase
Two humpback whales became entangled in Dungeness crab gear near the Monterey Peninsula within the last two weeks, leading to the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery,,, “It’s pretty devastating because the best crabbing here is generally in the springtime,” said Morro Bay commercial fisherman, Bill Blue. This suspension isn’t helping, especially during their most profitable season. “It’s a pretty unjust thing. It’s all political. It has nothing to do with saving the whales. The shipping industry kills a lot of whales. Video, >click to read< 10:26
Thousands of Mainers told to repay pandemic-related jobless benefits
Joseph Parker collected jobless benefits in 2020 as society grappled with an unprecedented public health emergency and economic disaster. Parker, a then-sidelined contract worker on a lobster boat, gratefully received benefits through an emergency federal program for workers who didn’t qualify for state unemployment insurance. The checks continued for about six months before Parker was able to return to work, and he said he hasn’t filed a claim since. Then he was caught up in the state’s attempt to recoup $46 million from 11,000 Mainers it says were overpaid federal unemployment benefits distributed during the pandemic. >click to read< 08:42
Updated: Coast Guard searches for the Master of a 32-foot sunken fishing vessel off Florence
North Bend, Ore. The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for the master of a 32-foot fishing vessel that sank Saturday morning approximately 35 miles offshore Florence. Missing is Mike Morgan, 68. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a mayday call at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday from Morgan, the master of the white-and-black fishing vessel F/V White Swan III, reporting that his vessel was sinking in the north end of the Heceta Banks fishing area. Morgan reported that a female crew member was also aboard the vessel. The 13th Coast Guard District Command Center received an emergency position indicating radio beacon alert from F/V White Swan III. >click to read< 18:19
Crew member found ‘unresponsive’- search for ship’s captain ongoing – Searchers have recovered an unresponsive crew member from the Pacific Ocean and continue to scan the waves for a missing man after a fishing boat sank Saturday off the Oregon coast, officials said. They also have not publicly identified the person found unresponsive. >click to read< 19:40
Lowcountry Shrimpers expect cost of fuel to impact profits, cause issues
With just weeks until shrimp season gets underway, some Shem Creek Shrimpers say they’ve never seen gas prices as high as they are right now. They say the extra cost could push some boats out of the industry or force others to quit shrimping altogether. Shrimpers say with gas prices at nearly $4.50 for boat fuel and boats using hundreds of gallons of gas each day, some boats are sitting idle. Tarvin’s Seafood owner Cindy Tarvin says the higher operating costs will likely lead to higher shrimp and seafood costs through the season in order for shrimpers to offset the expense. video, >click to read< 13:50
Coast Guard responding to rescue 2 aboard sinking fishing vessel
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews are working to rescue two people aboard a fishing vessel sinking off the Oregon Coast Saturday morning, the service’s Pacific Northwest branch account said in a Tweet. According to the Coast Guard, the boat named White Swan III is taking on water about 35 miles from Florence and two people may be in danger. This story will be updated. >click to read< 13:11
A Complicated Battle in the Gulf of Maine
It was two hours before dawn in the village of Friendship, but for a Maine lobster crew, it was already getting late. Captain Dustin Delano, his sternman, Chris, and his bait guy, Tim, moved in coordinated loops around the deck of the F/V Knotty Lady, stacking traps, thawing redfish heads and coiling lines to the gentle bass notes of engines rumbling below decks. In its own way, it had the feel of a chamber orchestra tuning up. Last cigarettes were lit, smoked and flicked away. And with that, we were off to the grounds. Soon, though, if things go according to a ruling by a federal court in Portland, that schedule would be thrown into chaos. In accordance with a recent modification to a federal whale plan, a 950-square-mile area of prime lobster fishing grounds was set to close in an effort to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Enter Green Energy – Where and how Maine would site farms to exploit this potential is an open question. >click to read< 11:09
Newfoundland skipper convicted of trying to throw woman overboard didn’t suffer a miscarriage of justice
The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with the Crown in the case of Trent White and agreed with the lone Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal judge who had disagreed with the decision to allow White a new trial, rejecting his argument that his previous defence lawyer had been inadequate. White was convicted in 2018 of aggravated assault, assault and damage to property related to incidents that had occurred on a commercial fishing boat during the 2017 turbot fishery. The 65-foot vessel had left Rocky Harbour for the Labrador Sea near Red Bay and was travelling in the Strait of Belle Isle when White reportedly tried to throw a crew member, his girlfriend, overboard. >click to read< 09:52
Russian participation in international salmon survey cut short in Gulf of Alaska
An international expedition to study salmon in the Gulf of Alaska lost its Russian vessel part-way through the venture as a result of sanctions in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. The chartered Russian vessel R/V Tinro had to turn back after it was not allowed to fuel up in Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The ship was among four vessels carrying about 60 scientists that headed out in February for a month to the North Pacific Ocean on the largest-ever pan-Pacific research expedition to study salmon. >click to read< 08:30
N.S. fisherman trapped by Russian shelling as he tries to drive Ukrainians to safety
A Canadian attempting to drive Ukrainians displaced by the war to safety says Russian shelling has trapped him in the city of Chernihiv for three days as food and water supplies dwindle. Speaking Friday from a bomb shelter in the badly damaged city in northern Ukraine, Lex Brukovskiy said he feels the shelling is an immoral tactic targeting innocent people trying to escape the conflict. “It’s dirty. It’s unfair because what the Russian army is doing is just taking civilians hostage,” said Brukovskiy, a lobster fisherman from Nova Scotia who travelled to his native Ukraine to offer help two weeks ago. “They’re not fighting army with army. They’re setting their army against regular people.” >click to read< 17:41
CDFW Announces Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Closure Off Central California to Protect Humpbacks
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border) effective at noon on April 8, 2022. This closure is being implemented because of two recent humpback whale entanglements that occurred off San Mateo County and in Monterey Bay involving California commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear. All commercial Dungeness crab traps must be removed from the fishing grounds by the April 8 closure date. >click to read< 16:55
Fish Board mostly leaves Sitka herring alone following truce between users
After days of deliberation and a contentious set of proposals targeting the Southeast Alaska herring fisheries, the Alaska Board of Fisheries ultimately declined to make any major changes. To make attending the multi-week meeting easier for stakeholders, the board split the proposals into topics scheduled in three sessions, with herring first. There were 14 proposals dealing with herring from a variety of stakeholders, but the most contentious was were from the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Southeast Herring Conservation Alliance. The tribe’s proposals asked for a variety of changes to Sitka Sound herring management. The tribe’s main focus was to try to preserve more of the herring stock for subsistence use, but the commercial stakeholders say it would have come at the cost of the industry. >click to read< 15:15
$30 million relief fund for lobstermen gets initial nod in Maine House
Starting on May 1, lobstermen in Maine will have to begin using weaker rope or special links on traplines that are designed to allow a whale to break free from fishing gear. The new federal regulations are aimed at preventing endangered North Atlantic right whales from potentially deadly entanglements. Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, a fisherman from Winter Harbor in Hancock County, said the proposed $30 million fund from the state will help mitigate the costs for an iconic industry that generates more than $1 billion for the state. “We are going to be hurting for the money to comply with those rope regulations,” >click to read< 13:37
Shrimpers in Darien prepare for the season ahead
While spring just started, shrimpers in south Georgia are already thinking of summer and are preparing their boats for the season ahead. Joseph Keller has been shrimping for 25 years. He’s been spending some extra time on his boat, named F/V Shirley and Tammy, to be ready to start fishing by mid-April. While the official season kicks off in June, many shrimpers try to get out on the water before then which Keller says requires them to be more than three miles offshore. Video, >click to read< 12:14
Texas Tornado Takes Down Wind Turbines
The wind was too strong. Meteorologist Payton Malone shared a photo on social media that shows the impact a Texas tornado had on several wind turbines this week. As you can see here, the turbines were no match for winds that were estimated to be well over 130 mph. For the last couple of years, a hot debate on social media has been the use of wind turbines when it comes to producing energy. Many have already questioned what would happen to them if they were placed in the Gulf while a hurricane sweeps across it. Sorry, I don’t have the answer here. Video, >click to read< 11:22
Beloved NJ Fisherman Dies Suddenly From ‘Massive’ Brain Bleed
Beloved New Jersey native and local fisherman Eric Charles Kelly died from a “massive” brain bleed on Friday, March 11. He was 24. Kelly was passionate about his work as a commercial fisherman. He started as a clammer on the Melissa K. and then worked his way up to scalloping for Cold Spring Fish and Supply Co. (Lobster House), according to his obituary. Kelly also enjoyed antiques and motorsports, especially his cherished 1988 Blazer. >click to read<, Read Eric’s obituary >here< 10:12
Message in a bottle tossed from Gloucester fishing boat in 1995 found in France
A message in a bottle that was thrown into the Atlantic ocean in 1995 was discovered after it came ashore in Brittany, France. The bottle came from Jonathan ‘Ivan’ Saunders who was working as the engineer on a fishing boat from Gloucester, Mass., named the Hannah Boden. Saunders described the boat he was on, listed its crew, including Captain Linda Greenlaw, listed his coordinates and asked whoever found it to respond back to him with the date and location where the bottle was recovered. Video, >click to read< 08:40
Lobstermen’s group stresses connection to Maine tourism as new whale regulations approach
The head of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association spoke at the Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo in Portland Wednesday about threats she said could erase Maine’s lobster industry and hurt the hospitality industry along with it. Association Executive Director Patrice McCarron said the lobster industry is a driver of local economies, with 4,800 vessel owners running independent small businesses, and collectively providing 10,000 jobs on the boats alone, many of those jobs irreplaceable in remote coastal areas. And the industry is booming,,, “With all that’s going so well for us, how could we possibly be looking at our fishing heritage being erased?” McCarron asked the audience. “The reason for that is the North Atlantic right whale.” >click to read< 07:50
Wreck of a 190-year-old Massachusetts whaling ship Industry discovered in Gulf of Mexico
Roughly 15 years before Herman Melville introduced the world to Moby Dick, a whaling ship from Massachusetts sank near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Not much is left of the two-masted wooden brig thought to be Industry, a 65-foot-long (20-meter-long) whaler that foundered after a storm in 1836. An old news clipping found in a library shows its 15 or so crew members were rescued by another whaling ship and returned home to Westport, Massachusetts, said researcher Jim Delgado of SEARCH Inc. photos, >click to read< 21:40
10 fisheries in N.J. may have wrongly received millions in pandemic money
In its first report detailing the waste, fraud and abuse of the distribution of federal COVID funds, a state watchdog agency said nearly $2.4 million in CARES Act funding may have been improperly paid out to fisheries in New Jersey. The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), which is tasked with tracking the distribution of federal COVID funding, said 10 marine fisheries in New Jersey received more money than they lost because of the pandemic in 2020. The state report did not name the fisheries that received the funds. >click to read< 19:08
Alabama Man Cited For Commercial Fishing Violations in Plaquemines Parish
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents cited an Alabama man for alleged commercial fishing violations in Plaquemines Parish on March 17. Agents cited James R. Owens, 53, of Sumerdale, Alabama, for fishing without a commercial gear license and using shrimp trawls exceeding the size requirements in offshore Louisiana territorial waters. Agents were on a Joint Enforcement Agreement patrol in the Gulf of Mexico inspecting shrimp vessels for Turtle Excluder Device (TED) regulations. They boarded a vessel captained by Owens and found he did not possess commercial gear licenses for each of the four trawls he was actively using. >click to read< 16:00
North Atlantic Right Whales are the Next Victims of Offshore Wind Power Push
The endangered Atlantic Right Whale appears to be the wind industry’s next victim; it already has plenty of offshore industrial activity to contend with. But oil and gas extraction, international shipping, and commercial fishing have obvious embodied economic benefits. Whereas, the only economic benefit derived from wind power is the subsidies it attracts. No subsidies. No wind power. It’s that simple. If America’s crony capitalists get their way, it looks like curtains for the Atlantic Right Whale. Let’s cut to the reality of the proposed 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project, which aims to do just this: put dozens of offshore wind platforms smack in the middle of where endangered North Atlantic right whales congregate. >click to read< 13:15
Regulators say newer new Right whale rules are coming for Maine’s lobster fleet/fixed gear fisheries
Federal regulators said they will soon start a process to create new whale-protection rules for Maine’s lobster fleet that will go beyond the controversial regulations going into effect on May 1. Michael Pentony, the regional administrator for NOAA, spoke to an online meeting of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum today. He said that the initial rules were designed to reduce the risk to whales by 60%, but recent evidence shows that the agency must act more quickly than planned to reduce that risk even more. “But as we got new information late last fall… for the right whale population, we now know that we need a 90% risk reduction,” >click to read< 11:50
Deadliest Catch: Season 18 – The fight to stay in business
“Over the past 17 seasons, audiences have watched the legendary Deadliest Catch captains navigate treacherous seas, intense rivalries and even saw them fight to stay in business last year when the entire fishery almost shut down, but nothing could have prepared these captains for the loss of fishing the lucrative red king crab. For the first time in 25 years, the Alaskan government shut down red king crab catching for the season. Facing financial ruin, each captain is forced to start over and search the Bering Sea for a new way to make a living. Are these captains up for the challenge? Or will they pack up and head home empty handed? Trailer, >click to read< 10:51
Call for tearing out lower Snake River dams gaining support in D.C. and WA state
For more than two decades Eastern Washington residents have heard proposals to tear out the lower Snake River dams, but only recently has the idea gotten bipartisan support in the nation’s capital, said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash.,,, In the Puget Sound, he said he sees signs scattered along roadways with an X through the words “Snake River Dams.” That support from people who don’t understand what the dams mean to Eastern Washington is coupled with growing Congressional support and interest from the Biden administration, he said. Because the dams are federal infrastructure, their future is a federal issue. >click to read< 09:40
A Last Stand for Texas Oyster Fishermen
People often ask if Frances and Johny Jurisich had an arranged marriage, the couple jokes. Both come from oyster fishing families that immigrated from the same small village in Croatia to Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, then west to Texas. In fact, Frances’ father, Misho Ivic, is Johny’s godfather, and the shucking house that Frances’ mother, Franka Ivic, founded in the unincorporated Galveston County area of San Leon is just 12 miles from the Jurisich dock in Texas City. The couple started dating in high school. They married in 2004 and today have three children. On the Jurisich side, Johny is part of the fourth generation to go into oyster fishing. He hopes his 5-year-old son will carry the tradition into a fifth generation. Their 15-year-old daughter has a good head for business, Frances said, and may also go into oysters, but only if the business stays profitable. It may well not. >click to read< 08:32
Golden asks for more lobstermen on panel
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) called on the National Marine Fisheries Services March 16 to expand representation of lobstermen on its Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team by including members of Maine Lobstering Union Local 207. The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team is charged with making recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for addressing rising North Atlantic right whale mortalities. Only four of the members of the 60-person team are Maine lobstermen. >click to read< 17:46
