Monthly Archives: April 2022
The Federal Competition Act
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to include fish pricing in the Federal Competition Act with planned amendments to the legislation. “The only industry in Canada excluded from the Federal Competition Act is the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery, and the inshore fleet pays the price in terms of less money for their fish,” says Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. In the federal budget released earlier this month, the Trudeau government revealed plans to make amendments to toughen Canadian competition laws. >click to read< 15:42
DFO: ‘no plan’ to cut commercial lobster catches to implement treaty fishery
The issue has swirled through Maritime coastal fishing communities since the federal government relaunched a voluntary commercial licence buy-back program last year to make room for more Mi’kmaw access, so far without success. The departmental statement followed a response from Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray to Conservative fisheries critic Rick Perkins during Question Period Monday. “DFO sources tell me the minister was about to expropriate 15 per cent of lobster traps from licence holders, without compensation, to give to First Nations,” Perkins said Monday. “This would be devastating for these fishermen. >click to read<13:43
Fishermen urge Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to revisit regulations
Several local commercial fishermen have asked the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to reconsider Columbia River fishing regulations. During the public forum section of the commission’s meeting in Astoria on Friday, commercial fishermen and those connected with the industry asked the commission to revisit gillnetting regulations and salmon buyback options. Jim Coleman, a fisherman from St. Helens, asked commissioners to add gillnetting to a future agenda or to work with Washington state to ensure the option of a 6-inch gillnet in the fall. “The gillnet-caught Copper River King salmon is flown from Alaska to Seattle on a chartered jet with great fanfare, demanding $70 to $80 a pound, while commercial fishing on the Columbia River is a political football,” >click to read< 12:18
Killybegs Fishermen’s Organization calls for Immediate Action on Russian Trawlers
A fleet of Russian midwater freezer trawlers are currently operating in a zone shared between the UK and the Faroe islands – having been issued licences by the Faroes. CFO boss Sean O’Donoghue has slammed the move. He said “What is most galling about this is that the Faroese are not just facilitating the access of the Russian boats, but they are also using their excessive blue whiting quota as a trade-off to ‘print currency’ or purchase cod quota from Russia. “It appears that the Faroese are swapping the fish in an area they share with the UK for cod quota in Russian waters,” said Mr O’Donoghue. >click to read< 10:17
High fuel prices have Texas shrimping industry at virtual standstill
The price of diesel is so high right now that many Texas shrimpers are struggling, not making money, fearing that they’ll lose their crews if they’re docked much longer. “The majority of the vessels in the gulf, I would imagine they’re either tied up at the dock right now or they’re headed back to the dock, because they’ve run out of the cheap fuel,” said Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association. “And it [fuel prices] jumps around every day. If you do the math on that, that comes out anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000 just to fill up one of these boats for maybe a 60-day trip. We will not be able to make money on that.” Video, >click to read< 09:13
Nova Scotia: Wharf price for lobster has plunged in April
Lobster prices paid to fishermen have plunged between 37 and 42 per cent in Nova Scotia this month. The decline, from $17.50 a pound on April 3 to $10 and $11 on Monday, comes as the lobster fishery is set to open in more locations in Nova Scotia and the Maritimes. What made the drop in the shore price more unusual in 2022 were the historic highs that preceded them. >click to read< 07:56
Hurricane Hazel: The 84-year-old World Champion crab picker from Crisfield, Maryland
If you live in the Crisfield area, you’ve heard the name Hazel Cropper, better known as Hurricane Hazel. She’s a world champion crab picker, and a famous figure in the town, or as she says, everywhere. “All over, I’m worldwide,” Hazel said. Her story starts in 1938 when she was born in the coastal town. “My parents raised me very well, and my grandmother, who taught me at the age of nine, to pick crabs, because I always followed her,” she said. She caught on quick and now, 75 years later, she’s a worldwide champion crab picker. “I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records, I’m a 16-time world champion,” Video, >click to read< 18:40
More than a dozen shrimp, fishing boats blessed during Mt. Pleasant’s ‘Blessing of the Fleet’
The 35th Annual Blessing of the Fleet took place Sunday afternoon at Mt. Pleasant’s Memorial Waterfront Park. Fifteen shrimp and fishing boats took part in the blessing and parade. The event is a way to show community support for those taking to the waters this season- along with those no longer with us. Wayne Magwood’s memory continues to be honored- through his former vessel making an appearance from its new home in North Carolina, 
to one the current local boats being renamed in his honor. Magwood’s daughter Melissa said, “this festival has been a part of my life like the entire time, the 35 years, of celebrating the blessing of the fleet.” It’s a time for Melissa and her family who is deeply rooted in the shrimp catching industry to honor the local “legend” who passed away in 2020. Photos, videos, >click to read< 14:49
Backlash after Cornish fishers call for seal cull
Seals are the “rats of the sea” and should be culled, a group of Cornish fishers have said. Marine campaign groups hit back after fishers on an online marketplace and forum expressed anger about the amount of fish seals eat. Posting a statistic that “for every fish caught by our fisheries, seals eat 53 times more”, the Cornish Mackerel Fishermen group wrote, adding: “We need a cull!” The fishers did not supply a source for this number. Some studies have suggested seals eat as many fish as commercial fisheries catch in some areas. >click to read< 12:07
DFO says seals not having a significant impact on lobster bait stock
With mackerel and herring fisheries, key sources of bait for lobster fishermen, shut down this spring, some lobster fishermen are casting the blame on growing seal populations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. P.E.I. lobster fisherman Charlie McGeoghegan suggested targeting the fishery is the wrong approach. “The seals have caused this problem and DFO has ignored it for over 25 years, because we’ve been telling them the whole time that their population is exploding and we know what they eat, based on science. They open them up and we know that they eat herring and mackerel and lots of it.” >click to read< 10:23
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 25, 2022
Is North Carolina allowing fishermen to circumvent the Endangered Species Act? On April 6, 2022, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of North Carolina sent out an email with so much disinformation I can’t even begin to address it all in one article. The email contained many of the same half-truths and outright lies we’ve been exposing over the last few months but one, above all, really rubbed me the wrong way. The CCA claimed that the “use of gill nets continues in North Carolina waters because the state holds two permits on behalf of commercial fishermen that allow them to circumvent the Endangered Species Act protections and kill or harm endangered sea turtles and sturgeon.” Circumvent. Really? >click to read the WeeklyUpdate<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 08:58
Lockdown Lobsters: How Brexit has impacted lobster fishing on the Llŷn Peninsula
Sion Williams is a third generation lobster fisherman on the Llŷn Peninsula. But in March 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, he had to restructure his business in order to adapt. “Between Brexit and Covid there was uncertainty with buyers,” When coronavirus hit, everything changed suddenly for Sion, as it did for so many other people: “All I got was a text from the traders saying ‘we don’t want anything for five weeks and maybe five months’. And that was it.” Everything was closed and they couldn’t sell. >click to read< 07:55
Southern Ocean Longliner Follows Successful Formula
A new Saint Helena-registered longliner is heading south to take part in the fishery for Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean. Built for Spanish owners, F/V Polar Bay is the latest in a long series of longliners designed by Marin Teknikk and built at Tersan, and this has been shown to be a successful formula. Accommodation on board is completed to a high standard for a crew of up to 30, and F/V Polar Bay is designed to spend extended periods at sea when required as the fishery covers a variety of fishing grounds in the Southern Ocean. photos, video, >click to read< 17:48
Offshore wind farms being rushed through with ‘catastrophic impact’ on sea birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said Government figures showed that 4,000 kittiwakes, which are classed as a vulnerable species, are predicted to be killed or displaced each year by poorly planned wind turbine developments. It comes after the Crown Estate, which owns the rights to develop the UK’s sea beds, announced it had sold concessions to build six vast offshore wind farms, enough to power seven million homes. It conceded that a new one off Norfolk would have a damaging effect on sea birds. But it stressed that ‘environmental compensatory measures can be secured to fully offset the potential harm’. >click to read< 13:58
Skipjack Museum Restores Famed Captain’s City of Crisfield
The skipjack City of Crisfield is being given new life as the Skipjack Heritage Museum on Deal Island is currently involved in a complete restoration of the vessel at Scott’s Cove Marina in Chance, Md. “We also plan to work her in (Maryland’s) oyster dredge fishery and to carry passengers for charter to help offset the cost of maintenance and upkeep,” said Bob Shores. The City of Crisfield was built in 1949 by C. H. Rice and his son Ed at Reedville, Va. She was owned for many years by the legendary captain, Art Daniels Jr. who purchased the vessel in 1951 and owned it until his death in 2017. After his death, his son Bob Daniels gifted the vessel to Skipjack Heritage, Inc. >click to read< 11:02
Amid tensions over Ukraine, Russia and Japan seal deal on fishing quotas
Japan and Russia have reached an agreement over Tokyo’s annual catch quota for Russian-born salmon and trout, the Japanese Fisheries Agency said Saturday, despite delays and chilled relations between the two sides amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The agreement on Japan’s quota for the popular fish in waters near disputed islands north of Hokkaido is a relief for Japanese fishermen who were worried about the prospects amid worsening ties between the two governments. >click to read< 08:42
Yvonne Blenkinsop, Hull Headscarf Revolutionary, dies aged 83
Yvonne Blenkinsop, the last remaining member of Hull’s famed Headscarf Revolutionaries, has died at the age of 83. Yvonne was a true hero of the city who, along with Lillian Bilocca, Mary Denness and Christine Smallbone, campaigned for safety improvements on trawlers sailing from Hull following the Triple Trawler Tragedy of 1968. She died on Sunday. In 1968, the St Romanus, Kingston Peridot and Ross Cleveland trawlers all sank within a few weeks of each other, with the loss of 58 crew members in total. Not only did this cause grief among Hull’s fishing community, but a sense of anger and injustice. >click to read< 07:09
Ukraine Selling ‘Russian Warship, Go F*** Yourself’ Stamp
Ukraine’s national postal service Ukrposhta said it had been hit by a cyberattack on Friday after sales of a postage stamp depicting a Ukrainian soldier making a crude gesture to a Russian warship went online. Queues formed to buy the stamp when it went on sale at the postal headquarters in Kyiv last week following the sinking of the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Kyiv said it had hit the cruiser Moskva with missiles. Russia said the ship sank while being towed in stormy seas after a fire caused by an explosion of ammunition. >click to read< 13:18
Newport Fishermen’s Wives Preparing for the annual Blessing of the Fleet
It’s that time of year; Newport Fishermen’s Wives have started our planning for our 2022 Blessing of the Fleet. Everyone is welcome to join us. The recent tragedy of losing two lives on the White Swan III show us the importance of community support for our fleet and the loved ones that have lost someone to the sea or worry about losing a loved one to the sea. The Blessing of the Fleet is a community ceremony honoring local fishermen and their families. The blessing is open to any and all who wish to ask blessings on their fishing vessel, charter vessel, pleasure craft or research vessel. >click to read< 11:31
Captain hurt in Commercial Fishing Boat crash
A commercial fishing vessel captain is hospitalized after a Friday morning boating accident in Gills Rock. Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department Chief Chris Hecht says the “Heather J” crashed into rocks on the shoreline around 10 am. Door County Emergency Services assisted firefighters in extracting the captain from the vessel, who was then taken to a Green Bay hospital. To be updated. >click to read< 10:19
P.E.I. – Working toward hybrid and electric fishing boats
Ian MacPherson, senior adviser for the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association, said the pilot project will not only help the environment, and get P.E.I. closer to its goal of net-zero carbon emmissions, but also cut ever-increasing fuel costs for fishermen. Aspin Kemp & Associates, an engineering company based in P.E.I., showcased its new diesel-electric hybrid model for the first time at a boat show in Moncton, N.B., April 8-10. The hybrid-fishing boats operate on electricity when on the water fishing and convert back to diesel when sailing back into port. >click to read< 09:25
Pogie bill would put the first-ever limits on Louisiana’s biggest catch
A bill that would put the first substantial limits on Louisiana’s largest but least-known commercial fishery could improve the health of the Gulf of Mexico but cripple the economies of some coastal communities. The bill would also require menhaden fishing vessels to file daily reports on catch amounts and locations, creating a level of accountability that the bill’s proponents say has been sorely lacking. Still, industry officials say the bill could force the closure of the state’s two menhaden processing plants, putting hundreds of people out of work in areas with few other job prospects. >click to read< 08:10
Going nuclear: Alaska is a big target for small reactors
Representatives from Westinghouse’s nuclear division have been traveling to Alaska in recent months and talking with key decision-makers in the state about their eVinci micro-reactor, which they insist utilizes a design that makes it a totally safe, economically viable alternative to the diesel-powered generators relied upon across the vast majority of Alaska. Developed to fit in four transportable modules easily moved by truck, railcar or barge, the five-megawatt micro-reactor system requires about an acre, in line with the footprint of a diesel powerhouse and fuel tanks it is meant to replace, according to company representatives. In addition to the five-megawatt electrical generation capacity, the eVinci can also provide sufficient heat to support a small district heating loop as well, Westinghouse Senior Advance Reactor Commercialization Director Mike Valore said in an interview. >click to read< 13:01
DMF resuming onboard observer program for estuarine gill net fishing May 1
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced Thursday, April 20 it will resume onboard observations of estuarine gill net fisheries beginning May 1. Onboard observations will be the primary method of observing the fisheries, with limited use of alternative platform observations primarily conducted by Marine Patrol officers. “The decision to resume onboard observations as the primary observation method is based on improved COVID-19 indicators,” Fishermen are reminded that an estuarine gill net permit is required to use anchored gill nets, both large-mesh and small-mesh, in estuarine waters for either commercial or recreational fishing. One of the conditions of the EGNP is to allow division staff to observe gill net operations. >click to read< 11:35
Mackerel fishery closed, but inshore fleet still wants their licenses
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) is calling on Fisheries and Oceans to continue issuing mackerel licenses to existing license holders in the inshore fleet even though the fishery is closed. “Owner-operators want to know their mackerel licenses are safe and will be there for them when the fishery reopens,” says Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. “Many of them do not trust DFO, there’s no other way to put it.” “A mackerel license represents a major investment of many thousands of dollars — not just for the license itself — but in terms of the fishing enterprise and gear, and owner-operators want to keep their licenses even if it is just for the privilege of not fishing them.” >click to read< 10:13
Minister Ignores Established Precautionary Approach for Shrimp – Slashes Quotas in Struggling Fishery
Minister Joyce Murray’s decision today to slash quotas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp fishery is a significant blow for harvesters and plant workers who have already experienced drastic cuts over the last number of years. A cut of nearly 20 per cent in Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 8 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is contrary to the recently established Precautionary Approach (PA), showing Minister Murray’s lack of commitment to collaborative fisheries management. >click to read< 08:58
The hunt for B.C.’s most notorious fisherman
Every year, officers in the DFO’s Pacific region collar a handful of serious rulebreakers, some more brazen than others. Scott Steer is in a class of his own, the most prolific poacher on the West Coast. He’s been busted for illegally catching just about every type of fish in the north Pacific: halibut, ling cod, sablefish, crab, prawns and more, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of quality catch over the years. He has been fined repeatedly, and when that didn’t work, the courts began throwing him in jail, while simultaneously slapping him with an escalating series of fishing prohibitions. When Sanderson’s crew nabbed him that night in Vancouver, Steer was already banned from so much as setting foot in a fishing boat until 2038. Big story, >click to read< 08:03
Offshore wind farm company, Ocean City fishermen at odds again
At question now is whether US Wind went back on its agreement with conch fishermen. “We told US Wind in January that we needed their ‘Area D’ (survey area) to be able to go conching in April. Ben Cooper from US Wind assured us that it would be available the whole month of April for us,” said Ocean City fisherman Jimmy Hahn. “I spent $60,000 in conch bait to go conching this spring. On March 25, they sent us an email that says, ‘Oh, by the way we’re going to start a brand new survey (there). “They’ve got 24 square miles of bottom they could be surveying and I’ve got a little teeny tiny area where my pots are. They still wiped out six of the pots that I found,,, >click to read< 07:17
Notice of Lease Application Termination – American Aquafarms
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has terminated the applications of American Aquafarms after the company failed to fulfill its legal obligation to demonstrate an available source of fish to be cultivated at its proposed salmon farms in Frenchman Bay. The source of Atlantic salmon proposed by American Aquafarms, AquaBounty of Newfoundland, Canada, did not meet the criteria for a “Qualified Source/Hatchery” as defined in DMR regulations (Chapter 24). Additionally, American Aquafarms failed to provide documentation demonstrating that the proposed source of fish/eggs could meet genetic requirements in law (§6071(4)). No further action will be taken on these applications. >link< 16:24
FRENCHMAN BAY UNITED HAILS REJECTION OF AMERICAN AQUAFARMS APPLICATION – The coalition opposing the proposed industrial salmon farm says the fight will continue. “Commissioner Keliher made the right decision,” said Frenchman Bay United board president Henry Sharpe. “We hope that the company has finally gotten the message that they are not welcome here and that it’s time to pull the plug on this destructive and ill-conceived project once and for all.” >click to read<
Will Atlantic Canada lobster season break another sales record? Or will inflation curb consumer appetite,,,
Roger Fowlow is paying a lot of attention to the long-range marine forecast these days. Lobster season opens soon and he’s hoping the unsettled spring weather will ease off, giving him light winds to set his lobster pots. He used to catch cod, but with quotas so low, cod prices stalled for years at less than a dollar a pound, and fuel prices soaring this year. He said it’s not worth bothering with. Lobster is the money maker, and the last few years have given him good catches and good prices. Fowlow is confident of good catches again this year. But on the question of the price he might get paid, he’s not so certain. For P.E.I. lobster fisher Bethany McCarthy, inflation is already driving up the cost of running her boat. In addition to higher prices for fuel, she’ll have to shell out more money for bait this year, thanks to DFO’s decision to kill the mackerel fishery. photos, video, >click to read< 12:15
