Daily Archives: May 2, 2022
Pictou Landing to operate DFO approved moderate livelihood lobster fishery
The Pictou Landing First Nation is getting ready to operate a moderate livelihood lobster fishery in waters off Nova Scotia starting Tuesday with the approval of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. About 25 members of the community have registered to fish and sell their catch under the plan and are being issued traps and tags by the First Nation, according to Chief Andrea Paul. In a news release, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs said the Pictou Landing First Nation held formal consultations with DFO and came to an understanding without having to sign any agreements or changing its position on treaty rights. >click to read< 18:24
‘Boris, where’s your Russian sanctions?’ asks F/V Altaire’s First Mate
The first mate of local pelagic trawler F/V Altaire has written to prime minister Boris Johnson urging the UK Government to act over Russian factory ships fishing for blue whiting in UK waters around 100 miles to the west of Shetland. Colin Leask said there were 11 Russian vessels presently in the UK’s shared zone with the Faroe Islands fishing for a “ridiculously inflated” quota of 75,000 tonnes of blue whiting. The crewman’s appeal is the latest attempt by the industry to get the government to close a loophole that enables Russian vessels to fish inside UK waters at a time of “supposedly strict sanctions” against the country in response to the invasion of Ukraine. >click to read< 16:50
Maine is being set up to sell its coastline to Industrial Scale Aquaculture
On March 18th, a letter was sent to Gayle Zydlewski the Director of the Maine Sea Grant College Program, signed by several academics from the University of Maine, Bates College, scientists, business owners, students, members of the 2003 Aquaculture Task Force, and a former Department of Marine Resources Commissioner, calling into question whether the report, in part directed by the Maine Aquaculture Association, is simply a promotional tool for large scale industrial aquaculture. The report is more of a railroading than a roadmap, Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Executive Director Crystal Canney said, “The 10-year aquaculture roadmap is an economic development plan that isn’t about what’s best for Maine but what is best for large scale industrial aquaculture. >click to read< 14:45
Commercial Fisherman Clifford M. Sambrook, Jr., of Narragansett, R.I. has passed away
Clifford M. Sambrook, Jr., 66, of Narragansett, passed away Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at home surrounded by his family. Born in Derby, CT, he was the son of Harriet E. Sambrook and the late Clifford M. Sambrook, Sr. Besides his mother, he is survived by his partner Susan Chandler of Narragansett RI, and his two sons Kenneth Sambrook of Georgetown TX and Clifford and Elizabeth Sambrook of Boynton Beach FL. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 7th, 2022, at 10 AM in St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 864 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett. Military Honors will follow. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Clifford’s memory may be made to The Point Judith Fisherman’s Memorial Foundation, Attention Kathryn Manning Butler (Treasurer PJFMF), PO BOX 3315, Narragansett RI. 02882. >click to read< 12:12
Choosing Winners and Losers in Alaska’s Crab Fishery
When the US government implemented the quota system in 2005, it awarded quota shares to fishers based on their catch histories. The shares, which provide exclusive harvest rights to a proportion of each year’s allowable catch, are transferrable, meaning owners can fish their share, lease it, or pool their share with others to save on the high costs of fishing. It’s a big difference from how the fishery was previously managed, when regulators focused more on controlling the total catch. That approach led to derby-style fishing, where vessels raced into Alaska’s remote and stormy seas during short winter openings. While the money could be good, the frantic fishing came at a high cost in lost lives and lost vessels. >click to read< 10:10
Bayou La Batre fishermen back on the water after sitting idle due to soaring fuel prices
A large turnout Sunday for the annual Blessing of the Fleet at the docks behind Saint Margaret’s Catholic Church in Bayou La Batre. It was a much-needed event for shrimpers to come together after having to stop work due to the pain at the pump. Several fishing crews gathered at the docks excited to be a part of the blessing today “We’ve cleaned her up and put a little makeup on the old gal so we put her in the fleet blessing,” said Joseph Rodriguez, shrimp boat owner. >click to read< 09:11
Rising fuel costs: British fishermen are being forced to tie up their boats
The rise has left fishermen struggling to cover their costs, with some reportedly resorting to leaving their boats in port. June Mummery, ex-MEP and founder of the Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries, tweeted: “Fisherman tying up, fuel so expensive, not worth going to sea.” Britain’s fishing industry has issued a number of warnings in recent months that the spike in fuel costs could force them to tie up their boats and have a devastating impact on the UK’s food supply. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association issued a plea for help in March warning that the war in Ukraine had seen the cost of marine diesel in the islands more than double compared to the previous year. >click to read< 08:05
