Daily Archives: May 21, 2022
How California bureaucrats are using a typo to destroy a fisherman’s dream
Bureaucrats sometimes make mistakes. But when they refuse to acknowledge a mistake and double down on it to deprive someone of their livelihood and family business, a lawsuit can be the only way to hold them accountable. That’s what happened to Max Williams, and he’s fighting back. Max has dreamed of captaining his own fishing vessel since he was young. Fishing has been the Williams family’s way of life for decades. They have owned and operated vessels practicing sustainable fishing off the coast of California to feed their community and provide for their family. Like his grandfather and parents before him, Max wants to continue the family tradition and captain his own boat. California law requires Max to obtain a “gillnet” permit from the government before he can legally fish as a vessel operator. > click to read < 17:46
Straus speaks out against proposed changes to scallop permit leases
Plans to allow scallopers to lease out their fishing permits to others have been criticized by South Coast legislators, including Mattapoisett State. Rep. Bill Straus. In a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker dated May 6, the representatives wrote that they are “urging caution regarding the practice of fishing permit leasing”, the practice where scallop boats lease out their fishing days to other vessels rather then go out to sea themselves. The letter was also signed by Reps. Antonio Cabral, Chris Hendricks, Paul Schmid, and Chris Markey. Current regulations limit one permit per vessel. The state plan, from the New England Fishery Management Council, could allow fishermen to extend those leases and time at sea. > click to read < 13:15
Nova Scotia: Fisheries critic calls for fuel price relief for fishermen
The rise in fuel prices is having disastrous effects on fishermen according to Fisheries critic and South Shore – St. Margaret’s MP Rick Perkins. During Question Period this week, Perkins said that fishermen in his area who primarily use diesel as their fuel have seen prices increase by 140 per cent since the fall fishing seasons. “Fishermen are now only going out every other day, in Nova Scotia 70 cents of diesel prices goes to governments, it’s time to lower government fuel taxes,” Perkins said. > click to read < 11:06
Jerry McCune retires as board chairman of Cordova District Fishermen United
Jerry McCune has retired as chairman of the board of Cordova District Fishermen United after 32 years with the historic fishermen’s advocacy group, and members will vote on Tuesday, May 24, on future leadership of CDFU. “Jerry has given decades of leadership and service to the commercial fishing industry and helped shape the greatest CDFU successes for us in Area E,” said CDFU Acting President Ezekiel Brown. “With his mentorship and the recent wins we’re celebrating from this year’s Board of Fish meeting outcomes, our organization is reflecting and spring boarding on Jerry’s tenure to begin a new chapter.” > click to read < 10:36
Trawlermen fish firm crowned UK small business of the year
A Peterhead fish firm that switched from wholesale to e-commerce has landed the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Small Business of the Year 2022 award. Amity Fish Company, led by Jimmy Buchan, star of the BBC’s Trawlermen TV series, netted the overall prize at the event hosted by TV personalities Clare Balding and JJ Chalmers in Glasgow yesterday. During the pandemic, the business switched from exclusively supplying restaurants and the hospitality trade, to delivering seafood products directly to people in their homes. > click to read < 10:06
Massachusetts: Lawmakers want to pay lobstermen during right whale conservation closure
State senators next week will debate a plan by South Shore lawmakers to pay lobstermen during a months-long annual fishing closure advocates say cuts income of some fishermen by as much as half each year. State senators Patrick O’Connor and Bruce Tarr have filed a budget amendment that would allocate $12 million to pay lobstermen $1 per week per trap they are licensed for during time they are not allowed to fish. The state annually shuts down more than 9,000 square miles of water for at least three months in efforts to protect migrating right whales. > click to read < 08:28
