Daily Archives: June 20, 2022
Down East seafood harvesters struggle to access health care, according to survey
Unless she needs to be stitched up, Deer Isle lobsterman Julie Eaton probably isn’t going to the hospital. She’d have to dock her boat in Stonington and drive up to the hospital in Blue Hill, nearly a 45-minute ride away. Not only will she lose out on a fishing day, but when she does get there, it’ll probably cost an arm and a leg, because Eaton, like many lobstermen, doesn’t have insurance. “Health care is a challenge,” she said. “I don’t have insurance. I don’t go unless I’m bleeding.” It’s a common refrain in the industry and one backed up by the results of a recent survey of more than 100 Down East lobstermen and shellfish harvesters. >click to read< 21:43
N.H. Lobster fisherman credited with saving 3 people, 2 dogs from burning yacht near New Castle
An investigation is underway into what caused a 70-foot yacht to burn and sink along the seacoast Saturday. Tom Hadley, of Hollis, said he was in the right place at the right time when his instincts told him to turn his little boat around and see if the yacht showing a bit of smoke needed any help. Hadley has been driving from Hollis to his 18-foot boat on the coast for 17 years. The part-time lobster fisherman now has a tale to tell after what 
started as checking out smoke from the yacht at the mouth of Little Harbor on Saturday, quickly turned into a harrowing rescue. “By the time I reached the vessel it just burst into flames and was fully engulfed,” Hadley said. “Three people and two dogs were standing on a platform in the stern.” Video, >click to watch/read< 17:59
That Was Quick!: French Navy backs down from West Cork fishermen
Simon Coveney confirms French navy will stay outside of Irish waters during their upcoming exercises having come under pressure from West Cork fishermen. The French Navy were planning a huge exercise – involving missile tests – off our southwest coast later this week and it was set to be even bigger than the one the Russians had to postpone earlier this year. However, as the Russians found out, the French Atlantic fleet had to reckon with Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, with their headquarters in Castletownbere. >click to read< 17:15
A Special Exhibition: The Legacy of the Family-Owned Fishing Vessel
In recognition of the 400th anniversary of the first English settlement in Gloucester, an event that will be marked in 2023, the Cape Ann Museum has organized a special exhibition exploring the important legacy of the family-owned commercial fishing vessel. The exhibition, which will include fine art, models, and archival materials, will be on display at the Museum’s downtown campus at 27 Pleasant Street from June 25 through September 18, 2022. At the core of the local commercial fishing industry is the family-owned boat. Large and small, eastern rig and western rig, steel-hulled and wooden-hulled, the varieties are endless. >click to read< 15:50
Proposed N.J. wind farm could have major impact on area fisheries, draft report says
A proposed wind farm off the Jersey Shore could significantly affect local fisheries and boat traffic but generally have little impact on tourism and marine life while helping to move away from oil and gas, according to the draft environmental impact statement released Friday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The impact statement is the next step toward winning federal approval for Ocean Wind, a wind farm to be built by the Danish energy company Ørsted and PSEG. The draft statement addressed concerns by officials in some New Jersey beach towns that the turbines would spoil the ocean views and discourage tourists from returning. >click to read the foolishness< 14:18
Prawn fishers suffer ‘worst season yet’ as high fuel prices bite
Prawn trawler operator Ed Morrison believes farming comes in peaks and troughs, but this year it’s hurting more than usual. The North Queensland-based businessman runs prawn trawlers in the Torres Strait. His prawns are sold throughout Australia, but he says this year has been one of the worst seasons he has seen. However, retailers say any hike in prices would not help the situation as consumers are not prepared to pay more for non-essential produce. The eye-watering cost of fuel and a global supply crunch has forced operators like Mr Morrison to leave vessels in port instead of putting them out to fish during off-peak periods. The situation has left trawlers considering whether or not their operations are commercially viable. >click to read< 10:29
Maine business group seeks rare deal to export ‘cape shark’ to Cuba
The cape shark, more commonly known as the dogfish, typically finds its home in the frigid, salty waters of midcoast Maine. However, thanks to the efforts of a group of Maine-based agriculturalists, the fish may soon be taken by the tides of trade to the warm shores – and markets – of Cuba. The export of dogfish is part of a larger deal being brokered by a group of Maine agriculturalists who hope to create a pipeline of Maine-based agricultural and fishery products to Cuba. Among the proposed exports are seed potatoes and apples along with dogfish. The export of such products is meant to help the Cuban economy, which has suffered in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic, become more self-sufficient while also benefiting Maine’s economy. “Our fishing industry, if you do a little history on it – recent history – is suffering for a lot of reasons,” Marchant said. “The advantage of Cuba getting any food exports right now is dramatic.” >click to read< 09:19
Irish fishermen who faced down Russians now to protest against French navy’s military drills
Irish fishermen confirmed they are to mount major protests off the south-west coast in a bid to prevent the French navy staging military exercises later this month in important fishing grounds. The protests will mirror the demonstrations planned by west Cork fishermen last January to disrupt planned military exercises by the Russian navy in fishing waters off the south-west coast. French naval forces are planning an exercise for June 23-25,,, “The Albacore tuna fishery is opening for Irish vessels on June 23,,, >click to read< 07:35
