Daily Archives: August 21, 2022

Dutch fisheries will shrink considerably in the coming years

The Dutch commercial fishing fleet will shrink by 10 to 15 percent over the next five years. Many fishermen are getting into money trouble, partly because of declining turnover and high fuel costs. The financial support announced by the government will be too late for some of the fishermen, ABN Amro predicted based on its own research. About a third of fishermen think they could run into financial problems in the coming years. Brexit and the expansion of wind farms has also caused concerns for fishermen. The new distribution of fishing rights means that many fishermen are no longer allowed to catch as many fish as before Brexit. >click to read< 18:55

US Advances Plans for Offshore Wind in Maine

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced next steps to bring offshore wind energy to the Gulf of Maine.  “President Biden has set ambitious goals to address the climate crisis, and in response the Interior Department is taking historic steps to develop a robust and sustainable clean energy future,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Today’s announcement for the Gulf of Maine represents one of the many milestones that this Administration has achieved to advance offshore wind development, create good-paying jobs, lower consumer energy costs, while collaborating with our government partners, Tribes and key stakeholders to protect biodiversity, advance environmental justice and safeguard other ocean uses.” >click to read< 15:33

250 fishermen go missing as 16 trawlers sink in Bay of Bengal

Over 250 fishermen of Patuakhali remained missing as 16 fishing trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal amid inclement weather on Friday, said Naval Police on Sunday. About 150 fishermen of 18 trawlers that sank in the Bay near Kuakata in Patuakhali have been rescued so far, said Akhtar Morshed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kuakata Naval Police Outpost. Locals along with a rescue trawler of the fish wholesalers’ association reached the fish landing centre with the rescued fishermen from Saturday evening to 11pm on Sunday, the OC added. 3 stories, scroll down, >click to read< 12:27

They ask for justice for the death of a fisherman hit by a Coast Guard boat

“It was gross negligence.” With that short sentence, Manuel Córdova today summed up the opinion of many in the fishing community about the circumstances surrounding the death of Charles Rosario. His death has impacted those who knew him and remember him not only as an experienced “seaman”, but even more as a great human being. “Carlos really was an excellent commercial fisherman, but more than that, he was an excellent friend,” “To me, it’s gross negligence by the United States Coast Guard,” he added. “I hope justice will be served.” >click to read< 10:14 Read Coast Guard cutter Winslow Griesser, 23-foot fishing vessel collide north of Dorado, Puerto Rico >click to read<

Alaska’s snow crabs have disappeared. Where they went is a mystery.

Gabriel Prout and his brothers Sterling and Ashlan were blindsided. Harvests of Alaskan king crab, the bigger, craggier species that was the star of the television show “Deadliest Catch”, have been on a slow decline for over a decade. But in 2018 and 2019, scientists had seemingly great news about Alaska’s snow crabs: Record numbers of juvenile crabs were zooming around the ocean bottom, suggesting a massive haul for subsequent fishing seasons. Prout, 32, and his brothers bought out their father’s partner, becoming part owners of the 116-foot F/V Silver Spray. They took out loans and bought $4 million in rights to harvest a huge number of crabs. It was a year that many young commercial fishers in the Bering Sea bought into the fishery, going from deckhands to owners. Everyone was convinced the 2021 snow crab season was going to be huge. And then they weren’t there. >click to read< 08:27

A seafood processor from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine in serious financial difficulty

With an estimated debt of between $3.5 million and $4 million to its lobster fishermen, the Madelinan seafood processing company LA Renaissance des Îles (LRDI) has decided to place itself under the protection of the Act respecting the ‘insolvency. This is what the president and CEO and sole shareholder, Lynn Albert, announced to the fishermen who supply her with lobster, during an information meeting held on Friday morning, learned the QMI Agency. LRDI is in default of payment for its dockside purchases from 66 fishermen for the last two weeks of the 2022 fishing season, totaling $3.7 million. Added to this are, among other things, deductions for government rebates and other operating expenses of fishing businesses. >click to read< 07:34