Monthly Archives: September 2022
Large fishing boat washes ashore in Myrtle Beach during Hurricane Ian
A large commercial fishing boat washed ashore in Myrtle Beach as Hurricane Ian rages on in the Grand Strand. The boat came ashore in the area of Williams Street. According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, no one was onboard the boat. The city said that the Coast Guard rescued the people onboard. They are urging people to stay away from the boat and there is no reason to go near it. Video, >click to watch< 19:22
He watched Fiona wash away his livelihood. Now this Newfoundland fisherman says he’ll rebuild
Rose Blanche fisherman Hedley King says it’s almost impossible to put a dollar figure on what he lost to post-tropical storm Fiona, but he knows the road to rebuilding will be a long one. King lost three fishing sheds and a wharf in the wind and waves that hit Rose Blanche, about 45 kilometres from Port aux Basques on Newfoundland’s southwest coast. He also lost 40 tubs of gear for fishing halibut, an expensive freezer unit and much more. As King and his wife, Arthena, stand on the road and watch parts of their lives sail by, they say they’re committing to rebuilding in Rose Blanche. >click to read<
New crab fishing vessel is completed by Macduff Shipyards
Macduff Shipyards has signed over its latest new build vessel Euroclydon (GY77). It is the second crabbing fishing boat built by the yard in a space of only three years, following on from Levanter (GY7) with both vessels belonging to the same owner Stuart MacDougall of fishing company Euroclydon Ltd. The vessel is a new design of vivier crabber fishing vessel designed between the shipyards and local naval architecture and consultancy firm Macduff Ship Design. Photos, >click to read< 11:27
After Fiona’s wrath, Atlantic fishing communities look to rebuild livelihoods
All week, fishermen across Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were left to reckon with the damage left in Fiona’s wake, and to the region’s industry, which exports more than $4.5-billion worth of seafood each year. But as officials plan for the future, they face two competing priorities: the need to rebuild fast to be ready for the coming fishing season and the need to rethink infrastructure entirely in the face of climate change – a costlier, and potentially slower, approach. “PEI’s a mess. Newfoundland’s a mess. Nova Scotia’s a mess. And it’s all the same people who are fixing them,” said Leonard LeBlanc, President of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition >click to read< 10:03
Proposed Virginia offshore wind farm threatens North Atlantic Right Whales
The proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project is directly in the NARWs’ annual migration path. Dominion Energy has applied to erect 176 wind turbines, covering an area of approximately 10 miles by 15 miles—equal to the size of 85,000 football fields or the city of Tampa, Florida—located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Each turbine will sit atop a monopole extending a minimum of 80 feet into the water and about 120 feet into the ocean floor, and its height above the water will top 620 feet. That’s higher than the Washington Monument, which is 555 feet tall. “How to kill whales with offshore wind?” Wojick asks. “Just push them into traffic. The collision deaths would not be directly attributable to the wall of noise created by the OSW project, so who would know?” >click to read< 08:55
Local fisherman make their pitch to governor
Fishermen like Jon Williams, who call Galilee home, have depended for too long on the port’s aging docks and rusty bulkheads. Williams’ Narragansett Crab Company brings in millions of pounds of fish per year, but he’s hamstrung by a dock that dates back to 1948 and can’t be used because it’s in such poor shape. But he struck a hopeful tone Friday when Gov. Dan McKee came to his business to learn how Williams and his brethren would benefit from a multi million-dollar project to get the port ship-shape through repairs and modernization. >click to read< 08:00
Hurricane Ian Taking Aim at the Carolinas and Georgia – Public Advisory – 800 PM EDT
At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Hurricane Ian was located by an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 29.7 North, longitude 79.4 West. Ian is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph (17 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday night. On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Ian could slightly strengthen before landfall tomorrow and is forecast to rapidly weaken over the southeastern United States late Friday into Saturday. >click to read< Graphics, >click here< 20:15
Many trapped in Florida as Ian heads toward South Carolina – Photos show the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers
Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through flooded streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped after Hurricane Ian destroyed homes and businesses and left millions in the dark. A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast, where the storm was expected to again make landfall, having already hit Cuba and Florida. Photos, >click to read< Photos show the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers – With top winds of 155 mph, Ian was a major storm that left catastrophic damage in its wake after hitting the southern Gulf Coast and moving north through Florida’s inner counties. The images below show its impact around the state. >click to view< 16:40
A rare summer-long chinook opener was not enough to lure SE trollers away from Chumageddon
Chinook trollers in Southeast may have left a sizeable portion of their allocation in the water when the summer season wrapped up on September 20 – but that doesn’t mean it was a bad year. Instead, it was a rather unusual year. “Being able to retain chinook for the entire summer is not something that they’re used to,” said Grant Hagerman, troll management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Sitka. Commercial trolling for king salmon was open all summer, with only three days off to allow silver salmon – or coho – time to escape into their natal streams, lakes, and rivers. Hagerman says the long summer season wasn’t due to a lack of king salmon; rather, it was an abundance of choice. Commercial trolling has changed. >click to read/listen< 12:37
Fishermen reeling as further whale protection measures fast tracked
Maine lobstermen worry that their fate is sealed. Dozens gathered Tuesday evening in the Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School cafeteria for a livestream of a NOAA Fisheries scoping session on modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Hundreds more participated online. Spurred by a recent court ruling, federal regulators are fast tracking plans to achieve a 90 percent reduction in entanglement risk. “These are measures that are going to really hurt and there were measures that were put forth that look really bad that didn’t come close to 90 percent, so I want people to realize that this is real, that this is coming and it’s not going to be pretty,” said Kristan Porter, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and an Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team member. >click to read< 10:15
People trapped, 2.5M without power as Hurricane Ian drenches Florida
Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, cutting off the only bridge to a barrier island, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2.5 million people as it dumped rain across the peninsula on Thursday. One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States threatened catastrophic flooding around the state. Ian’s tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 415 miles (665 km), drenching much of Florida and the southeastern Atlantic coast. Photos, >click to read<
Tropical Storm Ian bringing ‘catastrophic flooding’ to east-central Florida – After making landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, Ian weakened into a tropical storm as it made its way across Florida Wednesday night, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center. At 8 a.m. Thursday, maximum sustained winds were still 65 mph. The storm is expected to bring life-threatening flooding, storm surge and gusty winds across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. >click to read< 08:50
Island’s fate tied to fishing, residents say: “I think we’re being pushed out”
Make way for windmills. That was one of the worries aired by Deer Isle-Stonington fishermen and small business owners who attended a breakfast economic development meeting at the Stonington town office Friday. A few residents and small business owners said they think the fishing industry is being pushed out to make room for windmills, thus further advancing green energy agendas that Governor Janet Mills and the federal government have adopted. Mike Shepard said he started fishing at age 10 in a “little outboard.” “I’m almost 70 now,” the lobsterman said. “I fished all my life out here. All that time I’ve been fishing. I’ve never seen a whale. It has nothing to do with the whale, it has to do with what they want to do with our waters out here. They want to go green and it’s killing the lobster industry, which is our way of life.” >click to read< 19:36
Hurricane Ian makes landfall, causes ‘catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding’ in southwest Florida
Hurricane Ian weakened slightly again late Wednesday afternoon but remained a dangerous Category 4 storm with top winds of 140 mph. The storm. which previously produced top winds of 155 mph, is forecast to weaken further as it travels up the Florida peninsula, according to a 5 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. In 12 hours, the storm’s winds are expected to fall to 85 mph, making the storm a Category 1 hurricane. “It will still pack a formidable punch as it moves across the state of Florida along the I-4 corridor in the next couple of days,” Video, photos, >click to read< 17:57
North Carolina: New quota cuts Southern flounder fishing off in one week, frustrating fishermen
Maurice Mann, a commercial fisherman, expressed his frustration. Maurice and his son Jasper Mann were geared up for a good season of flounder fishing, getting new nets and catching around 100 pounds of Eastern Carolina’s popular sea dwellers. After less than a week on the water, they found themselves thousands of dollars in the hole when their buyer told them the Division of Marine Fisheries said to reel it in. They were told the number of flounder they allowed to be caught commercially in September had already been met. Video, >click to read< 14:34
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 72′ Shrimper with freezer hold, Cat 3412
To review specifications, information, and 23 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:00
Newfoundland fishers face livelihood questions after Fiona storm damage
Colourful fishing stages bobbed in the water by Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou Tuesday as Cliff Bateman watched from his property. Days earlier, the picturesque buildings that are used to land and process fish were upright before post-tropical storm Fiona swept them into the ocean by the southwestern Newfoundland town. Bateman watched the storm toss them through the water. “It’s a big loss, I tell you that,” he said from inside his kitchen. The now-retired fisherman said he stored a priceless accumulation of gear and history inside the structures that were passed down through his family, some built over 100 years ago. >click to read< 10:08
During lone scoping webinar, lobstermen tell NOAA cuts will devastate communities
State officials and Maine lobstermen were not shy when they addressed officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday night in a scoping webinar held to take public comment after NOAA accelerated the timeline for cuts to the industry. The scoping webinar was the only opportunity provided by NOAA for stakeholders to communicate directly with the agency during the development of additional new measures meant to protect right whales. NOAA accelerated the timeline for risk reduction over what was initially presented in the finalized biological opinion. That document spelled out major cuts to the industry over what was supposed to be a decade. Now, the lobster fishery will need to achieve a 90% risk reduction under phase two of the plan, instead of phase three…much earlier than previously expected. >click to read< 09:14
Fishing regulators shoot down scallop leasing plan
In a ballroom overlooking Gloucester Harbor, the council regulating New England’s fisheries rejected a controversial proposal on Tuesday to develop a leasing program in the region’s lucrative scallop fishery after failing to agree on the presented motions. The New England Fishery Management Council deliberated on three motions for more than two hours, with all three failing. The latest leasing push comes 12 years after a proposal to allow it was defeated in a close 9-to-7 council vote, with one member abstaining. New Bedford fishermen and permit owners were at the hotel hours before the council took up the leasing issue. The opposition has been largely centralized in the city, driven by the crew and some vessel owners who fear leasing is the first step toward further consolidation. Photos, >click to read< 07:40
Elliott Neese on ‘Deadliest Catch’ Sentenced to Federal Prison for Dealing Heroin
In December 2019, Elliott Neese sold heroin to a CI (confidential informant). That led to a search warrant that uncovered 160 grams of heroin, some meth, drug scales, guns, a cash-counting machine, and items “used in the distribution of narcotics”. The Deadliest Catch star immediately confessed to being part of a larger narcotics ring operating on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and said he mostly sold heroin. Sealed documents further complicate matters. What was clear from the outset is that Elliott was a small cog in a larger drug-selling operation. Prosecutors asked for a stiffer sentence because he was selling heroin in a small community, at high risk for narcotics issues. >click to read< 20:01
Public Advisory: Hurricane Fiona Incident Command Centre Established; Registration Details for Canadian Red Cross
In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, an Incident Command Centre team has been established to assist communities in southwestern Newfoundland. For impacted individuals that are in need of supports, it is critical that they register with the Canadian Red Cross by calling toll-free at 1-800-863-6582 or visiting the emergency shelter at St. James Regional High School located at 200 Hardys Arterial Road, Channel-Port aux Basques. >click to read< 17:31
Hurricane Ian Public Advisory
At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Ian was located near latitude 23.5 North, longitude 83.3 West. Ian is moving toward the north near 10 mph (17 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the north-northeast with a reduction in forward speed is forecast tonight and Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today, pass west of the Florida Keys later tonight, and approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday and Wednesday night. >click to read< For graphics and forecasting, >click here< 16:00
Group that claims catching lobsters is harmful to whales draws sharp rebuke in Gloucester
Nothing says “Massachusetts, or really “New England”, like a lobster. But our iconic crustacean just got a failing grade from an environmental group. The Seafood Watch Project, which operates out of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, put lobster on their red list. This is devastating news at Cape Ann Lobstermen, a Gloucester facility that processes up to 40,000 pounds of locally caught lobster a day. “The lobster industry is probably the biggest fishing industry left in this area,” said company president Tessa Browne. “There’s probably 150+ boats in this harbor that come and go on a daily basis who have 1-2 crewmen who support their families.” “We’re being unfairly targeted when the main culprit is ship strikes,” said lobsterman Richard Black. Video, >click to read< 14:00
Unanimous N.C. Appeals Court Rules State Can Be Sued for Failing to Protect Fishing Rights
The decision could eventually lead to new restrictions on commercial fishing. The Appeals Court agreed to affirm a trial judge’s ruling in the case, Coastal Conservation Association v. State of N.C. The trial court had rejected the state’s attempt to have the case thrown out because of sovereign immunity. “Plaintiffs alleged the State breached this constitutional duty by ‘mismanaging North Carolina’s coastal fisheries resources.’ Specifically, Plaintiffs alleged the State has mismanaged the fisheries by ‘permitting, sanctioning, and even protecting two methods of harvesting coastal finfish and shrimp in State public waters’ — shrimp trawling and ‘unattended’ gillnetting,,, >click to read< 12:49
Letter to the Editor: The big-money green-lie
Dear Editor: It’s the big-money green-lie. Maine lobstermen are not killing whales. Progressive, woke Democrats climate change scams are killing the heart and soul of Maine. No evidence. Zero whales have been killed in this century by lobster gear entanglements. Solar and wind equal a financial bonanza for politicians, long-standing innocuous traditions are standing (fishing) in their way. No leadership. Elected officials sworn-in to represent and protect are cashing-in on special interest, new-green deal-threats that do not exist. >click to read< By Dave Gregg
North Carolina: Two events set to pay tribute to fishing industry, families
Fishers, families and friends are set to gather Sunday morning for the 25th Blessing of the Fleet in Morehead City, a time set aside to honor and remember those who work and have worked in the commercial fishing industry. The Blessing of the Fleet is a nondenominational religious service that begins at 10 a.m. at the Morehead City state port and will include the “Throwing of the Wreath for Fishermen Everywhere” and a procession of fishing vessels. The service takes places during the North Carolina Seafood Festival this weekend in downtown Morehead City. In the event of inclement weather, the blessing will not take place. >click to read< 10:07
The west Cumbria fishing family saved by social media
When fisherman John McAvoy goes to work, he is gone for days. After two nights at sea and precious little sleep he returns to sell his catch. These days the first in line are the local customers who, following the siren call of social media, saved him and his boat when Covid threatened to sink his livelihood. But Covid put paid to that odd market symmetry, halting the transport of seafood to buyers in France and Spain and shutting restaurants. Were it not for John’s daughters, and their youthful affinity with social media, that might have been the end of the line for him. Photos, >click to read< 08:50
With thousands of traps lost to Fiona, N.B. lobster fishermen ask for extended season
The fishing season for Zone 25, which includes fishermen along the Northumberland Strait in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, began on Aug. 9 and was scheduled to end on Oct. 12, said Luc LeBlanc, an advisor with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. However, with early reports those fishermen may have lost about half of all of their lobster traps, LeBlanc said the plan is to ask the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the season to be extended until at least Oct. 15. LeBlanc said there are 388 lobster fishermen in Zone 25, with each using 250 traps at a time. That means around 42,000 traps are unaccounted for. >click to read< 07:35
Reminder: Scoping Meeting for the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan on Tuesday, 4:30 PM
We will be conducting a virtual scoping meeting to collect public input on modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce the risk of death and serious injury caused by U.S. commercial fishing gear to endangered North Atlantic right whales in compliance with the mandates of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Register to attend the virtual public scoping meeting. >Click to read the notice< and access the links. 16:45
North Carolina Fisheries Association: Weekly Update for September 12, 2022
Last week the US House Committee on Natural Resources marked up a bill on the Magnuson Act reauthorization. The late Congressman from Alaska, Don Young, was pushing for a different version that most of the commercial industry supported, but after he died a different version has been pushed. Named “Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act or HR 4690, the bill is up for final committee approval on September 29th. Previous reauthorizations were more of a bi-partisan effort, but this is more partisan with Democrats supporting the bill and Republicans opposing. >click to read<. To read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 15:50
It’s now or never for Maine’s lobster industry
Driving through and around Belfast on Sunday, I was struck by the half-dozen or so desolated chicken farms. In my youth, Waldo County’s poultry business had gone belly-up. But it seemed more poignant now. Maybe it was because I’ve been stewing over the threat Maine lobster’s industry today faces from an unholy alliance of the federal government and out-of-state special interest groups. Killing Maine’s iconic lobster-fishery is both immoral and unnecessary. Unlike Waldo County’s chicken industry, which in the late 1970s and early 1980s succumbed to competition from Arkansas and Delaware, it is not market forces that Maine lobstermen fear so much as boycotts and excessive regulation based on unproven science. >click to read< By Sam Patten 12:26
