Monthly Archives: October 2022
Cranes removing misplaced boats at Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach used to be a place where you’d see happy beachgoers enjoying the sun and water. However, since Ian, when you cross the bridge, you are met with construction cranes and more. The cranes are there to pick up a lot left behind by Ian, such as boats that have been lost in the storm. That kind of help cannot come fast enough, especially to those who need them for work. Fishermen have to come up with the money themselves to get the proper equipment to lift the materials needed back in the water. Although the boats aren’t even the biggest thing that needs saving, the entire fishing industry in Southwest Florida needs help. Video, >click to read< 21:50
Snowsuits, bits of destroyed homes being scooped out of sea post-Fiona
Shawn Bath says his team has pulled an estimated 80,000 pounds of debris from Newfoundland’s waters in the month since storm Fiona’s destruction, mostly parts of people’s homes and personal belongings. Starting the week after Fiona hit, his team of up to five people has removed between two and six boatloads of debris per day. The storm destroyed dozens of homes in Newfoundland, sweeping many of them right out to sea along the 
island’s southwest coast. Some things retrieved from the sea, like fishing gear, are being documented in the hope they can be returned to their owners, but Bath said much of it has been damaged beyond use. Bath’s team were able to untangle and free the lobsters before they perished. But he said there could be hundreds of other nets under the water with the potential to tangle and kill thousands of lobsters and other sea life. Photos, >click to read< 19:22
UPDATED: How an explosive device from WWII ended up in fisherman’s net in Rhode Island
Tuesday’s catch for Glenn Westcott of Narragansett dredged up a little more than his usual haul of fish and sea critters. Westcott is the captain of F/V Ocean State, the fishing vessel in his family’s possession since 1979. He was fishing Tuesday in the same waters he had been for years when his crew noticed an unusual catch. It was about four nautical miles east of Block Island. “We saw it going down the net and they were suspicious of something, so we checked everything out with photos and sure enough, it was a depth charge,” Video, >click to read< 16:54
Fishing boat catches undetonated explosive off RI – 10/27/92 >click to read<
Huffman Announces Over $8 Million Headed to North Coast for Port Infrastructure
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) shared the news that The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration awarded $8,016,566.00 in funds to two projects off the North Coast of California through the department’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PDIP). The awards will provide funds for port maintenance and improvements in Eureka and Crescent City. Rep. Huffman helped secure these funds for his district through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act. >click to read< 18:04
Marvin Moy, NYC doctor charged by feds, vanishes after alleged LI boat accident
A Manhattan doctor charged by federal authorities in a massive health fraud scheme mysteriously vanished in an alleged dead-of-night boating accident off the Long Island coast earlier this month. Friends of Dr. Marvin Moy told The Post they’re left with unanswered questions about the alleged accident that apparently flung Moy overboard after he and his passenger collided with a larger vessel about 25 miles off the coast of Fire Island. Moy’s boat, the Sure Shot, sank and rescuers reported debris and an oil sheen in the water, the Coast Guard said. Photos, >click to read< 13:05
Commercial fishermen issue demand to start netting lake trout on Lake Michigan
Commercial fishermen have intensified their push to establish a commercial harvest of lake trout on the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan. Though the idea has been discussed since 2016 and in February a formal request was made by commercial interests, Department of Natural Resources fisheries managers have not introduced a proposal to allow netting for the species. As a result the Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board at two meetings this year reemphasized its strong desire for action on the topic. “It’s absolutely time (for a commercial lake trout rule to be implemented),” said Charlie Henriksen, a commercial fisherman from Sturgeon Bay and chairman of the board. “I mean there’s just no reason that this isn’t happening.” >click to read< 12:13
Canada proposes 62 fish stocks for sustainability protection
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has proposed adding 62 stocks to a regulatory list that binds the minister to rebuild them if they become depleted. In April the first batch of 30 was added. On Oct. 19 the department released a second batch of 62 stocks for public consultation. Comments close Dec. 19. Most stocks in the second batch are considered healthy, but candidates also include three stocks in trouble: cod and herring off southern Nova Scotia and yellowtail flounder in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Speaking to an Oceana conference on restoring fish populations in Ottawa last week Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray pledged to work toward that goal. >click to read< 10:07
Fishermen and politicians pledge to battle for Maine’s lobster industry in Stonington
More than 200 lobstermen and supporters amassed in the state’s most valuable fishing port Sunday to say they will continue to fight any attempts to put new regulations on the industry. Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher, one of more than 20 speakers at the rally, said regulators need to get better data on whale migration patterns in the Gulf of Maine. Julie Eaton of Deer Isle, who fishes out of Stonington, said fishermen have repeatedly sacrificed for years, changing their gear to accommodate new regulations. >click to read< 08:31
‘90% reduction decimates this whole town’: Lobsterman’s rally held in Stonington – “If you’re not here fighting for this, there might not be another day,” said Richard Larrabee Jr. “A 90% reduction decimates this whole town, our children ‘s futures. If my son wants to go fishing, he doesn’t have that option.” Video, >click to read<
Facts About Wicked Tuna’s Dave Marciano You Won’t Have to Fish For
When selecting captains for the reality series “Wicked Tuna,” National Geographic definitely made a great choice with veteran seaman commercial fisherman Dave Marciano. Ever since he was a young boy, the fisherman has spent so much of his life at sea that it became a fundamental part of his identity long ago. It would be foolish to think that Marciano’s life hadn’t changed dramatically since the show premiered in 2012, but deep down, it really seems like the captain has remained the same devoted and incredibly hard-working individual he always has been, and its those qualities that make his such a relatable personality on that show that many audience members cannot help but root for. His fascinating past has made him the man he is today and here are the pivotal aspects of that journey leading to reality stardom. Photos, >click to read< 14:14
Fishing family brings Alaskan halibut to Flathead Valley
As a devoted fisherman with over 40 years of experience, Steve Box and his wife Molly are excited to bring fresh, wild, and sustainably caught Alaskan halibut to their neighbors in the Flathead Valley. Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Steve has spent most of his life exploring the pristine waters of Glacier Bay National Park in search of salmon, crab and halibut. His career started at just 13 years old when he crewed with a longtime family friend on a commercial fishing boat. In 1990, Steve bought his first boat and in 1997, he started his company Worthy Seafoods. The enterprise is a family endeavor as Steve and Molly’s children, Corey and Nikki, also work on the boat. >click to read< 11:27
Great Yarmouth fisherman swaps shrimp for offshore wind
From inshore shrimper to head skipper on offshore wind crew transfer vessels, Wally Saunders turned generations of his family’s love and living from the sea to a future in the industry harvesting wind to power the UK’s future. For generations, the Saunders family looked to the sea off Great Yarmouth and Gorleston for their living. In all weathers, great grandfather, grandfather, father and sons hauled shrimp, herring, cod and Dover sole onto boats owned by the family through the decades, and on to the deep-sea trawlers, fishing smacks and herring drifters where the older generations worked as deckhands and mates. >click to read< 10:16
Photographer Cherly Clegg supports Maine Lobstermen with pictures
A Boston based photographer is helping to raise awareness of the battle over Maine’s lobster industry by photographing lobstermen, their families of lobstermen and community members for her “family photo series.” “I heard on the national news David Muri say Monteray Bay Aquarium red listed lobsters I knew this is big. And I thought of all the families I thought of all the fishermen and the younger fishermen and then people who supply bait and then you have the boat builders basically a ton of mom and pop shops sorta thought about it that.” *Ok everybody please* “So I started this to raise awareness. Video, >click to read< 08:27
USDA to buy $25 million in shrimp
The United States Department of Agriculture is purchasing $25 million in shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. The purchase will provide relief to Louisiana’s shrimp industry, according to Congressman Garret Graves’ office. The USDA will use the shrimp for food nutrition assistance programs, according to Congressman Clay Higgins’ office. The USDA made similar purchases of shrimp in 2020 and 2021. >click to read< Southern Shrimp Alliance Applauds Announcement of $25 Million in Additional USDA Section 32 Purchases of Shrimp – >click to read< 15:18
SFA: No evidence that a fishing vessel caused telecom cable damage
Shetland suffered a major blackout last Thursday when the Faroese owned subsea cable, which already was damaged halfway between Faroe and Shetland, got another hit just east of the Shetland mainland – cutting off most mobile and internet based services. While cable owner Faroese Telecom has always said the damage was likely to have been caused by a fishing vessel, a large section of the national media preferred the notion that it could have easily been an example of low-level terrorism by Russia. As repairs are likely to last into the weekend due to poor weather conditions, no-one has so far published any evidence that would support one option or the other. >click to read< 12:21
California officials delay the start of 2022 Dungeness season
The season was scheduled to start Nov. 15 in the waters from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line south to the Mexican border. The order came down Friday evening from Charlton H. Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Based on recent surveys, large aggregations of humpback whales continue to forage in California coastal waters and allowing the use of crab traps would increase the risk of an entanglement,” Bonham said in announcing the decision. >click to read< 11:34
US Shrimpers struggling to find buyers
Lafitte Frozen Foods in Violet can process up to 120 thousand pounds of shrimp per day. Friday was the plant’s last day of operation, at least for now. “This is the first time we’ve ever had to actually say hold it, we’ve got to take a break,” company VP Bobby “Capt. Bob” Samanie said. “We have so much problem with foreign shrimp coming in, it’s killing us.” Local shrimpers like Ricky Robin say when factories start to shut down – the ripple effect is crushing. “When they hurt the factories, they hurt the commercial fishermen that sells to the factories,” Video, >click to read< 10:25
N.S. lobster pound guilty of ‘egregious’ handling of egg-bearing female lobsters
One of Nova Scotia’s largest lobster pounds has been convicted for holding undersized and egg-bearing female lobsters at its facility on Cape Sable Island. Atlantic ChiCan pleaded guilty in provincial court Thursday on two Fisheries Act charges and was fined $25,000 and ordered to pay another $50,000 into an environmental damages fund. “This was an egregious amount” of egg-bearing, or berried, female lobster that were located and seized by fishery officers, federal Crown lawyer Derek Schnare said in Shelburne provincial court. >click to read< 08:56
Owl rescued by fishing crew 100 miles out to sea
A long-eared owl shocked crew on board a fishing boat over 100 miles off the north coast of Scotland. The bird was rescued by a crew member who spotted it being attacked by seagulls. It suffered minor injuries but was cared for by the team on board Peterhead-registered Benarkle II for the rest of their trip. It is believed the owl had been blown off its normal course before landing on the boat. The Benarkle II crew said the poorly creature perked up a great deal after being “beefed up” with some chopped steak. Photos, >click to read< 21:51
Cemre delivers Norwegian LNG-powered fishing vessel
Turkish shipbuilder Cemre has handed over an LNG-powered vessel to Norwegian fishing company Teige Rederi. Cemre said in a statement on Friday it had delivered the purse seiner/pelagic trawler, Sunny Lady. Designed by Salt Ship Design and classed by DNV, the 86.5 meters long purse seiner/pelagic trawler is the second in the world to feature LNG-powered propulsion and a battery pack, after Libas, Cemre claims. >click to read< 19:01
Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 13 crewmen from sinking F/V Tremont 63 miles southeast of Chincoteague
The Coast Guard and two good Samaritans rescued 13 people from a sinking commercial fishing vessel Friday approximately 63 miles southeast of Chincoteague. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector Virginia received a mayday relay call from good Samaritan vessel RV Atlantis at approximately 2 a.m. stating the 115-foot commercial fishing vessel F/V Tremont and the 1000-foot Panamanian-flagged container vessel, MSC Rita, reportedly collided. The fishing vessel reported they were taking on water and sinking with 13 people aboard. 4 images, >click to read< 17:00
Southeast Alaska’s summer Dungeness crab fishery worth $10M less than last year
State managers closed Southeast’s Dungeness summer fishery, which opened June 15, two weeks early by emergency order because of low harvest numbers. It’s been five years since the last time that’s happened. This summer season harvest was just under 1.3 million pounds, nearly two million pounds less than last year. Along with the lower harvest, was a corresponding drop in value. This year the fishery was worth $3.77 million. Last year it was $13.03 million. This year’s price was $2.96 per pound. That’s about average for Dungeness crab over the last decade. >click to read< 11:41
Whale injuries from drift gillnets off California spark lawsuit against U.S.
Environmentalists on Thursday sued the agency overseeing U.S. fisheries, claiming it had failed to protect endangered humpback whales from entanglement in drift gillnets used in commercial fishing off California. The lawsuit accuses the National Marine Fisheries Service of violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing drift gillnets without safeguards and failing to take into account the harm posed to whales already at risk of extinction. >click to read<, – The Center for Biological Diversity sued NOAA Fisheries today to force it to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from entanglements in California drift gillnets. In the past two fishing seasons an estimated 12 Pacific humpbacks were caught in the California drift gillnet fishery, according to federal reports. >click to read< 10:35
New Brunswick: Only 2% of lobster traps scattered by Fiona retrieved so far
The massive cleanup and recovery operation to find the thousands of traps lost during post-tropical storm Fiona in September has only turned up a small number so far. The Maritime Fishermen’s Union is leading the cleanup taking place in LFA 25, a lobster fishing zone that takes in a good portion of the Northumberland Strait. The union told Radio-Canada that 1,000 traps have been found so far. Video, >click to read< 09:47
NH to join Maine in challenging North Atlantic right whale fishing regulations
Gov. Chris Sununu announced New Hampshire would join the state of Maine in federal court to appeal a Biden administration regulation to protect the endangered north Atlantic right whales that he said would cripple the region’s lobster industry. A U.S. District Court judge last month upheld a National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) regulation environmental groups sought in response to the whale population, estimated to be around 340 animals in the Atlantic waters of the U.S. and Canada. “This ruling, if upheld, would devastate New England’s lobster industry with restrictive regulations brought on by the federal government,” Sununu said in a statement. >click to read< 08:52
Coast Guard license bribery scheme – Pair helped more than 30 merchant mariners illegally obtain licenses
Two former Coast Guard employees were sentenced to prison Thursday for their roles in a bribery scheme that let seamen obtain merchant mariner licenses without completing the required tests. Dorothy Smith, 67, and Eldridge Johnson, 70, pleaded guilty to rigging results of safety and training tests that mariners must pass to serve on vessels, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Smith, a credentialing specialist, accepted bribes to fix exam scores for applicants who often didn’t even show up for their tests,,, In addition to Johnson, Smith and their intermediaries, 32 mariners pleaded guilty to felony charges. >click to read< 07:55
Fishing boat catches undetonated explosive off RI
The U.S. Coast Guard said an explosive caught by a fishing vessel Wednesday morning was detonated. According to Petty Officer Ryan Noel, the F/V Ocean State hauled up the unexploded ordnance four nautical miles off the east coast of Block Island. The vessel was instructed to anchor two miles west of Point Judith, while the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal group was called in to detonate the device. All three crew members were evacuated and a one-mile safety zone was set up around the vessel for the 9 a.m. detonation. >click to read< 20:21
‘This is the death rattle for Irish fishing’: dozens of trawlers to be decommissioned in State scheme
Up to 80 trawlers from the country’s 180-strong offshore fishing fleet could be destroyed if all their owners are accepted onto the Brexit Voluntary Decommissioning Scheme. “People don’t seem to realise what is happening here. “This is the death rattle of the Irish fishing industry. “If all those 82 ships are taken out of the fleet, that will leave just 78. Alan Carleton, who has applied to decommission his family’s trawler Syracuse, said he could no longer afford to be a fisherman.“Two years ago, I would spend around €2,360 for fuel for an eight-day fishing trip. “That cost is now €13,200 for the same trip.” >click to read< 17:54
Large Claws a Good Sign for Stone Crab Season
“My grandfather started Kirk Fish Company in the late 1940s, early 1950s, we’re not exactly sure when,” Kelly Kirk said. “My dad grew up here on the docks. I grew up here on the docks. It’s been in the family since then. The season seems to be starting out decent. It’s so hard to tell this early on. It usually takes a solid two weeks before we can judge what the season will look like and what the catch will be. But from what I’m hearing from the crabbers locally, and up and down the coast, the crabs are healthy, they’re strong. I’m optimistic that it’s going to be a strong season.” One sign of a good stone crab season, according to Kirk, is the size of the claws. “It’s a good sign when you see a lot of big ones,” Kirk said. “We’re seeing quite a few big ones already. >click to read< 13:44
The fight to protect right whale, lobsters roils Maine politics
In a state where few things matter more than lobster, it’s no surprise that Mainers are getting a hefty portion of crustacean politics as part of the campaigning for the 2022 midterm elections. What is surprising, however, is the high level of anger and frustration pointed squarely at Washington regulators, with many arguing that NOAA’s new rules are unfair and will hit the prized lobster industry far too hard. Rule backers say they’ll help protect a dwindling population of whales that’s at grave risk from fishing gear. “The men and women who make up Maine’s iconic lobster fishery are facing a terrible crisis, a crisis not of their making, a crisis that is due to this administration’s onerous regulations,” photos, >click to read< 12:11
Government Report Fails to Acknowledge True Implications of Foreign Control
Today, the provincial government released a report entitled, “A Review of Foreign Investment in the Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery.” While FFAW-Unifor is hopeful that the report’s recommendations will limit further foreign-control of our province’s resources, it fails to acknowledge or address the existing challenges hurting fish harvesters, plant workers, and coastal communities. “The entire processing industry is controlled by a handful of large companies – companies that continue to eat up smaller companies, continually growing their share and reducing competition in the industry. This situation is hurting inshore fish harvesters and plant workers, and it’s hurting the economic sustainability for coastal communities,” says FFAW-Unifor President Keith Sullivan. >click to read< 10:44
