Daily Archives: January 14, 2023
Macduff’s Biggest Newbuild – So Far
This is Mark Lovie’s fourth Macduff trawler in a series that started with the wooden-hulled Venture, built as Endeavour II in 1993. Since then the steel-hulled Venture II in 2001, Venture III in 2017 and now Venture IV have each been the largest vessels built at the yard at various points. The new Venture IV is the yard’s largest newbuild in terms of both size and gross tonnage. The newbuild process began in 2020 when he went to the yard looking for options for a new vessel to replace his previous <24m registered trawler, as well as seeking improvements in fuel efficiency, speed, sea keeping, and crew comfort. The yard’s design team knew that a larger vessel would be needed to meet all these requirements and the outcome was a design for a 34.50 metre, 10.50 metre breadth trawler. Video, photos, >click to read< 17:48
Sitka Assembly considers helping Southeast trollers in legal fight that could shut down the fishery
The Seattle-based environmental group Wild Fish Conservancy wants to stop the Southeast troll fisheries, which they say harm an endangered population of orcas. And in December, a federal judge in Washington issued a report that puts the fisheries at risk of closure. The Alaska Trollers Association is a defendant in the 2020 suit against the National Marine Fisheries Service. Sitka fisherman Matt Donohoe is the president of the Trollers Association. He says they object to the report and expect their legal expenses to increase. “Anyone claiming that Southern Resident killer whales are starving because Alaska trollers were taking food from the mouths of their babies would be laughed out of court. That’s what we thought,” >click to read< 11:48
Dismayed Reaction To Whitefish Scrappage Application Offers
There has been a disappointed reaction from a number of fishing vessel owners to terms offered under the Government’s latest whitefish decommissioning scheme. “We haven’t surveyed members yet as this is anecdotal, but we are hearing of dismay and disappointment,” Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) chief executive Aodh O’Donnell said. “We are calling for immediate additional engagement by and clarification from Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) on this,” O’Donnell said. “The disappointment is quite widespread among our members.” Letters of offer to 57 owners have been issued by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). It says it will ensure that over 9,000 tonnes of quota fish valued at €35 million annually will be available for remaining whitefish vessels to catch, ensuring the remaining fleet’s economic viability into the future. >click to read< 10:54
Remembering four fishermen who died near Penzance in Vierge Marie tragedy
Four fishermen who tragically lost their lives when their boat floundered onto rocks off Cornwall have been remembered by the descendants of those who tried to save them. The four fishermen from Ostend in Belgium were part of a crew of six when the motor trawler Vierge Marie hit the rocks in heavy seas, strong winds and thick fog conditions. The incident was reported at 7.40am on January 11, 1937 by a local police officer who alerted the crew of the W&S lifeboat who launched the lifeboat from Penlee Point at 8am and steamed down the coast to the site of the wreck. >click to read< 09:55
South Bristol Fishermen’s Co-op Still Going Strong After 50 Years
The South Bristol Fishermen’s Co-op started in 1972 with 12 members who pooled their limited resources. Half a century later, the seafood hub now has 40-plus members and a dockside restaurant. Two of the current members, Lewis Kelsey and Thurlow “Sonny” Leeman, were part of the original group who risked their livelihoods in order to get a better deal for fishermen in the South Bristol area. “These guys that did it, they put their names on the line. They put their own personal assets up for collateral so that this could happen,” said South Bristol lobsterman and current co-op member Tim Alley during an interview with him, Kelsey, Leeman, Co-op President Chuck Plummer, and Co-op Manager Laura Hughes in December. >click to read< 08:45
