Daily Archives: January 26, 2023
Naval service detains Spanish trawler off the south-west coast
A German-registered Spanish vessel which was involved in a confrontation off the Scottish coast over two years ago German-registered Spanish vessel has been detained by the Naval Service off the south-west coast. The 26m Pesorsa Dos was detained last Saturday, January 21, by the LÉ George Bernard Shaw, but it took several days to haul its gear before it could be escorted into Castletownbere, Co Cork today. The same vessel from La Coruna in northern Spain was previously detained in the Irish exclusive economic zone, 250 miles north of Donegal’s Malin Head, in July 2020. It’s understood the 1974-built 27m long fishing vessel, which left the Spanish port of La Caruna on January 2, had shot gill nets and was fishing in deep water for monkfish. >click to read< 17:32
Council Presents 2022 Award for Excellence to Maggie Raymond
The New England Fishery Management Council honored Maggie Raymond, former Executive Director of Associated Fisheries of Maine and a 25-year participant in the Council process, by presenting her with the 2022 Janice M. Plante Award for Excellence. Council Chair Eric Reid called the recognition “long overdue.” “Maggie represents the epitome of someone dedicated to both the commercial fishing industry and sustainable fisheries management,” said Chair Reid. ““Today we’re highlighting Maggie’s contributions to our own Council process,” said Chair Reid, “but her work for fishermen and the fishing industry was not limited to the Council. She was a key member of the New England fishing community for over 27 years and continues to make contributions even in her supposed ‘retirement.’” >click to read< 13:50
Fishing licence plan ‘bordering on naive’
The government’s plan to prevent French fishing boats depleting stocks in Jersey’s waters is ‘bordering on the naive’, according to local fishermen – as temporary licences allowing European vessels access to local waters expire next week. Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said he feared the 136 French boats licensed to fish in the Island’s territorial waters might decrease in number over time but retiring boats would be replaced by larger, more efficient vessels. These boats would quickly be able to wipe out rich grounds around the Island, such as scallop beds near the Minquiers, leaving Jersey fishermen with little to catch, Mr Thompson told the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel yesterday. >click to read< 12:37
Biden needs to help California fishermen in our dispute over dangerous fish farms
When people think of California, they think of our coasts. Our vibrant ocean sustains a robust seafood industry, as well as many hospitality, tourism and recreation businesses. But in recent years, our coastal enterprises have faced a litany of challenges; pollution, climate change and development along the coast have made it difficult for independent businesses to survive. Now in 2023, another threat is looming: The National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration is scoping out Southern California as a new site for industrial-scale finfish farms. Last spring, NOAA identified 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas off the coast of Southern California. These areas are deemed ideal for offshore fish farms, despite the fact that two of them are in close proximity to a Superfund site where 500,000 barrels of the banned pesticide DDT were dumped. >click to read< 10:00
Lawsuit threatens to shut down Southeast salmon troll fishery
An ongoing lawsuit by a Washington State environmental group is threatening to shut down the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery in the summer and winter to help endangered Puget Sound orca whales, and has prompted the trollers to ask the City of Sitka to help pony up for legal bills. The Seattle-based group Wild Fish Conservancy filed suit last year and a federal court ruled last August that the National Marine Fisheries Service had violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in approving salmon harvests in the Southeast troll fishery, which catches chinook salmon, a key food source for the Puget Sound orcas. In the meantime, lawsuits and rulings are continuing. >click to read< 08:36
No auction at Peterhead Fish Market after boycott by processors
The Aberdeenshire town is the biggest white fish port in Europe and the market is one of the largest. The dispute centres around Peterhead Port Authority’s decision to stop certain buying practices which it said are anti-competitive. It operates as a traditional shout auction with processors bidding for boxes of fish landed at the harbour. Until recently, as part of that, the practice of so-called bid sharing or ringing was commonly used, which is when buyers sometimes bid in groups rather than individually. However, Peterhead Port Authority, which runs the market, is putting a stop to this. >click to read< 07:29
