Daily Archives: March 7, 2023

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 06, 2023

Southern Flounder Update Leads to More Questions Than Answers –  During the February 2023 quarterly business meeting of the NC Marine Fisheries commission(MFC), the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) provided the Commission a with very informative update on their efforts to manage the Southern Flounder fishery. While informative, there were portions of the presentation, which sparked concern for the NCFA, causing us to seek clarification from the DMF, which is why these issues were not included in last week’s newsletter. >click to read< 16:45

Months before season begins, state closes most Cook Inlet king salmon fishing

Parts of the Kenai River are still frozen over. But the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has already closed the early and late king salmon runs to sport fishing — also shutting down the beleaguered Cook Inlet east side set-net fishery before fishermen can gear up. “This is my 53rd year coming up as a set-netter, and I have never experienced this,” said Ken Coleman, vice president of the Kenai Peninsula Fishermen’s Association. He said he’s never seen the fishery close completely this early. Fish and Game does release a preseason forecast for the early king salmon run every winter, to give guides and fishermen a sense of what to expect before the summer starts. >click to read< 15:09

Shrimp industry is under threat, fishermen tell the king

A group of North Sea fishermen have urged king Willem-Alexander to step in and help the Dutch fishing industry which they say is being threatened by government and EU policy. In total, 400 skippers and fishing industry companies signed the letter as well as 45 Belgian and German trawler operators who fish in Dutch waters. The fishermen are particularly concerned about new emissions targets for trawlers operating in Natura 2000 areas. The new motors which trawlers need to meet the targets by October 1 cost some €100,000 and only half of that can be covered by government subsidies, they say. >click to read< 12:47

John Moran of Tiverton, R.I., has passed away

A native of Tiverton, John Henline Moran, 86, died on Friday, February 24, 2023. He was the son of the late Charles and Helen (Henline) Moran and the husband of Sue-Ann Constance and the late Elinore (Moloney) Moran. He attended Babson College and was a self-employed commercial fisherman, union carpenter, and millwright rigger. John’s love of the water and the environment was evident in his local civic volunteerism. John was a former chairman of the Tiverton Conservation Commission, and a member of Governor Garrahy’s original Narragansett Bay Commission. As a member, John was focused on a cleaner Narragansett Bay for commercial fishing and recreational uses. He was past president of the RI Shellfisherman’s Association and deeply involved in the founding of Save the Bay in 1970.  >click to read< 11:50

Heroic Devon fisherman dies two years after bomb blast

Tributes have been paid following the sudden death of a 39-year-old Devon fisherman who was hailed a hero after rescuing his crew when their boat was blown up by an unexploded World War II bomb. Lewis Mulhearn, 39, suffered head injuries, three broken vertebrae, a broken sternum, knee damage, a broken orbital bone and multiple facial lacerations after the Galwad-Y-Mor fishing boat he was on board sailed over a 290-pound explosive, which had lay dormant for 80 years, 20 miles north of Cromer, Norfolk, on December 15, 2020. Despite his injuries, the fisherman and captain of the ship coordinated the rescue of his six crew mates, who were also badly hurt. He also ensured he was the last man off the vessel. Photos, >click to read< 10:30

Seismic survey debate returns to south-west Victoria after national talks with fishers break down

Lobster fisher Gary Ryan believes the public ought to know more about seismic surveying. The technique involves shooting loud airwaves at the ocean floor to uncover subterranean oil and gas reserves. “I just believe that if this was happening on land and the public could see the damage it was causing there would be an uproar,” Mr Ryan said. When energy giant Origin Energy decided to survey off the coast of Warrnambool in Victoria’s south west in 2017, the community had little option but to accept it. “At the time, we were compensated and it seemed like a reasonable figure,” Mr Ryan said. “But we accepted it because either we took it or we were going to get nothing.” >click to read< 09:12

Coast Guard medevacs crewmember from fishing vessel 180 miles south of Pensacola, Florida

The Coast Guard medevaced a 45-year-old man approximately 180 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, Monday. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a call at 10:26 a.m. from a good Samaritan vessel reporting that the crew of the 70-foot fishing vessel F/V Kim Nhi was requesting a medevac for a crewmember reportedly experiencing a medical emergency. Video, >click to read< 08:16