Daily Archives: April 19, 2023
Two more Indonesian fishing vessels feared missing off WA coast after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa
Indonesian villagers fear two more fishing boats remain unaccounted for after the dramatic rescue of 11 fishermen from a small island about 300 kilometres west of Broome, Western Australia. Ten of those fishermen had been aboard a vessel named Express, which hit trouble in waters off WA’s north-west due to the destructive force of Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa. All crew members on the Express survived for six days with no food or fresh water after their vessel washed onto Bedwell Island,,, But eight fishermen who were aboard a second fishermen vessel, the Putri Jaya, are missing, feared drowned. And villagers from Rote Island have told the ABC about two other boats that left at the same time — though travelling separately — that remain unaccounted for. They are the Cahaya Alor and Tuan Muda. >click to read< 17:04
Cape Breton fishermen say ice was a problem because DFO didn’t follow its own policy
Some Cape Breton fishermen say if the Department of Fisheries and Oceans hadn’t opened the Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab season too early, icebreakers would not have been needed to get boats in and out of Cheticamp harbour. Andrew Bourgeois, president of the Gulf of Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition and a director of the Gulf fleet planning board, said DFO officials usually agree to wait until all the coasts are ice-free, but not this year. “I think if DFO would have followed their protocol, I don’t think there would have been an issue with the ice,” he said. “The protocol says that if there was ice at 20 fathoms or deeper that it shouldn’t open, it wouldn’t open. And they opened it anyways.” >click to read< 13:11
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 68′ Desco Dragger W/State and Federal Permits, Cat 3408
To review specifications, information, and 54 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:36
More cracks appear in government-controlled fish-pricing system; SEA-NL demands review of lobster-pricing formula
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) demands the province review the way lobster is priced to the inshore fleet to determine whether enterprise owners are getting a fair market share. “The lobster-pricing formula pays fishermen as if their catch is being sold in the spring when the lobster may be kept in holding tanks and sold in the fall for much higher prices,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s Executive Director. “An independent review will tell owner-operators whether they’re getting a fair market share for their lobster catches, because indications are they are not and the lobster-pricing formula is obsolete.” >click to read the press release< 10:59
Maritime baby eel fishers pan federal decision to close fishery over safety concerns
Ottawa’s decision to shut down the lucrative but contentious baby eel fishery in the Maritimes has effectively ended the 2023 season, says a commercial licence holder in southwestern Nova Scotia. Brian Giroux, of Shelburne Elver, a fishing co-op that employs 39 people, said the mandatory 45-day closure announced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on Saturday will largely run out a season that normally wraps up in early June. “Illegal activities that (DFO) failed to control have taken away the fishing from the licensed and legal fishing,” Giroux said in an interview Monday. >click to read< 10:32
Fisheries protester removed from Alaska Capitol in handcuffs, arrested after fight
A man urging Alaska lawmakers to take action against trawling was removed from the state Capitol in handcuffs and banned from the building after disrupting a committee hearing on Monday. After his removal, former fisheries worker Eric Osuch went to the nearby State Office Building and was arrested by the Juneau Police Department after a fight was reported there. He was charged with criminal trespass, the department said. Osuch has been a regular figure outside the Capitol since last week, advocating action against deep-sea trawling in order to preserve salmon returns. That topic was addressed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council last week, with limited immediate action taken. Osuch said he was dissatisfied by that result and called for the abolition of the council. On Monday, he was in front of the Capitol as early as 8:45 a.m., yelling at passersby. >click to read< 09:52
No more Sea Goddess: Maine Lobster Fest event goes gender-neutral
The Maine Lobster Festival has announced a change to its coronation event. Historically known as the “Sea Goddess Coronation,” the event will now be opening up participation to anyone ages 16-22. Organizers say the new title for the representative will be “Maine Lobster Festival Delegate,” and applicants can include anyone “who is passionate about being an advocate for Maine’s lobster industry, regardless of gender.” Video, >click to read< 08:50
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Crews removing water, chemicals from Tacoma fishing boat before investigating cause of fire
Crews extinguished the last of the fires Friday but investigators who will look for the cause still aren’t able to set foot on the boat. Officials said a few things need to happen first, like the removal of the gas, oil, and water still on the vessel. “Right now, the biggest priority is dewatering the vessel to right it, ” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier. The 276-foot Kodiak Enterprise still lists to one side. It’s because of the water poured into the boat to put out the flames. Getting that water and other potentially damaging chemicals off the boat is the new priority. >click to read< 07:29
