Daily Archives: May 10, 2023
‘Looks like the worst spring in 25 years’: lobster prices, catches down as seasons wraps up in southwestern N.S.
Landings have been low all spring in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 33 and 34, which runs from Eastern Passage, Halifax County, to Burns Point Digby County, and includes all of Yarmouth and Shelburne counties. “Some people are down as much as 40 per cent. Some not as much. From the numbers I crunched it looks like on average we’re down 25 per cent over previous years, which sort of looks like the worst spring in 25 years,” says Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association. Cotter noted fishers in other recently opened LFAs in the Atlantic provinces are also experiencing low catches, bad weather and cold water temperatures. The shore price, which peaked at $13 a pound in the winter and early spring, plummeted to $8 in early May for LFA 33 and 34 fishers. >click to read< 14:48
Shrimp boat that caught fire, sank on way to Blessing of the Fleet removed from water
A shrimp boat that caught fire and sank on its way to this year’s Blessing of the Fleet ceremony in Mount Pleasant was removed from the water on Tuesday, according to a witness. Rocky Magwood, who was there on April 30 when the boat caught fire, says that Coastal Dredging retrieved the boat and brought it to land – all free of charge. Michael Cobb says his 78-year-old father, Larry, was hospitalized after his hands were seriously burned. “I’m just thankful he’s alive,” he told reporter Natalie Spala.7 Photos, >click to read< 13:26
Pelagic Sisters from Killybegs Yard
Killybegs shipyard Mooney Boats has completed its largest builds to date, sister vessels Eilean Croine built for Eric Murphy and Sparkling Star for Donal O’Neil. Built to the same Vestværftet design, the two pelagic trawlers are an example of international co-operation and innovative local ingenuity. According to the yard’s managing director Lee Mooney, there are close links with designer Ove Kristensen at Vestværft in Hvide Sande, which has built a number of vessels over the years for Irish 
owners, while several companies within the Killybegs Marine Cluster also provided essential support to ensure that these vessels were completed to the highest standards. ‘We’re thrilled to have completed these two impressive vessels, and we are grateful to the O’Neil and Murphy families for entrusting us with their project, from the design through to the construction stage,’ Lee Mooney said. >click to read< 12:26
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38’x14’4″ South Shore Lobster Boat, 500H Iveco Cursor 8 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 17 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:12
Revolution Wind offshore wind farm project clears CRMC hurdle. What’s next for the project?
The vote by the Coastal Resource Management Council moved Revolution Wind one step closer to becoming the third utility-scale offshore wind farm to be cleared for construction in America. The vote came despite objections from fishermen, who say the project and others like it will shut them out of fishing grounds and cause economic losses in their industry. Not all in the fishing industry are against the project. David Yerman, a Connecticut fisherman whose firm is employed by Ørsted and Eversource, said those in the industry can work with offshore wind developers. “Offshore wind development is not a threat to commercial fishing,” he said. “It is an opportunity.” But every other person from the fishing industry that spoke voiced opposition to the application. >click to read< 09:49
Clearwater Seafoods wants 72 tonnes of lobster added to its annual harvesting quota
The Indigenous-owned company has exclusive rights to Lobster Fishing Area 41, or LFA 41, off southern Nova Scotia, where Clearwater maintains a long-held quota of 720 tonnes. Last fall, the Membertou First Nation and Mi’kmaw partners in the company asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to increase the total allowable catch by ten per cent. In response, DFO has issued an “interim” total allowable catch of 720 tonnes for 2023 while it considers this request. The Brazil Rock Lobster Association, the Coldwater Lobster Association and the LFA 33 Advisory Committee have submitted letters to DFO in opposition. >click to read< 08:44
Profitable Port of New Bedford draws IRS scrutiny of tax evading fishermen
As the nation’s number one commercial fishing port, New Bedford is very much on the radar. “The statistics we have cover the six New England states but really the fishing industry is significant in Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts, with, of course, New Bedford being the most valuable port not only in New England but in the United States,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Supervisory Special Agent Matthew Amsden. Seven New England fishermen, including three from New Bedford and one from Fall River, were charged last month with tax evasion and failing to file returns. The other three indicted were from Rhode Island, according to a press release from the IRS Criminal Investigation unit. >click to read< 07:40
