Daily Archives: June 7, 2023
Is the Great Fishkill of 1976 About to be Repeated? By Jim Lovgren
In 1976 the United States suffered its largest man-made environmental disaster ever as 2,500 square miles of ocean died, thanks to a hundred years of sewage dumping by New York City and Northern New Jersey communities. This catastrophe awakened the public to this disgusting practice and environmental organizations sprung up to fight it, eventually winning the fight. Proving that the little guy can prevail against the “powers that be”. >click to read< 17:37
Who will benefit from Morro Bay wind energy job creation?
California plans to rely on offshore wind energy to achieve its renewable energy goals. The off-shore wind farms are projected to generate 2,000 to 5,000 megawatts of energy by 2030 and 25,000 megawatts by 2045. Cyrus Ramezani and Mahdi Rastad’s 86-page report details the economic impacts of the Morro Bay wind energy projects and identifies the types of jobs that will be created. Last year, the federal government auctioned off three offshore wind energy sites located between 20 and 30 miles off the coast near Morro Bay. The report does not discuss the number of jobs the county will lose in the fishing and hospitality industries. >click to read< 16:30
Happy Birthday, Ginny! Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ celebrates 103rd birthday
Virginia Oliver, affectionately known as Maine’s “Lobster Lady,” is still lobstering at the age of 103. Virginia, or Ginny as her friends call her, celebrated her 103rd birthday on Tuesday. She gathered with friends and family at the Rockland Historical Society to mark the occasion and check out the earrings she was wearing. Wayne Gray said Virginia has renewed her lobster fishing license for the 2023 season. She started lobstering with her father and older brother when she was 8 years old, so this marks her 95th year hauling traps. Video, >click to read< 12:50
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 35.9′ H & H Osmond Beal Tuna/Lobster, John Deere 6076 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 33 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:31
Rick Crane’s lobster holding tank gives him more control over selling and holding lobsters
A fisherman and business owner in Cox’s Cove, on Newfoundland’s west coast, has built his own lobster holding tank — one that can hold 48,000 pounds of the crustacean, to ensure he has more control over the selling process. Rick Crane of Crane’s Legacy says he built the tank to remain an independent seller. “The lobster market is like the stock market. It goes up and down, as you could see, like this year, with the lobster buyers not always buying. You can’t always fish and you can’t always sell. With this, this stops that.” The $500,000 lobster pound, which took several years to construct, includes a large water pump that pumps more than 1,400 litres a minute and reaches 300 metres out into the ocean off Crane’s wharf. Video, >click to read< 09:56
Canadian and American lobster industry confronts ‘ropeless’ traps after whale entanglements
Injuries to endangered North Atlantic Right Whales ensnared in fishing gear have fueled a prominent campaign by environmental groups to pressure the industry to adopt on-demand equipment that only suspends ropes in the water briefly before traps are pulled from the water. To address the problem, the U.S. and Canadian governments have imposed new regulation on lobster and crab fisheries in recent years, including the use of weak links in rope that break if a whale swims through, color-coded rope for tracing, adding more traps per buoy line, and zone closures during whale migration. Washington and Ottawa are now promoting ropeless fishing as a possible long-term solution. But lobstermen, particularly in Maine where 80% of U.S. lobster is caught, are not enthusiastic. >click to read< 08:49
Port Stephens Maritime Community Rallies Around Milanja Family
The maritime and greater community Port Stephens have rallied around the Milanja family as their much-loved fishing trawler and livelihood, the Kendon B, had to be recovered from D’Albora Marina last Tuesday. The vessel sank on its mooring on Friday 19 May which came as a double blow to the Milanja’s as Miro, owner and operator of the Kendon B, has recently been discharged from hospital battling serious health issues. Mark Milanja, eldest son of Miro, has been on hand with his brothers Mitch and Matt assisting local authorities and salvage teams around the clock since the trawler first sank. >click to read< 07:52
