Daily Archives: June 10, 2023
Massive Offshore Wind Project Gets Underway with Permission to ‘Take’ Endangered Whales
A large offshore wind farm development project is underway off the Massachusetts coast nearly two years after the project’s developer received 20 “take” permits in June 2021 for the endangered right whale from environmental bureaucrats and regulators. Vineyard Wind began offshore construction of the 62- wind turbine project Thursday, according to WBUR. During this summer’s construction of the offshore wind farm some 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, the company is permitted to incidentally kill up to 20 endangered right whales, according to the Federal Register entry for the project. >click to read< 12:41
Fishery observer accused of falsifying record in N.S. halibut fishery
Brian Richardson is a dockside monitor with Barrington Catch Centre Monitoring Association, a non-profit that provides third-party observers to record catch data for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The department alleges that in January, Richardson falsely recorded that a vessel’s fish hold was checked before and after a halibut offload in Sambro and falsely recorded that all the catch was accounted for. He was arraigned in Halifax provincial court this week on charges under federal fishery regulations. Richardson pleaded not guilty and a trial is scheduled for February 2024. >click to read< 11:17
Coast Guard investigating fishing fatality
A fishing accident has once again claimed the life of a Stonington lobsterman. Authorities say Thomas Ciomei, 58, died Friday, June 2, after entering the water east of Isle au Haut. According to Stonington Assistant Harbormaster Dana Webb, Not Enough, Ciomei’s Duffy 35, was found by fellow fisherman Lawrence Bray III about three-quarters of a mile away on Way Ledge, also known as White Ledge. Webb cautioned that much of the information he had was secondhand and subject to correction. Like others in the tight-knit community of fishermen, he was hoping for answers about the cause of the accident. >click to read< 10:27
Shrimp season may be slow, opens June 20
Georgia’s shrimp season should start well when it opens June 20, but scientists and shrimpers expect it will taper off as fall settles in the Golden Isles. That has been the case the past couple of years when shrimpers are allowed to trawl in state waters, which extend to three miles offshore, said Frank Owens, owner of City Market in Brunswick. He expects to see the same thing this year when unloading boats at the market’s docks in Brunswick. There are some of the desirable, plump, white roe shrimp being caught already. But how good those catches are and for how long that quality lasts is hard to tell, Owens said. “Today I unloaded some boats that were about half white shrimp and half brown shrimp,” Owens said this week. “These last few years, spring has been good, but fall has been a bit off.” >click to read< 09:18
The Emerging American Offshore Wind Industry is Impacting the Community of New Bedford
The Port of New Bedford is home to the wealthiest commercial fishing industry in the country. As the dominant port on the east coast, New Bedford has one of the best industrial working waterfronts with services that completely support marine industrial businesses. Fisherman are concerned that these wind developments will harmfully impact the fishing economy. With commercial fishing at the core of New Bedford’s economy, there are concerns regarding management and maintenance of both industries cohabitating. “I was adamantly opposed to having them offshore, to be honest with you. I don’t feel it’s a good environment for them,” said Captain Jim Kendall, a retired scalloper. “I think it’s going to be real problematic for them, plus it’s parking these towers right where these boats fish.” >click to read< 08:06
