Daily Archives: July 31, 2023
Shipshape: Simplifying Boat Control and Improving Maneuverability
Before his vessel Hard Merchandise returned to the water for this year’s bluefin season, “Wicked Tuna” star Captain Dave Marciano of Angelica’s Fisheries fishing charters upgraded it with the AVENTICS Marex 3D joystick from Emerson. He had added a new bow thruster to gain better control of the bow of his boat when fighting fish. The new joystick offers an alternative steering solution that can be used instead of a traditional steering wheel, giving Marciano single-handed, highly precise steering control. From pursuing and reeling in bluefin to docking, it’s critical that a ship moves exactly as a captain intends. >click to read< 18:52
Boat recovery underway one week after B.C. man presumed drowned
Travis Van Hill’s family has been waiting for a full week now for the wreckage of his boat to be pulled from the lake. The commercial fishing boat captain went down with his vessel Monday, July 24 during a storm on Okanagan Lake. His body has yet to be located or resurface. Red tape and paperwork have prevented anyone from retrieving him or his boat, according to Travis’ family. “His body will be decomposed and won’t look like my handsome husband,” wife Kim Van Hill said. But today, Monday, July 31, appears to be the day that action may finally take place. >click to read< 16:51
Mass DMF’s On-Demand Fishing Gear Economic Modeling Report Released
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has completed the second phase of a two-year project, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to develop the first-of-its-kind evaluation of the operational costs of on-demand fishing gear technology by Massachusetts lobster fishermen. On-demand fishing gear, commonly known as ropeless fishing gear, replaces traditional vertical buoy lines, which can result in entanglements with marine mammals including North Atlantic right whales, with new gear retrieval and marking methods. Most on-demand fishing gear systems consist of submerged buoyancy devices that are activated using time-release mechanisms or acoustic signals transmitted from the surface. Click the links inside for the report. >click to read< 15:47
Search continues for missing 18-year-old Maine lobsterman Tylar Michaud
The search for a missing 18-year-old lobsterman entered its 10th day on Monday. Though rescuers have found no signs of Tylar Michaud, and the U.S. Coast Guard withdrew from the operation, the Maine Marine Patrol will continue to look for the missing lobsterman in the coming weeks. Michaud of Steuben was reported missing on July 21 after he failed to return from a day of hauling and setting lobster traps. Those who saw the boat and have years of experience working on the water say evidence on board points to Michaud having been dragged overboard with his gear. >click to read< 13:21
Orsted hit with lawsuit over ‘$1bn unconstitutional giveaway’ for giant US offshore wind farm
Orsted’s gigascale Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind project is under threat from a lawsuit filed by opponents in the US state of New Jersey who claim the proposal has benefited from an “unconstitutional $1bn giveaway”. Legal counsel for opposition groups Protect Our Coast NJ and Defend Brigantine Beach said they filed the suit in the state’s Superior Court last week. Orsted’s gigascale Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind project is under threat from a lawsuit filed by opponents in the US state of New Jersey who claim the proposal has benefited from an “unconstitutional $1bn giveaway”. >click to read< 11:21
Fisherman winched off trawler 25 miles off St Ann’s Head
The call was made to Angle Lifeboat just before 1pm on Thursday that a crew member had lost his finger on board a 38-metre beam trawler. The St Athans Coastguard Rescue helicopter was also tasked to assist with the fisherman’s recovery. “We reached the fishing vessel within around an hour of the call and transferred two of our crew members, who are casualty care-trained, on board to assess the situation,” said a spokesperson for Angle lifeboat. The casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat but following the helicopter’s arrival, it was decided to lower the winchman down to the lifeboat to assess and further treat the casualty. “Once the the paramedic winchman was on deck, it was decided to winch the casualty into the helicopter so that he could be flown to hospital for further care,” added the crew member. >click to read< 10:19
New Peterhead festival to champion north-east seafood
Europe’s top white-fish port will provide the backdrop for a new north-east food and drink festival this autumn. SeaFest Peterhead has been organised to champion the area’s valuable seafood sector. Organisers are already hailing the new addition to the Blue Toon’s social calendar as a “must see”. It is due to take place at the harbour on Saturday September 9 from 11am to 4pm. Billed as a “fin-tastic” extravaganza to “shell-ebrate” the bounty of the sea, it will showcase the rich fishing heritage of Peterhead and the wider north-east region. >click to read< 09:15
Leeman: Maine must hit pause on offshore wind turbines
You wouldn’t buy a house without an inspection, so why would we fill the Gulf of Maine with wind turbine superstructures without understanding how they interact with the marine environment? Offshore wind energy features too many unknowns to proceed at this point with widescale ocean industrialization. That’s why my organization, the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) has joined with partner organizations to call on state and federal authorities to reset our renewable energy policy. The state of Maine is developing a floating offshore wind research array at a 15-square-mile site in the Gulf of Maine. >click to read< 08:17
