Monthly Archives: July 2023
Alaska leaders petition the US Supreme Court for reversal of EPA ban on Pebble Mine
The Dunleavy administration on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to block the controversial Pebble copper and gold mine. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in the statement, echoed arguments made in the brief assert the EPA action effectively confiscates state property and clashes with the Alaska constitution’s mandates. “Our constitution is clear: Alaska is responsible for utilizing, developing, and conserving all of the State’s natural resources for the maximum benefit of its people,” Dunleavy said in the statement. “Bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are exercising unbridled and unlawful power to choke off any further discussion on this important decision affecting so many Alaskans.” >click to read< 18:09
Fisheries union, harvesters eager to work with new federal minister
Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal MP for the Quebec riding of Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, was one of several ministers to assume new roles in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet on Wednesday. She leaves the revenue portfolio to assume the role of minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard from Joyce Murray, who has announced she will not seek re-election. FFAW president Greg Pretty said he’s eager to meet the new minister. “This woman is from the Gaspé Peninsula. She represents harvesters, we got a lot in common,” Pretty said Wednesday. >click to read< 15:38
Historic schooner to salmon tender: the Aleutian Express sails on 100 years of history
This summer, an unusual looking salmon tender is anchored in the Naknek-Kvichak District. The Aleutian Express is a historic, 3–masted schooner that came sailing up from Washington State for the Bristol Bay sockeye season. With three masts and filled sails, this iconic vessel has been instrumental in many chapters of Alaskan history. Owner John Clutter first laid eyes on the boat in Chignik waters in 1993. He’s captained the vessel across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for the last eighteen years, and he says it’s become recognizable in many ports and across many generations. Clutter says in 1912, the boat’s history started off with a bang. “The first operation, I guess they couldn’t get the boat out of gear and they crashed into the bridge. And I think that dent is still in the bow,” Clutter said. >click to read< More photos and info about >Alutian Express < 14:38
Clarice, the Calico Lobster
In his 15 years of commercial lobster fishing, David Stamatis says he’s never seen a lobster like the one he pulled out of his trap in Cape Cod Bay on July 18. From among the typical brick-red and brown crustaceans crawled a black lobster mottled with bright yellow and orange spots. A calico lobster is a one-in-30-million mutant. It is the third-rarest lobster variant in the world, behind only the split-colored and the albino lobsters. But now he has to figure out what to do with it. He has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to give it away. “I want to donate it so that others can enjoy it and maybe it can be studied,” he said. There’s one particular fate Stamatis hopes doesn’t befall the lobster: “I don’t want anyone to eat it.” >click to read< 11:37
Search for Steuben Lobsterman Missing Since Friday, July 21st Continues
Steuben – The Maine Marine Patrol is continuing a targeted search today for lobsterman Tylar Michaud, 18 of Steuben, who has been missing since Friday, July 21st. Today’s search involves the Maine State Police/Marine Patrol Dive Team, Maine Warden Service, Marine Patrol vessels and airplane along with additional air support from the Army National Guard and members of the Air National Guard using personal aircraft. The search, which has been on-going since last Friday, has also involved many members of the local community and fishermen. Today’s search is focusing on the waters near Petit Manan Island.
Humboldt Bay – Port of Entry
Big changes are afoot on the Samoa Peninsula. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District is planning to construct a large manufacturing center to craft and assemble giant wind turbines suitable for the deep offshore waters of the Pacific Coast. Officially known as the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Multipurpose Marine Terminal Project, the port development is a crucial step to bring plans to build a first-of-its kind wind farm off the Pacific Coast to fruition. It would also position Humboldt’s as the only port on the West Coast built to manufacture and repair the turbines — a potential economic boon for the area as the industry enters a period of unprecedented growth. In an effort to address the climate crisis, the Biden administration issued an executive order about a year ago requiring 30 gigawatts of energy to be produced by offshore winds by 2030. >click to read< 10:04
N.L. fishing companies in tug of war over towing bill
The dispute between Ocean Choice International and Newfound Resources has now reached the Federal Court, with one vessel being arrested by sheriffs last week, and both sides accusing the other of wrongdoing. Newfound has gone to court, trying to recover the nearly $270,000 plus HST it says it is owed by Ocean Choice, while Ocean Choice has paid $200,000 to Newfound, and is refusing to hand over any more cash, saying the bill is excessive. It all started Jan. 30, while the Newfoundland Lynx was harvesting shrimp for Ocean Choice in the Hopedale Channel, off the coast of Labrador. The Lynx lost propulsion in ice-infested water and issued a distress call. The Canadian Coast Guard was unable to respond, so the Newfoundland Victor, which harvests Newfound’s shrimp quota and was fishing nearby, came to its aid. >click to read< 09:09
Maine Fishermen, scientists find flaws in potential wind energy lease areas
BOEM officials called the meeting to review newly released draft maps of where federal leases could be offered in the Gulf of Maine, known as the “call” area. They wanted fishermen’s feedback to see where the maps fell short based on what fishermen know from working on the water. “This is very difficult for our industry to face,” said Dustin Delano, New England Fishermen Stewardship’s chief operating officer, former vice president of the Maine Lobster Association and a fourth-generation lobsterman out of Friendship. “A lot of us feel this is going to wipe us off the map.” The fishermen present were unconvinced but resigned. >click to read< 07:55
Who is Canada’s newest fisheries minister and what tasks lie ahead for Diane Lebouthillier?
With a marine coastline that measures 243,042 kilometers—the most of any country in the world—Canada’s fishing grounds and Coast Guard service areas touch the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The mandate of the fisheries minister, as outlined on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans website, is wide-reaching and complex. Her department’s job is to protect Canada’s oceans and waterways and provide economic opportunities to Canadians and coastal communities. Drill down to local issues, however, and there are hundreds. Here’s a look at some of them. >click to read< 19:55
Coast Guard, good Samaritans assist 4 aboard shrimping vessel taking on water near St. Simons Island
The Coast Guard and good Samaritans assisted four people Tuesday after their shrimping vessel began taking on water near St. Simons Island, Georgia. Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a notification at 10:33 p.m, via VHF-FM channel 16 marine radio, from the Joann B, a 75-foot shrimping vessel, stating their vessel was taking on water 4 miles east of St. Simons Island. The boat crew and air crew arrived on scene and began rendering assistance with three dewatering pumps. Good Samaritans from the fishing vessel Miss Vicky and commercial salvage also assisted with dewatering efforts. Photos, video. >click to read< 16:37
Meet the Women Making Waves in Maine’s Tough Lobster Industry
When Krista Tripp was 18, she’d completed all of the hours at sea necessary to get her captain’s license, but her parents submitted her brother’s paperwork to the State of Maine and not hers. Why? Even though Krista had been hauling traps since she was eight years old and running her own boat since 15, the expectation was that now she’d settle down and start having babies. “My brother and I shared the boat, we had 150 traps, and I became obsessed at an early age,” Tripp recalls. “I knew that was what I wanted to do. But, as a girl, my parents didn’t really take me seriously.” Tripp would spend the next few years working as a sternman off of a scallop boat in Massachusetts. Eventually, she returned to Maine, and after 14 years, she got herself off the waiting list and became the captain of her own lobster boat. Today, she has been captaining her own lobster boat for more than eight years. Photos, >click to read< 14:23
FFAW Welcomes New Federal Fisheries Minister
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal cabinet shuffle today has announced Diane Lebouthillier as the new Minister for Fisheries and Oceans, replacing the Joyce Murray as the federal head of fisheries management. The Union that represents all inshore fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador looks forward to working with Minister Lebouthillier, hoping for a renewed focus on robust science and economically sustainable management. >click to read< 12:53
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ Young Brothers Tuna/Charter, Caterpillar 3126
To review specifications, information, and 34 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 11:45
Fisherman missing on Okanagan Lake identified by family
Maddy Pool identified the missing man as her step-father, Travis Van Hill. She says Van Hill was working last night on a boat that fishes for shrimp at night. According to Pool, no storm was forecasted last night, which is why the boats went out. She said the company is “really smart” about storms. “There were two boats out there last night. The one boat made it in safe and the other one didn’t, which was the one that my stepdad was on.” The boat capsized near Ellison Provincial Park at the north end of the lake, and being that Van Hill was working, WorkSafeBC has been called in. >click to read< , and here. 10:50
Fisherman’s friend: Blue lobster caught for second time is released into the sea
What do you call a once in a lifetime experience when it happens for a second time? Perhaps Bangor fisherman Stuart Brown is the man to ask. Catching an extremely rare blue lobster is said to be a one in two million chance. Doing it again just a few months later and the odds soar. Same lobster, same boat, same location off the Belfast coastline. The second catch, from the waters close to Blackhead Lighthouse on the northern shores of Belfast Lough, was even more unlikely because lobsters do not usually remain in the same area. Photos, >click to read< 10:18
Community mourns young lobsterman lost at sea
Tylar Michaud’s boat, F/V Top Gun, was found Friday, July 21, southwest of Petit Manan Bar, with its engine running but no one on board. “The whole community is shaken by this,” said state Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, a Winter Harbor resident and himself a lobsterman. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this community that isn’t somehow connected to Tylar by family or friendship.” Michaud, a Steuben resident, was fishing alone, which carries inherent risks, but relative Michael Faulkingham said Tylar had fished for about five years on his own. He had also worked on Michael’s boat last year. “I know how careful he was and how smart he was on the boat, and how vigilant he was about paying attention and being careful,” Michael said. “He’s been a part of our family for about 11, 12 years. He was exceptionally responsible and wise on the water beyond his years.” >click to read< 08:59
Young fishing crews question future of fishery
Wesley Blough and Jordan Manor are childhood friends, growing up crewing on their fathers’ boats in Bristol Bay. Now in their mid twenties, they live in Hoonah, Alaska and Bainbridge Island, Washington respectively but they return each season to deckhand. For the young fishermen, it’s like a family reunion. “Jordan and I have known each other now for nine years. And this is the only time we see each other,” Blough said, “Four weeks into the fishing season, processors posted a record-low base price of 50 cents per pound – less than half of last year’s price – igniting outrage and frustration among crews across the fishery. Jordan and Wesley’s fathers Darren Manor and Cheyne Blough helped organize the protest in the Naknek River on July 20, where over one hundred boats anchored up in a demonstration, calling on processors to increase the base price and transparency in the fishery. >click to read< 07:55
When Nuts Write: ‘Chevron Deference’ Attacked By Pence’s Koch-Funded Front Groups Supporting Fishing Lobby
In April, we noticed fisherman Jerry Leeman was impressively adept at anti-offshore wind media relations work, and wondered if he was receiving assistance from professional disinformation operatives. Then last month, we spotted a tell suggesting Leeman was working with none other than Steve Milloy the template for tobacco shills turned climate deniers, to launch his new fishing lobby group. Now, we’ve spotted another clue that Leeman’s career change from the high seas to lobbying for the fishing industry has some big fish on the line. >click to read<, (if you can stomach it.) Lots of links. >click to read from Jerry Leeman< 17:11
Strong Amicus Support in Fishermen Case Challenging Chevron Deference
New Jersey herring fishermen challenging an unlawful federal regulation at the Supreme Court next fall got a boost yesterday in the form of amicus briefs supporting their case—Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc. v. Raimondo. The briefs were filed by fellow fishermen, professors, small business, industry, legal advocacy groups, public policy groups, and elected officials. A total of 44 briefs were filed by 171 amici, including 18 U.S. senators, 18 U.S. representatives, 27 state attorneys general, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. The fishermen are challenging a federal regulation that forces them to pay the salaries of government-mandated at-sea monitors who observe their operations and report to the government. The fishermen argue Congress never granted the executive branch the authority to force them to pay for monitors. >click to read< 16:05
Vancouver MP Joyce Murray won’t seek re-election
Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray has announced she will not run again in the next federal election. Murray is currently serving as the federal minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. She announced her decision to not seek re-election on Twitter Tuesday. She says the decision came “after much thought and reflection,” adding this term will be her last. “My work in politics and time serving my community both federally and provincially as an elected official has been the honour of my life,” she said. >click to read< 14:42
Irish fishermen face double Brexit whammy as EU funding deadline looms
Irish fishing businesses face a double whammy this year of having less fish to catch and being unable to draw down EU Brexit funding in time. Tight deadlines, a lack of labour and materials shortages are putting at risk hundreds of millions of euros worth of funding from Brussels that MEP Billy Kelleher said is crucial to keep coastal communities afloat. “All the plans are in. Everything is done. It’s just the inability to draw down,” Mr Kelleher said of the EU funding. “Brexit hasn’t gone away. The impact of it hasn’t gone away. So I mean it would be a shame to forfeit funding that could ameliorate or reduce the impact of Brexit in certain communities.” >click to read< 12:11
Proposal before Maine lawmakers would jumpstart offshore wind projects
Maine is poised to launch an offshore wind program that would meet clean energy goals and produce enough power for about 900,000 homes from floating wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine. The bill was revised after a veto by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to ensure non-union companies can get into the business, setting a path to approval by the Maine Senate and House on Tuesday. Approval would put Maine on a path to catch up with other states that already have offshore wind projects. It also includes incentives aimed at ensuring wind power developers steer clear of lucrative lobster fishing grounds. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mark Lawrence, D-York, said he believes the compromise bill has necessary “guardrails in place to make sure this is done right and truly benefits Mainers.” >click to read< 11:23
Menhaden ship captain cited for violating new fishing restrictions on Louisiana coast
The captain of a menhaden ship was cited for fishing within a restricted buffer zone off Terrebonne Parish near Vermillion Bay early this month, the first such citation under new rules. According to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Michael J. Tapper, 47, of Moss Point, Miss. used his 154-foot “mother ship” to fish “well inside” a new buffer zone that restricts menhaden fishing within a quarter mile of the coast. The new restrictions, which went into effect last year, established even larger buffers around Elmer’s Island, Grand Isle and Grand Terre Island. The citation is the first under the restrictions. >click to read< 10:34
Fishermen, activists protest offshore wind farms near Montauk, cite recent whale deaths
The winds of change are blowing. Conservative activists, environmentalists and New Jersey fishermen protested the construction of wind turbines off the East Coast on Monday, highlighting increasing whale deaths in the region that they say are tied to offshore renewable energy. The coalition, organized by the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, sent out three boats to South Fork Wind Farm, roughly 20 miles from both Martha’s Vineyard and Montauk, NY, holding signs that read “STOP WINDMILLS SAVE WHALES” while shouting through a bullhorn at machinery operators to halt construction. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2017 declared an “unusual mortality event” for humpback whales found dead on beaches from Maine to Florida. The agency has recorded 57 large whale strandings since December 1, 2022 on the Atlantic coast. Twelve occurred in New York; nine were discovered in New Jersey. Photos, >click to read< 09:04
Seeking closure for lobsterman’s family: ‘No one wants a man lost at sea’
As Tylar Michaud headed home to Steuben from lobster fishing on Thursday, he told his father it had been a beautiful day on the water with no fog. They talked about finding time to finally get out on his boat together. “He was really proud of it and he wanted to get me out there to go fishing with him,” Ron Michaud said. Barely 24 hours later, Tylar Michaud’s boat, Top Gun, was found with no one aboard, setting off an intense search for the 18-year-old commercial fisherman. After an unsuccessful weekend search that was at times hampered by thick fog, the Maine Marine Patrol continued searching for Michaud on Monday. >click to read< 07:52
Spanish mackerel fishery changes force anglers to leave livelihoods with no compensation
For decades, Lisa Putzka’s life was governed by wind and tides. Mrs. Putzka and her husband Walter made their living catching Spanish mackerel off the North Queensland coast. But everything changed in 2022 when Mr. Putzka was diagnosed with brain cancer and given less than two years to live. At the same time, a major shake-up of the east coast Spanish mackerel fishery was announced, sending shockwaves through the fishing community. From July, the entire commercial catch quota was slashed from 578 to 165 tonnes, a reduction of more than 71 per cent. Among them is 67-year-old Trevor Purkis, who had planned to fish his way into retirement onboard his beloved Trevanna. Instead, he is preparing to sell his boat at a loss and leave the industry. “It’s going to break my heart,” Mr Purkis said. “Forty-three years I’ve been going to sea on this boat.” Photos, >click to read< – 20:49
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 24, 2023
How Well Is the CCA Mindset Working? Last week I showed you just one of the many tricks the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA) uses to sway public perception of our fisheries in North Carolina. Another trick CCA has mastered is simply not answering questions. If you watched the interview last week maybe you noticed this trick as well. I will link the interview again if you care to rewatch: >click to read, with reference links, videos< 19:22
IAMPE Honors Capt. Geno Marconi with Lifetime Achievement Award
The International Association of Maritime and Port Executives is pleased the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Captain Geno Marconi, Captain Marconi is the Director of the New Hampshire Port Authority, which is a Division of the Pease Development Authority. The award recognizes the profound impact that Captain Marconi has had in the port and maritime industries. A native of the New Hampshire seacoast, Captain Marconi grew up working in the commercial fishing industry with his family. He has owned and operated commercial fishing vessels engaged in the harvest of lobster, ground fish, and northern shrimp. He began his career in service of the marine industries as the Portsmouth Harbor Master in 1975 and expanded the position in 1979 to include management of the state-owned Portsmouth Commercial Fish Pier. >click to read< 17:50
Newfoundland sisters continue family’s lobster legacy
It’s raining heavily and the waves are high near Bonne Bay, but Julia Crocker and Josie Hann are full of smiles as they work. The Newfoundland sisters are lobster fishing outside the tiny village of Curzon, near Woody Point. Ms. Crocker navigates the boat, while Ms. Hann pulls in the traps. Ms. Crocker and Ms. Hann have been fishing since they were teenagers. Their father, Morris Brake, needed crew members for his enterprise and both girls seized the opportunity. For Ms. Crocker, it’s now close to 20 years and for Ms. Hann, it’s nearing six. “We’re the only female lobster crew here in the area,” Ms. Hann proudly says. Photos, >click to read< 16:07
How foreign private equity hooked New England’s fishing industry
The 85-foot trawler, deep green and speckled with rust, was returning from a grueling fishing trip deep into the Atlantic swells. As sunrise broke over New Bedford harbor, the fish were offloaded in plastic crates onto the asphalt dock of Blue Harvest Fisheries, one of the largest fishing companies on the East Coast. About 390 million pounds of seafood move each year through New Bedford’s waterfront, the top-earning commercial fishing port in the nation. Leeman and his crew are barely sharing in the bounty. On deck, Leeman held a one-page “settlement sheet,” the fishing industry’s version of a pay stub. Blue Harvest charges Leeman and his crew for fuel, gear, leasing of fishing rights, and maintenance on the company-owned vessel. Across six trips in the past 14 months, Leeman netted about 14 cents a pound, and the crew, about 7 cents each — a small fraction of the $2.28 per pound that a species like haddock typically fetches at auction. Photos, >click to read< 12:04
