Monthly Archives: July 2023
EU and UK fishermen to install cameras and sensors on boats for post-Brexit quotas
On Monday, ministers are expected to unveil a package of measures that will form part of the post-Brexit regime for fishing in British waters, following 18 months of talks with industry bodies. It will include proposals for both EU and UK vessels to be required to place monitoring equipment on their boats to enable officials to conduct audits of their catches. Currently, cameras are installed on a handful of boats involved in pilot and scientific schemes in British waters. Officials have also been examining sensors that detect or measure fishing operations such as the movement of nets. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs wants to make the technology mandatory for vessels involved in catching certain fish, after an initial period of developing the scheme with volunteer boats. >click to read< 17:12
Expect more temporary closures of P.E.I. lobster fishery, DFO says
Future in-season closures of the P.E.I. lobster fishery are not out of the question as more endangered right whales are spotted in shallow waters, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada. A portion of Lobster Fishing Area 24 was shut down in May after two right whales were spotted off P.E.I.’s north shore. It was the first time DFO had to close off that part of the area due to a whale sighting, and it meant lobster crews had to move their traps to shallower waters. It’s likely not the last time it will happen, said Brett Gilchrist, DFO’s director of national programs. Video, >click to read< 15:25
Andy Hillstrand from Deadliest Catch – What Happened to Him?
Talk about the show Deadliest Catch, and the mention of Andy Hillstrand is a must. The famous face on the show left the whole fans shocked when he decided to exit it in 2020. Andy sailed through the sea with this F/V time Bandit and his crew of sailors to catch crabs in the crab season. He was ready for everything the sea had to offer him. But his sudden exit from the reality show left everyone wondering why he would do that after years of amicable filming with the Discovery Channel. So, why did Andy have to leave the show, and where is he currently? This article answers all the questions. >click to read< 14:36
Hoyle Introduces Supporting Commercial Fishing Act
A release from Hoyle’s office said current law does not make it explicitly clear whether ports can apply for Port Infrastructure Development Program grants that support commercial fishing. Hoyle said that often leaves it up for interpretation that can overlook commercial fishing communities which are the backbone of the coastal communities. The release said Hoyle’s legislation would clarify that ports may apply for federal funding through the Maritime Administration’s PIDP for port infrastructure projects which support commercial fishing and all the jobs that comes with it. >click to read< 12:32
What salmon eat in the open ocean
After one to two years of munching on zooplankton in freshwater, young sockeye – or smolt – head for salt water to begin the next chapter of their anadromous lives, where there’s a whole different menu available. Dr. Katie Howard studies salmon diets in the open ocean and is an ocean fisheries scientist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “The sockeye, pink and chum, eat a pretty diverse array of invertebrates and fish,” she said. “And the amount that their diets overlap or don’t overlap, is really dependent on where they are.” Howard calls these three species of salmon generalists; for the most part, they’ll eat whatever is available to them. But she says chinook, or king salmon, choose different marine meals. “Chinook tend to focus more on fish and squid. But, which fish and which squid really depends on where they are and what’s available,” she said. >click to read< 11:08
American boat patrols waters around new offshore wind farms to protect jobs
A battleship-gray vessel was on the prowl. In this ramp-up for U.S. offshore wind, American marine companies and mariners fear they’ll be left behind. So Aaron Smith, president of the Offshore Marine Service Association, was looking through binoculars to see whether ships servicing the new wind farms were using foreign-flagged vessels instead of U.S.-made ships with American crews. The ship is named the Jones Act Enforcer, after the century-old law that says the transport of merchandise between U.S. points is reserved for U.S.-built, owned and documented vessels. The motto: “We’ll be watching.” Smith was documenting operations to show to federal law enforcement officials and members of Congress. 15 Photos, >click to read< 10:02
Dungeness RNLI mourns the devastating loss of much-loved Coxswain Stuart Adams
Stuart was the backbone of the RNLI station at Dungeness, providing leadership and true friendship to all the volunteers that worked with him. He guided the volunteers through huge changes throughout his years at the charity, where he lived and breathed ‘Saving Lives at Sea’. Stuart initially joined the RNLI as a volunteer in 1978 alongside his fellow fishermen in Dungeness. He was a keen fisherman from a young age and started commercial fishing as a full-time occupation after school, which is where he was introduced to the RNLI. In 2000, 22 years after joining as a volunteer, Stuart became full time Coxswain of Dungeness Lifeboat, where he dedicated his life fully to the role. Stuart was a confidante, a father figure, a calming influence and a figure of stability where no person felt unsafe going to sea under his command. He was highly respected by all that knew him, as well as being full of good humour. He actively ensured that the volunteers felt able to learn and was completely selfless in all of his endeavours. Photos, >click to read< 08:52
Big back-to-back years renew talks of Kodiak Tanner crab protections
The last two years have been big for Kodiak Tanner crab fishermen. Processors offered a record of more than $8 per pound back in 2022. And this year’s harvest levels were the highest they’ve been since 1986, making it the largest crab fishery in the state. But all that attention has also renewed discussions about how to best manage – and protect – the fishery going forward. Back in January, boats sat on anchor waiting to offload their huge crab harvests at Kodiak processors – sometimes for a week or more. Kodiak’s Tanner crab population tends to fluctuate. But when numbers are good, the season opens in mid-January. More than 130 vessels participated in this year’s fishery. Peterson said it’s welcome work for skippers and crew. >click to read< 08:02
Linda Greenlaw’s Favorite Maine Place
It was while piloting a tour a few years back that she found her favorite Maine place, a little cove on the eastern side of Morgan Bay that she appreciates for its quietude. These days, whenever she has time, she likes to hike to the cove at low tide to go clamming. . She considers herself retired from chasing swordfish, but when pressed, she takes a “never say never” stance on someday unretiring. “Swordfish are alive and colorful when they come on board,” she says. “With their big bills, it’s like catching unicorns.” Last fall, she flew to Alaska to join the cast of season 19 of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, a series that follows the day-to-day dramas of crab-fishing crews on the Bering Sea. >click to read< 20:26
Whale detection shuts down major portion of Cape Breton snow crab fishery
The detection of an endangered North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has forced the temporary closure of a major portion of the snow crab fishery off western Cape Breton. It comes just days after the season opened. The whale was detected by an acoustic sensor. Fishermen have until 5 p.m. Monday to move their gear out of a large closure zone. Many had just dropped their pots. The closure is set for 15 days. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans posted a notice of the closure to harvesters on Friday. It affects about 140 licence holders in what is known as Crab Fishing Area 19. >click to read< 17:22
BOEM Schedules In-Person Informational Meetings on Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Maine
BOEM invites you to attend in-person meetings in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine in July 2023. BOEM is seeking feedback and local knowledge from the Gulf of Maine fishing community to facilitate improvements in spatial models used to inform draft Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Maine. The in-person meetings will provide opportunities to meet with BOEM staff, learn about the data BOEM has received for the models, and provide feedback on how their spatial models are incorporating the data. The meetings will include a mixture of small-group conversations and plenary speakers. Additional opportunities to comment will be available after the meetings. >click for schedule and locations< 16:49
Fishermen fear future fishery management, delisting in SE Alaska
Chinook fishermen are celebrating the start of the 2023 summer troll season in Southeast Alaska after months of lawsuits and uncertainty blocked the fishery. Since the fishery opened two weeks ago, fishermen, some based in Bellingham, have been out in droves, keeping the $85 million industry afloat for another season. But the celebration, some say, may be premature. Fishermen across the region are keeping a close eye on the final decision in the lawsuit, anticipated later this year, and they expect more legal challenges next year. “I’m worried this is going to happen again and again and again and again,” Whatcom resident and fisherman Michael Jackson said from the deck of his fishing vessel in Alaskan waters. “To have this [fishery] turned into a political argument, and shut down people’s livelihoods, it makes me sick. It makes me absolutely sick.” >click to read< 11:51
Nicola Faith: Fishermen were probably ‘trapped on deck’ when boat capsized, inquest hears
Three fishermen who drowned probably died because they were trapped on deck when their boat capsized, an inquest has heard. Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, all died after the Nicola Faith fishing boat went down off the Conwy coast in January 2021. All three men’s bodies were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool in March 2021. The boat itself was discovered a month later on 13 April 2021, and was eventually raised in May 2021 using a 43m long crane barrage. A report following their deaths revealed the boat was not fit to sail, and there were “various faults” with the ship, including a lack of proper safety equipment. >click to read< 11:14
Rhode Island puts pause on key part of offshore wind project
State regulators have hit the pause button on permitting for a transmission line that would run up the Sakonnet River from SouthCoast Wind’s large offshore wind farm proposed in ocean waters south of Martha’s Vineyard. The Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board voted unanimously on Thursday to stay the application process for the cable that SouthCoast Wind needs to deliver electricity to the mainland grid from its proposed $5-billion project that would power more than a million homes. The three-member board made the decision in response to the company’s decision to terminate a set of long-term contracts it signed to sell power to Massachusetts utilities. >click to read< 10:21
95-Yr-Old Pours Decades Of Wisdom About Maine Island’s “Good Old Days” Into Memoir.
Donnie MacVane has lived in the same house off the coast of Long Island for his entire life. At 95, you can bet that he’s gathered a story or two about the place! Now, he’s ready to share those stories with the world. Donnie recently published his first book, and it’s a memoir. It’s called “Memories That Linger: An Anecdotal History of Long Island, Maine.” Some of Donnie’s stories offer a unique look at historic events from his personal experience; for example, what it was like to be a child during World War II. Other reminiscences deal with significant moments in his own life, such as the unusual way that he met his wife, Carol. Video, >click to read< 09:11
Suffolk and Essex fish industry revitalized by selling at Brixham
Fishermen on the Suffolk and Essex coast have begun selling their catches to a market 350 miles away and said the move has been “a game changer”. Brixham market in Devon now regularly collects fish from the east coast and sells it through its online auction. Those involved said it revitalised the fortunes of an industry whose expansion hopes were dashed after Brexit. But critics fear its success will make it harder for Lowestoft to set up its own fishing hub. Three times a week a lorry from the Brixham Fish Market visits a refrigerated lock-up at Southwold harbour in Suffolk.”It’s been a game changer for all of us,” said Fran French from Mersea Fishermen’s Association on the Essex coast. Photos, >click to read< 08:25
Nova Scotia: New Lifeboat Enters Service for the Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard on Wednesday welcomed the CCGS Chedabucto Bay into its fleet at the Lifeboat Station in Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia. The Bay Class vessel, built by Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec and delivered earlier this year, is the 14th of 20 new search and rescue lifeboats that will be dedicated into service by the Canadian Coast Guard across the country. The shore-stationed self-righting lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to search and rescue incidents at sea. These vessels will operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, maintain a maximum 30 minute state-of-readiness, and are typically ready to respond the moment an alert is received. Eah has a top speed of 25 knots and is manned by a four-person crew. >click to read< 07:43
Mary Meaux – Our shrimping industry keeps taking hits with foreign imports
Days before the opening of the Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season, a group of shrimpers held a rally in Texas City to bring awareness to the plight of Texas shrimpers and the shrimping industry in general. Tricia Kimball, whose husband Kyle is president of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association, explained the effort. The season for the Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters reopens 30 minutes after sunset Saturday, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Kyle Kimball is a third-generation commercial shrimper. He remembers standing on a 5-gallon bucket as a child helping his father pick through shrimp. It’s been his lifelong career but last year when diesel prices hit $5 per gallon, he only went out once because it was too expensive. >click to read< 20:06
Coast Guard medevacs crewmember from fishing vessel near Venice, La.
The Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a fishing vessel Wednesday near Venice, Louisiana. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a call on Channel 16 at 5:13 p.m. from the fishing vessel F/V Sea Charger requesting a medevac for a crewmember aboard who was experiencing stroke-like symptoms. Sector New Orleans watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Venice Response Boat – Medium crew to respond. A Coast Guard Cutter Tigershark boat crew also diverted to assist. The boat crews arrived on scene and embarked the man onto the RB-M which then transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Coast Guard Station Venice. The man was taken to Ochsner Medical Center West Bank where he was last reported to be in stable condition.
Still a lot of crab to be caught in Newfoundland and Labrador
A 2022 report by consultant David Conway, who was commissioned by the province to review the fish price setting system, recommended the industry begin discussions in October of that year to establish a formula for crab prices for the 2023 season. However, discussions between the FFAW and ASP didn’t get going until March, partly because both groups saw a change in leadership over the winter with Keith Sullivan resigning as union and Derek Butler leaving as executive director of the ASP. The decision on prices for this season fell to the province’s Fish Price Setting Panel which used the final offer selection model, where processors and the union each made a pitch on price and the panel had to choose one or the other. >click to read< 13:12
Aloncar Launches Innovative Artisanal Vessel
The Aloncar shipyard in Argentina launched on 17th June the last trawler in a series of three similar vessels that have been under construction since last year. Virgen de Itatí 2 replaces a smaller coastal boat with the same name which has been operating from the Patagonian port of Rawson for more than 15 years. Although it has an overall length of just 10 metres, Virgen de Itatí 2 is designed to have the functionality of a larger, modern fishing vesel. The shipyard’s engineers took care to optimise its hydrodynamic qualities, developing a final layout that has proved to be effective and stable. The design incorporated an inverted bow arrangement. Virgen de Itatí 2 is also outfitted with the latest equipment. Photos, >click to read< 11:55
Retired Commercial Fisherman Bernard J. Mattera of San Pedro, California, has passed away
It is with heavy hearts to announce the peaceful passing of our beloved Father. Bernard J. Mattera, born and raised in San Pedro, California, on July 17, 1933, passed away on July 3, 2023, surrounded by his loving family, just 14 days short of his 90th birthday. Benny was a retired Commercial Fisherman of 55 years. He was a proud owner of several fishing boats, including bait and tuna boats. He was most proud of FV Pioneer, which he captained and engineered alongside his son John. Dad enjoyed his family immensely, especially his great-grandchildren. Benny was a prayerful man and would pray up to 15 complete Rosaries a day for his family and whoever had a request and need. >click to read< 10:32
Weekend event to challenge wind farm plans up and down shore
Offshore wind power opponents scheduled a waterfront protest starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, with plans for participants to gather on beaches throughout South Jersey. Some have posted plans to gather in Ocean City, Wildwood Crest, on Long Beach Island and on Atlantic County beaches. “This is not just an Ocean City event. This is all New Jersey beaches and beyond,” said Adrienne Possenti, a Vineland resident who is helping organize the Ocean City gathering. But she said the Ocean City gathering is particularly urgent as the plans call for cables to pass under the city to bring offshore wind power to the grid. “If we can stop that, we stop the rest of the project,” Possenti said Wednesday. >click to read< 09:38
Wind Farm Protesters to “Link Hands” on Beaches – Opponents of a proposed wind energy farm off the South Jersey coast will link hands on the beaches Saturday in a protest symbolizing their unified fight against a project they believe will be an environmental and economic disaster. Photos, info, >click to read< 11:30
The new Vietnamese generation leaves the seafood business behind in Mississippi. Why?
The son does not know how to sew the nets. The father took the old boat out last month but caught no shrimp. And the docks at Bayou Caddy, where Sau Truong once taught young Elvis Ta the ways of the Gulf of Mexico, are quiet this summer. The fishermen have all gone home. “Real soon,” Ta predicts, “the Gulf Coast shrimp industry will be gone.” One by one, the children of Vietnamese fishermen on the Mississippi Coast are forsaking the livelihood that once meant everything to their families. The water was Truong’s world, four decades ago, he had fled home, crossed an ocean and eventually bought his own boat. For some, the shift is not a shock. Nguyen said many parents are excited to see kids follow careers that they choose, instead of careers they have no choice but to do. Photos, >click to read< 08:52
Midcoast Maine lobsterman Sadie Samuels featured in new NBC series on women in food
Rockport lobster boat captain and Belfast restaurant owner Sadie Samuels was featured on an NBC streaming show in a recent episode focusing on women in the commercial fishing industry. In the Head of the Table streaming show “Women on the Water” episode, host Elena Bessert introduces viewers to both Samuels and a Washington state indigenous fishing guide and outdoor influencer. Samuels comes from a fishing family and got her student lobster license at age 7 when she began throwing a few traps from her father’s lobster boat. At age 14, she bought her own boat, named Must Be Nice. She still fishes from that boat. >click to read< 07:43
Harried shrimpers pessimistic as Gulf season opens
Capt. Trey Branch and deckhand Cliff Dunn were at work Tuesday morning at a Hillman’s Seafood & Fish House dock preparing the shrimp boat Capt. Hunter for the opening Saturday of Gulf shrimp season. Dunn and Branch are lifelong shrimpers, from generations of shrimpers. Once, the days just before the boats took to Gulf waters after shrimp were a time of hard work and keen anticipation of profits to make it all worthwhile. Not so much any more, the shrimpers said. The hard work is still there, but profits have plummeted in part because of cheaper, farm-raised foreign shrimp flooding the market and higher operating costs driven by inflation, especially in fuel prices. 5 photos, >click to read< 20;47
N.S. fishermen rescued by coast guard land safely in St. John’s
Seven Nova Scotia fishermen say they’re happy to be back on solid ground in St. John’s after their boat took on water and they had to be rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard. John Gilkie, part of the crew of the Addie N Ainslie fishing for halibut out of Sambro, N.S., said the crew noticed a shaft vibration on the boat and decided to call their trip short. While coasting back in search of a tow on Tuesday, Gilkie said they heard a loud bang. “When we checked that, there was water pouring in in two different directions,”>click to read< 16:19
Crab season closures ‘devastating’ for Bering Sea fishing family
For Kodiak’s Gabriel Prout, crab fishing is both an occupation and a way of life. “There’s something special about being on the water and being a Bering Sea crab fisherman,” said Prout, whose father spent 45 years fishing on the Bering Sea. “It’s kind of hard to explain. There is a deep appreciation for what we do and the resource and the job and the work we put in.” In the summer of 2020, Prout and his brothers purchased a boat and took out loans to buy fishing rights. But in the fall of 2022, his family was hit with multiple setbacks. Not only had the Alaska Department of Fish and Game canceled the Bristol Bay red king crab season for the second year in a row, the Bering Sea snow crab season was also canceled. Video, >click to read< 14:04