Daily Archives: August 12, 2023
Commercial Fisherman Paul Anthony Kavon of Petersburg, AK, and Ventura, California has passed away
Paul Anthony Kavon was born in Pewaukee, Wisconsin on September 26, 1958, the son of Martin and Ruth Kavon. On August 1, 2023, he went to his eternal home while doing what he loved best, commercial fishing near Petersburg, Alaska. During his college years, Paul began working summers in Alaska first in the oil fields, and later in commercial fishing. In 1986, he took up residence in Petersburg, Alaska to pursue a full-time career in commercial salmon fishing. In 1989, Paul met and married Camille Despain, and the couple later had three children, Tanner, Sierra, and Hayden. In 2002, the family moved from Alaska to Oxnard, California, where Paul transitioned his fishing operation to the coastal pelagic fisheries along the state’s southern coastlines. Paul left the fishing industry a few years later to manage a fuel dock station for fishing vessels at Ventura Harbor in Ventura, California. 4 photos, >click to read< 15:43
Fish plants are busy with crab, so here’s how harvesters are selling their catch of cod and are getting creative to sell it
“We’re down here today filleting our fish because we have nowhere to sell our fish,” said fisherman Wade King. “None of the fish plants were buying, so we got a restaurant in Mount Pearl [buying], King Cod.” Snow crab harvesters kept their boats tied up at the beginning of the fishing season in April to protest the price set for their catch. After a six-week delay, the fishery began at the same price that had been set to start the season. But the delay means plants are still busy processing crab when they’d normally be processing cod. King said he’s still without a buyer three weeks into the cod fishery, which is something he’s never seen before. >click to read< 13:14
The Financial Viability of New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Farms Possibly in Jeopardy
The final nail in the coffin for offshore wind energy projects on the East Coast might be in danger by the policies of the very same people touting clean energy. Politicians like New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and President Joe Biden, more specifically, their economic policies on energy, inflation, labor and equity could be the foundation for the failure of the very programs they are trying to enable. Inflation, supply chain issues, and the increase in goods and services due to raw materials and crude oil prices could eventually sink their plans for massive offshore wind energy farms. New Jersey is not alone in facing challenges with offshore wind energy. Connecticut’s Park City Wind, an 800-megawatt project, also finds itself in danger. >click to read< 11:37
Mullet fishers keep proud tradition alive for next generation along south-east Queensland beaches
For more than a century, commercial fishermen have been gathering on some of Queensland’s most popular beaches every winter, poised for action as a cool breeze blows. Their four-wheel drives, stacked with metal cages and boats piled with fishing nets, take up room usually reserved for sunbathing holidaymakers. It’s mullet fishing season along Queensland’s southern coast as the fish migrate north to spawn during the colder months of the year. The practice of fishing for mullet with nets off the beach, and the highly prized licences, are passed down through the generations. “I do it because that’s virtually all I know and I’ve done this since I was a little kid,” commercial fisherman Michael Thompson says. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:56
SILLE MARIE – Karstensens Shipyard delivers new trawler to Norway
On July 2, 2021, a contract was entered into between Sille Marie AS and Karstensens Shipyard A/S for the construction of a new 65.90 m trawler. The newbuilding is now completed and delivered to the shipping company. A christening ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023, in Kristiansand. Sille Marie AS is owned by Carl Aamodt and the Salthaug family from Søgne, Norway. The shipping company was established in 2015. This vessel is the company’s first newbuilding and will replace the previous “Sille Marie,” which was purchased from Sweden in 2015 and has now been sold back to Sweden. The company is led by Carl Aamodt in collaboration with skipper Bastian Salthaug, Yngvar Salthaug, and chief engineer Tobias Salthaug. Lots of photos, >click to read< 09:56
Miz Shirley’s Shrimp Shack after Hurricane Ian
Captain James and Shirley Driggers, owners of Miz Shirley’s Shrimp Shack, have been shrimping for nearly three decades, before Hurricane Ian. Shirley and James sell freshly-caught pink shrimp in Key West. “We started doing this because we need a house but also we need to stay in business. We need to keep our boat up,” Shirley said. Before Hurricane Ian, Shirley and James would pack their boat (named Miz Shirley) with shrimp and unload at the dock on Fort Myers Beach. The couple hired a captain to take Miz Shirley into Key West waters for shrimp, while James and Shirley sell. Video, >click to read< 09:05
New commercial whelk fishery to open in eastern Nova Scotia
A new commercial Whelk fishery that will officially start in the spring of 2024 was announced Friday outside Louisbourg Seafood facilities in Louisbourg, N.S. “It’s a big deal and it means we will have stability going forward,” said Al MacLean, senior operations manager for Louisbourg Seafoods. Whelk is a large sea snail that is harvested in deep waters and generally exported to Asia. The goal is to increase the availability and quality of seafood in international markets, while creating jobs here at home. “We have 65 people working here today and they’ll work for three-and-a-half to four months beyond what their normal work period was and we hope in the future that we see that grow. We can see allocations to Louisbourg grow and our production staff grow along with it,” said MacLean. Video, >click to read< 08:02
