Daily Archives: August 23, 2023
Community offers ‘love and support’ to Virginia fisherman run over by girlfriend
A Northern Neck community is rallying around a local fisherman who remains hospitalized after his romantic partner allegedly ran him over with a vehicle outside the Omega Protein plant in Reedville. The incident occurred Sunday evening, and now the woman who allegedly ran him over faces additional, upgraded charges related to the incident. Friends of the victim, Andrew Muncy, said he loved working on a fishing boat for Omega Protein, one of the largest employers in the area. “It’s one of the biggest jobs you can have around here, and to see him out of commission, out of work right now, it kind of puts him in a spot he don’t know he’s in yet,” said Josie Webb, who said he has known Muncy for years. Video, >click to read< 19:05
Imported shrimp eaten in U.S. may not be safe – U.S. Rep. Castor wants to do something about it
With inventories of shrimp sitting at docks throughout the Gulf Coast due to an abundance of imported seafood, the shrimp industry and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida want to increase the purchase of domestic shrimp in the United States and provide more federal funding to regulate imported shrimp for consumers. John Williams is the executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, which represents members of the shrimp industry from Texas through North Carolina. He said a lot of his members that are suffering right now. Castor’s bill, the Laws Ensuring Safe Shrimp Act (LESS Act) would address that issue by vastly increasing funding for the FDA to do inspections of foreign produced shrimp. >click to read< 16:07
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 95′ Steel Dragger, Detroit 12V-149 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 28 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 13:57
Portland Lobster Co. buys lobster pound on Bailey Island in Casco Bay
“With the purchase of our own lobster pound in the pristine environment surrounding Bailey Island, we can ensure that our lobsters are sourced directly from the productive and healthy waters of Casco Bay,” said Ethan Morgan, who owns the Portland Lobster Co. and has bought the Bailey Island Lobster Pier for an undisclosed price. “This acquisition allows us to establish a close partnership with local fishermen, supporting them while having a direct line to their daily catches.” Morgan said the deal was a strategic move to designed to receive, house and transport lobsters for his restaurant, Portland Lobster Co., eliminating the need for the lobsters to sit in tanks for weeks at a time. >click to read< 13:06
Bundoran fisherman sees double as rare Orange lobster pays second visit
You can do the numbers on finding an orange lobster that has not already been served on a platter, so to have discovered two last year, after a lifetime of fishing off Donegal shores, was a bit of a coup for Bundoran based fisherman, Sean Carty, when out checking his pots this week. While checking his pots as per usual earlier this week, what appeared to be another orange lobster emerged from the ocean, but there was more to this ’tail’ than met the eye. However, he had to do a ‘double take’ when he realised that he had clashed claws with this same lobster before. >click to read< 12:20
Fishing industry welcomes move as WA government puts proposed legislation on ice
New fishing laws a decade in the making have been put on hold by the Western Australian government just months before they are due to come into force. The Aquatic Resources Management Act (ARMA) was to be governing legislation for the recreational and commercial fishing industries, replacing the 1994 Fish Resources Management Act and the Pearling Act 1990. It was due for enactment on November 1. However, mid-last month, the government told the industry it would be delayed indefinitely. WA Fishing Industry Council chief executive Darryl Hokey welcomed Fisheries Minister Don Punch’s move to delay the ARMA legislation, saying it was not ready due to “ambitious and rushed consultation” in its final preparation stages by a “gutted” state department. >click to read< 11:20
Commercial fisherman Jeffrey Thomas Clements of Oak Bluffs, Marthas Vineyard, has passed away
Jeffrey Thomas Clements, 67, passed away on Friday, August 4, 2023, while out on his boat off State Beach, doing what he loved. Jeffrey was born on July 18, 1956, in Oak Bluffs. He was the son of Albert R. Clements and Lorraine E. (DeMont) Clements. Jeffrey grew up in Oak Bluffs. In addition to landscaping and tree work, Jeff had a calling to be on the water. He was a commercial fisherman, scalloping and lobstering, working for himself or as crew for others if something good came along. During the late ’70s and early ’80s, Jeff crewed for Capt. Roy Scheffer on the sword fishing boat Tiki 12. Jeff spoke fondly of those days fishing on the Grand Banks, traveling south in the winter to fish, and eventually out to Hawaii in ’83’ and ’84 on the Tucana. Jeff was first mate for Capt. Scheffer at that time. Jeff loved Hawaii, and continued to swordfish there after Capt. Roy came back to M.V. >click to read< 10:01
Cancelation of California salmon season forces fishermen to find new way forward
Salmon fishers across the state are pivoting to stay afloat after the salmon fishing season was canceled earlier this year. At dock 47 in San Francisco, the pier looks different this time of year. More boats are tied up, an unusual sight for what would be peak salmon season. Matt Juanes is preparing to head out to sea. He readies his lines and hopes for a big catch. For now, it’s all he can do. “My goal is to catch every last one of them,” he said aboard his boat Plumeria. But this year, the salmon fisher of 8 years is exploring uncharted territory for him. He’s now looking to catch shrimp and halibut after salmon season was canceled for repopulation efforts. Video, >click to read< 09:03
Lobstermen pinched as inflation, new regulations cause cost of delicacy to rise
Dwight Staples, who has worked as a lobsterman in Stonington, Maine, for 15 years, said modern-day lobster fishing can be complex, and this season is producing additional challenges. “Lobsters seem to be migrating more east, and therefore our catch is going down,” Staples said. On top of the smaller catches, he said the price of bait has risen from $30 per tray to around $100 per tray, and fuel is three times more expensive than what it used to cost. From the fisherman, then to a processor, and finally to the grocery store or restaurant, with every hand that touches a lobster, the price goes up. Video, >click to read< 07:42
