Lane Bolich first came to work in Alaska for the freedom and excitement that comes with being a fisher. A self-described adrenaline junkie, Bolich moved from his hometown in rural Washington state because he loves being on the ocean even in cold winter weather and it gave him the chance to make more money than back home. After working as a deckhand for two years on a family friend’s boat, Harmony, he took the wheel as captain this year at just 20 years old. Bolich is a rarity in an aging industry with high barriers to entry, equipment and access rights are costly, and increasing unpredictability as human-caused climate change alters marine habitats. As some fish populations dwindle and fewer people pursue the trade, fishers and conservation groups are actively working to bring in and retain the next generation of fishers through grants and training even as the industry continues to shrink in Alaska. 19 photos, >>click to read<< 09:38
Monthly Archives: September 2023
Jersey Shore mobilises against offshore wind power
Soaring costs, high interest rates and clogged supply chains have buffeted the offshore wind power industry as it tries to expand from Europe to the US east coast. Add to these another obstacle: increasingly vocal and organized opponents who live or work along the beachfront. Their campaign threatens to slow down the Biden administration’s push to reach 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, up from a minimal amount today. They are nowhere more active than in New Jersey, whose own goal of 11GW by 2040 is the most ambitious of any eastern state. “[We] will do whatever it takes to stop this,” said Paul Kanitra, the mayor of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. “If that means lawsuits, we’ll do lawsuits. If that means we literally need to form a flotilla and go out there and stop it ourselves, we’ll do that as well.” The opponents raise fears of harm to marine life and fisheries, and ocean views marred by spinning wind turbines. They have formed groups with names such as Protect Our Coast NJ and Save Long Beach Island. >>click to read<< 16:43
Skipjacks, oysters: The fight for survival of two Chesapeake Bay icons
Starting Sunday, oyster enthusiasts will once again be free to pick up their rakes and tongs and harvest Maryland’s signature shellfish delicacy from the floor of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.A month after the season begins, commercial oyster fisherman will take to the water to get their own haul. But one boat will stand out among from the rest: the skipjack, a nimble oyster-dredging sailboat that represents the state’s long maritime tradition. “The oysters are looking better. I’m optimistic,” said Shawn Ridgley, a veteran oysterman and skipjack captain who currently gathers data for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. A typical skipjack carries a crew of five and can legally harvest 100 bushels of oysters a day. Lately, “boats are catching their limit by 10:00, 10:30 in the morning,” Ridgley said. >>click to read<< 14:05
Alaska: 8 People Were Murdered Aboard a Fishing Boat. Though It’s the State’s Most Infamous Mass Killing, It’s Also Unsolved.
It was the men who worked on a troller named “Casino” who first noticed the fire. Thick black smoke was rising high against the misty skies of a crisp fall afternoon. A “Casino” crewmember alerted authorities in nearby Craig, Alaska, then rode their fishing boat less than a mile across the water to see if they could help. Their destination was Fish Egg Island, on the west side of Prince of Wales Island. It’s been over 40 years since the fire, the investigation and the discovery of the largest mass murder in the history of the state of Alaska. The tragedy goes unsolved, despite two trials. Residents of the fishing village of Craig have heard all the theories about who committed the horrible crimes that obliterated an entire family. Eight people were living aboard, half of whom were members of the Coulthurst family. Fishing boat veterans who had no known enemies and piloted a beautiful seine admired by the local fishing fleet. >>click to read<< 11:31
A 50-year situation: the market dynamic between fishing fleets and processors in Bristol Bay
This year, Bristol Bay’s 50 cents per pound base price had fleet members questioning the industry’s longevity. The dynamic between fleets and processors has existed for decades, with permit-holding fishing crews delivering their catch before knowing its cost, and processors relying on them to do so. KDLG’s Christina McDermott sat down with economist Gunnar Knapp, who spent decades studying Bristol Bay’s salmon markets, to learn more about the history of this relationship, and what it means going forward. Christina McDermott: Just a little background: this past summer, many fleet members were upset when the price was announced at 50 cents per pound, which is the lowest in the past 40 years when adjusted for inflation. The announcement came fairly late in the season. There was protest, and there was a lot of discussion on the processors’ respective power to set that price. And I’m interested in going back a little bit. What opportunities [did] the fleet have to sell their fish 50 years ago, let’s say, or 20 years ago? Has it always [been] this relationship [that] there are these processors and there are these fishermen? >>click to read<< 10:00
At Mackerel Cove wharf, Arizona-based lobster chain learns as it grows
There, an upstart fast food company called Angie’s Lobster offers rolls filled with a quarter-pound of New England’s favorite crustacean that’s served warm and buttered, chilled, grilled or fried. Add in a drink, fries and their trademark sauce and the total comes to — wait for it — $9.99. Is there a catch? Yep, in more ways than one. It all begins with Harpswell lobster boats and a historic wharf nestled into Mackerel Cove on Bailey Island. In the summer of 2022, Angie’s bought a long-standing family lobster pound there and established the first link in a supply chain that is bringing Vacationland lobster to Arizona drive-thru diners at eye-poppingly low prices. Tony Christofellis, who founded the company and named it for his late mother, says business is good and getting better. He says buying the Bailey Island wharf was “the coolest thing we’ve ever done.” Photos, >>click to read<< 08:10
Montauk Fisherman on Trial for Conspiracy, Fraud Related to Fish Selling Scheme
A Montauk commercial fisherman is standing trial in federal court in Islip on felony charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the sale of what the government says was $850,000 worth of illegally caught fish sold through the well-known wholesale fish market Bob Gosman Co. Federal prosecutors have charged Christoper Winkler, 63, with committing wire fraud and mail fraud by falsifying landing reports to under-report exactly how many fish he had caught and sold on hundreds of fishing trips between 2014 and 2017, and by conspiring with the Gosman’s wholesale company to conceal the source of the fish being sold at New York City wholesale markets. Winkler’s vessel, the NEW AGE, is a relatively small, fire engine red, 45-foot steel-hulled commercial trawler that has fished out of Montauk for more than 30 years. >>click to read<< 17:46
Commercial Fisherman James Alan Ruhle, Sr. of Wanchese, N.C. has passed away
The commercial fishing industry has lost one of its biggest advocates, James Alan Ruhle, Sr., at the age of 75. Twenty-one weeks to the hour after his bride, he set out for the last time on the morning of September 28, 2023. Born in Oceanside, NY on January 4, 1948, to the late Phil and Gloria Ruhle, James later moved to Wanchese at the age of 15, where he made his home for over 60 years. In 1966, he married the love of his wife, Kathy Daniels, and followed his dream of working on the water as a commercial fisherman. Although Jimmy did not finish high school, the education he received in the ocean surpassed anything taught from a textbook. If there was anyone who had fishing in his veins, it was Jimmy. He recognized early on the importance of sustainability in the fishing industry. He served nine years faithfully on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and positively affected the industry through legislation. Although he loved his family dearly, his most prized possession is the F/V Darana R, which he had proudly and successfully captained for almost 50 years! So many times, he’d say with a big smile and heart full of pride; “That ol boat has been good to us,” and he was right!>>click to read<< 11:55
One Year after Ian: Shrimping Industry
Grant Erickson’s family spent 70 years building their shrimping business on San Carlos Island. Hurricane Ian destroyed it in about 12 hours. “Devastating. We’ve never been damaged so bad,” he recalled. “You come back to that, and you’re stunned. You’re in shock. You don’t even know where to start. It’s too much all at once.” It’s just hard to put in words the last year,” Jesse Clapham, the fleet manager for Erickson and Jensen Seafood. “We had a meeting, and everybody said, ‘Do we want to give up and go home, or do we want to put it back together?’ And everybody unanimously said, ‘Put it back together,’” he recalled. But doing so would be a Herculean challenge. Photo, Video, >>click to read<< 10:57
Wind energy expansion raises concerns over fishing industry’s future
The burgeoning development of offshore wind energy along the East Coast is drawing attention to a growing concern: the potential impact on the livelihoods of commercial fishermen who operate in these waters. The collision between the expanding renewable energy sector and the established fishing industry has ignited a debate over the future of these shared waters. While not all fishing organizations oppose offshore wind projects, some fishermen, such as Dave Aripotch in Montauk, N.Y., have expressed fears that their industry is at risk. They argue that their concerns have been overshadowed by the rapid push for clean energy solutions. Video, >>click to read<< 09:18
Drug dopes gave bogus ‘fishing trip’ reason to buy €400k cocaine trawler – then beached it after space tech move
The trawler beached off the Wexford coast while on a drugs run was sold to two “foreigners” in Castletownbere for up to €400,000 the day before. The 15-metre Castlemore had been on the market for three years, owned by a member of a prominent fishing family hamstrung by strict EU fishing quotas in the Co Cork harbour town. After a test run, a bill of sale was drawn up and the new owners quickly bought and installed a top-of-the-range Elon Musk SpaceX satellite system before they left Castletownbere. Within hours, the boat left Co Cork purportedly for Devon, but instead it’s believed it headed off to rendezvous with the mother ship laden with over 2.25 tonnes of coke. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:59
Orcas in Alaska are stealing fish right from the lines — and the new behavior seems to be killing them
Orcas in Alaska are exhibiting a “new behavior” that may be getting them in trouble, a local fisher’s association has said. They’ve been known to pluck fish off from commercial fishing gear for decades. But recently, they’ve been spotted lingering by the boats more often, appearing to “be feeding in front of the nets while fishing,” the group said. The Groundfish Forum, a Seattle-based trawl group that represents members operating 19 boats in the area, gave the warning in a statement shared by the Anchorage Daily News. “This new behavior” has never been documented and has marine scientists stumped, the Groundfish Forum said in the statement, dated September 21, >>click to read<< 18:01
2 more men charged in 2017 killing of Down East fisherman
Two more men have been charged in the 2017 killing of a Whitneyville man, bringing the total to three, police said Wednesday. Leanza Boney, 26 was arrested at his apartment on Staten Island, New York City, at 5 a.m. Wednesday by members of the U.S. Marshals Service and Maine State Police detectives on a warrant for murder, felony murder, arson, and robbery, Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a news release. Last week, Justin Matthews, 33, formerly of Pembroke, was arrested in Saco on similar charges in the October 2017 killing of Wayne Foss of Whitneyville. Foss, who was 48, was found dead Oct. 28, 2017, inside his mobile home after firefighters were called in the early morning to extinguish a fire at 54 Middle St. >>click to read<< 11:24
P.E.I.-based lobster processor files for creditor protection from N.B. court
A seafood distributor based in western P.E.I. is part of a group of companies that has filed for creditor protection in New Brunswick court. South Shore Seafoods Ltd. and related companies received an order from the Court of King’s Bench in Saint John last week. According to court records, the Rosebank-based lobster processor and related companies owe creditors more than $55 million. In a letter to suppliers dated Sept. 25 and signed by co-owner Timothy Williston, South Shore cited the “extreme volatility” of the seafood industry over the past few years. “The South Shore Seafood Group of Companies weathered these storms; however, it had a significant impact on its working capital,” the letter states. >>click to read<< 10:24
Biden Administration Is Killing Whales and Covering it Up
The Biden Administration is rushing headlong to start the massive construction of offshore wind power projects off the East Coast. The wind industry calls these installations “farms.” In no way, shape, or form do they resemble bucolic farms. Fortunately, several citizen groups have been formed which are vigorously opposing this massive industrialization of the ocean. The two leading organizations are Save Right Whales Coalition, lead by Lisa Linowes, and Save Long Beach Island, lead by Dr. Robert Stern. In addition, Michael Shellenberger has produced a terrific documentary, Thrown to the Wind, which provides an eye-opening view into the real world of noise produced by so called survey ships. Save LBI has also initiated litigation in New Jersey federal court seeking to revoke the permits issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) authorizing this pre-construction activity. By Collister Johnson. >>click to read<< 09:26
Owner of grounded trawler working on salvage plan
The owner of a fuel-laden fishing trawler that is grounded off Banks Peninsula is working on a salvage plan for the stricken boat and has promised to help manage the environmental impact of any spills. Four crew members had to be winched to safety by helicopter when the 25m Austro Carina ran aground at Red Bluff near Shell Bay last Sunday night, carrying 10,000L of diesel and 400L of hydraulic oil. The boat’s owner Pegasus Fishing said it was working with authorities on the best approach to salvage the trawler. “We are happy to confirm media reports that all our crew are safe and well, although they are still understandably shaken from the events of Sunday night,” the statement said. >>click to read<< 08:07
Consultation amid low crab and lobster numbers
Members of the fishing industry are being asked for their views to inform a plan to ensure crab and lobster are caught sustainably. It comes amid concerns crab and lobster populations could be “vulnerable” to over-fishing. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is running a public consultation on the issue. The consultation is part of the post-Brexit management of sustainable fishing stocks. Padstow inshore fisherman Johnny Murt said he was concerned about the impact of industrial fishing. He said he welcomed more regulation around lobster and crab fishing in Cornwall. Mr. Murt said inshore fishermen in Padstow had been forced to increase their gear in recent years to catch “an increasingly lower number of lobster and crab”. >>click to read<< 14:50
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: Complete RI Floating Fish Trap Company, Boats, Trucks, Forklifts
To review specifications, information, and 26 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series >click here< 12:55
From Lobsters To Electricity, Offshore Wind Making Everything More Expensive
National Lobster Day is a good time to look at what Bidenomics is going to do to lobsters and the $400 million lobster industry. And it isn’t good. It isn’t good for electric users’ budgets either. Biden’s 30 GWs of offshore wind is catering to the left’s rush to “end fossil fuels” (which provide 80% of our energy) is wrongheaded. It is part of a costly, unnecessary, not well-thought-out transition to part-time, weather dependent, Middle Ages technology. Only a fool ends their primary energy or food source before it is fully replaced. Offshore wind towers harm lobsters in several ways. 30,000 MW of offshore wind will take 3,000 to 4,000 800 ft towers placed at least a mile apart in all directions, 2 to 5 miles is better. Those towers take the energy out of the wind, altering weather patterns. by Frank Lasee >>click to read<< 10:50
As climate change and high costs plague Alaska’s fisheries, fewer young people take up the trade
NE Fishery Management Council welcomes aboard Jackie Odell
The new face on the New England Fishery Management Council is no stranger to a group that advises on policy related to the region’s vital fisheries. That face belongs to Jacqueline “Jackie” Odell, who has been a longtime advocate and thought leader for the fishing industry as the two-decade executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition at 1 Blackburn Center. Odell was welcomed aboard the Newburyport-based council as it opened its latest meeting in Plymouth on Monday. She was administered the oath of office by NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator Mike Pentony along with three members who were reappointed: John Pappalardo of Massachusetts, Daniel Salerno of New Hampshire, and Alan Tracy of Maine. Odell was appointed to her first three-year term to an at-large seat with the term running through Aug. 10, 2026. >>click to read<< 07:57
3 victims identified after fishing boat sinks near Quebec’s Lower North Shore
Quebec provincial police have identified the three people who died after a fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Quebec’s Lower North Shore. Dean Lavallée, 53, Yves Jones, 65, and Damon Etheridge, 36, were all from Blanc-Sablon, Que. The three men were among six people aboard the 18-metre-long Silver Condor sailing near La Tabatière, Que., early Monday morning. Lavallée owned and operated the Silver Condor. The crew left Friday to look for redfish and were on their way back when the ship sank, said Blanc-Sablon Mayor Andrew Etheridge, who is a cousin of Damon Etheridge. “He’s just the kind of guy who puts other people before him,” Etheridge said of his cousin. >>click to read<< 15:47
Fuel Man John G. Liarikos, II of Dartmouth, Mass, has passed away
John G. Liarikos, II, 69, of Dartmouth passed away suddenly on Monday September 18, 2023. Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Jeannine (Loranger) Liarikos and John G. Liarikos, he lived in the Greater New Bedford area all of his life. John was the owner/operator of Sea Fuels Marine Services on the New Bedford waterfront. Since its start in the 1990s, he has distributed fuel to the commercial fishing fleet, pleasure boats and commercial land fuel customers to the present day. He was an avid golfer and longtime member of the Country Club of New Bedford. He held various leadership positions and enjoyed competitive tournament play over the years. He also enjoyed softball, waterskiing, and hockey. >>click to read<< 13:30
President Biden’s Offshore Wind Policies Make National Lobster Day a Day to Mourn
National Lobster Day was established by Congress to celebrate the tasty crustacean’s place in American history, culture, and commerce. Sadly, due to President Biden’s offshore wind policies, and his agencies’ blame shifting, it may soon become a day to memorialize the passing of a great industry, tradition, and a tasty meal. On December 1, President Joe Biden hosted a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, at which more than 200 Maine lobsters were served. The dinner was rife with hypocrisy since earlier in his administration, Biden’s National Marine Fisheries Service, an office in the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), issued new restrictions on Maine’s lobster fishers to protect North American right whales from entanglement with lobster fishing gear. >>click to read<< 10:40
Trawler that ran aground off Wexford coast in suspected drug smuggling operation was bought days earlier in west Cork
The Castlemore, the 21-year-old twin rigger, had been bought by a local fisherman in Castletownbere in 2017 and used to fish for prawn and white fish off the southwest coast but the owner had been trying to sell the boat for the last two years and on Friday, the boat was purchased by an unknown buyer. The boat left Castletownbere late on Friday night or early Saturday morning and was reported to be headed for Brixham in Devon but local sources in Castletownbere suspect that the vessel headed off to rendezvous with another vessel which had crossed the Atlantic with a consignment of cocaine. The cocaine was then transferred from the boat that had crossed the Atlantic to the Castlemore in what is known as “coopering” so that when the other boat entered port and was checked by customs officials, they would find nothing while the drugs would be brought ashore by the trawler. >>click to read<< 09:14
Bryson Fitch Fishermen Protection Act: Bill introduced to keep fishermen safe honors missing Washington man
“Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world,” said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democratic congresswoman for Washington’s 3rd district. “This bill will help ensure more fishermen are equipped with the personal safety equipment they need to be located during an emergency,” she said. She introduced legislation in Washington D.C. on Thursday that is centered around a wearable product called personal locator beacons. The devices can send location signals to emergency responders if a mariner falls overboard. >>Video, click to read<< 08:03
3 dead after boat sinks near Quebec’s Lower North Shore
Three people are dead after a fishing vessel capsized and sank just off La Tabatière, on Quebec’s Lower North Shore, Quebec provincial police say. Three others were taken to hospital in Corner Brook, N.L. The Canadian Coast Guard says the vessel was the F/V Silver Condor, from Blanc-Sablon, Que. A distress signal was received around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. Six ships from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard took part in the search. The ship went down about 25 kilometres off shore, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. >>click to read<< 16:40
Longtime Fort Myers Beach shrimping operation dissolving after disputes between owners
As the Fort Myers Beach shrimping industry claws its way back after Ian, one of the last remaining companies on the historic waterfront is not returning, though the end of Trico Shrimp Company is not due to the hurricane. The demise of Trico Shrimp reduces the size of the historic “pink gold” fleet as two local families with several decades of business history part ways. The partnership splintered over how the shrimping operations were run, court records show. The directors of Trico Shrimp, incorporated in 1986, have been ensnared in legal action since 2021 when Dennis Henderson and wife Ranell Henderson filed for the dissolutions of various companies, including several shrimp boats, they own with wife-and-husband Christine and George Gala Jr. Video, photos, >>click to read<< 12:57
Hey Maine, happy National Lobster Day!
Monday, Sept. 25, is National Lobster Day thanks to a resolution introduced by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King that passed the Senate unanimously. National Lobster Day recognizes the cultural, economic and environmental importance of the species, which is a key part of Maine’s economy. In 2022, the lobster industry brought in over $388 million in Maine and Maine is the largest lobster-producing state in the nation. Collins and King have sponsored similar legislation in recognition of the day annually since 2015. >>click to read<< 09:48
P.E.I. company excited by new report promoting electric lobster boats
AKA Energy Systems is hoping to launch its own all-electric lobster boat within the next year, following up on its work with hybrid vessels. “We got our first hybrid boat out in the summer, so that’s something that we’ve been working on for a couple of years,” said Jason Aspin, AKA’s CEO. The Oceans North report said the key to jumpstarting the shift is for governments to set a “market signal” by setting clear targets for emission reductions, as has occurred in the motor vehicle sector. The study calls for Ottawa to include commercial fisheries in its marine climate action plan and set the goal of having “at least 10 per cent of the lobster fleet, about 300 boats, powered by electricity or zero-emission fuels such as green hydrogen by 2030.” >>click to read<< 08:33
Century-old Devon fishing boat sets sail after restoration
A 108-year-old fishing boat restored over a decade has set sail once more in Devon. The Britannia was relaunched at Exeter Quay earlier after it was spotted “in a bad state” by its previous owners in Brixham Harbour in 2013. Vicki Samuels and her husband Sam formed a charity and have been restoring the boat with a team of volunteers ever since. Mrs Samuels said she was “really emotional” and had “a few tears”. Now returned to its former glory, the restoration has also been a learning experience for the young people who volunteered to help, Mrs Samuels said. Photos, >>click to read<< 18:52
