Daily Archives: September 3, 2023
Retired Commercial Fisherman Joseph B. Novello of Portsmouth, N.H. has passed away
Joseph B. Novello, 82, husband of Beverly (Tryder) Novello of Portsmouth, NH passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Joe was born in Gloucester on April 14, 1941, son of the late Roseline and Captain Nicholas Novello. He attended Gloucester schools and started fishing at an early age. Joe served briefly in the army during the Vietnam War then returned to Gloucester to continue his love of fishing. He fished on many family boats throughout his career and enjoyed sharing the numerous stories of his voyages with his family and friends. After retiring from fishing, he stayed within the industry by working as a seafood clerk for Stop & Shop. Joe enjoyed sharing his favorite recipes with his many customers. His happiest times were those spent with family and friends, telling stories and cracking jokes every chance he got. He also treasured his time at Keoka Beach with his wife Beverly, extended family and beloved dog Buddy. >>click to read<< 18:55
The ghost ships clogging up WA’s marinas and waterways
The Department of Transport has spent more than $1.1 million in the past four years removing and disposing of 43 vessels abandoned at marinas and on WA waterways. These cases normally take several years to resolve, but the latest vessel in Mark Briant’s sights was also the longest case the department has dealt with in its history. The 70-tonne, 17.8-metre fishing trawler Atlantic Ocean has been a familiar sight in the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour for more than 20 years, but the department declared it abandoned in 2018. Its hull is covered in rust and, at 62 years old, the Atlantic Ocean’s best days are well and truly behind it. >>click to read<< 16:10
RCMP respond to Saturday boat fire at in Digby County, N.S.
The Digby RCMP officers and fire fighters responded to a report of a fishing boat that caught fire at the Sandy Cove wharf in Digby, N.S., Saturday. In a news release Sunday, police say the fire did spread from a 36-foot fishing boat to a second boat also docked at the wharf. Once the fire was extinguished, police conducted an investigation into the cause. After reviewing evidence, which included statements and video surveillance, RCMP determined a failure of electrical components on board the boat was to blame. Police say the fire was not deemed suspicious, and the investigation has been concluded. >link< 12:14
From the Gulf of Maine to a tin can: A glimpse into high-end tuna production on NH’s coast
“I left today at, like, 12 midnight,” he said, his face hidden behind mirrored sunglasses and a beard. “And then it’s about an hour and a half ride out, and it was beautiful last night because that big fat moon is waning.” Keper Connell is a one-man operation aboard his boat, The Figment. When conditions allow, he cruises into the Gulf of Maine in search of bluefin tuna, a torpedo-shaped fish that can reach more than 1,000 pounds. Rather than sell his bluefin to a wholesaler, where cuts may end up in a fishmonger’s display case, or as toro on a sushi menu, Connell is doing something that nobody else in the U.S. is apparently doing. His fish is put on ice and sent to Oregon, where it will be packed into tin cans with a high end olive oil and some salt. (There are no canneries on the East Coast where an independent fisherman can bring his catch, he says.) Photos, >>click to read<< 11:07
His passion is lobstering, his worry is the future
Christopher Robert Tobey Jr. was born on July 22, 1991, in Portland, into a family of fishermen. He spent a lot of time on the docks and water. He watched his father and grandfather talk with other fishermen and learned the lingo. He also learned a lot by going to other docks because everyone does things differently. “As a little kid, I always knew who everyone was and what their boat was,” he said. Tobey’s father always told him fishing wasn’t easy, but it was there if he wanted it. “I started lobster fishing because my father was a lobster fisherman, and when I was a kid that’s all I wanted to do,” he said. However, fishing is dangerous. And on May 11, 2008, Tobey’s life changed forever. “It was Mother’s Day, a Sunday, and we went out to go fishing to fill some orders for a couple of my dad’s friends,” Tobey said. “I remember it was me, my father and another fisherman, Robbie Blackburn. He was working for my dad. We went out and it was a great day and the weather started to turn.” >>click to read<< 09:53
Tributes to Cromer fisherman and council leader John Lee
He was an eighth-generation fisherman known for his down-to-earth style and speaking his mind. Helping others, socialising and having a laugh were all part of his daily routine, and he was dedicated to his family. Tributes have been paid to John Lee, from Cromer, who has died following a short illness, aged 60. His widow, Donna Lee, said his death had come as a shock. “It has left a big hole in our lives and our hearts – we weren’t expecting it this quickly,” she said. “He called a spade a spade, he was straight-talking and honest. He was a family man, very sociable, and very committed to Cromer, the community and to youth football.” Photos, >>click to read<< 09:07
Fisherman David Dunsford reflects on 50 years at sea amid luck, loss and laughter
Saltwater runs through David Dunsford’s veins. “Our story is a pretty special story really; my mother’s family came out from Sicily by ship, landed in Albany and made their way to south-eastern South Australia,” he says. “My grandfather, Frank Corigliano, was one of 14 children; the product of an Italian father and an Irish mother – so a huge fishing family, and I was lucky they stayed here in Beachport.” David says his ancestors were pioneers of the southern rock lobster industry, which today contributes more than 30 per cent – or $158.5 million — to South Australia’s seafood gross state product and employs about 1,300 people through direct and flow-on business. David recalls the moment the die on his own fishing destiny was cast. “I remember being at school one day, about 15, and my father said to me, ‘David, it might be best if you come home’. Photos, >>lick to read<< 07:53
