Daily Archives: September 4, 2023
Cortez fishing village inundated by Hurricane Idalia
As residents and business owners cleaned up on Thursday morning following the storm surge from Hurricane Idalia that flooded local roads, the recurring consensus was: “We got lucky.” “There was no boat damage (to the fleet of fishing boats). We lost a few boards on the dock,” A.P. Bell Fish Co. owner Karen Bell said. “We were very lucky.” Cortez is one of Florida’s last commercial fishing villages. It hugs the north shore of Sarasota Bay. On Wednesday morning, its roads were underwater, but by that evening, the waters had receded and roads were passable. In advance of the storm, A.P. Bell workers had secured the fleet of fishing boats with extra dock lines. 11 photos, >>click to read<< 17:27
Lobster row rocks offshore wind as state tells turbines to stay away
The government of South Australia is unimpressed by a federal decision to include the state’s waters among a list of six areas chosen for pioneering offshore wind tenders, citing risks to its valuable fisheries industry and sparking a row with trade unions which support the renewable source. A period of consultation for the Southern Ocean Wind Zone was opened by Australia’s energy minister Chris Bowen in July, as part of a federal government plan to have six areas fully defined and declared by mid-2024. As part of this process, the South Australian government has come out in opposition, and said the proposed zone should simply stop at the border with Victoria, pointing out that the proposed wind farms will be connected to that state’s grid. >>click to read<< 13:42
Japan boosts fishing sector aid after Fukushima water release
The announcement came as more than 100 fishermen and locals living near Fukushima Prefecture were to file a lawsuit this week seeking to stop the discharge. The ¥20.7 billion ($141 million) in additional funding announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida comes on top of an existing ¥80 billion aimed at minimizing reputational damage to the industry and keeping businesses afloat. The beefed-up aid now totaling ¥100.7 billion is a reflection of the government’s “determination to protect” a sector already scarred by the 2011 nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Kishida said. >>click to read<< 11:24
Know-nothing journalism
Credibility dies in a field of little mistakes. This is why it is painful to read what passes for news today: “Pink salmon get their nickname from their propensity to bite on anything pink.” Or so reported Gregory Scruggs of The Seattle Times after visiting West Seattle’s Lincoln Park on Aug. 22 for a story on Life/Outdoors in the Emerald City. Yes, and red salmon got their nickname for their propensity to bite on anything red and silvers on silver. And don’t forget those dog salmon. Note to the unwary: Leave Fido at home if you decide to pursue the latter. They have a propensity to bite on dogs. This is the reason there are so many three-legged dogs in villages along the Yukon River. All of this would be funny if, of course, it was funny. >>click to read<< 10:18
Healey solicits ‘largest’ offshore wind bid
Massachusetts is putting out bids for another round of offshore wind projects – the largest procurement to date – to comply a mandate requiring it to tap into more clean energy sources, but the move comes at a risky time. Gov. Maura Healey announced on Thursday that the state plans to solicit up to 3,600 megawatts of additional offshore wind power, the equivalent to 25% of the state’s annual electricity generation. “With our top academic institutions, robust workforce training programs, innovative companies, and support from every level of government – Massachusetts is all-in on offshore wind,” she said. But the latest procurement comes amid increasing turbulence in the nation’s nascent offshore wind industry. >>click to read<< 09:02
Parade of Schooners ‘a real gift’ to Gloucester
Thousands lined Stacy Boulevard from Stage Fort Park to the Fort neighborhood Sunday morning under blue skies with light wind to watch the Parade of Schooners on the final day of Maritime Gloucester’s 39th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. The event celebrates schooners small, medium and large, including a few historic Gloucester sailing vessels that used to fish for cod on the Grand Banks. Sunday’s schooner event also took place against the backdrop of this being Gloucester’s 400th anniversary as the nation’s oldest seaport. Five schooners sailing in the parade, Thomas E. Lannon, Lewis H. Story, Fame, Isabella and Ardelle were designed and built by 11th generation shipbuilder Harold Burnham in Essex. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:45
