Daily Archives: October 16, 2023

Sternman Larry S. Cromwell of Westport Island, Me., has passed away

Larry S. Cromwell, 62, of Westport Island, passed away on Oct. 11, 2023, with his family by his side following a long struggle with cancer. He was born on Aug. 13, 1961, a son of Francis and Phoebe (Greenleaf) Cromwell. Larry graduated from Morse High School. He worked with his father in construction before becoming a sternman on his grandfather’s lobster boat, which was by far his favorite job ever. Larry also worked with Asplundh Tree Service, Stinson’s Cannery in Bath, Riley’s Cannery, and the City of Bath Cemeteries and Parks Division. Larry enjoyed playing cards, listening to music, watching TV, animals, and talking about good childhood memories of growing up on Westport Island. >>click to read<< 19:37

DFO says thousands of illegal shark fins found during Pacific patrol

Canadian fisheries officers discovered more than 3,000 shark fins while conducting a maritime surveillance and enforcement mission in the North Pacific Ocean, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The agency says the fins were illegally possessed or stored on multiple vessels that were inspected during a two-month patrol of the high seas between British Columbia and Japan. Some of the fins were from threatened species, including the oceanic whitetip shark, the DFO said in news release Thursday. The annual enforcement mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, included fishery and coast guard officers from the United States and Japan, as well as a Canadian patrol aircraft temporarily based out of Japan. >>click to read << 16:21

Kelly Bullis: Fishermen might hurt the IRS

Now here is a whopper of a fishing story! The current session of the U.S. Supreme Court has an interesting case on the docket. If they rule in favor of the plaintiffs, it could end up changing a long-standing rule from a prior Supreme Court ruling of almost 40 years ago which underpins the ability of the IRS to do its job. The case is about regulation of fishing boats. And the old Supreme Court doctrine at risk is called the “Chevron Deference Doctrine.” The “Chevron Deference Doctrine” was a coined name that came from a famous landmark case “Chevron USA Inc vs. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc” back in 1984. The Supreme Court set forth a legal test as to when a court should defer to an agency’s answer or interpretation, holding that such judicial deference is appropriate where the agency’s answer was not unreasonable, so long as Congress had not spoken directly to the precise issue at question. >>click to read<< 13:38

The mystery and method of ‘market price’ seafood

To better understand how the market price of a lobster roll or other local delicacy is set by the time it reaches the consumer, Times Review reached out to fishermen, retail and wholesale seafood purveyors, restaurants, chefs and major regional distributors. Only a half-dozen experts were willing to speak on the record, and most insisted on anonymity. The seeming absurdity of sending so much fresh fish on an 80-plus mile round trip to and from New York City makes more sense considering that the price fluctuations that govern the fresh seafood market are driven by a variety of factors, from the uncertainty of boat fuel and trucking costs to overheads including refrigeration, labor, food preparation and the vacillating scarcity or availability of any popular fish. >>click to read<< 12:22

“A massive enterprise’: California’s offshore wind farms are on a fast track

The tantalizing possibility of capturing wind energy from giant floating ocean platforms is considered essential to achieving California’s ambitious goal of electrifying its grid with 100% zero-carbon energy. The state’s blueprint envisions offshore wind farms producing 25 gigawatts of electricity by 2045, powering 25 million homes and providing about 13% of the power supply. The projects will be a giant experiment: No other floating wind operations are in such deep waters. From China to Rhode Island, about 250 offshore wind farms are operating around the world, mostly in shallow waters close to shore and secured to the ocean floor. But the areas off California with the strongest winds are far from shore and too deep for traditional platforms, so developers are planning clusters of floating platforms about 20 miles off the coast, in waters more than a half-mile deep and tethered by cables. Photos, >>click to read<< 10:49

Fishing industry roadshow to be held in Milford Haven

Organised by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, the roadshows are free to attend and will offer fishers the chance to discuss the products, services and training available to support their safety, health and wellbeing needs. Amongst those on hand to offer advice will be Seafish plus representatives of its partners including the Welsh Fishing Association and Fishermen’s Mission. Noemi Donigiewicz, Industry Engagement Manager at Seafish said: “We decided to organise these roadshows following discussions between ourselves, the Welsh Fishing Safety Committee, Welsh Fishermen’s Association, Fishermen’s Mission and the Welsh Government. “There was an identified need to discuss the safety and wellbeing of fishers, show them they are supported and demonstrate the assistance and services available to them.  >>click to read<< 08:54

Hull father and son in new Arbella ad. Their dog was definitely not hired, though

A longtime Hull lobsterman and his assistant sternman son are featured in a new TV ad from Arbella Insurance that was filmed off the waters of Hull against the backdrop of Boston Light.  Capt. Chad Mahoney and his son, James Mahoney, are shown rescuing a golden retriever from the water and bringing it aboard their fishing vessel, First Light, as the dog’s owner frantically searches for it onshore. Following a screen test, it was determined that Oakley demanded attention but under no circumstances would he accept direction, according to a news release about the ad. “According to the staff at Sunshine Pet Parlor (in Hull), ‘Oakley is the worst dog who visits here. He always knocks everything over.’” Video, >>click to read<< 07:27