Monthly Archives: October 2023
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
Unexpected Drama in Yarmouth as Fishing Boat Seized by Police
In an unexpected turn of events, the quiet harbour of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, was the scene of a dramatic police operation on Tuesday. Armed officers seized a fishing boat, leaving local residents in shock and curiosity. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday when a group of armed officers boarded the fishing vessel. The operation, carried out with precision and efficiency, saw the boat swiftly taken under control without any reported injuries or casualties. The boat was then towed to a secure location, hinting at a more in-depth investigation to follow. >>click to read<< 21:31
A struggle to dodge salmon in pursuit of a massive pollock bounty
Onboard the F/V Northern Hawk — Some 400 miles northwest of Dutch Harbor, Bering Sea pollock congregated in spectacular fashion. In the wheelhouse of this factory trawler, Captain Jim Egaas scanned a sonar displaying a dense red band that represented millions of fish in a school that stretched for miles. He could see the pollock up close on another screen that relayed images from an undersea camera stitched in the mesh of a quarter-mile-long net. The video feed showed swarms of them deep in the funnel-shaped trap. Once pulled on board, the tail end of the net bulged with more than 220,000 pounds of tightly packed pollock. A crewman 
unstitched a seam. Raised by a powerful winch, the net spewed a silver avalanche of fish into below-deck holding tanks to await processing in a plant primed to operate 24 hours a day. Egaas was in hurry-up mode. Even before the last of this catch was shaken from the webbing, he called for crew members to unfurl a second net from a giant reel. “I like what we are seeing. We’re on the stock,” Egaas said. Photos, video, >>click to read<< 15:42
How I restored an old arctic trawler to explore the Scottish islands
Amelia Dalton was at her father-in-law’s funeral when she got the phone call. And it wasn’t good news. The Arctic trawler she had bought, named Monaco, to establish her own cruising business had started to sink in the North Sea. “Off I went up to Peterhead with a background in cooking and antiques to get this boat pulled out of the water and on goes the story of how we converted this 85-foot trawler into a small expedition boat,” Dalton explains. Laughing as she recalls the memory, Dalton admits that “pretty well everything went wrong that you could imagine,” starting with the boat sinking in the North Sea. Photos, >>click to read<< 11:47
Review of the Byline TV documentary – Betrayed: The Big Brexit Lie
Up to 70% of voters in Grimsby supported Brexit because they believed it would usher in a return to the days when the docks effectively constituted a small town, complete with cafes, shops and banks. The trade was so lucrative, crews returning to land their catch would be known as ‘three-day millionaires’. A return to past prosperity is what politicians like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage appeared to promise, with both taking advantage of photo opportunities to rally support at the daily fish market. Yet when the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement was finally delivered, the betrayal became strikingly evident. Barry Deas of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations declared the industry had been “sacrificed”, and Martin Boyers, CEO of Grimsby Fish Market described it as “… just rhetoric and broken promises”. The deal that Johnson and David Frost had negotiated had essentially made it much harder for British fisheries to sell into their largest market – the current accumulated trade deficit for the industry amounts to £1.7bn. >>click to read<< 10:26
More than 50 Indigenous fish harvesters in the Maritimes charged or on trial
Three years after a First Nation started a self-regulated lobster fishery that sparked protests and violence in Nova Scotia, federal prosecutors are pressing ahead with charges against dozens of Indigenous fishers, some of whom are planning constitutional challenges. On Sept. 17, 2020, the Sipekne’katik First Nation issued five lobster licences to its members, saying they could trap and sell their catch outside the federally regulated season. The bold move came exactly 21 years after the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the treaty right of Indigenous groups in Eastern Canada to hunt and fish for a moderate livelihood, but interpretations of that landmark ruling remain in dispute. >>click to read<< 09:25
David and Ellen Goethel talk with Roger Wood About Their Favorite Subjects
David Goethel of Hampton may have retired from commercial fishing, but he’s still on the water on a regular basis. Ellen Goethel, his wife and partner can’t stop teaching about and researching the ocean and its creatures. Together they form a formidable duo in life and in science. David survived a bout with cancer, and while recovering wrote a book. Endangered Species is about his life on the water, his favorite place. But it’s also about the losing battle that those who still go down to the sea in ships have been facing when the rules go against them at a time when scientists are declaring that overfishing has put the species at risk, especially in the productive Gulf of Maine. In this podcast, Roger Wood speaks to both of them, learning about David’s newly published book and their shared passion, the sea. >>click to read/listen<< 08:17
Oregon fishing disaster declared after failure impacting Chinook Salmon
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced Friday that a fishing disaster has been declared following a three-year commercial fishery failure in the state. The declaration comes after U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo determined that a commercial fishery failure occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020 because of a fishery resource disaster impacting Oregon Chinook Salmon Fisheries, the governor said. The determination comes after a request from former Gov. Kate Brown in October 2021. Fisheries with disaster determinations are eligible for funding from fishery disaster appropriations to help with community recovery, fishery restoration and prevention of future disasters. >>click to read<< 17:00
Net Zero Ambitions: Sinking in a Sea of Reality?
Political voices across the globe are expressing skepticism and concern regarding the feasibility and impact of net zero policies. Australian Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, for instance, has described net zero as a “soundbite” and “totally insane,” emphasizing the extensive reliance of various sectors on fossil fuels. ““Almost everything we grow, we make, we do in our society relies on the use of fossil fuels,” he said.” Various countries seem to be subtly shifting away from aggressive net zero targets, reflecting a more pragmatic approach to energy policies. For instance, the UK has delayed the banning of new petrol and diesel cars and residential gas heating, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stating, “We’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people.” >>click to read<< 14:26
Whale Vomit: Fisherman shocked as dog finds ‘disgusting’ blob on beach – and could be worth £400,000
A fisherman said he was surprised after his dog found a “disgusting” blob on a Scottish beach which could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Patrick Williamson, 37, was walking his dog on a beach in Ayrshire when the pup dropped her ball and ran towards a mysterious rock on the shore. The local resident was sure it was ambergris – also known as whale vomit – and was surprised to find it in the area. The substance, a secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales, is created by the animals when they cannot regurgitate problem foods. The whale will then expel the valuable ambergris, which will float in the sea until it washes up on the shore – ready to be found by a lucky treasure hunter. Photos, >>click to read<< 12:10
Celebrating fish and seafood with British fishing community
Next time you fancy a fish dish, forget the familiar standbys and try something different and local, suggests the author of a new cookbook For the Love of the Sea II has been hailed as ‘a seafood odyssey’ in the book’s foreword by Rockfish founder Mitch Tonks. He says: ‘This delightful book not only inspires you with wonderful pictures of our coastline and of fishermen and their communities, but also with recipes from real people, like me and you, that do love British fish and seafood.’ The book reveals stories and recipes from the individuals and businesses that work within the country’s diverse coastal communities, from fishmongers to foragers and basket weavers to marine scientists. Lots of photos, >>click to read<< 10:19
Massachusetts wind farm dodges lawsuits over environmental, fishing concerns
A U.S. judge has rejected challenges to federal environmental permits and construction approvals for a $4 billion offshore wind farm near Massachusetts, which commercial fishing groups have claimed will harm whales and impair their businesses. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston on Thursday tossed the final two federal district court lawsuits directly challenging the Vineyard Wind project roughly 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, which would be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country. Representatives for the plaintiffs and the Army Corps didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. The Interior Department, which oversees BOEM, declined to comment. >>click to read<< 09:11
Bristol Bay red king crab, tanner crab fisheries open Sunday
The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery is back on track, after being closed for two years, with a total allowable catch of 2.15 million pounds – just a bit lower than when it was last opened in 2020 at 2.6 million pounds. The announcement on Friday, Oct. 6, was cheered by crab captains and Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, as a way to get back out doing what they loved, pay some bills, and keep crew working, all while keeping the crab resource sustainable for generations to come. Veteran crabber Glenn Casto, captain of the FV Pinnacle, called it a start in the right direction, that will help pay some bills and help out crew. >>click to read<< 08:20
A Southern tradition, fresh from the Snohomish River
It’s a far cry from the bayous of Louisiana, but the crawfish look right at home in the metal trap as Ithamar Glumac hoists them out of the water. “They’re bottom feeders, so they’re perfectly happy to hang out in this trap for as long as I’ll leave them there,” Glumac said. “Food floats right on by and predators can’t get them, so it’s probably like a nice vacation home for them more than anything.” A huge plastic bucket, full of crawfish loosed from similar traps just minutes before, awaits on Glumac’s boat. He unlatches the wire cage and shakes the most recent handful of tiny lobsters out into the tub with their brethren. Then it’s on to the next stop, another one of the hundreds of traps up the Snohomish River pinpointed by Glumac’s GPS-powered fish finder. Photos, >>>.click to read<<< 15:42
Three Fishermen Rescued as Commercial Vessel Sinks Off Hampton Bays
Three commercial fishermen were rescued from the waters off Hampton Bays on Thursday afternoon after the 41-foot trawler they were aboard began rapidly taking on water and sank. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the fishing vessel Kary Ann sent out a mayday call about noon on Thursday from about one mile south of Shinnecock Inlet. By the time a Coast Guard launch reached the scene, the three fishermen who were aboard had abandoned ship. >>click to read<<< 13:30
Fishers suffering from seal boom, Senate committee hears in Newfoundland and Labrador
The Canadian sealing and fishing industries have been left to sink or swim while booming seal populations on the Atlantic Canada coast deplete fish stocks and disrupt marine ecosystems, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans heard on a recent fact-finding mission. The committee took its in-depth study on the effects of Canada’s seal populations to Newfoundland and Labrador from September 11 to 13, 2023. Fact-finding activities in Elliston, South Dildo, Port de Grave and St. John’s, capped off by day-long public hearings in the provincial capital, provided senators with a detailed picture of the province’s rich history with the seal fishery and the serious challenges domestic sealers and fishers are facing today. >>>click to read<< 11:46
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. signs deal to acquire new fishing vessel
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. has reached a deal to purchase a new fishing trawler, to be called Saputi II, from a Spanish firm. “It’s a big project,” Jerry Ward, the company’s director of fisheries, told Nunatsiaq News of the agreement signed Sept. 26 with shipbuilder Freier Shipyard in Vigo, Spain. Ward said it could take about two and a half years to build the ship but the Qikiqtaaluk Corp., the business development arm of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, hopes it will be ready sooner than that. The Saputi II will be a factory-freezer fishing trawler, able to keep fish frozen after they’ve been caught until the ship returns to its port in Newfoundland. It will measure nearly 80 metres long and 17 metres wide. Designed for multiple species, the vessel will be able harvest shrimp and turbot. >>click to read<< 10:48
Three Fijian fishermen found by NZ Air Force after missing for nine days at sea
They had not been heard from since and did not have locator beacons. Their sole communication was a mobile phone that was believed to have run out of battery, but they did have life jackets and flares. Local search efforts were hampered by poor weather, and the Rescue Coordination Centre Fiji asked for help. The Poseidon P-8A aircraft and crew were launched to assist on Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, they had located the fishers using radar and visual searches and contacted a nearby vessel to rescue them. Air component commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said it was a challenging search over a large area. >>click to read<< 09:19
Small town fisherman harpooned on federal charges for catch that’s legal in other states: lawyer
The 63-year-old captain of a Montauk, New York, fishing trawler has been convicted of federal conspiracy and fraud charges for violating local fishing rules that his lawyers say are outdated, wasteful and wouldn’t be a crime in other states. A federal jury found Christopher Winkler, who owns the 45-foot trawler named New Age that is based on Long Island’s East End, guilty of five counts last week – two each of mail fraud and obstruction of justice and one more for criminal conspiracy for an overfishing plot that racked up nearly $1 million in proceeds. The problem is, according to his defense, if Winkler had caught the fish in neighboring New Jersey, there likely wouldn’t have been a crime at all. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:53
New York Rejects Offshore Wind’s Request to Raise Rates
Offshore wind developers are reevaluating some New York projects after regulators rejected higher rates by Equinor ASA, Orsted A/S and others that would have added as much as $12 billion in costs. Developers planning to build more than 4 gigawatts of wind-power capacity off Long Island must abide by existing contracts to deliver power, the New York Public Service Commission unanimously ruled during a meeting Thursday. The ruling is the latest blow to the US offshore wind industry already contending with inflation and supply-chain issues. The future of projects such as Orsted’s Sunrise Wind is now in question after Thursday’s decision. >>click to read<< 17:06
Popular food brand files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, heads to liquidation
With private companies, the end can be more sudden. That’s especially true when the company isn’t consumer-facing like a wholesaler or a manufacturer. Blue Harvest Fisheries may not be a name everyone knows, but it was a massive operation that was intended at its 2015 creation to dominate the New England fishing industry. That was a bold goal that it never achieved. And now, after suspending its fishing operations in September, the company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and appears headed toward liquidation. The company, which sold fish to a number of grocery chains around the country, had a bold mission statement. Blue Harvest vendors, workers face bad news. Under a Chapter 7 filing, a company’s assets will be liquidated and used to pay off creditors. “No property appears to be available to pay creditors,” >>click to read/comment<< 15:48
2 injured after dock collapses in New Bedford
A dock collapsed Wednesday, injuring two people in New Bedford. According to the New Bedford Fire Chief, Scott Kruger, around 2p.m., a pier collapsed at the end of Hervey Tischon Avenue. When first responders arrived on the scene, they said one person was in the water and three others had gotten themselves out after a 225-by 36-foot portion of a bulkhead collapsed. A cause for the collapse was not immediately known but officials say the area that collapsed was under construction. Several nearby fishing vessels were also moved so first responders could assess the damage. Video, >>click to read/comment<< 15:00
Isle of Man fishermen thrilled at ‘landmark’ herring catch
A group of Manx fishermen who have begun to catch herring around the Isle of Man, the first to do so for 25 years, have said it feels “amazing”. The first boat has started landing the fish following a post-Brexit deal between the UK and the Manx government. Boat owner Adie Kinrade said the return of herring fishing was a “little piece of history” as the fishery had been “huge” in the island’s past. Environment Minister Clare Barber said it was a “landmark” moment. “The quotas are a once-in-a-generation opportunity and I can’t wait to see more Manx boats fishing for herring in the coming years,” she added. >>click to read<< 12:17
Commercial fleet owner Julius Leroy Whorton of North Crolina has passed away
Julius Leroy Whorton, 84, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. Leroy, as he was known, was born in South Creek, North Carolina. on March 31, 1939, to the late Clara Myrtice Mayo Whorton and the late Julius Timothy Whorton. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Daniel Atwood Whorton. Leroy graduated from New Bern High School in New Bern, North Carolina, Georgia Military College and received scholarships to play football for Wake Forest and University of Georgia. After college, Leroy built his career in the seafood industry with a fleet of commercial fishing boats, working the oceans from Alaska to Texas, Key West to Virginia, and North Carolina to Nova Scotia. >>click to read<< 10:54
New California law aims to speed up offshore wind development
A law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday aims to speed up the process for new offshore wind development. The law requires California’s Coastal Commission to process consolidated permits for coastal development, which the law’s main sponsor says will streamline permitting. His district includes Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt counties. McGuire said in a press release that this law will slash five years off the normal permitting timeline for offshore wind projects. He said it will help the state meet its goals in terms of climate change and renewable energy. >>click to read<< 09:31
