Monthly Archives: November 2023
The collapse of fishing giant Blue Harvest exposes the weakness of catch share policies
In October 2023, wrecking crews finished scrapping the last of a dozen fishing boats that had once owned by the notorious New England fishing magnate nicknamed wrecking crews finished scrapping the last of a dozen fishing boats that had once owned by the notorious New England fishing magnate nicknamed “The Codfather.” Carlos Rafael, who started out as a fish gutter in New Bedford, Massachusetts, aggressively worked — and sometimes cheated — his way up the ladder, eventually coming to dominate New England’s groundfish fishery (which includes cod, hake, flounder and other white fish) before a 2017 court decision sent him to prison for nearly four years and forced him to sell off his fleet. The sale, completed during his prison sentence, would earn him another $100 million. It was a profitable end for a fishing empire built on seafood fraud, tax evasion and consolidation. So when the private equity-backed Blue Harvest Fisheries announced in 2020 that it was buying most of Rafael’s fleet and putting the boats back to work, some welcomed it as good news for the port of New Bedford, the hub of Cape Cod’s fishing industry. more, >>click to read<< 17:07
GoFundMe for Bandon hero hits target in 24 hours
Farid Langens of the trawler Soenkin and Kevin Roos of the trawler De Maria Antonia
A GoFundMe which was set up for a courageous electrician from Bandon who rescued a woman from a sinking car at Kennedy Quay reached its target in under 24 hours. William Ross, alongside two Belgian fishermen, Farid Langens and Kevin Roos, played a crucial role in freeing the woman. The trio acted without hesitation and managed to pull the woman from her car, which had entered the water just after midday on Monday. “We were just finished unloading our catch and we heard some people shouting on the quay. They said, ‘There’s a car in the water!’” Farid told Red FM’s ‘The Neil Prendeville Show’. More, >>click to read<< 14:29
$500K Earmarked For Cape Cod Fisherman. Here’s What It’ll Go Toward
On Wednesday, State Rep. Dylan Fernandes presented that $500,000 in funding to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance (CCCFA), with a stated goal to support Cape fishermen and sustainable fishing livelihoods on the Cape and Islands. “Fishing is not just an industry on the Cape and Islands – it is woven into the very culture and fabric of our communities,” said Rep. Fernandes. “These funds are a pathway toward adaptive fishing practices, healthier oceans, and a sustainable industry that can be passed down to future generations of fishing families.” more, >>click to read<< 13:02
Equinor Names California Floating Wind Project
Equinor has announced the name of its floating offshore wind project off the coast of California, Atlas Wind. The lease area, which lies 60 miles from Morro Bay, has the capacity to provide over 2GW of reliable, renewable power, enough to power 1.7 million California homes once complete. California is poised to become a growing force in the US energy transition with a nation-leading target of 25GW of offshore wind energy by 2045. Approximately two-thirds of the United States’ offshore wind energy potential lies in deep coastal waters, like the Pacific Ocean, where water depths reach 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) or more. more, >>click to read<< 11:36
Constitutional challenge in Indigenous lobster fishing case moving ahead this week
An Indigenous fisherman is expected to appear Thursday in a northern New Brunswick courtroom, where he will launch a constitutional challenge that could prove pivotal for First Nations across the Maritimes. Cody Caplin, a member of the Eel River Bar First Nation, was fishing for lobster in the Bay of Chaleur in September 2018 when he and his brother Kyle were arrested and their boat was seized by federal fisheries officers. A year later, they were charged with 10 fishing offences, including trapping lobster out of season. “If we win, we could set a precedent and make some case law for other Mi’kmaq fishermen throughout the province,” he said in a recent interview, confirming that constitutional arguments will be heard at the provincial court in Campbellton, N.B. more, >>click to read<< 09:40
Scottish fishing skippers express fear over possible “back door” push for protected marine areas policy
The SFF said that last week, the Scottish Government confirmed it will not be taking forward the controversial HPMAs policy in its current form, which would have led to a loss of around 10 per cent of Scotland’s fishing grounds. However, many fishermen throughout the country remain concerned about the vague wording in the government’s response, and fear supporters of HPMAs will try their best to usher in the policy through another avenue. Fisherman Barry Brunton from Dunbar has welcomed the scrapping of HPMAs but is adamant more collaboration between fishermen and the government is needed to find the best solution for all concerned. Brunton said he was “absolutely terrified” about HPMAs as putting up such an area in the little patch of ground where he works would mean he would lose “everything that [he] worked for.” >>click to read<< 08:19
Prawn trawler crew rescued from sinking boat off Far North Queensland coast
The skipper of a prawn trawler has described watching it sink off the Far North Queensland coast after a passing freighter came to the crew’s rescue. The FV Santiago was about three kilometres offshore near Cedar Bay, south of Cooktown, on Tuesday evening when Steve Underhill found water pouring into the engine room and made the immediate call to abandon ship. “It was way too deep to worry about pumping out,” skipper Mr Underhill said. “We’d already lost it.” His three crew members included another experienced skipper, but also his wife and stepson. The Santiago crew activated an emergency distress beacon, and within 20 minutes, a Border Force plane flew over the trawler while nearby Sea Swift freighter, the Albatross Bay, mobilized to rescue the crew. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:26
Maine lobsterman shows off rare bi-colored, hermaphroditic lobster
It’s not uncommon for a lobster fisherman to bring up a lobster with more than one color, but more than one sex – that’s particularly rare. Jacob Knowles, a fifth-generation Maine lobsterman, posted videos to YouTube and Instagram last week showing off just that – a lobster that appears to be half-male, half-female. He said a fellow lobster fisherman caught it and gave it to him. “It’s the coolest lobster I’ve ever seen,” he said. In the videos, Knowles noted fans have nicknamed the lobster “Bowie,” after the late singer/songwriter David Bowie. It’s also half-blue, which itself is a rarity. Turning it over, the genitalia running along the tail are clearly half-male, half-female. more,video, >>click to read<< 06:29
Bluefin Tuna Get Busy Off North Carolina – Inside the $40 billion tuna industry
In November 1981, a fleet of briefcase-toting lobbyists, scientists and political negotiators gathered in sunny Tenerife, Spain, to decide the fate of Atlantic bluefin tuna. During the meeting in Tenerife, the American delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas proposed a disarmingly simple solution: they would draw a line down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and split the bluefin into two separate stocks. The proposal passed and, eventually, for a variety of reasons, Atlantic bluefin tuna did bounce back. – Inside the $40 billion tuna industry – Once a staple in American homes, canned tuna consumption dropped 45.7% between 2000 and 2021. That is mainly due to changing consumer preferences, sustainability concerns, market consolidation and a major price-fixing scandal between Bumble Bee and StarKist that lasted nearly a decade. Despite this, in 2020, the U.S. remained the top importer. The industry, largely controlled by conglomerates such as Thai Union Group, saw a pandemic-driven demand spike in 2020, but that has since declined. Video, >>click to read<< 16:20
Locals want more rules for seafood imports
Only about 10% of seafood consumed in America is domestic. That’s crippling the Louisiana seafood industry. “For the last two years it’s just about ruined the industry,” Louisiana fisherman Pete Gerica said. In his 50 years on the water, Gerica has never seen it this bad. “There’s just so much you can take,” Gerica said. “Fuel prices being $4.00 a gallon. The cost of everything you buy, it’s just you can’t stay in business if you keep on spending money and you ain’t making none.” Monday, Congressman Garret Graves and Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser testified before the Louisiana Seafood Task Force in Baton Rouge. more, video, >>click to read<< 12:40
Environmentalists face off against environmentalists over offshore wind projects
The Energy Department estimates offshore wind turbines could produce as much as 20% of regional power needs along the densely populated Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Maine by 2050. To reach that goal, the Biden administration had hoped to green-light 30 gigawatts from utility-scale offshore wind farms by 2030—enough to power nine million homes. That now seems wildly ambitious, as billions of dollars in projects have been canceled amid staggering cost overruns, soaring interest rates and supply-chain delays. Added to these economic woes are persistent environmental concerns, as attested to by some recent federal lawsuits. In September, for example, Cape May County, N.J., and a coalition of regional environmental, fisheries and tourism groups sought to stop development of two utility-scale projects off the New Jersey coast. more, >>click to read<< 11:54
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 56′ DMR Scalloper/Dragger, 500HP, John Deere
To review specifications, information, and 37 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 10:50
F/V Carol Ann: Families suspend search for missing Brunswick fishermen
If Chris Barlow could go back to Oct. 14 and tell his son Tyler Barlow to sit this commercial fishing trip out, he would. Instead, 45 days later, the last privately funded helicopter flight searching for signs of the fishing vessel Carol Ann and its crew, Tyler Barlow, Caleb Wilkinson and Dalton Conway, landed. “It is with great sadness that we are informing everyone that the helicopter that landed at 4:38 P.M. today will be our last flight unless we receive new information,” Chris Barlow posted to Facebook on Tuesday afternoon. “We are suspending our active search effort as we have exhausted every lead we currently have, although we have found numerous boat wrecks and debris none have been linked to the Carol Ann.” more, >>click to read<< 09:40
Get to know your local western rock lobster fisher and their produce
It’s a warm summer’s day in December with a light breeze blowing in from the ocean. You’ve dragged your mum, boyfriend, sister, cousin or friend along to join the locals and tourists down at the port to get your hands on the freshest and best crustacean in the world, right in time for the Christmas festivities that are around the corner. The rock lobster you purchased has just been caught by the commercial fishermen, kept in a live tank until the point of landing at port and then weighed and put on ice in your esky. Thanks to Western Rock Lobster’s Back of Boat (BoB) initiative, this is a reality for seafood lovers and fishers across the state. more, >>click to read<< 08:30
Vessel Review: F/V ERIN BRUCE II – Wanchese Argentina adds Scallop Trawler to the Fleet
Wanchese Argentina, a subsidiary of Cooke Seafood USA’s Wanchese Fish Company, took delivery of a new scallop trawler built by Armon Shipyard of Spain at its recently acquired Astilleros Ria de Vigo facilities. F/V Erin Bruce II will be used for year-round trawling and processing of Patagonian scallops off Argentina primarily for export to Europe and North America. Cooke Seafood USA said it is the biggest newbuild factory trawler to be operated in Argentina and the first to be constructed specifically for the domestic scallop fishery. Ross Butler, CEO of the company, remarked that the vessel is designed to be fuel-efficient and to offer modern crew accommodations. Photos, more, >>click to read<<07:48
Maine lobstermen signal opposition to participating in ropeless testing program
Maine lobstermen are signaling their hesitation to participate in a multimillion-dollar program the state is launching to test new ropeless technology that the federal government soon may require to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Lobstermen have been largely unhappy with the regulations, fearing that the regulations will destroy the lobstering industry as they know it. Maine’s congressional delegation succeeded in securing legislative approval for a reprieve that stalls the regulations from going into effect until Jan. 1, 2029. Industry groups also have succeeded in taking NOAA to court, where the regulations are still tied up. Even so, the clock is ticking and the Department of Marine Resources wants to be prepared for what it expects is an inevitable regulation. more, >>click to read<< 06:31
Alaska records fourth largest salmon harvest with economic blow
2023 marks the fourth largest salmon harvest since the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game started to record the harvest in 1985. Unfortunately, the large harvest did not bring in financial scores equal to smaller harvests. Last year, the overall salmon harvest for the state of Alaska wasn’t the largest on record, but it was the largest harvest of sockeye. For 2023, pink salmon claimed dominance and the overall harvest was massive as well, but the revenue fell far from the gains seen last year. In 2023, the harvest numbers were a major success for the fishing industry bringing in a total of over 230 million salmon. That’s the fourth largest harvest on record, much of it being pink salmon. Video, more, >>click to read<< 17:25
Rep. Garret Graves wants federal funding to reduce imported seafood, aid Louisiana fishery
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser are calling for more federal funding to test imported seafood and tighter regulations to slow the influx of foreign catch onto Louisiana’s seafood market. Both Graves and Nungesser shared separate though somewhat similar proposals recently with the Louisiana Seafood Safety Task Force, which is working to address a struggling domestic fishery and the increasing health threats from imported foreign seafood. Foreign catch has become so cheap that it now comprises nearly 90 percent of all seafood consumed in America, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. more, >>click to read<< 15:30
NTSB Releases Report of Sinking of Commercial Fishing Vessel off Georgia Coast
The National Transportation Safety Board issued Marine Investigation Report 23-24 Tuesday for its investigation of the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Carol Jean off the coast of Georgia. On March 21, while anchored with no one on board, the Carol Jean flooded and sank in the Atlantic Ocean near Tybee Island, Georgia. After the vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB, activated, the US Coast Guard responded and found a debris field where the beacon’s signal originated. There was no pollution reported. The loss of the Carol Jean was estimated at $250,000. The owner/captain of the Carol Jean purchased another commercial fishing vessel and planned to use the Carol Jean to tow the second vessel to Valona, Georgia. >>more, click to read<< 14:22
CHRISTINA S – Karstensen Shipyard delivers newbuild for Fraserburgh
Newbuild 470 “CHRISTINA S” was handed over to the partnership between Freedom Fish Limited, Shannon Fishing Limited and Peter & J. Johnstone Limited on 13 September 2022 from Karstensen Shipyard. New “CHRISTINA S” replaces skipper Allan Simpsons previous command of the same name. The new vessel will operate along the same pattern as the existing vessel, with a traditional pelagic trawl fishery, where target species are mackerel and herring, as well as blue whiting. Photos, >>click to read more<< 13:29
Lobsterman Douglas Alan Alexander of Phippsburg, Maine, has passed away
Douglas Alan Alexander, 71 passed peacefully in his Phippsburg home early morning Friday November 24th, 2023.Born on January 11th, 1952 at Bath Memorial Hospital in Bath, Maine. He grew up on the south end of Bath with his mother and brother and attended Morse High school where he graduated in 1970. He began lobstering with his grandfather at 8 years old and continued commercial fishing as his primary occupation until 2020. He fished out of Hunt’s Wharf in Sebasco estates Maine and always regarded the Hunt’s as extended family. In 1987 he married his loving wife, Anita Richardson on April 18th at Corliss Street Baptist Church in Bath, Maine. Doug and Anita shared 36 years of love, friendship and unwavering support for one another. Doug held many positions within the town and Phippsburg most notably as the towns Harbormaster (2002-2022) and Shellfish Warden (2005-2022). more, >>click to read<< 10:32
‘Heroic at the highest level’ – Fishermen save woman from sinking car in Cork Harbor
Belgian fisherman Farid Landgens
Three fishermen are being hailed as heroes after pulling a woman from a sinking car in Cork city this afternoon. The dramatic rescue happened on Kennedy Quay after a car entered the water shortly after midday today. Fishermen unloading the day’s catch from two boats on the quay jumped in the water and smashed in the two windows to save the woman before the car sank. Cork City Fire Brigade Second Officer Victor Shine described the fisherman’s actions as “heroic at the highest level”. >>click to read<< 07:38
NFWF grants support Maine lobster industry participation in alternative fishing gear testing
“Alternative gear, also known as “on demand” gear is a long way from being viable for fishermen or for whales,” said DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “It is my goal to make sure we know what gear works, and more importantly what doesn’t work, so when future draft federal regulations come forward, we can draw on the real-world experience of fishermen when determining what the next steps should be.” One award of $1,999,992 will support the evaluation of acoustic geolocation systems that locate gear on the bottom without the benefit of surface buoys which are part of traditional gear configurations. Regional partners will include the Island Institute, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, the Sunrise County Economic Council, and the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. more, >>click to read<< 06:09
Non-profit helps scores of commercial fishermen with free fishing licenses
It’s not uncommon for a delayed start to Dungeness crab season along Oregon, in fact, many fishermen try to plan ahead for it. This year is the second in a row for commercial crabbers with the start on December 16 rather than December 1 due to low meat yields. Even with some fishermen able to secure other work, there remain those who need help making ends meet as they await the season open. Non-profit Charleston Fishing Families formed in 2016 with one of their goals being to help those fishermen. “During this time, money’s already tight. It’s holiday season. Often there’s a delay in the season, and so this was one way where we could directly help and impact the fishermen and just offset a little bit of costs. It may not be a lot, but it does help,” said Jackie Chambers, president of CFF. “This year, we had a record number of 73 in the span of five hours.” >>click to read<< 17:05
Commercial Dungeness crab season delayed
Pre-season testing shows Dungeness crabs are too low in meat yield in some ocean areas, delaying Oregon’s commercial season until at least Dec. 16. Targeted to open Dec. 1, Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season can be delayed so consumers get a high-quality product, and crabs are not wasted. The next round of crab meat yield and biotoxin testing will occur in the coming weeks. Results help determine if the season opens Dec. 16 or is further delayed or split into areas with different opening dates. Oregon, California and Washington coordinate Dungeness crab quality testing and the commercial season opening dates. >>click to read<< 14:30
Potential move to electric lobster fishing boats hauls in opposing opinions
Lobster fishing captain Andrew Arbuckle wants to buy an electric boat. One problem, they don’t exist yet. The boat building industry is on the cusp of new electric options. Companies are inventing new designs and investing in unique ideas. But adoption could be slow, since the biggest group of customers, fishing crews in Southwest Nova Scotia, generally reject the idea. Aboard a prototype diesel-electric hybrid fishing boat, Sue Molloy, CEO of Glas Ocean Electric, lifts a floor panel from the deck. She points to a metal driveshaft that runs along the centreline of the boat, disappearing towards the propeller. Not everyone agrees that electric boats are the future. Fishing crews in the Pubnico area agreed with Fleck’s assessment. “It’s wishful thinking,” said Reynold d’Entremont. “It ain’t gonna work.” Photos, >>click to read<< 11:50,
Video – Electric fishing boats are coming but many captains still skeptical, >>click to watch<<
Jersey fishing community ‘fearful’ over proposed marine plans
Nathalie Porritt and Gabby Mason say they fear for the future of dredging and trawling boats if proposed plans are implemented
Seven fishing boats in Jersey could be out of business “overnight” if a recommended plan is implemented, members of the fishing community say. The draft Marine Spatial Plan was published in October to recommend ways of protecting the island’s marine environment. Changes to the way the fishing industry could work were made in it, including over the use of boats with mobile gear. Deputy Jonathan Renouf said the plan could “help the fishing industry”. Members of the fishing community came together at a public drop-in session on Thursday to voice their issues. Nathalie Porritt, a fishing merchant at Aquamar Fisheries, said the proposed areas would particularly affect the scallop industry. >>click to read<< 09:49
TD Bank’s very bad year in the Maritime seafood business
A bankruptcy and insolvency court in Halifax granted Chester Basin Seafoods more time to restructure late last week in order to save its business exporting silver hake, a relative of cod. The order approved a loan from the company founder to get two of its fishing boats out of a Meteghan shipyard where they are undergoing repairs. Secured creditor Toronto-Dominion Bank reluctantly went along with reprieve. It was TD’s decision earlier this month to call in $5.5 million in loans that triggered the creditor protection proceedings. In Halifax on Friday, TD lawyer Gavin MacDonald asked bankruptcy and insolvency registrar Raffi Balmanoukian “where did all [Chester Basin’s] money go.” “There is next to nothing in working capital and two busted vessels.” >>click to read<< 08:20
Dumping Day delayed in parts of Southwestern N.S. due to weather
The province’s lucrative lobster fishery is being setback by an approaching weather system. Dumping Day for lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 in Southwestern Nova Scotia typically take place on the last monday of November. While LFA 33 area fishers took advantage of a two-day flexibility window and started the season early Sunday, officials in LFA 34 say they’ll hold off until at least Wednesday. While it is a big day for a major industry in our province, government is stressing the importance of safety as fishers head out on the water. >>click to read<< 07:37
Fishermen submit hundreds of comments on leasing Gulf of Maine for offshore wind
During the 33-day comment period, BOEM held six online meetings Nov. 1-3 to discuss the draft areas and three proposed secondary areas not included in the draft, and to answer questions and hear feedback from specific stakeholder groups, such as commercial and recreational fishermen, environmental nonprofits and the shipping and transportation sector. So, what did everyone have to say? When it comes to commercial fisheries, gaps in the data that inform where WEAs will least conflict with fishing remain a top concern, as do the cables running the power to shore. Also of concern are certain quadrants included in the draft WEAs, which some at the meetings said are spawning areas for haddock and redfish. more, >>click to read<< 08:27
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