Monthly Archives: November 2023
Atlantic Enterprise: Large Shrimp and Halibut Factory Trawler for Ocean Prawns Canada Operations
Clearwater Ocean Prawns Venture (COPV), a joint venture formed by Danish fishing company Ocean Prawns and Canada’s Clearwater Seafoods, has expanded its fleet with the recent acquisition of a new deep-sea-capable factory trawler designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm Skipsteknisk. The DNV-classed, Polar Coded trawler Atlantic Enterprise measures 83.2 by 18 metres and is equipped primarily for catching and processing shrimp and Greenland halibut in Arctic waters. The freezer hold has a total capacity of 3,000 cubic metres across two decks and includes space for pallets. Ocean Prawns said the vessel will be capable of landing around 1,200 tonnes of pre-packaged, sea-frozen coldwater prawns each trip and around 2,500 tonnes of halibut per year. Photos, >>click to read<< o7:06
How the US coast guard made an unsinkable boat
Introducing the remarkable 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (47 MLB), an unsinkable marvel exclusively operated by the United States Coast Guard. This vessel’s self-righting ability is a testament to naval engineering, with a low center of gravity, high buoyancy, and watertight integrity that defy the odds of capsizing. The dedicated surfmen, after six years of rigorous training, navigate treacherous waves with precision, employing techniques to outrun, dodge, and absorb wave energy, ensuring safety during rescue missions. Despite the challenges of time, efforts are underway to extend the operational lifespan of these unsinkable heroes, a symbol of resilience and unwavering dedication to maritime safety. Video, >>click to read<< 16:47
Murphy Tagged $1 Billion of Ratepayer Subsidies to Bailout Failed Foreign Wind Energy Corporation
Senator Michael Testa recently addressed the withdrawal of Ørsted, a Danish wind energy company, from the Ocean Wind 1 & 2 offshore wind farm projects in New Jersey. Testa’s comments highlighted the complexities and controversies surrounding the state’s investment in green energy. Testa criticized the allocation of state funds, including a $1 billion investment in Ørsted’s projects, as a burden on taxpayers and ratepayers. He described the investment as “a drop in the ocean,” underscoring his view that the funds were insufficient to achieve the intended goals. Additionally, Testa expressed concern about the establishment of a $5 million wind institute, which he perceives as a “propaganda arm” of the wind industry. >>click to read<< 14:50
Hull Gaul trawler sinking anniversary events get cash boost
Events marking the 50th anniversary of the sinking of a Hull trawler with the loss of 36 men have received funding from the city council. The Gaul went down after being caught in heavy seas in the Barents Sea off Norway on 8 February 1974. Four days of commemorations are planned for 2024, including a new mural, a dedicated Hull City football match and an education programme for children. A civic event at Hull Minster and walking tours are also planned Andrews and Docklands ward has been granted £5,000 to fund the events. >>click to read<< 11:28
Save US shrimping industry. Buy domestic wild-caught shrimp.
For decades, South Carolina’s shrimpers have faced challenges, but the imported shrimp crisis has reached a critical juncture. The influx of foreign shrimp, often at artificially low prices, is decimating our domestic shrimping industry, putting the livelihoods of thousands of South Carolina families at risk. The situation has changed dramatically in recent years. The rising tide of imported shrimp far outpaces shrimp consumption in the United States because of subsidized foreign production and lax trade enforcement. American shrimpers aren’t competing on a level playing field. We face an inflection point. If we do not take decisive action, the domestic shrimping industry will collapse, with devastating consequences for our coastal communities and the heritage of shrimping in South Carolina. >>click to read<< 09:06
In Texas, Vietnamese American Shrimpers Must Forge a New Path Again
The sun was still rising when Vinh Nguyen hauled in his first catch of the day. For the next half-hour, he worked methodically, using his bare fingers to sort the slippery crustaceans from Matagorda Bay. The famed Texas brown shrimp went in one bucket. The Texas white shrimp in another. Seagulls and pelicans hovered around him in the cool, sticky air, while dolphins swam alongside the boat. All were eager for the discarded fish — free breakfast. By noon, Mr. Nguyen caught enough shrimp to take home about $600, a decent profit these days, but still less than in years past when $1,000 marked a good day. “Not much,” he frowned, as he stood on the slick deck assessing the ice chests that were now filled with shrimp. Photos, >>click to read<<07:35
Harbour Grace shipyard owners try to assure creditors, customers as workers brace for the worst
The owners of a busy shipyard in Harbour Grace are trying to assure creditors as they scramble to save a big employer in Conception Bay North. Meanwhile, dozens of workers are bracing as their jobs hang in the balance. “I got a mortgage. I got vehicle payments. I got two small children at home. A wife. There’s a lot at stake,” electrician’s helper Jake St. George said this week during his lunch break at Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprises. The shipyard has fallen on hard financial times, and a list of creditors owed nearly $16 million have been demanding their money. So in a bid to salvage the business and restructure the operation in order to avoid bankruptcy, the company was granted temporary protection from its creditors last week by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. >>click to read<< 16:42
Mr Fisher: Taking viewers on a real time ride on a fishing vessel
Md Jahidur Rahman, a fishing boat skipper, has been sharing videos of fishing operations in the Bay of Bengal for some time now, and one can watch the everyday life of our sea-going fishers aboard the trawlers, as well as many other tiny details of thsharing videose business. While wooden fishing boats are common along the coastline of the country, industrial fishing vessels fitted with modern equipment are only seen in the Chattogram area. As a result, the videos of the boats operating in the sea have drawn the attention of viewers. Jahid says it is the main goal of his vlogging. “The goal of the videos is to let people know about our marine fishing industry: how we use the latest fishing equipment on modern fishing vessels, which people have only seen on television,” said Jahid. photos, >>click to read<< 12:44
Alaska crabbers get creative with pop-up sales, but industry’s fate uncertain
With Alaska’s Bering Sea snow crab fishery shut down for the second year in a row, crabbers are having to make tough decisions and find creative ways to earn income, like selling direct to Anchorage consumers, sometimes in parking lots. A hand-painted sign on an Anchorage street corner and a hanging sign with the words “Live Alaskan King Crab” were enough to draw in customers to a Spenard parking lot that had become home to one of the shellfish pop-up sales. The live crab sale was in its fourth day on Nov. 2 and had already sold more than three-quarters of the 700 red king crabs hauled out from the Bering Sea. In an attempt to make up some lost income, third-generation fisherman Gabriel Prout brought red king crab to Anchorage to sell directly to consumers. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:16
Fishing Vessel Nord-Fugloy: Seiner designed for northern Norwegian waters
Norwegian shipbuilder Larsnes Mek Verksted recently delivered a new seiner to compatriot fishing company Camaro Fiskeriselskap. Named after a local island, Nord-Fugløy was built to a DNV-compliant design developed by local naval architecture firm Skipskompetanse for seine netting and purse seining. Kent-Arild Apneseth, project manager at Skipskompetanse, said the brief from the owner was to optimise a vessel for the coastal fishery and implement a new way of operating Danish seine, hauling the net from the stern in a manner that will increase efficiency and to be able to operate more securely in a larger weather window. Photos, >>click to read<<08:21
Connecticut fishermen catch a massive 400-pound Stingray
I don’t know about you, but in my world, stingrays aren’t 400 pounds. In the real world so to speak, it’s just as uncommon for your basic ray, too, so this catch in the Long Island Sound off the Connecticut coast is about as rare as you can get. Truly a ‘whoa’ moment. Our Long Island Sound Trawl Survey crew never knows what they might see on a given day out on the Sound – yesterday was a stand-out example. First, the crew trawled up a HUGE roughtail stingray (Bathytosia centroura): over 6 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, and an estimated 400 pounds! These gentle giants are found along the Atlantic coast from New England to Florida but are relatively rare in Long Island Sound. photos, >>click to read<< 07:30
May deaths of two New Brunswick fishermen prompt advisory letter from TSB
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has issued a warning to three government bodies about overloading fishing boats, in response to the deaths of two New Brunswick lobster fishermen earlier this year. Fifty-eight-year-old Eugene Beaudin and his 33-year-old great-nephew, Normand Beaudin, fell off their fishing boat and died in the water off Miscou Island, N.B., on May 6. In the Oct. 30 letter to Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and WorkSafeNB, the safety board’s director of marine investigations, Clifford Harvey, wrote that the vessel Tracy Dawn left the harbour loaded with 119 traps and encountered rough weather. Harvey says the fishers fell overboard trying to drop traps into the water. >>click to read<< 18:50
From Rags to Riches: Pakistani Fisherman Becomes Millionaire Overnight After Selling Golden Fish
A Pakistani fisherman became a millionaire overnight after auctioning a haul of rare fish which has many medicinal properties. On Monday, Haji Baloch and his workers who live in the impoverished Ibrahim Hyderi fishing village caught the fish known as golden fish or “Sowa” in the local dialect from the Arabian Sea. “The entire catch was sold for some 70 million rupees at the Karachi harbour on Friday morning when fishermen auctioned off their catch,” Mubarak Khan of the Pakistan Fishermen Folk Forum said, as per a report by PTI. “We were fishing in the open sea of Karachi when we came across this huge cache of golden fish, and it was a windfall for us,” Haji said. >>click to read<<13:43
New England lobstermen threaten to sue feds over planned Massachusetts fishing closure
NOAA is looking to permanently add a wedge between state and federal waters to an existing closure that stretches roughly 9,000 square miles off the Massachusetts coast, a measure feds have put in place to preserve the North Atlantic right whale. An emergency rule prohibited trap and pot fishery buoy lines on the wedge during the past two years, but the feds are looking to make the zone permanent and have the backing of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. The proposed permanent expansion to the Massachusetts Restricted Area has caught lobstermen by surprise. Dustin Delano, chief operating officer of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, took exception to the “recklessness” of the proposal after an amendment was included in this year’s $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that looked to delay protections for the North Atlantic right whale by six years. >>click to read<< 11L27
Fish to Families: San Diego fishermen and chefs team up to fight hunger
An innovative program called “Fish to Families” has local fishermen and chefs teaming up to help San Diegans struggling with hunger. The San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group originally spearheaded the program in 2020 to help both the community and the fishermen since the restaurants were shut down. “We were able to work, and they were able to put a high-quality meal for somebody less fortunate, and it blossomed from there,” Arthur Lorton, owner and operator of the “Sea Haven” fishing boat, said. The program was recently restarted, thanks to a grant from The Parker Foundation, to help the growing number of people in need. Video, >>click to read<< 09:26
Single Snow Crab Gets Auctioned for Record 10 Million Yen in Japan
Snow crab season in Japan kicked off with a record auction this week, after a single 1.2-kilogram snow crab sold for an incredible 10 million yen (about $66,000 USD) at the Hamasaka fishing port in the coastal town of Shinonsen. The crab was a highly sought-after “matsuba-gani,” which refers to male snow crabs that are found in the Sanin region along the south-western coast of Japan’s main island Honshu. The lucky buyer was restaurant owner Ryosuke Uemura, 47, proprietor of the Ryouriya Uemura restaurant in the Chuo Ward of Kobe, who placed the winning bid on Nov 6., the first day of snow crab season.”I wanted to get one on day one, no matter what. >>click to read<< 07:45
US Coast Guard Medevacs 64-Year-Old from Fishing Vessel Off San Diego
A Coast Guard Sector San Diego helicopter crew rescued a 64-year-old male passenger from a fishing vessel approximately 40 miles off the coast of San Diego Thursday. Coast Guard Sector San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders received a distress call from the fishing vessel Pride, requesting a medical evacuation for a crewmember at approximately 9 a.m. The injured male was experiencing multiple onset abnormalities. >>click to read<< 07:23
Fife fish merchant warns ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ after Storm Babet wrecks industry
The seafood industry in Fife has experienced a “catastrophe” over the last few weeks, thanks to the lingering effects of Storm Babet. Small boats have been unable to head out for shellfish. “The larger boats further up North [in Peterhead] are still able to get out, but around here, the smaller boats haven’t been able to get out. “While those that have managed to make it out have brought back dead prawns. Fish merchant, Billy Hughes, of Pittenweem, said the situation is “worrying”. Tommy Gordon, skipper on the prawn trawler “Twa Gordon’” said he has seen “plenty catasrophes” following on from Storm Babet. He was unable to get out on his boat for three weeks thanks to the stormy weather. >>click to read<< 06:21
Report on L’Ecume trawler sinking goes to Law Officers
A ‘complex’ file of evidence on the fatal collision between Condor’s Commodore Goodwill and the L’Ecume II trawler has been handed to the Law Officers Department by the States police. A similar file on the Pier Road explosion will be submitted to the department in due course, Chief Minister Kristina Moore has confirmed. The L’Ecume II sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with the Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. The boat’s skipper and two crew died in the tragedy. Given the “size and complexity” of the evidence file relating to the L’Ecume II collision, Deputy Moore noted that “it will take some time to consider the evidence” – although specific timelines for completion were not provided. >>click to read<< 14:21
Lobsterman Ray Merriman Sleeper of South Thomaston, Me., has passed away
Ray Merriman Sleeper, 64, passed away surrounded by his loving family, Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at the Sussman House in Rockport, following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Ray began his career as a lobsterman on Criehaven with Sonny Davis, and later with Parker Jackson. After Parker retired, Ray bought the boat from him, striking out on his own. Both of his children went out with him on many well-remembered trips. His daughter remembered Ray letting them save the extra things that came up in his traps in a bucket to explore later. When his son, Cyrus, eventually followed in his footsteps, becoming a lobsterman himself, they rigged a few boats together for him. >>click to read<< 13:22
Community rallies for NC shrimper after boat fire
A local shrimper in Beaufort lost everything in a boat fire last weekend. Now, the community is rallying behind him to help get him back on the water. The F/V Lady Logan was owned by Jerry Kellum for the last eight years. “When I started shrimping, I played in the creek when I was about 6 years old and I loved it,” said Jerry. He’s carried on the shrimping tradition of his family for over 50 years. Then, last Friday, his most prized possession and way of income was destroyed. “I got in about 10:30 from shrimping on the straits, and I left and the boat was fine. They call me about three o’clock, it was on fire and that was it from there,” said Kellum. >>click to read<< 11:47
Ireland’s Regulator in Eye of Storm Over Weighing System
An Irish parliamentary committee may summon the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) before it to explain its weighing system, reports Lorna Siggins. This follows a recent parliamentary (Oireachtas) agriculture, food and marine committee debate when Independent TD for Cork South-West Michael Collins called for an independent review of the current system run by the SFPA. Collins referred to a “crisis” in the system and quoted from an Irish Examiner newspaper report, which claimed that a recording system initiated by the SFPA in December 2022 may be flawed and that 40% of by-catch sampling could be out by as much as 80%. >>click to read<< 09:21
Maine Lobstermen to donate Tuesday haul, restaurants will donate proceeds to Lewiston
As the Lewiston community tries to heal since the mass shootings that took place two weeks ago, some Mainers in Portland are uniting Tuesday to raise money the best way they know how. Luke’s Lobster, J’s Oyster, DiMillo’s, and The Porthole are collaborating with lobstermen and dealers to raise funds for the victims and their families. Lobstermen and dealers will donate lobsters, and each restaurant will serve up its own unique lobster special, donating all proceeds. “If we can just do what we do and the lobster dealers can separate out the product and the restaurants can cook and serve it, then by just doing what we do, we can help Lewiston somehow,” Steve Train, a lobsterman from Long Island, ME, said. Video, >>click to read<< 07:53
Dockside monitor charged with taking bribes in crab, falsifying catch records
A dockside monitor in Newfoundland is being accused of accepting crab as a bribe and falsifying documents to undercount the quantity of product being harvested. Scott Fortune, 33, of St. David’s has been charged with five criminal counts: two counts of fraud, one count of breach of trust by a public officer, and two related to forged or falsified documents. The criminal charges were laid in October. The alleged offences took place in Stephenville and Crabbes River, on Newfoundland’s west coast, over a period of nearly 2½ years, between Jan. 1, 2021, and June 7 of this year. >>click to read<< 06:48
72 whales have died on the East Coast in a year. NOAA must take action.
So, what have we learned from the recent whale deaths off the East Coast — 72 since December 2022? They have compelled local communities to question the risks and benefits of offshore wind. Sadly, these same deaths have revealed a disturbing lack of curiosity among the oil-companies-turned-offshore-wind-developers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and even some marine scientists who rush to the cameras every time a whale dies to point fingers away from offshore wind development along the eastern seaboard. Proponents of offshore wind are quick to blame global warming (to which of course their solution is offshore wind turbines) moving feeding grounds into shipping lanes and general episodic “vessel strikes” for these deaths. Many hope to close the investigation within the same day or two because the last thing they need is to have two dead whales, less than 30 miles apart, stealing the headlines for a full week. Proponents of these systems are also quick to claim that offshore wind will not harm marine mammals, yet their own action seemingly contradicts that. >>click to read<< 16:49
Breaking: Canastras buy vessels, permits from Blue Harvest bankruptcy
The owners of New Bedford’s seafood auction, closed a deal to buy out groundfish giant Blue Harvest Fisheries from bankruptcy, a move finalized Wednesday with the approval of a federal judge. After a short bidding war, Cassie Canastra submitted the highest bid of $12 million on Monday, beating out the second-highest bid from O’Hara Corporation, which is a part owner of New Bedford-based Eastern Fisheries, by $750,000. The sale includes “all the vessels, all the permits” that once belonged to Blue Harvest Fisheries. It includes eight vessels and 48 state and federal fishing permits, representing about 13% of all Northeast groundfish permits or about 250 million pounds of quota for the current fishing year. >>click to read<< 14:22
Harbour Grace shipyard enters creditor protection as owners face financial headwinds
One of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest shipyards, Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprises, has been granted court protection from its creditors as it struggles with a serious cash flow problem. The company is nearly $16 million in debt, and creditors have been demanding payment. Last week, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador approved an order that temporarily protects the company from its creditors as it looks for a way forward. The court also appointed professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor the company. The shipyard employs 56 full-time employees and is described in court documents as “one of the largest marine vessel, repair, refit and construction businesses in Eastern Canada.” >>click to read<< 13:10
Families continue search for three missing fishermen
Chris Barlow has learned more in the past few weeks about the flow of ocean currents and how search and rescue operations work than he ever wanted to know. But the desperate hunt for his missing son and two other men who left Oct. 14 aboard the Carol Ann commercial fishing boat has forced Barlow and the families of the other men to continue the search on their own. Chris Barlow and the families of the other men aboard the Carol Ann refused to give up and have funded their own search, which continued Tuesday as a plane flew over eddies identified on the western edge of the Gulf Stream off shore north of Savannah in the Carolinas and up into Virginia. His hope is that data collected by the flight will shed some light on what may have happened to the fishing boat. >>click to read<< 11:47
Industry welcomes confirmation that HPMA proposals have been scrapped
The move was welcomed by the fishing industry which had campaigned against the proposal. Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) executive officer Sheila Keith said members were pleased that common sense had prevailed. “The angst caused by the ill-conceived proposals was clear by the responses to the consultation which showed, when you removed campaign responses, 76 per cent of respondents opposed, and only 20 per cent supported the plans. “However, our concerns are not wholly alleviated as the government still discuss the implementation of “enhanced marine protection” over 10 per cent of Scottish waters. >>click to read<< 10:19
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36’x14.5′ Novi Lobster Boat, 600HP, Scania D113 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 14 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 09:11
