Monthly Archives: November 2023
Canadian Coast Guard ‘rolling the dice’ with offshore search and rescue coverage: SEA-NL
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) says the Canadian Coast Guard is rolling the dice with maritime safety with only a single primary offshore search and rescue (SAR) vessel dedicated to covering the province’s entire offshore area. “In a maritime environment where every minute could be the difference between life and death in SAR incidents, there is no room for any compromise in response capabilities,” says Merv Wiseman, a member of SEA-NL’s executive, and outspoken advocate for stronger SAR services and fishing-vessel safety. “My question is not just why SAR standards have been lowered, but for how long and whether this is the new normal? >>click to read<< 15:56
Galloway fisherman to lodge Police Scotland complaint after being targeted in huge operation
A Galloway fisherman claims he was “victimised” in a major police operation linked to people trafficking. Port William man Paul Maguire had his boat temporarily impounded and guarded, his crew house raided and quayside lobster shed searched. Police also raided his parents’ home in nearby Mochrum while his mother was celebrating her 90th birthday. According to witnesses at the scene, armed officers forced entry to the lobster shed shouting a warning. Police Scotland confirmed they had warrants to search the premises. The operation began when a UK Border Force vessel pulled alongside Mr Maguire’s boat in Luce Bay at 1pm last Wednesday. >>click to read<< 14:35
Northern Shrimp fishing: DFO proposals do not pass muster in the industry
Northern shrimp fishermen from Quebec and the Atlantic wholeheartedly reject the new precautionary approach presented by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists to protect stocks. The fishing associations of Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, industrialists and DFO scientists were gathered during two days for the advisory committee which ended Wednesday in Quebec. Northern shrimp stocks in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence are not likely to improve, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. >>click to read<< 11:47
Commercial Fisherman Scott Allan Fulford of Peabody, MA, has passed away
Scott Allan Fulford, 69, of Peabody, MA, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2023 at the Kaplan House with his family lovingly by his side. Scott was born on July 26, 1954 in Gloucester, MA to Robert and Mary “Mairi” (Sylvester) Fulford. It was here that his true love for the water began. He grew up in East Gloucester, learning all the ins and outs of the commercial fishing industry. He began working alongside his father at the age of 12. He would work in the family business before and after school. Fishing was the Fulford way of life. It was all that they knew. It has been said that Scott never needed maps; he intuitively navigated the waters. After graduating from Gloucester High School in 1972, he went on to carry out his high school goal of owning his own fleet of fishing vessels. He was the proud Captain of Lisa Marie, Sea Hag, The Rolling Stone II and Step Two. Like so many other fishermen, and his dad before him, he worked on the infamous Phyllis A. >>click to read<< 10:47
Cornish Gem vessel master ‘disregarded the law’ while fishing scallops illegally
The master and owner of a vessel has been fined for illegal scallop fishing in Cornish waters. The actions of Mark Manning and Sarah-Jane Fishing Ltd “disregarded the law in the interests of their short term gain”, said Cornwall Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (IFCA). On November 2, at Truro Magistrates’ Court, Cornwall IFCA successfully prosecuted Mark Manning, 59, from Plymouth and Sarah-Jane Fishing Ltd, the respective master and owner of the fishing vessel Cornish Gem PH 819, which appears to be based out of Falmouth. Manning had previously entered guilty pleas to the court in respect of three counts of using a dredge to remove scallops from the Cornwall IFCA district at a prohibited time of day in December 2022 and in February 2023. >>click to read<< 10:11
Nantucket’s Commercial Scalloping Season Opens With “Cautious Optimism”
Nantucket’s 2023-24 commercial scalloping season began Wednesday under cloudy skies, along with some wind and rain, as the hunt for the island’s prized shellfish was renewed. About 15 scallop boats were out in Nantucket Harbor, along with another five in Madaket Harbor Island fish markets set the wholesale price paid to scallopers at $15 to $18 per pound, down from the start of last season, and the retail prices ranged from $20 to $25 per pound. But all of that – the number of boats out fishing, the prices, and the demand – will be fleshed out and subject to change as the first week of fishing rolls along, said Samantha Denette, executive director of the Nantucket Shellfish Association. “It’s always cautious optimism and trying to be optimistic,” Denette said. “We’re not looking at a banner year but we’re not looking at a dud either. I feel good about us being in the middle. But we can’t make the call on day one if it’s going to be either/or.” >>click to read<< 08:55
House Republicans rebuff move by Golden to block offshore wind in Gulf of Maine lobster area
Majority Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives rejected an attempt by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, to use federal spending to block offshore wind development in a lobster fishing area of the Gulf of Maine. Golden, who tried to amend 2024 appropriations legislation for the Department of Interior, said he will try again to bar offshore wind development in what’s known as Lobster Management Area 1. His measure sought to prevent funding to lease, license, permit or provide any authorization to develop offshore wind energy that could jeopardize lobster fishing. “Offshore wind development in the Gulf’s most productive fishing grounds is a threat to Maine fishermen’s way of life,”>>click to read<< 07:28
Will bankruptcy auction break up New Bedford’s fishing fleet?
Blue Harvest Fisheries’ last assets could be sold at a bankruptcy auction as early as Wednesday, court filings show. Mayor Jon Mitchell and the New Bedford Port Authority have urged the bankruptcy trustee to ensure both the boats and permits remain in New Bedford, the nation’s top-earning commercial fishing port. Some fisherman and advocacy groups say regulators should seize the moment to break up the permits and enact stricter antitrust rules to limit future consolidation of the fishing business. The assets up for auction include eight commercial fishing vessels and 48 state and federal fishing permits, representing about 13% of all quota in the New England groundfish industry. Blue Harvest is the region’s single-largest groundfish permit holder. >>click to read<< 20:42
Alaska seafood harvesting jobs decline as fish crashes, pandemic and other factors take toll
Alaska fish-harvesting employment declined in 2022, a continuing yearslong slide caused by a variety of factors, according to an analysis by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Employment for people harvesting seafood dropped by about a quarter from 2015 to 2022, according to the analysis, published in the November issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the department’s monthly research magazine. The industry lost ground compared to other sectors of the Alaska economy, the analysis found. Seafood harvesting accounted for 7.3% of Alaska jobs in July of 2021, but only 5.7% of Alaska jobs were in seafood harvesting in the following July. Fishery work is highly seasonal, and July is the peak month for it. >>click to read<< 16:15
Incredible herring haul means viable Isle of Man fishery ‘could be a reality’ for the first time in 25 years
Local fishermen have successfully caught the allocated 100 tonne quota of herring in Manx waters within weeks of receiving Government support to diversify. Three local crews took advantage of the financial support provided by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture following new UK quotas earlier this year. Clare Barber Mallocated 100 tonne quotaHK, Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister said: ‘It’s been a real success story.’ The recent catch has led to great optimism across the industry that a commercially viable Manx fishery could be a reality for the first time in 25 years – especially as the quota could quadruple by 2026. >>click to read<< 14:28
Maine Lobsterman a Social Media Star
By all appearances, Jacob Knowles lives the life of a typical Maine lobsterman. Knowles, 30, is a fifth generation Maine lobsterman; he’s been going out on lobster boats since he was in elementary school. He’s been working on his own since he graduated from high school. But lately Knowles, who’s married with two young children, has been working in a different universe. He’s been posting video clips while he’s out lobstering, and they’ve gone viral. Knowles is now a social media star, with 3.5 million followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Instagram. As of this week, Knowles has 1.24 million subscribers on You Tube, and a total of 782,273,399 views. 8 minute video, >>click to read<< 11:39
Cape May County Declares Victory Against Wind Farms
Jubilant Cape May County officials Wednesday celebrated the decision by Danish energy giant Orsted to scrap plans for two wind energy farms off the South Jersey coast, but expressed caution about the possibility that the projects could be resurrected later. “You know, there were many people that said to us, ‘Don’t take on this company. Don’t take on Orsted. They have the White House. They have the Statehouse.’ But unfortunately, they didn’t know about the courthouse,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said. During a news conference, Desiderio and other Republican Cape May County officials repeatedly said the tiny county was able to overcome the political support of President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and Gov. Phil Murphy in favor of Orsted and the wind farm industry. >>click to read<< 10:32
‘Catastrophic crisis’: Imported shrimp flood US market
Foreign shrimp imports are overwhelming the country’s inventories of shrimp and driving market prices for locally sourced shrimp to record lows, prompting widespread calls from elected officials and organizations throughout southern Atlantic and Gulf Coast states for the federal government to declare a fishery resource disaster. Governors of coastal states from North Carolina to Florida to Texas are being pressed to ask U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to determine a fishery resource disaster for the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery. In what one North Carolina coastal county’s board of commissioners refer to as an “unprecedented catastrophic crisis,” shrimpers are struggling to maintain operations because they’re making substantially less for their catch while paying historically high fuel prices and other inflation-driven costs. Shrimpers are also being forced to dock their freezer boats, or vessels with onboard freezers, because they can’t move their product in a market flooded with frozen shrimp from overseas. >>click to read<< 09:40
New regulations aim to protect Florida’s stone crab population
For Floridians, October has one more holiday than what might be on most calendars: the start of stone crab season. Starting Oct. 15, recreational and commercial fishermen are able to harvest the species that holds a spot as one of the five most important fisheries in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Although stone crabs are found from North Carolina to Belize, 99% of the stone crab harvest for the entire United States come from Florida. And this year, the FWC began implementing new regulations in an effort to conserve the longevity of this important fishery. >>click to read<< 08:29
Suffolk farmers plan major expansion of fishing venture
The Suffolk farmers – based at Ramsholt – has been farming for 10 generations. But when Harry Simper – now aged 28 – left school his heart was set on a life at sea. As they live on the banks of the River Deben, the Simpers, of Lodge Farm, have always combined their farming life with sailing and fishing. As they live on the banks of the River Deben, the Simpers, of Lodge Farm, have always combined their farming life with sailing and fishing. The Simpers run two trawlers and are planning to get larger vessels so they can operate a fleet of three or four within the next couple of years. The Simpers run two trawlers and are planning to get larger vessels so they can operate a fleet of three or four within the next couple of years. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:18
New Jersey reacts to Ørsted Ocean Wind cancellation shocker
The aftermath is still unfolding Wednesday afternoon — and causing a lot of questions, drama and uncertainty in the state. It all comes against the backdrop of next week’s legislative elections (with offshore wind a central campaign issue in many races), when all 120 seats are up for grabs.Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders all responded with strongly worded statements and reactions, which came ripping through email boxes and across social media accounts in the evening hours on Halloween, which you can read more about here. That continued Wednesday — especially from Republican lawmakers and leaders, who have long questioned the feasibility of offshore wind as well as its potential impacts, leaning into the issue heavily on the campaign trail. >>click to read<< 17:20
Shrimp fishing: gloomy outlook and angry fishermen
The state of northern shrimp stocks in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence will not improve in the short and medium term and could even continue to deteriorate. It is this grim observation that Fisheries and Oceans Canada shared with the fishermen and processors gathered Tuesday in Quebec for the first day of the shrimp advisory committee of the Estuary and Gulf of Saint -Laurent. DFO biologists have clearly identified redfish predation as one of the main causes of the decline of shrimp stocks in the four fishing areas of the Estuary and Gulf. The warming of the water in the Gulf and the significant drop in oxygen levels also explain the drastic fall in northern shrimp stocks.>>click to read<<14:12
Dungeness crab season delayed again this year, another blow to Santa Cruz fishing industry
Commercial Dungeness crab season had been set to open Nov. 15, but amid concerns about whale safety that have delayed the season in recent years, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has pushed it back to at least Dec. 1. “For many fishermen, this means there’s no income right now,” one veteran says, “and they’re hanging by the threads.” “It’s really bad,” said Tim Obert of the conditions for local commercial fishermen. “This is the worst year I’ve seen before. We have always had the salmon to back up the crab.” “For many fishermen, this means there’s no income right now and they’re hanging by the threads,” he said. “However, we’re kind of used to it now.” >>click to read << 12:46
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 56′ Duffy Dragger, CAT 3408, Northern Lights Auxiliary
To review specifications, information, and 10 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 10:56
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Bering Sea fish bounty brings help, headaches for trawlers
A federal lawsuit filed this year by two Alaska tribal organizations — the Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference — seeks a court order to force federal regulators to reassess pollock harvest levels. The plaintiffs note the pollock nets, which often touch bottom, may harm crabs and other sea life and also cite the trawlers’ incidental take of salmon. The lawsuit is opposed by the At-Sea Processors Association, a group that includes Coastal Villages and had intervened in the case on the side of the federal government. “We felt compelled to do it. We don’t have any negative feelings towards them. But we think it’s kind of a misguided effort,” said Eric Deakin, Coastal Villages CEO, who works out of an Anchorage headquarters office. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:20
Canada’s Largest Fishing Vessel Floated Off
The latest fishing vessel for Canada has been launched for outfitting at the Tersan yard in Turkey. Inuksuk II is being built for Baffin Fisheries and is scheduled for delivery in mid-2024. Designed by Skipsteknisk, the 80-metre Inuksuk II will have capacity for 1320 tonnes of frozen Greenland halibut in its refrigerated fishroom, or can switch to shrimp fishing, capable of holding 930 tonnes of frozen shrimp product. ‘This is a great milestone towards the delivery of Nunavut’s first new fishing vessel,’ said Baffin Fisheries chairman Sandy Kautuq in Clyde River. >>click to read<< 08:03
Developer cancels plans for 2 N.J. offshore wind farms. Outraged Murphy rips company
Danish company Ørsted announced Tuesday night it will “cease development” for what was slated to be New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm, as well as plans for its second project. It’s a blow to Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious clean energy goals and a stunning development for environmentalists supporting the energy alternative, once thought to be operational at the Jersey Shore between 2025 and 2026. Murphy said in his statement that Ørsted’s decision to “abandon its commitments to New Jersey is outrageous and calls into question the company’s credibility and competence.” “As recently as several weeks ago,” Murphy said, “the company made public statements regarding the viability and progress of the Ocean Wind 1 project.” >>click to read<< 07:08
