Daily Archives: December 23, 2023
Coast Guard rescues six people from two disabled fishing vessels 70 miles east of Venice, La.
The Coast Guard rescued six people from two disabled fishing vessels Saturday approximately 70 miles east of Venice, Louisiana. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a report from a good Samaritan Friday at approximately 6:30 p.m. of fishing vessel F/V Georgia P being disabled approximately 70 miles east of Venice, Louisiana. Fishing vessel Seahorse responded to the tow of fishing vessel Georgia P. During the tow, the Seahorse also became disabled. Due to the captain aboard the Seahorse not having enough medication to get through the night, degrading weather, and poor communications, all crew members aboard agreed to be removed from their vessels. more, >>click to read<< 20:34
David Rainer: Plash has ‘Gotta Go’ shrimping despite low prices
Doug Plash really can’t help himself, but you can blame it all on his roots. When he’s sitting at home on Plash Island on the banks of the Bon Secour River, the urge to head out in his boat and harvest the tasty crustaceans that are plentiful along Alabama’s Gulf Coast is overwhelming. “There’s a boat across the river named ‘I Gotta Go,’” Plash said in the wheelhouse of his shrimp boat named after his daughters, Melissa, Jennifer and Kristi. “I probably should have named my boat that.” Plash Island came into existence when the Intracoastal Canal was dug in the 1940s, separating the land that is surrounded by the Bon Secour River on the other sides. He is the fifth generation of Plashes to live on the island with his grandfathers buried on the island. One grandfather owned a freight company that used five schooners to haul beer from the Jax Brewery in New Orleans and hauled freight to Mobile. The semi-truck eventually left the schooners at the dock. photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:15
Executive order bars imports of Russian fish that is processed in other countries
Russian seafood will no longer be legally allowed in U.S. markets after it is processed in China, under an executive order issued Friday by President Joe Biden. The action seeks to close a loophole that the Russian seafood industry was able to use to skirt import sanctions put in place in 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The ban is now extended to any seafood caught in Russian waters or by Russian-flagged vessels, “notwithstanding whether such products have been incorporated or substantially transformed into other products outside of the Russian Federation,” the executive order says. While the executive order affects other products, including alcoholic beverages and diamonds, it provides special relief to an Alaska seafood industry that has been struggling with competition from a flood of Russian fish, Alaska’s U.S. senators said. more, >>click to read<< 11:03
Fisherman’s Challenge to Windfarm Explorations Referred to EU Court
The High Court case is being brought by fisherman Ivan Toole, who says the windfarm developments will have a direct bearing on the Wicklow fishing fleet and will damage all marine life in the area. Mr Toole has asked for a preliminary ruling concerning the interpretation of an EU direction about the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. His case has been taken against the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. Judge Humphreys said he would stay the finalisation of Mr Toole’s case, while he referred a number of questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union. more, >>click to read<< 09:33
Bering Sea trawl fleet files lawsuit over new halibut bycatch limits
A trade association representing the Bering Sea bottom-trawl fleet filed a lawsuit this week in federal court, arguing that new halibut bycatch limits are unfair and unlawful. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 2021 approved a new halibut bycatch quota system based on annual surveys of the valuable flatfish. Instead of the current fixed limits, a new abundance-based system means that when halibut stocks are low, bycatch caps could be cut by up to 35%. Based in Washington state, Groundfish Forum — representing five companies and 17 bottom-trawl vessels — sued the National Marine Fisheries Service on Tuesday in response to the new limits, which are set to go into effect Jan. 1. Attorneys argue that the trawl fleet was unfairly singled out by the new rules that could result in “drastic economic consequences.” more, >>click to read<< 08:04
Dramatic moment US Coast Guard rescues fishermen from struggling boat off Cape Cod after it lost its steering capabilities during fierce East Coast storm
The US Coast Guard rescued a 65-foot lobster boat and its crew after it lost all steering and was adrift in the waters southwest of Nantucket. Crews from Station Brant Point in Nantucket and Air Station Cape Cod responded to a call by the vessel named Two Dukes around 9.30 am earlier this week. Four crew members and a dog were rescued. The captain was found with facial injuries after a window got blown out in the heavy seas and left him with lacerations. The captain and first mate remained onboard to assist in towing Two Dukes. I couldn’t be more proud of this crew. First heavy weather SAR case of the winter season. Fifteen to 20-foot seas, shoals all over. The fishermen were extremely grateful.’ photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 07:10
