Monthly Archives: January 2024
No turning back: The largest dam removal in U.S. history begins
One hundred seventy-three feet high, with a 740-foot crest, Iron Gate Dam is an earth embankment dam with a skinny, many-fingered reservoir behind it. The lowering — or drawdown — of Iron Gate and two other reservoirs on the Klamath River will make way for the removal of three remaining hydroelectric dams that are part of the Lower Klamath Project in Northern California and southern Oregon. For decades, these barriers have blocked salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey from accessing habitat above them and contributed to poor water quality below. The Klamath River was once the third-largest salmon producer on the West Coast, but in the time since the dams were constructed, the Klamath’s coho and Chinook runs have dwindled to a fraction of their historic abundance. more, >>click to read<< 13:34
A group of herring fishermen may put a hook in the Biden Administration’s power
Even far out on the open water, where Bill Bright navigates his 140-foot fishing trawler in search of the Atlantic herring that school below the surface, the federal government always feels startlingly within reach. Bright and other captains alert regulators before they push off. A reporting system pings the boat’s location throughout the day. And sometimes Bright must bring a government mandated federal observer on board whose job is to collect data about the catch and ensure the rules are followed. Bright doesn’t mind those regulations. But he and his fellow fishermen are adamantly opposed to a 2020 federal rule that requires them to pay the salary of the observers they bring aboard – adding $700 a day to their costs. ”But this is not politics to me. This is about what’s right. This is about what’s right for our fishery.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:01
Admirers of nautical icon Anna hope to prevent her final bow
The Anna, a nautical icon beloved by its legion of fans, is on rocky ground after the owner of the 30-foot Block Island trawler expressed some interest in selling the boat, or at least parts of her.In early December, Ronald J. Trottier, owner of Anchor Marina, 583 E. Broadway St., where Anna has been “on the hard” for about two decades, tasked Marcie Travers-Barth with selling Anna. Tavers-Barth owns The Coal Docks Restaurant & Bar, across the street from the marina. The restaurant building itself is owned by Trottier, who is not involved in the establishment’s business or management. “The owner has asked that I put it up for sale and handle all offers,” 14 photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:45
Danish letter shows Charlie McConalogue was ‘hoodwinked’ in mackerel wars, say fishermen
Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue failed to take up an offer by Denmark to resolve a long-running row with Ireland over mackerel, which could have been worth almost €10m to the Irish fleet over two years. The offer, in a letter from Danish Minister for Fisheries Jacob Jensen, amounted to a transfer of 3,000 tonnes of mackerel to Ireland for two years, “without prejudice” to a long-term solution to the dispute. Instead, at December’s meeting of the Fisheries Council, Ireland appears to have been outmanoeuvred into accepting a permanent deal in Denmark’s favour, with a fraction of the share going to Ireland. more, >>click to read<< 08:14
Flooding smashes Maine’s coast, destroying historic buildings and forcing rescues
A massive Saturday storm brought record flooding and high winds to coastal Maine, destroying iconic fishing shacks along a South Portland beach and forcing rescues farther down the coast. Damage was heavy in the Portland area around the highest tide of the season around noon. Some of the biggest casualties were three fishing shacks that sat on Fisherman’s Point and had interior timbers that are more than 200 years old. They were washed away as the high tide came in around noon Saturday. Video, photos, >>click to read<< 07:22
Louisiana fishermen take their fight against coastal project to court
The $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion aims to mimic the river’s power to build land by channeling Mississippi River water into the bay. However, a lawsuit by fishing companies, fishermen and the Earth Island Institute argues the state’s largest coastal project would “introduce contaminants and hazardous materials” into Barataria Bay and “adversely affect human health” and other species. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, also claims the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought into “largely unproven benefits” of pouring massive amounts of river water into the basin. The suit also names the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It argues the Corps violated federal laws in awarding a permit for the diversion, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act. more, >>click to read<< 17:11
Fishing vessel aground off coast of Cape Elizabeth
A fishing vessel ran aground early Saturday morning, just as a powerful storm system was arriving in Maine. A mayday call was issued shortly after midnight, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed with NEWS CENTER Maine, and the Cape Elizabeth Fire-Rescue was able to get to the scene by about 1:20 a.m. There was no information as of 11 a.m. whether any injuries were reported, and it was not clear yet why the crew was out in the storm at midnight. All four people onboard the Tera Lynn II, a 50-foot boat, were rescued by a skiff via a Water Extrication Team with the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department. more, >>click to read<< 12:52
Fishermen are gearing up for the Dungeness crab season to start next week
After months of delays, local fishermen will finally be allowed to fish for Dungeness crab off of the Central Coast. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the season will reopen on Jan. 18; however, fleets will only be allowed to use 50 percent of their traps. Meanwhile, those in the industry say the delays and restrictions are frustrating. “The last five years, we’ve been losing all our holiday markets. That means we have to go out in rougher weather,” said Chris Zajac, a Santa Cruz Dungeness crab fisherman. “We only get a month and a half to fish, whereas we used to get eight months to fish for crab,” Zajac said. Video, >>click to read<< 11:24
Missing fisherman’s body found in Fort Pierce Inlet days after disappearance
The body of a commercial fisherman who vanished earlier this week was recovered from the Fort Pierce Inlet near Jetty Park on Friday afternoon, deputies said. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard recovered the body of Brian Ronshausen, 50. Ronshausen was last seen launching a small boat from Stan Blum Boat Ramp at about 11 p.m. Monday. Photos, >>click to read<< 10:14
Fishing vessel left to rot in Cornwall harbour at centre of debate
A fishing boat that has used a Cornish harbour for more than 20 years and been left to rot was at the centre of a debate around abandoned vessels. Cornwall Council said it was seeking to remove “live-aboard” vessel Karina Olsen from Penzance Harbour. It said the vessel was among a number of abandoned boats which need to be sold or demolished in Cornish ports. Maritime manager Chris Jones disputed one councillor’s claim they were “powerless” to pursue boat owners. more, >>click to read<< 09:22
Commercial Fisherman Thomas Woodrow “Tommy Derr” Johnson of North Carolina has passed away
Thomas Woodrow “Tommy Derr” Johnson, 80, crossed the sandbar on January 5th, 2023 at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC after a short illness. Fishing was Tommy’s life. For nearly 70 years, he spent the majority of his time beach “seine” fishing with a truck & dory and whatever hands he could get. Of those hands, he spent many years teaching & passing along his knowledge and experience of his craft to many cousins, nieces, nephews and scallywags along the way. He also loved gillnet fishing in the Sound and crabbed & shrimped for fun with family recreationally. When not fishing for a living, he spent many a day hanging and mending nets, working on boats, gear or docks. Even well into his seventies , Tommy had dreams to go on one last fishing trip. more, >>click to read<< 08:15
Work on grounded fishing vessel continues after halting due to bad weather
Operations to remove the pollutants from the fishing vessel ‘Elke M’ that ran aground in St Francis Bay on January 6, resumed this morning, January 12, after being suspended late yesterday, January 11, due to bad weather. South African Maritime Safety Authority spokesperson, Tebogo Ramatjie said that yesterday a helicopter assisted in the transfer of equipment to the vessel, and the pumping of onboard fuel into 4 bulk IBC containers was completed. more, >>click to read<< 16:04
Cleary steps down from SEA-NL to focus on fishery Co-op
Ryan Cleary stepped down Thursday as Executive Director of SEA-NL, a non-profit association that advocates on behalf of licensed inshore enterprise owners, to focus his full attention on the formation of a new fisheries co-operative. “I remain as passionate about SEA-NL as the day Merv Wiseman and I started the organization and will continue as a tireless advocate for the inshore fleet, but my focus is drawn to the formation of a new fisheries co-operative,” said Cleary, who was hired as SEA-NL’s first Executive Director in February 2022. “The public can expect to hear as much or more from me on behalf of inshore enterprise owners.” Cleary said he hopes SEA-NL will continue its valuable advocacy role, and work hand-in-hand with the new co-operative to achieve the common goal of prosperous fisheries and rural communities. “The goals and objectives of SEA-NL and the future Co-op are the same, and I hope to work collaboratively to achieve them together,” said Cleary, who continues to work with Mr. Wiseman on development of the Co-op. “Full-steam ahead.”
Peter Pan’s King Cove plant will stay closed this winter as fishing industry turmoil spreads
In a major hit to Southwest Alaska’s fishing industry, Peter Pan Seafood Co. will keep its huge plant in the village of King Cove shuttered this winter, meaning that the company won’t be processing millions of dollars’ worth of cod, whitefish and crab. “It’s one of the most difficult days of my life,” Rodger May, one of the company’s owners and a longtime player in the seafood industry, said in a brief interview Thursday. “It’s just a devastating time for the industry.” The closure is the latest sign of the widening turmoil in Alaska seafood markets, which are contending with depressed global demand across many different species and intense competition from producers in Russia. more, >>click to read<< 13:39
Bomb found on Looe trawler moved and blown up safely
The alarm was raised in a Cornish harbour on Thursday after a suspected bomb was found on a fishing trawler, the Coastguard said. The Coastguard, police and the Royal Navy’s explosive ordnance disposal team were all called to Looe Harbour at about 12:45 GMT. It was taken out to sea to a location south of the Plymouth Breakwater. The navy said it was then made safe in a controlled underwater explosion. A team of Royal Navy divers from HMNB Devonport carried out the explosion on Friday afternoon. more, >>click to read<< 12:38
Historic lighthouse featured on Maine state quarter suffers extensive damage in storm
The Pemaquid Point Light’s bell tower in Bristol, Maine, built in 1897, was battered to a point that its interior was exposed. Shelley Gallagher, Bristol’s Parks and Recreation Department director, said the powerful wind and high waves tore down the bell tower’s whole front wall and part of the side, with pictures showing a debris pile of bricks surrounding the building. “The waves came up and hit it hard,” said Gallagher, who added that a wind reading from the top of the lighthouse reported 79 mph winds during the storm. “It was just such a high tide and so much surf. There was so much power behind it.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:17
Maine fishermen hope for relief after powerful storm damages wharfs, equipment
Much of Coastal Maine is now in a State of Civil Emergency after this week’s storm caused widespread damage up and down the coast. That announcement by Governor Janet Mills will mobilize resources for recovery but might also provide a bit of extra relief for Maine fisherman. Fisherman were hard hit by the storm. That damage is illustrated in Harpswell, where a lobsterman’s boat was washed up against the shore during Wednesday’s high tide. Thursday, fishermen in Harpswell were trying to secure and fix it before the boat would get hit by more winds and waves from Saturday’s storm. Video, photos, more,>>click to read<< 09:15
Captain Darren Stanwood Sr. of Orland, Fla, has passed away
Darren Stanwood Sr. of Orlando, FL, formerly from Gloucester, MA, died on January 9, 2024. He loved and worked at sea. On his last 10-day trip, on the way back to port, he became ill and passed away at the St. Petersburg Hospital in Florida. His final moments were at the sea doing what he loved. He was an accomplished commercial fishing captain. He fished out of Gloucester, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southern Atlantic. His passion was fishing, and he was great at it. He was admired and respected by those who worked with and for him for over 44 years. more, >>click to read<< 08:10
Campaign to save historic Hastings fishing boat from being demolished
The clinker built boat Dorothy Melinda has been on display on an island outside Hastings railway station for the past 15 years. It is the first thing visitors to Hastings see when they arrive in the town by rail. But now the Council has said its is planning or removing the boat later this month as vandalism and its deteriorating condition have caused it to become a safety hazard. A campaign has been launched to save the boat, which is part of the town’s fishing history, and restore it to its former glory. more, >>click to read<< 07:02
CDFW Opens Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery in the Central Management Area Under Trap Reduction and Lifts Recreational Crab Trap Restriction
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border (Central Management Area: Fishing Zones 3-6) under a 50 percent trap reduction beginning Jan. 18, 2024, at 12:01 a.m. with a 64-hour pre-soak to begin on Jan. 15, 2024, at 8 a.m. This management decision is a balanced approach that achieves two outcomes. First, this trap reduction will help reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by reducing the amount of gear and vertical lines in the water. Second, the decision gets the commercial fishery open statewide. This management decision includes exhaustive coordination with affected fishers, businesses and environmental organizations. CDFW reached this decision after seeking feedback and input from the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, during a meeting on Jan. 10, 2024. The working group expressed broad support for this management decision. more, >>click to read<<17:33
Flooded Engine Room Caused Fishing Vessel to Sink
Uncontrolled flooding through a hole in the plating beneath the engine room of a fishing vessel led to its sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The commercial fishing vessel Captain Alex was fishing offshore of Galveston, Texas on Nov. 25, 2022, when the vessel began flooding. The four crewmembers on board were unable to stem the flooding and evacuated to a responding U.S. Coast Guard boat. The sinking resulted in an oil sheen and debris field; a reported 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel were on board. There were no injuries. The Captain Alex was a total loss valued at $500,000. more, >>click to read<< 14:50
Why You Should Eat Wild Caught Fish From the Great Lakes
We have been following the plight of commercial fishing on the Great Lakes for several years. As a result, we have been contacted by folks around the country to let us know that the assault on commercial fishing for wild caught fish is happening not only in Michigan but also in every fishing area in North America. If things don’t change soon, Michigan’s remaining dozen commercial fish operations will cease. This means we must import fish like Walleye and Perch from Canada. This means restaurants, the American Legion, and other pubs offering fresh Great Lakes fish today may be unable to offer it tomorrow. Everheart gives some of the best descriptions of the asinine rules that commercial fishers operate in the Outer Banks as they do here in Michigan. She also outlines some chilling facts about farm-raised seafood that Americans import and consume from Asia and Canada. Photos, Video, >>click to read<< 13:25
Heavy damage along Maine coastline as ocean inundates with powerful surf
The coastline suffered major damage with high tide occurring around 9:30 a.m., Jan. 10, 2024. The ocean was washing over all infrastructure, ripping and tearing property and sending surf to the highest ever seen in recent history. Police closed off public ways to keep harbor access roads for safety. High tide occurred around 9:30 a.m., but even as the waters began to recede, the winds, out of the southeast, and rain continued. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2.4 inches of rain fell Jan. 10. Video, photos, >>click to read<< 12:22
Aberdeenshire fishermen to shine light on profession in Scottish Parliament exhibition
An new exhibition will shine a light into the north-east fishing industry through the portraits of 12 workers. Moving accounts of skippers and scientists based in Aberdeenshire will take centre-stage as part of a new exhibition titled “Pride in the Seas”. Colin Stephen, the Robertson family, Dr Steve Mackinson are just some of those who will have their stories told. Based in Fraserburgh, the Robertson family – Mark and sons Adam and Paul – come from a long line of fishermen. Now co-owners and skippers of the Zenith, a shellfish vessel, the family are optimistic for the future of the industry. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:50
Cory Alley, island leader, dies suddenly
Cory Alley, Islesford lobsterman and chair of the Cranberry Isles Select Board, died after collapsing in his outboard while heading to his lobster boat last Friday, Jan. 5. Islesford’s first responders tried to resuscitate him as another boat captain took him to the Coast Guard Station in Southwest Harbor, but efforts were unsuccessful. He was 50. Alley leaves behind his wife, Cari, the town’s health officer and a member of the School Committee, as well as four children: a son at Ashley Bryan School on Islesford, a son at Mount Desert Elementary, a daughter at MDI High School and an adult daughter. 2 photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:12
Why Canada has ordered lobster pounds to kill all egg-bearing female lobsters
In an effort to reduce the spread of marine invasive species, Canada ordered lobster pounds to to kill all egg-bearing female lobsters. But two years after the measure was introduced, some in the business are still unaware of the requirement. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has banned the long-held practice of releasing egg-bearing or “berried” female lobsters when they are discovered in holding facilities. Instead pounds “must immediately euthanize the lobster,” according to licence conditions quietly introduced in January 2022. Video, more, >>click to read<< 07:12
UPDATED! Louisiana shrimper missing for 6 days survived severe weather, found alive
The United States Coast Guard says a shrimper who disappeared while trying to salvage his vessel has been found alive nearly a week later. Timothy “Blimp” Cheramie was last seen on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 4 near Venice, Louisiana. The Coast Guard says Cheramie was reportedly trying to salvage his shrimp boat, which ran aground. Southeast Louisiana was battered by two rounds of severe weather on Monday, Jan. 8, including sustained winds of 15-25 mph gusting up to 45-60 mph, and several inches of rain over 12 hours. Photos, Video, more, >>click to read<< 14:46
Fishing trawler stable after taking on water off southern Labrador
A large fishing trawler is stable but taking on water off of the southern coast of Labrador on Wednesday, according to the Canadian Coast Guard. The Northern Osprey III, a 260-foot factory freezer shrimp boat, made the distress call Sunday, according to Phil Walker of the coast guard. The boat is registered in Halifax but fishes between southern Labrador and Iqaluit. Thirty crew members are aboard the vessel, Walker said. more, >>click to read<< 14:16
Coast Guard suspends search for missing 50-year-old boater in St. Lucie County
The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday morning it has suspended the search for a missing commercial fisherman in St. Lucie County. Brian Ronshausen, 50, was last seen launching a small boat from Stan Blum Boat Ramp at about 11 p.m. Monday. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said a concerned boater called 911 at approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday after finding an unoccupied 20-foot Carolina Skiff in the channel near the Riverside Marina in the Fort Pierce Inlet. “The Coast Guard has suspended its search for 50 y/o Brian Ronshausen pending the development of new information,” Video, >>click to read<< 13:27
Senator John Kennedy works to bring Louisiana shrimping industry back to life
The $36 million purchase from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of the Louisiana shrimping industry was done to help alleviate some of the issues the industry has been struggling with for years. United States Senator John Kennedy (R- La) says although he applauds the purchase, more still needs to be done to save the industry. Acy Cooper with the Louisiana Shrimp Association agrees with the senator the purchase does help, but additional assistance is needed to save one of Louisiana’s biggest industries. Video, more, >>click to read<<12:41
