Daily Archives: July 4, 2024
$18,000 penalty for diesel spill after fishing boat sinks
In August 2022, a 58-foot fishing boat sank off the western shore of San Juan Island, kicking off a complex, lengthy response to prevent additional diesel from spilling out of the sunken vessel, and to eventually raise the boat back to the surface. Now, the Washington Department of Ecology is penalizing Matthew Johnston, the boat’s owner, $18,000 for the spilled diesel. Johnston actively participated in cleanup efforts and fully cooperated with Ecology’s investigation, the agency said in a news release. This penalty is based on strict liability under Washington State law for spills to Washington waters, regardless of fault. Ecology’s investigation did not find that the spill was caused by negligent or reckless operation. The incident happened on Aug. 13, 2022, when Johnston noticed water rising from the aft scuppers on his boat, F/V Aleutian Isle. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:14
Furey says changes to cod catch are an ‘affront’ to N.L. in letter to federal fisheries minister
In a letter to Diane Lebouthillier, dated July 3, Furey says the provincial government is concerned about the changes, announced June 26. “Changes that provide increased access to foreign fleets, coupled with the risk of overfishing, are an affront to the patience and commitment to stewardship demonstrated by the hardworking harvesters and processors of this province,” says Furey in the letter, posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “The province simply cannot support fish being harvested by foreign countries at the expense of our own harvesters.” Furey’s letter is the latest public rebuke by N.L.’s Liberal government — currently the only provincial Liberal administration in the country — of the federal Liberals. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:51
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 3, 2024
The baywide catch yesterday was 860,000, with over half of those fish coming from the Nushagak district. Egegik daily catch numbers more than doubled, with big average drift deliveries. Test fishery crews out at Port Moller report another day of increased catch indices, and say with those numbers, a larger and later run is more likely. An electrical fire damaged one of three spiral freezers aboard the Hannah on Sunday, June 30 2024. That’s Northline Seafood’s new floating processor, which is anchored in Bristol Bay’s Nushagak district this salmon season. The vessel is currently operating at a reduced capacity, although other processors are taking on some of Northline’s fleet. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:14
O’Regan Rejects FFAW’s Calls to Reverse Commercial Cod Fishery
The union is demanding that Ottawa reverse its decision and maintain a stewardship fishery for cod, citing what they believe could be the detrimental impacts of foreign draggers now having access to the stock. O’Regan says once the stock goes from the critical to the cautious zone, and enough fishing has happened that it is essentially a commercial fishery, there are certain obligations that kick in. He says the cod quota can’t be increased to the point where it crosses certain lines and then say ‘nothing to see here.’ O’Regan says that the NAFO agreements are binding, and if people want an increase to the quota there are obligations they have to keep. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
NJ record lobster caught by Ocean County diver July 4; no one will ever beat that record
While you’re sitting around the grill this July 4 holiday, raise a glass to William Sharp, who caught the mother of all New Jersey lobsters on this day in 2003. He was diving on the sunken remains of the Almirante, an old banana boat that everyone knows as the “flour wreck,” which is a story unto itself. The 378-foot freighter belonged to the United Fruit Co. and was steaming from New York City to Colon, Panama, with a full cargo hold. It was under one of those twisted, steel plates that Sharp, a retired Navy shipyard worker, had his standoff with what would turn out to be a New Jersey state record lobster. With the water cloudy with floating sand particles, Sharp won his tug of water and surfaced with the biggest lobster ever caught by a diver in New Jersey waters since the state started keeping records. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
