Monthly Archives: July 2024
Coast Guard to remove Maine fishing boat that sank in January storm
According to a memo from Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer dated July 9, the owner of the decades-old wooden fishing vessel, the Jacob Pike, “has made no attempt to recover the vessel and is currently involved in the judicial process for abandonment of watercraft.” “The [Coast Guard] and its contractors are hoping to have the vessel removed in the coming weeks but are currently waiting for the salvage plan to be finalized,” the memo states. The harbor master’s office will be present for the removal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
The siting of an offshore wind port raises new conflicts in Maine
Ron Huber rifled through a thick folder full of decades of state environmental records outside a community hall in the tiny coastal Maine town of Searsport. For the longtime local conservation activist, the scene inside was a familiar one: Dozens of neighbors, workers, and environmentalists mingled over pizza and coffee, discussing the merits of a proposed industrial project that has potential to transform the local economy, but at the expense of a locally beloved natural area. “We’ve seen these things rise and fall many times,” Huber said outside the event late this past spring. Conservationists have celebrated over the decades as plans for a coal plant and a liquefied natural gas terminal on Sears Island came and went without success. This latest proposal presents a new kind of conflict. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:22
Salmon disaster relief applications for permit-holders due August 24
Federal disaster aid is on the way for some commercial fishing permit-holders in Haines and throughout the state, though many may be too wrapped up in the current season to apply for it right away. Applications for crew and subsistence users are currently available online. Unique applications for permit-holders and processors from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission were mailed out on June 26 and are due August 24. Once completed the application can be mailed back to the commission or uploaded online. There’s also aid for vessel crew, and those applications are not due until September 28, but they may be harder to find. They’ll also need an affidavit from the permit holder or vessel owner they worked with to apply. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
‘Deadliest Catch’ Survived Its Biggest Battle Yet
At the start of Season 19, Deadliest Catch was enduring an obstacle that could have sunk the entire program. When the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game canceled the entire season due to the population of winter snow and red king crab shrinking, production decided the show must go on. Deadliest Catch Executive Producer Aaron Starr-Paul told Deadline, “Fans can anticipate another great season of Deadliest Catch where we will document our captains as they participate in other sustainable Bering Sea crab and pot fisheries, such as Golden King Crab, Bairdi, and Cod.” For many fans, the type of catch holds little bearing. For the men and women braving the conditions, it certainly does; but what a difference a year can make! Season 20 of Deadliest Catch kicked off with the Red King Crab fishery reopening, leading to a derby-style race between the captains. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:09
Santa Cruz salmon fishermen facing challenges keeping afloat
The abrupt end of salmon season, announced on April 10, has left commercial fishermen across the Central Coast grappling with economic fallout and seeking alternative income sources. “It’s frustrating to see, and I’m losing faith that we might ever even have salmon season again,” said Heidi Rhodes, CEO of H&H Fresh Fish Market. “It’s just been honestly catastrophic. We’re all waiting, just trying, hoping some federal disaster relief will come. It’s been really hard to stay afloat,” added Rhodes. In February, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an allocation of over $20.6 million in fishery disaster funding for last year’s closure. “The disaster relief doesn’t make anyone money; it’s a band-aid on a wound that can’t stop bleeding,” said local fisherman Tim Obert. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:19
Local fishermen report mixed results in commercial season so far
Nearly a dozen commercial fishing boats queued for gas and ice at the fuel dock on a foggy Saturday morning. The low tide set the pace slow enough for fishermen to talk to one another about the season even though they were eager to get underway. Boats bobbed up and down with names like Easy Street, Rustler, High Surf, Crown Haines, and Minnie A. Then the sun made its way through the morning clouds and the salty breeze carried the sounds of ice and fuel rolling through large plastic hoses hanging from the dock. It’s the third week since the season opener and fishermen like Matt Davis reflected on how the winds have shifted. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:30
Trump rally shooting – FBI names suspect shot dead after assassination attempt on ex-president
Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the former president bundled off stage with his face bloodied after a bullet hit his ear. The gunman was killed by Secret Service agents after he fired at the crowd from outside the perimeter. A person in the crowd was killed and two others were injured. The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the “subject involved” in the shooting. The assassination attempt happened 15 minutes after Trump went on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, with around seven or eight popping sounds heard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:32
Not Ready to Get Hosed: New Jersey Offshore Wind ‘energy boondoggle’ faces fierce criticism from residents
While the Biden administration and other environmental activist groups boast that the Atlantic Shores South project, nearly nine years in the making, is another milestone in the country’s harvesting of green energy, a former U.S. Department of Energy engineer raises alarm bells that not only is this project detrimental to tourism, the ocean’s ecosystem, but it will actually raise energy costs to as high as 80% over the next 20 years. The company behind the project, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC (Atlantic Shores), holds three different leases totaling more than 400 square miles with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. There are plans for two separate projects with two lease areas located off the Jersey Shore between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light and the third lease located in an area of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Bight. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:45
Federal grants to state agency aim to expand markets for Alaska seafood
The federal government has awarded more than $5 million in grants to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to help the state agency find new ways and new places to sell the state’s fish. Of the federal money, over $4 million is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agriculture Promotion Program, known as RAPP. That money is being sent to be used in specific areas of the state to help improve international markets, said Greg Smith, an ASMI spokesperson. In a statement, ASMI Executive Director Jeremy Woodrow thanked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for helping the state’s seafood industry in a time of economic crisis. “The timing of the RAPP funds is well-aligned with the Alaska seafood industry’s needs to combat numerous global economic pressures. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:24
Durham commercial fisherman evaded taxes on $1.4 million in income, IRS says
A Durham man pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading taxes on $1.4 million in income he earned as a commercial fisherman, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Brian Kobus earned the income while working as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for fishing companies in Massachusetts, the IRS said in a news release. The income totaled more than $1.4 million from 2011 through 2013, and 2017 through 2021, according to the IRS. Korbus is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16 and faces up to five years in prison, the IRS said. The IRS said he also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:42
Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery to Re-Open Off Texas on July 15, 2024
NOAA Fisheries announces federal waters from 9 to 200 nautical miles off Texas will open to shrimp trawling beginning 30 minutes after official sunset, local time, on July 15, 2024, corresponding to the time Texas opens its waters to shrimp trawling. The waters off Texas are closed to shrimp fishing annually to allow brown shrimp to reach a larger and more valuable size prior to harvest, and to prevent waste of brown shrimp that might otherwise be discarded because of their small size. The fishery closed on May 15, 2024. The re-opening date for Texas waters is based on the results of biological sampling by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the assessment of maximum tidal durations. In addition, Texas regulations only allow a 60-day closure; the 60-day period expires July 15, 2024. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:47
This Florida fisherman worries about the industry’s future
Commercial fishing is vital to Florida’s culture and identity. Today, Florida fishermen like me land $209 million worth of fish and shellfish in dock-side value alone. The economic impact of the commercial fishing industry ripples up the supply chain generating $8.7 billion. Hundreds of millions of tourists travel to Florida to enjoy fresh seafood in the Sunshine State. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) “Status of the Stocks” report that was recently released would have you believe that everything is rosy. But let me tell you what’s really happening – what you don’t see in that federal report – from the perspective and experience of someone who makes a living on the water in the Gulf of Mexico. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
Nantucket Group Fighting Vineyard Wind Will Take Case To U.S. Supreme Court
After its arguments against the Vineyard Wind project were rejected by a federal judge in April, the Nantucket group ACK 4 Whales will attempt to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. “There are no do-overs when the last whale is killed off,” said Val Oliver, president of ACK 4 Whales. “We will be seeking a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court to ask for the reversal of the First Circuit’s legal errors made in our case,” Oliver added. “We believe this is the first cert. petition being filed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright to challenge offshore wind development..” After its arguments against the Vineyard Wind project were rejected by a federal judge in April, the Nantucket group ACK 4 Whales will attempt to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:45
Long Island Fisherman Sentenced for Role in Fisheries Fraud Conspiracy
A Long Island, New York, fisherman was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in a fisheries fraud conspiracy associated with his captainship of the trawler F/V New Age from 2014 to 2017. In October 2023, a jury convicted Christopher Winkler, of Montauk of one count of federal criminal conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice. On at least 200 fishing trips, Winkler targeted summer flounder (fluke) and black sea bass and harvested those fish in excess of quotas and state trip limits. He also falsified Fishing Vessel Trip Reports for those trips. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:45
Ocean Wise pulls eco-labels from southeast Alaskan salmon
Canada’s largest sustainable seafood label has pulled its recommendation for southeast Alaskan salmon fisheries amid ongoing claims they are intercepting millions of B.C.-bound fish before they reach endangered southern resident killer whales. Ocean Wise quietly delisted the Alaskan fisheries last week, and on Monday, sent emails to restaurants and grocery chains that sell the fish. The decision, which targets chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon in Alaska’s District 104, comes within weeks of the Vancouver-based eco-label adding a handful of B.C. salmon fisheries to its sustainable list. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Scientists plan climate engineering experiment in ocean off Cape Cod
Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are seeking a federal permit to experiment in the waters off Cape Cod and see if tweaking the ocean’s chemistry could help slow climate change. If the project moves forward, it will likely be the first ocean field test of this technology in the U.S. But the plan faces resistance from both environmentalists and the commercial fishing industry. The scientists want to disperse 6,600 gallons of sodium hydroxide — a strong base — into the ocean about 10 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Groups including the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association, the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association and the Maine Department of Marine Resources have expressed concerns about, or outright opposition to the project. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
Meet One of Maine’s Youngest Lobstermen
A month after Tommy was born, his parents strapped him into a car seat and began bringing him on Seth’s lobsterboat,Irish Lady. “He’s always gone with me,” Seth said. “I did the same with my grandfather and father.” As he grew older, Tommy took to the work intuitively. He was banding lobster claws by age two and has helped steer the boat since he could walk, standing first on a bait barrel, then on a five-gallon bucket, and now on a milk crate. As soon as he was eligible, at age 8, he received a lobstering license entitling him to 10 traps; shortly after, his parents bought him his own boat. Today, he’s one of 84 licensed lobstermen aged 10 and under, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:47
Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Lebouthillier Re: Northern Cod
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Lebouthillier, We write today on a serious matter needing your attention. On behalf of 320,000 workers across the country, including more than 14,000 members of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) Union in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are calling on you to reverse a recent decision with respect to the northern cod moratorium. The decision to end the moratorium and grant access to corporate offshore interests flies in the face of what was committed by your government and decades of past fisheries management practice. We also are concerned with the impact this will have on a fishery that is still recovering. Your government must uphold its 2015 commitment to allocate the first 115,000 tonnes of northern cod quota to inshore harvesters and Indigenous groups and immediately reinstate the Northern cod stewardship fishery under the same conditions as 2023. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Annual Blessing of the Fleet Returns to Stonington Borough
As Stonington has done for over 60 years, the St. Mary community will celebrate the annual Blessing of the Fleet. This is to honor present and past commercial fishermen, lobstermen and their families. The traditional celebration returns this year. The annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 28, at St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough to honor and remember those who have died at sea on our local commercial fishing fleet, as well as to honor and bless the vessels–along with their captains, owners, crews and families–that will go out to sea in the year ahead. Following the 10:30 Mass, a procession will take place through Stonington Borough that will include the statue of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:33
Fishermen get probation, fines for scheme to avoid herring quotas
Eight men from Maine and one from New Hampshire – comprised of the owner, captains, and crew members of a commercial fishing vessel, the Western Sea, and owners of local Maine fisheries – have been sentenced for knowingly subverting commercial fishing reporting requirements. The final six sentences in the complex case were handed down this week by U.S. District Judge Jon Levy in U.S. District Court in Portland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday July 11. The Western Sea is a fishing vessel that operated out of Rockland and fished for Atlantic herring. Atlantic herring is the primary bait fish for Maine’s lobster industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:49
Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program Assists “Generational Watermen”
The Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) is once again offering its Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program to assist “generational watermen” with the purchase of needed equipment via low-interest, unsecured loans. An advantage of this loan program is that if all payments are made as agreed to by the borrower, MARBIDCO will forgive a portion of these payments towards the end of the loan agreement. “With the support of Maryland’s Governor and General Assembly, changes were made to MARBIDCO’s Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program during the recent legislative session to better serve the commercial watermen community with the inclusion of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) licensed fishermen and the potential raising of the maximum loan amounts”, said MARBIDCO Executive Director, Steve McHenry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:27
Lower prices mark the end of spring lobster season
Lobster fishers were reflecting on what many have seen as a good spring season. “This season is pretty well on par with last season,” said Jake Hackett, a fisherman in Seacow Pond. “I’ve been fishing for five years here, and it’s the best season we’ve seen, so it’s going pretty good that way.” While most fishers haven’t missed any time on the water, their season did see a delay to its beginning. Originally, this year’s spring season was due to begin April 29, but poor weather conditions in the lead up made it too dangerous for fishers to head out. After days of waiting, they were finally able to head out, and Landing Day was set for July 4. Despite the good weather and good catches, price continues to be an issue. At the start of the season, fishers were getting $7.75 for canners and $9 for markets, but those prices have since gone down. Toward the end of the season, fishers were getting $6.50 for canners and $6.75 for markets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:42
Wake Up Call Aboard The Pamela Sue
Carolina Seafood sits on Jeremy Creek, a creek named after King Jeremy, a Seewee Indian chief whose tribe lived along the creek’s banks. There I met Capt. Bryan Jones. He catches shrimp, no easy task. Besides the hard and dangerous work, he must overcome many a challenge. Capt. Jones showed me around his boat, Pamela Sue. Making our way through and past an assemblage of ropes, pulleys, nets, chains, and cables I filed a mental note. “Never bring a tripod onto a shrimp boat’s deck.” The chance of snagging something dangerous is great. Capt. Jones and I sat in the wheelhouse of his 1958 boat. As he discussed shrimping’s challenges, I looked around. I noticed bunk beds right away. Shrimpers sleep in their floating office, their home away from home. I saw too a small galley and a handsome wooden wheel caught my eye. And something else. An array of sophisticated electronics that navigate and portray bottom conditions and more. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:33
U.S. fisheries could be devastated by Supreme Court’s ending the Chevron doctrine
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo the Supreme Court’s late June decision on regulatory agency authority, heralds the much-anticipated end of the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to federal agencies when interpreting laws. No doubt, much will be written in the coming weeks about the impacts of Chevron’s demise on the administrative state. But, at its core, Loper Bright is a case about fisheries. What then are the implications of this decision for both the fishermen and the healthy fisheries of the United States? This case comes at a critical time for U.S. fisheries. Historically, the U.S. has seen many notable economically and culturally ruinous fisheries collapse — from the Atlantic cod collapse of the 1990s to the current collapse of Pacific salmon. The Magnuson-Stevens Act created the framework for the protection of U.S. fisheries and has been moderately successful since its enactment. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:21
The Codfather’s 2nd act: ‘I’m the bank now’
It was February 2021, and Rafael, the infamous New Bedford fishing mogul known as “the Codfather,” was serving out the final stretch of an almost four-year prison sentence. He and his two daughters placed a $770,000 bid to acquire the Merchants National Bank building in downtown New Bedford. The historic sandstone building with tall, arched windows and an ornate ceiling no longer functions as a commercial bank. It’s vacant, and there is no money locked behind its heavy, iron vaults. But for the 71-year-old Rafael — flush with more than $70 million in cash from the court-mandated sale of his fleet and barred from ever again involving himself in the commercial fishing industry — acquiring the bank set the stage for a second act. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06;48
Federal fishing monitoring program needs overhaul, GAO says
Only days after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the federal government’s program placing human observers on commercial fishing boats, a federal watchdog said NOAA Fisheries should do a better job monitoring the industry. A report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office said NOAA Fisheries — also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service — has failed to execute its program as Congress intended under law. “NMFS’ efforts to track its performance in reducing and monitoring bycatch do not align with key elements of evidence-based policymaking related to performance management,” GAO said in the report, which was requested by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:19
YEAH!!! Newfoundland fish harvesters crash news conference to demand reinstating of cod moratorium
Fish harvesters in Newfoundland crashed the podium at a meeting of Canada’s environment ministers in St. John’s on Wednesday, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s decision to reopen the commercial cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Moments before the start of the news conference, which was to detail two days of meetings of the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers, Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Minister Bernard Davis was interrupted by a loud siren. Glen Winslow, a St. John’s fish harvester, then walked up to meet Davis at the podium from a group of around 15 protesters. “Sorry we got to do this, my buddy, but this is too important to Newfoundland and Labrador,” Winslow said to Davis over the news conference’s microphone while the other ministers watched on. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:43
Salmon farm vessel sinking sparks call for salmon farming review
On Thursday 4 July a 15-metre boat called the Julie Anne sank to the 20-metre deep seabed at the Fiunary fish farm. No one was aboard the vessel at the time of sinking which occurred around 8 am. Following the sinking green industrialist and campaigner, Dale Vince, has called for a comprehensive reassessment of open-net industrial salmon farming amid claims that the Julie Anne is leaking fuel into a Marine Protected Area. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) reported that the fuel leakage was ‘contained’, however Vince claims eyewitness footage and drone images show fuel escaping containment booms and spreading into the surrounding protected waters. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:51
Biden Admin Approves New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Project Amid Growing Local Pushback
The Atlantic Shores South project, given a green light by the U.S. Department of the Interior last week, calls for installing 200 towering wind turbines less than nine miles off the coast — providing enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes. It’s the ninth offshore wind project approved by President Joe Biden as part of his efforts to expand the green power industry aggressively. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and environmental groups praised the project’s approval, saying it will help reduce the state and nation’s reliance on fossil fuel energy sources. “Through the responsible development of offshore wind facilities, we can protect our aquatic and coastal resources and the communities who rely upon them while taking bold action to address the climate crisis by reducing emissions from fossil-fuel-dependent energy sources,” Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
Vessel Review: Yakari II – Compact multi-role fishing boat for Northern French owner
French shipbuilder Alu Acier Service Marine (AASM) recently handed over a new compact fishing vessel to owner Jean-Joseph Delaby of Cayeux-sur-Mer on France’s northern coast. F/V Yakari II was designed by local naval architecture Mer et Design in fulfillment of the owner’s requirement for a boat capable of various fishing methods. The newbuild has all-aluminium construction, a length of 10 metres (33 feet), a beam of 4.4 metres (14 feet), a depth of 1.64 metres (5.38 feet), a displacement of 23 tonnes, and a gross tonnage of 12. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:1`8
