Daily Archives: August 19, 2024
Ketchikan man charged with illegal fishing and theft of crab pots
A Ketchikan man is being charged with a series of misdemeanor and felony charges related to illegal fishing and theft of Dungeness crab pots. 47-year-old David Vest was arrested on Friday and his fishing boat, the F/V Silver Surfer, was seized by Alaska Wildlife Troopers. Troopers said they received numerous complaints from another commercial crabber that he suspected Vest and his crew were stealing his Dungeness crab pots and his catch. So a trooper camped out near Etolin Island, between Wrangell and Ketchikan, and waited for the Silver Surfer to show up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:37
Gulf of Carpentaria fishing couple celebrates ’90 years’ doing a job they still love
Bruce Davey has been fishing commercially in the Gulf of Carpentaria for 50 years and can’t believe how lucky he is. “I came up in 1974 on a little timber prawn trawler that I sailed from Mooloolaba,” he said. “This year, I’m celebrating my 50th consecutive year at sea working hard for my country — and my wonderful wife Juanita is celebrating her 40th year, so that’s 90 years of fishing between the two of us.” 
Their boat is called the MV Wildcard and these days there are three generations of Davey’s living onboard, including grandchildren Ellica, aged four, and Finn, aged 2. “This is Ellica’s fourth mackerel season and she’s a great help around the boat,” Mr Davey said. Photos, audio, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:55
‘A massive enterprise’: California’s offshore wind farms are on a fast track
A new gold rush doesn’t begin to describe the urgency of harnessing wind off California when it comes to meeting climate goals. The first, substantial step has been taken: In December 2022, the federal government auctioned off 583 square miles of ocean waters off Humboldt Bay and the Central Coast’s Morro Bay to five energy companies — with more lease sales expected. The five wind farms will hold hundreds of giant turbines, each about 900 feet high, as tall as a 70-story building. But the still-evolving technology of floating wind farms makes it challenging to analyze the viability and impacts of these projects. Experts say a lack of existing data on potential environmental effects means that much of the scientific understanding will only begin after they are operating. A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s offshore wind projects carry a host of implications and uncertainties. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:07
Commercial Fisherman Kevin Doyle of San Diego and Dutch Harbor, has passed away
Kevin started working in Alaska’s commercial fishing industry when he was 18 years old. He started as an entry level fish processor, gaining years of experience; and climbing the industry ladder all the way to Captain of his own fishing boat for Global Seas Company. He was an innovator who embraced and implemented the technologies that would lead to advanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability in the industry. He could not have been more proud of his career and boat, the “F/V Bering Defender,” but even more so, of his hard working and loyal crew. Kevin’s love and devotion for wife Dee and daughter Victoria was uncompromising and fueled the peace, happiness, and adventure that he and his family shared. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Workers ‘treated like slaves’ on Scottish fishing boats
Thirty-five men from the Philippines, Ghana, India and Sri Lanka were recognised as victims of modern slavery by the Home Office after being referred to it between 2012 and 2020. The workers were employed by TN Trawlers and its sister companies, owned by the Nicholson family, based in the small town of Annan on the southern coast of Scotland. The TN Group denied any allegation of modern slavery or human trafficking and said its workers were well treated and well paid. The company was the focus of two long-running criminal investigations but no cases of human trafficking or modern slavery have come to trial, although some of the men waited years to give evidence. While TN Trawlers’ lead director, Thomas Nicholson, was under active investigation, TN Group companies continued recruiting new employees from across the world. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:37
NCFA Weekly Update for August 19, 2024 – Here we go again!
Instead of giving you the upcoming Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) meeting details like I would normally do this week, I want you to read one of our previous Updates that our Executive Director Glenn Skinner wrote on March 7, 2022. After the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced their initial management recommendations for speckled trout last week Glenn’s words are even more relevant now than they were then. Shortly after the February 2022 meeting of the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) made a social media post explaining how Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder FMP would impact recreational flounder fishing in NC. In response to the post, David Sneed, Executive Director of the NC CCA made the following comment. David Sneed “Let’s not forget how we got here… more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:31
