A federal appeals court on Friday reversed a judge’s decision that would have effectively shuttered an Alaska salmon fishery, a result environmentalists sought in order to protect endangered whales and threatened wild Chinook salmon populations. A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that a judge in Seattle last year abused his discretion by vacating a key authorization issued by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services for the fishery’s summer and winter Chinook salmon harvests. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones at the urging of the Wild Fish Conservancy had in May 2023 vacated part of a so-called incidental take statement the fisheries service issued in 2019 that authorized the commercial Chinook salmon troll fishery in southeast Alaska. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:39
Monthly Archives: August 2024
New Jersey Residents opposing power cables: Don’t make us Guinea Pigs
When wind power is generated, it needs to go somewhere. And residents of southern Monmouth County say right now, they’re in the line of fire, as plans call for much of the energy produced by an offshore wind project — located nowhere near the county’s coast — to come ashore in Monmouth County and run underneath a handful of municipalities. “I think we still have time to fight this,” said Glenn Hughes, a founding member of the group Stop the High-Risk Power Cables. According to locals, contractors have already begun visiting the area to finalize their bids for a project to install the wind power transmission cables underground. The bids are due by the end of September. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
Sitka mariner dies in engine room accident
A Sitka fisherman died on Monday (8-19-24), after an accident in the engine room of his boat. Alaska State Troopers report that 75-year-old Barry McKee was fishing aboard his troller Lisa Jean in the vicinity of Salisbury Sound, about 20 miles northwest of Sitka, when he became entangled in mechanical gear below decks and was killed. McKee’s crewman was uninjured in the incident. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:45
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 68′ Gamage Steel Dragger, 3412 Cat, Permits available
To review specifications, information, and 21 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:23
Bottom-trawl fishing consultation launched in Scotland
The Scottish government has embarked on a public consultation that could ban bottom-trawl fishing across 20 offshore marine protected areas. For 15 of these, the government is considering two options – banning bottom trawling across the whole site or protecting only ‘features’, such as reefs – where they are present. For the remaining five, only site-wide bans are being proposed. “These ocean havens are home to some of Scotland’s most incredible marine wildlife, and this is our chance to restore, replenish and regenerate Scotland’s seas,” said Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK. “The Scottish government’s consultation on this vital issue is welcome and much needed.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<<< 18:52
Nantucket Select Board no fan of federal wind farm regulator
The Nantucket Select Board has released what might be described as a dispatch from the front lines of offshore wind development, a hot take on what it’s like to be a municipality trying to co-exist with the nation’s first industrial-scale wind farm. The hot take takes the form of answers to 25 frequently asked questions, some of which merely lay out the existing regulatory landscape Nantucket finds itself in while others criticize federal regulators for prioritizing national concerns over those of local communities. The Select Board sharply criticizes the main federal offshore wind regulator, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM. “We do not believe BOEM is fulfilling its duty,” the board said. “We have seen little balance in BOEM’s permitting approach to offshore wind, which significantly favors industry developers, including foreign-government owned developers, over the legitimate concerns of US coastal communities and Tribal Nations.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:04
New state report shows solid year for commercial fishing in Oregon, Lincoln County-based fleet
Oregon’s commercial fishing industry had a solid, if not record-breaking, year in 2023, according to a new report from the state Employment Department. Statistics covering everything from pounds of seafood landed, revenues from individual fisheries and total employment showed strong signs of at least keeping up with historical averages, said the report’s author, Shaun Barrick, a workforce economist for Lincoln, Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. “Typically, commercial fishing in Oregon is really a mixed bag because of how many species we target,” Barrick said. “But, as always, it’s hard to overstate how important it is for employment. And the cultural impact of fishing is huge.” Here are some numbers highlighting Barrick’s report. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:10
Report shows salmon numbers slowing from B.C. landslide
A new report is providing some early insight on how last month’s landslide into the Chilcotin River affected the run of salmon that swims up the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers every year to reproduce. Monitoring efforts reveal the number of salmon that head upstream during August has slowed — but the exact scale of the disruption isn’t yet clear. “The landslide certainly had a role already in slowing the migration,” Scott Hinch, a salmon ecologist at the University of British Columbia. “The issue is whether it’s slowed it to the point that these fish are not going to be able to complete their migration up the Chilcotin.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:49
BOEM issues first floating offshore wind lease in the US
The lease area where the floating turbines will be deployed covers an area of approximately 15,000 acres located 28 nautical miles offshore Maine on the US Outer Continental Shelf. The area could allow for the deployment of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 MW of renewable energy. The research array will allow the state, the fishing community, wildlife experts, the offshore wind industry, and others to conduct in depth studies and thoroughly evaluate floating offshore wind as a renewable energy source. As proposed, the research array will use floating foundation technology designed by the University of Maine and deployed by its development partner, Diamond Offshore Wind. UMaine’s floating platform, known as VolturnUS, was recently awarded a US$12.5M grant from the US Department of Energy. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:28
Shrimply the best: Discover Alabama’s shrimp industry
As Bubba Blue famously said in “Forrest Gump,” shrimp is the fruit of the sea. Whether you like it barbecued, boiled, broiled, baked or sautéed, this small creature sure makes a big impact in Alabama. The shrimp industry in Alabama consists of both wild-caught and farm-raised species. Alabama waters are home to between 15 and 22 wild shrimp species. However, only three of these are commercially caught: brown, white and pink. On inland farms, Luke Roy, an Alabama Extension aquatic resources Extension professor, said farmers often raise Pacific white shrimp. “Pacific white shrimp are not native to the Gulf of Mexico, and they are the species of choice by most producers,” Roy said. “They are desirable because of their tolerance for low-salinity water. They also have a desirable feed conversion ratio and the ability to be cultured at high densities with low aggression.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:22
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
Bridge in Wildwood Crest completely closed due to motor failure: mayor
Traveling to or from Wildwood Crest on Sunday? You may need to find an alternate route. Mayor Don Cabrera says that the Middle Thorofare Bridge / Two Mile Bridge is closed to all vehicles, bikes and pedestrians as of 7 a.m. The closure was caused by a motor failure that could not be repaired, according to officials. Photos show the bridge in a fully upright position, allowing commercial vessels to pass through. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:54
After 32 years of family ownership, Point Loma’s commercial fishing marina drifts toward a port takeover
Tom Driscoll’s commercial fishing wharf at the north eastern tip of America’s Cup Harbor in Point Loma is falling apart. The marina’s four, fixed piers — home to as many as 120 fishing boats in their prime — appear to be on the brink of collapse. The business model gave way long ago. The substandard conditions will remain suspended in time until the Port of San Diego assumes control of the facility at some future date. The agency is pushing Driscoll out of the marina that has held the family name for 32 years, but also forcing him to stay put for now. Port commissioners considered and rejected two formal redevelopment proposals from Driscoll, the first in 2017 and the other in 2022. Then, in late 2022, the agency declined to renew Driscoll’s lease, opting instead to move forward with its own takeover and redevelopment plan for what it’s now calling the Shelter Island Commercial Fishing Wharf. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
Shrimp boat returns from fishing grounds with ‘full load’ of trash
This journey began on the recommendation of an experienced Jeju fisherman. Han Cheol-nam, 62, the head of Shinsan-ri Fishing Village in Jeju Island’s Seogwipo, spoke with a troubled expression to this reporter who had come to investigate the sea polluted with trash. “Was our sea really so overrun with trash that it was beyond recovery? Was this not just fishermen complaining about their reduced income?” Despite enjoying seafood regularly, I had never really considered the conditions in which fish and other creatures lived before reaching our tables. This prompted me to board a fishing vessel for an extended period to observe and assist with operations in the waters off Jeju, where a variety of marine species are caught. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:39
Taking action on lobster stock fluctuation
There’s increasing concern about unexplained structural decline of European lobster in the Netherlands’ Eastern Scheldt lobster fishery. Accurate stock assessment is essential for understanding these declines and implementing sustainable management, but scientific knowledge on lobster stocks in the Netherlands is lacking. Seeing a need for action, the Association of Professional Fishers Oosterschelde, Westschelde and Voordelta (OWV) developed a fishing plan to improve regional fisheries management, seeking to engage with the government and stakeholders to develop science-based fishery management strategies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:20
A Maine boat captain captured these stunning photos of the Northern Lights
When Amanda Bracy learned that the Northern Lights would illuminate the Maine sky earlier this week, she was determined to capture the rare sight. So, the boat captain pulled an all-nighter in Cranberry Isles near Acadia National Park. As a result, her kaleidoscopic photos have impressed tens of thousands of people online. “I’ve never seen it like that,” Bracy said about this week’s display. “It was mind blowing. It was me and just one other person down there and I was like, ‘Are you seeing this?’ You could definitely see all the colors — blues, greens, reds, oranges. It was pretty insane.” 12 Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Biden-Subsidized Offshore Wind Developer Reports Massive Losses in Latest Blow to Industry
A Danish renewable energy group booked huge impairment losses Thursday after it pushed back the launch of one of its U.S. offshore wind projects, according to its first-half 2024 earnings report. Orsted estimated the value of its assets declined $472 million in the first half of 2024, largely due to delays at the onshore substation for its 704 megawatt (MW) “Revolution Wind” project off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut, the report showed. The company also reported a variety of other problems, including losses related to its cancellation of its Ocean Wind projects in New Jersey and its abandoned effort to produce eco-friendly methanol in Sweden. “Despite encouraging progress on our US offshore wind project Revolution Wind, the construction of the onshore substation for the project has been delayed,” Orsted’s CEO Mads Nipper said in reference to the delay. “This is, of course, unsatisfactory, and we continue our dedicated efforts to de-risk our portfolio.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:03
Royal Greenland Freezer Trawler Damaged After Iceberg Collision
Royal Greenland has confirmed that its trawler, F/V Tuugaalik, was involved in a minor collision with an iceberg last weekend while navigating between two fishing grounds in dense fog. The ship is one of the newest and most elegant freezer trawlers in Europe, boasting a crew of 24. The incident occurred without any serious consequences, and both the crew and the vessel remained safe. Elías Kristjánsson, Tuugaalik’s representative in Iceland, told mbl.is, that despite the collision, there were no accidents among the crew. Following the collision, Tuugaalik sailed to Iceland for inspection and any necessary temporary repairs. Lindstrøm expressed hope that the trawler and its crew would soon return to sea to resume their fishing activities. more, F/V >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:43
Maryland Governor Wes Moore Addresses Local Concerns for Offshore Wind Projects
Maryland Governor Wes Moore was in Ocean City on Friday. It gave us a chance to speak with him about the local community’s strong opposition for offshore wind. Two months ago, Governor Moore signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to open up more lease areas of Maryland’s coast. While the state’s involvement in moving offshore wind projects forward could open up new jobs, commercial fisherman are still worried it will take theirs away. “They’re trying to steal our grounds, they’ve stolen our bottom, they’ve stolen the area that we fish in, their last resort is to buy the place where we sell our fish at and once they accomplish that we have nowhere else to work,” said Jimmy Hahn, a commercial fisherman who operates out of the West Ocean City Harbor. Moore said this can be a win-win situation, as long as state leaders put in the work. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:24
US appeals court allows Alaska fishery to remain open
He left a legacy in SC’s shrimping industry. Soon, he’ll be memorialized in Mount Pleasant.
In an upstairs sculpture studio in Charleston’s sister city, Tressy Mellichamp saw her father again. Captain Edwin “Wayne” Magwood’s likeness stood tall in Susie Chisholm’s home studio. Chisholm has spent weeks skillfully carving Magwood’s features into the earth-toned material, piling the oil-based clay onto a 3D printed foam base and molding it into what now resembles the late fisherman. Videos, photos and stories from family members help guide Chishom’s impression of Magwood. He had a lot of character in his features, crinkles around his eyes, a playful smile and short, fat fingers that clearly belonged to a man who spent much of his life working with his hands — in Magwood’s case, on the water, trawling for shrimp. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:22
Mud crabbers of King Ash Bay endure harsh lifestyle, extreme weather to catch sought-after seafood
Crocodiles and sharks are just everyday work hazards for Josh Taylor and the other fishermen who battle some of the harshest conditions in Australia to catch one of the nation’s most prized seafoods — mud crabs. Many live in makeshift wooden huts, with no creature comforts, amongst mosquito-infested mangrove swamps in the estuaries around the Gulf of Carpentaria. It may be no surprise then that Mr Taylor is one of just 49 fishers who hold mud crabbing licences in the Northern Territory, and one of just six who drop their pots in the remote King Ash Bay. Despite the hazards, Mr Taylor, who became a commercial mud crabber four years ago, says he enjoys heading out in his boat, catching fish to eat for dinner, and returning to the simple shack he shares with two other fishermen at King Ash Bay. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:11
Coast Guard medevacs man from boat 45 miles west of Anna Maria Island
Coast Guard crews medevaced a 51-year-old man from a fishing boat 45 miles west of Anna Maria Island on Friday. An Air Station Clearwater aircrew and a Station St. Petersburg boat crew coordinated the medevac. The man was transported via the aircrew to Tampa General Hospital for further medical care. At 12:23 p.m. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a call from the owner of the commercial fishing boat, Team Galati, reporting a crew member had suffered chest pains and was in need of medical attention. “The teamwork of the captain of the distressed vessel, along with our partners at Air Station Clearwater were paramount in ensuring the patient was able to access a higher level of care,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Jennings, a crew member from Station St. Petersburg’s 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew. 06:45
‘Wicked Tuna’ to End With Season 13 on National Geographic
“Wicked Tuna” has been canceled by National Geographic following the conclusion of its Season 13 run. “After thirteen seasons on the high seas and more than 200 incredible episodes, the long-running series ‘Wicked Tuna’ has concluded its run on National Geographic,” the cable channel said in a statement Friday. “The series celebrated one of America’s oldest industries since first premiering on National Geographic in 2012 and made internationally recognizable stars out of the intrepid commercial fishermen who brave the unrelenting North Atlantic waters to catch the elusive bluefin tuna. The cancellation of “Wicked Tuna” comes amid major cost cutting at National Geographic parent company Disney, which is consolidating operations among its linear TV networks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:01
Alaska Trollers Association takes a swing at Fish and Game and Alaska sport fishery over shortened season
Commercial trolling for Southeast king salmon closed for the season in July and will not reopen this month. That marks the second summer in a row their season has ended before they could catch all of their yearly king allocation under an international agreement. Now, the trade group representing them — the Alaska Trollers Association — is outraged. Southeast trollers have around 15,000 kings left in their annual allocation. That’s the number of kings trollers get to catch under an agreement between the United States and Canada known as the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The trollers caught most of their allocation — 83%, or 82,000 fish — during the first and longest opener in July. Typically, the rest of the allocation would be caught in a mid-August opening. But that second opening won’t be happening. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:02
Van Drew Holds Third Hearing on ‘Offshore Wind Industrialization’
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), supported by U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10), held a field hearing in Brigantine on Tuesday, Aug. 13, to continue his public opposition to the Garden State’s efforts to build large offshore wind farms off the New Jersey coast. Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera played host for the hearing and introduced the event by calling offshore wind “one of the most important issues facing us on the East Coast.” He said state and federal officials pushing the offshore wind agenda “lied to us” in order to move ahead with projects that “make no sense.” Sera’s remarks set the tone of a meeting that was uniformly against the current offshore wind agenda. Picking up on those remarks Van Drew described the long oceanfront along the New Jersey coast as “a gift from God,” which he asserted is being squandered so a few people can make money off it. “That is what this is all about,” Van Drew added. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:57
