Monthly Archives: August 2024
New Gillnetter/longliner for Lofoten family
New netter/longliner F/V Ingeborg Arntsen, built by Vestværft for Lofoten brothers Jack-Allan and Hans-Michael Arntsen, represents a serious step up over their older vessel in terms of both operational efficiency and the living and working conditions on board. Ingeborg Arntsen has a 735kW MAN D2862LE447 main engine, and auxiliary engines are also from MAN. All engines are equipped with SCR systems meeting IMO Tier III requirements. The propeller and gear are from Finnøy, and there are two electric thrusters from Hundested A/S. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:47
N.B. fishermen test new gear in bid to stay on the water when right whales spotted
As of Aug. 13, fishermen in New Brunswick were forced to pull their traps and stop fishing on 35 separate occasions this year after North Atlantic right whales were spotted. But a new pilot program in the southwest is trying to keep lobster and crab boats on the water. Crab fisherman Greg Beckerton and two lobster fishermen, Judson Mitchell and Peter Mawhinney, are testing five new types of ropeless gear, with the goal of choosing two for a wider test in the spring. Beckerton hopes that alternative fishing gear that limits the use of traditional rope will allow fishing to continue when whales are in the area. “In a closed-area situation we could use this gear, and it would definitely be an advantage,” he said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:31
Scientists and Fishermen Agree About Uncertainty of Offshore Wind’s Impact
Newport’s Energy and Environment Commission hosted a panel discussion on Aug. 8, “The Effect of Climate Change and Offshore Wind on Fisheries and Ocean Ecosystems,” where representatives from NOAA, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, The Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, and the Kingston -based Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation responded to a series of prompts posed by commission Vice Chair Emily Conklin. A Q&A session followed, with about 60 people gathered at City Hall to participate. Many in attendance brought strong opinions both for and against the large- scale offshore wind development projects being built off the coast of Newport and Little Compton. Fred Mattera, a retired commercial fisherman who now serves as the president of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the executive director of the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, gave voice to some of the skepticism felt by local commercial fishermen about the nature and scale of offshore wind development in New England. “I’m tired of the deceitfulness and this driven agenda of ‘it has to be done yesterday,’” he said. “We don’t want to look at hydrogen, we don’t want to even consider nuclear, the cleanest and best way to do it, but it’s all going to be offshore wind.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:31
Three Rescued From Burning Vessel Off Brookings Tuesday Evening; GoFundMe Set Up For Survivor
Three people are in a San Francisco-area hospital after their fishing vessel caught on fire about 50 nautical miles off the coast of Brookings on Tuesday. According to Petty Officer Briana Carter, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard 13th District, a good Samaritan got the three survivors out of the water and transferred them to a Coast Guard vessel, which brought them to shore for care. According to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of Emanuel Silveira, the Mariah K is “gone due to the engine exploding.” The campaign was created by Jaimie Ouellette, who said Silveira is his/her son-in-law. Silveira has burns covering 60 percent of his body and is expected to stay in the hospital for about three months “due to many estimated surgeries.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:33
Second man charged over L’Ecume II sinking
A second man has been charged with connection with the States of Jersey Police investigation into the collision between the Jersey trawler L’Ecume II and the Condor ferry Commodore Goodwill on 8 December, 2022 that resulted in the loss of all three trawler crew. Lewis Peter Carr (29), a UK resident, appeared before Jersey Magistrates’ Court at the end of July and will appear before Jersey’s Royal Court on 27 September. His arrest follows that of Artur Sevash-Zade (34), a Ukranian national, on 3 July (FN, 18 July, ‘Manslaughter charges over L’Ecume II deaths’). Artur Sevash- Zade is due to appear before the Royal Court on 6 September. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:20
Jonah crab
As the story goes, the prophet boarded a ship to get as far away as possible from the city of Nineveh, where God commanded him to go and preach. In anger, God sent a storm to threaten the ship. His shipmates decided that Jonah was to blame for the storm and threw him overboard. We know where he ended up. It was a whale of a tale. For mariners, Jonah’s name became synonymous with bad luck. In more modern times, bad luck for lobster fisherfolk meant that they found a certain crab in their lobster pots, one that ate their bait before a lobster could get it, leaving the trap empty and, them, empty handed. That crab was called a Jonah crab because at one time it was a nuisance for participants in this fishery, an unfortunate and unprofitable catch. Oh, how times have changed. Jonah crabs have gone from pest to plate and are an up-and-coming trash to treasure species. At one time, these crabs were considered bycatch and often thrown back or discarded. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:24
Quinlan plant puts best PR foot forward after being charged for trying to sell rotten crab
With 2,100 boxes of snow crab in the landfill and four charges laid under the Fish Inspection Act, Quinlan Brothers Ltd. is eager to change the narrative that the company is selling rotten crab. Company president Robin Quinlan hosted the media on a tour of its seafood processing plant in Bay de Verde on Wednesday, with a local communications company along for a livestream and to guide discussion points. Quinlan said the event’s goal was to be transparent and to stand up for the quality of its product. “We have nothing to hide,” Quinlan said. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<09:22
N.S. Liberals call for new task force to improve enforcement of lobster fishery
As top fishery officials from around the country arrive in PEI for the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers meeting Nova Scotia’s Liberals are calling for a solution to the ongoing disputes over lobster fishing. Particularly in southwest Nova Scotia tensions have been running high with indigenous lobster fishermen and commercial operators. The Indigenous fishers have a right to a moderate livelihood fishery which was upheld by the Supreme Court. While commercial fishers argue that they need to still observe fishing seasons for the overall health of the lobster fishery. At times the altercations have become violent, which the Liberals say will only continue if things go unchanged. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
New Jersey Terminates Ocean Wind Projects Amidst Environmental Concerns
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has officially revoked its prior approvals for the Ocean Wind One and Ocean Wind Two offshore wind projects. This decision comes after Cape May County filed lawsuits challenging the projects, citing environmental concerns. The State has agreed to allow Orsted, the foreign corporation behind the projects, to retain $175 million in escrow funds in exchange for the cancellation. “Today is a very important day in our ongoing opposition to these environmentally destructive offshore wind projects,” said Cape May County Commission Director Len Desiderio. “The vacation of these Orders by the BPU means that it will be much more difficult for Orsted or any other Big Wind company to utilize these lease areas just a few miles off Cape May County beaches. As we have seen in Nantucket over the past few weeks, these industrial electricity-generating facilities represent an unacceptable threat to our environment and, consequently, to our local economy. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:44
‘We’re alright:’ Crew member recalls terrifying boat fire aboard Portland fishing vessel
A fire at sea forced the crew of a Portland fishing vessel to abandon ship Sunday night. The fishing boat “Three Girls” caught fire around 9 p.m. Sunday while the crew was getting ready to haul in their nets. They had just minutes to get into an inflatable lifeboat before the fire overtook the ship. Portland firefighters doused the fishing boat with water, then twice put foam on the smoldering fire to put it out.One crew member says the last thing he did was go into the smoke-filled cabin to grab five survival suits before abandoning ship. The fishing vessel “Three Girls” was towed into Portland Harbor Wednesday afternoon, still burning from a Sunday night fire at sea that forced the captain and crew to quickly abandon ship. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:00
F/V Second Chance hires salvage company to help get shrimp boat off the Port Aransas sandbars
It has now been three weeks since the ‘Second Chance’ shrimp boat washed up along the shore in Port Aransas, but it looks like it’s finally moving along! The boat has moved from the second sandbar of the beach and continues to try to make its way into deeper water. The Coast Guard said the boat’s crew said a salvage company has been hired to help dislodge it, although they did not yet have information on which company was hired or when the move is scheduled to begin. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
Anticipating the winds of change: A baseline assessment of Northeastern US continental shelf surficial substrates
The introduction of thousands of wind turbines along the North American Atlantic continental shelf over the next decade will constitute the largest regional change in marine substrates since the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet over 14,000 years ago. Here, two large data sets, SMAST drop camera survey (242,949 samples, 2003 to 2019) and the US Geological Survey databases (27,784 samples, 1966 to 2011), are combined to derive sea floor surficial substrate probability maps for the Northeastern US continental shelf from Virginia Beach to the Gulf of Maine to 300 m depth (218,571 km2). Geostatistical models were used to estimate the probability of five geologic and one biogenic substrate types being present at a 250 m resolution, and the proportional contribution of each substrate type to the seabed composition at a 500 m resolution. By providing the first synoptic maps depicting the probability of a particular substrate or combination of substrates occurring at any location on the Northeastern US continental shelf, including planned wind energy sites, we aim to (1) provide insights regarding how substrates in the areas selected for wind energy development compare with other locations, (2) motivate the development of a priori expectations for ecosystem changes to inform monitoring and research efforts going forward, and (3) to provide a baseline characterization of the Northeastern US continental shelf surficial substrates to support robust examination of the future changes observed in areas impacted by wind energy installations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:44
Lobster fishermen say tiny change in legal sizes could disrupt imperiled industry
Gerry Cushman has seen Maine’s iconic lobster industry survive numerous threats in his three decades on the water, but the latest challenge, which might sound tiny, could be the biggest one yet. Lobster fishing is a game of inches, and the number of inches is about to change. Fishing regulators are instituting a new rule that lobster fishermen must abide by stricter minimum sizes for crustaceans they harvest. In addition to causing a dispute between fishermen and regulators, the change has led to confusion about the ramifications for international trade in one of the world’s most popular seafoods. “We don’t need any more, really, on our plate. It’s just a lot going on, one fight after another,” Cushman, 55, a boat captain who fishes out of Port Clyde, said. “We don’t need anything in the marketplace to lower the price of lobsters.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:59
Shattered Wind Blade Puts Nantucket on Frontlines of a Clean-Energy Fight
Weeks after a busted wind turbine washed onto Nantucket shores, residents of this wealthy Massachusetts enclave are still angry. Some even liken the accident to an oil spill. While their ire belies the fleeting nature of the event — waters were re-opened for swimming within 24 hours — the sense of harm felt by the community threatens to cast a long shadow. Vineyard Wind’s project south of Nantucket is the fledgling industry’s marquee venture, heralding a massive buildout of wind energy that would provide coastal cities with zero-carbon electricity. What happens here could have implications for a raft of other projects planned off Martha’s Vineyard, Atlantic City and elsewhere on the Eastern seaboard. “The great Nantucket experiment gets an F-minus,” says Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Leary Ventures and an investor on the reality show Shark Tank who visits Nantucket every summer. “It’s not a golden example of success in wind turbines, that’s for sure.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 35′ H & H Lobster Boat, 450HP Cummins QSL9 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 11 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:32
WWII Veteran/Retired Commercial Fisherman Charles Lee Wescott of Wanchese, NC, has passed away
Charles Lee Wescott, a 105-year-old native of Wanchese, North Carolina, departed his Earthly home in Wanchese, North Carolina, on February 21, 2024, with his family at his side. Charles was born September 27, 1918, in Gum Neck, Tyrrell County, North Carolina, the eldest child born to Theophilus Lee Wescott and Ina Cahoon Wescott. Charles joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1940 before the United States entered the WW-II efforts in 1941. During WW II, he was assigned to the U.S. Navy. Before Charles’ death, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed Charles to be the oldest surviving WW-II Veteran in The State of North Carolina. Charles devoted his life to being a commercial fisherman, from which he retired. He was one of the first charter boat captains out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center in the 1950s. He owned and managed his boat, the Myrtle W., affectionally named after his wife. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:35
Lobster fishery set for reprieve on size limits
A second delay to implementing minimum gauge and vent sizes for lobsters caught in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and Outer Cape Cod was initiated last week by the American Lobster Board, which operates under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a measure that Maine lobstermen, and Congressman Jared Golden, have hoped and pushed for. The new implementation date would be July 1, 2025, if the measure is adopted by the ASMFC’s American Lobster Board. An earlier delay the ASMFC approved had pushed back to Jan. 1, 2025, the new gauge and escape vent sizes in lobster traps for commercial lobster fisheries in the targeted lobster management areas. When the measure was first approved, it was to take effect based on a “trigger” mechanism. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:52
Macduff delivers twin-rigger Forever Faithful
The latest Macduff newbuild, Andrew West’s Forever Faithful, has started fishing for nephrops in the North Sea. The new vessel replaces an older one of the same name that also came from Macduff in 2016, and the latest Forever Faithful is the yard’s fifth build for the West family. This is the third in a series of sister vessels built at Macduff Shipyards’ Buckie site, and in which the yard continues to develop and invest. Forever Faithful PD-289 follows Zenith BF-106, handed over at the beginning of last summer, and Celestial Dawn BF-109, which was delivered in the summer of 2022. All three vessels share the same hull form and general fishing arrangement, although each has been laid out to suit owners’ preferences. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:06
NCFA Weekly Update for August 12, 2024
As most of you know, we are about midway through updating the Spotted Sea Trout FMP (Fisheries Management Plan). Comments are again needed at this stage of the management process! Written comments and in person comments will be accepted. The DMF (Division of Marine Fisheries) has published their initial management recommendations to end overfishing. Although the stock is not overfished and barely triggered the overfishing status, DMF is recommending a 39.6% reduction in overall harvest. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:54
Ocean City prepares federal lawsuit over offshore wind projects.
During the most recent normal legislative meeting, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan noted he was not surprised members of the municipal government did not have all the details of the proposed offshore wind development by US Wind. He cited the planned 114 turbines would be “between 10.7 to 10.9 miles off our coast. At a minimum they will be 938 feet tall, and that’s three and half times taller than any building in Ocean City. If built on land, they would be the tallest structures in Maryland.” The federal government leased the land on which these turbines are slated to be built according to the company’s federal permit application. “We’ve decided if the (federal) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provides a favorable Record of Decision on US Wind’s permit application, the Town of Ocean City will file suit against the BOEM,” Meehan said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Descendant of salvaged Maine boat’s namesake wants to save it
After seven months of being submerged off the coast of Harpswell, the historic fishing boat Jacob Pike has finally been raised by the U.S. Coast Guard. But a descendant of Jacob Pike himself is fighting to save it from being destroyed. Sumner Rugh, a student at the Merchant Marine Academy in New York, is the great-great-grandson of Jacob Pike, the namesake of the refrigerated sardine carrier. His nonprofit, the Jacob Pike Organization, wants to refurbish the vessel and use it for education. But acquiring the boat has proven tricky, Rugh said. The Coast Guard towed the boat to Portland on Wednesday to be destroyed. Rugh asked the Coast Guard to donate the vessel to his nonprofit, but because the Coast Guard doesn’t own the boat, it can’t donate it. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:36
Commercial fishers demand stricter enforcement and penalties for illegal lobster sales – Federal and provincial governments need to step-up enforcement
Uncertainty on the future of the commercial fishery will potentially put the sustainability of the lobster catch and jobs at risk according to the leaders of the Coalition of Atlantic and Quebec Fishing Organizations and the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA). The upcoming meeting of fisheries ministers from across Canada is a unique opportunity to make sure the commercial fishery remains sustainable. Action is needed from both federal and provincial officials. For the Government of Canada, keeping independent enforcement officers on the water is critical to making sure no one fishes out of season. “Enforcing one set of rules for everyone is the key to a strong fishery. Impartial, independent enforcement officers at Department of Fisheries and Oceans is at the heart of a sustainable fishery,” according to Gordon Beaton, president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board. “We are concerned about potential changes to enforcement, we need more, not less, independent enforcement of the rules.” Science, not politics, should be driving decisions on the fishery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:40
Coast Guard rescues 6 people after fire breaks out on commercial fishing vessel
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued six people after a boat fire led to them abandoning ship 105 nautical miles east of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Sunday. The fishing vessel Three Girls, an 81-ft trawler, had four crew members, the captain, and a NOAA observer onboard. At 8:56 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Northern New England command center watchstanders received a mayday call from the Three Girls stating that the vessel was on fire and they were making preparations to abandon ship. The First Coast Guard District command center also received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon from the vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:25
I’m outraged by New Hampshire’s treatment of Geno Marconi
I am outraged with the “paid administrative leave” of the Port Director, Geno Marconi and all the secrecy around it. I chaired the Ports and Harbors Advisory Committee for ten years. I was appointed by Governor Lynch and reappointed for another 5 year term. I also chaired the Piscataqua Maritime Commission (Sail Portsmouth) for 10 years where we brought Tall Ships to Portsmouth. I worked with Director Marconi very closely in both capacities and I can say without a shred of doubt that he is “by the book” and an imminently fair and honest man. Now with the suspension of his wife from her position as a State Supreme Court Justice, the pressure is turned up. Governor, you have messed with the wrong people. Director Marconi is not one to be pressured to resign. He is a by-the-book man, and you are about to learn that lesson. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<. by Donald Coker 10:45
NAFO Moving Forward with Offshore Dragger Access Despite Legal Injunction and Historical Agreement for Northern Cod
Despite vocal opposition from industry and environmental groups, the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) is making strides towards allowing international and domestic offshore draggers back on the Northern cod grounds as early as this fall. The European Union (EU) is awaiting approval of their harvesting proposal from the NAFO Commission to get access to the fishery. “It is our strong opinion that the NAFO Commission should defer reopening the offshore allocation for the 2J3KL northern cod fishery. The reopening of the commercial cod fishery was done under poor faith by Minister Lebouthillier and Prime Minster Justin Trudeau; with both went against the advice of science, environment and industry, and also broke a four-decade commitment to our province,” says Pretty. “By lifting the 32-year moratorium on commercial fishing on June 26, 2024, the Government of Canada is further corporatizing public resources, limiting the economic sustainability of coastal communities, and breaking a decades long promise to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador,” Pretty explains. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:50
Crawlers to Inspect Blades After Vineyard Wind Failure
Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova on Friday released a plan outlining the steps to be followed after a turbine blade failure last month at the Vineyard Wind offshore project off the coast of Massachusetts, which left potentially dangerous debris on beaches on the island of Nantucket. Vineyard Wind, the first major U.S. offshore wind farm, was shut down by federal authorities after the turbine blade failure. The plan outlines the steps to be followed to recover the remainder of the blade on the turbine. It has been developed in consultation the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard, the companies said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Tributes to “Godfather” of Wexford Maritime History, Fisherman John Power
Tributes have been made to Wexford fisherman, writer, researcher, maritime historian and community activist John Power, who died last month aged 90. The Sunday Independent reports that the RNLI’s Kilmore Quay lifeboat station has described his knowledge of maritime history as “encyclopedic”. The station where he had a long involvement also said that Power’s extensive collection of photographs was “unique”, and his “passion for his subject” was “unwavering”. Power, who was born in Wexford’s Kilmore Quay on August 29th,1933, trained as a mechanic but took up commercial fishing from Dunmore East with his father, Tom, and brothers, Tommy and Paddy. He married Trish Bates in 1963 and the couple reared six children, several of whom would follow their father into fishing. Power, who fished from 1958 to 1995, owned a number of boats including the Pride of Kilmichael, the Guillemot, the Girl Ann and the Glendalough. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:04
Nephew, 12, dedicates gruelling sea challenge to raise funds for charity to beloved uncle who died in trawler tragedy
When popular Kinsale fisherman Des Hurley died in a tragic accident at sea on December 14, his family and the wider community in Kinsale were devastated by his loss. Des was Joey’s godfather and best friend, and his death left the lad with his world shattered. But he bravely channeled his grief into exercise with the help of friend and personal trainer Mickey Power, who understood how shock and sadness can affect someone so young. The Duathlon for Des on Saturday on August 10 saw Joey kayak from the Bulman Bar to James Fort, followed by a 10 km run from James Fort to Charles Fort and back, finishing with the 1km kayak crossing back to the Bulman. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:14
B.C. commercial fisherman fined $33K for harvesting catch in unique reefs
The owner of a commercial halibut vessel in British Columbia received more than $33,000 in fines for fishing in a marine protected area containing glass sponge reefs unique to the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a provincial court judge handed down the fine in May to Brent Belveal, who pleaded guilty to offences under the Fisheries Act. It says Belveal, operator of the vessel Gypsy Soul, harvested and sold his illegal catch from within the Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Protected Area near Bella Bella off B.C.’s central coast. The department describes the reefs as “globally unique ecosystems.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:39
Protest Over High Risk Off-Shore Wind Farm Electric Cables Under New Jersey Neighborhoods
A significant community education meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 19, 2024, at 6:30 PM at the Manasquan Community Senior Center, located at 63 Atlantic Ave. The Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Interconnection Cable Project plans to install 700-800 turbines capable of generating nearly 6,000 megawatts of power—significantly more than the now-closed Oyster Creek nuclear plant. These cables, potentially placed 3.5 to 8 feet underground near homes and schools, raise health and environmental concerns, particularly around the Sea Girt Beach landing area, which is home to protected birds and plants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
