Monthly Archives: September 2024
Wondering where the fish have gone
Howard Kantner watches for hits on the net.
KOTZEBUE — It’s raining again, the wind rising and waves sloshing over the grass. I’m yanking at corkline, struggling to stack my salmon nets into old army totes, to protect them from mice and weather for another winter. Commercial fishing in Kotzebue Sound is closed, over before it really started. A complete bust, exponentially worse than any in the past 51 years I’ve participated in this fishery. Catches were dismal in July and many of us assumed — or tried to believe — that the run was late. Rumors swirled around town: about beluga whales, killer whales, warm water, cold water, and villagers up the Noatak and Kobuk rivers catching runs we’d allegedly missed. I didn’t believe it and kept hoping the dearth of fish was tied to changes some of us have noticed over the decades: how the peak of the run has been arriving later and later in August. Our last best season, two years ago, was slow in July, and in August more salmon flooded in than we’d seen before. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:05
Miraculous Survival: Lost Fisherman Rescued After 2 Days Adrift, Saved by Floating Debris
In a remarkable story of survival, a fisherman who fell overboard was rescued after floating adrift at sea for two days and one night, relying on floating debris to stay alive. The incident, which took place off the coast of Satun province, has been hailed as nothing short of a miracle. On the morning of September 3, Sunthorn Khaosom, 56, a crew member aboard the fishing vessel ‘R. Chai Navi’, accidentally fell into the sea about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Satun. Despite immediate efforts by the vessel’s captain to notify authorities and begin a search, Sunthorn could not be found. It wasn’t until the evening of September 5 that the Third Naval Area Command was alerted by staff at the Koh Bulon Mai Phai National Park in Satun, who reported finding the missing fisherman on the island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:17
Cleanup, investigation underway after fishing boat sinks at Stokes Bay
The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed Friday that a diesel spill is being cleaned up after the Coast Guard responded to a report of a fishing boat sinking at Stokes Bay dock on the Bruce Peninsula. Pollution containment equipment encircles the vessel, while crews are working to remove pollutants using specialized equipment, the Coast Guard said by email in response to Sun Times questions Friday afternoon. The vessel was reported sinking Thursday. “The size of the spill and plan for vessel recovery are yet to be determined. The CCG conducted a helicopter overflight for aerial pollution observation, and CCG personnel remain on location today to monitor the spill site.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:55
Mass. and Rhode Island pick 3 new wind projects, with less power than originally sought
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind auction on Friday. While this total is less than half of what the states originally sought to procure, it helps bring them closer to their legally binding offshore wind targets. Friday’s news comes after nearly two years of economic tumult in the industry, when developers up and down the East Coast canceled contracts for wind projects, saying they could not make them financially viable because of inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain problems. Still, not everyone is celebrating the news. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said he was “shocked” that the New England states are awarding more contracts less than two months after a blade broke off a Vineyard Wind Project turbine. In mid-July, the blade sent tons of fiberglass and foam debris into the ocean. Much of it washed up on the south side of Nantucket, and several beaches had to close while the material was cleaned up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:20
DFO defends cut to herring quota that company claims forced N.B. layoffs
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is defending its July decision to reduce the herring quota in the Bay of Fundy, after a major New Brunswick employer blamed the decision for major layoffs. “We recognize the economic impacts this decision will have on the families and communities that rely on income from fishing and processing herring,” said Lauren Sankey, DFO spokesperson, in an emailed statement late Friday afternoon. Connors Bros., a herring processing company in Blacks Harbour, near St. George, announced this week it’s laying off 20 per cent of its workforce, which is estimated to be about 100 people. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:22
Liberals call on province to up enforcement of illegal fish buying
Liberal MLA Ronnie LeBlanc says the people he represents in Clare along Nova Scotia’s French Shore are growing more and more concerned about the violence and illegal lobster fishing they’re seeing in their community — and the lack of action by the provincial and federal governments to do anything about it. LeBlanc was a fisherman before he entered provincial politics. He said people in the Saulnierville area with boats tied up awaiting the start of the commercial season in November are worried about the safety of their vessels and what could happen to stocks if thousands of pounds of unauthorized lobster continue to be removed from the water without oversight. “They’re feeling that it’s turning into a lawless place because nobody’s on the ground,” he told reporters at Province House on Friday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:21
Our ocean, communities not for sale – Fishers
Our ocean, communities and our sociocultural wellbeing are not for sale. This statement formed part of the declarations made by FishNet Alliance, a network of fishers across the coast of Africa, at the close of its General Assembly and Conference held on Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Durban, South Africa. Themed: “Ocean, Extractivism and Renewable Energy”, the gathering was attended by members of the Alliance from South Africa, Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Mozambique, including new members from Uganda, South Sudan and Cameroon as well as Oilwatch Africa and Oilwatch International members and allies from 20 countries. “We denounce and reject any form of grabbing of our waters for the production of so-called green hydrogen,” submitted the fishers, adding that all deltas and protected areas in Africa must be declared no-mining and no-exploitation zones. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:54
An Unlikely Sea Animal Saved F/V Time Bandit’s ‘Deadliest Catch’ Season
Aboard F/V Time Bandit, Captain Johnathan Hillstrand was struggling. For each Captain, a profitable trip out in the Bering Sea is determined by the catch they bring in. For one journey, it seemed the Time Bandit would return to the dock virtually empty-handed. Captain Jonathan Hillstrand was a bit dejected as this recent trip was seemingly like a bust. Having been out at sea for years, working as a crabber, he had been no stranger to dismal catches. But despite any hope and positivity, unless a miracle was about to happen, it would be just another failure on the list. With only hours to go before reaching the harbor, 250 miles away, Captain Johnathan encountered a miracle. In a scene almost straight out of a movie, he saw some dolphins swimming around the ship. The crew knew that wherever they were heading, there were bound to be some crabs lurking. Because the dolphins would be attracted to the bait like the crabs, it might be a prosperous moment after all. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:39
States to announce Friday if New England is ready for more offshore wind farm
The Captain Les Eldridge used to chase bass and tuna out of New Bedford. Now, the vessel has a new role in the nation’s emerging offshore wind industry. Anthes-Washburn said Coast Line Transfers lost a similar contract with another offshore wind farm last summer, during an industry wide contraction in the U.S. that saw planned wind farms scrapped up and down the East Coast. On Friday, Anthes-Washburn will find out if southern New England is ready to rebuild that pipeline of canceled offshore wind projects. Officials in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are expected to announce whether they are ready to move forward with a series of proposed offshore wind farms that developers submitted through a tri-state solicitation process in March. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
Biden – Harris Administration Approves Nation’s Tenth Offshore Wind Project
The Biden-Harris administration has approved the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, the nation’s tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project to receive federal approval. The Maryland Offshore Wind Project, developed by US Wind, could generate over 2 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy, potentially powering over 718,000 homes on the Delmarva Peninsula. The project is expected to create nearly 2,680 jobs annually over seven years during its development and construction phases. “BOEM’s Record of Decision brings us another step closer to securing final approvals later this year and getting steel in the water,” said US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
FFAW Rotted with NL Liberal MPs’ Support for Return of Draggers
The FFAW says documents filed by Ottawa to defend reopening of a commercial cod fishery show all Liberal MPs supported the feds’ decision. The reopening once again gives local processors and NAFO countries access to the resource with offshore draggers, while the stock remains in the cautious zone. Pretty notes there was a promise for the first 115,000 metric tonnes of the 2J3KL northern cod quota to be allocated to inshore harvesters and Indigenous groups. He calls the actions of the six Liberal MPs — Gudie Hutchings, Seamus O’Regan, Joanne Thompson, Churence Rogers, Yvonne Jones, and Ken McDonald — “a total betrayal.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:01
Layoffs at Connors Bros. seafood plant ‘punch in the gut’ for community
Connors Bros., a leading supplier of canned herring and a major employer in southwestern New Brunswick, is laying off 20 per cent of its workers, the company announced Thursday. The plant in Blacks Harbour, near St. George, employs up to 450 people, depending on the season. A Connors spokesperson did not respond when asked exactly how many people had been laid off. A news release from the company blames the federal government’s July decision to cut the herring quota in the Bay of Fundy. “We’ve been operating in this community for over 130 years and this is a heartbreaking decision, but it’s necessary to keep our plant viable moving forward,” Connors Bros. general Manager Chad Baum said in the release. A southwest New Brunswick fishing association is warning of tumble-down effects on the lobster fishery this fall after the herring quota reduction. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:00
PWS, Cook Inlet sockeye catch exceeded harvest projections
As the sockeye salmon harvest season comes to a close, only Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet surpassed their pre-season predictions, with harvests of 31.1 million, 3.1 million and 2 million reds respectively. Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound were also the only two regions to show year-over-year growth and exceeding harvest projections, says Simon Marks, a research analyst for McKinley Research Group in Juneau, who writes the weekly in-season commercial wild Alaska salmon report on behalf of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. While Bristol Bay has already surpassed the pre-season sockeye prediction by 19%, year-to-date harvest remains 23% behind 2023, Marks said on Aug. 27. Initial predictions for the 2025 season indicate an expected harvest of 32.4 million fish, a 2.8% gain if realized. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:26
Icelandic fishing company Thorbjörn, based in the volcano-stricken port of Grindavík, to split up
The company operates two factory trawlers and one fresher trawler, as well as having a new vessel under construction at a Spanish shipyard. Thorbjörn’s shore-based processing was halted this summer to the situation on Grindavík, with intermittent volcanic activity taking place sometimes within metres of the town’s outskirts. Grindavík was evacuated earlier this year, and residents have moved to other communities in Iceland, although some commercial activity remains in the town and around the harbour areas, subject to restrictions. According to the company, the aim of this restructuring is to put the focus on vessel operations, and to make more effective use of operational finance and fishing opportunities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:21
Turbine blade fails on Dogger Bank installation
Reports of the failure of a 107m long wind turbine blade during commissioning of the Dogger Bank wind farm – the world’s largest – have been confirmed by the operators. They remain tight- lipped, however, about any detail of the incident. The blade was built by GE Vernova, and is of the same design as the one that failed spectacularly in the Vineyard Wind development off the east coast of the USA in July, where thousands of sharp fragments of the blade washed up on nearby tourist beaches, leading to them being closed for several days during an emergency clean-up. Last week’s incident on the Dogger Bank was the third for this particular type of blade in three months. An earlier failure at the same site in May was, said GE Vernova at the time, ‘the result of an installation failure’. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:44
All NL MPs Supported Breaking Historical Agreement for Northern Cod, Injunction Documents Show
Documents submitted by the Government of Canada as part of the federal injunction filed by FFAW-Unifor in July show that all Liberal MPs in the province supported breaking the longstanding agreement on Northern cod to allow offshore draggers access while the stock remains in the cautious zone. “Documents are quickly coming in from DFO staffers via the federal court process. What we’ve seen thus far is a Liberal caucus of NL politicians who supported breaking the 40-plus year agreement to our province – and while it’s certainly not shocking at this point, it should be a real eye opener to the people of our province who elected these individuals to office,” says FFAW-Unifor Greg Pretty. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:30
Bluffton mayor’s shrimp boat saved after capsizing off coast of Hilton Head Island
Larry Toomer was guided by a feeling when he sailed his shrimp boat off the coast last weekend. “It was a feeling that I needed to go there, and I was right,” Toomer said. “We found the shrimp.” Then misfortune found the longtime shrimper and mayor of Bluffton. A cable snapped Sept. 1 as Toomer and his friend lifted a heavy net of shrimp and jellyfish onto their boat, the Red Baron. The shrimp had to be thrown back to sea before the 25-foot fiberglass boat could sail onward. Toomer had just pushed the last of the haul off the side when a large rogue wave hit and overtook the vessel’s stern. There was too much water for the two men to bail out. Their only option was to get the boat as close to the Hilton Head beach as possible even as it began to capsize. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:23
Safety Warning Issued After Fatal Incident onboard F/V Kingfisher
A safety warning has been issued to fishing vessel owners and crew following a tragic incident aboard the potting vessel Kingfisher (DH110), resulting in the loss of one life. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released a bulletin urging those involved in the fishing industry to reassess deck risk assessments, particularly focusing on the hazards associated with shooting or recovering creels. On 12 July 2024, the crew of Kingfisher were engaged in manually shooting a string of creels when a deckhand became entangled in a creel’s leg rope. On 12 July 2024, the crew of Kingfisher were engaged in manually shooting a string of creels when a deckhand became entangled in a creel’s leg rope. The entanglement caused the deckhand to be pulled overboard. Upon entering the water, his personal flotation device (PFD) inflated as designed. The crew swiftly used the vessel’s hauling winch to recover the submerged deckhand within seven minutes.more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:07
Corrected: Waldoboro Man Summonsed for Operating a Vessel Under the Influence
The Maine Marine Patrol has charged Jared Larsen, 32, of Waldoboro with operating a watercraft under the influence. Marine Patrol received a report at approximately 7:00 a.m. this morning of a boat that had run aground on Seal Ledge on the southwest side of Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay. Marine Patrol Officers arrived on scene at approximately 8:00 a.m. to find the vessel, the Holly and Abby owned by lobster dealer Fox Island Lobster Company, laying on its side and taking on water. Marine Patrol Officers were able to locate Larsen at the Rockland Fish Pier and transported him to Knox County Jail more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:24
Offshore wind energy development: A David vs Goliath story
As the aggressive pursuit to privatize and industrialize our oceans with offshore wind turbine factories marches on, the small yet powerful voices of coastal communities around the nation continues to fight to be heard in the process. It is a veritable David versus Goliath story. Closer to home in Oregon, I believe that Goliath may be the elitists who live in urban settings like Portland and Salem who believe that they know best what the coastal residents of Oregon need. Oregon is not unique; however, this story is unfolding around the nation where urbanites believe they know best for rural communities that they do not live or work in. These people tout their desire to uplift marginalized voices while they steamroll rural voices, whether it is Tribes, coastal community members, or commercial fishermen. They attempt to downplay the concerns of coastal residents, claiming “we just don’t understand”. But here’s the thing. We actually do understand. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< By Heather Mann 15:57
Commercial Fisherman Christopher E. Greco of Chatham, Ma. has passed away
Christopher E. Greco 63, of Chatham, son of Fred Greco and Cora Stacy Greco, died suddenly and peacefully at his home on August 29. He suffered from COPD and heart problems for the last several years. He was born at Cape Cod Hospital and lived his entire life in Chatham working in the fishing industry after graduating from Chatham High School in 1979. He loved working on the water and crewed for Jack Our, John Tuttle, Stu Tolley and Mark Liska when fishing was much different than that it is today. He also went commercial shellfishing and scalloping when there were scallops to be had. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:14
Family-owned fishing company challenges unconstitutional Fishery Management Council
James and Dominick Russo are fishermen who earn their living off the Florida coast. But their livelihood is in jeopardy. James and Dominick have worked in the commercial fishing industry most of their lives. James, the older brother, has more than 30 years of experience under his belt. During the pandemic, the brothers moved to Sarasota, Florida, and opened FFC Seafood to make the most of the business-friendly climate the state offered. While the brothers catch many different types of fish, theirFFC Seafood most profitable haul is gag grouper, a fish popular with high-end restaurants for its sweet flavor. However, just when their new fishing enterprise was thriving, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed Amendment 56, slashing the number of gag grouper that commercial fisherman can legally catch by over 80 percent. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
California’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) focus of Wednesday’s Collaborative Meeting
A controversial and confusing proposal is circulating throughout Santa Barbara’s fishing industry and, environmental circles. It centers on plans to expand Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Santa Barbara Channel and more specifically, three of the islands. Last year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) publicly released the first 10-year comprehensive review of the MPA Network, and how to prioritize management of the area. It included 28 adaptive management recommendations and potential changes spanning 2023 to 2033. “Our fishing industries are already really sustainable, and they’re managed very carefully,” said Kim Selkoe, Executive Director of Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara. Video, more, links, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:59
Falmouth RNLI to be allocated the RNLI’s newest, state of the art lifeboat
The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join the RNLI fleet. Designed entirely in house by a team of RNLI engineers and built at the RNLI’s all weather lifeboat centre in Poole, Dorset, the charity harnessed cutting-edge technology to ensure this new lifeboat meets the demands of a 21st century rescue service. Nick Lewis, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Falmouth said: ‘This is really exciting news for the station and the crew are looking forward to welcoming the new Shannon class lifeboat into Falmouth, where we will have a period of training and familiarization before the lifeboat goes officially on service in 2025.’ more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:30
Lobster Fisherman Dexter C. Bray, Sr., “Old Man” of Stonington, Maine has passed away
Dexter C. Bray Sr., “Old Man,” born Nov. 15, 1957, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Aug. 23, at age 66. Dexter attended grammar school in Stonington. He was among the first class to graduate from Deer Isle/Stonington High School in 1976. He was a lobstah fisherman most of his life and was very proud of it. He loved being on the water, hunting, socializing, aggravating family and friends, playing bingo, drinking Dunkin’ coffee, watching reality shows, and going out to eat. He also enjoyed morning coffee with his buddies at the co-op. He was a member of Odd Fellows for many years. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 83′ Steel Shrimp Freezer Trawler/Dragger, 600HP Cummins KTA-19 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 12 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:33
Threat of mobile gear ban in 30% of Scottish waters
The Scottish government has launched a far-reaching consultation – set to run for just eight weeks – that could see fishing banned from 20 MPAs that cover a third of Scottish waters. As a minimum, it seems set to see five MPAs closed entirely to fishing, with 15 others seeing no-fish zones designated within them. The consultation gives only the option of partial or total fishing bans within the MPAs – it does not allow for a ‘neither option’ response. The government says that a second consultation relating to management and restriction of fishing inside 12nm will follow shortly. For each of the 20 MPAs, a review of fisheries management options, many drafted over a decade ago during the original designation process, is available. These range from the relatively uncontroversial closure of areas such as some deepwater sea mounts that have rarely, if ever, been fished, to much more controversial areas, such as the Central Fladen MPA. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:11
ASMFC Public Hearings on Summer Flounder Draft Addendum XXXV: Changes to Commercial Trawl Mesh Exemption Programs
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is seeking public comment on Draft Addendum XXXV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. The Draft Addendum considers changes to two exemptions to the summer flounder commercial minimum mesh size requirements: the Small Mesh Exemption Program (SMEP) and the flynet exemption. Two public hearings have been scheduled: one for the New England and Mid-Atlantic states (MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ) and one for the more southern states (MD, VA, NC). Both hearings will be conducted via webinar. Regardless of your state of residence, you are welcome to participate in either virtual hearing. The public hearing details follow: more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:20
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency Approves First Generation IV Nuclear Reactor
The last time we checked on the nation’s energy industry, the Biden-Harris administration banned drilling for gas and oil on 28 million acres of Alaska (rescinding the order signed by President Donald Trump). However, there is better news on the nuclear energy front. This is good news given that nuclear energy is the only rival to fossil fuels in efficiency and cost-effectiveness and is worthy of supplying power on a civilization-level. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved construction of the first fourth-generation nuclear reactor in the country. According to Interesting Engineering, the new Hermes reactor will be the first one built in the United States in 50 years that won’t be cooled by light water. Instead, it will use a system of molten fluoride salt, and a TRISO (tri-structural isotropic particle) fuel pebble bed design will power the generator. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
How a Newport advisory commission ended up a part of the anti-offshore wind controversy
One of the city’s volunteer advisory commissions was accused of censorship after denying an offer to put opponents of current offshore wind farm projects as experts on a series of educational panels on climate change and offshore wind. While offshore wind opponents, including Councilor David Carlin, argued that the educational panel’s lack of offshore wind opponents made the series unbalanced and unfair, Carlin’s resolution to sponsor a panel of anti-offshore wind speakers was shot down by the rest of City Council for being outside the council’s jurisdiction. In a statement regarding the response from the community and Carlin’s resolution, the commission said the events were designed to be “educational and informational” engagements with experts from their field, not a debate or public hearing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
