Daily Archives: September 15, 2024
The Future of Fishing – Island Institute launches new initiative to support Maine’s lobster industry
Island Institute is proud to announce a $1.4 million award from the Small Business Administration to support Maine’s lobster industry and enhance the economic resilience of the coastal communities dependent on this vital fishery. This Congressionally Directed Spending request championed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King will launch the Future of Fishing, a collaborative effort designed to expand economic opportunities for Maine’s coastal communities, building on Island Institute’s longstanding partnerships to advance a diversified, climate-forward marine economy in Maine. Maine’s fishing communities face historic challenges such as rapidly warming waters, more frequent and severe storms, costly regulatory changes, and rising business costs. These communities, and the men and women that work on the water, are the backbone of Maine’s seafood sector; a sector responsible for more than $3 billion in total economic output and more than 33,000 jobs statewide. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:28
Shipping up to Boston: N.L. opening trade office in Massachusetts
Newfoundland and Labrador is dropping anchor and opening shop in Boston. On a trade mission to the Massachusetts state capital this week, Premier Andrew Furey announced the province would be opening its first international trade office in the city. Furey said the province and Boston have connections in the seafood and marine industries, and across the biotechnology and energy sectors. “It’s important to have a presence in the United States right now,” he said. Furey said there are companies in Boston involved in wind projects and biotechnology that are looking for partners, research and product development. With Boston’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and New York, Furey said it made sense to open an office across the border. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:03
Lobster harvesters ready to ‘take matters into their own hands’
Local lobster harvesters are prepared to patrol waters themselves and haul up illegal gear, which could spark confrontations with poachers, according to Amanda Johnson, executive director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, which represents 150 lobster fishers from St. Stephen to Alma. “It could lead to a lot of violence on the water,” Johnson said at a protest held in Saint Andrews Saturday in support of local fishers and their families. Maine and New Brunswick poachers are now taking to Lobster Fishing Area 36, which runs along New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy coast from Alma to the American border, ahead of its November season, Johnson said. Deer Island fisherman Dale Mitchell claims lobster catches have dropped 30 per cent in the last seven years since the start of what he called an “illegal summer fishery” in the region. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:06
Four men charged after tonne of cocaine found on fishing boat
Four men have been charged with drug offences after officers from the National Crime Agency discovered a tonne of class A drugs on board a fishing vessel off the Cornish coast The boat, named Lily Lola, was stopped at sea by Border Force officers on Friday afternoon (September 13). On it, they found approximately a tonne of cocaine which was being brought into the country. A Jon Paul William spokesperson for the NCA said Michael Kelly, aged 45, of Portway, Manchester; Jon Paul Williams, aged 46 of St Thomas, Swansea; Patrick Godfrey, aged 30, of Danygraig Road in Port Tennant, Swansea and Jake Marchant, aged 26 and of no fixed address, were all charged with importation of a controlled Class A drug. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
