Daily Archives: September 24, 2024
‘Potentially catastrophic’: Helene forecast to hit Big Bend with 115 mph winds
Helene, which organized into a tropical storm on Tuesday, is forecast to rapidly intensify into a powerful and massive before barreling into the Big Bend likely overnight Thursday, bringing “potentially catastrophic” wind and storm surge. An alert jolted with 115 mph winds residents’ phones at 5 p.m. as forecasters issued hurricane warnings for Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Leon, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties. A storm surge warning for what could be as much as 15-feet of inundation was also in effect for the Apalachee Bay coast. The National Hurricane Center’s tightening cone of uncertainty continued to show landfall anywhere from Panama City to Cedar Key. The center line, which forecasters caution people not to focus on, remained over Tallahassee in the 5 p.m. forecast. Helene was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday morning and a major hurricane, with winds of 110 mph or more, by Thursday morning. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:27
Canada announces deal with France on contentious Atlantic halibut fishery
Months of negotiations have resulted in an agreement between Canada and France allowing fishers from a tiny archipelago near Newfoundland a portion of the annual Atlantic halibut catch, officials announced Monday. Fishers from the French territory of St-Pierre-Miquelon will be allowed three per cent of the total allowable catch, which is set each year by Canada, the federal Fisheries Department said in a statement. Ihe department has been working with France to reach such an agreement since 2016, the department said. “I am confident that we’ve reached an equitable agreement that will ensure the long-term health of the Atlantic halibut stock while supporting the economies and coastal communities of both Canada and France,” Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillie said. more, CLICK TO READ<< 15:02
Cook Inlet fisheries to get $9.4M in disaster relief for 2018, 2020
Two Cook Inlet salmon fisheries will receive more than $9.4 million in federal disaster relief that was held up, in part, by technical difficulties. They’re among ten Alaska fisheries getting money, the state’s Congressional delegation announced Friday. In all, ten fisheries across the state will receive $277 million for disasters dating back to 2018. They include 2020’s Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery and 2018’s Upper Cook Inlet east side setnet fishery. Other fisheries that will receive money through the distribution include Bering Sea crab, Kuskokwim River and Norton Sound salmon and Gulf of Alaska pacific cod. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
Le Canot – French owner welcomes new scallop trawler to fleet
The custom-built Le Canot (“The Canoe”) has a length of 11.9 metres (39 feet), a beam of five metres (16 feet), a gross tonnage of 18, a total installed power of 184 kW (247 hp), and a hybrid design consisting of a monohull bow combined with a catamaran stern for stability. This design was developed by Plastimer’s founders and directors, husband and wife Jean-Bernard and Monique Furstenberger, in close cooperation with L’Écume owner and boat skipper Nicolas Erhel. Photos, specifications, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:07
Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative to celebrate National Lobster Day
The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative is celebrating its ninth annual National Lobster Day on Wednesday, Sept. 25. “It’s a time to celebrate the lobstermen that are out on the water every day catching lobster and bringing it to market for us,” said Marianne LaCroix, executive director for Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. The celebration comes as Maine Lobster Week kicked off across the state Sunday and will be running until Sunday, Sept. 29. The day was moved from June to September to align with the peak lobster harvesting season. The Senate passed a resolution in 2015 officially recognizing the day and the economic impact of the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:45
Urgent MAIB warning following MOB fatality
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a safety bulletin following the fatal accident onboard the 18.35m crabber Kingfisher DH 110 (FN, 25 July, ‘Fatal MOB from Dartmouth crabber’). The bulletin urges the Home and Dry Safety Forum to immediately communicate through its members the need for owners and crew of potting vessels to review their deck working risk assessments. The Kingfisher tragedy, which occurred 30nm east-north-east of Wick on 12 July this year, saw a deckhand become attached to the backrope and be pulled overboard while manually toggling on creels. The deckhand’s PFD automatically inflated, and he initially surfaced, leading the crew to believe he was clear of the backrope and floating freely. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:06
Is Your ‘Gulf’ Shrimp Actually Farm-Raised Overseas?
Think you love Gulf shrimp? It’s possible you’ve never even tasted it. Last Labor Day weekend, sample genetic testing at the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, Louisiana — where you’d naturally think “Gulf” shrimp was being sold and promoted in a town built on shrimping — revealed that only one of five vendors (Woodreaux’s Cajun Cuisine) was actually serving the real deal. Unaware festival goers never thought to question the source as they consumed imported, farm-raised shrimp right next to the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp switching is likely happening at your favorite seafood eatery or grocery store, too, despite labeling and signage that may mislead you, just as it did those festival goers. Doug Olander, a commercial shrimp fisherman from Port St. Mary, Louisiana, whose boats have mostly remained docked for two years, says the supply chain needs the transparency that widespread testing provides. “This type of fraud should be a crime,” Olander says. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:38
Lawmakers seek pause in offshore wind energy amid whale deaths
House lawmakers are seeking a pause in offshore wind energy projects amid a string of whale deaths along the coasts of Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Maine. Last week, a deceased whale beached off Maryland’s coast, the second whale carcass discovered in the area in three weeks. In 2023, 37 humpback whales carcasses were discovered along the East Coast. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) hosted a public hearing in August in which experts testified about the danger installing wind turbines poses marine wildlife. Harris called for an end to offshore wind energy in Maryland. The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate the impacts of offshore wind development after Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J) requested it look into the issues. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
