Daily Archives: October 29, 2024
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Army Veteran Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, of Juneau, has passed away
Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, 76, died at his Fritz Cove home on October 16, 2024 after a long struggle with Progressive Supranuc Palsy (PSP). Ted and Lucy were engaged while Ted was on R&R in Hawaii and after discharge, they were married in Minnesota. They headed to Juneau as soon as Lucy graduated, driving Ted’s hot orange 1970 stick-shift Dodge Charger R/T. Ted soon got his own boat–an open 19-footer –and began a lifelong career in commercial fishing. Other boats followed: Diamondtooth (an ancient wooden gillnetter), Onni (a fast bowpicker with troublesome twin Volvo engines), Invictus, and for most of his career, the 45-foot Dundas. Ted had permits in many fisheries and tried crab, herring, and salmon gillnetting and finally settled into longlining and trolling, often accompanied by his son, Nelson. He fished all over the Northern Panhandle and especially liked downtime with friends in the fishing village, Elfin Cove. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:44
Fishermen Fight Bureaucrats to Defend Their Way of Life
Fishermen are going to court in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday to protect their businesses and communities from an unconstitutional regulatory commission that is a menace to our iconic industry. Overregulation has taken the joy out of fishing, and the prosperity too. That inevitably follows when powerful bureaucrats aren’t accountable to anyone, as is the case with the unconstitutional regional management councils that set policy for our fisheries. America’s fishing fleet is steadily retracting. Fishing is a generational trade passed within families. Many fishermen I know are vectoring their sons and daughters away from the family business. There are many reasons for that, but overregulation is one of them. By Jerry Leeman. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:21
Scallop war reignites as British fishing trawler is seized by France
A British fishing boat has been seized by France after a French captain accused UK trawlers of plundering their resources in the latest ‘Scallop War’ flare-up. The Scottish fishing boat, named the Star of Jura, was seized off the coast of Calvados, in the Normandy region of northwestern France on Monday, after the vessel was ordered into the Channel port of Le Havre on suspicion of catching undersized scallops. The skipper, who has not been named, took his 19-metre scallop dredger into the port on Saturday while being escorted by a maritime police boat after an inspection uncovered an illegal catch, French authorities revealed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:45
Crew saved from North Sea as Fraserburgh trawler sinks in SOS emergency
Six crew members have been saved from a sinking Fraserburgh-registered fishing boat. An urgent plea was issued for vessels to assist in the search and rescue operation of the Odyssey FR70 trawler. The beacon was answered by a nearby boat, which headed to the Odyssey’s location. The crew were then transferred to the other vessel via life raft. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
Clifton Thomas continues 40-year lobster trapping legacy
Clifton “Fluffy” Thomas has found a lucrative career as a lobster fisherman. For nearly 40 years he’s provided BVI hotels with fresh lobster from his more than 50 traps, and ahead of the season opening on Nov. 1, he and his son Clevan, better known as “Tito”, are prepping to begin their daily lobster hauls. Prior to the season closing in June, the pair pulled their traps from the sea to begin inspecting them and have been busy making repairs here and there. Thomas, 62, was a marine mechanic prior to his decision to be self-employed in 1985. He sells his lobsters for $9 a pound and recalled once that in a single haul he had 120 pounds of lobster. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:38
How a death spurred change for a SouthCoast fleet
In the summer of 2021, a Mayday call went out from the captain aboard a fishing vessel who needed Narcan to help save a life due to an overdose on board. There happened to be another vessel in the vicinity that was able to respond, and they tossed a box of the over-the-counter drug on board. The captain administered one dose, but nothing happened. He gets back on the radio. A second vessel was carrying Narcan and tossed it on board. The captain, after the fourth dose, sent his crew member back onshore alive. “That day there were three fishermen first responders that saved a life at sea,” said Debra Kelsey, with Fishing Partnership Support Services. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
