Daily Archives: November 5, 2024

New guidelines for boat gear in place after June death of lobster fisherman

New guidelines have been released to help protect P.E.I. fishing crews after a man was killed by a boom on a North Lake lobster boat this past June. Occupational health and safety officials spent months looking into the incident and hope their review will prevent further accidents. The investigation is now complete, but officials have not said whether there will be charges or fines related to the death. The man was underneath a boom being used to hoist out lobster traps when it suddenly lowered and struck him in the head and shoulder.  In July, the Workers Compensation Board released a hazard alert highlighting the possible risks of using booms on lobster boats. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:38

Person fined $5K for unauthorized longline fishing near Cape Breton

A person has received a $5,000 fine for unauthorized fishing in a protected area near eastern Cape Breton. The unnamed individual pleaded guilty to longline fishing in a high-protection zone of the St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area on Oct. 23, according to a social media post by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). “The individual was fined $5,000, forfeited over $17,000 worth of groundfish catch, and their vessel will be monitored for the next 10 years no matter where they fish.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:25

3Ps Stock Assessment Update Highlights Need to Ban Offshore Draggers and Address Seal Predation

11/5/2024 – Today’s technical briefing by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on the 3Ps cod stock assessment delivered news that the south coast species has not experienced much growth in recent years, leaving harvesters concerned for the stock’s future and the impact the offshore dragger fishery is having on the stock’s recovery. FFAW is once again reiterating the need to ban factory draggers from all cod species in Newfoundland and Labrador, citing the continued and lasting damaged caused by draggers fishing on pre-spawning aggregations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:57

Jersey fisherman hopes new lobster label could help keep island’s fishing industry afloat

Jersey fisherman hopes his new lobster label will raise public awareness about the island’s crustaceans in an attempt to increase demand among consumers. Last month, Ian Syvret won the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) ‘Fishing Hero of the Year’ award for creating a new single-use label which includes the name of the fisher who caught the lobster. The blue label is attached to the lobster so it can be released alive and safe rather than clipping or marking the creature’s body. Ian’s award means that lobsters caught in Jersey can now be sold commercially with MSC eco status, which means he can now sell lobster to whoever he wants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:08

Court open to upholding US fishing monitor rule even without ‘Chevron’ doctrine

A U.S. appeals court on Monday appeared open to upholding a federal rule requiring commercial fishermen to fund a program to monitor for overfishing of herring off New England’s coast even after the U.S. Supreme Court in that same case issued a landmark ruling curbing agencies’ regulatory power. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, during oral arguments, weighed the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision, opens new tab to scrap a 40-year-old legal doctrine that had required courts to defer to agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws they administer. The 6-3 conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court nixed the doctrine, known as “Chevron deference,” after taking up an appeal by several commercial fishing companies of the D.C. Circuit panel’s 2-1 ruling in August 2022, opens new tab that had relied on the doctrine to uphold the fishing rule. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:03

Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Jonas R. Porter of Woodville, Florida, has passed away

Jonas R. Porter, 86, of Woodville, passed away November 3, 2024. Jonas was born in Sopchoppy and remained a life-long resident of this area. He was a Commercial Fisherman all of his life and was a true fishing storyteller; you never knew if it was the truth or not and he always got a good laugh. Jonas has always been a voice for all fishermen; he stood for what he believed in. He also was a Handyman and enjoyed building things, also enjoyed music, singing and playing the guitar. Jonas loved his family and friends and spoiled his grandkids; he loved people. He would want you to know that he supported Trump. more, >>CCLICK TO READ<< 05:56