Daily Archives: November 12, 2024
Scottish fishing chiefs lash out over conservation group Oceana’s ‘fake news’
The Aberdeen-based Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has accused conservation group Oceana of spreading “fake news”. Oceana is today publishing a report calling for a “legally binding deadline to end overfishing”. And it claims to have the backing of nearly eight in 10 adults in Britain for stricter limits on catches in UK waters. According to Oceana, which also wants to see a ban on supertrawlers more than 100m (328ft) long, half the UK’s key fish 
populations were “overfished or critically low” last year. SFF’s top team believe the conservation group’s latest report is designed to disrupt annual negotiations of overfishing quotas for 2025. Oceana is “wasting everyone’s time with a series of cherry-picked statements, reliance on obsolete science and creative wording to perpetuate a narrative of gloom and doom about fisheries that bears little relation to reality”, the fishing industry body explained. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:01
MAIB report into loss of Ocean Maid
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the grounding and subsequent loss of the Ocean Maid BA 55. The report – the purpose of which is not to attribute fault or blame – says that on the afternoon of 23 October 2022 the 1986-built prawn trawler left Eyemouth to make an overnight passage to a shipyard in Fraserburgh for planned maintenance and minor repairs. The vessel’s crew of four included the skipper and his father – the co-owners of the vessel – a watchkeeper and a deckhand. At around 2.40am, the watchkeeper took over the watch from the skipper. At approximately 5.35am, the watchkeeper checked the estimated time of arrival at Fraserburgh and recalled seeing an ETA of 5.56am ‘or thereabouts’ on the plotter display. The watchkeeper then left the wheelhouse and went down to the galley to make tea for the crew. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:46
Dutch Fisherman Hit Tanker After Leaving Bridge for a Head Call
The Netherlands’ disciplinary court for mariners has fined a fishing vessel’s helmsman for leaving the bridge unattended to go to the head. While he was gone, the vessel hit an anchored tanker off IJmuiden, causing damage and a small spill. On September 28, 2022, the 150-foot fishing vessel Joris Senior (registry number ARM 18) had finished up a week of fishing in the North Sea and was returning to IJmuiden. There were six crewmembers aboard, and a substitute skipper was at the helm for the transit. No additional crewmembers were on lookout duty. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
150-foot F V Joris Senior
Supporters, Opponents of Offshore Wind Both Look for Hopeful Signs in Trump Administration
On the day after the elections last week, and even before, the airwaves were crammed with speculation about how this, that, and the other sectors of American life and the economy would fare under a Trump administration. The chatter included the future of offshore wind, which was born in the United States in 2016 off the coast of Block Island and continues to generate heavy support and heavy opposition. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed hostility toward offshore wind and has said he would put an end to the industry “on day one” of his administration. Trump-supporting Republicans have vowed to put an end to President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for big projects such as offshore wind. A large share of the IRA’s $891 billion price tag is targeted toward renewable energy and related technologies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Marine Rescue NSW crew rescue two people from sinking fishing vessel near Ballina
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Rodney Page said a fishing trawler reported it was taking on water and sinking approximately eight nautical miles (15kms) east of Lennox Head. “In the early hours of this morning Marine Rescue Port Macquarie, the region’s 24 hour communications hub, received a call from the skipper of a fishing trawler. “The skipper advised the vessel was taking on water and experiencing engine failure. “A volunteer crew from Marine Rescue Ballina were deployed on board Ballina 30 just after 3.00am. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:40
