Daily Archives: November 22, 2024
With More Scallops But Fewer Fishermen, Select Board Raises Bushel Limit For Commercial Fleet
There are more adult scallops in Nantucket Harbor than at any time since 2012, according to the town’s Natural Resources Department. That year, the island’s commercial fleet harvested more than 18,000 bushels, far beyond what fishermen have caught in recent years. That should be good news. But the problem is that today, there are approximately 75 percent fewer fishermen out on the water scalloping. So, on Wednesday, acting on a recommendation from the Harbor & Shellfish Advisory Board, the members of the Select Board voted unanimously to increase the bay scallop bushel limit for commercial scallopers from five bushels to six bushels per commercial license for the remainder of the 2024-2025 bay scallop season. “The amount of adults in the harbor this year from our surveys is equivalent to what we had in 2012,” said Tara Riley, the town’s shellfish and aquatic resource manager. “In 2012, we had around 200 permits with around 97 people actively fishing, and we pulled out around 18,000 bushels. Right now, we have 25 boats going. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:57
Maine: Judge dismisses case against the state challenging lobster boat tracking rules
A federal judge has ruled against a group of five lobstermen that sued the state in attempt to stop electronic boat tracking requirements that went effect almost one year ago. The rules require lobstermen with federal fishing permits to install monitors on their boats that track their location on the water. The fishermen argued that they should not be subject to monitoring at all times. They often use their boats for other purposes beyond commercial lobstering, which Woodcock acknowledged. The boat tracking requirements will stay in place for now. But in his decision, Woodcock said the lobstermen had raised important Fourth Amendment questions and encouraged them to appeal the case. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:21
Enormous sardine resource identified in Bass Strait but fishers have wanted to set up a fishery for more than a decade
Off the north-east coast of Tasmania, could be one of the largest fishery resources in the country. Commercial fisher Stuart Richey knows it’s there. He’s spent more than a decade advocating for it to be set up. “Our family has been in aerial fish spotting for 50 years in Tasmania, and we were noticing more and more sardines along beaches, which is a little bit unusual,” Mr. Richey, who owns Richey Fishing, said. Along with fellow fisher Allan Barnett, Mr. Richey estimates he has spent about $400,000 on equipment, nets, research and trips to another sardine fishery, in South Australia, in his push for a potential Tasmanian fishery. The Tasmanian department responsible for fisheries, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), says it is in “the early investigation stage of considering if a fishery for Australian sardine can be developed”. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
TSB says harsh weather, lack of contingency plan contributed to fatal vessel sinking
A fatal fishing vessel incident near Canso, N.S., in 2022 was caused in part by severe weather conditions and a lack of contingency planning for towing disabled vessels, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The board on Thursday released its investigative report into the rescue operation of the F/V Mucktown Girl, which resulted in the death of one of the halibut boat’s crew members and injuries to two Canadian Coast Guard crew. The Mucktown Girl, a 15-metre vessel with five people on board, was around 160 kilometres southeast of Canso when it experienced electrical problems and lost power late in the night on March 11, 2022. The crew contacted the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax and the coast guard ship Jean Goodwill arrived the next morning. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:08
Commercial Fisherman Chris Hamilton Captures Life on the Water
One can only imagine what kinds of things true men of the sea witness while out on the water, their livelihood dependent on making good catches – quite a different sight from the landlubbers seeing traffic lights, stop signs, strip malls and so on. But Chris Hamilton, a lifelong Greenport resident and commercial fisherman, removed the need to imagine when he found a passion for photography aboard his father’s boat one morning. “Being a commercial fisherman on a trawler gives me a very unique perspective,” he says. “It’s not something 
that is widely viewed. It’s a pretty private lifestyle. It really was just being in the moment and kind of just realizing how lucky I was to spend some of those moments on the water with my dad. Fishing is hard, man; it’s a really hard way to make a living, especially these days. You’ve got to be really dedicated. There’s a reason why we do it, and it’s because it’s a beautiful lifestyle. You get to experience nature and in a real way that’s different from other types of work, being on the water. Water is probably the biggest inspiration for me in terms of my art.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:01
