Monthly Archives: January 2025
Ventura fisherman missing since Wednesday night prompts search effort
A fisherman from Ventura reported missing Wednesday had not been found as of midday Thursday. His boat was found Wednesday night with no one aboard about 10 miles off the Ventura coast, authorities said. The U.S. Coast Guard was leading the ongoing search for the 71-year-old after he was reported overdue from a fishing trip shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday, said Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Richard Uranga. The Coast Guard found the man’s 40-foot commercial fishing boat just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Uranga said. Crews towed it to the Ventura Harbor. As of 9 a.m. Friday morning, Ventura Harbormaster John Higgins said he had no update on the search despite continued efforts to search local waters. Photo, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:48
Maine: Local fishermen praise bill limiting offshore wind
From Brooksville to Blue Hill to Stonington, local fishermen are applauding Congressman Jared Golden’s co-sponsorship of a bill prohibiting commercial offshore wind energy development over nearly 14,000 square miles in the Gulf of Maine. The Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025 would protect Lobster Management Area 1, the nearshore fishing waters stretching from the Canadian border to the north shore of Cape Cod, from wind development. “I support that all the way,” said Marsden Brewer, who has fished out of Stonington his entire life. Brewer, who has fished commercially for lobster, shrimp, ground fish and sea urchins, currently scallops and, with his son, Bob, runs a local aquaculture scallop farm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Letter to the Editor: US Wind project is not good for Sussex County by David T. Stevenson
The federal US Wind Final Environmental Impact Statement concludes on page 135, “U.S. offshore wind projects would likely have a limited impact on global emissions and climate change.” So no impact on sea-level rise. US Wind claims the $200 million they will invest in building transmission lines will offer general upgrades to the local transmission systems. However, if the project isn’t built, the transmission upgrades are unnecessary. Their claim of lowering homeowner electric rates $9 per year is statistically zero given the model’s plus/minus $17 error range. Consultants employed by the Maryland Public Service Commission stated the offshore wind projects would simply replace onshore wind projects that cost 80% less. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:57
Norfolk businesses reflect on backing Brexit
It has been five years since the UK officially left the European Union and became an independent nation. Opinion polls suggest a majority of people now believe Brexit has been bad for the UK – and it is widely accepted it has, in the short term at least, adversely affected some of those who trade with the EU. Two Norfolk business owners, who both voted Leave, have shared their views on whether it was right to back Brexit. Steven Williamson is the director of Lynn Shellfish, based in King’s Lynn. His factory processes freshly caught whelks, shrimps, cockles, mussels and scallops, most of which are sold to the European and Asian markets. Rachael Waring is the co-owner of Warings Furniture, which makes products for the hospitality trade and employs about 60 people in Larling. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
Suffolk Bill Aims to Protect Commercial Fishing Industry
The Suffolk County Legislature is considering a bill that, it says, will help commercial fishermen. The bill, now in committee, will allow property owners of commercial fishing businesses to apply for a conservation easement that would restrict future development. The bill was supposed to come to a vote late in 2024 but is now being studied to broaden its scope. The bill did receive positive support at a public hearing in November before the full legislature. Earlier in 2024, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine signed legislation increasing spending for farmland preservation to $15 million annually. He said the commercial fishing industry needed support as well. According to the legislation, any type of business that contributes to working waterfronts, such as gear storage, aquaculture, docks, boat repairs, could benefit from the pending legislation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court
A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress’ intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:21
Record crab price, lower volume: Commercial crabbing commences amid steep competition
The 2025 Washington commercial crab season is officially in full swing, with several local crabbers delivering their first offloads of the season on Thursday, Jan. 16, at local ports along the Long Beach Peninsula. “There are a lot of jumbos, nice and hard two-pounders. It’s a very good product.” reported Florian Mumford, captain of the F/V Vengeance. Fishermen reported strong currents and steep competition among the opening-day hurdles, leading to lower-than-normal catch volumes. However, the $5.75 opening record price from processors has been a huge relief, up from $3.50 last season. “We’re getting a really good price,” said F/V Jeannie Irene Captain Kelsey Cutting. “It’s going to make up for there not being a lot of volume.” “There’s a lot of guys from Westport and from California, because they have a lot of whale entanglement issues. They had a pot reduction [in California] and a lot of those guys are coming up and buying Oregon and Washington crab permits,” Cutting said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:27
Britt, Tuberville have an angle in fight for American fishermen
If at first you don’t succeed, try again. And that’s what Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are doing in their fight to protect American fishermen. Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tuberville (R-Auburn) joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Commerce Committee; and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to introduce the bipartisan Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:24
Provincetown Pursues 6-Year $12M Plan for MacMillan Pier
Every year, about a quarter-million passengers arrive or depart from the ferry terminal at the tip of Provincetown’s MacMillan Pier. Meanwhile, a fleet of commercial fishing vessels unload around four million pounds of seafood. Another 70,000 people board whale-watch trips to see humpback, fin, and minke whales feed in Cape Cod’s nutrient-rich waters — and that’s just one of several types of excursions that leave from the pier’s west side. This center of activity was substantially rebuilt in the early 2000s, but parts of it are much older, including the two “finger piers” that serve the town’s scallop and sea clam boats. At its Jan. 13 meeting, the select board endorsed a $12-million plan to renovate the pier and authorized the Dept. of Public Works to pursue advanced designs and permits for the project. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:35
Researchers to monitor socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery
A University of Maine-led research team has developed new indicators to measure the socioeconomic resilience of Maine’s lobster fishery. The study aims to deepen understanding of the industry’s challenges and guide future policies supporting the fishery and the communities it sustains. Maine’s lobster fishery, supporting thousands of jobs, is closely monitored and managed through biological surveys and industry reports. However, these statistics don’t capture the full impact of supply disruptions, market shifts and geopolitical tensions on the industry and its communities. With commercial lobster landings dropping 27 percent between 2016 and 2022, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association began exploring new ways to measure the fishery’s socioeconomic resilience, helping leaders better respond to the industry’s challenges. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:53
Bering Sea snow crab season kicks off for first time in three years
Earlier this month, commercial snow crabs started hitting Unalaska’s docks again, for the first time in nearly three years. The Bering Sea snow crab fishery reopened in mid-October, after billions of the crab disappeared and the fishery was shut down in October 2022. This season’s first catch was delivered on Jan. 15. Opilio, or snow crab, is generally fished in the new year and into the early spring. The season runs through May. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Management Biologist Ethan Nichols said nine vessels are actively participating in the Bering Sea commercial fishery. “The fleet is just getting started, for the most part,” Nichols said. “Fishing so far — the reports from the grounds — there seems to be good numbers of nice, new shell, large snow crab on the far northern portions of the grounds.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:06
Teenage girl who won fisherman of the year hopes to inspire young women to work at sea
A teenage girl who won trainee fisherman of the year hopes to inspire more young women to work in the Scottish fishing industry. Isla Gale quit school at 15 to work as an apprentice on a scallop fishing boat. Now 19, she has completed deck officer qualifications in the hopes of following her dreams to work on larger fishing vessels at sea. The plucky teen is currently based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire while studying at the Scottish Marine Academy (SMA). She hopes to see more women making waves in a male-dominated industry. She said: “I know that there are many supposed barriers and superstitions about women working at sea, but if you are determined and hardworking enough to overcome that side of things, you’ll do really well. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<12:50
William Henry Daniels, Captain Henry of North Carolina, has passed away
William Henry Daniels, Captain Henry, passed from this life early Saturday morning; he was 87 years old. He went peacefully at home with his family surrounding him. In 1976 he was able to buy and build the 57-foot wood trawler, and named it Bryan D. This was the beginning of the family business. When Bryan graduated, the boat became his full-time job alongside his daddy. In 1979, the Bryan D was sold, and Henry bought a 76-foot steel hull trawler, which he named the Joyce D after his wife and partner. The boat has been redesigned over the years as the family business continued. In 1993, Henry’s son Bryan became Captain and took over the boat while Henry “retired” to his hobbies and home. Henry continued to work a small boat, the Brittany Faye, and oystered around the creek and rivers. Henry’s expertise concerning shrimping, fishing, and the water has always been Henry’s expertise concerning shrimping, fishing, and the water has always been appreciated and known throughout the community. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:19
The price of scallops? ‘The sky’s the limit’
What winter catch is delicate in flavor with hints of ocean in every morsel and very, very pricey? Atlantic scallops are breaking the piggy bank this season, Mainers are reporting, and harder to find. A pound of 10- to 20-count at the Ellsworth Shaw’s was advertised this week at $34.99, while some locals who usually buy directly from fishermen, for about $20 a pound, are finding them unavailable. Brooklin scallop fisherman David Tarr said those customers can ask in March and he might have some to sell to them. But for now, the large, prized U10s — that’s under 10 sea scallops to a pound — are what he’s catching and selling to his dealer for significantly more than $20. And plenty of Maine fishermen are selling to the market in New Bedford for $45 to $53 a pound for U10s. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:17
From metals to seafood: 5 N.L. industries bracing for impact of potential U.S. tariffs
Newfoundland and Labrador industries with strong ties to the U.S. are bracing for impact in the face of President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat, but some advocates are calling for a future where companies don’t exclusively rely on a trading partner to the south. On Saturday, the U.S. could impose tariffs on incoming Canadian goods. That has left some Newfoundland and Labrador industries worried. Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder said Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishery is at stake under the threat of tariffs. About 90 per cent of snow crab harvested in the province is shipped to the U.S. “The snow crab fishery is set to open in the middle of March. This is already impacting negotiations between ASP and the FFAW. It will be one of the first sectors that’s directly impacted,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 49’x16′ Scalloper/Dragger, Cat 3406 B, NGOM Permit
To review specifications, information, with 17 photos’, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:27
China-Australia Relations: Beijing resumes imports of Australian lobster after 4-year ban
Australian lobsters are heading to China once again, after a 4-year absence. The industry says the removal of a trade ban by China late last year has opened the door to its biggest and most profitable export destination, just in time for the Chinese New Year. The haul on this day was a good one for Basil Lenzo and his crew. About 400 kilos of western rock lobsters. What’s even more significant for the 3rd generation fisher is that much of this catch will end up in China. In 2019, about 95% of Australia’s western rock lobsters were sent to China, which was the industry’s most profitable export market worth more than $700 million. The next year, China imposed tariffs and trade blockages on a number of Australian exports including lobsters. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:30
Indigenous fishers, co-operatives are winners in Ottawa’s shuffle of baby eel quotas
Ottawa has issued the latest version of how it is proposing to distribute licences for the lucrative baby eel fishery in the Maritimes. In a letter to stakeholders on Monday, the Fisheries Department says it is maintaining its plan to shift half the quota of close to 10,000 kilograms of elvers away from nine large licence holders to new entrants from Indigenous communities. However, Ottawa confirms it is backing away from a pilot project to redistribute 27 per cent of the catch of the nine licence holders to 120 fishers who used to work for them. That old pilot proposal, introduced in December, drew strong criticism from the potential recipients, who said they preferred to remain employees and felt safer on the rivers under the existing arrangement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:33
Next generation trawl sonar
The new FS80 trawl sonar released by Simrad is ‘tailored to deliver,’ according to the company, as it integrates a number of functions into a single unit. ‘This is the first time a truly integrated system has hit the market, with a wide range of functionality and advanced multifrequency performance, delivering an operational flexibility, and reliable results, that all customers can take advantage of whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl,’ said Mads Dahl, VPP sales at Simrad’s parent company Kongsberg Discovery. This compact, modular and multifrequency offering is the market’s first sonar system to combine net monitoring, intake profiling and bottom detection in a single unit, making the very latest sonar technology accessible. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:15
Codfish regulators should consider effects on fishermen’s lives, researcher says
In a presentation at UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology last week, Jonathan Grabowski said management decisions for the cod fishery have been based on trawl surveys to estimate fish populations, plus economic and environmental factors. Yet federal and regional fisheries management officials have not as readily included the social impacts of their decisions on fishermen and their communities. Fishermen have experienced high levels of stress and social disruption as the cod industry has declined due to overfishing and ineffective conservation measures. Meanwhile, their distrust in regulators has increased, he said. Using more social and experiential data from these fishermen could allow regulators to make better management decisions, Grabowski said. That could help the fishery function better, improve outcomes for the industry, conserve environmental resources, and rebuild trust. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:18
Tampa Bay area seafood restaurants found mislabeling shrimp
Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serve authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. A recent investigation, led by SeaD Consulting, exposes a 96% fraud rate, with most establishments relying on imported, farm-raised shrimp from countries like India, Vietnam and Ecuador. The investigation identified just two restaurants as serving genuine Gulf shrimp, putting into question the region’s seafood reputation. The Gulf Coast’s shrimp industry faces stiff competition from cheaper imports. Over 90% of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, often produced with banned chemicals or under unethical labor conditions. Meanwhile, local shrimpers struggle with rising fuel costs and shrinking market demand for genuine Gulf shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:08
EU, Britain to face off in post-Brexit fishing battle case
A tiny silver fish which is an important food source in the North Sea will take centre stage Tuesday as the European Union and Britain square off over post-Brexit fishing rights. The bitter arbitration case over sandeels is seen as a bellwether for other potential litigation between London and Brussels in a perennial hot-bed industry, experts said. Tuesday’s clash at the Hague-based Permanent Court for Arbitration also marks the first courtroom trade battle between the 27-member trading bloc and Britain since it left the EU in 2020. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:08
N.S. premier clarifies his government stands by Georges Bank moratorium
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government will respect the oil and gas development moratorium for Georges Bank and he’s blaming unnamed special interest groups looking to “promote falsehoods” for a misunderstanding of his position on the matter. The premier made the comments in a letter he sent fishing industry representatives several days after saying his government would be open to revisiting the decades-old development moratorium around the valuable and productive fishing grounds. “This narrative grew because special interests aligned to promote falsehoods,” Houston wrote in the letter. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:56
Maine’s offshore wind ambitions: Big ideas tempered by setbacks and competition
The planned launch later this year of a second-generation floating wind turbine platform off the Maine coast will mark the latest step in the state’s winding path to developing an offshore wind energy industry. Maine’s formal interest in developing ocean wind energy dates back to 2008, when former Gov. John Baldacci created an Ocean Energy Task Force to devise a strategy. The work began in the midst of a deep recession marked by soaring petroleum prices, in a state with the greatest dependence on heating oil. Baldacci and other advocates saw ocean energy as a tool to free Maine from its imported petroleum addiction. Underscoring the potential, U.S. Sen. and former Maine Gov. Angus King called the Gulf of Maine “the Saudi Arabia of Wind.” Two years later, the Legislature unanimously passed the Ocean Energy Act, which among other things set a target of developing 5,000 megawatt of offshore wind capacity by 2030. Today, it seems that no generation will be in place by that date. But the outlook was brighter 15 years ago. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:44
Stakes high for Alaska communities as “A” season for wild Alaska pollock opens
The “A” Season for wild Alaska pollock officially opened on January 20, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for thousands of Alaskans. The fishery, one of the largest and most sustainable in the world, is more than a hallmark of responsible resource management—it serves as a lifeline for coastal communities and is a key driver of the state’s economy. “A” season is a make-or-break time for Unalaska, Kodiak and other fishing communities and will determine whether they thrive or stare down an uncertain future. Crews are gearing up for weeks at sea, while local businesses work around-the-clock to supply vessels with fuel, equipment, and provisions. This moment is critical not only for the pollock fishery but for the survival of the towns that depend on it to sustain their workforce, families and their future. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:36
Electric-powered fishing vessel roadshow
Hans Unkles, who fitted out his fully electric-powered Cygnus 21 Lorna Jane, which he operates out of the small West Highland port of Tayvallich, has received support from The Fishmonger’s Company that will allow him to share his experiences with working fishermen around the UK coastline. As the first vessel of its kind in the UK, the project generated a huge amount of work for Hans when dealing with funders, suppliers and in particular the MCA, which had little previous experience with electric fishing boats and, in Hans’ words, ‘often didn’t quite know how to deal with queries I had’. Hans has several dates and venues agreed, but is available to add presentations, and is more than happy to be contacted by fishermen or associations wanting him to visit their port. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:35
Jamie Sarkonak: Feds’ racial politics have plunged Canadian fisheries into chaos
There are Indigenous fishers, and there are non-Indigenous fishers — and every year, the federal government takes more and more away from one to give to the other, citing reconciliation and an ever-expanding notion of Indigenous rights. Up until last week, the 2025 edition of this game of racial redistribution involved the Liberal government planning to take away between 75 and 90 per cent of the commercial American eel quota and giving 50 per cent to First Nations in Atlantic Canada, with another 27 per cent going to employees of those who already have eel licences. Eel fishers were only saved by a last-minute cancellation of the changes on Thursday, when Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier came to her senses and called it off. Indeed, in 2021, commercial crab fishers in one fishing zone of British Columbia had half of their trapping allocation taken by the government and redistributed to Indigenous people to assist them in earning a “moderate livelihood.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
‘We will never forget’: Community fills ‘Fishermen’s Church’ in annual tribute to lost trawlermen
In “The Fishermen’s Church” in St George’s Road, a community gathered today to commemorate the thousands of lives lost at sea while sailing out of Hull to put food on the nation’s tables. They number more than 6,000 men and boys who never returned to a port that was once home to the largest deep-water fishing fleet in the world. This was the 36th Annual Lost Trawlermen’s Day Service organised by Hull fishing heritage group STAND, which is held on the last Sunday in January – a particularly dangerous time of year for fishermen because of the weather. And there could be no greater illustration of that than the fact this years’ service fell 70 years to the day since the terrible loss of two Hull trawlers, Lorella and Rodrigo, who went down with the loss of all 40 hands. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:47
Scottish fishermen netting benefits of leaving CFP, says north MSP
Fishermen continue to net the benefits of being out of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) after seeing sales incomes rise by 10 per cent over the last year, an MSP has claimed. New figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives in a written parliamentary answer show fleets made an average monthly income of £14,329 over the last recorded year, a rise of £1300 when earnings were £13,020 in 2022.The rise in income and sales contrasts with the number of fishers at sea, which has dropped from 4241 to 3793 over the last three years. It comes after Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) recorded its highest ever annual fish landings total last year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:27
Trump executive order blocks progress for four offshore wind projects off NC coast
One of the hundreds of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office leaves the future of wind energy in North Carolina and off its coast in limbo. There are four sections of the Atlantic Ocean leased for offshore wind development off the North Carolina coast, including two off of Kitty Hawk and two off of Brunswick County. With the Trump executive order, all four projects are seemingly paused, with would-be developers holding leases but unable to obtain the required permits until either the administration shifts its policy or there is a change in the White House. In a statement, Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said he would continue to advocate for wind at both the state and federal level. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:16
