Daily Archives: January 24, 2025
Coast Guard rescues 4 from sinking boat after collision south of Block Island
The Coast Guard rescued four people Thursday night from a fishing boat after a collision between two fishing boats occurred approximately 10 miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a distress call via VHF-FM channel 16 of two fishing boats colliding. The 87-foot scalloper, F/V Vanquish, reported six people aboard, no damage and no injuries. Meanwhile, the 55-foot trawler, F/V Mattie and Maren II, reported four people aboard, flooding in the engine room and that they were unable to keep up with dewatering efforts. It was reported all crew members aboard Mattie and Maren II donned survival suits and prepared an EPIRB and life raft in case abandoning ship became necessary. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ>> 14:02

‘Harpoon Hunters’ Review: Targeting Tuna on Discovery
When a show like “Deadliest Catch” can last for 20 seasons—and even outlast a collapse in the Alaskan crab population—there is a decided hunger for something like “Harpoon Hunters,” which makes a lot of sense, especially for its producers. Humans are battling the ocean and the treasure is aquatic, but summer on Cape Cod is considerably more congenial than winter in the Bering Sea. And the contest at hand is still daunting—catching high-priced Atlantic bluefin tuna with a spear (and enough accompanying voltage to kill the fish instantly). There are rivalries, deadlines, anguish, setbacks, mangled men and mangled language. It’s a combination seafood platter. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:01
Judge denies crab buyers motion to dismiss crabbers price fixing lawsuit
A U.S. federal judge of the Northern District of California denied the motion by dozens of crab buyers to dismiss price-fixing claims. The lawsuit follows an earlier suit back in March 2023 with plaintiffs Brand Little and Robin Burns, who accused Pacific Seafood, Washington-based Bornstein Seafood, and other US West Coast Crab companies of allegedly being part of a cartel that artificially suppressed prices paid to fishermen for Dungeness Crab. According to the complaint in the lawsuit, the cartel, allegedly led by Pacific Seafood, suppressed these prices paid to crabbers in California, Oregon, and Washington since the 2015- 2016 crabbing season.Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:39
Fishing vessel runs aground near Unalaska’s landfill, no injuries reported
Unalaska’s U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit is responding to a distressed vessel near the island’s landfill. The F/V Northern Endurance ran aground near Iliuliuk Bay along Summer Bay Road sometime Thursday morning. The Unalaska Fire Department responded to the incident around noon. “The on-scene commander contacted the vessel captain and confirmed there were no injuries to crew members aboard, as well as no additional hazardous conditions,” the Fire Department said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:25
Golden, Van Drew introduce bill to guarantee critical Gulf of Maine fishing waters are protected from offshore wind development
Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) today introduced the bipartisan Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025. The bill would prohibit commercial offshore wind energy development in Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA1), which includes nearly 14,000 square miles of nearshore fishing waters from the U.S.-Canada maritime border to the north shore of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. “Maine’s fishermen deserve to know that waters critical to our historic, high-value industry are protected — not by promises, but by federal law,” Golden said. “Protecting the bountiful natural resources of LMA1 from development will preserve our way of life, local economies and communities. President Trump’s recent Executive Order provides some measure of reprieve, but we need a more permanent solution.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:05
Researchers Are Finding Ash From Los Angeles Fires 100 Miles Out to Sea
According to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center, billowing smoke from the Palisades, Eaton, and other fires has deposited ash and debris on the ocean’s surface as much as 100 miles from the coast. The crew aboard a NOAA research vessel called the Reuben Lasker was gathering water samples when the fires began. Over the next few days, they collected samples of the ash piling up on the deck of the ship, as well as in the sea. “We’re positioning ourselves to answer the question, ‘What does this mean for West Coast fisheries and the food web that we all depend on?’” said Nicolas Concha-Saiz, NOAA Fisheries’ chief scientist. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46