Monthly Archives: February 2025
Maine: Commercial fishery value increases by $75M in 2024
Commercial seafood landings earned Maine harvesters $74 million more in 2024 than the year before, according to preliminary data the Maine Department of Marine Resources released Thursday. The higher value of Maine lobsters — a year-over-year increase of $46 million — helped drive $74 million more in earnings for commercial harvesters across the board. “During a year shaped by unprecedented storms and damage to our working waterfronts, Maine’s commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, and seafood dealers once again delivered a major economic benefit to our state,” said Gov. Janet Mills. Even though in 2024, Maine’s commercial lobster fishery rose in value, about 10 million less pounds of lobsters landed on the docks. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:24
Debris and diesel spill from Bermagui shipwreck prompt beach closures
Beaches at a popular New South Wales Far South Coast tourist town have become littered with debris after a commercial fishing vessel ran aground this week. The 19-metre-long fishing longliner washed onto the rocks near the Bermagui Headland around 5am on Thursday morning. Wallaga Lake resident Deborah O’Connell said debris was scattered across the region’s beaches after a “big swell” overnight left the boat “completely broken up”. The four people aboard the timber longliner made their way to shore by clambering over nearby rocks and wading through water after the collision. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
Sleeping with the fishes: It’s time to resurrect accountability in U.S. fishery regulation
If you’re expected to comply with hundreds of federal rules and regulations that affect your livelihood, wouldn’t you like to know that those rules come from people accountable to you in some way? That’s how our laws are made, after all. They come from Congress, which is accountable to the people through the democratic process. Yet much of what we call federal law comes in the form of rules that are not written by Congress but by unelected bureaucrats in hundreds of federal agencies. To make sure even bureaucrats are accountable, the Constitution usually requires them to be appointed by the president, with Senate confirmation if they have significant authority, like the power to issue rules with the force of law. Unfortunately, Congress often side-steps the Constitution by giving the job of appointing certain officers to someone else. A good example is the regulation of marine fisheries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
Four Lafayette seafood restaurants found potentially noncompliant with Louisiana shrimp labeling laws
A recent study by SeaD Consulting found that four Lafayette-area seafood restaurants are misrepresenting their shrimp menu items to the public. SeaD Consulting partners with the seafood industry and academic and governmental institutions to conduct genetic testing of seafood species, in order to uncover labeling and substitution fraud in restaurants. On Feb. 27, SeaD released the results of their investigation into the Lafayette-area market. After conducting random genetic testing on shrimp dishes from 24 local restaurants, the group found that 33% of the sampled restaurants are serving farm-raised imported shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:26
Most Maine lobstermen have resisted alternative fishing gear. A new initiative hopes to change that
Brooke Hachey of the Sunrise County Economic Council is leading a demonstration of a kind of “on demand,” sometimes called “ropeless” lobster fishing gear. In a bid to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, many scientists are promoting this kind of alternative lobster fishing gear that minimizes the risks of entanglement. While some lobstermen in Massachusetts have agreed to use this new gear in exchange for accessing closed areas of Cape Cod Bay, most Maine lobstermen have been reluctant — if not outright resistant — to the new technology. The state, along with a coalition of other partners, have launched a new gear testing and lending program in effort to — at least — change the conversation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:54
Remembering Mason Evich: GoFundMe set up for Fairhaven man killed in head-on crash
Friends and family of 28-year-old Mason Evich remember him as someone who will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. The commercial fisherman tragically lost his life in a head-on crash on the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge on Feb. 20, and heartfelt tributes are flooding in to honor his memory. A GoFundMe, Honoring Mason’s Life with Love, was started by Ryley Santos as a tribute to Evich. To date it has raised more than $58,000, exceeding the initial $25,000 goal. A group of friends got together and wrote a tribute to Evich on GoFundMe. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ 06:53
A long time coming; Fish plant in Arnold’s Cove processes the first NL-caught northern cod since 1992 moratorium
There was no shortage of excitement at the fish plant in Arnold’s Cove on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, as the Icewater Seafoods processed its first offshore northern cod caught by Newfoundland and Labrador’s fleet since 1992. That was the year the commercial offshore fishery for northern cod came to a grinding halt under the moratorium imposed by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). On Thursday, Capt. Peter Melvin and his 29-person crew from the Katsheshuk II, one of Ocean Choice International’s two offshore groundfish vessels, landed offshore Northern cod for the first time at the Icewater Seafoods plant. The crew was proud to be the first and we were encouraged by what we saw. The catch rates were good, we had clean catch with little to no bycatch and the fish were healthy. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45
Clearwater Seafood selling N.S. lobster facility, announces temporary layoffs
Clearwater Seafoods is making big changes to its inshore lobster business and is temporarily laying off workers at its Arichat, N.S. processing facility. Employees were informed Wednesday that the layoffs were effective the same day, and that it was anticipated they would be recalled back to work by a new owner around the first week of May. “We are currently in late-stage negotiations to sell our Arichat live lobster holding facility to an experienced local operator, and we will no longer operate the seasonal lobster processing line at our Lockeport facility,” wrote Christine Penney, vice-president of sustainability and public affairs. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:53
Offshore Wind: Fish Problems Near Underwater Cables for Power Transmission from Blades to Land
“Electromagnetic fields and heat from cables”, these are the two main problems of the energy transmission system from wind turbines positioned at sea to land, highlighted by a recent report by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM on offshore wind projects in New York Bay. In the vicinity of the cables, problems of fish behavior due to electromagnetic fields were highlighted, which were resolved once they moved away from the cables. Here’s what they write: “Previous studies have shown that EMF strength decreases rapidly with distance. Copping et al. (2016) reported that although burrowing fauna may be exposed to stronger EMF from offshore wind operations, there was no evidence that the projected EMF emitted by such devices would affect any species. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<11:24
Chiefs granted intervenor status in border-crossing lobster case
An Indigenous nation has been granted intervenor status in a case involving a U.S.-based lobster fisher accused of illegally fishing in Passamaquoddy Bay. Erik D. Francis, 55, of Perry, Maine, faces charges under the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act alleging that he illegally fished from a foreign vessel in New Brunswick waters. According to court documents, he was stopped on Nov. 15, 2022, off the coast of Deer Island by fisheries officials, who seized 36 lobster traps owned by Francis. Francis, who is self-represented, has claimed Indigenous fishing rights as a part of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Nation, which has two communities in Maine including Sipayik (Pleasant Point), where Francis lives, and the community known as Skutik in Charlotte County. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:58
Washington man arrested for stealing $8M fishing boat with crew still on board, officials say
A 42-year-old man from Aberdeen, Wash. is being held on $250,000 bail, after he allegedly stole an 80-foot, $8 million commercial fishing boat out of Westport on Feb. 8 with the crew still on board. Suspect Joshua Stedman boarded the Jamie Marie around 9 a.m. and temporarily convinced the crew that he was the boat’s new captain, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police said. “A subject had boarded the vessel, woke the crew and advised them they needed to get underway,” the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police wrote on social media. “The newer crew did not know the captain, but didn’t argue, thinking he was an alternate operator, or someone sent by the real captain. He surely acted the part as he knew how to start and operate the large vessel.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
Grounded fishing boat removed from Salmon Creek beach after nearly a decade
In the nine years since the F/V Verna A II ran ashore south of Salmon Creek on the Sonoma Coast, the beached vessel has become part of the landscape, its decaying hull disappearing and reemerging out from the sand and surf. On Tuesday, however, three excavators fought 16-foot surf to finally drag what was left of the rusted fishing boat out of the sand once and for all. The effort, spearheaded by California State Parks, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Greater Farrallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, was finally made possible with funding from the Biden-era Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:12
Imposter captain steals Westport fishing boat with crew onboard
An imposter stole a fishing vessel — with the crew still on board — from a dock in Westport, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police. WDFW Sergeant Alexander was reportedly patrolling in Westport when he “heard a radio call for a vehicle theft in progress; not the usual car or motorcycle theft, but an eight-million-dollar, 80-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Jamie Marie.” According to police, the imposter had boarded the boat, awoken the crew, and informed them that they needed to get underway. The newer crew who didn’t know the captain didn’t argue, thinking he was perhaps an alternate operator or sent by the real captain. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:09
Commercial Fisherman Mason C. Evich, 28, of Fairhaven died February 20, 2025. He was a devoted son, brother, and loyal friend.
He was everything wonderful. If you were lucky enough to know Mason, you LOVED him. A beacon of kindness, with a gentle soul that touched everyone he met, the pain we feel in losing him is indescribable. Born in Seattle, Washington, Mason was the loving son of Dagne (Sovik) Evich and the late Adam Evich. Mason’s love for fishing was passed down from his father, a lifelong commercial fisherman. Each summer, Mason accompanied his dad to Bristol Bay, Alaska, where they salmon fished together on the family’s fishing vessel. After graduating from Fairhaven High School, Mason attended the Northeast Maritime Institute, where he earned his associate degree and captain’s license. He later worked as a mate on commercial fishing vessels out of Cape May, NJ, and New Bedford, MA. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:28
Lofstad v. Raimondo: Government Accountability and Constitutional Fidelity
Commercial fishing is a tough way to make a living. The industry is highly competitive; revenues from year to year can be highly variable; the work is physically demanding and dangerous; and fishermen find themselves at the mercy of severe weather and choppy waters on a daily basis. But even those challenges are less taxing than going up against the federal administrative state. But that’s exactly what two commercial fishermen did in Lofstad v. Raimondo. They won a decision in September from the Third Circuit that dealt a blow to a controversial fishing regulation promulgated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The plaintiffs, Raymond Lofstad of Long Island and Gus Lovgren of New Jersey, are small-business owners who make their living fishing off the northeast Atlantic Coast, as three generations of their forefathers did before them. But in 2022, both Lofstad and Lovgren found their businesses besieged by new catch regulations promulgated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council which is responsible for overseeing federal waters off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic region, from New York to North Carolina. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:52
FEDERAL SCALLOPS: February 27th at Maine Fishermen’s Forum; Scallop Strategic Plan Visioning Session
Notice to all Federal Scallop interested parties: The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking input for the development of a Scallop Strategic Plan. One of four sessions is scheduled to take place during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Rockport, Maine: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street To help staff with logistics, the public can respond to an attendance form. The full press release, corrected with working links, can be found 
here. 11:00
Commissioner Sid Miller backing Texas Rep Louderback’s proposal urging Federal Intervention to Save the Gulf Shrimp Industry
“The Texas and U.S. shrimp industry in the Gulf of America is facing a catastrophic crisis that threatens its survival. Our industry has faced years of devastation due to the influx of inferior, farm-raised, and foreign-imported shrimp, posing an existential threat to hardworking Gulf shrimpers. I stand with Representative A.J. Louderback (District 30, Texas House) in his effort to protect our Texas Gulf shrimp industry. His bill, HCR 76, urges the federal government to limit the mass importation of foreign shrimp, safeguard Gulf Coast shrimpers from unfair competition, and ensure consumers are protected from substandard shrimp that does not meet U.S. health and safety standards. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:11
Judge sides with DFO in elver quota dispute
A judge has refused to overturn a decision made last year by a federal fisheries official to maintain the total annual quota for the Maritime juvenile eel fishery at 9,960 kilograms, a number that hasn’t budged for two decades. A group of commercial licence holders have argued there’s science that backs up their push to increase the total allowable catch, which they say would encourage more people who are fishing without authorization to enter the legal system. The case was in Federal Court earlier this month. In a Feb. 21 decision, Justice Richard Southcott sided with the federal government, ruling the reasons underpinning the quota decision were “comprehensible and rational.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 50’x18′ Dixon Lobster/Scalloper, John Deere Diesel, Permits available
To review specifications, information, with 2 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:18
Lobsterman/Harbormaster David Albert Herrick Sr. of Lamoine, Maine has passed away
David Albert Herrick Sr., 67, died unexpectedly, Feb. 20, 2025, outside of his “forever home” in Lamoine. He was born May 10, 1957, in Blue Hill, the son of Albert & Hildred Herrick. David graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1975 and continued his education at Washington County Vocational School studying wood harvesting. Shortly after, he married the love of his life, Julie, settling in Lamoine next to the home he grew up. After many years as a wood harvester, he switched careers to lobstering. He was a volunteer for the Fire Department, and the harbor master for the town of Lamoine. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<20:35
N.L. snow crab stocks remain healthy, but there is a threat to growth: DFO
Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab stocks appear to remain healthy, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said Tuesday during its annual stock assessment report. The latest assessment suggests the 2024 biomass of commercial-sized snow crab, which measure at a 95-millimeter shell width, remains near the same level as the year prior. Snow crab landings were recorded at over 56,000 tonnes in 2024. However, the assessment indicates poor stock growth over the next two to four years because of environmental conditions like warming oceans. Snow crab thrive in cold water with a narrow range of temperatures, and a warming climate can stunt production, growth and survival. It typically takes a male snow crab nine to 13 years to reach the legal commercial size. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:56
The Scallop Queen is Coming to the City
Togue Brown may be the daughter of a Maine lobsterman, but she wants you to fall in love with scallops. She likes lobster, sure, but once she became a fisheries management expert at the Maine Department of Marine Resources things changed. She was given a choice — focus on lobster or scallops. Whether dad liked it or not, she decided on scallops. “Lobster is so dominant in seafood,” she said. “I chose scallops to help fisherman diversify, to become less dependent on lobster because at some point that bough is gonna break.” Togue went about implementing a series of measures designed to restore Maine’s heavily depleted inshore scallop fishery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:18
Top Alaska House legislators reject plan to allow fish farms
Two leading members of the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday announced their opposition to a proposal from Gov. Mike Dunleavy to lift the state’s 35-year-old ban on fish farms. In a written statement, Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, and House Rules Committee Chair Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, said the bill will not aid the state’s commercial fishing industry. Stutes also chairs the House Fisheries Committee, and Edgmon is the committee’s vice chair; without their support, House Bill 111 is unlikely to advance. Dunleavy has proposed keeping a ban on salmon farming but is seeking permission for farming other types of fish. Alaska has banned all types of fish farming for decades under the belief that allowing farming poses social and environmental risks to the state’s wild fish. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:11
RESULTS OF LATEST SNOW CRAB ASSESSMENT
Today, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released the latest stock assessment update for Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery, reporting differences in stock health among regions. Attending on behalf of FFAW- Unifor were Fisheries Scientist, Dr. Erin Carruthers, with harvesters Nelson Bussey and Chad Waterman (3LNO), Scott Spurvey (3Ps), Eldred Woodford (3K), as well as Alton Rumbolt who participated online (2J).Nelson Bussey highlighted the good news for 3LNO noting that, “Biomass levels are at the highest levels seen in decades, likely, in part, because we have maintained reasonable exploitation levels. There appears to be scope for growth, which is welcome news for the fleets in our areas.” more, >>CLICK To READ<< 10:01
Maine’s embattled outgoing lobster official to headline regional fisheries forum
The appearance of Maine’s top lobstering official at New England’s largest fishing convention has gone unnoticed for 49 years – until this year. When the Maine Fishermen’s Forum celebrates its jubilee 50th year as the northeast’s biggest fishing gathering in Rockport, all eyes will be on Patrick Keliher. As the state’s outgoing commissioner of marine resources, Keliher “will provide an update on potential regulation changes in the industry,” the forum announced. But as he does so Keliher will be making his final marquee public appearance at the convention just 13 days before he leaves office under a political cloud. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:20
Inside Canada’s lobster wars
Nighttime provides ideal cover for acts of sabotage in the sleepy fishing villages along the southern shores of Nova Scotia. Slashed buoys, stolen lobster crates, mysterious fires. These are just some of the acts of vandalism on the wharves where lobster fishers have been locked in battle for more than three decades. Lobstermen have a simple way of framing the dispute: think of the ocean’s bounty like a pie. They are asking who should get a piece, and what is the fairest way to divide it between the white Canadians who built the commercial lobster industry and the indigenous people who were historically left out. The Canadian government, which regulates fisheries, has been reluctant to settle the politically fraught issue, alienating warring fishers on both sides. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
NCFA Weekly Update for February 24, 2025: Scientific Uncertainty/Important Blue Crab Update
Abundance vs Stock Status. Last week we highlighted the high variability in estimates of Speckled Trout abundance from one stock assessment to the next, using Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) estimates for 2008 from each of the three assessments to show the uncertainty. The 2009 assessment estimated ~800,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2015 assessment estimated ~3,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. The 2022 assessment estimated ~4,000,000 lbs of mature females in 2008. Remember, these highly unreliable SSB estimates are compared to the SSB threshold, or level of abundance considered to be sustainable, to determine if a stock is overfished and if reductions are needed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:29
Hampton Bays business owner worries closed Ponquogue Bridge will impact his livelihood
A business owner in the Hampton Bays is worrying about economic impacts that the closure of the Ponquogue Bridge will have on his livelihood. The Ponquoge Bridge was suddenly closed to cars and pedestrians Friday after a Department of Transportation crew’s routine inspection found the concrete girders were deteriorating. “This is actually a lifeline for not only Hampton Bays — this is a lifeline for the Hamptons and Long Island as well,” said John Capuano, of Hampton Bays. Now that the Ponquogue Bridge is closed in Hampton Bays, Capuano wonders how it will affect the area if it stays closed in the warmer months. “Not only to the people trying to enjoy the area but the economics of all the businesses in town: The pizza parlors, the motels, they’re just not going to have the business,” he said. Capuano is the captain of the Shinnecock Star, a daily fishing boat in Hampton Bays. He says if the bridge doesn’t open by the spring, his business will be impacted. more, >>Click to read<< 13:29
Notice to all Federal Scallop interested parties: Council Seeks Input at Scallop Strategic Plan Visioning Sessions
The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking input for the development of a Scallop Strategic Plan. One of four sessions is scheduled to take place during the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Rockport, Maine: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street To help staff with logistics, the public can respond to an attendance form. The full press release, corrected with working links, can be found here. >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:15
Chiefs deny they encouraged Indigenous people to poach baby eels
Four Indigenous chiefs are denying the allegations of a New Brunswick businesswoman that they encouraged members of their communities to poach baby eels during a tumultuous period on Charlotte County rivers in the spring of 2022. In a statement of defence filed late last month at the Court of King’s Bench in Saint John, the Wolastoqey chiefs rejected the claims made by Mary Ann Holland, the owner of Brunswick Aquaculture and Alder Seafood, in one of three lawsuits she’s filed against them. “The Defendants deny that they collectively or any one of them individually authorized, directed or condoned fishing and/or related activities on any of the Rivers,” states the document, filed by OKT lawyer Nick Kennedy of Toronto. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:12
