Daily Archives: February 17, 2025
FAW-UNIFOR CALLS FOR MP INTERVENTION TO HALT DFO’s INFLEXIBLE E-LOG IMPLEMENTATION
FFAW-Unifor is urging Members of Parliament to intervene following the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) rejection of their proposed electronic logbook (ELOG) implementation plan. The union’s proposal aimed to address critical concerns raised by harvesters and facilitate a smoother transition to ELOGs. FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street expressed strong disapproval of DFO’s decision, stating, “DFO’s inflexibility in mandating ELOGs without addressing accessibility issues, technology concerns, and cost implications places an undue burden on our harvesters. We call on our MPs to step in and halt this misguided implementation that threatens the livelihoods of our fishing communities”. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:37
Village of Cortez hosts Commercial Fish Festival while still cleaning up hurricane damage
The 2024 hurricane season was undoubtedly a brutal one for Manatee County, especially in places like the village of Cortez. Remnants of the damage caused by five feet of storm surge can be seen on the street’s months later, and after much contemplation on whether to have it, residents banned together and decided to host the 43rd annual commercial fishing festival with a very fitting theme: ‘Swamped but Never Sunk.’ “It feels like it’s coming back to life again. I’m seeing all the people out, all my neighbors, the volunteers, it’s just a good feeling,” said Kris Martinez, with the Cortez Village Historical Society. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:01
MAIB: Open Drain Caused Deadly Capsizing in North Sea
MAIB has published its final accident investigation report into the capsizing and foundering of stern trawler Njord, which went down about 50 nautical miles north-east of Peterhead, Scotland in 2022. MAIB found that post-construction modifications had reduced the vessel’s initial stability, and that a large haul of fish was enough to capsize the vessel. Njord was a 1992-built trawler with a setup not commonly found in high-seas fisheries. Her net reels were at the stern, but recovery of the catch occurred on the starboard bow. The cod end had to be hauled up over the starboard rail using a winch and lifting frame, and then the fish were fed into a hatch in the foredeck for processing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:08
Castletownbere Lifeboat Rescues Fishing Crew off Beara Peninsula
On Sunday, Castletownbere RNLI launched to assist a fishing boat taking on water off the West Cork coast. The mission began at 04.20 am when Valentia Coastguard requested help for a 20-metre vessel with two people onboard that had lost power. The lifeboat departed at 04:30, helmed by Coxswain Marney O’Donoghue, alongside mechanic David O’Donovan and crew members Dean Hegarty, Joe Cronin, and Andrew O’Neill. Upon arrival, approximately two miles south-west of Blackball Head, the crew found another local fishing boat standing by in challenging conditions, including Force 7 southeasterly winds and a swell of 4 to 5 metres. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:37
Nova Scotia taking more steps toward offshore wind development
Nova Scotia is stepping closer to the development of offshore wind farms in its open waters, but the success of the province’s pursuit is far from certain. In the past two weeks, the provincial and federal governments formalized the regulatory body that will oversee offshore wind development, announced their membership in the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, and received a report that’s meant to guide their next steps. But there are obstacles to overcome. Another challenge, according to Daborn, is finding a way to support offshore wind while also protecting existing ocean industries. “We have a great deal of concern, particularly about the fisheries, and it is clear that we wouldn’t want to sacrifice the fisheries in any real way in order just to produce some electrons,” he said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
