Daily Archives: March 26, 2025
Liberals face headwinds in Atlantic Canada fishing communities
Can Liberal Leader Mark Carney shed his party’s handling of the fishery in coastal Atlantic Canada? “We tried everything to get a meeting with Sean Fraser, our Nova Scotia representative in the Liberal cabinet, and he would never meet with us,” said Colin Sproul, a Delaps Cove fisherman. “After having rebuffed all our attempts to meet with him, we were in Ottawa last year and he came out of a room and literally ran right into me. He then turned and ran the other way without even acknowledging our presence. He didn’t make time for fishermen, and he didn’t speak up for the great concerns with his government’s handling of the fishery.” Sproul is also president of the United Fisheries Conservation Alliance, which he noted is an apolitical association and that he doesn’t speak for the political views of his membership. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:21
Sea lamprey control program receives OK to rehire federal workers, after initial scare
The Great Lakes’ Sea lamprey control program has the OK to rehire three dozen federal employees it needs to combat the eel-like, invasive fish species. That’s after staffing cuts and hiring freezes from the Trump administration last month threatened the work, which the Great Lakes Fishery Commission said would have led to more than $200 million in lost fishing potential. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is a Canadian American commission which coordinates lamprey control across the Great Lakes region. Each year, the commission contracts workers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set traps and apply lampricide in rivers, stopping lamprey before they enter the Great Lakes. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
Shrimpers in St. Bernard Parish decry Walmart’s misleading poster
A picture of the St. Bernard Parish shrimp boat FJG, docked on Bayou La Loutre in Yscloskey, is featured in a poster hanging in the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Meraux. Right below the sign is a cooler full of frozen shrimp, not from Louisiana waters but imported from Indonesia and Ecuador. Local shrimpers are not happy with the placement of the sign. “The imported shrimp is putting us out of business, and they’re using our likenesses to sell more imported shrimp,” shrimper George Barisich said. “My Daddy’s turning over in his grave right now.” Barisich’s father built the FJG 69 years ago. “They see the picture of that boat and no matter what the package says, you assume they come from Capt. George’s boat in Louisiana in Shell Beach,” Barisich said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Atlantic lobster industry could be hurt by tariffs from China, U.S.
Atlantic Canada’s $2.9-billion lobster industry could be impacted by tariffs imposed by the United States and China, an industry spokesperson said Tuesday. “At the moment we really don’t know how much impact there will be,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Halifax-based Canadian Lobster Council. China imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood March 20, and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to begin tariffs on Canadian products on April 2. Tariffs on Atlantic Canada’s lucrative lobster fishery were among the topics of discussion at the Maritime Fishermen’s Union annual convention, held in Moncton Monday and Tuesday. Irvine said Atlantic Canada exports approximately $2.9 billion worth of lobster annually, with 67 per cent going to the United States and 20 per cent going to China. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:34
Russia’s ongoing war on Alaska fishermen
These are tough times for Alaska’s fishermen, and Russia is a primary cause. During his recent confirmation hearing, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joked with Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan about the need to counter “communist fish.” In reality, the future of our entire industry could hinge on whether Secretary Lutnick succeeds. For more than a decade, the Kremlin has been implementing policies that take direct aim at Alaska’s fishing sector. In 2014, Russia banned U.S. seafood imports, choking off a $60 million market for Alaska fishermen, with pink salmon roe hit especially hard. In direct response, ex-vessel prices for pink salmon declined from $0.42 per pound to $0.23 per pound in 2015. By Matt Alward. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 42′ Novi Dragger/Scalloper, 871Detroit w/ Mass CAP Permit
To review specifications, information, with 16 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:01
