Daily Archives: April 21, 2025
Southern California fishing boat captain ordered to pay more than $16,000 for polluting local waters
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that a local fishing boat captain has been fined for illegally dumping toxic waste into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast. William Porter McHenry, who owns and operates McHenry Fisheries, Inc., allowed waste known as “stick water” to be dumped in the ocean, according to a VCDA release. The vessel run by McHenry Fisheries, the 67-foot Sea Pearl, was observed by authorities heading out to sea while releasing stick water and then returning on Dec. 6, 2024. Stick water is created during the squid fishing process, Ventura County officials said, explaining that squid are caught with nets and placed in the boat’s fish hold, which is filled with saltwater. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:27
Many Maine fishermen applaud Trump order calling for deregulation
Many Maine fishermen are applauding a new executive order from President Trump, which calls on the federal government to identify and roll back regulations that are overly burdensome to the commercial fishing industry. The order signals that the Trump administration wants to listen to commercial harvesters and involve them in decision-making and research, said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, described the order as a “long time coming.” Many of his members have long questioned the data that federal fisheries regulators use to conduct stock assessments and set stock limits. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:07
Biden green energy project halted by Trump admin relied on rushed, bad science, study finds
A $5 billion green energy project touted by the Biden administration and Democrats was rushed and relied on faulty science that could have resulted in severe negative environmental impacts, a new study found. The Empire Wind Project, which was being developed by energy company “Equinor” and was slated to see the construction of 147 ocean wind turbines off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, was halted by the Trump Department of the Interior in a move announced this week. The project was estimated to cost a total of $5 billion and was being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:27
Louisiana’s Troy Carter and Clay Higgins want to let the FDA destroy more imported seafood
Though they barely agree on anything politically, Democratic Rep. Troy Carter, of New Orleans, and Republican Rep. Clay Higgins, of Lafayette, came together in an attempt to heighten the regulatory wall protecting Louisiana’s seafood industry from foreign imports. They introduced legislation Wednesday that gives the federal Food & Drug Administration additional powers to impound and destroy imported seafood found contaminated, adulterated or misbranded. “This bill protects consumers from potential health risks and upholds the integrity of our food supply chain, while supporting Louisiana fishermen and seafood processors,” Carter said. “By granting the FDA the necessary authority to destroy food products that fail to meet our strict health and safety standards, we are closing a dangerous loophole that has allowed contaminated seafood to enter our markets.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
Pope Francis passes away at 88
The Vatican press office announced that Pope Francis, a popular advocate for Catholic tolerance and regarded as one of the most relevant Argentine figures in world history, passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, April 21. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis had been hospitalized for 38 days with a severe respiratory tract infection at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on February 14. Since then, he had suffered an asthma crisis as well as kidney failure, according to the Vatican. He passed away at 7:35 a.m. (Rome time), according to a press release from the Vatican. The first Jesuit pope born outside of Europe, Bergoglio became Francis on March 13, 2013, following Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28, 2013. The former Archbishop of Buenos Aires quickly became a popular figure worldwide for his reformist approach to some of the Catholic Church’s most conservative aspects. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:45
Local fishing community happy with Trump’s order to open Pacific monument
The move brought a wave of mixed reactions. For local fishing communities like American Samoa, their economy depends on it. “I know that America Samoa was working really hard to ensure they had access to different monument areas so that their fishery was still sustainable and still survives because it supports a huge portion of their economy. So, I know that they’re really happy about this,” said Guam Department of Agriculture Director Chelsa Muna. But it’s good news for Manny Duenas, Fisherman Co-Op President, who says local fishing communities in the Pacific often pay the price of over regulation. “I’m really happy that President Trump is finally listening to the people of the Pacific. And hopefully someday Guam, instead of importing over 95 percent of the fish we have out in our ocean, we can go back and be self-sustaining and catch our own fish that we are buying from foreign countries that are not following any rules. To me, that’s a better program to strive for to better protect our reefs from over exploitation,” said Duenas. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
