Daily Archives: May 1, 2025
Brussels demands fishing rights in return for improved trade
Brussels will put a time limit on any post-Brexit deal with the UK to cut red tape on food and drink exports unless Sir Keir Starmer caves to its demands for long-term access to British fishing waters. Labour has made striking the deal on plant and animal health rules a major part of its reset in post-Brexit relations, and negotiators are racing to put together an agreement before a UK-EU summit in London on May 19. This veterinary deal would smooth trade with the bloc and Northern Ireland at the likely price of alignment to Brussels’ rules and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:54
Terror, violence and organized crime: Inside the lawless East Coast fishery
In the chill dark of a March night on a Nova Scotia river, a hip-wader-wearing woman put Canda’s sovereignty to the test. Or rather, the 40 or so net-wielding members of Sipekne’katik First Nation on the opposite bank were calling Canada’s bluff. They caught juvenile American eels (elvers) under their own band-issued licenses in defiance of a Fisheries Act requiring them to have licenses approved by the federal fisheries minister. “I think it was the fourth call to DFO I asked their dispatch if they could say whether any officers were on duty,” said Suzy Edwards, a commercial elver harvester. “They wouldn’t. We flagged down a passing RCMP officer and he said they’d been told to stand down on elver-related matters.” The lucrative East Coast fishery — lobster is Canada’s most valuable seafood export — has been made a testing ground for federal government reconciliation policies. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Coast fishermen relieved after USACE deems Bonnet Carré Spillway opening unnecessary
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Mississippi River has to rise to 1.25 million cubic feet per second for the Bonnet Carré Spillway to open. However, the river is cresting sooner than expected, decreasing the need for flood control action. That’s welcome news for Roscoe Liebig, a fisherman at the Pass Christian Harbor. Liebig explains he doesn’t want to relive the 2019 and 2020 openings. A closed spillway will give him more plentiful oysters and lots of business for the remainder of the oyster season. Shrimper Michael Sevel is also happy to hear that the spillway isn’t opening. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:39
Maritime fishers raise concerns over low lobster prices as spring season begins
Fishers with the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) are heading to sea under pressure this spring, as rumours swirl of lobster buyers offering prices far below what they consider sustainable. The MFU says the reported opening offers of $6 to $6.50 per pound echo rates from more than a decade ago, even though operating costs have risen significantly since the pandemic. “Operating costs for a fishing enterprise today are not what they were before the pandemic,” said Martin Mallet, MFU Executive Director. “A reasonable minimum price for lobster today must take into account these increases, which have risen by 25 to 50 percent depending on the fishing enterprise.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 0859
Equinor Says it Could Lose Billions on Trump’s Offshore Wind Clampdown
Equinor stands to lose billions of dollars on its massive wind power project offshore the state of New York unless U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration reverses a decision to halt the construction, the Norwegian group said on Wednesday. In a blow to the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on April 16 the Biden administration had failed to conduct enough environmental analysis before approving the Empire Wind development. Equinor on Wednesday said the project was about 30% complete at the time it was halted and that it planned to meet with U.S. government officials to seek a reversal of what the company called an unlawful order while it considered its legal options. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09
Fishermen, MLAs raise concerns about need for more dredging on the North Shore
Fishers in North Rustico hit the water earlier than usual Wednesday morning after more than a dozen boats were stranded offshore on Tuesday. Extremely low tides and strong winds combined with extra sand in the channel meant about half the boats that went out Tuesday morning couldn’t get back to the wharf at the usual time and had to either wait for high tide to return or seek other harbours. “I’d never seen the tide that low as it was yesterday,” said Ian Gauthier, a fisherman who was stuck offshore for about five hours Tuesday. “I’ve never experienced that before,” he said. “That’s the first time in about 40 years.” The issue was raised in the provincial legislature on Wednesday. Backbench PC MLA Brad Trivers asked whether Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture Zack Bell would prioritize emergency dredging in the North Shore harbour. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:58
