Daily Archives: May 12, 2025
Nova Scotia Indigenous leader calls on Ottawa to move ahead with review of arrests
An Indigenous leader is calling on Ottawa to begin an external review into why fisheries officers allegedly fisheries officersin March 2024 and left them at a Nova Scotia gas station without shoes or phones. Chief Gerald Toney of the Annapolis Valley First Nation told a news conference in Ottawa today there has been no movement on the file since then-fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier called for the review on July 8. Toney says the way the two men were treated was “inhumane,” and he urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to take action within his first 100 days in office. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:26
NCFA Call to Action: House Bill 442 – May 12, 2025
House Bill 442, “Restore Flounder/Red Snapper Season” H.B. 442 was filed on March 8, 2025, and had many issues which we won’t go into right now. The NCFA expressed our concerns to the bill sponsors and changes were made but there was still one major issue, the bill only addressed recreational access to the Southern Flounder fishery. While we certainly agreed that the recreational sector needed a flounder harvest season, we felt it was important to point out that both the commercial and recreational sectors were being managed to reduce removals by 72% and both were based on the same questionable stock assessment. We continued to work with the primary sponsors of the bill and, on May 7, the third edition of 442 was adopted by the NC House of Representatives containing the following provisions to help both sectors. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:33
Devastating and heartbreaking’ — Mobile Bay mud dumping threatens livelihood of shrimpers, oyster industry
Mud dumping in Mobile Bay is impacting fishermen and their quality of life, according to the Alabama Commercial Fishermen Association. The dumping is from the Port of Mobile deepening and widening project to allow larger ships into the channel. Alabama Commercial Fishermen Association secretary Alabama Commercial Fishermen Association said the dumping is impacting the shrimping and oyster business. She said shrimpers cannot drag the bottom in the areas of Mobile Bay where the mud is being discharged. “This is experimental, open disbursement that they’re doing in the Bay,” she continued. “It’s never been done before anywhere. This much material has never been released anywhere, and it’s really scary for us in the fishing industry.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:09
Accusations levelled: NL fisheries union says ASP intimidating harvesters, outside buyers
If the happier times between fish harvesters and buyers weren’t already over, they may be now. In a press release issued Friday, May 9, the union representing Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters and plant workers condemned the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), charging that some members of the association have resorted to escalating intimidation tactics against harvesters interested in selling their catches to buyers outside of the province. According to FFAW-Unifor, the ASP has blocked Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters from offloading snow crab in Maritime provinces and has pressured a non-member buyer to disclose private business information and comply with other demands the unions deems baseless. The latest spat comes after an off-season during which the two sides seem to be working more harmoniously on addressing issues in the fishery. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:02
Maine lobstermen remain mighty political force despite shrinking numbers
Maine lobstermen, who once held more than 7,000 commercial fishing licenses, now number about half that many who actively catch lobster. The decline has occurred since the late 1990s as Maine’s commercial fishing industry, which is dominated by lobstermen, faces increasing challenges in the form of climate change, increased regulation and competition for space in the Gulf of Maine. While the drop has been gradual, its effects could be far-reaching, given lobstermen’s central role in Maine’s coastal economy and their political might in both Augusta and Washington D.C. On the local level, declining numbers of lobstermen could take away a key economic support for Maine towns and businesses that rely on the fishery. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:49
Five fishermen rescued after 55 days adrift survived by ‘drinking rain’
Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea survived by drinking rainwater and parboiling fish, according to the Ecuadorian navy. The fishermen — three Peruvians and two Colombians — had been missing since mid-March and were found on May 7 by an Ecuadorian boat called Aldo. About two days after setting sail from Pucusana Bay, located south of Peru’s capital, Lima, the team reported damage to the boat’s alternator. The failure caused communication and navigation tools to malfunction, Ecuadorian navy Frigate Capt. Maria Fares said. They had no power on the boat. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:05
