Monthly Archives: June 2025
‘Shrimpgate’: New bill to protect waterways would ‘destroy’ shrimp industry in North Carolina, critics warn
Trawlers wouldn’t be allowed to net shrimp in North Carolina’s inland waters or within a half-mile of the coast under a proposal in the North Carolina Senate that has divided Republicans. Critics say the measure, if approved, would destroy the state’s shrimping industry. The new shrimp trawling prohibition was added Monday without much notice to a bill previously passed by the House. That bill was intended to create a pilot program to allow recreational fishing for flounder and red snapper. Members of a Senate agriculture committee engaged in bitter debate. One lawmaker later called it “Shrimpgate.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:59
Federal judge to deny Trump administration’s motion to dismiss lawsuit over block on wind projects
A federal judge in Massachusetts said Wednesday he plans to deny a motion by the Trump administration to dismiss a lawsuit over its blocking of wind energy projects, siding with a coalition of state attorneys general. Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C. are suing in federal court to challenge President Donald Trump’s Day One executive order halting leasing and permitting for wind energy projects. Judge William G. Young said during a hearing that he plans to allow the case to proceed against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum but will dismiss the action against Trump and cabinet secretaries other than Burgum named as defendants. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:54
Quota increase: DFO more than doubling total allowable catch for NL northern cod
One year after lifting the moratorium on the commercial northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador, the quota for the second season has been more than doubled. The increase from 18,000 metric tonnes to 38,000 metric tonnes, announced by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on Wednesday, June 18, is still a far cry from the heyday of the province’s iconic fishery. The restart of the commercial fishery one year ago also triggered Canada’s obligation to NAFO to provide foreign offshore fleets with a percentage of what was being made available to the domestic fishery. So, in addition to the 18,000 tonnes allocated to Canadian harvesters, foreign vessels were given 1,000 tonnes. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:20
Northern cod commercial fishery from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. >>CLICK TO READ<<
Brixham Trawler ‘Race’ returns — with a twist
A spectacular event which was one of the highlights of Torbay’s seasonal calendar is making a welcome return. But there will be one major change — the Brixham Trawler Race won’t be a race, it will be a time challenge to fall in line with safety requirements. That won’t stop 24 of the port’s fishing vessels from taking to the seas off the Bay on Saturday as part of a special celebration weekend to raise money for the Fishermen’s Mission. The last trawler event was in 2019 after running safely and successfully for 55 years, raising many thousands of pounds for charities and communities. Darren Passmore, who owns and skippers the trawler Resolute, said: “It’s a tradition that has been going for many years and brings the fishing fleet and families together to celebrate the fishing industry. The funds raised go towards the fishermen’s mission and other charities. In particular, the Mission is there to support us when times are hard.” More, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:23
Plymouth fisherman calls for ‘reset’ as industry hit by ‘exploding costs’
A Plymouth fisherman has joined a call for his peers to have their say over vital changes urgently needed to halt a “slow decline” brought about by “exploding costs”. The Great British Inshore Fishing Survey, hosted by the Lyme Bay Fisherman’s CIC, wants all small-scale fishermen across England, Scotland and Wales to have their voices heard. It aims to let the Government know what needs to be done to make the lives and livelihoods of small-scale fishermen, their families and community, better. Plymouth fishermen Brian Tapper said: “Owner operators and other small scale fishing fleets do not have the time or PR machines to be heard where it matters, this is our chance to make sure that the Government and its regulators can be in no doubts about what we think, what works well, and what needs changing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:26
NC considers ban on inshore shrimp trawling to protect estuaries. Opponents call it ‘disgraceful.’
On Tuesday morning, the provision was inserted into House Bill 442, which deals with recreational fishing of flounder and red snapper. It’s scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon. It would outlaw shrimp trawling except in Atlantic Ocean waters at least a half-mile offshore, matching regulations in Virginia and South Carolina. “We’re the only state on the East Coast that allows that,” Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, told reporters late Tuesday, saying the issue has “needed attention for a long time.” Commercial shrimpers say their industry would be decimated. “Shrimping is the lifeblood of a lot of counties,” commercial fisherman Thomas Newman said during the Senate Rules Committee meeting Tuesday. “You’re going to cut off 75% of the shrimp we produce.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:22
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 54’ Fiberglass Dragger, 451HP Cummins Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 21 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:28
NCFA Update for June 17, 2025: W/ Part2, Contact Senators. Urgent Call to Action – Trawel Ban has passed Commitee
An amendment to H.B. 442 has passed Committee and will likely be passed by the full Senate with language to ban shrimp trawling in all inside waters and ½ mile off the beach! This trawl ban has been fast tracked, and we need you to contact your House of Representative members right now! This Bill is very likely to pass in full Senate either by the time you read this or by the end of the day tomorrow (Tuesday)! We ask as many of you as possible to also be ready to head to Raleigh and face this issue head on before it goes before the House of Representatives for a final vote! Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:30
Part 2 Add On-CONTACT SENATORS!!!!!!!! Contact your Senator from your county and let them know you oppose this bill! Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:10
Strength in Numbers: American Food Industries Join Forces to Fight Unfair Competition
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) has partnered strategically with other domestic food producers facing similar trade challenges to advocate together as a coalition. Last week, SSA joined representatives from the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) and the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) for meetings in Washington D.C. to seek stronger enforcement against unfair foreign competition devastating the U.S. honey, catfish, crawfish, and shrimp industries. The ad hoc coalition met with the offices of Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) (featured in a social media post), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) to present the substantial economic impact these industries have on the economies of Alabama and Mississippi and how that value has been eroded by foreign competitors’ unfair trade practices. Senator Tuberville identified the common challenges faced by Alabama catfish, honey, and shrimp producers in a recent Newsweek editorial. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:22
‘Slap in the face’: Lennox Island reacts to second seizure of moderate livelihood fishery traps
Following a second seizure of lobster traps tied to Lennox Island First Nation’s moderate livelihood fishery, the P.E.I. Mi’kmaq community continues to consider its legal options. On June 8, DFO seized 58 traps related to the community’s self-regulated fishery. That was in addition to about 300 traps seized on May 18. In a statement to the Journal Pioneer, Lennox Island Chief Darlene Bernard (who has since retired as chief as of the community’s June 14 election), said her nation is using the same number of traps as it did last year and has been voluntarily following DFO harvesting regulation since the moderate livelihood fishery started in 2022. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:24
Opponents of wind energy farms off Morro Bay win another round
Opponents of wind energy farms off the coast of Morro Bay won another round when the House approved a version of Trump’s big, beautiful bill known as Inflation Reduction Act that includes a timeline for subsidies that make the projects less likely to happen. In addition to the wind farms, there are plans to industrialize Port San Luis and the Morro Bay Harbor. The support systems on land would include massive piers and could require new breakwaters and dredging. The House’s version of the Inflation Reduction Act repeals tax credits for projects that don’t start construction within 60 days of the bill’s passage. The proposed bill also requires companies to eliminate Chinese goods from their supply chain before the end of the year and then began operating by the end of 2028. more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:32
Dewey Hemilright advocates for US commercial fishing fleet
Dewey Hemilright has spent more than 30 years on the water as a commercial fisherman. Along the way he has become an outspoken, sometimes harsh critic of how commercial fishing is regulated in the United States. He is forceful in expressing his opinions, his language sometimes colorful, but the knowledge is deep, insightful and earned through a lifetime in the commercial fishing industry. He’s a longliner, fishing from his 36-foot-long boat, the F/V Tarbaby. Longlining has become the least environmentally harmful method of commercial fishing, although “25 years ago, it wasn’t, but for the U.S. now, we’re the Mother Teresa,” Hemilright said describing the improvements regulators demanded and the changes the fishing industry made — or at least the changes have been made in the U.S. fishing fleet, which is one of Hemilright’s biggest complaints. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Johnson wins fastest working lobster boat at race season opener
Robert Johnson of Harpswell won Fastest Working Lobster Boat at the Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races in Boothbay Harbor June 14. The day’s races marked the start of the 2025 Maine Lobster Boat Race season. Johnson reached a top speed of 48.7 miles per hour on Miss Ava Elaine, formerly Starlight Express II, to win the race. Jeff Eaton, the 2024 fastest working boat winner, took second with La Belle Vita. Jim Koehling took third with Brown Eyed Girl. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<
Boothbay Harbor Lobster Boat Races: Once again, the newspaper is grateful to professional photographer Mike Leonard for providing his photographs from an area event, this time, the Charles Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races held Saturday, June 14. Lots of photos! >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
NCFA WEEKLY UPDATE FOR June 16, 2025: An Urgent Call to Action. Trawl Ban Legislation Tomorrow
An amendment to H.B. 442 includes language to ban shrimp trawling in all inside waters and ½ mile off the beach! This amendment with the language below will be read and voted on tomorrow (Tuesday, June 17th) at 10:00am in the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee. ROHIBIT SHRIMP TRAWLING IN ALL INSHORE FISHING WATERS AND WITHIN ONE-HALF MILE OF THE SHORELINE SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 113-187(d) reads as rewritten: more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:37
‘Making decisions closer to the wharf’ can ensure the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries and oceans
During the federal election campaign, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that if elected, he would look into restructuring Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Carney stated that he understood the importance of DFO and of “making decisions closer to the wharf.” Carney’s statement was made in response to protesting fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador who decried recent DFO decision-making for multiple fisheries, including Northern cod and snow crab. Although addressing industry concerns is important, any change to DFO decision-making must serve the broader public interest, which includes commitments to reconciliation and conserving biodiversity. Major reforms could fundamentally reshape fisheries science and management in Canada, yet most Canadians are unaware of how DFO’s science-management process works, or why change might be needed. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:05
How Trump’s plans to boost catch limits could hurt Gulf fishermen
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April ordering an increase in fishing limits to restore “American seafood competitiveness,” fishermen from Texas and other coastal areas cheered him on. But behind the scenes, many were concerned. The limits, set up by Congress 50 years ago to manage how much fisherman could catch, helped critical species like red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico rebound after overfishing through much of the 20th century. And Trump was proposing to raise them while cutting fisheries staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is charged with conducting the fish counts that determine catch limits, at a time when some fishermen say they’re suddenly seeing less stock in the sea. In his executive order, Trump described existing catch limits as overly “restrictive.” At the same time, he called for the U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees NOAA, to “modernize data collection and analytical practices” toward a better understanding of “real-time ocean conditions.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:39
Bell Island fishermen went out for lobster, but caught an ‘apparent’ artillery shell
When Tara Saunders’ husband went out to check his lobster pots on Saturday afternoon, she didn’t expect he would also bring home an apparent military artillery shell. She couldn’t believe it when her husband, Stewart Saunders, called to tell her he jumped in the water to pick up the object, and then he and his skipper Randell Clarke put the object in their boat and brought it home. Saunders says her husband and son were picking up the object when she made the call to police. The Bell Island RCMP told them to immediately vacate the premises, and within five minutes, officers had arrived. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:15
Letter to the Editor: The New York Times missed the mark on ‘shrimp fraud,’ but reforms are needed
This letter to the editor comes from Chef Dean Neff of Wilmington. Neff is responding to an article by food writer and journalist Brett Anderson, published in The New York Times. The article, with the headline “Investigating Shrimp Fraud Is an Urgent Matter on the Gulf Coast,” ran online with the sub-head, “With a flood of imported seafood driving the U.S. shrimp industry to the edge of ruin, a consulting company out of Houston is testing truth in menu labeling,” on April 30, and was published in print in early May. For the past decade I’ve worked as a chef in Wilmington, North Carolina, where I’ve been a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast Award. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 90:07
LEGAL ACTION INTENSIFIES AGAINST OFFSHORE WIND
A coalition of commercial fishermen, seafood processors, fish buyers and environmental groups from New Jersey to Massachusetts have filed an emergency motion in federal court to halt construction of Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project, citing imminent, irreversible harm to marine life, fishing grounds, the seafood supply chain and coastal economies. The motion seeks a preliminary injunction to immediately halt pile driving and construction activities. Plaintiffs argue the project threatens endangered whales, destroys seafloor habitat, and cripples a multi-generational American industry that provides food, jobs, and economic stability across the East Coast. “To allow Empire Wind to continue construction is to abandon us fishermen and our coastal communities who have, for generations, fed our great country and kept local economies thriving,” said Captain Shawn Machie of the F/V Capt. John in New Bedford, MA. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:55
Despite a hard season, Cape George celebrates with Lobsterpalooza
On Sunday, Cape George celebrated anyway. Poor prices ($7 a pound for market sized lobster at season’s opening), worse weather and some of the lowest landings in recent memory have plagued the 2025 lobster season for the communities along the peninsula that juts out of Nova Scotia’s north shore to divide the Northumberland Strait from St. Georges Bay. “Bittersweet,” Kim Novak said of the LFA 26a season as it winds down. Minutes later, the crowd gathered for the Ballantynes Cove Lobsterpalooza was cheering Novak and her partner Nick Vinck as they competed in the fishermen’s skills competition. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:24
Fresher trawler for Rawson
Mar del Plata’s Contessi shipyard has launched Siempre Don Oscar, the yard’s 152nd newbuild, which hits the water as Argentinean fishing industry faces a number of challenges. A fresher trawler designed to target Argentine red shrimp and other species, Siempre Don Oscar has been built for Oscar Martella’s Alamar, a fishing company based in the Patagonian port of Rawson. In his speech during the launching ceremony, yard director Domingo Contessi criticised the government and touched on the serious crisis facing the fishing industry – including mentioning that President Javier Milei’s decision to allow Argentina to import used capital goods may include second-hand fishing vessels. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:44
G7 summit: Who is attending and what’s on the agenda?
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US – will meet on Sunday in the remote town of Kananaskis, Alberta, nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, for three days of intense discussions. This will be the 51st G7 summit meeting. The first took place in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. Back then, it was known as the G6 meeting, as Canada did not become a member until the following year. Russia joined the forum in 1998, making it the G8, but was effectively expelled in 2014, following its annexation of Crimea. Since then, the forum has been known as the G7. Tensions at this year’s gathering, taking place June 15-17, are likely to be high for many reasons. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:53
Captain Ed Brown of Panama City has passed away
Edward “Ed” Brown, Jr. age 77, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, June 6, 2025. He was born on December 24, 1947, in Darby, Pennsylvania. Known to many as Captain Ed Brown, he was the proud owner and operator of the commercial fishing vessel Billy B, which he skillfully navigated for over 30 years, from Newfoundland to the Virgin Islands and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Ed shared a passion for racing with his son, Bill. Together, they built and raced cars across the East Coast-from Daytona Beach to Texas-including competing in the renowned Pensacola Snowball Derby. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Announces Closure of Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery in North Management Area
June 14, 2025 – California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced a season closure in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery (opens in new tab) in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (CA/OR border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line, 38°46.125’ N latitude) to further reduce the risk of entanglement in crab fishing gear. The closure will go into effect at 6 p.m. on June 20, 2025, at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited. Season closures have already been implemented for Fishing Zones 3-6. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:23
U.S. shrimp industry dwindling from decades of foreign competition
Shrimp are the quintessential Georgia seafood. But even though they’re ubiquitous on coastal menus, those shrimps often aren’t from Georgia. The shrimping industry has a long and storied history in the Southeastern U.S., but it’s in trouble. For decades, domestic shrimpers have struggled to compete with cheap foreign imports, and they’ve largely lost. Imported shrimp often cost $5 or less per pound. Wild-caught Georgia shrimp can go for more than $15 per pound. Some are celebrating the prospect of tariffs on foreign shrimp, while other shrimp experts are skeptical. Fewer than 200 shrimp boats are working the Georgia coast these days, down from around 1,500 in the early 2000s. Photos, links, more, <<CLICK TO READ<< 07:07
Video: d’Entremont calls on govt. to crackdown on illegal fishing
The lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia was a topic in the House of Commons. Acadie-Annapolis MP Chris d’Entremont says a crackdown is needed on unregulated and unreported fishing. d’Entremont says coastal communities are sounding the alarm about lobster stocks being down. He asked minister Joanne Thompson to listen to commercial fishers. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:46
Australia to boost aerial surveillance of Pacific for illegal fishing fleets
Australia plans to significantly boost surveillance of Pacific Islands territorial waters, spending A$477 million ($310.72 million) on aerial patrols for illegal fishing fleets, tender documents viewed by Reuters show, as China takes steps towards sending its coast guard to the region. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Fiji on Friday, the Fiji Times newspaper reported, after the government of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last week approved a maritime security agreement that will see Australia fund a patrol boat for Fiji. Australia will operate commercial aerial patrols to support Pacific Island countries monitoring exclusive economic zones which span millions of kilometres of ocean. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:47
Shrimpers sue Lowcountry restaurants over import and advertising practices
The South Carolina Shrimpers Association is suing 40 currently unnamed restaurants after testing revealed many local restaurants, some of which even explicitly advertised local shrimp, were not actually serving local shrimp. The lawsuit says a restaurant that advertises local shrimp but doesn’t serve it is breaking two laws: a federal law against false advertising and violating the South Carolina Fair Trade Practices Act. “At the core of what we have here is in the state of South Carolina, it’s illegal to say that a product is from SC when it’s not, and similarly, federal law prohibits the mislabeling of the origins of seafood. It’s simply illegal at a state and federal level,” Attorney for the S.C. Shrimpers Association, Gedney Howe, says. The Southern Shrimpers Alliance commissioned DNA testing on shrimp dishes at 44 local restaurants. Video, more, <<CLICK TO READ<< 10:02
Kodiak fisherman testifies about illegal fishing at U.S. Senate subcommittee meeting
Gabriel Prout and his family have fished the Silver Spray, a Kodiak-based commercial fishing boat, for about 20 years. But on Thursday, he traded his Xtratufs and fishing gear for a suit to represent Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, a trade association that represents the Bering Sea fleet, for a meeting with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. He was the only fisherman on the panel to discuss the impact of illegal, unregulated and unreported – or IUU – fishing on American fishing fleets. Prout presented a few ideas to the subcommittee he thinks could help, like better monitoring seafood imports and mandating labels for countries of origin. Prout also said other countries have more subsidies for fishermen than the U.S. does and asked for programs to help fishermen facing rising costs. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Fishermen’s voices must be heard amid Attenborough ocean propaganda
He is our national treasure, embraced by kings, princes, prime ministers and celebrities too many to mention. This week, it is his campaign to save the ocean that is driving the UN Ocean Conference as it tries to ratify the High Seas Treaty. Who would dare to denounce David Attenborough, beloved around the world for his conservation crusade, feted in the highest echelons and trusted to such an extent that his every word is gospel? Step forward one Elspeth Macdonald, little known outside her Scottish homeland but a strident, often lone, voice of dissent in the Attenborough global love-in. Macdonald is the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) but she speaks for the industry across Britain when she calls out the “anti-fishing propaganda” of Attenborough’s recently released film, Ocean. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:42
