Daily Archives: June 4, 2025
Donald Trump insists disputed island off Maine’s coast is US territory
The Trump administration is insisting that a small island off Maine’s coast belongs to the United States even though Canada has long claimed the barely inhabited spit of land for itself and operates a lighthouse there. That island, Machias Seal Island, is roughly 12 miles southeast of the Down East fishing harbor of Cutler and roughly the same distance southwest of Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada. It sits in a long-disputed 280-square-mile section of the Gulf of Maine known as the “gray zone” that has been getting renewed attention as rhetoric between the U.S. and Canada has heated up with Trump back in the White House. The gray zone has been increasingly prized by fishermen from both countries as lobster populations have grown there, and some Maine lobstermen are now pressing Trump to make progress in resolving the dispute in their favor. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:25
Comment: ‘One size fits all’ fisheries policy misses the mark on the West Coast
While calls for reform in B.C.’s commercial fishing sector are not new, imposing a sweeping, one-size-fits-all policy would do more harm than good, especially for a fishery as complex, capital-intensive and conservation-driven as the B.C. groundfish trawl industry. Let’s get one thing straight: this is not the Atlantic. What works for lobster boats on the East Coast does not seamlessly transfer to large-scale, quota-based trawl fisheries operating year-round in the Pacific. To borrow a phrase from the sewing room, “one size fits all” often fits no one well — and it certainly doesn’t fit the diverse and specialized fisheries along B.C.’s coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:43
Local grassroots groups file federal lawsuit to stop offshore wind project
Protect Our Coast New Jersey (POCNJ), Clean Ocean Action, and ACK for Whales have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the construction of the Empire Wind offshore wind project. The lawsuit calls on the federal government to reinstate the stop-work order issued April 16, 2025, by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The Empire Wind project — a large-scale offshore wind facility proposed just outside New York Harbor — was halted in April by Secretary Burgum, who stated the project had been “rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies.” However, May 19, 2025, Burgum abruptly reversed the stop work order without explanation. Joining the lawsuit are a wide range of generational fishing families, historic seafood operations, whale watch operators, and civic leaders from the East Coast,,, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:06
Marine algal bloom spreads to SA’s Coorong as fishers find dead creatures in North Lagoon
Algae from a bloom that has killed marine life throughout South Australian seas over the past few months has been detected in the fragile saline environment of the Coorong. The Karenia mikimotoi-dominated algae mix is believed to have entered the North Lagoon via the mouth of the River Murray during last week’s stormy weather and high tides. It has killed thousands of polychaete worms, as well as crabs and small fish, with fishers concerned for the environment and commercial fishery that depends on its health. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:05
New England fishermen’s association to protest “unfair” rules favoring Canadian competitors
An association of fishermen from New England will be going to the US Congress later this week to warn lawmakers that American fishermen are losing out to Canadian competitors thanks to “unfair” rules amid a spike in tensions between the two countries. Dustin Delano, lobster fisherman and Chief Operating Officer of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), is scheduled to testify before the House Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee. Among other issues, Delano will explain that American and Canadian vessels are bound by different rules, even when they are fishing the same areas. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
Canada’s reopened cod fishery on shaky ground
Canada has lifted a three-decade moratorium on commercial cod fishing, but there are signs Atlantic stocks have not fully recovered, raising questions about the government’s rosy outlook for the sector. The fishery off the coast of the nation’s easternmost Newfoundland province had been a major economic driver for centuries, providing livelihoods for local and European fisherman. It became a symbol of overfishing and poor management, however, when Canada imposed a commercial fishing moratorium in 1992 after nearly all of the fish disappeared, leaving tens of thousands in the sector unemployed. The moratorium was initially ordered to last two years, but it would only be lifted in 2024 as fish stocks struggled to bounce back. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:05
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ x 19′ Dixon Lobster/ Scalloper, 750HP, John Deere 6135 Diesel
To review specifications, information, with 12 photos, >click here<. To see all the boats in this series >click here< 06:15
