Daily Archives: June 12, 2025
Ship’s captain arrested in NH for illegally poaching lobster, crab, mussels
A ship’s captain from Vietnam was arrested last week in New Hampshire on charges that he was illegally poaching lobster, crab and mussels using traps belonging to local fishermen. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, acting on a tip about illegal lobster activity, boarded a 400-foot cargo ship sailing under the Panama flag that was docked in Newington on the Piscataqua River on June 6. Upon boarding the ship, conservation officers said they discovered multiple ropes extending from the side of the ship into the water. The lines were inspected, and stolen lobster traps belonging to licensed New Hampshire commercial fishermen were found containing lobsters, crabs and bags of blue mussels. Additionally, a small submerged wire cage containing an undersized, female egg-bearing lobster was discovered. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:28
Shrimp Police: Can DNA testing put teeth in efforts to save an American fleet?
For most of a year now, it’s been as if some kind of weird seafood brush war is being waged across Southeastern coastal states. In each flare-up, stealthy visitors have conducted DNA testing on seafood – and usually, the revelations are embarrassing. The inquisitors’ pronouncements are bold: “Savannah Shrimp Scandal.” “Gulf Shores Shrimp Deception continues.” “Wilmington and Surrounding Beach Areas Shrimp Scene Tarnished: 77% of Restaurants Mislead Diners.” They’re tailor-made to generate headlines, and they have – along with a few questions about whether the methodology behind the testing is entirely fair. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:32
Kennedy to HHS: Fight foreign shrimp imports that hurt Louisiana and threaten Americans’ health
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging his department to work with its partners to prevent unsafe foreign shrimp from reaching American consumers. While U.S. shrimp manufacturers comply with bans on antibiotic use and numerous environmental regulations, not all shrimp producers in countries like India, Ecuador, Indonesia and Vietnam abide by the same standards. A recent decline in transparency among members of the foreign shrimp industry has raised further concerns. “I write to express my concern regarding the ongoing public health risk posed by the importation of farmed shrimp into the United States. In 2021, the United States imported approximately 1.9 billion pounds of shrimp, accounting for over 90% of the nation’s consumption,” Kennedy began the letter. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
DFO credibility crisis presents opportunity for Carney
Canada’s coastal fisheries are, in many respects, a mess. It’s a pressing challenge and critical opportunity for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government. Let’s set the scene. The vital and profitable East Coast fisheries are plagued by conflict over First Nations treaty rights and conservation overreach. In the West, the commercial fishery’s collapse and fisheries management disputes have weakened coastal communities. Ottawa’s 2024 decision to ban the region’s marine net salmon farming exacerbated problems. On both coasts, industry hostility towards the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is at near-fever pitch. In the recent election, Carney encountered protests by fishers outside a Newfoundland campaign rally. Despite that, fisheries garnered little national media coverage during the campaign. Coastal issues do not resonate in major cities. But the industry could well provide an early and consequential test of the new Liberal government. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:30
A whole lotta wake’ll be kicking up June 14
Lobster boat captains up and down the coast and right here in Boothbay Harbor are revving up for the 2025 racing season. The races begin with the Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races Saturday, June 14. Since 2005, Boothbay Harbor’s races are held in honor of Begin, a beloved native lobsterman and racer. Race categories include gas classes based on length and cubic inches, diesel classes based on horsepower and length, a wooden boat race, gas and diesel free-for-alls, and four races just for Boothbay Region boats, including Fastest Working Lobster Boat. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:28
