Maritime lobster fishers are about to return to waters claimed by both Canada and the United States. Captains are anxious to see whether the rhetoric by President Donald Trump and pressure from Maine congressman Jared Golden results in increased American pressure. “It remains to be seen – nobody knows,” said Brian Guptil, president of the Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association, about the reception Canadian fishing vessels will get this season in an area of water dubbed the Grey Zone. “We’ve heard reports of big coast guard cutters spending a little more time in the area, but we’ll have to wait and see.” The Grey Zone is a 700-square-kilometre area of water long claimed by both Canada and the United States in the Gulf of Maine. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
Daily Archives: June 20, 2025
‘Swim at your own risk’ order issued for Gooch’s Beach after boating collision
A collision between two boats off the coast of Kennebunk Thursday injured two people: a passenger on the schooner “Eleanor” and a crewman on the commercial fishing boat, “F/V Flying Dutchman.” With the collision happening on the port side, the captain and crew of the Eleanor quickly had passengers go to the starboard side of the boat. Their weight was enough to keep the damaged hull out of the water to keep the schooner from capsizing. There were patches of dense fog offshore Thursday when the steel bow of a fishing boat slammed into the hull of the schooner Eleanor. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:29
Proposed shrimp trawling ban sparks backlash in county
A legislative effort that began as a move to expand recreational fishing access in North Carolina has taken a sharp turn, leaving Carteret County residents and leaders bracing for the potential collapse of a centuries-old way of life. Opponents, including Carteret County Commissioner Chris Chadwick, questioned both the timing and the motivation behind the change. The local shrimping fleet – made up largely of small vessels operating in sounds such as Bogue, Core and Pamlico – would be unable to safely shift their operations offshore, Chadwick said. He also expressed concern about ripple effects to other local businesses. “It would be horrible, not only for the shrimpers, but for the fuel man, for the net maker, for the auto parts store,” he said. “It’s a vast effect that nobody seems to be taking into account.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:08
Biden’s Offshore Wind Dreams Drowning As Trump Guts Industry
The offshore wind industry is floundering as President Donald Trump reverses Biden-era policies designed to boost the industrialization of America’s oceans. While President Joe Biden pushed for an enormous expansion of offshore wind energy during his time in the White House, many of the projects his administration supported with subsidies and favorable regulation have since collapsed or been abandoned by developers due to unfavorable economic conditions and the Trump administration’s crackdown on incentives for the green energy technology. “The windmills are killing our country by the way,” Trump said on June 12. “We’re not going to approve windmills unless something happens that’s an emergency. … I guess it could happen, but we’re not doing any of them.” Fishermen have also spoken out against these projects, arguing that their industry and livelihoods are endangered by offshore wind farms. Lots of links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:48
The Grey Zone: Trump’s rhetoric casts shadow over disputed lobster ground
Scientists question Ottawa more than doubling cod catch in Newfoundland and Labrador
Scientists say they are surprised and “puzzled” by the federal fisheries minister’s decision Wednesday to more than double the catch in this year’s northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Noel Cadigan modelled the northern cod stock for years as a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He said the move to hike catch limits this year doesn’t line up with the precautionary management approach the department says it has adopted for the stock. “It is not easy to reduce these quotas again,” the associate professor at Memorial University’s Marine Institute said Thursday. “You want to be sure that these increases are going to be sustainable over the medium term.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:55
NC Senate votes to ban shrimp trawling in sounds, angering some coastal Republicans
The North Carolina Senate approved a bill Thursday that bans commercial shrimp trawling in inshore waters, including sounds. Sen. Bobby Hanig, a Republican who represents multiple coastal counties, passionately opposed the ban. “We need to save our heritage. We need to save our fisheries,” he said during a floor debate on Wednesday. Hanig unsuccessfully proposed multiple amendments, including one to remove the ban from a bill where it was introduced by amendment just one day before. He was absent from the second of two required votes on the bill Thursday, as were seven other senators. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
Three Rescued After off Nantucket Off Nantucket Following Collision
Three fishermen were rescued early Wednesday morning following a collision at sea in thick fog that resulted in the sinking of the off Nantucket off Nantucket. The 55-foot F/V Triple Threat, out of Beverly, Mass., was approximately 23 nautical miles east of the island when its crew issued a mayday around 3:29 a.m. on Wednesday that was picked up by Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England. They stated the Triple Threat had collided with another vessel and was rapidly taking on water, according to Rajesh Harrilal, who handles external affairs for the Coast Guard’s District 1 office in Boston. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
