Tag Archives: Andrea Tomlinson
The next generation of commercial fishing in New England
Commercial fishing has been part of New England’s economy and culture for centuries, but it now faces challenging headwinds. The average age of a commercial fishing boat captain in northern New England is between 58 and 60 years old, says Andrea Tomlinson, founder and executive director of New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance. The non-profit is working to bring a new generation into leadership through its “Deckhand to Captain” training program. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:56
Susan Collins and other lawmakers seek to expand health support for commercial fishermen
A federal program that protects the health and wellbeing of commercial fishermen should be expanded to include substance use disorder and worker fatigue, a group of lawmakers from New England and Alaska said. The lawmakers want to expand a federal commercial fishing occupational safety program that funds research and training. The program is designed to help the nation’s fishermen with the often hazardous conditions they face at sea.Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is one of the lawmakers pushing for the change, said expanding the program would help fishermen access more safety training and mental health resources., more, >>click to read<< 10:08
Commercial fishing in N.H. needs new people to survive
Traditionally, a fishing boat and business would be handed down within a family, but this kind of succession rarely happens anymore. That’s led to a “graying of the fleet,” and now the average lobster captain in New England is over 55 years old, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “I saw more and more veteran captains retiring and no one locally was buying their boat and taking over their business,” said Andrea Tomlinson, the founder of the New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at recruiting the next generation of fishermen. Tomlinson said there were 118 ground fishermen who were federally registered in New Hampshire in 2000, but by 2020, the number had dropped to 18, only three of whom are actively fishing for ground fish, which live near the ocean floor. >click to read< 11:16
Young Fishermen Are Struggling to Stay Afloat
Lucas Raymond has been working as a deckhand on a boat that catches monkfish, pollock, hake, and occasional cod out of New Hampshire’s Rye Harbor for the last decade. His fishing trips often involve navigating rough, stormy waters and typically last two to three days, but the 30-year-old enjoys doing physical work outside. “Even at the end of a very hard day, it’s rewarding,” Raymond says. Like many sectors, commercial fishing is facing a worker shortage, with too few young fishermen coming in to replace the aging workforce. The average age of groundfish and lobster captains in New England is 55 years old, >click to read< 07:52
NOAA lays out plans for expanded testing of ropeless fishing technology
In an effort to address the two main causes of human-induced whale mortality, vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released rules to reduce ship speeds and its “Ropeless Roadmap” to prepare for widespread adoption of ropeless fishing. The vertical lines that connect strings of traps on the ocean floor to buoys on the surface can get caught on a whale’s fins or in its mouth as it swims, leading to death in some cases. There are fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales, according to NOAA. On-demand fishing gear would eliminate the need for the vertical lines in the water until the lobster trap, pot or gillnet is being hauled. >click to read< 15:50
Annual fisheries meeting tackles lobster lawsuits, whale protections
Tuesday in Washington D.C., key players from Maine’s lobster fishery tackled what it considers its most pressing issues. The first issue was an update regarding Judge James Boasberg’s July ruling in the U.S. District Court case involving the Center for Biological Diversity versus Secretary Raimondo and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. This case made the news in early July after Boasberg ruled regulators aren’t doing enough to protect the right whale. Just days after, he sided with environmental groups in another lawsuit to allow Area 1 to close again to fishermen this coming fall and winter. Another issue was a proposal to shrink the size limit for lobsters over the course of five years in order to replenish the declining population of young lobsters. Also, reduced boat speeds and the future of ropeless lobster traps. >click to read< 20:15
Teaching the next generation of New England fishermen
Gary Glidden prepares the Last Penny for another day on the water, sharpening knives and warming up the inboard motor. It’s become second nature to the Portsmouth fisherman of 40 years, who has spent 10 of those training 29-year-old Jake Eaton. The two work 10- to 12-hour days. Not much needs to be said between work partners and family members. “He was dating my daughter. I needed help, and he needed a job, so it was a fit,” Glidden said. “I’m really happy for him. I know he’ll do good, and it’s the way it should be.” >click to read< 08:36
Roger Wood Asks, Is Commercial Fishing Heading for Extinction?
Can New Hampshire’s dwindling commercial fishing industry be revived or is the enterprise headed for extinction? Fishermen in the ground fish business are retiring. So far, there is no clear path to replace them with younger people. A new federally funded program is intended to address that. In this podcast, Roger Wood talks with a newly retired fisherman, David Goethel from Hampton and the director of a new federally funded program intended to help young people continue the trade. >click to listen, and read< 08:48
