As the sun set Sunday night at the Cove, tensions rose at what was another strong showing for opponents to offshore wind farms. About 100 people gathered on a cold, windy evening at the southern-most point of New Jersey to keep the light on the fight against offshore wind companies with a cairn lighting. But one man spoke our after U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, rallied the crowd against windmills, questioning everyone there if they truly believe whales are dying as a result off offshore wind site preparation work. Mark Heany, a city resident since 1995, was met with shouts of disapproval after he interrupted the lineup of speakers. A few people got in his face to argue. Four Cape May police officers, who were there to make sure things stayed peaceful, intervened as Heaney and others argued just inches apart. 9 Photos, >>click to read<< 10:23
Tag Archives: Cape May
Fishing Vessel Lady Mary Remembered 15 Years After Sinking
On March 18, 2009, the F/V Lady Mary, a 71-foot scallop boat, left Cape May Harbor for the scalloping grounds in an area known as the Elephant’s Trunk, roughly 60 miles from Cape May. The crew had nearly completed its catch when, between 5:19 and 5:39 a.m. on March 24, the boat sank. Six of the seven crew members were lost. Over the next four years, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board completed investigations into the sinking, concluding there were multiple factors responsible. The Coast Guard filed its report on Aug. 23, 2013, saying the Lady Mary did not capsize, nor did it sink due to a fire or explosion. Despite the reported nearby presence of a container vessel named the Cap Beatrice, the Coast Guard concluded there was no evidence that any other vessel was at fault for the chain of events that eventually led to the sinking. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:35
A group of commercial fishermen have ended up before the Supreme Court
An unforgiving southeast wind cut across Cape May, New Jersey, on a recent Tuesday morning; the 50-mile-per-hour gusts were so strong they created white caps on a section of the bay here that is typically calm. There would be no fishing for Bill Bright and his crew. “We don’t have crop insurance. If the fish don’t show up, there’s no bailout,” the 64-year-old said, standing on the deck of the Eva Marie, an 88-foot-long fishing vessel used to catch herring. As a lifelong fisherman, Bright is used to slow days. But a recent shift in tidal fortunes here has nothing to do with fish and everything to do with the federal government. “What’s at stake for us is our future,” Bright said. For years, fishermen like Bill Bright and his colleague Wayne Reichle have been required to take federal observers on their boats when they set out into the North Atlantic in search of herring. Video , >>click to read<< 19:06
‘It’s Just Not a Fair Fight’: Supreme Court to Hear Case that Could End Bureaucratic Rule
“There’s going to be plenty of trips where that monitor will make more than myself or my crew,” said Stefan Axelsson, a commercial fisherman. He and other herring fishermen from Cape May, New Jersey sued over the rule and their case will be heard by the Supreme Court next term, where it will be argued by famed appellate lawyer Paul Clement. “When you have the federal government regulating small businesses it’s just not a fair fight,” Clement recently told The Hugh Hewitt Show. However, instead of just hearing the specifics of this case alone, justices have chosen to take on the bigger issue by reviewing the power of the entire federal bureaucracy. Specifically considering one of the most important, and powerful, principles in the world of bureaucratic rulemaking known as the “Chevron doctrine.” >click to read< 14:02
Cape May fisherman finds submerged engine from WWII-era aircraft
The engine of an aircraft that dates back to World War II was found underwater off the coast of New Jersey earlier this month while a former National Guardsman was out fishing for squid. The discovery was made by fisherman Randy Camp and his captain, Jake Wiscott, while they were out fishing and felt something unusually heavy in their net. When they got the machine out of the ocean, Camp knew pretty quickly that he had come across a neat artifact,,, >click to read< 08:25
New Jersey couple finds a pearl worth thousands during dinner at The Lobster House in Cape May
“It’s like a once in a lifetime event,” Maria Spressler said. Last Sunday, Michael Spressler ordered his usual appetizer, a dozen clams on the half shell. “I was down to the 12th one and when I picked it up on the fork it looked kinda heavy, but I didn’t think nothing of it,” Michael Spressler said. “Then when I started to eat it I noticed something was in my mouth. I actually thought one of my teeth broke.” Not only did something spectacular and rare happen on their impromptu trip, but the couple was also celebrating a special occasion. Video, >click to read< 10:07
Harvesting the sea
Working out of six major fishing ports, New Jersey fishermen rank No. 1 in the nation when it comes to landing clams, scallops, squid and Atlantic mackerel. “It supports thousands of jobs.’’ Fishermen are the heart and soul of this industry, risking both life and livelihood to land the fish that feed their families, and millions of Americans. “Commercial fishermen are some of the hardest working people,’’ said Wayne Reichle, president, Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May. “They are paid on what they harvest. If they go out to sea and don’t catch anything, they don’t make anything. They take a lot 
of risk both financially and personally.’’ “In the winter, our guys go anywhere from 75 to 150 miles offshore,’’ said Dave Tauro, manager of Belford Seafood Co-Op in Highlands. “It takes them sometimes 18 hours. Imagine what the fuel cost is. They spend three grand before they leave the dock.’’ photos, >click to read< 13:45
The people are Opposed to Offshore Wind in Cape May, N.J. – Anti Offshore Wind Farm protestors gather
They could not all go in to the meeting of the Cape May County Commissioners on Tuesday afternoon, but opponents of a planned offshore wind farm knew they were heard when the members of county government came out to them. Speaking to those gathered outside before returning to the commissioners meeting, commission Director Gerald Thornton said wind energy will cost consumers more and will not provide many jobs to local residents. >click to read<– Anti-wind farm protestors gather in Cape May Courthouse – There were no chants or marching at a protest late Tuesday afternoon outside the Cape May County Administrative Building. Tricia Conte organized the demonstration. She also created the group Save our Shoreline which has over 4,000 members. >click to read< 07:55
Offshore Wind Farms: Cape May Commercial Fishermen Must be Heard – They may be heard, they won’t be listened to
“The commercial fishermen have a lot of reservations about what’s going on,” said Thornton. “I would like the board to take a position to oppose this, “I am going to personally oppose it,”,,, Thornton cited figures provided by Rutgers University, reporting the commercial fishing industry in the county produces $192 million of product. “It is very significant,” In the Northeast, from Maine to Virginia, the county is ranked second in value and total pounds harvested, he said, adding it is “standard practice” in Europe and Asia to compensate commercial fishing businesses for lost income from offshore wind projects. NO! “We’re not hearing any of that here. Not at all,” said Thornton. In the U.S., there is no legal process for that to take place, he said. Certain states negotiated payments of their own with commercial fishermen, he continued. >click to read< 10:54 (starting to smell,,,)
How this family-run seafood business banded together to stay afloat for the next generation
When the Bright kids were young, Bill was away at sea often, “probably 150 days a year,” he says. One Sunday he came home from a fishing trip in New England, gathered the family around the table, and floated an idea for a new adventure, a restaurant. Well, not a restaurant-restaurant, but a kitchen trailer parked by the docks on Richardson Channel, with picnic tables where customers could see the freshness of the fish, guts and scales and all, being butchered a few feet away. “The kids were into it right away.” Bill and Michelle, a Temple-trained journalist and ace home cook, opened Hooked Up Seafood in 2010 and quickly developed a reputation of excellence. photos, >click to read< 07:48
F/V Misty Blue Missing – 2 Rescued, Coast Guard searching for 2 crew members
The U.S. Coast Guard Northeast is searching for two crewmen who were aboard a vessel in distress 10 miles off the coast of Nantucket on Monday. The mission was launched following an EPIRB alert. We will update this as we receive more information. (photo credit Jim Dills)
Wife of missing fisherman speaks out as search continues – click here to read the story 08:37
Coast Guard searching for 2 crew members following vessel in distress off Nantucket – click here to read the story02:16
2 rescued, 2 missing as Coast Guard searches for Misty Blue off Nantucket – click here to read the story
Southern Cape May County’s commercial fishing industry is worth $85 million
Southern Cape May County’s commercial fishing industry is worth $85 million, according to a recently released federal report. The combined port of Cape May and Wildwood is the ninth largest commercial fishing port in the United States and the second biggest on the East Coast, measured by dollar value. In a county known as a tourism hub, commercial fishing — and especially the scallop trade — is a big part of the area’s economy, those in the industry say.,,Fishermen need to buy fuel and groceries for every trip and hire welders and electricians to repair their boats, which creates additional jobs, Laudeman said. click here to read the story 10:22
Cape May fishermen chase scallops despite risks, trade-offs
Scallops caught by boats based in southern Cape May County may end up on your plate at a local restaurant, or in the frozen foods section of a Wal-Mart or Costco, or even in foreign countries like France. But before the delicious white mollusks end up frozen in a chain store or fresh at a restaurant, commercial fishermen have to scrape them from the bottom of the ocean floor. It’s a fairly lucrative business that fuels a commercial fishing industry worth tens of millions of dollars each year. But the job takes an emotional toll on the fishermen who must leave their families for up to two weeks at a time to go to sea. Tom McNulty Jr.’s wife, Mandy, gave birth Feb. 16 to a daughter. Zoe McNulty was born at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, the proud father announced recently. But with scallop season quickly approaching, he’s going to have to leave them to go make a living.,, “It’s hard on your family,” he added. “You miss birthdays. You miss graduations.” Photo gallery, continue reading the article here 10:17
Cape May fisherman gets restraining order in pilot whale killing case
A Cape May commercial fisherman charged with killing a pilot whale in 2011 has gotten a federal order prohibiting federal agents and a defense investigator from speaking to informants in the case. Defense attorney Bill Hughes Jr., of Cooper Levenson, in Atlantic City, said in court documents the informants told his investigator they were threatened and harassed by federal agents. And in its submission, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged the defense investigator had misled the informants while interviewing them. The order follows an Oct. 17 teleconference between U.S Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor, Hughes and lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The order says that individuals who previously had contact with the informants, including federal agents, federally deputized state agents, and the defense counsel’s private investigator, cannot have further contact with them. Read the story here 20:02
Cape May announces its first Seafood Festival
CAPE MAY — There will be flounder, clam chowder and scallops, but seafood lovers will also be able to taste spiny dogfish, skate wings, whelk and scup. One of the goals of the first Cape May Seafood Festival, set for June 28 on the beachfront, is to feature the unusual species that have helped make the Port of Cape May the second largest fishing port on the East Coast. Read more@PresofAC 21:15
In Another Time > Fishing has always been dangerous work
The most tragic fishing accident in the history of the Wildwoods occurred as October was fading into November in 1921 and as the local fishing season was coming to an end. It took the lives of 11 men.
When they began their voyage that morning in windy weather that was not especially unfitting for seafaring the men were in two 35-foot power boats owned by Augustus Hilton and his son, John. Augustus, more popularly known as Gus, was mayor from 1900 to 1908, first of Anglesea, then of North Wildwood when it changed to its present name in 1906. The father and son were owners of the Hilton and Hilton Fish Company which was affiliated with Consolidated Fisheries. continued@wildwoodshorenewstoday
Festival! – Cape May – Annual blessing 5:30-6:30 p.m. Friday evening Fisherman’s Memorial – Harbor Fest drops anchor Saturday, June 15.
Preceding the Harbor Fest will be the annual blessing of the waters ceremony 5:30-6:30 p.m. Friday evening at the Fisherman’s Memorial on the harbor at the end of Missouri Avenue. On Saturday, Harbor Fest will feature a street festival with prepared fresh seafood as well as landlubber fair, a beer garden, street vendors, entertainment and educational displays. continued@capemaygazette
Scallops keep Cape May the No. 2 East Coast port
CAPE MAY, N.J. (AP) – Cape May remained the East Coast’s second-most valuable fishing port last year, aided by rising scallop prices that offset a declining catch, according to a report.
The report from the National Marine Fisheries Service shows the port, which includes docks in Lower Township and Wildwood but none actually in Cape May, took in $103 million last year. That’s up from $81 million in 2010.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/sep/25/scallops-keep-cape-may-the-no-2-east-coast-port/#ixzz27ZXSHf3W – vcstar.com
