Tag Archives: commercial fisherman
Have Faith: A fisherman’s journey of deep belief
Stanley Larsen’s fishing boat, Four Kids, pulled up to the dock in Menemsha a little after 10 am last Thursday, under a bright blue sky. Stanley steers it so it eases up next to its sister vessel, Richard & Arnold.,, Stanley was born and raised here, and has been a fisherman since childhood; he helped his dad lobstering from the time he was a kid. His father died when Stanley was in his early 20s, and then he carried on the family tradition, going out on long trips, steaming six, eight, even 10 hours at a time in his dad’s old boat: “I’d head down to Nantucket, out to New Bedford, south of the Island. I’d have fishing magazines that I’d probably read about 10 times, and I happened to be going through [his dad’s] drawer one day, and came upon the King James Bible. I just started reading it.” >click to read< 17:06
Glace Bay Fisherman celebrates 80 consecutive years of working on the water
In a year that has been anything but normal, Jim Munden continues to be a figure of both consistency and longevity on the Glace Bay wharf. The longtime fisherman, who will celebrate his 89th birthday this summer, still plays an active role in the former coal mining community’s other big industry. And this year marks the 80th consecutive year that Munden has taken to the coastal waters off Cape Breton to ply the trade he first experienced as a nine-year-old boy.,,, When asked about the beginnings of his lifelong career, Munden likes to mention that it all started in a foreign country. “I was born in Newfoundland back in 1931 when it was still part of England,” he recalls.,, they moved to Glace Bay when I was a boy.” That’s where he started fishing. And at his side the entire time has been Dot (Billard), his childhood sweetheart, wife of almost 70 years and mother of their six children. >click to read< 10:54
Good Karma! Catching two coloured lobsters, one blue and one calico, comes days after child saved from drowning
A fisherman for 42 years, Gary Robichaud was out fishing lobster with his three sons, Alex, Zachary and Sylvain, when they found a blue lobster in a trap. After celebrating that catch, taking pictures and posing with the bright blue lobster they were even more surprised when 15 minutes later another rare coloured crustacean was found trapped inside another trap. The market sized lobster was calico coloured, another rare catch for the fisherman. Asked if this had ever happened before, Robichaud said no. “It’s never happened to me,” he said of catching two rare coloured lobsters on the same day. But Robichaud said he will take it all as signs of the good luck he’s been experiencing including how things fell into place during the rescue of a 10-year-old boy May 29. >click to read< 20:00
Lars Petter Austnes: Longtime commercial fisherman was known for his big heart, Viking spirit, has passed away
Lars Petter Austnes of Edmonds, Washington passed away on April 29, 2020 at the age of 64. Lars was born October 2, 1955 in Ålesund, Norway, the third child of four to his parents Edvin and Henrikke Austnes. In 1985, he moved to Ballard in Seattle, Washington to work with other Norwegian fishermen in the growing Alaskan Pollock industry in the Bering Sea. Upon arrival, he began his long employment for Glacier Fish Company, owned by the heroic leader and friend, Erik Breivik. He started on the company’s Northern Glacier Catcher/Processor as a Bosun. Lars Lars married Kim Starwich of Ballard October 19, 1991. Lars and Kim have been residents of Edmonds since 1990 and have two daughters, Annika (25) and Kristin (24). He loved and cherished his wife, girls, and dogs dearly. >click to read< 21:20
‘Not doomsday’: Commercial fishers say crayfish season looks promising
“A glimmer of light” is how Otago-based commercial fisherman Chris Cooper describes the state of the rock lobster industry — one of the first sectors to be crippled by the Covid-19 outbreak. The Chinese market closed to all rock lobster — or crayfish — exports in late January. China took 95% to 98% of all commercial crayfish landed in New Zealand. “We basically got a Dear John letter on January 24 and told there was no market. Now the market was starting to slowly open up again and Mr Cooper was pleased to be back in business, saying prices were “looking solid”. “My gut feeling is its going to be OK,maybe like last season — not a boomer, not a doomsday either. I’ve got a feeling its going to be a solid one,” >click to read< 17:49
Coronavirus devastating commercial fishing industry
Lifelong commercial fisherman Mark Weaver had anticipated a bumper season for his family-run commercial fishery before the COVID-19 pandemic left the industry almost dead in the water. Now, he and the rest of Ontario’s commercial fishing industry are facing a bleak future that could leave them struggling just to survive. “I don’t know how we’re going to pay the bills,” Weaver said. While Lake Erie would normally be dotted with commercial fishing vessels at this time of year, their boats aren’t leaving the docks in Port Stanley, Wheatley and other Southwestern Ontario ports this spring since there’s nowhere to sell their catch. “It’s a total supply chain challenge and crisis that we’re in,” said Jane Graham, executive director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association. April has been one of the “most productive fishing months of the year,” Graham said. And it looked like this April would have been just as productive, Weaver said. >click to read< 22:01
Stonington scallop boat crewman remembered for devotion to his daughter
When Charlie Lathrop was just 15, he quit school and began a 35-year career as a commercial fisherman, working out of ports from the Town Dock to Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Known for his devotion to his 13-year-old daughter, Catherine, his tattoos and his nickname “Charlie Tuna,” the 50-year-old Westerly resident died sometime Wednesday night when he fell overboard from the local scallop boat Invictus off the coast of New Jersey.,, Lt. Commander Dan Schrader, the public affairs officer for the Coast Guard’s Mid-Atlantic Region, said Saturday that on Wednesday at 10:43 p.m., the Coast Guard received a report from the boat that a person fell overboard about 60 miles southeast of Atlantic City, N.J. Southern New England Fishermen and Lobstermen’s Association President Mike Grimshaw referred comment Saturday to boat owner Joe Gilbert of Milford, who could not be reached. The 74-foot-long Invictus was not at the dock on Saturday,,, You may have to answer a survey to access at the article. >click to read< 07:49
Shon Myers, 43, commercial fisherman, lobsterman
He was a commercial fisherman and lobsterman who had a passion for being on the water. He was an artist, musician, writer and photographer. He had an appreciation for knitting. “He was 6-foot 6 and had a smile that would melt your heart,” said his mother, Gayle Myers of Cape Elizabeth. Myers was a skilled lobsterman and commercial fisherman who worked on boats in Maine and elsewhere. He fished in Gloucester and New Bedford, Massachusetts; Point Judith, Rhode Island; Charleston, South Carolina; and Cape Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His mother said he found peace on the ocean. >click to read< 17:52
Coronavirus: Oregon fishing industry weathering the storm
For the people who fish, the distributors, and the restaurants, Gov. Brown’s stay-home order has been costly. “The hardest part about all of this is the uncertainty,” said commercial fisherman Mike Retherford. Normally, you’d find Retherford out on his boat the Winona J. But these days he’s spending a lot more time at his home in Newport sheltering in place. “If this goes on for too long you could see business down 40-50%,” he said. But what was looking really grim a couple weeks ago when crab prices dropped from about $7 a pound down to about $2 is now looking a bit better. The price of crab has rebounded as distributors find new ways to market. >click to read< 07:52
Coronavirus: Restaurant Closures Put Oregon Seafood Industry In Limbo
Commercial fisherman Clint Funderburg should be on the ocean right now, catching Dungeness crab on his fishing boat, the Widgeon. When crab prices tanked a few weeks ago, he shifted gears to his off-season side gig. So, he’s building a refrigeration system for one of the many fishing boats that are stuck at the dock right now. Mandatory restaurant closures during the coronavirus pandemic have sent shock waves through Oregon’s $700 million seafood industry. The overwhelming majority of the seafood that lands on Oregon’s docks gets eaten in restaurants, and no one knows when that market will return. In the meantime, fishermen are parking their boats as seafood prices plummet. >click to read< 18:04
Coronavirus: It’s not business as usual for fishing industry
For Alaska’s commercial fisheries industry in 2020, things will hardly be business as usual. Reports of the first case of novel coronavirus in the state prompted processors to get to work developing plant and vessel response plans in consultation with medical experts to assure the health and safety of employees, harvesters, communities they work in and the fish they will process by the ton. “Everyone is working on it on a regular basis,” said Norm Van Vactor, president and chief executive officer of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. in Dillingham. “It is literally a plan in progress. We are moving forward with a positive attitude (but) nobody is in La La Land.” >click to read< 18:15
Coast Guard medevacs Commercial Fisherman 55 miles offshore of Lake Charles, Louisiana
The Coast Guard medevaced a mariner from an 86-foot fishing vessel approximately 55 miles offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, Thursday morning. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a call from the captain of the fishing vessel Captain Taruong Phi who reported a crewmember was suffering from symptoms of a heart attack and in need of medical assistance. Watchstanders consulted the duty flight surgeon who recommended the medevac. photos, >click to read< 13:33
Commercial Fisherman lost in Lake Erie after going overboard
Divers from the OPP are searching Lake Erie for a man who is missing after going overboard from a commercial fishing vessel Monday morning. The incident happened about 13 kilometres west of Long Point around 10:15 a.m. The fisherman is being identified as Michael Smith, of Port Dover, Ontario from the fishing tug Donna F. “He was loved by all and had an amazing number of friends amongst the fishermen and Port Doverites alike,” photo, boatnerd.com >click to read< 19:11
Big Wave Surfing and Commercial Fishing with Matt Becker
The talented crew over at 805 Beer have been releasing these high-quality mini-docs for a while now — spotlighting different occupations, exploring fringe cultures, and generally celebrating life. This time they’ve given us a glimpse into the lifestyle of second-generation California surfer/fisherman Matt Becker, who makes his money off commercial fishing, and feeds his soul off surfing spots like Maverick’s. It’s not a safe or soft routine, but it’s the only way Matt would want to live. Video, >click to watch< 18:44
Coronavirus: “These are not normal times” Situation changing ‘by the hour’ as seafood industry reels
New Brunswick’s seafood industry is reeling as the coronavirus fallout spreads in traditional markets around the world. “Things are changing by the hour,” said Melanie Sonnenberg of the Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association.,, It is a concern shared by other companies. It is estimated well over a thousand international workers are employed in the industry during the processing season, which begins in May. The spring lobster season on the Bay of Fundy’s north shore also starts in May. And in Dipper Harbour, fisherman Greg Thompson is pretty sure of one thing: prices will be rock bottom. >click to read< 06:47
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr, has passed away, was a founding member of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr., 67, of South Bristol, passed away unexpectedly on the afternoon of March 4, 2020 in Rockport. Born in Damariscotta on Dec. 31, 1952, he was the son of Arnold Sr. and Gloria (Chipman) Gamage. Arnie grew up in South Bristol, attending local schools and graduating from Lincoln Academy. He began lobstering at the age of 10, following in his father’s footsteps, and creating a family tradition that continues to be carried on today. Arnie was also very involved in Maine’s lobstering industry, and was one of the founding members of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, serving on their board for many years. He was also a longstanding board member of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, more, >click to read< 14:20
Captain Titus: Canadian fisherman’s Twitter tweets a rare glimpse of a hard life in the North Atlantic
From the outset, the captain’s social media strategy has been to post photos and see what happens. What has happened, in the eight years since his first tweet, is a master Canadian mariner has offered a rare, real-time glimpse into what life is like, say, in the dead of winter on a boat in mountainous seas several hundred kilometres off the coast of Labrador. Or what it is like to be bumping through the ice between Baffin Island and Greenland aboard the Mersey Phoenix, a 70-metre vessel with 30 crew and a quarry, Pandalus borealis/ photos, >click to read< visit https://twitter.com/shrimpfisherman 08:05
Matt Becker, One of the Most Gifted Fisherman-Surfers You’ll Ever Meet
He’s young, gifted in riding big waves, and he’s in tune with the ways of the world. Mostly because he’s spent his early adult life as a fisherman, taking to the family business he learned from his father growing up in Santa Barbara. In fact, he’s probably one of the best professional surfers who also doubles as a professional fisherman in the world today. He might be the only one. “When I was young I was thinking I wasn’t going to be a fisherman, but I got older and met all these interesting people.” Video, and a great interview! >click to read< 19:59
Prayer service held for missing newly married fisherman William ‘Willie’ Whelan at Hook Lighthouse as search continues
A prayer service for a newly married missing fisherman was held at Hook Lighthouse as the search for him continues. William ‘Willie’ Whelan, 41, from Saltmills, Co Wexford, disappeared when his trawler, the Alize, a 11.7 metre steel-hulled vessel, sank off Hook Head eight days ago at around 10.45pm. A second fisherman, who died in hospital after being rescued, was Joe Sinnott, 65, from Kilmore Quay, was laid to rest last week. >click to read< 12:28
A graveside service will be held at Soule Cemetery, Saturday, for F.G. Gibbs
Floyd Guy “F.G.” Gibbs, Jr., 66, of Engelhard, died, Tuesday, January 7, 2020. F.G. was born in Beaufort County, October 21, 1953 to the late Floyd Guy, Sr. and Nina Way Cuthrell Gibbs. He was married to the former Beverly Hodges who survives. F.G. worked as a commercial fisherman and was the owner and captain of the vessel Papa’s Girl. A graveside service will be held at Soule Cemetery, Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the online fundraiser for the families here, https://tinyurl.com/PapasGirl >click to read< 08:44
A commercial fisherman, Stephen E. McCullough, passes away
Stephen E. McCullough, 48 of Cape May, New Jersey, passed away on Thursday, January 2, 2020 after an extended illness. With a passion for being on the water, Steve worked as a commercial fisherman since his teenage years. Steve is dearly missed and forever loved by his family. Steve’s family will receive friends from 10am until 11am on Thursday, Jan. 9th, at the Spilker Funeral Home in Cape May. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested through “In Memory Of” online at www.inmemof.org/steve-mccullough – These funds, in honor of Steve, will be distributed by Steve’s family to a future distressed family (or families) within the commercial fishing industry. >click to read< 07:18
Commercial Fisherman James Wallace “JW” Cicchitti, 33, of Cape May has passed away
James Wallace “JW”Cicchitti , – 33, of Cape May passed away on December 20, 2019. JW truly was a “jack of all trades” but his true passion regarding his working career was fishing, he worked on his father’s fishing boats from the time he could walk and later became a commercial fisherman. He not only went fishing for work but also for fun. He had a passion for the water whether he was working on it or just enjoying the view. He had the biggest heart and kindest soul; he loved his family more than anything and spent his life trying to do his best for them. >click to read< 07:56
Randy Babich has been fishing Puget Sound and southeast Alaska for 54 years. A lot has changed in that time.
The Paragon is a 56-foot commercial purse seiner moored at Longbranch Marina, a seagoing workhorse that dwarfs the pleasure boats around it. “I was going to be a dentist,” said the owner, Randy Babich, who just turned 70. “I went through pre-med, pre-dent. My dad always said, ‘Get into a profession.’ ” Babich grew up in Gig Harbor and “got into fishing because my family was into fishing,” >click to read< 07:16
Hawke’s Bay commercial fisherman Karl Warr wants the public to see the job for what it is.
He’s installed a camera on board his boat to live stream what he’s doing to a website. “Personally it’s about, you know, showing the provenance of the product to our customers so rather than me tell them how it is, it’s right there on film to have a look yourself.” He’s broadcasting his methods to the world. Even his bycatch, the species he doesn’t intend to take, will be seen. It’s a risk he’s willing to take. Video, >click to read< 14:32
Drowned Fisherman’s Mom: ‘I Want To Know What Happened To My Son’
Services have been set for the young commercial fisherman who died Monday off the coast of Montauk. Justin Charles Zinno, 26, of Narragansett, Rhode Island, passed away unexpectedly on, October 14, his obituary said. Born in South Kingstown, he was the loving son of Karen Darke and Charles Zinno and his wife Emmeline (Westcott) Zinno. Justin was a hardworking commercial fisherman working beside his father and brother his whole life, his family said. Please >click here for services details, and the rest of the story< In lieu of flowers donations in Justin’s name may be made to the Pt. Judith Fisherman’s Scholarship Fund, PO Box 386, Narragansett, RI, 02882.
North Carolina’s First Lady pays visit to hurting fishermen
It’s been a difficult year for commercial fisherman Down East which is why Crystal Coast Waterkeeper hosted First Lady Kristin Cooper in Harkers Island Saturday, Cooper was able to see first hand the struggles many commercial fisherman are facing as a result of Hurricane Florence. “Everything that goes in upstream is eventually going to come down here and it’s impacting the environment and the water quality in this area,” says Crystal Waterkeeper Larry Baldwin. Because of Hurricane Florence’s impact on water quality and commercial fishing, the industry, economy, and many communities are now suffering. Video, >click to read< 08:06
Nation’s first mega-offshore wind project stalled for additional study
On most afternoons in Point Judith, Rhode Island, commercial fisherman Brian Loftus steers his trawler back into port after a 12-hour day. Loftus unloaded some 1,500 pounds of whiting, scup, skate and squid. Estimated revenue: $3,000. Loftus has fished for three decades here, but to him there’s a looming problem: Offshore wind developers plan to plop turbines more than 70 stories high into his fishing grounds. >click to read< 08:46
Commercial Fisherman Sentenced in Federal Court for Assault with Intent to Murder
Christopher Shane Dreiling was sentenced in federal court on two counts of assault with intent to murder within the special maritime jurisdiction of the United States. Dreiling received a thirty year prison sentence, consisting of fifteen years on each count of assault to run consecutive to each other. At trial, a jury found that at dusk on August 20, 2017, Dreiling attacked the captain and another crew member of the Billy B. a commercial fishing vessel. After stabbing both victims multiple times with a fillet knife, Dreiling forced the victims off the boat and into the Gulf of Mexico >click to read< Original December 5, 2018 post, >click to read< 12:22
Commercial Fisherman John Christian “Chris” Strawser
John Christian “Chris” Strawser, 64, of Glen Rock, Pa., formerly of Wanchese, NC, passed away Wednesday, June 19, 2019, doing what he loved, aboard the longline fishing vessel, Alexandra Dawn.,,, He attended the United States Military Academy West Point and the University of Maryland. Mating on the F/V Lollypop with Captain Chick Craddock, Chris fell in love with fishing and the sea. When Captain Chick retired and sold the boat, Chris determined to attain his own commercial fishing boat, and name it the F/V Lollipop,,, Chris left behind his best friend, soulmate and beloved wife of 20 years, Marilyn Strawser. Other survivors include his four daughters >click to read<21:28
GoFundMe Established For Gravely Injured Hampton Bays Man
Matthew Raynor, 29, and a resident of Hampton Bays, was gravely injured in a diving accident doing just that near Towd Point in North Sea. Matthew is a commercial fisherman, clammer, bayman, world traveler and photographer. According to Jonathan, his older brother by four years, “Matthew is a devotee of nature and is more comfortable and connected outdoors than indoors.” The accident occurred on April 18,,, >click to read<19:34
Jonathan established a GoFundMe page, Help Matthew Raynor recover from a spinal injury. >click here< and please donate if you can.
