Tag Archives: commercial fishermen
New York: Wind farm’s fish monitors irk fishermen
East-End fishermen expressing outrage over a fish-monitoring program funded by a wind-farm conglomerate that may end up leaving more than 40 large concrete blocks on the ocean floor in vital fishing grounds. A research boat was working off the coast near Wainscott Thursday to collect data and install new monitoring devices that are smaller and longer lasting than those installed just over a year ago. However, no plans have been developed to remove the 500-pound anchors for the older devices,,, Fishermen say Orsted has ignored their pleas to leave monitors out of crucial fishing grounds and to remove the 500-pound blocks. >click to read< 11:36
Fishermen urge Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to revisit regulations
Several local commercial fishermen have asked the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to reconsider Columbia River fishing regulations. During the public forum section of the commission’s meeting in Astoria on Friday, commercial fishermen and those connected with the industry asked the commission to revisit gillnetting regulations and salmon buyback options. Jim Coleman, a fisherman from St. Helens, asked commissioners to add gillnetting to a future agenda or to work with Washington state to ensure the option of a 6-inch gillnet in the fall. “The gillnet-caught Copper River King salmon is flown from Alaska to Seattle on a chartered jet with great fanfare, demanding $70 to $80 a pound, while commercial fishing on the Columbia River is a political football,” >click to read< 12:18
National research on commercial fishermen’s sleep schedules to include Alaska gillnetters
Researchers from New York state were in Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Cordova last week gathering information on salmon gillnetters as part of their study on sleep deprivation. The research organization is the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety. It’s a non-profit that’s funded through the Centers for Disease Control to come up with solutions for work related issues with fishermen, farmers, and forestry workers. Currently, they are working on the relationship between commercial fishermen’s sleep and health. The research team is on the tail end of their data gathering. They’ve already gathered information from scallop fishermen in Massachusetts, Dungeness fishermen in Oregon, and salmon gillnetters in Alaska. >click to read< 11:18
California takes step toward first offshore wind farm
The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to pave the way for the West Coast’s first offshore wind farm that if ultimately approved and built would occupy roughly 206 square miles of ocean about 20 miles west of the town of Eureka, Calif. “This is truly historic,” said commission chair Donne Brownsey just before the unanimous vote was taken. Not everyone agrees. Specifically, commercial fishermen said the waters off of Eureka are some of the most valuable on the entire West Coast and cordoning more than 200 square miles will have a dramatic impact on their business. >click to read< 11:44
How to Be a Paid Extra in New Bedford-Based Movie ‘Finestkind’
In between major stories about the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge getting a redesign and parking at the Noah’s Place Playground remaining free for another summer, the Paramount Pictures film Finestkind is quietly staying in the headlines here on the SouthCoast Finestkind is, in fact, looking for some local people to help fill in some busier scenes. The movie’s casting agency is accepting submissions. In part, Kendall Cooper Casting is looking for authentic New Bedford-area fishermen with real-life experience. The post asks for “experienced commercial fishermen and local New Bedford people of all ethnicities who are interested in working as extras on the film. >click to read< and access the “Extra” sign up page. Best of luck. Remember us when you hit it big! 13:04
Mississippi: Fishing industry focuses on new fisheries, education
Environmental disasters, global markets, strict fishing regulations and the increasing average age of working fishers is bearing down on the industry, threatening its long-term viability. These factors have Ryan Bradley concerned for the future of the Mississippi fishing industry. So, he is taking action to help fishers stay in the industry and draw young people to the business. “This is a proud industry. We work hard. But it is a high-stress profession, and you have to be a thick-skinned person to do this job,” said Bradley, who is a fifth-generation commercial fisherman and executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the common interests of the state’s fishermen, fishing industry and seafood consumers. >click to read< 19:06
Copper River Seafoods not buying Cook Inlet salmon amid declining harvests
Another seafood processor is moving out of Kenai this salmon season. Copper River Seafoods is ending its run in the old Snug Harbor Seafood plant, leaving one major salmon processor in the area but promising the addition of a new company soon. Processors like Copper River buy catch from commercial fishermen and bring that catch to market. As commercial fishermen have dealt with declining salmon runs and management changes, processors from Kenai to Homer have left, too, leaving fishermen with fewer options. >click to read< 08:53
Fishermen Land $20 Million in Dungeness Crab in Crescent City, $51.1 million statewide
It’s not quite as high as the $40 million in crab the Crescent City Harbormaster reported Tuesday, but it’s a significant improvement from last year when local fishermen landed roughly $1.7 million worth of crab at Citizens Dock,,, Commercial fishermen statewide have landed $51.1 million worth of Dungeness crab as of Feb. 28, Juhasz said, though that is subject to change. Harbor Commissioner Rick Shepherd, who is also president of the Del Norte Commercial Fishermans Marketing Association, said the high price he and other fishermen are receiving for their catch is due to a high demand in crab. Shepherd said he did have concerns about crab caught in California but winds up being brought ashore in Brookings, Oregon. >click to read< 16:45
What is the payment for a life of sacrifice? Working at sea is not as profitable as before
In the instability of the ship, he sinks into longing. In the one that evokes family, friends… Maybe he won’t get back in time to see the birth of his son, or the wedding of his sister, who before leaving to the tide already had promised. The work to be done on board brings his thoughts back to the reality of the ship at a stroke. But only temporarily. Insomnia in his break time, caused by the need to be alert at all times, will bring those ideas back to his head, just thinking about being able to catch a good catch to bring his family as much money as possible, and that his sacrifice has meaning. >click to read< 09:20
As lobster population booms off Canada, tensions rise between Indigenous and commercial fishermen
Under the close watch of federal officers on surrounding patrol vessels, Robert Sack navigated his old boat toward his clandestine traps in the cold waters that his people have fished for centuries, expecting to be arrested at any moment.,, Each trap had a special tag belonging to their band of the Indigenous Mi’kmaw people, who insist that a 269-year-old treaty grants them the right to fish when and how they want. But the government has rejected their assertion, and officers have seized their traps, confiscated their boats, and even arrested some of their fishermen. >click to read< 07>14
Commercial fishermen call for a fishing boat wharf accessible to the community
Commercial fishing operators say they’re “getting pushed out” of Devonport with nowhere to dock their boats after the last available berth is taken away to make way for King Island supply ship John Duigan. That’s according to Coastal fishing industry icons Peter Rockliff and Stuart Richey, who say TasPorts sent an email to Mr Richey two days ago informing of the loss of the only berth in Devonport they can use. “We berth our fishing boats where there’s a gap, and soon we won’t have anywhere,” Mr Rockliff said. >click to read< 08:40
Sanctuaries aren’t working
One of the things I am not seeing in the discussion over a new marine sanctuary off our coast is how well are the ones we have working? As written by Lori French, “Unnecessary protection, there are four national marine sanctuaries designated in California since 1980. Also, there are 124 state marine protected areas, reserves and preserves, plus another five rock fish conservation areas. From the point of view of fishermen, all of this coverage is not producing more fish. The promised “spillover affect” hasn’t worked. So what is the answer from government and environmentalists? >click to read< 14:00 By Steve Rebuck
Young skippers and crew take over two whitefish trawlers
Skipper Ben Irvine, Owen Dougan, Gordon Smith, Louis Polson, and LHD, have bought the F/V Sedulous from John Wishart. She has been renamed F/V Comrades. Meanwhile., skipper Robbie Jamieson, Richard Whelan, James Shearer, Ross Sutherland, Tom Jamieson, and Magnus Polson, have bought the F/V Defiant from Gordon Irvine. “A lot of the older generation of fishermen are retiring and it’s really fine to see young guys taking it on. It’ll be a fresh start, but we have a lot to learn. >click to read< 08:34
Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary – Unnecessary protection
Currently there are five National Marine Sanctuaries off the West Coast, four of which are located off the coast of California. California also has 124 Marine Protected Areas with an additional five Groundfish Conservation Areas. Here on the Central Coast, the waters off of Diablo Canyon Power Plant and Vandenberg Space Force Base are restricted and hinder our ability to provide you with fresh seafood sustainably harvested. Another protected area is just not needed off the Central Coast. We must also be cognizant that jobs may be lost as a result of the sanctuary’s designation. >click to read< 15:01 By Lori French
Hearts broken and fears realized when the Saulis crew didn’t come home – A Year Later
Dec. 15 marks the one-year anniversary of the sinking of F/V Chief William Saulis scallop vessel, a tragedy that took the lives of six men and forever changed the lives of so many more. We still think about the crew. We still think about their families. We still think about the fishing communities that are deeply touched and heartbroken when those who make their living on the water do not come back home. Those aboard were Capt. Charles Roberts, Aaron Cogswell, Daniel Forbes, Michael Drake, Geno Francis and Leonard Gabriel. It was reported there had been no distress call made. photos, >click to read< 17:59 By Tina Comeau
Veteran harvester speaks on the joys, challenges of fisheries
Theresa Peterson decided to take a chance getting a job at a seafood cannery in Alaska for the summer. She figured that because she hates the cold, she would never go back again. That first summer she ended up in Homer, where she fell in love with the wilderness beauty of Kachemak Bay. She decided working the slime line in a cold, noisy metal building on the Homer spit was not for her. She got work on a shrimp boast trawling in Kachemak Bay and realized she had found a beautiful wilderness where she could make a living. “Little did I know I just made a career choice,” >click to read< 10:59
Westerly Town Council seeks input on marina property – Fishermen weigh in.
The Town Council will accept input from members of the Planning Board and the Economic Development Commission as it prepares for a new contract for use of town-owned waterfront property on Margin Street. The council also heard from two commercial fishermen on Monday. The council also heard from two commercial fishermen on Monday. Some fishermen who live in the town lease space from commercial marinas, and others like himself, work out of other towns, including Stonington, said Josiah Dodge. Space in a public facility would allow fishermen to sell their catch directly and provide service to local restaurants, Dodge said. Jason Jarvis, who also lives in the town and works as a commercial fisherman, asked town officials to have a conversation with the fishermen. >click to read< 08:08
Jean Lafitte-area fishermen struggle with wrecked boats, lost businesses and lots of mud
When Hurricane Ida blew through lower Jefferson Parish in late August, it brought wind, rain and surge. What it left behind was mud,,, Larry Helmer, 70, who’s been fishing local waters his whole life, can’t get either of his boats out from where they’re docked at his home on Anthony Lane in Barataria. “If I can’t get out on my boat, I can’t go fish, and at my age, I can’t go on no job hunt,” he said, chuckling ruefully. Helmer’s son, who lives two canals away, is in the same position. “He can’t even go to work. His boat is just about on bottom,” Helmer said. “It’s terrible, man — it’s just terrible. The mud from this hurricane just filled these canals in.” >click to read< 07:36
U.S. Coast Guard urges safety, preparedness for upcoming Oregon Dungeness crab season
The Coast Guard urges commercial fishermen to ensure vessel safety to prevent maritime emergencies before the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season scheduled to begin Sunday with the Pre-Soak.,, The Coast Guard will notify the public of bar restrictions and bar closures via a Broadcast Notice to Mariners on VHF-FM channel 16 and 22A. Monitoring cameras and associated websites prior to setting out to sea may provide mariners with additional information in certain locations. The Coast Guard reminds all commercial fishermen that prior to crossing a restricted bar between sunset and sunrise, they must notify the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16 or 22A,,, >click to read< 18:55
Sussex RNLI remember F/V Joanna C tragedy on first anniversary
38-year-old Robert Morley and 26-year-old Adam Harper drowned when their boat sank on the 21st of November 2020. The captain of the boat, Dave Bickerstaff, was pulled from the water after he was found clinging to a lifebuoy. The 45ft scalloping boat put out an emergency distress beacon at around 6am, with two RNLI lifeboats and a helicopter joining the search, which at one point involved 17 vessels and was one of the largest ever undertaken on the Newhaven coast. photos, >click to read<08:11
Oregon: Dungeness crab season starts Dec.1!
It’s the first time in seven years that the season has not been delayed by low meat yields, high levels of domoic acid, or both.,, But the scheduled opening has been delayed in recent years. In some years, parts of the coast have remained closed into late January. This year, commercial crab vessels can set gear Nov. 28, and begin pulling pots on Dec. 1. >click to read< 07:37
Jim Kendall – Finding Common Ground
With regard to the letter from Sam Novello posted on Fisherynation.com, Finding Common Ground off to a Bad Start, he very eloquently laid out some of the faults, errors, and out and out incompetence of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center with respect to their continued mismanagement of the Northeast fisheries stock assessments. I know from past work and associations with the NEFSC that this has been going on for so long that they likely now believe their own Mantra about their science being the best (and only way) in which to compile the NE groundfish stock assessment. Unfortunately groundfish is not their only problematic stock assessment. >click to read< 16:32
Finding Common Ground Off to a bad start
The opinion piece “Finding common ground on fisheries data”, reflects the biggest impediment to solving the problems it addresses – lots of false assumptions. First and foremost is blaming reductions in survey fish stocks on “overfishing”. Yes, overfishing did occur when massive, mostly foreign, commercial fishing operations scooped up fish stocks indiscriminately, often purging the bottom of everything needed to sustain acquatic life. But this was not done by the small boats of the New England fishing communities, which now, after thirty years of draconian restrictions, are no longer capable of catching enough fish to sustain their boats and their families — never mind “overfishing”. >click to read<, Capt. Salvatore “Sam” Novello, Gloucester, Mass. 08:30
Groundfish Trawl Task Force – Finding common ground on fisheries data
Building consensus between commercial fishermen, conservationists and marine regulators is no easy task. But a long, patient effort led by Congressman Seth Moulton’s office seems to be making progress,,, For years, NOAA has relied on data from two research trawlers. The Albatross IV was used between 1963 and 2008, and the Bigelow since then. NOAA currently combines data from both vessels when making regulatory decisions. That is despite the often-flawed data supplied by the Albatross IV over the years. The Albatross IV was at the center of the “Trawlgate” controversy of the early 2000s, when NOAA scientists had to concede the trawler used the wrong nets, likely missing hundreds of thousands of fish. Yet regulators stood by that data to set low catch limits based on the admittedly flawed numbers. >click to read< 10:25
Southeast Alaska commercial salmon harvest 4 times higher than last year
Commercial fishermen in Southeast harvested 58 million salmon across the five species this year: almost 7 million chum salmon; 48 million pinks; 1.5 million coho; 1.1 million sockeye and 216,000 king salmon. That’s a marked improvement in harvest for every species. Even the embattled Southeast king salmon had a commercial harvest increase of more than 16,000 fish. In total, commercial salmon fishermen in the region caught and sold 44 million more salmon than last year. Even taking into account the odd-year pink salmon peaks, this year’s pink salmon harvest was more than double 2019’s Southeast Alaska pink salmon catch. >click to read< 19:10
Moulton’s Trawl Task Force wins $500K to count groundfish
“When I took office, I was told I had to make a choice: stand with the fishermen or the environmentalists. I thought that was crazy because both want, and fishermen need a sustainable fishery. So instead, we rallied both groups around getting better science, and that is exactly what this historic partnership has produced,” Moulton said in a prepared statement. “This work will protect the livelihoods of thousands of people, it will protect our ocean, and it will preserve New England’s identity as a place where people can make a living fishing.” >click to read< 08:44
Amid Hamptons Mansions, East End Fishermen Beat On Against The Tide
On Gosman’s dock in Montauk, seagulls hovering above, I was greeted by the smells of gasoline and fish as I walked on the worn, white-speckled planks. The water looked invitingly blue, and a group of fishermen were readying their vessel for a day’s work. One of the fishermen and I exchanged nods. A cigarette hung from his lips and he wore heavy work gloves, thick orange waders with suspenders and a greasy baseball cap. The romanticized life of Montauk fisherman seeped into my head,,, >click to read< 10:48
Hurricane Ida: Float the Boat Program offers help to local commercial fishermen
The Helio Foundation, a local community service group that has provided monetary support and other resources for residents down the bayou in Terrebonne Parish, is expanding their efforts with the Float the Boat Program. The program aims to provide monetary assistance for independent commercial fishermen in need of assistance with a boat that was sunk or needs to be moved in Terrebonne Parish due to Hurricane Ida. >click to read< 11:12
Florida Keys commercial fishermen caught with over 100 undersized lobsters
Three commercial fishermen working in the Florida Keys are facing felony conservation charges after state wildlife officers say they caught them with almost 130 undersized wrung spiny lobster tails on their boat Saturday night. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers said they caught the men as they were selling their catch to a fish house owner near Coral Key in the Middle Keys around 6 p.m. The men were still being held in Monroe County jail Monday night on a bond of $50,550 each. >click to read< 10:03
Where to, struggling small-scale fishers? – “Fishing communities are in crisis”
Ousted from their homes in District 6 during the apartheid era, many of South Africa’s fishing families were re-located to places like Saldanha, Gansbaai and Kalk Bay to continue their craft. One such family were the Fortunes, now headed by Ishmael Fortune, a third generation fisherman,,, Up until 1994, quota systems regulated who got what, with expensive resources set as a condition on which allocation rights would be distributed. On September 1, 1998, the Marine Living Resources Act came into operation. Although having the right intentions, several contestable issues were highlighted, like a “balance between the rights of the individual rights-holder and those of the State.” >click to read< 12:27
