After two seasons of navigating turbulent waters, there is a sense of hope that the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery can finally sail into calmer conditions in April 2024. There was certainly no shortage of conflict on many fronts in 2024, despite efforts to get past some of the tensions that plagued the 2023 season. The provincial government had to step in and help resolve a tie-up by snow crab harvesters in the spring of 2023 that led to a six-week delay to the traditional start of the fishing season. The government formed a committee tasked with finding a better way to settle snow crab pricing, but even its recommendations failed to prevent another disagreement that led to another delayed start in April 2024. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:01
Tag Archives: commercial fishing industry
Environmentalists Outraged Over Hochul’s Horseshoe Crab Bill Veto
Environmentalists are outraged over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent decision to veto the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs from New York waters. The legislation would have allowed the populations to recover and ensured the survival of the important species, advocated said. In her veto message, Hochul wrote: “This bill would prohibit the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial or biomedical purposes and also extend the authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to manage crabs.” Also, Hochul said: “This bill could have unintended consequences on the management of other species such as whelk and eel and could harm the commercial fishing industry and impair advancements in the biomedical field. While this bill is well-intentioned, the management of marine species is better left to the experts at DEC.” Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:31
‘Hollow words won’t protect Scottish fishing, industry chief warns
Offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the prime minister’s ambitions to “reset” relations between the UK and European Union are major dangers for the sector, they say. And they want politicians in Edinburgh, London and further afield to “radically rethink” their approach to the sector. Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) chief executive Elspeth Macdonald outlined these concerns in her new year message to ministers and civil servants “across the UK and beyond”. She said a widespread sense of crisis had spawned a bout of “initiative-itis” by the Scottish and UK governments. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:49
John DeMont: The magic of Christmas is the people who make it happen
I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there is something magical about Christmas. The magic, in part, is that it somehow happens every year in our house with no discernible help from me. I say this with shame, not pride. Yet, in some ways, it is for the best. The gift giving — which requires a razor’s edge balance of taste, pragmatism and good will — falls, for good reason, as lightly as a snowflake upon my shoulders. At this point, a thought often occurs to me similar to the one passing through my mind when I head downstairs on Christmas morning: that for this magic to occur, extraordinary people must do remarkable things. In the case of the fisher folk, they must rise in the dark and don layers of clothes. They must drive to a wharf, then they must steam kilometres out on the wild Atlantic Ocean, where they then will hoist up traps from the depths. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:22
Cod is king in Portugal at Christmas
Salt cod has long been a national staple in Portugal, where it is said there are as many recipes for this humble fish as there are days in the year. And at Christmas the dried and salted fish is central to meals at family gatherings in Portugal, the world’s biggest consumer of “bacalhau” as it is called here, just as turkey is at Thanksgiving in the United States. The most traditional way to prepare salt cod is to bake it in the oven and serve it with boiled potatoes. But it can also be grilled, turned into fritters or even used to replace meat in a lasagna. When I’m asked to come up with a menu for Christmas, I am bound to suggest a salt cod recipe,” said chef Ricardo Simoes of the Federico restaurant located at a luxury hotel in central Lisbon. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
A new purse seiner from Galicia for Angola
F/V Delta II is already in its home port of Namibe in Angola. It arrived there from Galicia – specifically from the small town of Catoira. This village of only 3300 inhabitants is home to Astilleros del Ulla, a small company focused on building vesels for export. The new purse seiner has a length of 23.95 metres in length and an 8-metre beam, designed to meet Angolan regulations which set limitations on the length and capacity of fishing vessels. Photos, information, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
Pacific Seafood Completes Acquisition of Trident’s Kodiak Operations
Pacific Seafood and Trident Seafoods today jointly announced the completion of Pacific’s acquisition of Trident’s Kodiak, Alaska, processing operations. The acquisition includes three well-established processing plants—Star of Kodiak, Alkod, and Kodiak Near Island—as well as the Plaza bunkhouse apartments for team member housing. Trident’s Kodiak team members will be retained by Pacific Seafood, ensuring continuity and stability for the team and the local community. “Kodiak is home to some of the most abundant and sustainable fisheries in the world, and we are honored to partner with our new, very talented team members, the fleet and the community to unlock new opportunities for this region,” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:27
One Morro Bay Wind Energy project leaseholder to pause surveying
Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President Jeremiah O’Brien says his organization recently received a call from a liaison to the Atlas Wind project by Equinor. “They’re pulling back on the whole operation, and they said they might be here in 2026 or 2027,” O’Brien said. Equinor told KSBY a decision was made this summer to prioritize more advanced projects along the East Coast and for the time being, they are pausing surveying of the project. “It’s the best news we’ve had in the last few years,” O’Brien said. “Fishermen can’t fish in an area that’s been occupied by wind,” O’Brien said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:20
Worcester launches plan to buy Ocean City fishing harbor seafood businesses, block US Wind
The Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday launched what they’re hailing as “efforts to purchase two properties located in the West Ocean City (WOC) commercial maritime harbor to protect the county’s historic commercial and sport fishing industries.” Here’s what to know. These sites, which Commissioners said house the only two commercial seafood wholesalers where watermen can offload and sell their catches, are the Southern Connection Seafood and the Martin Fish Company properties. Plans for the two properties include developing a long-term lease with the existing owners to allow them to continue serving the needs of the commercial fishing industry, according to a commissioner’s release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:28
Worcester County to Use Eminent Domain on Seafood Properties Tapped by US Wind
Worcester County Commissioners have announced plans to use eminent domain to prevent US Wind from purchasing two seafood wholesale properties in West Ocean City’s commercial maritime harbor. The move comes as US Wind’s parent company, Renexia SpA, looked to demolish the harbor’s only commercial seafood wholesalers, Southern Connection Seafood and the Martin Fish Company, according to a press release. Commissioners cited several reasons for taking action, including the commercial fishing industry’s impact on the regional economy and federal fishery catch quotas which require unloading in a Maryland port. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:24
Newfoundland and Labrador: Fishing industry participants hope a ‘sea change’ in 2025
After two seasons of navigating turbulent waters, there is a sense of hope that the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery can finally sail into calmer conditions in April 2024. There was certainly no shortage of conflict on many fronts in 2024, despite efforts to get past some of the tensions that plagued the 2023 season. The provincial government had to step in and help resolve a tie-up by snow crab harvesters in the spring of 2023 that led to a six-week delay to the traditional start of the fishing season. The government formed a committee tasked with finding a better way to settle snow crab pricing, but even its recommendations failed to prevent another disagreement that led to another delayed start in April 2024. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:01
BOEM releases potential impacts from offshore wind farm in draft environmental impact statement
The area proposed for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Project is located 20 miles offshore and encompasses around 376 square miles. It lists air pollution from boats, construction, and equipment as one potential impact of the development. That’s a concern for the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization. “There will be little left for the fishing industry and also all of the ships’ traffic and debris,” said Jeremiah O’Brien, Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President. O’Brien has other concerns with the report also citing an increased risk of injury or death to marine mammals due to vessel strikes and disturbances from underwater noise during construction. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:31
Fishing industry challenges from windfarms
Fishing in Dumfries and Galloway faces challenges because offshore windfarms are risking “squeezing out” the sector, according to the region’s MP. Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper raised the issue in Westminster last week, highlighting how floating offshore wind is just one of the sectors affecting the fishing industry. This is because you cannot fish between offshore turbines, and their seabed infrastructure is another impediment. During a Westminster Hall debate on fishing, he praised the vital contribution of fishing – mainly centred largely on scallops, lobster and crab worth millions – to coastal communities across Dumfries and Galloway. He said: “Fisherman are criticised as voracious plunderers – when really they are cautious custodians of the sea. “It took sterling work from my colleague Finlay Carson MSP to stave off the threat of the loss of livelihood for static gear fishermen along the Solway Coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
“THE FISH THIEF: A Great Lakes Mystery”
“THE FISH THIEF,” narrated by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons, delves into the extraordinary effort to uncover the cause of a devastating environmental crisis. Was it overfishing, pollutants, or something else? Scientists on both sides of the border worked tirelessly to solve the mystery. In a dramatic eleventh-hour breakthrough, they discovered the true culprit: the invasive sea lamprey. This notorious predator arrived in the Great Lakes in the early twentieth century, triggering an ecological crisis and nearly wiping out populations of lake trout, whitefish, and other cornerstone species. The impact reverberated across the region, ruining local industries, damaging small town economies and indigenous communities, and destroying the livelihoods of people on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border. A dedicated group of international scientists, policymakers, and conservationists banded together in a race against time to address this ecological invasion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:42
Fishermen celebrate Trump: ‘Government has crucified this industry’
He didn’t win New Bedford, where Vice President Kamala Harris held a margin of 2,688 votes. But the city’s fishermen have dug in with their support for the president-elect. Fishermen on the New Bedford waterfront met the news of a second Trump term with vengeful enthusiasm on Wednesday morning. There was hope that the president-elect would scale back regulation, stop offshore wind development and open new fishing grounds, breaking the slump of declining revenues and ushering in a period of relative prosperity for the industry. “The government has crucified this industry,” said Ryan Turner, 47, who on Wednesday morning was preparing to leave on a scallop trip. He said this election was the first in which he had ever cast his vote. Between Harris and Trump, he said, “I didn’t like either one. I voted because we needed someone in office who is going to get rid of these windmills.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:17
‘A friend to everybody’: Sitka man killed in bear mauling remembered by colleagues
Tad Fujioka was an avid outdoorsman whose love of fishing led him to trade the engineering field for the commercial trolling one. But Fujioka, whose body was found Wednesday north of Sitka following search and rescue efforts, the victim of a bear mauling, is being remembered less for what he did and more for the type of person he was. “I mean, everybody that knew him, liked him,” said longtime friend and colleague, Norman Pillen, president of Seafood Producers Cooperative (SPC) in Sitka. Fujioka was the board chair for SPC and a big advocate for the commercial fishing industry. He was a strong family man and man of many talents, Pillen said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
Could offshore wind plan hurt scallop fishermen? New Bedford official has ‘grave concerns’
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr has “grave concern” for the scallop fishing industry in the face of a potential new call area to be leased out to offshore wind projects. The 13,476,805-acre area off of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, dubbed the “Central Atlantic 2” call area, encompasses a large portion of key scalloping grounds, Carr wrote. Scalloper Keith Uzzell, who’s fished out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for 16 years, says he and others that frequent fishing grounds around the northeast started noticing “more survey boats, more offshore wind vessel activity” around the same time they noticed an uptick in things like dead whale sightings and empty scallop shells. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
New Bedford Port Authority Expresses “Grave Concerns” Over BOEM’s Proposed Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Development Area
The New Bedford Port Authority (NBPA) has submitted a formal response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the recently proposed Central Atlantic 2 Call Area (Docket No. BOEM-2024-0040), raising significant concerns about its potential impact on the commercial fishing industry. As the nation’s most profitable fishing port and home to the first large-scale offshore wind marshaling port, New Bedford is deeply invested in both renewable energy development and the preservation of vital fishing grounds. “BOEM has painted with too broad a brush. As the port where the fishing and offshore wind industry intersect more than anywhere else, New Bedford is committed to the successful coexistence of both industries. We believe that the new Mid-Atlantic call areas must be cut back from existing scallop and other fishery access areas, which still would leave ample room for nearby states to achieve their offshore wind capacity goals,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:39
Bayou La Batre mayor hopes new label law causes consumers to demand locally-caught shrimp
The leader of the “Seafood Capital of Alabama” says imported shrimp is destroying Bayou La Batre’s economy. Mayor Henry Barnes says it’s gotten to the point that he questions how much longer the small fishing community can remain a city. He says tax revenue is down 40%-50%. “I’m probably the last mayor because the way it looks, the city’s dying. We’ll probably wind up under the county if it keeps going like it’s going,” said Barnes. The flood of foreign seafood gained attention this week when a third-party commercial seafood consulting company, SeaD, said only one out of five vendors tested at the recent shrimp festival in Gulf Shores was selling Gulf wild-caught shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:46
Australian rock lobster will soon be exported to China again — here’s what it means for the industry and consumers
China’s ban on Australian rock lobsters is expected to be lifted by the end of the year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. Rock lobster fishers say China is “by far” their biggest market and the impact on coastal WA communities will be significant. However, it could mean Australians will end up paying more for the prized delicacy once exports resume. Australian rock lobster fishers soon will be able to export their prized catches to China again, after four years out in the cold. The welcome development was announced yesterday following a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vietnam. Exports are expected to resume by the end of the year, in time for Chinese New Year in 2025. Here’s what it means for Australia. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:15
Navigating Alaska’s stormy seas
Norwegian fishermen settled in Petersburg in the 1800s, drawn to its ideal location for pursuing salmon, crab and halibut. Today, hundreds of vessels dock there, selling their catch to the town’s two major processors. These processors head and gut the fish before canning or freezing them for the journey to dinner tables across the world. One of these plants, built over a century ago, is the town’s largest private employer. Few know the industry better than Glorianne Wollen, a fisherman’s daughter who operates a large crab boat and serves as harbourmaster. From her small office, she has witnessed significant change over the years. “In the good old days, the town was alive with discussion,” Wollen recalls. “Everybody had a stake, everybody knew what was going on, and things happened in real-time.” That energy faded as boats grew larger and more efficient, requiring fewer crew members and leading to a more detached industry. Last year, however, the industry faced a crisis that even seasoned veterans struggled to recall. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16;20
“I am glad this auction has been canceled”: City of Brookings responds to BOEM wind energy plan delay
In response to the auction being postponed Brookings mayor Isaac Hodges said, “I’m happy that even a pause shows that there’ll hopefully be a little bit more input from the community to allow for a little bit more of our voices to be heard. There definitely was a lot of trust lost with the way that this was pushed forward.” His colleague on the Brookings City Council gave a statement, calling this a positive move for the city. “I am glad this auction has been canceled. There was very little local support for the offshore wind energy project – it was not cost effective, the impacts on recreational and commercial fishing were ignored by the federal government, along with the adverse impact on marine mammals, birds, shellfish and other wildlife. It is absurd the state and federal government ignored concerns about the impact on our way of life on the southern Oregon Coast. We would have been forced to see offshore wind mills day and night and would have had to deal with the environmental impacts of giant windmills washing up on our shoreline after major winter storms. The city of Brookings has opposed this project from the beginning. I am glad this has fallen apart now, instead of after major environmental and economic damage was done to our region.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
Editorial: Save commercial fishing industry
Commercial fishing operators working out of the harbor in West Ocean City have been cast adrift, as the push to build an offshore wind farm about 12 miles east of Ocean City has rolled over their concerns. As was noted in a meeting Tuesday between Department of Natural Resources officials and commercial fishing operators, the construction of a maintenance facility at the commercial harbor could leave the few boats still operating there without space to unload their catch. No one, outside of the fishing community itself, apparently thought of that problem and one suspects that the state and federal governments would advise members of that industry to produce their own solution, which they don’t have the resources to do. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:35
End of an era? Lahaina fire delivers big blow to already declining commercial fishing industry
The Lahaina Small Boat Harbor was like a second home for Donnell “Andy” Tate, who for decades served as its weighmaster. But those good old days memories of the harbor for Tate, now 73, are clouded by the fire of Aug. 8, 2023, when he fled his Lahaina Shores home with only his camera gear and could only watch from a distance through a black wall of smoke as the town, the harbor, most of the boats and his life as he knew it went up in flames. The commercial fisherman and sportfishing charter operations at the harbor had suffered during COVID-19, when Lahaina became a ghost town for more than six months, forcing some fishermen out of business or to move to bluer waters. But the fire — which badly damaged the 99-slip harbor, destroyed all but 13 boats and left the nearshore waters a mess, filled with oil and debris — has been an even bigger, and perhaps more permanent blow. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:02
Turbine blade fails on Dogger Bank installation
Reports of the failure of a 107m long wind turbine blade during commissioning of the Dogger Bank wind farm – the world’s largest – have been confirmed by the operators. They remain tight- lipped, however, about any detail of the incident. The blade was built by GE Vernova, and is of the same design as the one that failed spectacularly in the Vineyard Wind development off the east coast of the USA in July, where thousands of sharp fragments of the blade washed up on nearby tourist beaches, leading to them being closed for several days during an emergency clean-up. Last week’s incident on the Dogger Bank was the third for this particular type of blade in three months. An earlier failure at the same site in May was, said GE Vernova at the time, ‘the result of an installation failure’. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:44
New state report shows solid year for commercial fishing in Oregon, Lincoln County-based fleet
Oregon’s commercial fishing industry had a solid, if not record-breaking, year in 2023, according to a new report from the state Employment Department. Statistics covering everything from pounds of seafood landed, revenues from individual fisheries and total employment showed strong signs of at least keeping up with historical averages, said the report’s author, Shaun Barrick, a workforce economist for Lincoln, Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. “Typically, commercial fishing in Oregon is really a mixed bag because of how many species we target,” Barrick said. “But, as always, it’s hard to overstate how important it is for employment. And the cultural impact of fishing is huge.” Here are some numbers highlighting Barrick’s report. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:10
After 32 years of family ownership, Point Loma’s commercial fishing marina drifts toward a port takeover
Tom Driscoll’s commercial fishing wharf at the north eastern tip of America’s Cup Harbor in Point Loma is falling apart. The marina’s four, fixed piers — home to as many as 120 fishing boats in their prime — appear to be on the brink of collapse. The business model gave way long ago. The substandard conditions will remain suspended in time until the Port of San Diego assumes control of the facility at some future date. The agency is pushing Driscoll out of the marina that has held the family name for 32 years, but also forcing him to stay put for now. Port commissioners considered and rejected two formal redevelopment proposals from Driscoll, the first in 2017 and the other in 2022. Then, in late 2022, the agency declined to renew Driscoll’s lease, opting instead to move forward with its own takeover and redevelopment plan for what it’s now calling the Shelter Island Commercial Fishing Wharf. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
Scientists and Fishermen Agree About Uncertainty of Offshore Wind’s Impact
Newport’s Energy and Environment Commission hosted a panel discussion on Aug. 8, “The Effect of Climate Change and Offshore Wind on Fisheries and Ocean Ecosystems,” where representatives from NOAA, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, The Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, and the Kingston -based Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation responded to a series of prompts posed by commission Vice Chair Emily Conklin. A Q&A session followed, with about 60 people gathered at City Hall to participate. Many in attendance brought strong opinions both for and against the large- scale offshore wind development projects being built off the coast of Newport and Little Compton. Fred Mattera, a retired commercial fisherman who now serves as the president of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the executive director of the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, gave voice to some of the skepticism felt by local commercial fishermen about the nature and scale of offshore wind development in New England. “I’m tired of the deceitfulness and this driven agenda of ‘it has to be done yesterday,’” he said. “We don’t want to look at hydrogen, we don’t want to even consider nuclear, the cleanest and best way to do it, but it’s all going to be offshore wind.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:31
‘Huge disaster’: Historically weak pink salmon runs strain Alaska’s seine fishermen
Expectations were low this year for the pink salmon runs that power Prince William Sound’s commercial fishing industry. But no one expected them to be as bad as they’ve been. With just a few weeks left in the season, the sound’s seine fleet has harvested just one-fourth the number of pinks that it would have caught by now in a typical year. The small runs have forced 
managers to close fishing for longer periods than usual. And even during openers, fishermen are reporting abysmal harvests. Some have quit early. Others are thinking about new jobs.” It is incredibly slow,” said Megan Corazza, a Homer-based seine fisherman who has fished in the sound for more than two decades. “It is the worst year I have ever seen with my own operation.” It’s a big blow to an industry already reeling from a global market crisis that sent dock prices plummeting last year. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:31
A new Battle Between Worcester County and U.S. Wind
The offshore wind company is still moving forward with plans for a facility in the West Ocean City Harbor. County leaders have taken issue with this, because U.S. Wind’s desired location could uproot the commercial fishing industry. The packhouse at the end of the harbor allows commercial fisherman to make their living in West Ocean City. That packhouse however, sits on the property where U.S. plans on building a new facility. Dave Wilson with U.S. Wind told us on Wednesday, they didn’t find the property on their own. “We were approached by the two property owners at the harbor, we did not approach them they approached us, and we needed some space there,” said Wilson. Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said the size of that pier, in relation to U.S. Wind’s overall plans, makes him skeptical. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:17
This Florida fisherman worries about the industry’s future
Commercial fishing is vital to Florida’s culture and identity. Today, Florida fishermen like me land $209 million worth of fish and shellfish in dock-side value alone. The economic impact of the commercial fishing industry ripples up the supply chain generating $8.7 billion. Hundreds of millions of tourists travel to Florida to enjoy fresh seafood in the Sunshine State. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) “Status of the Stocks” report that was recently released would have you believe that everything is rosy. But let me tell you what’s really happening – what you don’t see in that federal report – from the perspective and experience of someone who makes a living on the water in the Gulf of Mexico. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
