Tag Archives: dredging
Do these Georgia waterways support “significant” commercial activity? A federal agency says no
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the agency hasn’t dredged nine Georgia waterways in decades – and there hasn’t been much impact as a result. So they’re considering asking Congress to de-authorize them from federal maintenance. But Georgia seafood harvesters and others say that’s not true. They argue that there’s plenty of commercial activity on Georgia’s smaller coastal waterways to justify keeping them authorized for future dredging. Charlie Phillips of Townsend, in northern McIntosh County, owns two seafood harvesting businesses, Phillips Seafood and Sapelo Sea Farms. “It’s going to need to be dredged sooner or later,” he said, noting that some areas on the Sapelo River already are troublesome for some boats at low tide. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:41
P.E.I. harbours face challenges with approach of lobster season
The spring lobster season on Prince Edward Island is just a few weeks away, but some harbours are facing challenges as Island fishermen prepare to head out and set their traps. At Malpeque Harbour, windy weather has slowed down efforts to clear the winding channel that they will take on setting day. “They’ve had a real hard time this year due to weather,” said fisherman Timothy Wall, who has been fishing for 30 years, following the occupation of his father and grandfather. “They’ve been on the site for two weeks already, and they can’t even get to the outside of the harbour, just the weather hasn’t been fit. Moving the harbour deeper into Malpeque Bay, where there is less moving sand, could be an option, said Wall, but there are no certain answers. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:12
Fishing group’s list of over 100 reports of incidents and concerns since 2021 marine die-offs
Since October 2021, fishermen have been battling for the region’s ecosystem after swathes of dead crabs, lobsters, and shellfish washed up on beaches. Environmentalists and fishermen fought for answers – with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs eventually launching a probe.While the initial Defra report said an algal bloom was the most likely cause, further investigations found that a “novel pathogen” was most likely to blame. Independent marine and university experts as well as the fishermen believed dredging on the Tees unearthed historical toxins leading to the mass die off – but this has also been ruled out by the authorities. Incident reports listed by the NEFC, and what a sad list it is, >click to read< 21:34
Fishing industry gets hooked up again after Santa Barbara harbor was closed by sand
With the weekend reopening of the Santa Barbara harbor, the fishing industry is getting back on schedule, and some are calculating losses. While weather conditions are always a variable, the sand blockade was said to be one of the biggest and fastest hits to the harbor entrance in recent memory. The commercial fishing industry saw many boats docked instead of out in the Santa Barbara Channel. Island Hooker boat owner Robert Church was asked about the harbor issues while working on his vessel in a harbor slip. “Nobody likes to see the sandbar shutting anyone out. There’s a lot of commercial fishermen in the harbor and it affects everybody who is a commercial fisherman.” >click to read< 07:53
Biologist’s concern as lobster eggs ‘turn to slime’ off Yorkshire coast
Joe Redfern, manager of Whitby Lobster Hatchery, said stress may have caused the lobsters to release eggs prematurely but “but nobody seems to really have a definite answer”. “It’s not something I’ve seen before. It’s not like anything any of the fishermen have seen before, which is concerning,” he said. Samples have been sent to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture for analysis, after the eggs were found in Whitby and Hartlepool. It comes almost a year after dead lobsters and crabs began washing ashore in Yorkshire and the North East, but Mr Redfern said he does not want to jump to conclusions and claim there is any link to the mass die off until the analysis has been completed. >click to read< 10:27
‘On its knees’ – Public meeting to look at how to support Hartlepool’s fishing industry
Councillors unanimously backed the move at the latest Hartlepool full council meeting, pledging to do all they can to support the sector after the mass deaths of crabs and lobsters in the area. The motion was raised by Labour’s Cllr Rachel Creevy, who highlighted how the region’s fishing industry has been decimated since the issue first occurred in autumn 2021. A Hartlepool fisherman invited to speak at the meeting said the industry is “part of their heritage” and their “lifetime’s work”. But they are now “desperate” with the “ecosystem wiped out”. >click to read< 10:55
Troubled waters: the forces behind the death of the Tees
The Tees Estuary is dying. Its demise the result of widespread contamination on the one hand, and a wilful mishandling of information on the other. There was mass crustacean die-off in September/October 2021, and there has been a resurgence of this in recent weeks. We have also received numerous reports of deaths of seal pups as well as porpoise. Those seal pups that have survived are seriously underweight. Dead crab and lobster have been washing up on beaches again. Razor clams that inhabit the shallow waters of estuary beaches are also reported to be affected. And the official response to these sobering facts currently appears to be a mixture of indifference, belligerence and denial. >click to read< 08:11
Dead seals turn up on North East beaches as dead crab mystery continues
It has been almost four months since reports first emerged of scores of crabs, lobsters and even octopuses being found dead on beaches stretching from Whitby to Hartlepool. Yet the investigating authorities appear to be no closer to identifying the cause despite extensive laboratory tests and studies. In recent weeks, dead seals have begun washing up on the region’s beaches though it is unclear whether this is linked to the crustacean wipeout in October. >click to read< 10:21
Dead crabs probe: Tees marine expert ‘99.9% sure dredging unearthing historical toxins to blame
A Teesside marine expert who has been following the probe into why piles of dead crustaceans washed up on Teesside’s beaches remains ‘99.9% sure’ dredging is to blame. David McCreadie, a retired senior lecturer in marine biology and oceanography, says he spotted a vessel dredging off Teesmouth at the end of September and then started to find dead lobsters and crabs on the South Gare near Redcar. The investigating authorities have already ruled out dredging,,, >click to read< 08:19
Malpeque harbour users vote in favour of new wharf at Cabot Shores
On Wednesday, July 8, Malpeque harbour users gathered in Summerside to hear proposed plans for a new wharf. Around 50 people attended the presentation given by Harbourside Consulting and MRSB, which was hosted by the Malpeque Harbour Authority before its annual general meeting. Most there were commercial fishers; some were members of the public. The navigational channel into Malpeque harbour, also called Malpeque Cove, is shallow and has needed near-constant dredging for decades. The shallow channel is dangerous for boats and their crews who risk running aground, swamping full of water or capsizing. >click to read< 08:09
Setting day challenging but ‘better than expected’ say Malpeque fishermen
Despite a two-week delay to P.E.I.’s fishing season because of COVID-19 and added dredging challenges, Malpeque Harbour was still bustling with fishermen on setting day. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans cautioned fishermen in Malpeque Harbour that the yearly dredging effort was still ongoing, as the dredger was unable to create a clear passage through the channel that leads from the harbour to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “After weeks of stress and sleepless nights, it went much better than expected,” said Justin Pickering, a captain who fishes from the harbour. “The wind let up last night and the dredger was able to get a little bit of a path cut through for us and we were the second boat out,” he said. >click to read< 08:13
Video: Millions in investment creating a boom in New Bedford Harbor
Millions of dollars are being invested in New Bedford Harbor and the result is expected to be hundreds of jobs. The port is already experiencing a boom.,, “We’re seeing double digit increases in commercial fishing vessels. “If we’re going to continue to grow as a commercial fishing port, we do need to get more dockage. Video, >click to read< 08:48
Hampton-Seabrook Harbor dredging begins – here’s why it’s vital
Work has begun on the dredging of the Hampton-Seabrook Harbor, a project local and state officials have said was urgently needed to protect the Seacoast’s fishing and seaside economy.,,, Keith Johnson of H&L Contracting, whose company is doing the work, said those who use the harbor will still be able to use it while the work is ongoing. Army Corps of Engineers project manager Coral Siligato said the work is scheduled to take place through March 15. The inner harbor work is slated to be completed by Feb. 1. >click to read< 07:14
Ottawa investing $33.5M in British Columbia harbour improvement projects
The federal government announced it will invest $33.5 million to carry out harbour improvement projects — including wharf construction, maintenance and dredging — at 29 small harbours throughout B.C. “Small craft harbours are the hub for our fishing industry,” said Joe Peschisolido, Liberal MP for Steveston-Richmond, who announced the funding on Aug. 31. “Fish is actually now our second most important food export after wheat, and creates a lot of economic activity. If you want to create wealth … you want to have an efficient economy, you need infrastructure and small craft harbours are an integral part of our infrasturure. Almost a third of that funding will go to the Steveston Harbour Authority in Richmond, which serves over 500 commercial fishing vessels. Read the story here 16:12
Ocean City Inlet Dredging Set For This Month, But Long-Term Commitment Still Being Sought
While the Army Corps of Engineers will return to the resort area later this month for a short-term dredging project to temporarily fix the chronic shoaling problem in the Ocean City Inlet and commercial harbor, state and local officials continue to push for a long term solution. However, it has come to light in recent months the federally authorized 10-foot depth in the Inlet is not sufficient to sustain the multi-million dollar commercial and recreational fishing industries. “The Army Corps bases its dredging schedule on a cost-benefit ratio looking at commercial boats only,” she said. “There aren’t many left here, and when they leave, they conversely impact that cost-benefit ratio.” Read the rest here20:39
Pledge to dredge will likely keep Oregon Inlet open in North Carolina
Dare County commissioners agreed Thursday to dedicate $1 million to pay the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the inlet. The move all but assures for the first time that the inlet remains open, said Dare County Commissioner Beverly Boswell. “We’ll have a dredge here when it’s needed,” she said after the vote. Oregon Inlet proponent and boat captain Harry Schiffman and others have pleaded with the county to pay for dredging for more than 20 years. Read the rest here 08:46
New Investments in PEI Fishing Harbors Dredging
Recent major projects funded in the province include: Wharf reconstruction, and construction of a wharf extension and shore protection at Tignish Harbor; – Reconstruction of a marginal wharf at North Lake Harbor; and – Reconstruction of the east breakwater and construction of a service area at West Point Harbor. will oversee a total of approximately $551 million in investments across the country, particularly in rural and coastal communities. Read the rest here 08:19
“I’ve been commercial fishing since I was a kid,” – Pass Christian man says tonging, fishing, shrimping a family tradition
Work doesn’t really feel like work for Adam Toler, for he spends six days a week surrounded by the Mississippi Sound. He and his small crew leave the Pass Christian Harbor around sunrise each morning and return in the early afternoon with sacks of oysters to sell to seafood dealers as soon as they hit the harbor launch again. The South Mississippi seafood industry is a tradition for Toler’s family. Read the rest here 13:41
