Tag Archives: entangled in fishing gear

For Whales and Crabbers, Finding Balance Is Getting Harder

In Dick Ogg’s 25 years of commercial fishing, he’s had a few close encounters with whales—mostly while pulling Dungeness crab pots off the ocean floor. “I’ve had whales right next to me,” within about five meters, says Ogg. “They follow me, they watch, they’re curious. And then they go on about their business.” Ogg is fortunate his interactions have been so leisurely. For nearly a decade, California’s whales and crabbers have been locked in a persistent struggle. From 1985 to 2014, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported an average of 10 whales were entangled in fishing gear each year along the west coast of the United States. >click to read< 07:53

Whitby fisherman saved by “strength and determination” after dramatic rescue

A Whitby fisherman’s mental and physical strength saved his life after a dramatic rescue. The fisherman was pulled into the water by his fishing gear and sustained a broken arm after being in the water for some time. He was rescued by a nearby pleasure boat called the Summer Queen, who responded to a mayday call put out by another passenger on the fisherman’s boat.  “The outcome to this could have been very different, I would like to praise the fisherman for his strength and determination keeping hold of his lobster pot end despite having substantial injuries. >click to read< 15:36

Fisherman dies getting pulled overboard off the coast of Eureka on Wednesday afternoon.

Redcrest resident and fisherman Melvin Richard Van Ronk died Wednesday afternoon after becoming entangled in fishing gear and being pulled overboard while fishing off the coast of Eureka, according to the Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday. Van Ronk, 77, was fishing on the vessel “Ruth R” out of Eureka about 15 miles off the coast when he became entangled in the fishing gear, according to Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay Public Information Officer Audra Forteza. click here to read the story 22:23