Tag Archives: Fishermen
‘He cared about everyone’: John ‘Gus’ Foote, advocate for veterans, fishermen, seniors, dies at 87
A leading voice for Gloucester’s seniors, fishermen and the people of his beloved Ward 2 is now silent. John A. “Gus” Foote, who represented Ward 2 on Gloucester’s City Council for more than three decades and served as a tireless advocate for many residents across the city, died early Friday morning at Addison Gilbert Hospital. He was 87. A decorated Purple Heart and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Korean War, he continued to attend the city’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies, wearing his Purple Heart cap, right up to this past May’s Memorial Day service at Gloucester High School. click here to read the story 11:22
Commercial Fishers and Fish Sellers Affected by the 2015 Refugio State Beach Oil Spill in California are Part of Class Action Lawsuit
Notice has been issued to Fishers and Fish processing businesses confirming that their claims are now part of a class action that has been certified by the United States District Court. Information has been mailed to each identified class members and additional information is available on-line, through various trade associations, and various publications. The Class Action arises from the May 15, 2015 rupture of a corroded underground pipeline owned by Texas-based Plains All American near Refugio Beach. As a result of the spill, the Department of Fish and Wildlife imposed a ban on fishing in a 138-square-mile zone from Gaviota State Beach to Isla Vista. click here to read the press release 09:24
NY State, Fishermen Map Out Possible Conflicts At Sea To Help Clear Way For Future Wind Turbines
Commercial fishermen from throughout the South Fork last week pored over nautical charts showing the broad swaths of ocean south of Long Island being considered for future wind energy development by New York State—and saw a lot of the area where they harvest a living. But the state officials who hosted two open-house discussions with fishermen last week, one at Shinnecock Inlet and the other in Montauk, said that is exactly what they wanted the fishermen to point out to them—so they can work to reduce the impact.,, “I think the main concern is that fishermen don’t want to lose any fishing ground,” said Bruce Beckwith, a Montauk draggerman. “For me, I would rather not see anything in the ocean—just leave it the way it is. I have eight grandsons. They might want to go fishing someday. I don’t want to see them be shut out.” click here to read the story 15:48
Stock assessment meeting erupts into lively talk between NOAA scientists and fishermen
Diagrams, life-like statues and pictures fill the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to depict the history and future of the industry. NOAA scientists and local fishermen filled the small building on Bethel Street on Wednesday night to discuss future stock assessments. The meeting, though, told another aspect in the story of the Port of New Bedford: the decades old tension that continues to exist between the groups. “We all have to pull in the same direction,” Executive Director of New Bedford Seafood Consulting Jim Kendall said. Instead a powerpoint presentation listing stock limits led to a discussion, which evolved into an argument and ended with two fishermen abruptly leaving. Russ Brown, director of the Population Dynamics Branch of NOAA, ended his presentation to meet with the fishermen outside. They spoke outside for 20 minutes before parting ways with a semblance of mutual respect. click here to read the story 20:44
Fishermen, environmentalists continue battle over protected area off Cape Cod
Environmentalists often work with fishermen to reach a middle ground that benefits the environment and eases the regulatory burden on the industry. (baloney) The Environmental Defense Fund, for instance, has partnered with fishermen, both locally and nationally, absorbing some of the cost of new equipment to make electronic monitoring of catches at sea a feasible alternative. But there’s little consensus when it comes to the country’s newest marine park. You either agree there is an urgent need to protect the fragile ecosystems and inhabitants of the 5,000-square-mile Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located roughly 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, or you side with many of the region’s fishermen, who are worried this could be precedent-setting: the first in series of permanent closures in which they have little say. click here to read the story 08:08
A Fundraiser for Abigail and Joshua Osborne
Aloha, my name is Noelani. My cousins Abigail and Joshua Osborne were in a very tragic boating accident this past week. They were working aboard the Miss Destinee vessel this summer in Kodiak, Alaska. On Thursday, the 29th of June, the boat capsized. I made this go fund me account in hopes that we can raise the funds to lay them both to rest and in giving both Joshua & Abigail a proper burial. We’d like to thank you all so much for all the love and prayers. Your support has helped us during this difficult time. We appreciate each and everyone one of you that hold Joshua and Abigail in your hearts. Click here to reach the fundraiser page @ gofundme.com 20:27
Fishermen, regulators disagree over cause of Brunswick fish kill
As a massive vacuum truck from Clean Harbors traveled along the shoreline near Simpsons Point midweek to clean up rotting pogies, local fishermen were battling what they say was a raft of misinformation put forth by the state about how and why those pogies were dumped from a local fishing vessel on June 6. On Tuesday, a day after residents of the Simpsons Point area asked town councilors to help pay for a professional cleanup of the fish, local lobsterman Steve Anderson posted a 10-minute video on YouTube, taking local media to task for only reporting part of the story and excoriating the Maine Department of Marine Resources for a quota system Anderson said simply doesn’t work.,,, But Jeff Nichols, spokesman for the DMR, said Friday that Anderson “got a lot of things wrong,” click here to read the story 08:35
Brunswick Maine fish kill. The Real Story, not that Fake News stuff. – click here to watch the video
$1.3-million for new safety gear coming for 600 N.S. fishermen
The Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board is buying $1.3-million worth of safety equipment for 600 fishermen, it announced Friday. The equipment purchase includes 1,200 immersion suits, 600 emergency position-indicating radio beacons and 100 additional personal flotation devices. The Fleet Planning Board will also buy an automatic electronic defibrillator for each wharf in the Gulf of Nova Scotia. “We hope we never have to use this new equipment,” the board’s managing director, said in a news release. “But if it saves just one life then it was money very well spent.”,,, Click here to read the story 17:11
Happening Now! Fishermen block off DFO building in St. John’s for protest
Fishermen have set up camp outside the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office in St. John’s Thursday morning for another protest. The group of 18 protesters set up fishing gear at the entrance to the building around 8 a.m. DFO employees who have not yet come in for work are being asked to stay away until noon. This is the second such protest from the fishermen, who say they’re unhappy about inshore shrimp quota cuts. At the previous protest, the group broke a door and some of them walked into the DFO building. Link 08:14
Coast Guard, locals help fishermen, dog after boat floods off Hampton Harbor, NH
The Coast Guard and Hampton Fire Rescue helped two people and a dog to shore Saturday after their boat started taking on water about three miles east of Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire. Aman aboard the fishing boat used a VHF radio to contact watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The man reported the Patricia Lynn II was rapidly taking on water and the two men aboard were using buckets to dewater the boat. He also said they were using a bilge pump but it was not keeping up with the rate of flooding. The man said both men aboard had donned survival suits, and put a lifejacket on a dog that was also aboard the boat. click to continue reading the story 12:18
Fishermen, consumers rallying to fight petition calling for shrimp trawl restrictions
Jimmy Phillips estimates 100,000 pounds or more of shrimp comes through the family seafood market in a season; all of it fresh from North Carolina waters. “Yeah, it worries me,” Phillips said when asked about a petition for rulemaking before the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission that would put severe restrictions on shrimping in North Carolina. “It would affect shrimping tremendously, net fishing, and everybody,” Phillips said. Phillips is just one of many fishermen, seafood industry representatives, and concerned consumers who plan to attend a Tuesday public meeting in New Bern to express their opposition to the petition. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Riverfront Convention Center. Jerry Schill, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, said the petition for rulemaking is “not only a referendum on shrimping but a referendum on the future of commercial fishing.” Read the story here 09:34
Venezuelan fishermen turn to piracy as industry collapses
As Venezuela continues on its downward spiral into economic collapse, in the coastal state of Sucre, out-of-work fishermen have turned to piracy, killing dozens who still venture out into the open sea, trying to make a living. was once home to the world’s fourth-largest tuna fleet. But the fishing industry, along with almost every industry in Venezuela has collapsed, and people have become desperate. It is a desperation born out of being unemployed, having no money to feed their families, and looking at a future that seems to be bleak and empty. So gangs of pirates have been formed, and they prey on those who still try to venture out to fish, stealing their catch and motors. They gangs don’t stop at just stealing, they quite often tie fishermen up and throw them overboard or shoot them, said Associated Press And a dead fisherman’s family is not safe from the gangs, either. Read the rest here 20:11
Court date set for Cove Harbour legal battle
A court date has been set for a legal battle between a community of traditional fishermen and a landowner who wants to evict them from an historic Aberdeen harbor. Vessels have been berthed within the small natural bay of Cove Harbour for generations. But since last summer, the owners of the around 11 boats that still remain have been locked in an ongoing conflict with a surgeon who now owns the land. Pralhad Kolhe, who lives in the white house overlooking the harbour, has put in place a number of preventative measures to obstruct the fishermen’s ability to access their boats, including large boulders, rubble, barricades and signs as part of his efforts to evict them. Read the story here 21:19
Is ‘fishermen’ a sexist and exclusionary term?
Many words in English can come across as exclusionary. But is “fishermen” one of them? And if not, what’s the alternative? A question came to my desk the other day: “Hello, can I ask a language question? Is it ‘fishermen’ or ‘fishers’? “Fishermen is obviously discriminatory, but fishers seems to be disliked by many within ABC Rural. And fisherpeople is out of the question. As someone who has never fished I feel like I have no authority to decide.” It’s a good question, asked with noble intentions. But one thing made me pause: is “fishermen” an exclusionary term? There’s a line on this that says it isn’t. Read the story here 09:34
Battle over Cashes Ledge and Seamounts continues between fishermen, environmentalists
Despite the Obama administration’s declaration that Cashes Ledge has been taken off the table as a possible location for a marine national monument, the divisive issue of the monuments continues to percolate nationally between fishermen and conservationists. From Hawaii to New England, the lines are clearly drawn. Conservation groups have sustained a steady lobbying campaign to convince President Obama to employ the Antiquities Act to create new marine national monuments in the waters around Cashes Ledge, about 80 miles off Gloucester, and the seamounts off southern New England and Monterey, California. “We’re pushing as hard as we can with elected officials and the White House on those areas that have been identified and confirmed by the scientific community as being of great interest,” Peter Shelley, interim president and senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation, said of two New England areas. “These areas need permanent protection and this is not going to go away as a priority for us.” “This is not going to go away as a priority for us,” Shelley said. “It is not going to change with (presidential) administrations.” Read the story here 08:17
Fishermen in Atlantic Canada cash in on high lobster prices
When 50-year-old lobster fisherman Albert Sampson wrapped up the season a few weeks ago, he was pretty pleased with the results. During an intense two month season working 12- to 14-hour days, six days a week, in the high winds off the southeast coast of Cape Breton Island, he and his crew of two deckhands brought in $500,000-worth of lobster. This year, Mr. Sampson got an average price of $8 a pound for his catch, after averaging about $5.75 to $6 a pound last year. I think its been a banner season price-wise for anybody in the Maritimes, says Mr. Sampson, who has been fishing lobster for 20 years. I hope it stays the same next season. Mr. Sampson is one of thousands of lobster fishermen across Atlantic Canada who have benefited from high lobster prices in 2016. In a region where jobs can be hard to come by, especially in rural areas where the majority of lobster fishermen live and fish out of, the increase in lobster prices is welcome news. Read the story here 09:09
Fishermen, scientists split on closures of triggerfish, amberjack
On any given day, charter boat captain Jeff Lassiter and his customers will catch dozens of gray triggerfish. Then they’ll toss them back in the water. “They’re dang near a nuisance,” But just two weeks before the scheduled Aug. 1 reopening date, national and state fishing officials changed their minds. Because of overfishing, NOAA Fisheries decided not to reopen triggerfish in federal waters this year, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) elected to follow suit. Officials said anglers already had met the allowable catch quota for the year, and to keep going would jeopardize the overall sustainability of the stock. NOAA also opted to not reopen amberjack for the same reasons, which means head boats and charter boat captains, which all have federal permits, will not be able to take customers out to fish for either species. Read the rest here 12:13
With an eye toward the future – Fishermen, Scituate residents buoyed by new pier
When Frank Mirarchi first came to the town pier in 1949, he was a 6-year-old fascinated by the hustle and bustle of “boisterous rivalry” among a crowd of lobstermen. Over the years, the town has invested in infrastructure to support the industry, including the recent reconstruction of the pier. Meanwhile, federal regulations have had an opposite effect, he said. “The 1987 pier has been given a major upgrade, prolonging its life and utility for yet another generation, but will there be another generation to serve?” he said. Career fishermen, like Mirarchi, joined town officials recently in re-dedicating the newly renovated town pier, which was first built in 1936 and last renovated in 1987. The event was mostly a celebration to honor the fishermen and their families, but the decline of the industry was a natural part of the conversation. Read the story here 13:32
Wide Bay net ban candidate Lucy Stanton says Fishermen using ‘machine guns’ to intimidate
PROFESSIONAL fishermen have been accused of using machine guns to intimidate residents and visitors in the area between the Noosa River and Teewah, Wide Bay Labor candidate Lucy Stanton has claimed. Ms Stanton also accused some professional netters of defying food safety and camping regulations and deliberately scaring away witnesses. She has advocated extending Fraser Island’s World Heritage area to the mainland, including a ban on inshore net fishing. “The people living on Noosa North Shore and those tourists visiting are being forced to put up with shocking behavior on the part of commercial netters,” she said. “Residents have reported automatic gunfire at night during this latest episode of worrying behavior on the part of these people. “They lack respect for people and have even less regard for the environment. Read the rest here 09:59
Gloucester – Fishermen, scientists to assess stock
The most incendiary divide between groundfishermen and fishing regulators in the past two years has been the discrepancy between what NOAA Fisheries says its stock assessments show and what fishermen are seeing on the water. The groundfish assessments by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — particularly for the iconic Gulf of Maine cod stock and certain flounders — have been uniformly dire, leading to the virtual shuttering of cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine and scant quotas for other species. Fishermen — including commercial groundfishermen, charter captains and even lobstermen — paint a very different portrait of what they are seeing on a daily basis: cod, cod everywhere, and not a one they can catch. On June 20, the city’s Economic Development and Industrial Corporation and fishing stakeholders will host a presentation by a team of University of Massachusetts scientists on their current findings and methodology for fish population counting in the Gulf of Maine. Read the rest here 10:09
Central Coast Crab fishermen making sacrifices to protect whales
It’s been a rough season for crab fishermen after a domoic acid outbreak kept them out of the water for months. And now that they’re finally allowed to fish, many are choosing to wrap-up early in an effort to protect whales in the Monterey Bay. It’s feeding time for humpback whales but because of the delay in crab season, whales are getting caught in fishing gear that’s normally not in the water this time of year. That’s why crab fisherman, ocean advocacy groups and governmental agencies are teaming up to prevent whale entanglements in the Monterey Bay. “We’re doing everything we can to reduce entanglements and working with the environmental groups and whale disentanglement teams to alter our gear types and ways we fish to reduce entanglements,” said commercial fisherman Walter Deyerle. Read the rest here 18:03
BREAKING” Fishermen rescue F/A-18 Super Hornet Pilots, and Co pilots off NC coast
Two Navy jet fighters collided off the coast of North Carolina during a routine training mission on Thursday, sending four people to the hospital, officials said. The F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighters, based in Virginia Beach, collided about 10:40 a.m. off the coast of Cape Hatteras, said Navy spokesman Ensign Mark Rockwellpate. Four crew members were taken to a hospital in Norfolk, but Ensign Rockwellpate said he didn’t have information about the extent of their injuries. A safety investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the accident, he said. Coast Guard Fifth District Command Center watchstanders were notified at 10:30 a.m. that two planes collided and four people were in the water. The crew of the commercial fishing vessel Jamie recovered all four survivors. An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, hoisted the survivors and took them to Norfolk Sentara General hospital. 14:33
Fishermen, Scientists Collaborate to Collect Climate Data
Fishermen plying the waters off the southern New England coast have noticed significant changes in recent years. Though generations of commercial fishermen have made their livings on these highly productive waters, now, they say, they are experiencing the impacts of climate change. “The water is warming up, and we see different species around than we used to,” says Kevin Jones, captain of the F/V Heather Lynn, which operates out of Point Judith, Rhode Island. To help understand the ongoing changes in their slice of the ocean, Jones and other fishermen in the region are now part of a fleet gathering much-needed climate data for scientists through a partnership with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Video Read the rest here 10:02
Thursday: Challenges facing New England’s commercial fishing industry topic of public forum at RI College
A panel of government regulators, scientists, environmental advocates and fishermen will try to answer questions about the future of one of New England’s most iconic and important industries at a forum this Thursday. The event, which is free and open to the public, runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sapinsley Hall in the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at Rhode Island College. The panel will include: John Bullard, regional administrator with NOAA’s Northeast Regional Office; Graham Forrester, professor in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island; Erica Fuller, senior associate attorney with Earth Justice; Matt Tinning, senior director, U.S. Oceans Program, Environmental Defense Fund; David Goethel, captain and owner of the Ellen Diane; Mark Phillips, captain and owner of FV Illusion; and Daniel Georgianna, Chancellor professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Read the rest here 12:40
Vineyard Fishermen Give Cold Shoulder to Denmark Offshore Wind Developer
A representative from Denmark’s largest energy company had a cold reception in Chilmark this week as commercial fishermen and others discussed a proposed wind farm south of the Vineyard. Andy Revill, a fishermen’s liaison for Dong Energy, traveled from the U.K. to meet with fishermen in preparation for mapping a large area of the sea floor where the company plans to install up to 100 turbines. The 472-square-mile lease area begins 15 miles south of the Vineyard and extends diagonally to the southwest. Mr. Revill said March would be too soon in terms of planning, but he was confident the obstacles could be overcome. “You guys sent people to the moon, so I’m sure we can work this out,” he said. “The moon would be a much better place for a wind farm,” replied Mr. Brighton. Read the rest here 09:21
Tanner crabbing underway as consolidation adds complications
Fishing industry consolidation has complicated the lives of Tanner crab fishermen and processors, but it looks like they’ll still have access to the whole quota and won’t have to leave 10 percent in the water. Bering Sea commercial crab fisheries are underway, with fishermen catching Tanners at a faster pace than snow crab, according to Miranda Westphal, of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Unalaska. And Icicle Seafood’s withdrawal from the crab fishery shouldn’t leave any Tanners “stranded,” thanks to an emergency federal action. Read the post here 08:45
Environmentalists, fishermen clash over proposed Chumash marine sanctuary
A controversial underwater national park proposed off the Central Coast aims to protect and manage the area’s marine life, stop oil drilling and seismic surveys, and encourage scientific research. In October, the nomination for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was accepted for consideration, setting the stage for a showdown in coming months and years between environmentalists who strongly support the proposed sanctuary and the fishing community that opposes it. Read the article here 23:22
Cape Breton energy plans worry fishermen
Although no oil and gas activity is expected in Cape Breton waters in the foreseeable future, fishermen say they have concerns about their livelihood and the future of their communities if petroleum exploration begins in the area. “I’m certainly concerned,” said Merrill MacInnis, a crab and lobster fisherman from Jersey Cove, near Englishtown, Victoria County.“We all are. Fishing is the lifeline of our rural communities here. “It could jeopardize our livelihoods, this whole thing, and maybe we should try and put a moratorium in like they’ve got in Georges Bank,,, Read the article here 09:39
36 fishermen taken into custody
Stepping up its protection drive ahead of mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, forest personnel have taken into custody 36 fishermen in separate mid-sea interceptions along in Odisha in the past four days, officials said. The trawls used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited breeding zones of the endangered marine animals were seized by the patrolling unit engaged by Forest Department for conservation of the turtles, forest officials said. Read the article here 10:27
Fishermen call for action over equipment dumping
Fishermen are calling for action to protect the livelihoods of coastal communities and the health of Scotland’s seas from tonnes of nets, ropes and lobster pots dumped at sea in a battle between creelers and trawlers. They say every year “rogue” boats tow away equipment worth thousands of pounds and dump it on the seabed, where it continues to “ghost fish” and pose an entanglement risk for sealife and unwitting skippers. Although most reports are of damage to “static” gear by “mobile” fishers, incidents are also caused by static-on-static and static-on-mobile conflict. Read the rest here 17:07
