If there were any fans of offshore wind energy proposals in the Wildwoods Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, they kept quiet during a congressional hearing on the issue, led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd. Over about 2½ hours, speakers dove into what they see as problems with the proposal for wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and other Eastern states, and with the state and federal approval process they say favors the wind developers. The hearing was billed as “An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization.” After opening statements, which were each deeply critical of the wind power plans, the Congress members heard from environmental advocates, an attorney representing Cape May County, a fishing industry member and others. They did not hear from Ørsted, the Danish energy company that owns Ocean Wind 1, the offshore wind power project expected to be the first in operation off New Jersey. Photos, Video, >click to read< 07:43
Tag Archives: fishing industry
Gloucester, Massachusetts to celebrate fishing heritage all month
The fishing community always comes together in times of trouble and disaster, but local leaders believe it is time for the community to come together to celebrate the city’s fishing heritage on the occasion of Gloucester’s 400+ anniversary year. In that spirit, August will be proclaimed the Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month with a public kick-off event this Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Man at the Wheel Statue on Stacy Boulevard along the Inner Harbor. The public is invited to be in attendance along with Mayor Greg Verga, leaders in the fishing community, Gloucester 400+ tri-chairs, and members of the Marine and Waterways Committee. A special commemoration will be presented to senior members of the local fishing fleet. >click to read< 09:52
The ‘very liberal’ doctor, the pro-GOP car dealer and the movement against offshore wind
This story is based on interviews with a dozen people who are organizing efforts to oppose offshore wind projects, as well as scientists and environmentalists. E&E News also reviewed tax documents, regulatory filings and emails obtained under New Jersey’s Freedom of Information Act. The wind opponents are gaining traction. Some Republicans in Congress have called for a moratorium on offshore wind projects. In New Jersey, where the debate has been particularly fierce, more than 40 mayors organized by a D.C. lobbyist called for a wind moratorium, and a recent poll found that more residents support halting wind projects (39 percent) than building them (35 percent). Wind detractors have packed public meetings in Rhode Island, and opponents have filed lawsuits in Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey to halt projects. >click to read< 14:49
Government boost for Scottish fisheries
A financial injection of £18.7 million is going into ten projects across Scotland through the Infrastructure Scheme, aiming to improve ports, harbours, processing and aquaculture facilities. A further £2.1 million is being routed to four Scottish projects through the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme to provide vital research that will inform fisheries management. These projects are supported by in excess of £74 million in match funding from alternative private or public contributions. Funding is also available for the catching sector across the UK to replace or modernise engines to reduce emissions, improve reliability and enable new technologies to be tested. >click to read< 12:38
New Bedford receives $99,290 grant to support commercial fishing industry, build climate resiliency
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $1.6 million in grants to support innovative approaches to enhance Massachusetts commercial marine fisheries and the seafood industry. Twenty Massachusetts businesses and organizations are receiving funding through the Environmental Economic Innovation and Resiliency in Marine Fisheries Grant Program, supplemented by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The grant program will fund projects that work to mitigate economic barriers resulting from climate change and promote sustainable, local fisheries development in Massachusetts. >click to read< 08:04
Peter Cook Tells Stories to Remember
Fishing hundreds of miles off the coast of Provincetown in1979, the F/V Little Infant was caught in a raging tempest. Peter Cook, a crewman on the 90-foot scalloper, could see only one other boat out there, the F/V Leland J. “That boat got in trouble,” says Cook, “and started taking on water.” The Little Infant’s crew watched the other boat sink, “and then,” Cook continues, “we picked six guys out of the life raft. Once the six men were on board our boat, I walked into the wheelhouse and Captain Adams said, ‘Well, Pedro, that went well. How are those men?’ He always called me Pedro. And I said, ‘They are shaken up but lucky to be alive, thanks to you.’ He pointed out the window and said, ‘Take a look out there. I’ll bet you never saw anything like that before.’ And the other boat had turned bottoms up and was upside down, drifting away. And I said, ‘No, I never did, George.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s a story you can tell your grandchildren someday.’ So, I wrote the story.” >click to read< 11:34
New Zealand: Fishing industry boasts of lowest carbon emissions – with caveats
“In 25 years at sea, I’ve seen quite a lot of changes,” Epiha says. “For example, they’re not shy at upgrading boats. Now we’re starting to see results from our fuel usage, fuel savings, reduced carbon footprint.” The 64-metre San Discovery, which he captains, is a deep-sea trawler that can produce fillets, headed and gutted fish, squid tubes, fishmeal and fish oil – all processed, packaged and labelled to export standards. “What I can hand-on-heart say is, we do care a lot about the environment,” he says. “It’s engrained in the way we operate, adjusting gear to make sure that it’s less drag on the bottom, easier to tow, because all that adds up to less fuel usage.” >click to read< 07:49
Fisheries scientist fears fish and chip prices will increase following gillnet fishing ban
For decades, fishers in Queensland have used large rectangular gillnets in creek mouths to catch barramundi, threadfin, and other popular table fish. But this week the Queensland and federal governments announced a ban on the practice by 2027, after conservationists raised concerns about the impact of the nets on dugongs, turtles, and sharks. The move has infuriated the fishing industry, which warns fresh Australian fish will be taken off the market and replaced with overseas farmed products. Fisheries scientist and commercial fisher Andrew Tobin said the industry was “completely blindsided” by the ban. >click to read< 08:14
Scottish fishermen say marine protection plans will wreck coastal communities
“It’s about justice,” says Angus MacPhail, a creel fisher off Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, about the marine protection plans that he believes will devastate island cultures like his own. The outcry over these highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) – a key part of the Bute House agreement that brought the Scottish Greens into government with the SNP in 2021 – has been heartfelt, with accusations that the policy is poorly evidenced, weakly consulted and dismissive of local experience. He insists the historic comparison to the Highland clearances is “no exaggeration” – he says closing these inshore fishing grounds won’t just destroy the fleet but the already fragile island infrastructure that relies on it, from net makers to schools bolstered by fishers’ offspring. >click to read< 09:12
California: Can wind energy and fishing industry co-exist on the coast?
A statehouse hearing on offshore wind energy explored “The Future of Fisheries and Offshore Wind Energy in the Golden State” and fishing representatives said the scenario is unknown and they’re concerned. Fishermen are bracing for impacts to their livelihoods, as leases for five areas off the California coast, including two in Humboldt making up about half of $775 million plus in lease sales, have been federally-approved. Unavoidable impacts to fishing are expected so compensation for consequences like loss of fishing grounds will eventually be calculated. But fishing representatives said at this point the scale of the impacts can only be guessed and the leasing process hasn’t been inclusive enough. >click to read< 11:12
Fishing industry reels over government’s HPMA plans
A statement on behalf of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, Seafood Scotland, Salmon Scotland, Scottish Association of Fish Producers Organisation and Community Fisheries Inshore Alliance was released after politicians debated the issue in Holyrood on Tuesday. The motion, put forward by Beatrice Wishart MSP, was highly emotive with politicians and industry leaders calling the government’s proposal baseless. The statement said: “We call on the Government to listen to those whose livelihoods depend on putting Scottish seafood on people’s plates; those who would be most impacted. >click to read< 11:23
Congressman Van Drew: National Security is the Price We Will Pay
On April 17, Congressman Van Drew issued the following statement after the Pentagon sounded the alarms on how the development of offshore wind farms will affect our national security. “During my field hearing in South Jersey last month, my colleagues and I highlighted the adverse effects offshore wind development would have on various sectors and industries, from our environment to our national security, “said Congressman Van Drew. “These warnings can no longer be ignored. This President and this administration continue to disregard these valid concerns,,, >click to read< 08:06
Blown Away: Offshore wind regulators ignore danger to fishing industry
“This industry, this group of people in the room today, really are the key to unlocking that clean energy future,” Beaudreau, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, proclaimed at a conference hosted by the American Clean Power Association, a lobbying group largely funded by offshore wind developers. Just one year earlier, Beaudreau had been a corporate lawyer, earning part of his $2.4 million income from offshore wind developers. Then he was appointed to regulate the industry he was previously paid to represent. During Beaudreau’s tenure, developers including several of his former clients have gained preliminary or final approvals for an unprecedented expansion of offshore wind, despite repeated warnings from federal scientists about potential harms to marine life and the fishing industry. Photos, >click to read< 07:48
Intense reaction to wind/fishing investigation – >click to read the comments< 4/25/2023
Scottish fishing group asks government to ‘radically rethink’ marine protected area plan
SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said the Scottish Government’s blue economy plans “have been hijacked by the Greens and will push the fishing industry into the red.” “On top of the existing spatial squeeze caused by the dash to build huge offshore windfarms with little consideration for their impact on fisheries, the (Scottish) government wants to close a further 10% of our waters to fishing vessels – with no evidence whatsoever that doing so will achieve ministers’ vague conservation aims, nor any attempt to understand the effect of displacing the fishing fleet,” she said. >click to read< 09:42
Fishing industry warns snap lockout of key Northern Territory waters could affect restaurant plates around Australia
The fishing industry says restaurants and fish markets around Australia are scrambling to secure barramundi, mud crabs and threadfin salmon after a snap decision closed key Northern Territory waters. Commercial fishers have been banned from the East Alligator River and Mini Mini-Murgenella Creek estuaries. The lockout has followed a failed attempt by the NT Government to negotiate commercial fishing access with the Northern Land Council, which represents traditional owners. Barramundi fishers and crabbers had been preparing for their season in the rich coastal waters off Arnhem Land, east of Kakadu National Park. >click to read< 10:23
Tauranga skipper Bert Aitken retires after 43 years in fishing industry
After 43 years working at sea, commercial skipper Robert ‘Bert’ Aitken has “never” been seasick. Aitken has been working in the fishing industry for 43 years, spending the majority of that time at commercial seafood company Sanford. Wednesday was his last day. He started his career as an unqualified deckhand, eventually working his way up to become a skipper. For a typical fishing trip, Aitken would travel from Tauranga to Auckland on a Wednesday. The boat would then leave Thursday morning and not return until the following Wednesday. Everything needed to be organised beforehand, including checking the weather, making a plan on where to fish and getting ice and bins, he said. He and his two crew members, Matangaro “Mat”’ Ben and Mike Jones, would then head out. Aitken said they fished on the East Coast, anywhere between Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands and Cape Runaway. Photos, >click to read< 19:21
Opinion: Mad Max, where are you now that we need you? By Joel Hovanesian
For decades, Richard Max Strahan has fought for and succeeded many times and was front and center in his quest to save the severely endangered right whales. He was a very outspoken critic of the commercial fisherman and the fishing industry in general, claiming that they were responsible for the dwindling number of whales along the Atlantic seaboard. Your actions and ideas have helped pave the way for many regulations that possibly helped this iconic animal, the jury’s still out on that. Regulations that cost millions of dollars to implement. Today, the right whales and all marine life for that matter are under assault from a much more sinister threat. Ocean wind farms. >click to read< 13:34
Shippers to Pay $45 Million to Settle 2021 California Oil Spill Lawsuits
Companies linked to two cargo ships accused of damaging a pipeline months before it ruptured, sending crude oil gushing into the waters off Orange County, have agreed to pay $45 million to settle lawsuits brought by business owners and residents, attorneys said Feb. 9. The combined settlements, totaling nearly $100 million, will be distributed among three classes: one representing the fishing industry, another for coastal homeowners and a third for individuals and businesses whose livelihoods relied on the use of the ocean for tourism, said attorney Wylie Aitken. Amid 60 mph winds and 17-foot waves, the MSC Danit and Cosco Beijing dragged their anchors “into areas where federal law prohibits anchoring,” including across the pipeline,,, >click to read< 10:04
New Bedford fishing industry considers compensation for offshore wind’s impact
Massachusetts and eight other Atlantic Coast states proposed the establishment of a regional fisheries compensatory mitigation fund administrator. In June, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a draft framework for mitigating impacts to commercial and recreational fisheries. Stakeholders have until Jan. 31 to submit comments to a Request for Information released by the states on Dec. 12 to guide the process. New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr said the initiative and leadership of the nine states and the extensive work involved in issuing the scoping document for a regional fisheries mitigation fund administrator and seeking stakeholder input through the RFI process is greatly appreciated. >click to read< 08:06
Regulators see hard years ahead for the scallop fishery, New Bedford’s cash cow
Scientists report that young scallops off the eastern seaboard have been struggling to grow to maturity for nearly a decade now, constraining one of the nation’s most lucrative fisheries to its lowest biomass in more than 20 years. In a presentation before the New England Fishery Management Council on Wednesday, the council’s scallop analyst Jonathon Peros projected that the latest regulations adopted by the council will cap next year’s scallop harvest at 25 million pounds, a steep drop from a record harvest of 61 million pounds recorded just four years earlier. >click to read< 09:45
Irish Fishing Industry calls for Urgent Consultation on Offshore Wind Farms
Representatives from the Irish fishing industry in Donegal and around Ireland say they fear being “displaced losers” in the development of offshore wind farms. The Irish fishing industry say they have a right to be consulted about offshore wind farms because it affects their livelihoods. Aodh, who is chief executive of the Killybegs-based Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO), said needs to co-operate to reduce fossil fuels but “co-operation works both ways and we are not being consulted.” >click to read< 11:36
DeSantis requests federal support for Florida fisheries in aftermath of Hurricane Ian
Gov. Ron DeSantis is requesting that the areas affected by Hurricane Ian be declared a federal fisheries disaster by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which would open up channels for more aide for those in the fishing industry. DeSantis announced the request Saturday at a press conference providing updates on Hurricane Ian relief efforts, highlighting support for those who work on the water. If approved, NOAA will be able to provide more support to commercial fishermen, wholesale dealers, charter boat captains and fisheries, he said. “Clearly a storm of this magnitude — this is appropriate for this declaration,” DeSantis said. “So once this is approved, then that provides these groups and people in the industry to work with NOAA to be able to get more support. So we’re happy to help facilitate that request.” >click to read< 14:58
‘Leave us alone’, pleads Northumberland fishing industry over proposed MPA
Fishermen in the North East fear a proposed fishing ban could jeopardise one of the region’s key industries. The plan to introduce highly protected marine areas (HPMA) off the coast of Northumberland, around Lindisfarne and north east of the Farne Islands, is currently under consultation. The areas are among five across the UK put forward for the pilot, which Defra says will protect 850 species of seabirds, fish and marine life. However, some believe the decision will put businesses that contribute millions of pounds to the local economy under threat. >click to read< 13:28
World’s First All-Electric Longline Handling System
F/V Kap Farvel is the first fishing boat in the world that started using the all-electric longline handling system from Mørenot. Already after one week of testing followed by seven weeks of fishing, the feedback from the skipper and crew is unanimous: This is the longline system of the future! For several years, Mørenot has been challenging the idea of a traditional hydraulic longline system with its first fully electric longline system for both deep sea and coastal fisheries. Seeing the opportunity of a high-tech electrical longline system, Mørenot has heavily invested in innovation that enables fishers to effortlessly achieve higher efficiency, lower energy consumption, and better working conditions. Mørenot’s VP Alf Rune Ose explains how their engineers in Iceland developed the complete mechanical system with an updated LineTech longline control system to revolutionize the fishing industry. Mørenot has designed a system that is suitable for fishing operations worldwide. photos, >click to read< 21:16
The End? Dwindling catch puts future of Portland Fish Exchange in jeopardy
The auction provides space on the Portland Fish Pier for fisherman to bring their haul and for seafood buyers to bid on the fresh catch. But it has struggled in recent years as fishermen are landing fewer fish. And they often take what they do catch to Massachusetts, which has robust seafood markets. The goal has been to support and maintain Portland’s fishing fleet, but a dwindling catch has made that more difficult and the auction struggles to fill its four times weekly sales of seafood. Rob Odlin, a fisherman who is president of the Portland Fish Exchange board, said fishermen are struggling and many are opting to take their catch to Massachusetts to sell to take advantage of more lucrative lobster sales. >click to read< 10:20
Death of the scallops: How a Kiwi delicacy was driven to the brink of collapse
Just a decade ago, the scallop (tipa) fishing industry in New Zealand was thriving, with population numbers holding strong and quotas so loose that many were unable to reach their catch limit. The situation just 10 years later has changed drastically, with the Government forced to take immediate action, shutting down the majority of scallop fisheries in order to preserve a population that is on the brink of collapse. For now, scallops are practically off the menu. There’s a real economic concern for fishing companies, who have slowly had their commercial options taken away and are left to grapple with what to do next. Those boats relying on scallop fishing have been left in a precarious situation, Lawson says, and pivoting from scallop fishing to another kind of catch would likely require a total boat re-fit, which could be a costly risk. >click to read< 20:02
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
Vagaries of the fishing industry
Well, it has been a stormy week and we probably have never seen three storms like it, all one after the other. Therefore, this has been the quietest week for many years and shows how unpredictable the fishing industry can be. This is also the time of year when many of the beam trawlers head over to the Bristol Channel to catch dover sole. Dovers are our “crown jewels” and fetch a very good price on the auction. Three directors from Maaskant ship builders in Holland paid Brixham a visit as they are keen to look at an investment in the South West. With restrictions on UK vessels going into Europe, they are looking to expand into the UK fishing sector, and also looking to build a ship yard to repair UK fishing boats, so they don’t have to steam all the way to Holland. >click to read< 19:38
Interview: William Thomson says exporting fish into Europe has ‘become very burdensome’
How and why did you start in business? After leaving school I started my career as a fish salesman in Kinlochbervie, where I grew up. I continued as a fish salesman in Aberdeen when completing an MBA at Aberdeen University. The fishing industry is in my blood, and in 1996 I moved to Scrabster to run a local fish-selling company. I was always ambitious, with a desire to be my own boss, so in 1999 I set up my own business in Scrabster, Thomson International, focusing on buying and selling fish on the local market. >click to read the interview< 16:28
Working hard to ensure success of fishing industry in Brixham
I am delighted to be invited to write a column for the Torbay Weekly and as this is the first of which will, hopefully, be many, I must first do a quick introduction. I am managing director of Brixham Trawler Agents. The company is responsible for operating the world famous Brixham Fish Market, and providing all the services a fisherman needs as they go about their hard work. These services include landing their catch, keeping their catch refrigerated, grading the fish, selling the fish, and also completing all the administration including paying the trawler owners and the crew the amount that they have earnt. >click to read< By Barry Young 09:32
