Tag Archives: Fundy North Fishermen’s Association
Atlantic Canadian commercial fishing industry calls for clear regulatory oversight for all fisheries
The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA), a newly formed alliance of commercial fishery stakeholders, is calling on the Government of Canada to establish clear, lasting, responsible, regulatory oversight for all fisheries – commercial, food, social, and ceremonial. Established in Nov. 2020, the UFCA represents thousands of multi-species commercial fishermen, fishery associations, and associated businesses from across Atlantic Canada and its membership is growing. “It is essential that every community, association and fisherman in the Atlantic fishery have certainty as to the rules they abide by. Clear rules, regulations, compliance, and enforcement are needed.” >click to read< 07:30
Ghost gear project first of its kind in Nova Scotia – New Brunswick fishermen consider ways to recycle end-of-life lobster traps
‘Tackling Ghost Gear: Collaborative Remediation of Abandoned, Lost, and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Southwest Nova Scotia’ is a $432,000 project being funded through the federal government’s Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Support Contribution Program (SFSRSCP). The project is scheduled to run from July 2020 to March 2022.,, >click to read< 08:43
N.B. Association Looks To Recycle Lobster Traps – A New Brunswick fishermen’s association is trying to come up with ways to recycle end-of-life lobster traps. The Fundy North Fishermen’s Association has received funding through the federal government’s Ghost Gear Fund. Executive director Lillian Mitchell said there are several ways to recycle fishing lines and rope, but there is no responsible way to dispose of lobster traps. >click to read<
New rules in works to lift safety standards in fishing industry
Last year was the deadliest year for the Canadian fishing industry in more than a decade. Seventeen people died aboard fishing vessels in 2018, the most since 2004, prompting the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to sound the alarm about the industry’s safety culture. As it stands, fishing vessels are not considered a workplace, meaning they don’t adhere to any WorkSafeNB compliance requirements. Proposed legislative amendments would give captains binding safety obligations. >click to read< 08:07
Five U.S. nationals arrested, fined for fishing in Passamaquoddy Bay
A U.S. Passamaquoddy fisherman says he doesn’t go out of his way to fish lobster in Canadian waters. But the border is just a mile away from his reserve in Maine and he can’t earn a living if he doesn’t cross it now and then. “We’re literally going from our back doors to where our people have fished and survived for thousands of years,” said Adam Newell, who lives on the Sipayik reservation in Pleasant Point. On Dec. 6, five U.S. fishermen, including four from the Passamaquoddy tribe, were arrested on the Canadian side of the border. >click to read<20:26
Fundy North Fishermen’s Association votes to delay the start of the season due to bad weather
Brad Small, the president of the association, said all of the harbours under the association — which spans from the American border to Alma, N.B. — voted to stay off the water due to weather Monday. Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for much New Brunswick and some snowfall warnings for northern areas Monday. The weather will also bring another round of strong and gusty winds along with plummeting temperatures — a mixture of things Small said makes the job of setting traps very dangerous. >click to read<19:52
U.S. lobster fishing vessel caught trapping lobster in Canadian waters
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans intercepted a vessel fishing illegally in Canadian waters and reported it to U.S. authorities, an official confirmed Friday. The incident occurred Thursday near the coastal border of New Brunswick and Maine. “Our fishery officers intercepted a U.S. lobster fishing vessel that was fishing illegally within our Canadian fisheries waters about midday Oct. 19,” said Todd Somerville, area chief for conservation and protection in southwest New Brunswick. “We intercepted the vessel. At that point fishery officers board the vessel and then they initiate their investigation. Because it was a U.S. vessel, we do reach out to U.S. law enforcement. … They also responded.” click here to read the story 15:34
Fishermen clean up ‘ghost gear’ from Bay of Fundy
The
started dragging the waters off the coast of Saint John and Deer Island seven years ago. More than 500 abandoned traps were hauled up from the bottom of the Bay of Fundy in 2008. “There was concern that there was all this gear down there that was fishing and killing lobsters — could entangle whales. The gear is just fishing and fishing and killing indiscriminately,” said Maria Recchia, the association’s executive director. Read the rest here 08:08
