Tag Archives: Georgia
Black Gill: Shrimpers and scientists collaborate to study parasite
Georgia’s shrimpers are already facing plenty of challenges like high gas prices, inflation and international competition. But climate change is exacerbating a new problem: black gill, a parasite that is decreasing shrimp populations and is worsening with rising ocean temperatures. On Dec. 15, the University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography invited shrimpers, researchers and other local stakeholders aboard the R/V Savannah to collect samples in the Wassaw Sound and discuss the current research and on-the-water observations of black gill. Black gill is a parasite that lodges itself into shrimps’ gills and feeds on that tissue. It’s a ciliate, a single-celled organism. It gets its name from the shrimp’s immune response to the invader, which turns the gills black as the shrimp’s body tries to fight off the intruder. Photos, >click to read< 10:37
Hurricane Ian Taking Aim at the Carolinas and Georgia – Public Advisory – 800 PM EDT
At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Hurricane Ian was located by an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 29.7 North, longitude 79.4 West. Ian is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph (17 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday night. On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Ian could slightly strengthen before landfall tomorrow and is forecast to rapidly weaken over the southeastern United States late Friday into Saturday. >click to read< Graphics, >click here< 20:15
Southeastern fishery closures floated for 2023 federal right whale rule
Don’t call them “proposals,” but four draft packages arose this week in high-level brainstorming sessions among scientists and fishers on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team. The task force’s purpose is to lead the effort to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction. The ultimate goal is a 90% risk reduction to North Atlantic right whales in U.S. waters. “It’s mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, so this isn’t optional,” said Colleen Coogan, branch chief for the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Team in the Protected Resources Division of the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. “This is a legal mandate.” >click to read< 10:01
NOAA must show proof of right whale claims
A port association that includes the Georgia Ports Authority and a large organization in South Carolina that represents hundreds of anglers and others associated with the recreational and commercial fishing industry have submitted a simple request to the federal agencies that regulate U.S. waters. The request: Provide the data behind an amended regulation that could lead to dire consequences for industries that generate billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs. The National Marine Fisheries Service and its mothership, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are proposing to amend the Atlantic Right Whale Strike Reduction Rule. If adopted, fishing craft between 35 and 65 feet in length will be required to follow the same speed mandate as large vessels. From Nov. 1 to April 15, none would be allowed to exceed 10 knots, roughly 11.5 mph, when in waters frequented by right whales. >click to read< 12:43
Commerical fishing interest file suit against Golden Ray owner and salvager
A group of commercial fishermen filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Brunswick against the owner of the car carrier Golden Ray and the company that salvaged the shipwreck, the action coming a day before the three-year anniversary of the 656-foot vessel’s capsizing in the St. Simons Sound. The Golden Ray overturned in the predawn hours of Sept. 8, 2019, while heading out to sea with a cargo of 4,161 vehicles and an estimated 380,000 gallons of fuel in its tanks. Attorneys filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Brunswick on behalf of several dozen shrimpers, charter boat fishing guides and crabbers, claiming “willful misconduct, malice, fraud” and negligence on behalf of the those named has caused environmental damage to the sound. >click to read< 18:22
Shrimping season begins in Georgia
The official Georgia shrimping season kicked off two days ago on June 1. This means that the Georgia coastline is now open for shrimping. The crew on the F/V Miss Marion hit the waters of the Georgia Coast for opening day. “We just made one couple day trip.” They brought back about 1500 pounds of shrimp which Pittman says is a bit less than they normally catch this time of year. “We usually do a lot better than that, which is why this wasn’t really a good opening. We usually would rather wait until the middle of the month or so,” said shrimper Joey Pittman. Video, >click to read< 10:09
Georgia: For first time in 20 years, Thunderbolt revives Blessing of the Fleet
It’s been decades since the Town of Thunderbolt hosted its Blessing of the Fleet festival, a three-day affair that paid homage to the city’s shrimping history. Shrimping and fishing boats would fill the marsh-lined river, waiting to be blessed by the Catholic bishop before heading out to sea. For more than 20 years, the town, including Thomas who served as mayor in the early 2000s, had tried to bring some semblance of the ritual back, but it never quite gathered enough momentum. This year, after a two-month sprint of preparation and planning, Thunderbolt is reviving the Blessing of the Fleet. >click to read< 08:24
Faulty Autopilot, Empty Wheelhouse Led to Grounding off Georgia
A captain’s decision to turn on a recently-repaired autopilot and then leave the wheelhouse led to the grounding and sinking of a fishing vessel off Cumberland Island, Georgia, according to the NTSB. On June 7, two days before the casualty, the captain of the shrimp trawler F/V Sage Catherine Lane found that he couldn’t turn off the autopilot, and he had to unplug it to get back manual control. He tried to troubleshoot the issue,,, On June 9, 2021, the vessel was transiting outbound on the St. Marys River, making nine knots. The captain, who had 30 years of experience in commercial fishing. set the vessel’s autopilot, then answered a phone call and went below to his stateroom. >click to read< 18:25
Shrimpers in Darien prepare for the season ahead
While spring just started, shrimpers in south Georgia are already thinking of summer and are preparing their boats for the season ahead. Joseph Keller has been shrimping for 25 years. He’s been spending some extra time on his boat, named F/V Shirley and Tammy, to be ready to start fishing by mid-April. While the official season kicks off in June, many shrimpers try to get out on the water before then which Keller says requires them to be more than three miles offshore. Video, >click to read< 12:14
South Atlantic: NMFS accepting input on “ropeless” black sea bass pots
The National Marine Fisheries Service is accepting comments on an application for an exempted fishing permit from Sustainable Seas Technology Inc. The applicant proposes deploying modified black sea bass pots with acoustic subsea buoy retrieval systems in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida. Adaptation of “ropeless” systems for this style of pot fishing could reduce risk to these whales and other marine animals that suffer entanglements, according to the applicant. >click to read< 09:56 fixed gear
Georgia shrimping season to end
The 2021 commercial and recreational shrimping season officially comes to an end Friday night in Georgia. That affects shrimping operations from the coastline to three miles out to sea. Pat Mathews has operated Lazaretto Packing for decades. Over the years he’s seen the fleet of shrimp boats that pull up to his dock dwindle as operation costs increase faster than the price of shrimp, forcing many owners out of the business. For those captains able to stick around, less competition off Georgia’s coast means more shrimp for them. Video, >click to read< 10:16
1 dead, 1 survived overturned shrimp boat near Warsaw Island in Chatham County
Georgia DNR Wardens responded to a call from the Chatham County Marine Patrol Monday around 2 p.m. about a shrimp boat that overturned with two people o it, according to a release from DNR. The boat was about one mile south of Warsaw Island. One person was able to jump free of the boat as it went over and survived. The coroner’s office identified the victim as Charles Dixon, 73, of Eden. >click to read< 12:05
Along Georgia’s coast, shrimping remains an important industry
Shrimpers are known to be the heart of McIntosh County. However, they face significant challenges leading some to wonder if the industry will survive. “There’s a lot of work that goes into it, and long hours, at times, that goes into it,” Robert Todd said. It’s 4 a.m., as the Sundown and its crew leave the Wait-N-Sea dock in Townsend. “On our vessel right now, there’s three of us on the back deck.,, Todd and McKinzie say it’s a dwindling industry and look toward the younger generation to keep it afloat. “We don’t see the State of Georgia pushing commercial fishermen. This is still a trade. It is a complicated trade because you don’t learn how to commercial fish in a classroom,” >click to read< 16:26
Hundreds attend the 53rd annual Blessing of the Fleet in Darien, Georgia
Sunday, hundreds of people gathered around the waterways of Darien to take part in the 53rd annual Blessing of the Fleet. The tradition celebrates the area’s biggest industry, shrimping. “This is the very heart of the community. For these men and women to know they’re supported means a tremendous amount to them,” said Bill Barton, Priest for St. Andrew’s & St. Cyprian’s Episcopalian Churches. >video, click to read< 13:09
Supreme Court – Oystermen bemoan ‘disgraceful’ water wars decision
Shannon Hartsfield, a fourth-generation oysterman, fears debilitating drought in years to come after the Supreme Court yesterday found that Florida failed to show Georgia is cutting off south-flowing water. Hartsfield’s livelihood is in Apalachicola Bay, an estuary and lagoon along the Florida Panhandle that once hosted up to 400 bustling fishing boats. It is now closed to allow wild oyster reefs to regenerate after suffering through historically dry conditions in recent years that have slowed the inflows feeding the bay. Hartsfield, head of the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association, claims Georgia is also to blame for not allowing fresh water to flow down two rivers, past Atlanta’s suburbs and to the Gulf of Mexico. The Supreme Court disagreed. >click to read< 09:35
Looks like it could be Happy New Year, Shrimpers! Georgia Shrimp Season Extended Into 2021
Georgia’s commercial and recreational shrimpers will have more time this season to harvest food shrimp after the state Department of Natural Resources extended the shrimping season Monday. State law normally closes the shrimp fishery Dec. 31, but the Commissioner of Natural Resources can lengthen the season if data show shrimp are abundant and likely to rebound the following year, explained Eddie Leonard, a biologist with DNR’s Coastal Resources Division, which manages marine fisheries in Georgia. This season in Georgia, there are 213 licensed commercial shrimp trawlers and 15 licensed commercial cast-net shrimpers. >click to read< 07:13
Coast Guard crews work to remove 33,000 gallons fuel from fishing vessel aground east of Egg Island, GA
The Coast Guard is working to remove diesel fuel from an aground fishing vessel east of Egg Island. The fishing vessel initially ran aground on November 4 after it became disabled. The Coast Guard is working with partner agencies and a hired contractor to remove a potential amount of 33,000 gallons of diesel fuel from the fishing vessel. The Coast Guard is actively working with salvage contractors and the vessel’s owner to find the best means possible for this unique situation being that it’s a difficult project due to the grounding location.” >click to read< 17:43
President Trump to to prohibit offshore drilling along Florida, Georgia and S.C. coasts
The president signed a memorandum on Tuesday instructing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off the South Carolina coast, Georgia coast and both Florida coasts. The ban would last for a period of 10 years, from July 1, 2022, to June 20, 2032. “South Carolina is blessed with the most beautiful and pristine beaches, sea islands, and marshes in the nation. Seismic testing and offshore drilling threatens their health and jeopardizes the future of our state’s $24 billion tourism industry. Today’s announcement is good news, but we must remain vigilant in the conservation and preservation of our coastline,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. The existing moratorium covers the Gulf of Mexico, and Trump said the new one would also cover the Atlantic coast. >click to read< 08:30
Shrimp Season begins in Georgia waters
Darrell Gale and his crew hit the Darien River Tuesday night and had an early morning for the start of shrimp harvest season. Gale said he had a good catch, but it could have been better. The captain caught more small fish than he would have liked, but still ended up catching about 1,000 pounds of shrimp. However, that’s 2,000 pounds less than last year’s season opening. “They waited a little long to open the beaches and the smaller shrimps came out. Well…you don’t get as much profit with the smaller shrimps,” Gale said. Video, >click to read< 10:02
Florida warns of Apalachicola River’s ‘doom’ if Georgia isn’t forced to release more water, Looks to US Supreme Court
Warning that a special master’s recommendation would “spell doom” for the Apalachicola River, Florida wants the U.S. Supreme Court to require Georgia to share more water in a river system that links the two states. “The harm to the Bay’s oyster fisheries is undeniable. Apalachicola is renowned across America for its oysters, which account for 90% of Florida’s oyster harvest and 10% of the nation’s,” “What’s more, oysters, and oystering, have created a distinct way of life in Apalachicola passed down from generation-to-generation; whole communities depend on the fisheries for their economic livelihood. The oyster is to Apalachicola what the lobster is to many New England towns.” >click to read< 10:23
“Tide Runners: Exploring the Life of Shrimpers & Fishermen” presented by photographer/author Tim Barnwell
This nine-year exploration took him to the Outer Banks and seaside towns of North Carolina and to dozens of seaboard locations in South Carolina and Georgia where he met, photographed and interviewed folks for this project. From before sunrise until after dark these men and women work, in all types of weather, through the seasons. Bound by the rhythms of the tides, they struggle to support themselves,, Over numerous trips to the area, Barnwell visited dozens of small communities, going out on a variety of shrimping and fishing boats, spending time getting to know the boat captains, strikers on the back of the trawlers, dock workers, food processors and restaurant employees. more, >click to read< 19:30
Water War: Florida and Georgia battle over water, as panhandle oystermen struggle to survive
Michael Dasher lowered a long pair of tongs into the water,,, His 53-year-old calloused hands grasped not just the 12-foot-long (3.7-m-long) tool but a way of life that Florida panhandle oystermen say is dying: Last year, they hauled in 16,000 pounds (7,257 kg) of oysters worth $130,000, according to state figures, a fraction of the 2012 catch of 3 million pounds (1.4 million kg) worth $8.8 million. “It’s like dumping sacks of rocks every day, but I don’t know how to do anything else,” said Dasher, who fretted that his 32-year-old son nicknamed “Little Mike,” a fifth-generation oysterman in the family, may also be its last. Their future may be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, >click to read< 13:08
Fisheries disaster declared in multiple fisheries, multiple states
Wednesday,, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced his determination that commercial fishery failures occurred for multiple fisheries between 2017 and 2019 in Alaska, California, Georgia, and South Carolina, while further finding that a catastrophic regional fishery disaster occurred for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama due to extreme flooding events in the Gulf of Mexico. >click to read< 17:41
Commercial shrimping season opens today in Georgia and South Carolina
Commercial shrimp trawling will open in all legal South Carolina waters at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29. Georgia state waters will open to trawling at the same time. Hopes are high that 2019 will bring a plentiful harvest after the previous year of relatively poor shrimping. In January 2018, an unusually cold period killed the vast majority of the white shrimp overwintering in South Carolina waters, delaying the 2018 opening of shrimp season until mid-June. Fortunately, according to regular trawl surveys conducted by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) biologists, white shrimp numbers appear to have returned to at least the 10-year average, hopefully heralding a better season for the state’s commercial fishery. >click to read<08:58
GA Among States to Receive Part of $20 Million in Fishery Disaster Funding
The U.S. Department of Commerce allocated $20 million to help tribes, communities, fishermen, and businesses affected by commercial fishery failures that occurred in Georgia, California, Oregon, and Washington between 2013 and 2017. “The Department of Commerce and NOAA stand ready to support communities working to rebuild and rebound from fishery disasters,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “We will continue to work closely with our partners to help American fishermen preserve their livelihoods.” >click to read<09:45
Lawmakers urge more FDA inspections of imported seafood, win approval
An effort to increase the amount of imported seafood the U.S. inspects for health issues has crossed a hurdle in the Senate. Louisiana’s two Republican senators, John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, won approval of a measure that would add $3.1 million the FDA’s budget for such testing. Shrimpers in Terrebonne and Lafourche, joined by their peers in other states, have pushed for the measure,, The group represents shrimp fishermen and processors in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Video >click to read<17:48
Federal waters off Georgia, South Carolina closed to fishing for brown, pink, white shrimp
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced on Jan. 24 that NOAA Fisheries have closed federal waters off Georgia to all fishing for brown, pink, and white shrimp. During the closure, no person may trawl for brown, pink, or white shrimp in federal waters off Georgia effective at 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 24Georgia, South Carolina NOAA Fisheries will issue a new Fishery Bulletin announcing the re-opening to shrimp harvest in federal waters off Georgia once the date is determined.. >click here to read< and in South Carolina >click here to read<17:55
Georgia extends shrimp trawling season until Jan. 15, announce the opening of commercial harvest of jellyfish
The state has extended the food shrimp harvest season 15 days until Jan. 15 and announced the opening of the season for the commercial harvest of jellyfish. Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams announced Wednesday he was extending the season that commercial trawlers may operate in state waters that are currently open until 6:15 p.m. Jan. 15.,, .,, The DNR also announced that state waters will open for commercial trawling for jellyfish from 6:30 a.m. Jan. 1 until 8:30 p.m. March 31. click here to read the story 16:04
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina Reeling After Irma’s Historic Assault; Navy Dispatches Ships, Aircraft Carrier to the Keys
An aircraft carrier has been dispatched to the Florida Keys to help with relief efforts as Irma after its historic assault on Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, killing at least nine people. Five deaths have been attributed to the storm in Florida, including two deaths in Hardee County, one death Orange County, one in St. Johns County and one in Winter Park. Deaths were also reported in Georgia’s Worth and Forsyth counties and the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs. click here to read the story 09:59
Canadian power crews head to Irma-hit Florida to help restore service – Dozens of Canadian power crews are heading to Florida to help restore power to millions of people affected by Hurricane Irma. click here to read the story
Georgia shrimping season spawns unusual crop: optimism
The rope that dangled down into the hold of the Jo Ann B from a small square opening in the deck suddenly went taut. The winch overhead hummed Friday as it strained, slowly raising a 55-gallon plastic can loaded to the brim with Coastal Georgia’s most-prized saltwater delicacy. The bounty of wild Georgia shrimp swayed high above the boat Friday morning, then swung over to the City Market docks. Jake Wilson took it from there, manhandling the huge bucket of white roe shrimp and dumping the catch into a spacious water trough for processing at the City Market plant on Brunswick’s East River. This process repeats itself many times before Capt. Joe Williams’ Jo Ann B had unloaded its plentiful catch for the day. Entering the third week of the 2017 shrimping season in Georgia’s state waters, the folks who ply the coast to bring the Golden Isles these delicious crustaceans are feeling something strange: optimism. click here to read the story 11:18
