Tag Archives: illegal fishing
N.S. Liberals promise to establish inquiry into illegal fishing
Nova Scotia’s Liberal Party is promising to establish a public inquiry into illegal fishing if the party is elected to govern on Nov. 26. Liberal Leader Zach Churchill issued a statement Friday saying the party would also introduce a minimum-fine policy for those caught buying illegally caught lobster. There is already a maximum fine of $1 million for illegal fishing, but Churchill said more needs to be done. “We will establish a minimum fine to ensure that everybody who is buying illegal lobsters pays for putting the industry at risk,” he said. Churchill, whose Liberals are trying to unseat the Progressive Conservatives led by Tim Houston, also committed to creating a dedicated fisheries enforcement unit and a separate commercial fisheries office. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:56
N.S. minister hopes changes to fish buyer, processor licences will help curb illegal activity
The Nova Scotia government is introducing new licence conditions for fish buyers and processors that officials hope will help crack down on illegal fishing. Kent Smith, the province’s fisheries minister, detailed the changes in a letter that accompanied a package sent to licence holders earlier this month. Changes include moving to two-year terms and aligning processor licences with Canadian Food Inspection Agency requirements. Processors will also be required to report the source location of fish and fish products entering the facility and the location of sales at both the provincial and country level. But the biggest changes focus on Nova Scotia’s king crustacean, lobster. Lobster buyers will be required to provide the locations and details pertaining to all holding and handling facilities they own, lease or use. Licence holders will only be allowed to store and/or handle their lobsters at facilities listed on their buyer’s licence. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:15
$100K worth of lobster seized from southwest N.S. facility, 1 Arrested
Federal fisheries officers have seized more than 5,900 kilograms of lobster as well as documents and electronic records during the search of a facility in Shelburne County, N.S. One person has been arrested and is being investigated for potential charges under the Fisheries Act in connection with maintaining a lobster pound without the required licence, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Social media posts from the federal department said officers obtained a search warrant for the operation that happened on Wednesday. DFO said in its posts that “fishery officers have been taking enforcement measures ranging from compliance awareness to making arrests and seizing unauthorized catch, equipment and vessels.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:28
Maritime lobster harvesters walk out of DFO meeting over illegal fishing concerns
Lobster harvesters from the Maritimes walked out of a meeting with DFO Tuesday after officials allegedly refused to discuss the illegal fishing that has been taking place out of season since August. At the beginning of the meeting, a motion was made by harvester representatives to discuss the issue of ongoing poaching throughout the region. When DFO officials refused to amend the agenda, representatives from Lobster Fishing Areas 27 through 38 walked out, according to a statement from 11 fishing associations representing 3,000 lobster licence holders from across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Representatives of lobster harvesters said they would return to the table when DFO is prepared to discuss a plan to end black market, out of season fishing, which they say is an “enormous threat” facing the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:31
Lobster fishing industry reps remain concerned about illegal fishing
A hastily organized meeting with senior Fisheries Department officials on Tuesday did nothing to quell concerns among commercial lobster industry representatives about illegal fishing and insufficient enforcement along coastal communities. The meeting came together hours after people attending a gathering of the Maritimes Region Lobster Advisory Committee in Dartmouth, N.S., walked out in protest when a motion to change the agenda to deal only with enforcement and illegal fishing was rejected. “It’s the No. 1 industry in Atlantic Canada and we feel abandoned,” Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, told reporters after walking out of the morning session. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:26
DFO: Some fishery officers refusing work in N.S., citing dangerous conditions
Some fishery officers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada are refusing work in Nova Scotia out of concern for their safety, the federal department said Thursday. While DFO said in a statement it is “making every effort to minimize operational impacts,” a group representing fishermen in southwest Nova Scotia said enforcement officers are nowhere to be seen to prevent illegal fishing during the off-season. “There’s illegal fishing occurring and there is no enforcement staff on the road or on the water or on the wharfs. And it’s out of hand,” Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock Lobster Association, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:33
Ketchikan man charged with illegal fishing and theft of crab pots
A Ketchikan man is being charged with a series of misdemeanor and felony charges related to illegal fishing and theft of Dungeness crab pots. 47-year-old David Vest was arrested on Friday and his fishing boat, the F/V Silver Surfer, was seized by Alaska Wildlife Troopers. Troopers said they received numerous complaints from another commercial crabber that he suspected Vest and his crew were stealing his Dungeness crab pots and his catch. So a trooper camped out near Etolin Island, between Wrangell and Ketchikan, and waited for the Silver Surfer to show up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:37
Illegal fishing shuts down Egegik district
In Bristol Bay’s Egegik district, it’s not uncommon to see some boats illegally fishing over the line. But this year seemed particularly bad, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “We were receiving daily phone calls between Fish and Game and wildlife troopers, you know, multiple boats upwards of fifty at a time fishing outside of the district,” Tiernan said. That’s state biologist Aaron Tiernan. He says that during the peak of the season, extra Alaska State Troopers flood Bristol Bay from around the state. It’s a big effort. But as fishing winds down, the Alaska Department of Fish and Gamey start leaving to patrol other areas. “More and more reports come in. Because there’s less, there’s less enforcement going on overall. And we need to try to protect stocks that are going north and south or even into Egegik,” Tiernan said. So, in response, he decided to shut the fishery down. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:39
Illegal Cornwall clam fishermen put public health and honest fishermen’s livelihood at risk for greed
A group of fishermen who illegally fished for high value razor clams by electrocuting them have put the livelihood of honest fishermen at risk, damaged the environment and endangered consumers’ health for greed, a judge said. Luke Anderson, 44, of St. Margarets–at-Cliffe in Kent, Steven Corcoran, 46, from Motherwell in Scotland, Marc Drew, 50, from Mousehole, Graeme Etheridge, 61, of Paul in Cornwall, Jake Richardson, 26, of Bedminster in Dorset, David Thomasson, 52, from Bodmin, Ross Waters, 47, of St Buryan, and Simon Tester, 52, from Canterbury in Kent, were all employed by boat owner David Turner (from Kent) – who is to be sentenced for illegal fishing offences in September. >click to read< 14:40
San Francisco D.A. wants a fisherman to pay nearly $1 million over illegal Dungeness crabbing in MPA
A commercial fisherman from Vallejo is accused of illegally catching more than 250 Dungeness crabs at the protected North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Friday. On Feb. 11, an unidentified fisherman alerted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife of commercial Dungeness crab traps in the North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve area, according to a complaint filed by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Officers from the CDFW then found what appeared to be a line, also called a “string,” of 92 commercial Dungeness crab trap buoys in the southern part of the reserve,,, >click to read< 17:21
U.S. puts restrictions on Mexican boats over illegal fishing
The U.S. government is putting restrictions on Mexican fishing boats entering U.S. ports over allegations that the Mexican government has failed to prevent illegal fishing in U.S. waters. Starting Feb. 7, all Mexican fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico will be prohibited from entering U.S. ports. “This is an example of how rampant illegal fishing is in Mexico,” said Alejandro Olivera with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Mexican fisheries enforcement has been weakened since the start of this administration.” >click to read< 09:50
Big fines for boat operators illegally fishing off Yorkshire coast
Magistrates heard boats from Oban in Scotland and Torquay in Devon repeatedly broke rules designed to protect the scallop fishery off the coast near Robin Hood’s Bay during a four-month period in 2019. John MacAlister, owner of the Star of Annan OB 50, and master of the vessel Alec Murray both appeared at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court having admitted the offences at a previous hearing. The court heard how the offences included operating in a closed season, using scallop dredges, failing to operate a fully-functioning vessel identification system as well as landing undersized scallops. >click to read< 17:56
Heard of this Secret Armada? In the Russian exclusive economic zone, a secret war is going on.
Every year thousands of makeshift North Korean boats invade the waters of Japan and Russia to strip their seas of fish. In a desperate bid for hard cash, and to feed his people, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is forcing his fleets further out to sea to illegally fish, breaking United Nations sanctions. It’s risky business with voyages often resulting in death for the North Korean fisherman. Far out to sea in the Russian exclusive economic zone, a secret war is going on. The Russian coastguard is stepping up its operations against the North Korean armada. >click to read< 14:21
Fines to rogue fishermen fall and illegal fishing escapes prosecution, environmentalists claim
Concerns have been raised recently that fishermen are increasingly involved in illegal scallop dredging and prawn trawling to supply a black market in seafood, at the expense of Scotland’s marine environment.,,, Environmentalists claim that the Scottish Government is not treating damage to MPAs by boats as “serious crimes”. They have accused the official body tasked with protecting seas, Marine Scotland, of failing to take tough enforcement action against skippers breaking the law. >click to read< 13:54
Canada’s next-generation RADARSAT satellite constellation successfully launched
Canada’s RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) was launched successfully into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The constellation of three satellites will provide daily images of Canada’s vast territory and maritime approaches, as well as images of the Arctic, up to four times a day. It will have daily access to 90 percent of the world’s surface. The RCM is also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), allowing improved detection and tracking of ships, including those conducting illegal fishing. >click to read<18:19
Woody Point fish plant and owner acquitted of illegal fishing
In a directed verdict released on Wednesday, Todd Young and 3Ts Ltd. were acquitted of fishing for Atlantic halibut without a licence. Young is part owner of the 3Ts fish plant, which is based in Woody Point. The case was heard by Judge Wayne Gorman in provincial court in Corner Brook on May 18 and 28. At the conclusion of the Crown’s case, counsel for Young and 3Ts applied for a directed verdict. The request meant Gorman had to determine whether the evidence, if believed, could reasonably support the inference of guilt the Crown had sought to draw. In his written decision, Gorman said he concluded it did not and the application should be granted, and he acquitted both accused of the charge against them. >click to read<10:23
Illegal fishing drives early shutdown of elver fishery
The Department of Marine Resources announced Wednesday afternoon that it will shut down the elver fishery two weeks early “because of illegal sales which jeopardize the department’s ability to manage the fishery.” The department will use its emergency rulemaking authority to close the season. The elver fishing season will close at 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 24. The season was scheduled to end at noon on Thursday, June 7. Under the regulation, licensed harvesters may not fish for or take elvers after 6 a.m. on May 24, but may possess and sell elvers until noon on that day. Licensed dealers may purchase elvers until noon on May 24, and may possess legally purchased elvers until 6 a.m. on May 29. >click to read<08:34
Coast Guard issues violations for illegal fishing near Cape Romain
A Coast Guard boarding team issued fishing and safety violations Thursday to a vessel 19 miles east of Cape Romain, South Carolina. The 44-foot fishing vessel The Long Line was found actively laying and retrieving fishing pots in a prohibited area. The Coast Guard Cutter Cormorant noticed The Long Line crew setting their pods Wednesday night and later retrieving the pods Thursday morning. A Cormorant boarding team conducted a living marine resources boarding and cited the crew for failing to comply with area restrictions. >click to read<23:50
Businessmen fined a historic $2 million for overfishing rock lobster
Australian rock lobsters are the best in the world but after they started to disappear from unlimited fishing, the government decided the expensive crustacean was going to be fiercely protected. And that was the expensive lesson a number of Wollongong businessmen learnt yesterday after a judge in the coastal city handed down the biggest fines ever given for illegal fishing in NSW history. The group of men, who were part of the fishing company that engaged in the major scam, the seafood restaurant that bought them and anyone associated with the crime, were fined a whopping $2.1 million. click here to read the story 11:16
Senior NOAA appointee calls for retraction of paper on illegal fishing
A top US official at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who was recently appointed by President Donald Trump, has called for the retraction of a paper that suggests the country exports a significant amount of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The paper, published July 6 in Marine Policy, estimated that in 2015 approximately one-fifth of Alaska pollock exports to Japan were either illegal, unreported, or unregulated — a value of as much as $75 million. click here to read the story 15:17
Obama Administration Issuing New Rules to Curb Illegal Fishing, Seafood Fraud
The Obama administration is issuing new rules it says will crack down on illegal fishing and seafood fraud by preventing unverifiable fish products from entering the U.S. market. The new protections are called the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and they are designed to stop illegally fished and intentionally misidentified seafood from getting into stores and restaurants by way of imported fish. The rules will require seafood importers to report information and maintain records about the harvest and chain of custody of fish, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The program will start by focusing on “priority species” that are especially vulnerable to illegal fishing, such as popular food fish like tuna, swordfish, Atlantic cod and grouper. The government hopes eventually to broaden the program to include all fish species, NOAA officials said. Read the rest here 17:50
Foreign trawlers continue to pillage Grand Banks of Newfoundland
Five foreign trawlers have been issued a total of six citations in recent months for illegal fishing on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, outside Canada’s 200-mile limit. Sept. 14: American trawler Alex Marie; cited in port at Trepassey for directed fishing for white hake on the tail of the Grand Banks. The fish was only to be taken as a by catch. July 21st: American trawler Titan, cited in Louisbourg, N.S. for inaccurate storage plans. July 7th: Spanish trawler Ana Gandon, boarded at sea on the Flemish Cap and cited for improper storage of redfish. June 15th: Portuguese trawler Calvao, boarded on the tail of the Grand Banks and cited for misreporting redfish catches. May 22nd: Spanish trawler Puente Sabaris, boarded on the Flemish Cap, and issued two citations for misreporting redfish catches. Read the rest here 11:00
Zappa 1 tuna fishermen handed five-year suspension after guilty pleas
Three men who fished out of the Antigonish area are banned from the catch-and-release bluefin tuna fishery for five years after pleading guilty to a total of 27 charges of illegal fishing. George Boyle, the license holder and owner of the Zappa 1, along with crew members Dale Trenholm and Evan McDormand are prohibited from taking part in the commercial bluefin tuna fishery for two years as well. Boyle, Trenholm and McDormand used gaffs and rope to remove a bluefin tuna from the water during a catch-and-release trip on October 7, 2014, according to an agreed statement of facts submitted in court on Monday. Read the rest here 18:36
In the Gulf – Effects of Illegal Fishing on Local Fishing Industry
Over 1,000 pounds of red snapper were seized from a lancha by the U.S. Coast Guard. There were 4 Mexican nationals aboard the boat. They were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard at the island. A charter fisherman said when people fish illegally his profits take a big hit. It can also drain a fishing spot. “Everything changed. We didn’t catch anything in that area, nothing. We didn’t even mark anything on our fish finder. It was absolutely zero,” Michael Walker said. Walker takes people out to fish. If there are no fish to catch, it can result in the loss of a customer. Read the rest here 09:19
US Fishermen Seek Federal Action against Illegal Fishing
Mexican fishing boats enter U.S. sovereign waters and illegally poach hundreds to thousands of fish at a time. Although the U.S. Coast Guard and Gulf state maritime law enforcement agencies have taken aggressive action to find and destroy these illegal Mexican vessels, the frequency of such incursions continues to escalate. “Illegal fishing is a direct threat to the livelihoods of thousands of hardworking Americans along the Gulf coast and we must do more to protect our coastal economies, our coastal businesses, and our fishermen,” said Congressman David Jolly (FL-13). Read the rest here 10:50Fisherman out $20K in forfeited crab and fines over illegal fishing
A fisherman from New World Island has to pay thousands in fines and was made to forfeit tens of thousands of dollars worth of crab for violating fishery regulations. Chesley Coish of Hillgrade was convicted on two counts of fishing in an area not listed on his crab licence — once in 2012, another in 2013. Coish was fined $4,000 for both convictions. He was also ordered to forfeit over 8,000 pounds of crab worth $16,333. Until the fines are paid, Coish will be unable to transfer his licence. Click here 10:09
How the Cold War depleted our oceans and led to Japan’s $37,000 tuna – Really?
Though the price one Tokyo sushi-maker paid for a Pacific bluefin tuna marks a sharp drop from recent peaks, $35,000 isn’t chump change. Given the species’ scarcity, it’s also not surprising. In Nov. 2014, it was re-classified as “vulnerable,” meaning it’s in danger of extinction.This scarcity isn’t just a tuna thing. and illegal fishing mean that stocks in every corner of the sea are disappearing at an unsustainable pace. Though many blame the – hoo boy, Read the rest here 17:52
Flag hopping fishing companies drive small fishermen to piracy. – The link between illegal fishing and piracy
Government authorities and shipping industry insiders are increasingly concerned that maritime piracy will rise globally as huge, commercial fishing firms—especially the ones that operate illegally—drive fishermen from poor countries out of business. “When people don’t have any way of feeding their families by fishing, they don’t have many options,” Read the rest here 16:44
In Togiak, illegal fishing prompts concerns about escapement
The weather was poor on the evening of July 8, which for veteran wildlife trooper Brett Gibbens meant it was probably a good night for a patrol flight. Why? Because fishermen rightly or wrongly assume that fishing outside of the line is best gotten away with when enforcement efforts may be hampered by weather. <Read more here> 11:33
