Tag Archives: Maryland
At a global seafood market, Maryland’s ‘fish people’ stand out by selling the Chesapeake Bay
Nancy Devine was on a mission. To see it through, she needed a very particular sort of help. “I need to borrow six oysters,” she said. As co-owner of Faidley’s Seafood in Baltimore, Devine was in Boston with 22,000 others to attend the three-day Seafood Expo North America. She and her niece, sales director Alica Mozina Sidhu, needed the oysters to test a $20,000 machine that wraps food in plastic. Their family business, which has sold fresh oysters, crabs and fish from the Chesapeake Bay for 139 years, is expanding. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:43
Supreme Court denies fishing case
“It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it!
The Supreme Court has denied a hearing for a coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators seeking to overturn new striped bass fishing restrictions. But for Captain Robert Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the legal battle is far from over. “It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it! We will be announcing our next move within a week,” Newberry said, emphasizing that no other group in the state has fought as hard on this issue as the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the Maryland Charter Boat Association, and supporters like Brian Nesspor and Ken Jefferies. The coalition had filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to block the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (the Commission) new restrictions, arguing they imposed “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:21
Maryland Fishing Groups Take Striped Bass Restrictions Fight to Supreme Court
A coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators have escalated their legal battle against new striped bass fishing restrictions, filing an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block the regulations. The Delmarva Fisheries Association (DFA) and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, along with two individual commercial fishermen, argue that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (the Commission) recent measures impose “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. The petition, filed this week, claims the restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution and could jeopardize the livelihoods of many small businesses. The case follows months of legal disputes in lower courts, where the plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to halt the Commission’s 2024 striped bass management plan, known as Addendum II. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
Postponement of West OC harbor zoning change continues
Worcester County officials this week continued to postpone a proposed zoning amendment that would stymie offshore wind developers from operating as a utility in the West Ocean City commercial fishing harbor. “With any big change like this, you know, we want to deliberate. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re doing. We’re taking all information in and we’re deliberating,” said County Administrator Weston Young following Tuesday’s meeting of the Worcester County Board of Commissioners. One section of the bill would prohibit “facilities that are intended to support offshore energy production” while another would ban “public utility structure” as a permitted use. It’s part of the county’s efforts to stop or slow developer US Wind from moving forward on a planned 114-turbine wind farm located about 11 miles offshore. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
Letter to the Editor: US Wind project is not good for Sussex County by David T. Stevenson
The federal US Wind Final Environmental Impact Statement concludes on page 135, “U.S. offshore wind projects would likely have a limited impact on global emissions and climate change.” So no impact on sea-level rise. US Wind claims the $200 million they will invest in building transmission lines will offer general upgrades to the local transmission systems. However, if the project isn’t built, the transmission upgrades are unnecessary. Their claim of lowering homeowner electric rates $9 per year is statistically zero given the model’s plus/minus $17 error range. Consultants employed by the Maryland Public Service Commission stated the offshore wind projects would simply replace onshore wind projects that cost 80% less. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:57
Worcester hiring PR firm to fight offshore wind
Sometimes, even David needs a public relations firm in his corner to take on Goliath. In the face of what they described as an apathetic response to Worcester County’s offshore wind concerns, the county’s Board of Commissioners on Dec. 17 voted unanimously to contract with Bedrock Advocacy Communications, a public relations firm based in Virginia. The agency will help with grassroots mobilization, strategic communications, and online engagement for a 2025 campaign to oppose ongoing wind farm development off the Atlantic Coast, according to Worcester County Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young. Young said when it comes to protesting the planned 114-turbine wind farm by developer US Wind, there have been a lot of grassroots efforts, but none that were coordinated. He said Bedrock will serve as the campaign developer and manager, working collaboratively with representatives from Worcester County, Ocean City, and the local business community. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:53
VIEWPOINT: Offshore Wind Turbines – Trouble on the Horizon?
The state’s actions to facilitate a project that will provide no electricity to Delaware and makes one wonder how disruption to our fragile offshore and onshore ecosystem will benefit the citizens of Delaware. As in the contract, US Wind will “monitor” the damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays. This in itself is an admission to damage such as changes to nutrient levels, pollutants from construction degrading water quality, damage to fish, shellfish, bay grasses, and other marine life that most believe will not help heal the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays but further add to the detrimental changes for minimal actual benefit to Delawareans. Additionally, wind turbines broadcast underwater low-frequency vibrations and create large electromagnetic fields around the miles-long high-voltage transmission lines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Representative Jeff Hilovsky 10:41
Worcester launches plan to buy Ocean City fishing harbor seafood businesses, block US Wind
The Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday launched what they’re hailing as “efforts to purchase two properties located in the West Ocean City (WOC) commercial maritime harbor to protect the county’s historic commercial and sport fishing industries.” Here’s what to know. These sites, which Commissioners said house the only two commercial seafood wholesalers where watermen can offload and sell their catches, are the Southern Connection Seafood and the Martin Fish Company properties. Plans for the two properties include developing a long-term lease with the existing owners to allow them to continue serving the needs of the commercial fishing industry, according to a commissioner’s release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:28
Worcester County to Use Eminent Domain on Seafood Properties Tapped by US Wind
Worcester County Commissioners have announced plans to use eminent domain to prevent US Wind from purchasing two seafood wholesale properties in West Ocean City’s commercial maritime harbor. The move comes as US Wind’s parent company, Renexia SpA, looked to demolish the harbor’s only commercial seafood wholesalers, Southern Connection Seafood and the Martin Fish Company, according to a press release. Commissioners cited several reasons for taking action, including the commercial fishing industry’s impact on the regional economy and federal fishery catch quotas which require unloading in a Maryland port. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:24
Ocean City continues with lawsuit following US Wind receiving final approval
US Wind, Inc. announced Tuesday that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has granted final approval for the company’s Construction and Operations Plan, completing the federal permitting process for its offshore wind project. However, the project has faced significant opposition from the Ocean City community and other local organizations. The Town of Ocean City, joined by groups such as the Worcester County Commissioners, Coastal Association of Realtors and the Commercial and Recreational Fishing Industry, say they will continue to move forward with a lawsuit against BOEM to challenge its approval of US Wind’s project. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:41
Ocean City, fishing clubs and Thrasher’s French Fries sue federal government over offshore wind project
Ocean City, Maryland, neighboring towns, counties, sportfishing groups, hotels, amusement parks and boardwalk staple Thrasher’s French Fries have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for approving a massive wind farm approximately 10 miles off the tourist town’s coast. Last month, on Sept. 5, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the U.S. Interior Department, announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. It’s the nation’s 10th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project, according to the Biden Administration. The list of plaintiffs includes the mayor and city council of Ocean City, the mayor and town council of neighboring Fenwick Island, Delaware, and commissioners of Worcester County, Maryland, where Ocean City is located. Other plaintiffs include developers, hotels, commercial fishermen and seafood markets, the parent company for Ocean City’s Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, the Save Right Whales Coalition and the parent company for Thrasher’s French Fries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:42
Editorial: Save commercial fishing industry
Commercial fishing operators working out of the harbor in West Ocean City have been cast adrift, as the push to build an offshore wind farm about 12 miles east of Ocean City has rolled over their concerns. As was noted in a meeting Tuesday between Department of Natural Resources officials and commercial fishing operators, the construction of a maintenance facility at the commercial harbor could leave the few boats still operating there without space to unload their catch. No one, outside of the fishing community itself, apparently thought of that problem and one suspects that the state and federal governments would advise members of that industry to produce their own solution, which they don’t have the resources to do. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:35
More questions than answers in proposed commercial fishing deal with wind company
A discussion Tuesday between local commercial fishing operators and representatives of the state Department of Natural Resources about how US Wind intends to compensate fishermen for wind farm-related financial losses made one thing clear: the fishing community fears for its existence. Beyond that, the process, plan and the particulars of the commercial fishing “Compensatory Mitigation Fund” that US Wind has pledged to create remain adrift in a sea of unfinished business. Speaking before roughly two dozen commercial operators at the Ocean Pines Library, Carrie Kennedy, of DNR’s Data Management & Analysis Division, and Catherine McCall, of its Coastal and Ocean Management office, invited watermen to suggest services and forms of assistance that could be included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be executed between the DNR and US Wind by January. The MOU would spring from a July 8 letter of intent between the department and US Wind in which the company agrees “to provide financial compensation to eligible Maryland fishermen for mitigating direct losses/impacts to commercial and for-hire (charter) fishing from and caused by the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project in federal waters.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:14
Debate Over Offshore Wind Farms Continues at Ocean City BOEM Meeting
Ocean City residents voiced strong opposition Tuesday night at a public meeting hosted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding potential offshore wind farm developments along the Maryland coast. The meeting discussed areas that could be leased for wind energy projects, which has been raising concerns among residents. Many Ocean City residents expressed concerns about the environmental, economic, and aesthetic impact of more wind farms. Hundreds attended the meeting. “It’s just not sound business. It’s not a good idea for our environment. The fishery will be destroyed out here, the viewshed will be destroyed, and it’s going to harm Ocean City—irreparable harm to our community,” said one attendee. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:41
Lawmakers seek pause in offshore wind energy amid whale deaths
House lawmakers are seeking a pause in offshore wind energy projects amid a string of whale deaths along the coasts of Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Maine. Last week, a deceased whale beached off Maryland’s coast, the second whale carcass discovered in the area in three weeks. In 2023, 37 humpback whales carcasses were discovered along the East Coast. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) hosted a public hearing in August in which experts testified about the danger installing wind turbines poses marine wildlife. Harris called for an end to offshore wind energy in Maryland. The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate the impacts of offshore wind development after Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J) requested it look into the issues. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48
Maryland Catfish Trail hopes to control invasive species
It’s early afternoon on a comfortable Sunday when Keith Bradfield and his brother Ray pull up to the Smallwood State Park dock after a long day of fishing. And they’ve been successful. Very successful. The Fairfax, Va., resident pulls up the lid of the cooler to reveal it stuffed with invasive blue catfish up to about 30 pounds each. Bradfield, who shows an image of his sonar lit up like a Christmas tree signifying the invasive species, said he looks for the fish in the deepest holes of the river, “but they’re pretty much everywhere.” And the blue catfish’s population has become such a problem that the state recently initiated a Maryland Catfish Trail where anglers can target fellow invasive flathead catfish and snakeheads in an attempt to help lower their numbers. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:39
Offshore Trojan Horses
In July, the U.S. Department of Interior greenlighted large offshore wind farms in New Jersey and Maryland. Once the financial agreements are in place, New Jersey’s Atlantic Shores and Maryland’s Marwin and Momentum will join the two large wind farms in New York approved in June. These projects will receive huge, multibillion-dollar subsidies from the federal government and electricity ratepayers. What benefits will New Jersey and Maryland enjoy from this flood of money? To answer this question, it is best to recall the classic warning of the Trojan Horse legend, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”—in other words, the hidden dangers of accepting something that seems too good to be true. New York State ignored that warning when it agreed to pay very high prices for the electricity to be supplied from its new offshore wind farms—Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind—located off the coast of Long Island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
BOEM seeks public input on possible wind energy areas
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials are asking for feedback on possible commercial wind energy development in areas totaling 13.47 million acres off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, or Central Atlantic 2. The Central Atlantic 2 Call Area “is broad to allow for flexibility to minimize conflicts with other uses, such as commercial fisheries, military activities, and vessel traffic,” according to the federal agency. This announcement builds on the input and planning that led to the first Central Atlantic lease sale on Aug. 14, the fifth offshore wind lease sale held during the Biden-Harris administration, according to BOEM. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:07
U.S. Offshore Wind: The Struggle Continues
This post updates the financial troubles of Denmark’s Ørsted, recent BOEM auctions, and pushback against Maryland governor Wes Moore. Today, operational offshore wind capacity is less than 50 megawatts versus the Biden-Harris Administration goal of 30,000 MW by 2030. Denmark’s Ørsted, the worldwide leading offshore wind developer, recorded a $575 million loss in the second quarter. In part, the loss is the result of disappointing developments in the U.S. The company has delayed commercial operation of its 704-MW Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut from 2025 to 2026. Ørsted’s ambitious U.S. offshore wind program has been lagging, despite solid support (subsidies, permits) from the Biden administration. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06;50
US Wind to offer compensation package to local fishermen
This week, US Wind’s senior director of external affairs, Nancy Sopko, confirmed that the company is developing a mitigation program for commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen. The announcement comes a week after the Worcester County Commissioners shared concerns about a potential agreement. “US Wind is adopting a compensation program to benefit commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen, a measure BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) recognized as effective in our FEIS (Federal Environmental Impact Statement),” Sopko said. “US Wind and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources signed a Letter of Intent in July 2024 to develop a fisheries compensatory mitigation program by early 2025. Such a mitigation program could include financial assistance, assistance with equipment upgrades or training, and other services. We look forward to working with the state on outreach to the fishing community to further develop details of this mitigation program.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:09
Maryland Governor Wes Moore Addresses Local Concerns for Offshore Wind Projects
Maryland Governor Wes Moore was in Ocean City on Friday. It gave us a chance to speak with him about the local community’s strong opposition for offshore wind. Two months ago, Governor Moore signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to open up more lease areas of Maryland’s coast. While the state’s involvement in moving offshore wind projects forward could open up new jobs, commercial fisherman are still worried it will take theirs away. “They’re trying to steal our grounds, they’ve stolen our bottom, they’ve stolen the area that we fish in, their last resort is to buy the place where we sell our fish at and once they accomplish that we have nowhere else to work,” said Jimmy Hahn, a commercial fisherman who operates out of the West Ocean City Harbor. Moore said this can be a win-win situation, as long as state leaders put in the work. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:24
Ocean City prepares federal lawsuit over offshore wind projects.
During the most recent normal legislative meeting, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan noted he was not surprised members of the municipal government did not have all the details of the proposed offshore wind development by US Wind. He cited the planned 114 turbines would be “between 10.7 to 10.9 miles off our coast. At a minimum they will be 938 feet tall, and that’s three and half times taller than any building in Ocean City. If built on land, they would be the tallest structures in Maryland.” The federal government leased the land on which these turbines are slated to be built according to the company’s federal permit application. “We’ve decided if the (federal) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provides a favorable Record of Decision on US Wind’s permit application, the Town of Ocean City will file suit against the BOEM,” Meehan said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
A new Battle Between Worcester County and U.S. Wind
The offshore wind company is still moving forward with plans for a facility in the West Ocean City Harbor. County leaders have taken issue with this, because U.S. Wind’s desired location could uproot the commercial fishing industry. The packhouse at the end of the harbor allows commercial fisherman to make their living in West Ocean City. That packhouse however, sits on the property where U.S. plans on building a new facility. Dave Wilson with U.S. Wind told us on Wednesday, they didn’t find the property on their own. “We were approached by the two property owners at the harbor, we did not approach them they approached us, and we needed some space there,” said Wilson. Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said the size of that pier, in relation to U.S. Wind’s overall plans, makes him skeptical. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:17
The TikTok star saving a 400-year-old US tradition
For decades, Maryland has been synonymous with crabbing. But as the Chesapeake Bay’s “watermen” fade away, a young TikTok-famous fisherman is hoping to revive it.It’s 05:00 and still dark when Luke McFadden sets out from Maryland’s Bodkin Point to start his day. His boat, the FV Southern Girl, slowly makes its way down the creek and out into the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Stretching from the northernmost tip of Maryland down to southern Virginia, the 200-mile-long Chesapeake Bay is made up of 11,684 miles of shoreline (more than the entire US West Coast) and is an integral part of the US Mid-Atlantic’s economy. It also serves as the workplace for thousands of men and women seeking to make a living from its bounty. “Being a crabber is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” McFadden said, leaning against the hull of his boat after a day on the water. On shore, dozens of metal crab traps are stacked to be baited and set across the bay the following morning. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:06
Gone Shrimpin’: MD, VA Shrimp Harvests Return For 2024 Season
In the movie Forrest Gump, Alabama native Bubba proclaims, “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea.” Indeed, the south has long been known for its shrimp harvests, but the Chesapeake Bay? Not so much. In recent years, that’s been changing. Shrimp appear to be more abundant further north along the Atlantic coast. Virginia experimented with commercial shrimping for four years, saw success, and has had a commercial shrimp fishery for the last two years. Maryland forged ahead with its own pilot program in 2023, beginning with just one waterman. The 2024 pilot program is open to applicants now. A permit allows a commercial fisherman to use a 16-foot beam trawl to fish Maryland state waters of the Atlantic Ocean (extending out to three nautical miles). You can see the single permit holder, Sonny Gwin, in action on his first day fishing in 2023. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:02
Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program Assists “Generational Watermen”
The Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) is once again offering its Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program to assist “generational watermen” with the purchase of needed equipment via low-interest, unsecured loans. An advantage of this loan program is that if all payments are made as agreed to by the borrower, MARBIDCO will forgive a portion of these payments towards the end of the loan agreement. “With the support of Maryland’s Governor and General Assembly, changes were made to MARBIDCO’s Maryland Watermen’s Microloan Program during the recent legislative session to better serve the commercial watermen community with the inclusion of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) licensed fishermen and the potential raising of the maximum loan amounts”, said MARBIDCO Executive Director, Steve McHenry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:27
Will offshore wind presence get even bigger off Ocean City?
The first auction of 2024 for more land leased for offshore wind off the Delmarva Peninsula was cleared for Aug. 14 after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released the Central Atlantic Final Sale Notice. The notice is the last step required by the agency to hold a lease auction for the Central Atlantic region, which includes offshore areas in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. In total, the area available for lease covers more than 275,000 acres, enough to develop up to 6.3 GW of offshore wind energy capacity. Detractors for the expansion of offshore wind in Maryland, like Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md-1st, took aim at the decision, noting there were still a number of environmental issues surrounding plans for turbines. “We should never allow foreign-owned offshore wind companies to control our energy supply — much less harm our marine life while doing it,” said a spokesperson for Harris. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:51
Lesion-Causing Disease in Chesapeake Bay Bait Fish Alarms Watermen
The disease, characterized by ulcers and lesions, is affecting menhaden, acrucial bait fish. Commercial crabber CJ Canby reports seeing dead menhaden floating in the bay on a weekly basis. “Last year, we had a 5-gallon bucket of menhaden, and 3 or 4 out of them had lesions. The other day, we cast-netted 23 fish, and 4 of them had lesions. So, the rate of lesions in menhaden has astronomically increased,” said Captain CJ Canby of the FV Miss Paula. Canby emphasizes the seriousness of the issue for watermen. “The fish are telling us there’s a problem, and it’s showing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
Wild-Caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish Phenomenon Booming: Thank Goodness
Buena Vista Seafood in San Francisco deals in high-end seafood from all around the world. European blue lobsters, Kambatia Reef Fish from Kenya, California Purple Urchins, and Icelandic Arctic Cod, to name a few. Now, the company has added wild-caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish to its list of offerings. “Chesapeake blue catfish check all the boxes,” says Polly Legendre,,, Legendre said the blue cats check the sustainability box because they’re an invasive species,” insanely prolific in terms of reproduction. Targeting them for harvest will help ease the toll they’re taking on the rockfish and blue crab populations, both iconic value species that have built the Chesapeake reputation. Tilghman Island Seafood’s processing capacity and dedication to quality control give their filets a long shelf life and are the reason we can get them from the East Coast to the West Coast in great condition. So they’re a sustainable and reliable fishery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:16
Hello Mayors: FOIA Emails Suggest US Wind Requested Coastal Towns Keep Initial Offshore Wind Talks Private
New light is being shed on offshore wind company US Wind’s talks with the mayors comprising the Association of Coastal Towns (ACT) with the release of email correspondence between the two. US Wind and the ACT have been in talks over US Wind’s proposed offshore projects off the coast of Maryland that would potentially see a power cable landing in Delaware Seashore State Park. US Wind has also presented community benefits packages to the Coastal Towns which include proposed annual payments over twenty years worth $2 million to each town. Following a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) submitted to the ACT, WBOC has received copies of the emails between ACT and US Wind that suggest the offshore wind company’s desire to keep the initial discussions shielded from the public. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:55
