Tag Archives: massachusetts
Long Island Sound Lost Its Lobster Fishery. Is Cape Cod Bay Next?
Catches in Cape Cod Bay were good for many years, and prices were good, too. But lobstermen here started worrying in the late 1990s when the fishery collapsed in Long Island Sound. And that worry hasn’t gone away, because environmental changes here resemble those that were affecting Long Island Sound back then. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Floyd in August 1999, the lobsters in Long Island Sound started coming up dead or lethargic, not making it back to the docks alive. Fall landings for all Connecticut ports dropped between 91 and 99 percent that year, according to a joint report of the state’s dept. of environmental protection and marine fisheries office published in 2000. Fast forward 25 years: hopes for a Long Island Sound population rebound have not panned out. A December 2021 report in the Portland Press Herald introduced Michael Grimshaw this way: “Grimshaw is believed to be the last full-time commercial lobsterman in Connecticut.” His traps used to bring in up to a few thousand pounds a day, wrote reporter David Abel. A good day was now getting him 50 pounds, Grimshaw told him. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< By Capt. Mike Rathgeber 08:40
Supporters, Opponents of Offshore Wind Both Look for Hopeful Signs in Trump Administration
On the day after the elections last week, and even before, the airwaves were crammed with speculation about how this, that, and the other sectors of American life and the economy would fare under a Trump administration. The chatter included the future of offshore wind, which was born in the United States in 2016 off the coast of Block Island and continues to generate heavy support and heavy opposition. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed hostility toward offshore wind and has said he would put an end to the industry “on day one” of his administration. Trump-supporting Republicans have vowed to put an end to President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for big projects such as offshore wind. A large share of the IRA’s $891 billion price tag is targeted toward renewable energy and related technologies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
$2M to give more ocean information to fishers, scientists. ‘It will make a difference.’
A $2 million dollar grant aimed at beefing up collaboration between commercial fishermen and scientists was announced in late October at an event in Sandwich. The money will put 450 more sensors on commercial fishing equipment and data monitors on 150 more commercial fishing vessels. David Casoni has been fishing for 50 years. His lobster boat, Margaret M, is docked at Sandwich Marina. He has hundreds of lobster traps in Cape Cod Bay. He’s placed most of them based on historic knowledge. “We’re trying to catch an animal that has virtually no brain and it’s outsmarting us,” he said. “We know it reacts to food, pheromones, and somewhat to temperature, but it’s not consistent.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:03
Scallop Boat Virtual Tour
New Bedford, home to fishing of nearly all types, is the most valuable commercial fishing port in the United States, and the world’s sea scallop capital. The two largest fisheries in the harbor are divided between the ground-fishermen and those who scallop, with hundreds of vessels of each type operating out of the port. F/V Huntress, built in 1979, is typical in both size and layout for the scalloping fleet in the area, and her trips to sea last between five and fourteen days. Take the tour! more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
Nantucket Commercial Scalloping Season Opens; Fisherman Getting $12 Per Pound
Nantucket’s commercial scalloping season opened Friday morning with roughly 20 boats returning to the water as temperatures hovered in the 60s. But how was the scalloping itself on opening day? Naturally, it depends on who you ask. “It wasn’t that great,” said Marty Mack as he was unloading his catch at Straight Wharf. “I thought it would be a lot better because of the seed we had last year. I’ve seen a lot worse. But I’ve seen a lot better. It’s below average I’d say, I’ve been doing it 41 years and it’s nothing great right now. Where’d all that seed go? I don’t know if some of it died.” Kona Hosier and Ron Janes were getting back to the Boat Basin with their limit around the same time. “I’d say it was great,” Hosier said. “The efforts that were put forth (referring to the seed), we’re reaping the benefits now.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
Four offshore wind-power sites in Gulf of Maine auctioned for $22M
Two energy companies have won leases for 327,096 acres of federal waters off Maine and Massachusetts and hope to install floating wind-power turbines there. On Tuesday, four of eight available lease areas were sold to provisional winners in an auction by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The sales resulted in winning bids of over $21.9 million. The leases include commitments to workforce training and building a domestic supply chain, which would include an offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, according to a separate news release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:56
How a death spurred change for a SouthCoast fleet
In the summer of 2021, a Mayday call went out from the captain aboard a fishing vessel who needed Narcan to help save a life due to an overdose on board. There happened to be another vessel in the vicinity that was able to respond, and they tossed a box of the over-the-counter drug on board. The captain administered one dose, but nothing happened. He gets back on the radio. A second vessel was carrying Narcan and tossed it on board. The captain, after the fourth dose, sent his crew member back onshore alive. “That day there were three fishermen first responders that saved a life at sea,” said Debra Kelsey, with Fishing Partnership Support Services. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
Why are we so fixated on offshore wind?
As we await the finalization of Gov. Maura Healey’s new offshore wind contracts, the Massachusetts Interagency Offshore Wind Council has requested public comments on these plans to implement offshore wind in Massachusetts. Many residents, especially from Cape Cod, have registered strong opposition. Eco-Nuclear Solutions is concerned that the reliance on offshore wind will deprive the Commonwealth of more reliable, affordable, and ecologically acceptable sources of electricity. There are also still many unanswered questions about offshore wind. Construction costs have massively increased, and we seem captured by this one technology. Why aren’t we assessing other energy solutions? When will we know the total costs, including transmission and delivery, of offshore wind and the total amount of subsidies? more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Groundfish: Council Signs off on Amendment 25; Prepares for December Final Action on Framework 69 Under Cod Phase 1
The New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) when it met September 24-26, 2024 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Council is now focused on Framework Adjustment 69 to the FMP. The framework is being developed to establish measures for the 2025 groundfish fishing year and, for certain stocks, 2026 and 2027 as well. The Council is scheduled to take final action on the framework at its December 3-5, 2024 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. The 2025 groundfish fishing year begins on May 1. Charts, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
More Vineyard Wind blades must be removed, repaired
Vineyard Wind must remove an unknown number of blades that have already been installed south of Martha’s Vineyard while it repairs others, the company announced Wednesday. The project also received permission from the federal government this week to resume blade installation after it removes and repairs the components in the coming weeks. The latest announcement suggests investigations found more defective blades similar to the blade that failed in July and comes after the project quietly delivered at least four turbine blades from New Bedford to Cherbourg, France, where GE Vernova operates a blade manufacturing plant. >more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:48
Cassie Canastras is the second generation and first woman to run the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction
Meet the woman running New Bedford’s Seafood Auction, the only scallop auction site in the world. Tens of millions of pounds of groundfish and scallops come through its dock each year. Owner Cassie Canastras says unpredictable catches and government management make it a challenging business, so she decided the company needed to be on both sides of the industry and started buying fishing boats. In late 2023, she landed a big haul and a great deal, grabbing eight boats and 48 fishing permits from a competitor at their bankruptcy auction. Vieo, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:14
Scalloper who was asked to take down anti-wind flag: ‘It’s wrong in so many ways’
State and federal politicians lined up along the New Bedford waterfront last week to unveil a new terminal slated for offshore wind. From the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional director to Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, each took turns touting the port’s growing role in the nation’s green energy transition. But the speeches were punctuated by a plume of smoke rising from out in the harbor. It was coming from a New Bedford scallop vessel experiencing engine troubles. The captain, who says he was unaware of the ceremony, docked at the terminal to fix the engine. The vessel, the F/V Prowess, was flying a white flag with a red circle and slash cutting through a turbine; a symbol many fishing boats hoist to demonstrate resistance to offshore wind development and its impact on the fishing industry. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:04
It took a community to save boat in Menemsha
I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible community that rallied around me when my boat, Wyknott, sank at the dock in Menemsha. It all started early Thursday, Oct. 17 morning when Christopher Mayhew called me at 6:30 am to inform me that Wyknott was on her side. When I arrived, I was met by Christopher and his father, Jonathan, and Chris Stein, who were already there, working tirelessly to stabilize the boat and prevent it from rolling completely over. Christopher donned a wet suit and put a line on her. Their quick action set the tone for the day. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
Ferrante urges state officials to ‘step up’ advocacy for fishing
As the Beacon Hill political crowd munched on ceviches and chowders in the Great Hall on Wednesday, they heard a message from the seafood industry aimed more at Washington, D.C., than the halls of the State House. Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, the daughter of a fisherman and a 30-year advocate for the fishing industry, spoke at the annual Seafood Day in the state capitol about “what the federal government does to us.” The Gloucester Democrat found fault with how the feds survey fishery resources and shrink local fishing quotas, saying that the industry will perish unless a new course is charted. She wasn’t alone: Roger Berkowitz, formerly of Legal Sea Foods, told the crowd about NOAA’s past use of “boats with broken gear” to formulate their stock assessments. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:30
Is New Bedford the top commercial fishing port in the United States?
New Bedford takes great pride in its port, and its scallopers account for a significant portion of its value. It’s proven that the Port of New Bedford has great value. New Bedford still ranks as the top commercial fishing port by value as recently as 2022, according to figures released by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as NOAA Fisheries. New Bedford had landed $443.2 million worth of seafood in 2022, again placing it at the top of NOAA Fisheries’ revenue list. That’s thanks in large part to all the scalloper landings in New Bedford contributing to the port’s value. Scallop landings accounted for 84 percent of the value. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:22
On US coast, wind power foes embrace ‘Save the Whales’ argument
Whether from real concern for marine animals or doubts about renewable energy, the anti-wind power movement has been growing along the US East Coast, with some trying to blame a surge in whale strandings on the growth of offshore energy projects. Their attempt to link the two seems to be resonating, despite what scientists say is a clear lack of evidence. When Lauren Brandkamp and her team from the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation organization in Massachusetts carry out a rescue on an area beach, one of the first questions bystanders ask is: “Was this wind?” Wind power critics have organized coastal town gatherings, posted “Save the Whales” signs and filed lawsuits in a bid to bury new wind projects under crushing litigation fees. A recent surge in whale strandings or deaths has given them added ammunition. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:41
Did New Bedford police tell a fisherman to take down his ‘anti-windmill’ flag?
According to local scalloper Russell Isabel, captain of the F/V Prowess, the Prowess started showing signs of an engine problem in the area of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge on Tuesday, leading to a decision to dock nearby at New Bedford’s North Terminal. The fact that his vessel was displaying an “anti-windmill” flag at the time was purely coincidental, Isabel says. “I didn’t know anything about a ribbon-cutting meeting going on or any of that,” Isabel said, noting he also had no knowledge of the protest going on just outside of the event near the street. As the crew docked, authorities noticed the flag flying off the stern of F/V Prowess, leading to a verbal conflict with NBPD members, Isabel said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:50
$42M New Bedford waterfront port project could attract commercial fishing, offshore wind
There’s a maritime version of the old Mark Twain adage to buy land because they’re not making any more of it. New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr said it goes something like this: “Waterfront industrial property needs to be preserved at all costs because they’re not making any more of it.” He added with a smile, “And while I tend to agree with that, today, welcome to New Bedford — because we did make more of it.” The remark drew applause from the crowd gathered under a tent at 242 Herman Melville Blvd. on the New Bedford waterfront Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the North Terminal Extension Project. Among the celebrants were Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Edward Markey, and U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-9th District. Keating said, “You know those people who say the private sector can do things better than the government can do? I can say in this instance, with 100% certainty, that’s just not true. The private sector, if tasked with this achievement we’re celebrating today, would fail because it wouldn’t even try. No one in the private sector would have taken on the risk of putting together such a complicated project.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:14
Rare whale died of chronic entanglement in Maine fishing gear
The North Atlantic right whale was found dead off Martha’s Vineyard in January. The whales are declining in population and are at the center of efforts to more tightly regulate shipping and commercial fishing off the East Coast. “The fact is we know that entanglement in Maine gear is extremely rare. This is the first reported entanglement of a right whale in Maine lobster gear in 20 years and the first death attributed to the fishery,” the Maine Lobstermen’s Association said in a statement. “Maine lobstermen have made significant changes to how they fish over the last 25 years to avoid entanglement.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:55
Maine Unions Lead on the Green Energy Transition
Maine’s fifteen years long OSW policy debates have been hobbled by entrenched opposition from Maine’s lobstermen. It would also be impossible to convince politicians to pass an OSW law that was oblivious to the interests of Maine’s lobstermen. Governor Mills and her team reached out to Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), but they did not break through the impasse. The MLA continues to oppose OSW by arguing about potential impacts “on the marine environment, commercial fishermen and our fishing heritage.” MLA’s opposition has grown stronger in the past few years under the influence of New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), which is orchestrating conservative anti-OSW campaigns across the East Coast. To break this logjam, the MLCC worked with the country’s only lobstering union, Lobster 207. Though a small fraction of Maine lobster fishers are unionized, the lobstering union has a crucial role in advocating for improved working conditions within the lobstering industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
1 In 30 Million: Rare Yellow Lobster Caught Off Nantucket
Jim Sjolund, captain of the Nantucket lobster boat Julie Alice, was hauling traps about 25 miles east of the island on Friday when his sternman Adam Spencer noticed something peculiar come out of the water. “At first, I didn’t think anything of it,” Sjolund said of the strange color inside one of the traps, believing it might be a fish. “But my sternman got excited, and I came over and said ‘holy sh**’!” Inside the trap was an incredibly rare yellow lobster. Sjolund knew right away it was unusual. But it wasn’t until he got back to Nantucket and did some research that Sjolund realized he had essentially hit the lobster lottery. The chances of catching a yellow lobster are 1 in 30 million, according to the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<06:44
New Jersey hits pause on an offshore wind farm that can’t find turbine blades
New Jersey hit the pause button Wednesday on an offshore wind energy project that is having a hard time finding someone to manufacture blades for its turbines. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities granted Leading Light Wind a pause on its project through Dec. 20 while its developers seek a source for the crucial components. The project, from Chicago-based Invenergy and New York-based energyRE, would be built 40 miles (65 kilometers) off Long Beach Island and would consist of up to 100 turbines, enough to power 1 million homes. Leading Light was one of two projects that the state utilities board chose in January. But just three weeks after that approval, one of three major turbine manufacturers, GE Vernova, said it would not announce the kind of turbine Invenergy planned to use in the Leading Light Project, according to the filing with the utilities board. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:23
Against the Wind: Questions About BOEM’s Fisheries Analysis
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the final sale notice for the Gulf of Maine offshore wind project lease areas on Sept. 16. The agency shrunk the overall area by 120,000 acres, removing significant portions of the two northern leases off the coast of Maine, carving a transit lane between the two farthest-offshore southern areas, and shaving small portions off other southern areas. This decision did little to satisfy Jerry Leeman, a Harpswell, Maine-based former commercial fisherman and founder of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), an organization that opposes the Gulf of Maine offshore wind area. NEFSA “remains steadfast in its opposition,” wrote Leeman in a press release, “despite the shrinking of the original areas.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:22
Biden-Harris Administration’s First Offshore Wind Lease in Maine
The Department of the Interior today announced it will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale on Oct. 29, 2024, for eight areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. If fully developed, these areas have a potential capacity of approximately 13 gigawatts of clean offshore wind energy, which could power more than 4.5 million homes. The announcement follows the Department’s recent announcement that it has approved more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects since the start of the Biden-Harris administration- equivalent to half of the capacity needed to achieve President Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.”The growing enthusiasm for the clean energy future is infectious. Today’s announcement – which builds on the execution of the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research lease in Maine last month – is the result of years of thoughtful coordination between our team, the Gulf of Maine states, industry and the Tribes and ocean users who share our interest in the health and longevity of our ocean,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. more, (if you can stand it,) >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:05
Shipping up to Boston: N.L. opening trade office in Massachusetts
Newfoundland and Labrador is dropping anchor and opening shop in Boston. On a trade mission to the Massachusetts state capital this week, Premier Andrew Furey announced the province would be opening its first international trade office in the city. Furey said the province and Boston have connections in the seafood and marine industries, and across the biotechnology and energy sectors. “It’s important to have a presence in the United States right now,” he said. Furey said there are companies in Boston involved in wind projects and biotechnology that are looking for partners, research and product development. With Boston’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and New York, Furey said it made sense to open an office across the border. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:03
Broken blades, angry fishermen, and rising costs slow offshore wind
The collapse of a giant wind turbine blade off the Massachusetts coast confirmed Peter Kaizer’s worst fears about the dangers a new clean energy business could pose to fishermen like him. Jagged pieces of fiberglass and other materials from the shattered blade drifted with the tide, forcing officials to close beaches on Nantucket and leaving Kaizer worried about the threat the fragments might pose to his vessel and other fishing boats, especially at night when the debris would be harder to avoid. “All these small boats could be subject to damage,” Kaizer said. “Everyone wants this green legacy, but at the cost of what?” Full article. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
Mass. and Rhode Island pick 3 new wind projects, with less power than originally sought
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind auction on Friday. While this total is less than half of what the states originally sought to procure, it helps bring them closer to their legally binding offshore wind targets. Friday’s news comes after nearly two years of economic tumult in the industry, when developers up and down 
the East Coast canceled contracts for wind projects, saying they could not make them financially viable because of inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain problems. Still, not everyone is celebrating the news. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said he was “shocked” that the New England states are awarding more contracts less than two months after a blade broke off a Vineyard Wind Project turbine. In mid-July, the blade sent tons of fiberglass and foam debris into the ocean. Much of it washed up on the south side of Nantucket, and several beaches had to close while the material was cleaned up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:20
States to announce Friday if New England is ready for more offshore wind farm
The Captain Les Eldridge used to chase bass and tuna out of New Bedford. Now, the vessel has a new role in the nation’s emerging offshore wind industry. Anthes-Washburn said Coast Line Transfers lost a similar contract with another offshore wind farm last summer, during an industry wide contraction in the U.S. that saw planned wind farms scrapped up and down the East Coast. On Friday, Anthes-Washburn will find out if southern New England is ready to rebuild that pipeline of canceled offshore wind projects. Officials in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are expected to announce whether they are ready to move forward with a series of proposed offshore wind farms that developers submitted through a tri-state solicitation process in March. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
Commercial Fisherman Christopher E. Greco of Chatham, Ma. has passed away
Christopher E. Greco 63, of Chatham, son of Fred Greco and Cora Stacy Greco, died suddenly and peacefully at his home on August 29. He suffered from COPD and heart problems for the last several years. He was born at Cape Cod Hospital and lived his entire life in Chatham working in the fishing industry after graduating from Chatham High School in 1979. He loved working on the water and crewed for Jack Our, John Tuttle, Stu Tolley and Mark Liska when fishing was much different than that it is today. He also went commercial shellfishing and scalloping when there were scallops to be had. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:14
Chatham Man Dies In Brewster Crash
Edward Footer is being remembered as the consummate Chatham commercial fisherman, the sort who would switch from gillnetting to clamming or another fishery as demand and opportunity dictated. “Everybody in the industry knew Eddie,” said fellow fisherman and neighbor Luther Bates. “He was very resourceful.” The 57-year-old West Chatham resident died Monday in a three-vehicle accident on Route 6 in Brewster. Friends said Mr. Footer was a hard worker who spent most of his time fishing and clamming, sometimes crewing with other fisherman, including his brother James, and sometimes working on his gillnetter Dorothy Ann, named for his mother. “He was down here every day,” said Wharfinger Craig Pennypacker, who supervises the town’s commercial fish pier. “Everybody down here is quite saddened.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:04
