Tag Archives: Port Lincoln
Changing to batten lobster pots found to improve catch efficiency, meaning less days at sea
South Australia’s southern rock lobster fishers have not been using the best pots, according to the results of a five-year study testing different designs, with the West Australian batten pot coming out on top. When directly compared to the beehive pot, which is legislated for use in South Australia, batten pots improved catch efficiency rates by 38 per cent. Some fishers in SA’s northern zone have already decided to switch to batten pots. Emily Rowe is the shore manager for a lobster fishing 
business based in Port Lincoln who took part in the trial and then decided to make the permanent switch to batten pots this year. South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Association executive officer Kyri Toumazos said it would not be long before most professional fishers made the switch. Photos>>click to read<< 13:54
Retired tuna boat skipper Terry Aldenhoven reflects on six decades of fishing and why he loves the sea
Port Lincoln’s old salt Terry Aldenhoven will spend his first summer on land after more than six decades heading out to sea for the fishing season. He loved his fishing job so much that he’s only just retired at 78 and could still climb the mast of the tuna boat he skippered. Mr Aldenhoven has clocked up 50 years fishing in the tuna industry and 63 years on the sea in total, but says you’ll still find him out on the water catching fish, although in a much smaller boat. He’s seen more days on the water than any other tuna skipper in Port Lincoln and was witness to the highs and lows of the industry. Photos, video, >click to read< 11:23
Calls to salvage Port Lincoln’s historic fishing vessel, the Almonta, as it rots on seabed
When a historic Port Lincoln wooden fishing boat sank on its moorings at Snooks Landing more than a year ago, its owner Mario Antolini cried. He watched from the shore 100 metres away, unable to help as 60 years of stories and memories sank to the seabed. Cars of people soon arrived and in his grief Mario saw they too were crying. The Almonta was an early wooden vessel in the local salmon and bluefin tuna fleets of the 1960s. It was a favourite for those who worked on its rich timber deck and netted huge catches of fish from the rolling southern ocean. Photos, video, >click to read< 10:27
Tacoma’s 70 years: A personal perspective
Last month MFV Almonta sank on its mooring for a second time. This once proud member of the Port Lincoln tuna fleet now sits forlorn, half submerged in Porter Bay. It seems likely another part of the 60s tuna fleet is to be lost. I am guessing funds are short and too few people care enough to keep her afloat. This gives me pause for thought. A short distance away in the Marina sits the MFV Tacoma – afloat, fully preserved, debt free, self-funded and heritage listed. >click to read< 07:36
Port Lincoln welcomes Tuna Poler
More than 350 people gathered on the Port Lincoln foreshore on Sunday morning to see the unveiling of a long-awaited sculpture paying tribute to Port Lincoln’s tuna pioneers. Initiated by the Port Lincoln Rotary Club and created by Port Lincoln sculptor Ken Martin, it features a scene reminiscent of the tuna polers of the mid to late 20th century. In his speech, Mr Martin said he was grateful for insights he gained about tuna polers, such as the rooster neck feathers on the lure, Rangoon cane poles and the green hide leather pads strapped around their waists. Video’s, >click to read< 09:06
