One Trawler’s Coral Damage Forces Fishery Closure at Lord Howe Rise
A commercial fishing vessel in New Zealand is finding itself yet again on the spot after allegedly destroying deep sea corals in international waters. The trawler F/V Tasman Viking is accused of scooping up corals in Lord Howe Rise, a region known for diverse marine life. The accidental removal, which occurred last month, has forced authorities in New Zealand to suspend fishing in the Lord Howe area of the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia until 2026. This is the second time in as many months that the 320-ton Tasman Viking is finding itself in trouble over destruction of corals in the Lord Howe area. In June last year, the trawler was confiscated after the crew failed to report bycatch of about 20 kilograms of rare bamboo corals in an incident that occurred in October 2020. The vessel was released after the operator paid a fine of NZ$52,000. more, >>CLICK TO READ><< 10:22
Loughlin: Cases against Geno Marconi and Justice Marconi appear to be grave injustices
In mid-April, the entire Pease Development Authority Board was summoned to Concord for a closed-door meeting with Gov. Chris Sununu and his attorney general. On April 18 representatives of the attorney general appeared at a PDA meeting where they held a “consultation with counsel” with the board. Immediately thereafter, without any explanation, Captain Marconi was escorted out of the meeting, relieved of his duties, barred from his office and communication with Port employees; and had his phone, computer and related materials impounded. In addition, his texts, phone records and financial records were seized and a grand jury impaneled. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:22
Opposition to seal ban grows within EU, where hunters alliance is optimistic rules will change
A group representing hunters in the Nordic countries says it’s more optimistic than ever that the European Union will lift a longtime ban on trading seal products. The regulation, implemented in 2009 after a highly successful campaign from animal rights groups, deprived Canadian sealers of their primary market. “Our hope and expectation is that the ban will be reversed, and that trade can be possible again,” said Johan Svalby, senior advisor for international affairs at the Nordic Hunters Alliance. Since beginning its review of the current regulations, thousands of individuals and organizations have participated in consultations, including the Canadian, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories governments, which argued for removing the ban. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
Valley shrimping companies looking for a way out
Rio Grande Valley shrimpers say they’re ready to sell off their fleets. For years, they’ve faced big losses, and they’re still waiting for help. At the Port of Brownsville, the dock owned by Reyes Trawlers Inc. is one of the few shrimping companies still running most of its boats. The shrimping industry has faced several years of high fuel prices, problems getting worker visas and competition from cheap imports. For many, it’s time to get out of the business. “I 
am almost 73 years old, been doing this since I was 17 years old, and yes I would like to get out today. There’s no profit anymore. I’m just here just because, I’m losing money. For the last three years I’ve lost money,” Reyes Trawlers Inc. owner Carlton Reyes said. Reyes is running five out of six vessels, while many other shrimpers have their fleet docked and unable to work. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:14
Southend clam fishery trial results ‘very encouraging’
Early results of a “game-changing” clam fishery trial in Southend have been hailed as “very encouraging” as bosses aim to help nurture the high-value seafood. The Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has provided an update on the Manila clam fishery trial. Manila clam fishing trials took place between October 2 and October 25 in the Thames Estuary on two specified areas – one on the Foulness Sand within the Shoebury Firing Range and the other on the Buxey Sand. Eight vessels took part in the fishery with a range of different types of fishing gear, including suction dredges similar to those used by boats from Leigh in the Thames cockle fishery, alongside new dredge designs. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
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
Fisheries Minister Rejects Opposition’s Approach to Processing Controversy, Hints at ‘Significant’ Regulatory Changes
Provincial Fisheries Minister Gerry Bryne is hinting that some “significant changes” could be coming in relation to fish processors who run afoul of the regulatory process. Royal Greenland, which owns Quin-Sea, is currently before the Labour Relations Board after the Association of Seafood Producers filed an urgent application against the company. According to the FFAW, Royal Greenland failed to provide sales data on 5-8 ounce sections of crab delivered to Boston as required for a third-party review of 2024 snow crab sales. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:25
New partnership delivers locally caught seafood to San Diegans in need
San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group (SDFWG) and Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank have established a partnership to provide fresh fish caught by local fishermen for families and individuals experiencing food insecurity in San Diego. Through February 2025, the collaboration will expand the Food Bank’s offerings, ensuring that more San Diegans have access to nutrient-dense seafood. “We want all San Diegans to enjoy locally sourced seafood, and partnering with the San Diego Food Bank creates that opportunity,” said Pete Halmay, president of the SDFWG and longtime San Diego commercial fisherman. “Our hardworking fishermen look forward to supporting the community with healthy, sustainable food for their families. Plus, buying local seafood leads to a shorter supply chain, reduces our carbon footprint, and provides the healthiest fish.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:28
South Carolina shrimpers are in troubled waters. Here’s how the industry is seeking relief
South Carolina shrimpers are in a fight for their industry’s future. Facing pressures from foreign countries shipping in cheap, frozen catches in abundance, domestic shrimpers have been unable to compete. Bryan Jones is a first-generation shrimper in McClellanville. Before his life became centered around nets and saltwater and fresh catch, he was a vice president of a wealth management firm in Florida. The work is exhausting and the days on the deck of his trawler, the Pamela Sue, are long, Jones said. There are risks involved with shrimping — financial, environmental, physical — but he saw an opportunity to create a livelihood for his family and couldn’t resist. He joins at a time when fishermen are struggling, and more are deciding to leave the trade altogether. “The average age of a shrimp boat captain, I believe, is 65,” Jones said. “What we need is an injection of youth in the industry to sustain it.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:21
Historic Cortez Fishing Village continues work despite hurricane damage
The Cortez Fishing Village has weathered a lot, but Hurricanes Helene and Milton put them to the test. “I’ve seen other storms that hurt us in different ways, but this one hurt literally thousands and thousands of people,” said Kent Nixon, a stone crab fisherman who has been part of the Cortez Fishing Village for decades. Docks were damaged during Hurricane Helene and are now being replaced. Milton also damaged the roof of the A.P. Bell Fish Company’s fish house. Clean-up continues all around the fishing village as crews and boats work on the water. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:05
‘A friend to everybody’: Sitka man killed in bear mauling remembered by colleagues
Tad Fujioka was an avid outdoorsman whose love of fishing led him to trade the engineering field for the commercial trolling one. But Fujioka, whose body was found Wednesday north of Sitka following search and rescue efforts, the victim of a bear mauling, is being remembered less for what he did and more for the type of person he was. “I mean, everybody that knew him, liked him,” said longtime friend and colleague, Norman Pillen, president of Seafood Producers Cooperative (SPC) in Sitka. Fujioka was the board chair for SPC and a big advocate for the commercial fishing industry. He was a strong family man and man of many talents, Pillen said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
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
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
A major fisheries advocate, Sitkan Tad Fujioka found dead in apparent bear mauling
The call that Tad Fujioka was overdue could not have come at a worse time. On the evening of October 29, Sitka and the outer coast of Southeast were being lashed by a windstorm, with some gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour. Fire Chief Craig Warren says Air Station Sitka launched a helicopter, nevertheless, equipped with Forward-Looking-Infrared (FLIR), to search an area about ten miles north of Sitka in Nakwasina Sound. Fujioka was believed to be returning to an area where he had shot a deer on Monday in much better weather and had cached part of the carcass. The shock reverberated quickly around Sitka. Norm Pillen is the President of Seafood Producers Cooperative, where Fujioka was board chair. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Is U.S. Wild-Caught Shrimp Sustainable? The Short Answer Is Yes
U.S.-harvested shrimp is nutritious, delicious… and sustainable! The shrimp fishery has also historically been a culturally important economic engine. It provides a livelihood for thousands of U.S. commercial fishermen. U.S. shrimp are a sustainable seafood option, and the United States sets a global precedent for shrimp trawl bycatch reduction. But our nation’s shrimp industry is struggling to stay afloat and there’s confusion about its sustainability. Here are the facts about U.S. wild-caught shrimp. Most U.S. shrimp are caught in the Southeast from Texas to North Carolina. Three species—white shrimp, pink shrimp, and brown shrimp—make up the vast majority of the shrimp caught. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:22
New Report Suggests “Whale Psychiatrist” Trump May be Right About Wind Farms and Whales
US Bureau of Ocean Management report says whales, dolphins, birds and bats can all be injured by wind turbine construction, and offshore fishing harmed. Trump has been an advocate for keeping America clean and healthy. He has not advocated for the anti-carbon push based on pseudoscience and the rush into green energy projects put forth by environmentalists. Admittedly. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has officials saying they have found no evidence linking offshore wind turbines to whale deaths. However, a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has just released a new report that said whales, dolphins, birds and more can be exposed to “unavoidable adverse impacts” by the construction of offshore wind farms. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
New Federal Report: Offshore Wind Farm Construction Can Harm Whales, Birds, Fisheries – >>CLICK TO READ<<
Owner of fishing trawler which sank off West Cork coast disputes finding of official investigation
The owner of a fishing trawler which sank off the West Cork coast has disputed the findings of an official investigation into the incident which concluded the sinking was due to a series of failures relating to faulty equipment, crew training, safety management and poor regulatory compliance. Instead, Wexford-based firm, R&E Fish Limited, blamed the sinking of its 24-metre vessel, Ellie Adhamh, off Bull Rock on March 28, 2021, on a collision with a naval patrol ship which was attempting to attach a towline to it on the previous evening. A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) listed 12 different factors which contributed to “a very serious marine casualty” which had put the lives of the vessel’s seven crew and rescue personnel at risk. more, CCLICK TO READ<< 07:52
Maine lobstermen worried about cuts to how much herring they can catch for bait
Fishermen in Maine say they’re dealing with a new setback: a nearly 90 percent cut in how much herring they can bring in to bait lobster. Congressman Jared Golden says he’s opposed to the limit, which would reduce the herring catch by 89 percent over three years. “What was troubling with this decision is there was no impact study done to us as fishermen, just an environmental study that was based on essentially one year of a proper study, to have implications to destroy an entire economic sector of Maine,” fisherman Ryan Raber said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:19
Fishermen, fleet owners hope Trump helps their industry
New Bedford fishermen fly many flags. There is the American flag, the skull and crossbones flag. There are flags expressing resistance to offshore wind development. And there are many — many — flags for former President Donald Trump. But one flag is rarely hoisted on the New Bedford waterfront. “I have yet to see a Harris-Walz flag on a fishing vessel,” said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney representing the industry’s Sustainable Scalloping Fund. The vast support for Trump among fishermen boils down to a few main points, some specific to the fishing industry, some not. Trump has said that he would overturn the ban on commercial fishing in Marine National Monuments, which was first enacted by the Obama administration, repealed by Trump and then re-established under President Joe Biden. There are frustrations with immigration policy and with inflation, especially with gas and food, which have an acute impact on the profits of a fishing trip. But no issue has swayed the politics of the fishing industry more than offshore wind development. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:50
Pollock trawl closure sends economic ripples across Kodiak as fishermen adapt
Cole Hockema has been fishing since he was a teenager growing up in Oregon. Hockema captains the F/V Pacific Storm, a 100-foot trawler based out of Kodiak, which his father owns. The vast majority of the Central Gulf of Alaska trawl fleet is made up of local boats like his. According to the trade group Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, 19 boats were fishing in the Central Gulf of Alaska when the pollock fishery closed on Sept. 25. 15 of those are homeported in Kodiak. Normally, fishermen like Hockema would be out on the water until early November, when the Gulf of Alaska’s pollock B season typically closes. But this fall season ended just three weeks into fishing, when two vessels incidentally hauled in approximately 2,000 Chinook salmon, which exceeded the fishery’s annual bycatch limit. Hockema said the Pacific Storm was offloading its catch on Sunday, Sept. 22 when they first got the news about the bycatch and he knew the fleet would need to stop fishing immediately. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:27
B.C. environmental groups lose bid to stop Alaskan fishery’s sustainable certification
A coalition of Canadian environmental groups has lost its latest bid to prevent Alaska’s salmon fishery from being labelled as sustainable by an international certification body. The groups, including the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Watershed Watch Salmon Society, say an adjudicator has upheld the Marine Stewardship Council’s decision to certify the Alaskan fishery despite what they call “unsustainable” fishing practices that intercept British Columbia’s migrating salmon. Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game says it is pleased that the adjudicator “affirmed the sustainability of Alaska’s fishing practices” based on “sound science,” adding that the salmon fishery in question “has the most robust and comprehensive” assessment program on the Pacific seaboard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:41
50 years plus: Sheigra SY 7
John Watt started building his boats in 1940 at Gardenstown, in a partnership with his two sons, before taking over the Stephen’s yard in Banff in 1954. Then, in 1966, they acquired the boatbuilding yard and engineering facilities of the Macduff Engineering Company when the previous owner retired. This allowed them to build bigger vessels up to 80ft in length. The name of the business was changed to the Macduff Boatbuilding and Engineering Company – the forerunner of today’s Macduff Shipyards. Lots of photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:54
Top ten RNLI record breakers
The RNLI has amassed a treasure trove of extraordinary stories and fascinating facts during its 200 years of lifesaving. So it’s no wonder our charity and people have notched up a raft of remarkable achievements along the way too. Here are just ten of our favourite record-breaking facts … The rescue of Suevic in 1907 holds the record for the largest number of people saved in a single RNLI operation. On 17 March, the 12-tonne steamship ran aground on a rocky reef off Lizard Point in Cornwall. Sixty RNLI volunteers from Cadgwith, Coverack, The Lizard and Porthleven rowed back and forth in a violent gale for 16 hours to rescue the 456 passengers and crew. Not a single life was lost. Six of the rescuers, including two Suevic crew members, were awarded RNLI Silver Medals for their heroic actions. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:37
Fewer fish spills reported after Louisiana pushes pogy boats from coast
In 2022, a menhaden fishing ship and its net boats spilled about a million fish off the Louisiana coast, leaving the floating mass to rot in the summer sun. A few months later, another spill blanketed Louisiana beaches with an estimated 850,000 dead fish. The two incidents pushed the state’s leaders to enact the first significant restrictions on the Gulf of Mexico’s largest but least-regulated fishery. Starting this year, catchers of menhaden, a foot-long fish with a host of industrial uses, must stay a half mile from much of the Louisiana coast and a mile from three ecologically sensitive areas. But the menhaden industry says better nets rather than bigger buffers have played a far bigger role in reducing spills. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:44
Photographer Urs Buhlman captures the ‘dangerous’, ‘dying’ profession of commercial fishing up close
It is an industry that operates in boats kilometres from shore when most people are fast asleep back on the mainland. Now one photographer’s interest in the commercial fishing industry has shed light on the intimate details of this rarely-seen profession and the rugged process it goes through to feed people. Eden commercial fisher John ‘”Jarvo” Jarvis has witnessed big changes during his 44 years in the game. Climate change, fish quotas, stringent environmental laws, government buy-backs of fishing licences, and a lack of willing hands are just some of the challenges he grapples with daily. “Everything in fishing is expensive,” Mr Jarvis said. Comparing the industry to how it looked two decades ago, he said it was “chalk and cheese”. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
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
WHALES DECLARE BOEM IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION COMMITTING GENOCIDE By Jim Lovgren
In a press release issued today by the AAA, an aquatic coalition of many different marine creatures, it was declared that the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was a terrorist organization intent on the extermination of all marine mammals and other sea life. The National Marine Fishery Service was named as a co-conspirator, for standing by and watching, instead of doing their legally required job of protecting endangered species. The AAA, Aquatic Animals Association, is a newly formed coalition of different marine species including Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, fish, clams, and scallops. Despite the vast disparity in their abilities to communicate with each other, they have combined each other’s unique communication forms into one voice in hopes of saving themselves from extinction. From Harvey Haddock, President, Aquatic Animal Association. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:14
‘It’s in Our Blood!’ Blount Boats Celebrates 75 Years
Seventy-five years in business is no small feat, especially in an industry that is tougher than most: shipbuilding. Blount Boats is celebrating the impressive milestone this year. Established in 1949, the Warren, R.I. shipbuilder is led today by founder Luther H. Blount’s daughters: president and CFO Marcia Blount and executive vice president / human resources Julie Blount, who see their roles as more than a career. “It’s our vocation,” Julie said. “It’s in our blood!” the sisters said nearly simultaneously. An entrepreneur and inventor by nature, Luther H. Blount formed Blount Boats after building a small twin hull raft built of 55-gallon drums used for transporting oyster and clam shells across Narragansett Bay, prompting requests to build larger steel vessels. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:43
New Orleans shrimp festival passes genetic test confirming Gulf Coast origin
Recent genetic tests have revealed that two major Southern seafood festivals served imported, farm-raised shrimp instead of the Gulf-caught varieties they advertised, sparking concerns among local commercial fishermen and seafood advocates. SEAD Consulting, at the request of regional shrimpers, used its RIGHTTest genetic testing technology to identify the origins of shrimp labeled as Gulf-caught at these events. Results showed widespread mislabeling at both the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City and the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. Not all festivals failed the test, however. At the Louisiana Shrimp Festival & Shrimp Aid in New Orleans, which was also tested, every vendor passed the RIGHTTest, proving that all shrimp served at this event was authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:48
Election Jitters, Industry Headwinds Undermine Biden’s Final Offshore Wind Auction
A U.S. auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine on Tuesday drew bids for only half of the eight offered leases, for a total of just $21.9 million in high bids, in the latest sign of deep industry malaise. The sale was a stark display of the lack of industry appetite for new investment after a year of high-profile setbacks that include canceled projects, two shelved lease sales in Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico and a construction accident at the nation’s first major offshore wind project. The auction was the last before President Joe Biden, a Democrat, leaves office in January. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:25
