A Letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren
I am Sam Parisi, a third-generation Gloucester fisherman. Recently U S Congressman Garret Graves, Senator Roger Wicker, and SenatorTed Cruz. to Modernize data used by NOAA and bring better science to the table. (Graves, Wicker Urge NOAA to Catch Better Data for Fisheries Management) We need to require NOAA to compare their science with other independent surveys and science. Our fishermen’s lives depend on how much fish is out there and we should be able to catch, without overfishing different species. We need to update the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act that would require NOAA to compare before making restrictions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:58
Energy giant pays off fisherman blocking Wicklow wind farm
A fisherman from Co Wicklow has settled with an offshore wind developer in a landmark case expected to send waves through a renewable energy industry grappling with mounting legal challenges. Last May, Ivan Toole, whose fishing company operates out of Greystones, brought a judicial review on environmental grounds against the minister of state with responsibility for planning and local government over the granting of a foreshore licence to RWE, a German energy group and notice party in the case. The licence granted RWE the right to survey a section of sea off the east coast before applying for planning permission for its €1.5 billion offshore wind farm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:21
Loved ones gather for reading of 264 names on Fishermen’s Memorial and the Blessing of the Fleet
Brett Van Alen was a commercial seiner and troller in Southeast Alaska, as well as a fisher for squid and sardines in California, who died last December aboard a boat at the age of 38, according to his father Ben. On Saturday members of Brett’s extended family gathered at the Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial for an annual ceremony where his name was announced as one of the six that will be engraved into the memorial wall this summer. The reading of the 264 names on the wall, including those being engraved this year, to honor people lost at sea and others involved in the fishing industry occurred following the 34th annual Blessing of the Fleet at the downtown wharf. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:46
‘There’s no lobster worth a life’: P.E.I. fishers reminded lifejackets are mandatory
With many fishers beginning their season, occupational health and safety officials have been visiting harbours to reinforce the message around lifejackets. Regulations require their use. While some fishers might not have worn a life-jacket years ago, more people seem to be following the rules now, says Danny Miller, director of occupational health and safety with the Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. “It’s a very positive change,” he said. “I hope fishers are doing the right thing and it’s not just because we’re watching. Hopefully they’re doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
Trawler Race coming back to Brixham
Brixham’s famous trawler race came to an end a few years ago due to safety concerns, and it seemed like the end of an era – but it’ll be back next year, although there are some changes. The newly reformed Port of Brixham Trawler Event Association has announced that after months of negotiations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, compromises have been reached that will enable the Trawler Event to go ahead in 2025. One of the concessions is that the participating vessels carry a reduced number of passengers during the event. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:21
Coast Guard, other agencies respond to sunken vessel near Henry Island, Washington
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, and San Juan County officials are responding to a vessel that sank Friday just west of Henry Island, Washington. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 6 a.m. Friday that the 48-foot commercial fishing vessel Chief Joseph was taking on water with one person and a dog aboard. The person and dog departed the vessel aboard a life raft. Click to review 6 photos in the gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:56
A personal-use mackerel fishery is coming, but P.E.I. fishers don’t know when
Lobster fishers on P.E.I. say they’re happy to hear that a personal-use mackerel fishery will open this year, but they’re not sure it will help them with bait during the spring season. “If we got a chance to go get some, we certainly will,” said Allan Cody, who fishes out of Covehead. Mackerel is often used as bait in the lobster, halibut and other fisheries. Cody currently buys bait from a supplier in Tignish but it comes from waters near Iceland, he said. They’re frozen and then shipped to Canada. But “the fresher the mackerel the better.” photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Three groups are suing New Jersey to block an offshore wind farm
Three anti-wind power groups are suing New Jersey to overturn a key environmental approval for a wind energy farm planned off the coast of Long Beach Island. Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ filed suit in appellate court on April 26 challenging a determination by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that the Atlantic Shores wind farm project meets the requirements of a federal coastal protection law. Bruce Afran, an attorney for the groups, said the state’s “approval flies in the face of the federal regulator’s environmental impact statement that says the Atlantic Shores project will damage marine habitat, compress and harden the seafloor, damage marine communities, compromise migration corridors for endangered species, and cause commercial fishing stocks to decline.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:05
Offshore wind is gearing up to bulldoze the ocean
The Biden Administration has recently produced a wave of plans and regulatory actions aimed at building a monstrous amount of destructive offshore wind. No environmental impact assessment is included. Time scales range from tomorrow to 2050. Here is a quick look at some of it, starting with the Grand Plan. “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Offshore Wind” is the grandiose title of the Energy Department’s version of Biden’s vision. Their basic idea is that having successfully traversed the unexpected cost crisis, offshore wind is ready to take off. This offshore bulldozer must be stopped before it is too late. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:03
Updated Reports Available on Fishery and Port Impacts Associated with Offshore Wind Development Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast
NOAA Fisheries updated and expanded existing analyses and reports to help the public better understand the impacts of offshore wind development on commercial and recreational fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The new reports build upon the previously developed analyses, but now include updated data and additional analysis on impacts to ports and cumulative impacts from all Greater Atlantic offshore wind lease areas combined. We added 2022 fishery data to both commercial and party/charter impact summaries for each lease area and, for some approved projects, finalized export cable corridors, as reported by BOEM’s GIS website. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:53
Plymouth Trawler Agents tells fishing fleet it will cease trading
Plymouth’s long-standing fish auctioneer is to cease trading this month after 29 years. Sutton Harbour-based Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd has written to Plymouth’s fishing fleet to say its final auction will be on May 17. Owners and skippers are being urged to find other markets for their catch now. In a letter signed by company secretary Alison Pessell on behalf of the firm’s board, she said: “It is with regret and sadness that the directors of Plymouth Trawler Agents Ltd announce the company will cease trading on Friday, May 17. Our final auction, weather permitting, will be on May 17 after which you will receive your final settling in the usual fashion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:03
Spring Shrimp Season to Open May 16 in Louisiana Inshore Waters
Today, May 2, 2024, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the opening date within state inshore waters based on information provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) biologists and public comments. The Commission action sets the opening date of the spring inshore shrimp season as follows: All Louisiana inshore waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line will open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2024. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Click here for a map detailing this opening. 10:54
Midcoast man again charged with violating Maine’s baby eel fishing laws
A Waldoboro man who nine years ago was convicted of tax evasion and underreporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in eel fishing income has been charged again with violating Maine’s elver fishing laws. Paul J. Griffin Jr., 52, has been charged with selling juvenile eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, for cash, which is a violation of laws implemented in 2013. Despite the recent charges against Griffin and a handful of others, Maine has had a relatively low number of similar violations for the past decade. It’s been a different story across the border in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where an alleged spree of elver poaching prompted Canada to shut down the fishery this spring. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
The fishing boat tragedy that rocked a community
Nine fishermen left Peterhead on the boat Quiet Waters in March 1954. None of them came home. The boat sank and their deaths devastated their families and shocked the north-east fishing community. Among those on board was my grandfather Billy Buchan, who was 29 when he died. My mum was just a baby when she lost him. On the 70th anniversary of the tragedy she was given flowers, evidence that our community still remembers an event which shook my town and left that little girl without her dad. Fishing trawler Quiet Waters was only a few months old when she left Peterhead, bound for North Sea herring grounds nearly 200 miles (322km) away. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:40
A Little Faith in Shrimp
Faith Family Shrimp, located in Chauvin, Louisiana, offers a unique glimpse into the world of shrimp fishing and processing. Owned by Chad and Angela Portier, this family-operated business at 8167 Redfish Street showcases the journey of Louisiana wild-caught shrimp from their commercial fishing vessels to the consumer’s table. They emphasize the finest quality of shrimp, underscoring their commitment to the local seafood industry. For National Shrimp Day (May 10), visitors can engage in the various activities offered by Faith Family Shrimp, such as guided tours which explain the drying process of shrimp and other insights into the industry. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:01
The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival has honored local fishing community for 50 years
The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival, happening May 4-5, will continue a 50-year tradition of honoring local fishers and the history of the county’s coastal fishing village. Bodega Bay’s annual festival, part community fundraiser, part celebration of the start of salmon fishing season, began in 1973 as a revival of a 1950s-era fete called “Discovery Day.” According to the Rancho Bodega Historical Society, the people of Bodega Bay started the Discovery Day Festival in 1958 to raise money for the town’s new volunteer firehouse. The event, originally held in October, honored the memory of Lt. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the Spanish naval officer and explorer of the Pacific Northwest who the town of Bodega Bay is named for. At the first Discovery Day celebration, a boat parade around the inner harbor was led by Eddie, Steve and William Smith, members of the local Miwok Smith family who began Bodega Bay’s commercial fishing industry in the 1920s. 54 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:39
Letter to the Editor | Linda Pitcher’s ‘The Fleet’ created a lasting impact on Gig Harbor Fishermen
When Linda Pitcher arrived in Gig Harbor a few years ago, she brought with her a PhD in anthropology from Berkley. She stumbled upon our small community and its rich history of fishing, eventually becoming a volunteer at the History Museum. That’s where I first met her, sharing anecdotes about my family’s deep-rooted connection to commercial fishing. My grandfathers were among the early crew members at the turn of the 20th century. Then my Dad’s father made his mark, purchasing his first boat, the San Marco, and later partnering in the Mermaid II. Linda spent several years meticulously piecing together information on all the commercial fishing boats that operated out of Gig Harbor. It was a daunting task, and she enlisted the help of Lita Dawn Stanton (Ancich).by Ken Malich, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:47
Scallop Research Set-Aside Program to Support 14 New Projects; Several 2024 Announcements Include Multi-Year Awards
The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program will support 14 new projects that were selected from the 2024 RSA solicitation. Several awards will support multi-year research, including a four-year regional survey effort. The set-aside harvest is expected to generate $22 million in revenue. Of that total, $5 million will fund the targeted research and $17 million will compensate industry partners who harvest the set-aside scallops. To determine the award amounts, the price of sea scallops was projected to average $14 per pound of meats. Charts, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:38
What Canada can learn from Maine’s approach to the lucrative baby eel fishery
Authorities in Maine say they have figured out how to regulate a fishery that is so out of control in Canada, the federal government has shut it down this year — the third shutdown in five years — putting 1,100 people out of work. Baby eels, also known as elvers or glass eels, are generally fished in rivers and streams in Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and a handful of Caribbean islands. They’re shipped live to Asia, where they’re grown to maturity and eaten — the dish is so popular it led to overfishing in Japan and Europe, leaving seafood wholesalers looking to Canada. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:07
Man Of Fortune: Beloved Fisherman to Receive Memorial Statue at Shem Creek
When dawn breaks on Shem Creek, there will soon be a glimmer on the water like never before. Atop the boardwalk that connects both sides of the creek will stand a bronze, life-size statue of a man who is now remembered as a Lowcountry legend. His name is Captain Wayne Magwood and soon his legacy will forever be enshrined as a testament to the role he played in preserving the area’s rich maritime history. Magwood’s life, career and family lineage have revolved around Shem Creek for the past century. In 1930, his father’s cousin, Captain William Magwood, was the first fisherman to bring ocean shrimp into Mount Pleasant and laid the foundation for the commercial industry to be built at Shem Creek. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:55
A Renewed Focus on Fresh Fish
Dock to Dish, a restaurant-supported fishery cooperative founded in Montauk in 2012, has new owners and a renewed focus on getting fresh-from-the-boat seafood directly into the kitchens of restaurants across the East End and the New York area. And the fact that most of the owners are also fishermen doesn’t hurt. The six fishing families who own Inlet Seafood in Montauk took over Dock to Dish in November along with K.C. Boyle, who is overseeing day-to-day operations. “The idea is just like the previous iteration of Dock to Dish: Work to source the best ingredients on earth,” Mr. Boyle said Friday while making deliveries in New York City. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
State backs lobstermen in urging regulators to reevaluate changes to minimum size
The rules, which are set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, will increase the minimum size from 3 1/4 inches to 3 5/16 inches, on the gauges that lobstermen use to measure lobsters and determine whether they are allowed to harvest them. A second increase would take effect two years later, bringing the minimum to 3 3/8 inches. The rules also affect the vents in traps that allow undersized lobsters to escape. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says it is making the changes to preserve the long-term future of the lobster population in the Gulf of Maine, which federal data show has sharply dropped. Lobstermen also question the accuracy of the federal data – saying that it was corrected over a small and abnormal time frame that doesn’t indicate the reality of population trends. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:23
Breaking: Dominion Energy Atlantic Coast Offshore Wind Project Delayed by Lawsuit Seeking to Protect Endangered Right Whale
An order by a federal judge on Monday delayed the start of “pile driving” construction for a massive wind project off the Atlantic Coast by Dominion Energy. Judge Loren L. AliKhan convened an expedited status conference hearing in response to a coalition of three public interest groups—The Heartland Institute, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), and the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC)—suing Dominion and the Biden administration, claiming they have not done the legally required research to determine the project won’t harm the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:33
The federal government is assuming management of salmon fishing in parts of Alaska’s Cook Inlet
Commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the federal waters of Cook Inlet will resume this summer, but under new management by the federal government, according to a rule made final this week. Until now, the state had managed salmon fisheries in both state and federal waters of the inlet. But the switch in management was ordered by federal courts, as a result of litigation stretching back a decade. The United Cook Inlet Drift Association, or UCIDA, which is made up of commercial salmon fishers, sued the federal government in 2013 for failing to develop a salmon harvest management plan for the federal waters of the inlet. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:11
Southside fishers hope first haul bodes well for season
Monday’s first haul of the lobster season for south side fishers brought calm conditions on the water, with preliminary prices ranging anywhere from $7.50 to $8 a pound for canners and $8.25 to $9 for markets. Harvesters in Lobster Fishing Area 26A set their traps on Saturday after the season was delayed by a day. Setting day for the north side, LFA 24, was initially on Monday but was delayed by at least two days. DFO had a call on Tuesday but the weather was still uncertain. PEI Fishermen’s Association president Bobby Jenkins, who sails out of Annandale, said catches on Monday seemed to be on par with 2023 or maybe a little better, depending on the harbour. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:02
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year’s fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature. The 52-year-old fisherman had just seen two officers on horseback approaching fish harvesters demonstrating outside the legislature on the morning of March 20, the day Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal government was expected to deliver its annual budget. Martin doesn’t like horses — he was kicked by one as a child, he said in an interview Tuesday — and he was moving to edge of the crowd to get away. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Lobsterman Eric Joseph Roggero of Newport, Rhode Island, has passed away
The family of Eric sadly announces his passing on April 20th in the loving care of Laura Blackwell and hospice. In lieu of donations his family requests you get your routine cancer screenings. By the time Eric graduated from Rogers he was already working on a career in the fishing industry. Luckily he had some great mentors including two grandfathers and two lobsterman brothers who helped him along the way. He was a natural on the bay and later on his own boat. The Donna Marie was his pride and joy. His family thanks the Newport fishing community for their very generous support during his illness. They mourn his loss with us. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44’x16′ Novi Dragger/Scalloper, Cummins 855 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 21 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:00
Fishermen call for a delay to upcoming lobster size rules
Congressman Jared Golden is calling on fishery regulators to delay upcoming rules that will change the minimum catch sizes for lobster in certain parts of Maine. Officials have said the changes are necessary after they observed a troubling decline in the juvenile lobster population over a three-year period. The new management measures are intended to allow sublegal lobsters to reproduce before being harvested. But some Maine fishermen are questioning that data, and on Tuesday, many turned out at a meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to express their concerns. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:50
Kirkella aims to take Flemish Cap quota in one trip
The UK’s last remaining distant waters trawler, the 81-metre Kirkella operated by UK Fisheries, is fishing on Flemish Cap, providing a British presence on these fishing grounds for the first time since 2916 – when the previous vessel to carry the same name worked there. Kirkella’s skipper Sigurbjörn Sigurðsson hopes to complete the trip on the grounds 300 nautical miles south of Newfoundland by the end of May. He and Kirkella’s mainly British crew are hoping to take their 1090-tonne NAFO cod quota before heading back to Svalbard. More, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:50
