“You saved someone’s life,”- Commercial Fisherman makes dramatic rescue
Near sunset last Nov. 6, commercial fisherman John Genther of Madison was steering his boat back home after a day of catching whelk when he spotted a bright blue object about a half mile ahead in the water. As he maneuvered closer, he realized it was a man wrapped in winter clothing, without a life preserver, clinging to the side of an overturned skiff in 55-degree water. Genther immediately recognized the signs of hypothermia and knew what to do, thanks to a first aid training he completed less than two weeks earlier. “You saved someone’s life,” said Nick Lajoie, commander and chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, speaking to Genther and a roomful of attendees at a ceremony on Feb. 8 honoring the heroic act. “It’s a big deal.” more, >>click to read<< 10:22
New Zealand: Rollout of cameras on fishing boats under review
The future roll-out of cameras on fishing boats is back on the table on Monday. Top fishing company executives and senior officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will meet to discuss challenges and future options for the programme. Labour brought in the regime to put cameras on commercial fishing vessels to improve under-reporting around bycatch of species like penguins, dolphins and seals. Cameras been installed on about 300 in-shore vessels already, but the future of the roll-out may be up in the air. more, >>click to read<< 09:12
New Fisheries Protective Co-operative Taking Inspiration from Past to Help Inshore Fish Harvesters
The newly formed Fisheries Protective Co-operative is taking a deliberate page from the past in both its name, and its aim to advance the economic interest of inshore fish harvesters. Spokesperson Ryan Cleary says the name of the new co-op is a direct reference to the Fishermen’s Protective Union formed by William Ford Coaker more than a century ago. Cleary says like Coaker, the FPC was formed to help inshore enterprise owners. more, >>click to read<< 08:16
Farmers, Fishermen & the Far-Right: An Unlikely Alliance in Rural Europe
Farmers and fishermen in rural Europe form an unlikely alliance with the far-right to protest against globalization, immigration, and policies threatening their livelihoods. This complex narrative unveils the struggle for survival, identity, and sovereignty in an ever-globalizing world. In the heart of France’s rural expanse, a surprising alliance is taking shape, one that threads through the quiet towns across Europe and stretches its roots deep into the soil of global discontent. Farmers, the bedrock of our sustenance, find themselves in an unlikely camaraderie with fishermen and factions of the far-right, united not by ideology but by a shared sense of siege. more, >>click to read<< 07:03
F/V Aleutian Storm: A Race Against Time for Salvage and Environmental Protection
When the F/V Aleutian Storm, a 57-ton fishing vessel laden with Dungeness crab, ran aground at south Salmon Creek Beach on February 9th, it caught the attention of not just local authorities but also the concerned public eye. This wasn’t your ordinary maritime misadventure. The vessel, now a week into its ordeal, faces a grim future. Buffeted by relentless waves and ensnared by its own catch, the Aleutian Storm’s plight is a stark reminder of the ocean’s unforgiving nature. With salvage operations on the horizon, the clock ticks against both the vessel’s structural integrity and the environmental sanctity of the California coast. The community watches with bated breath as salvage operations prepare to unfold. The vessel’s fate hangs in the balance, with the risk of the ocean tearing it apart looming large. more, >>click to read<< 17:52
Contessi Demonstrates Its Confidence
Mar del Plata shipyard Astillero Contessi has launched a new coastal fresher trawler to operate in the Patagonian ports of Rawson and Comodoro Rivadavia. The yard not only celebrated the delivery of its 147th newbuild, but also the opening of a new fabrication hall capable of handling hull lengths of up to 85 metres. Nunca te detengas Pachaca replaces Pachaca, a similar vessel delivered by Contessi in 2006. The 21-metre trawler has 15% more carrying capacity than the vessel it replaces, a prerogative of operators who place orders with domestic shipyards to renew their fleets. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:54
‘Deadliest Catch’: Will There Be a Season 20?
For nearly two decades, Discovery Channel’s reality series Deadliest Catch has offered TV viewers an inside look at the rough-and-tumble world of commercial fishing. The show, which follows fishermen as they hunt the Bering Sea for crab and other seafood, last aired new episodes in September 2023. Now, fans are wondering if and when it might return with new episodes. Here’s what we know so far about Deadliest Catch Season 20. In recent seasons of Deadliest Catch, viewers have seen the effect dramatic changes in seafood populations in the Bering Sea have had on commercial fishermen. more, >>click to read<< 1o:59
50 commercial watermen and women help with 10th annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project
The North Carolina Coastal Federation has announced that the 10th year of its Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is wrapping up, and usable, tagged lost gear is ready to be reclaimed. The Coastal Federation said that along the state’s coast, 50 commercial watermen and women collectively spent nearly 150 working days on the water throughout January retrieving lost crab pots from the sounds. An additional part of the project will take place in Marine Patrol District 1 in the northeast region, the nonprofit said. Whole pots, in good condition, recovered from the Albemarle and Pamlico Sound region will be available for the rightful property owners to claim. This includes crab pots retrieved from the Virginia state line and Manteo to Swan Quarter and from the Outer Banks to Ocracoke. more, >>click to read<< 09:25
San Mateo County crabbing season producing a solid yield, gear reduction remains a challenge
A month after commercial Dungeness crab season opened in the Half Moon Bay area on Jan. 18, residents and tourists alike can purchase fresh crab off the back of local fishing vessels docked at the Pillar Point Harbor. Seafood lovers can also pick it up fresh at nearby fish markets or enjoy it cooked seasonally at nearby restaurants, which serve both whole crabs and different variations of seafood boil medley. Half Moon Bay fisher Barry Day reiterated the sentiment. “We’re having a good year now, but with the quieter years, you need all the gear,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, fishers in the Half Moon Bay harbor are relatively “busy with what we got,” Day said. more, >>click to read<< 07:55
Less Effort and Better Catches with New-Concept Crab Gear
It was a shoulder injury that prompted Norwegian crab fisherman Jim Harald Sæternes to take a hard look at the way things have always been done, and to come up with a set of new ideas – which have been highly successful. So that he could continue to fish without adding to the strain on his shoulder, he developed the design of a larger and more effective crab pot, as well as a handling system for his boat that took out the repetitive heavy lifting – the root cause of his health problems. But the catch rates that his Vikingteina (the name means Viking Traps) pots have shown is the clincher. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 17:21
Tourism, Indigenous groups welcome WA’s South Coast Marine Park, but opposition from commercial fishers
The Western Australian government has proposed closing a quarter of waters between Bremer Bay and the South Australian border to all fishing under its new south coast marine park plan. The proposed park will span 1,000 kilometres of coastline, with the aquatic activities allowed in some areas unchanged, others reduced, and some banned altogether. Manue Daniels has been fishing commercially from Esperance with her family for 15 years. She said the consultation process had been long, frustrating and taken a toll on her mental health. Ms Daniles said she still hoped the government would do the right thing. “I think it just shows that this government puts no value towards what we do. We are just second-class citizens,” she said. more, >>click to read<< 14:55
Maine lobster industry reacts to right whale found entangled in rope
Maine’s lobster industry is responding following the discovery of a dead North Atlantic right whale near Martha’s Vineyard last month. According to federal authorities, the whale was entangled in fishing rope, including portions traced back to Maine. While NOAA has yet to determine the exact cause of the whale’s demise, Maine lobstermen are fearing potential blame. “They’re going to say that the rope, you know, caused harm to the whale, and over time, it just was a very slow death,” said John Drouin, a Lobsterman from Cutler with over 40 years of experience. The incident marks the first documented interaction between a right whale and Maine fishing gear in over two decades. more, >>click to read<< 11:49
Retired Commercial Fisherman Darryl Olson of Petersburg, Alaska, has passed away
Darryl Olson was born on January 18, 1942, in Petersburg, Alaska, to Dagney Marie (Loseth) Olson and Paul “Bud” Ivar Olson. Darryl grew up fishing with his father, Paul. He attended Petersburg High School and after graduation he married his dream girl, Mary Ann Hasbrouck, on March 10, 1962. They were happily married for fifty-nine years, when she preceded him in death in 2021. He worked for J&H Logging as a choker setter until he started his career as a commercial fisherman. After leasing two boats, Darryl bought the F/V Miss Helen. In 1972, Darryl and Mary Ann began building their Petersburg home. That same year, Darryl purchased his dreamboat, the F/V Mary Ann, with the help of Robert Thorstenson and Tommy Thompson, of Petersburg Fisheries, Inc. more, >>click to read<< 10:45
New Brunswick judge stays charges against Indigenous lobster fisherman
A judge in northern New Brunswick granted a stay of proceedings Thursday in the trial of an Indigenous lobster fisherman who recently launched a constitutional challenge aimed at asserting Indigenous and treaty rights. Cody Caplin, a member of the Eel River Bar First Nation, was fishing for lobster in the Bay of Chaleur in September 2018 when he was arrested by federal fisheries officers. He was charged a year later with 10 offences, including trapping lobster out of season. Judge Donald LeBlanc granted the stay saying federal Attorney General Arif Virani has the right to reopen the case within a year, but LeBlanc said he understood from the Crown that was unlikely to happen. Caplin, however, later confirmed that his legal troubles were far from over. more, >>click to read<< 08:31
Sam Parisi asks, How Accurate is NOAA and NOAA Fishery Survey Science?
The agency is not required to compare their results with other independent science. The unproven science may bring concern on the health of fish stocks the industry depends upon. Our Fishermen and Fishing Industry depend on sound science. We need a Magnuson Act Amendment which would require NOAA to compare their science with other independent scientific surveys before any restrictions are placed on, or allocation cuts are enacted. Thank you, Sam Parisi. (click here to comment) 07:22Mississippi Launches Commercial Vessel Safety Program to Protect Fishermen
Tomorrow marks the dawn of a safer and more secure future for Mississippi’s commercial fishermen. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is set to launch its Commercial Vessel Safety Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to promote safety and compliance with regulations in the industry. The program, which falls under the purview of the 2019 Mississippi Bonnet Carré Fisheries Disaster Recovery Program, is specifically tailored to the needs of commercial fishermen who were licensed in the state in 2019. The MDMR’s Commercial Vessel Safety Program stands as a beacon of hope for Mississippi’s commercial fishermen, offering vital resources to help them operate their vessels safely and legally. The program covers the installation of additional safety equipment on their vessels, ensuring the protection of both fishermen and their crew. more, >>click to read<< 18:03
Half Moon Bay Odd Fellows Speakers Series presents “Ernie Koepf – Fish Tales”
Much change has come about to Princeton and the fisheries of the West Coast. The history of the Coastside is also rich with change. Ernie Koepf is here to speak on both. Ernie Koepf was born (1951) and raised in Moss Beach and raised his own family in El Granada. He now resides in the hills of Oakland with his wife of 16 years, Jan Moestue. Early in his life he was initiated into the fishing community and was known as Little Ernie to his father’s Big Ernie, a prominent commercial fisherman in the community. Coming of age, Ernie Koepf (the junior) began his own fishing career. He retired in 2016 after fishing his two boats for 30 years for salmon and crab and 45 years for herring in SF Bay. To his fishing credits he also adds two years in Bristol Bay and two years in Southeast Alaska. VIDEO. From the Half Moon Bay Odd Fellows lecture presented and recorded on September 6th, 2024 at 7:00pm. more, >>click to read & watch<< 15:31
Heartbreak for young fisherman after lad’s boat found dashed on rocks
Tragedy struck for a young Cornish fisherman after his boat was found dashed to pieces on rocks after drifting away on high tide. Antony Newcombe, 13 and from Cawsand, began selling fresh fish and crabs he had caught “with no carbon foot print on Cawsand beach”. The young fisherman had hoped to sell enough to upgrade to a bigger vessel this year. At high tide a few days ago, Anthony’s boat, along with another vessel, reportedly floated off during high-tide, according to a digital fundraiser. “After a search for a few days his boat was finally found; sadly smashed into many pieces on the local rocks. Of course, this didn’t just leave Antony’s boat devastated but him too,” the GoFundMe page reads. more, >>click to read<< 11:38
Crab gear reduction for commercial fishers extended through mid-March
Less than a month after the commercial Dungeness crab season opened in the Monterey Bay region, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has extended the gear reduction in all fishing zones south of the Mendocino/Sonoma County line. “It’s about the minimum we can survive on viably,” fisher Tim Obert told Lookout in January. Obert is a Santa Cruz native who has fished commercially for more than two decades. He serves as president of the Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen’s Association and sits on the state’s Dungeness Crab Task Force. more, >>click to read<< 10:42
Harkers Island residents demand removal of neglected shrimp boat disrupting local harbor
The bottom line is the community wants this eyesore gone. Miss Becky has drifted around Brooks Creek Harbor for 2 years. It’s labeled as a derelict vessel by the Wildlife Resource Commission, which means it’s a vessel that is neglected with an identifiable owner. The owner is Douglas Oneil Junior who was just released from prison after being convicted of felony littering charges with his vessels. He faces those same charges with this shrimp boat. Video, more, >>click to read<< 09:11
New England Fishermen Fear NOAA Retaliation as Feds Pin Dead Whale on Maine Lobstermen
For the first time in twenty years, the death of a North Atlantic Right Whale has been linked to Maine fishing gear, according to a federal environmental agency. Found dead off of Martha’s Vineyard on January 28 near Joseph Sylvia State Beach, the juvenile, female whale was described as having been entangled in a rope that was “deeply embedded in the tail.” According to the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — parent agency of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) — the rope found on the whale contained purple markings that are consistent with water trap and pot buoy lines used by lobstermen in Maine. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:22
NTSB Report: Flooding and Non-Operational Alarms Led to Fishing Vessel Loss
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that the likely cause of the capsizing and sinking of the fishing vessel Hotspur near Nunez Rocks, Alaska, was flooding into below-deck compartments. On August 2, 2022, while transiting through the Dixon Entrance, the Hotspur began to list to port. Realizing the severity of the situation, the captain and four crewmembers quickly abandoned ship, escaping to a life raft. They were subsequently rescued by nearby vessels. Within 20 minutes of the crew first noticing the list, the Hotspur had capsized and sunk. more, >>click to read<< 06:32
New fisheries co-op incorporated; Fisheries Protective Co-operative
A new for-profit fisheries co-operative has been incorporated to protect and advance the economic interests of the province’s independent inshore enterprise owners. To be known as the FPC, the Fisheries Protective Co-operative Newfoundland and Labrador was created over a period of several months by a steering committee of inshore harvesters from around the province, spearheaded by fishery activists Ryan Cleary and Merv Wiseman. The idea behind the FPC is to give independent owner-operators freedom over their inshore enterprises and commercial licences, and ensure a fair, transparent, and more consistent return on their investment. The long-term goal of the FPC is to become self-sufficient in all aspects of seafood operations — including harvesting, processing, marketing, and sales. The plan for the upcoming 2024 fishing season is to pool the collective quotas of members, and either hire independent companies to process fish for a per-pound fee or sell them product directly. more, >>click to read<<17:30
Champlain Seafood blames lack of lobsters for permanent closure of Meteghan, N.S., processing plant
A lobster processing plant in Meteghan, N.S., is shutting down permanently saying there are “not enough lobsters to sustain current processing capacity.” In a news release sent out on Tuesday, Champlain Seafood announced Riverside Lobster International (RLI) will not reopen for the upcoming spring season and will close permanently. The company said the closure will not impact its New Brunswick processing plants, notably Cape Bald Packers and Captain Dan’s. “The reason for the temporary shutdown was due to lower lobster landings and overall product availability,” said Champlain Seafood spokesperson Rachelle Gagnon. “The lobster processing industry in Atlantic Canada is continuing to see an unprecedented situation.” more, >>click to read<< 15:07
Captain Jimmy Ruhle Honored Posthumously with New Cooperative Research Award
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council named Captain Jimmy Ruhle as the first recipient and namesake of a new award that recognizes outstanding contributions to cooperative fisheries research in the Mid-Atlantic region. His son, Captain Robert Ruhle, accepted the award on his father’s behalf during the Council’s meeting last week in Arlington, Virginia. Jimmy Ruhle was a lifelong commercial fisherman, a former Council member, and a trailblazer in cooperative fisheries research. He had an instrumental role in the creation and success of the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England trawl survey, a cooperative fishery-independent survey of coastal waters from Cape Hatteras north to Cape Cod. Since 2007, the survey has been conducted biannually aboard Jimmy’s vessel, the F/V Darana R, by a team of Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) researchers working in partnership with Jimmy and his crew. more, >>click to read<< 13:11
Eric’s Heroes: The 50-year journey of fisherman Pete Knutson
A fisherman with long, gray hair looks out at this beautiful place and takes a sip from his coffee mug. The fisherman is Pete Knutson. The place is Fisherman’s Terminal. Each has left their mark on the other. Don’t be fooled by how gorgeous it is. Fisherman’s Terminal, plopped right in the middle of a major metropolitan city, is a place for men and women who understand work. People who fish for a living. “It always felt RIGHT,” he says. “It always felt like a place that I was comfortable. I like the people. I’ve always liked the people in the fishing. They’re really direct, you know? It’s honest work.” Pete has been a fisherman for 50 years. He’s gone to Alaska to ply his trade, four or five months every summer, for half a century. Video, 17 photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:46
Hull people petition for Arctic Corsair to be permanently berthed in St Andrew’s Dock, not ‘concreted into city centre’
The historic vessel, Hull’s last sidewinder trawler, is set to be a dry-berthed visitor attraction at the currently developing North End Shipyard, off Dock Office Row, in the city. She is expected to be open to the public, restored to her former glory, in early 2025. The petition calls for the placing of Hull’s heritage ship Arctic Corsair at St Andrew’s Lockpits. The introduction to the petition says: “Hull Trawler Heritage – Hull City Council plan to berth the Arctic Corsair, Hull’s heritage museum vessel, on the River Hull near Hull city centre. “We the petitioners believe she should be permanently berthed in Hull’s St Andrew’s Dock Lockpits, her natural home. Sign this petition immediately if you believe she should be brought home to Bullnose before she gets concreted into the city centre.” more, >>click to read<< 09:40
Crew safe after fishing boat stranded on Newfoundland’s south coast
The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed Thursday morning that the crew of a fishing boat that ran aground off the coast of Fortune on Newfoundland’s south coast have been safely evacuated from the vessel. The ship, called the Cape Cordell, ran aground just outside Fortune Harbour on Wednesday as a blustery winter storm hit much of Newfoundland and Labrador. more, >>click to read<< 08:46
Warren, Markey and Keating demand answers from Blue Harvest owners
“After years of putting private equity profits ahead of workers and small businesses, Bregal Partners — which owned and stripped Blue Harvest of its assets — owes the community an explanation,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep Bill Keating. They each signed the joint letter addressed to Gene Yoon, managing partner of Bregal Partners, which owned 89.5% of New Bedford-based seafood giant Blue Harvest Fisheries prior to the company declaring bankruptcy in September of 2023. “Bregal’s actions with respect to Blue Harvest have left local small businesses and workers holding the bag after your firm spent years price gouging, mistreating workers, saddling consumers with junk fees, and stripping assets,” the letter continued. “Your actions have harmed New England’s fishing industry and left over 1,000 independent contractors, businesses, and other creditors saddled with debt.” more, >>click to read<< 07:18
Statement from Maine Lobstermen’s Association on Right Whale death
“The Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) is deeply saddened by the death of a juvenile right whale that NMFS has attributed to the Maine fishery. 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. Maine lobstermen have made significant changes to how they fish over the last 25 years to avoid entanglement and continue gear testing. The MLA will continue this important work as we review the data and evidence that NMFS has collected. MLA remains committed to finding a solution to ensure a future for right whales and Maine’s lobster fishery”. 16:50
