Canada’s top chefs should offer seal meat on their menus as part of the battle against Russian propaganda as well as celebrities who have spoken out against the seal hunt, a senate committee heard. At the same hearing, independent Senator Bev Busson suggested mega-singing star Taylor Swift might be used to convince young people to chow down on seal. But animal rights activists say claims that Russian propaganda is behind the problems of Canada’s seal industry is a bizarre conspiracy theory. Instead, they point to the ban by 35 nations on commercial seal products as the real reason the industry has declined. The ban, however, hasn’t stopped some from looking for new ways to revive the commercial seal industry. more. >>click to read<< 11:33
Baffling mystery of tragic trawler that sank killing 36 – as heartbroken families demand answers 50 years on
The fishing trawler Gaul went missing during a fierce storm in the Barents Sea half a century ago in what remains Britain’s worst trawler disaster. The families of the missing seamen from the Hull area endured an agonizing wait for news on the morning of February 9, 1974. The fact that it took 23-years to find the trawler fuelled speculation about the disaster which claimed so many lives. The families of the victims spent years trying to establish why the trawler sank. The Gaul sank during the height of the Cold War and it was common knowledge that the security services had used trawlers to carry out spying missions in the 1960s. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:22
Irish fishermen fury over ‘unbelievable and outrageous’ secret EU deal talks to give Iceland access to our waters
Irish fishermen are up in arms over secret EU talks to give Iceland access to our fishing waters. Our trawlermen are being allocated an extra 15 million Blue Whiting quota this year on condition that Icelandic crews can fish here. The Irish Government claims the talks are “informal” and nothing has been decided yet. But Aodh O’Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) blasted that they must fight for our fishing industry the way other EU member states do. “They are not an EU member. How is this a fair deal? “Are we getting to catch around 15 million of extra fish in Iceland or EU waters for this deal? No. more, >>click to read<< 19:21
A report has concluded the sinking of a Cadgwith based fishing boat caused by extensive modifications
Skipper Brett Jose and crewman Callum Hardwick were rescued after an ordeal in which Mr Jose had to escape through the wheelhouse window as the 25 foot crabbed suddenly heeled over and capsized. Following the sinking in November 2022 a Crowdfunder was launched by the Cadgwith community to buy a new boat for the pair. The Crig-A-Tana had been fitted with a new wheelhouse, engine, safety kit and deck equipment with the help of Government grants but all had been approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:18
Alaska tribes, green group take aim at planned bottom-trawling study in northern Bering Sea
Three tribal governments and an environmental organization on Thursday served notice to federal agencies that they are planning a lawsuit to block a fishing experiment along the seafloor in the northern Bering Sea. The practice of bottom trawling, sweeping a net to catch fish on or near the seabed, is currently prohibited in the Northern Bering Sea, which is abbreviated in legal documents as NBS. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service is planning to deploy some commercial trawling gear in selected spots over the coming summers to see what impacts, if any, result to the habitat and the marine life dependent on it. The research project is called the Northern Bering Sea Effects of Trawling Study, or NBET. It is focused on specific areas north and south of St. Lawrence Island and would potentially simulate effects of commercial harvests. more, >>click to read<< 08:10
The Plaintiffs in the Supreme Court’s Big Chevron Case Moonlight as Anti–Offshore Wind Activists
William Bright, Wayne Reichle, and Stefan Axelsson have a lot in common. They live in Southern New Jersey and run commercial fishing operations whose catch includes Atlantic herring, silvery little bottom-dwellers that feed on krill and fish larvae. They are plaintiffs in a Supreme Court case that could soon kneecap federal agencies’ ability to write and enforce regulations. And for the past few years, they’ve had a common adversary: offshore wind developers. Plaintiffs in one of the most closely watched cases this term participated in efforts to block two major renewables projects off the coast of New Jersey, Ocean Wind 1 and 2. The campaign against Ocean Wind 1 and 2 was aided by a network of conservative groups and corporate backers, who rejoiced when Danish energy firm Ørsted canceled both projects in November. Now, when the Supreme Court rules on Chevron this spring, these groups may have a much bigger win to celebrate. more, >>click to read<< 06:53
Welding accident sparks fishing boat fire on Fairhaven waterfront
A fishing vessel recently acquired by the owners of BASE Seafood Auction caught fire and burned on the Fairhaven side of the harbor early Thursday morning. The 78-foot groundfish trawler F/V Carrabassett was in the process of being decommissioned, according to Fairhaven Harbor Master Tim Cox, who was on scene the morning of the fire working with an environmental cleanup crew. He said the fire was sparked by welders using a cutting torch to carve out the boat’s piping. The welders called in the fire just before 7 a.m., Cox said. Thick clouds of black smoke could be seen rising over the harbor as firefighters from Fairhaven, New Bedford and Mattapoisett worked to knock down the flames using hoses and a foam fire suppressant. The fire, which at its peak had fully engulfed the cabin, was contained by about 8 a.m., Cox said. 6 photos, more, >>click to read<< 20:39
Protesting fishermen gather at DFO office to voice frustration over redfish quota
Outside the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office in Corner Brook, a crowd of about 50 people gathered to express their frustration with a recent federal decision to allot a 19 per cent share of the redfish quota to Newfoundland and Labrador. One protestor, Rendell Genge from Anchor Point, took to the microphone and asked the crowd to raise their hands if they’ll lose their jobs if the redfish quota isn’t increased. “Redfish was our only hope. We was let down. No one was any more disappointed than I was when this announcement was made,” said Genge. “The battle is just beginning, in my books.” Thursday afternoon’s protest was organized by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW), and secretary treasurer Jason Spingle said the crowd was there to show their resolve and disappointment regarding the recent federal decision. more, >>click to read<< 16:49
Vessel Review: F/V Arctic Fjord – Alaska Pollock Trawler to be Deployed in Bering Sea
Seattle-based seafood company the Arctic Storm Management Group has taken delivery of a new trawler-processor optimised for catching Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea. The newer F/V Arctic Fjord has a length of 324 feet (99 metres), a beam of 68.9 feet (21 metres), a draught of 28.5 feet (8.7 metres), space for 152 crewmembers and processing personnel, and a wave-piercing bow that reduces fuel consumption and slamming in rough seas. Approximately 4,000 cubic metres of fish products including fish meal and fish oil can be stored in the holds. Pkotos, specs, more, >>click to read<< 14:25
Five people, three companies convicted of 18 violations in N.S. halibut fishery
A major investigation into the halibut fishery in the Sambro area of Nova Scotia has led to multiple fines and licence suspensions. Five people and three companies were convicted of 18 violations of the Fisheries Act and Regulations. The Department of Oceans and Fisheries (DFO) conducted the investigation, according to a Tuesday news release.DFO originally laid 66 charges against eight individuals and five companies in 2021. “Harvesters who break the law give themselves an unfair advantage, undermine the effective management of the fishery, and threaten the sustainability of our shared fishery resources,” says DFO in the release. Links, more, >>click to read<< 10:43
Fairhaven and New Bedford fire crews respond to commercial fishing boat fire in Fairhaven
New Bedford and Fairhaven fire crews are on the scene of a boat fire in a vessels docked at the bottom of Washington and Water streets in Fairhaven Thursday morning. According to a source on the scene, the boat, named the Carrabassett, was under repair when it caught fire. A 2021 report in the Provincetown Banner when the vessel was grounded in Cape Cod waters, states the Carrabassett was previously named Cowboy and was part of a fleet that belonged to “The Codfather,” Carlos Rafael until it was sold to Blue Harvest Fisheries in 2020. more, >>click to read<< 09:30
Commercial redfish fishery to reopen, but pending quota threatens to push some fishers out
“It hurts me to talk about it,” says Brad Genge, a 51-year-old inshore fisherman from Anchor Point, on the west coast of Newfoundland’s northern peninsula. Genge says what should have been a good news story – the Government of Canada’s historic reopening of the east coast commercial redfish fishery – is hitting fishermen in this province hard. “Worst news we could have gotten,” says Genge. “Only thing that could have hurt more is if they came down and hit us in the face with a piece of lumber.” “We are done, we are out of the fishery,” says Genge, who tied up his trawler, the BNB Mariner, in early February. Video, more, >>click to read<< 08:22
Commercial Fisherman Pleads Guilty to Income Tax Evasion
A crew member on commercial fishing vessels operating out of New Bedford pleaded guilty today to evading nearly $300,000 in federal income taxes. Rodolfo Membreno, 49, of Fall River, pleaded guilty to one count of evading and defeating taxes before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns. Judge Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2024. Membreno was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023. From 2013 through 2021, Membreno earned more than $1.3 million working as a commercial fisherman. During the calendar years 2013 through 2019 Membreno failed to file federal income tax returns. more, >>click to read<< 07:25
The story of the Gaul trawler tragedy, 50 years on
On January 22, 1974, the Gaul – a deep sea factory ship designed for long trips – set sail from Hull for Norwegian fishing grounds. At some time in the night of February 8-9, the trawler went down in heavy seas north of Norway, with the loss of all hands. It was later described as “the worst ever single-trawler tragedy”. At the time of the disappearance, mystery surrounded the fate of the trawler. No mayday signal had been received and it was only when the vessel failed to report in that alarm bells were raised. Stuart Russell, who was working on the Hull Daily Mail’s news desk, recalled how there was uncertainty from the outset. As with other trawler tragedies, the Mail got a crew list from the ship owners and the reporters went out to visit the relatives. more, >>click to read<< 06:26
FFAW DEMONSTRATION IN CORNER BROOK THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2024,
FFAW-Unifor is holding a demonstration tomorrow, Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 1:00pm outside of the DFO Building located at 1 Regent Square in Corner Brook. The Demonstration is to call attention to federal mismanagement of fisheries – in particular the recent decision by Minister Diane Lebouthillier to allocate nearly 60% of the newly commercialized Unit 1 Redfish fishery to a handful of corporate offshore draggers, instead of the 100 or so inshore, owner-operator vessels that rely on it. Minister Lebouthillier has failed in her capacity as Minister to make decisions based on her mandate and the federal Fisheries Act. Specifically, management decisions should prioritize social, economic, and cultural factors as well as the preservation and promotion of the independence of independent license holders. None of which was evident in the Minister’s decision. more, >>click to read<< 16:11
Pot Half Full: Cordova boats find success in Kodiak crab despite uncertainties
As crab fisheries around the state become increasingly unstable over the last two years, fishermen have found reliable opportunities in Kodiak. Several Cordova vessels and captains journeyed to Kodiak this past month to participate in the 2024 Kodiak tanner crab fishery, a state fishery managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). The fisheye opened at noon on Jan. 15 and closed on Jan. 21. This year Guideline Harvest Levels (GHL) allowed for 3,480,000 pounds of crab to be harvested by the fleet, down from the 7,300,000 pounds GHL in 2023. Last year the fleet staged a strike over the low grounds price of crab resulting in more than a week’s delay to the season. Although the price rose only marginally this season, the fleet went fishing on the regularly scheduled opener. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:37
Orsted, months after a $4 billion write-off on offshore wind, decides to cut jobs, halt dividends, and quit several markets
Orsted has struggled to keep its promising wind projects alive in recent times. High costs tied to Inflation, elevated interest rates, and supply crunches took a toll on Orsted as it wrote off $4 billion linked to two large New Jersey wind projects in October. At the time, the company described America as the “most painful part of its portfolio” that it would have to make that hard decision of de-risking from—a blow for President Joe Biden’s administration that had pinned great hopes to the country’s investment in green energy. more, >> click to read<< 12:13
A treasured industry and an endangered species compete for survival
On a cold morning in January, Chris Welch is already out preparing his boat. This time of year, his days begin before sunrise. It’s a ritual he’s grown accustomed to — at just 35 years old, he’s already spent decades working in the lobster business. “I started lobstering when I was six.” Welch said. Being a lobsterman in Maine is less of a job and more of a lifestyle. It’s a family business for many, including Welch, whose learned the ropes from his grandfather. But recently, the focus is less on what lobstermen’s ropes are pulling up and more on what may be running into them. Video, more, >>click to read<< 10:23
Pair of bills makes electronic monitoring of state-regulated fisheries a possibility
Nels Evens is a longliner and gillnetter, and the executive director of the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association. He says he’s not sure what the bills’ aim is. “Because it is so broad, and we don’t understand what it’s really trying to get at, we’re not supportive of it,” he said. The pair of bills – Senate Bill 209 and House Bill 294 – stem from a discussion at last year’s Board of Fisheries meeting. The Board was trying to figure out how to enforce regulations that require Area M fishermen to keep chum salmon, instead of tossing them back in favor of much more valuable King salmon. Area M is along the Alaska Peninsula and Eastern Aleutians. It intercepts some chum salmon bound for western Alaska. more, >>click to read<< 08:53
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 70′ Steel Stern Dragger, Permits, 600HP Lugger Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 9 photos’,>click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:50
Shrimping: an endangered tradition
The salty ocean air, the smell of pluff mud, seafood restaurants line the streets, yet shrimp boats sit docked at the harbor. This is the scene pictured in the future by local shrimper and president of South Carolina’s Shrimpers Association, Rocky Magwood, as a result of imported shrimp. Shrimping has long been a tradition and staple of the local Charleston industry, with generations of shrimpers selling their product locally and beyond. A proud heritage and position for many shrimpers. However, as a result of increasingly high levels of imported shrimp, local shrimping jobs are at risk, according to Rocky Magwood. “The p rice of shrimp is terrible,” Magwood said. “Most shrimpers are broke right now.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:32
Crawling with crab … at last
Pacific County boat decks are finally crawling with healthy Dungeness crab after a two-month regulatory delay, a tardy start due to violent seas and a disastrous fire that wrecked a top processing plant. We were out 24 hours and we got 25,000 pounds,” said F/V Brandy owner Ryan Walters, 42, upon returning to port with crew Monday, Feb. 5, to offload at Safe Coast Seafoods in Ilwaco. It was their third successful trip of the season, Walters said, in what has been a busy start to the season for area crabbers. Historically, three-quarters of the commercial volume is landed within the first few weeks of the season, when fishing pressure is the heaviest. “We missed the first day, and wish we would have stayed in the second — the weather wasn’t very nice,” Walters said regarding the rough weather and ocean conditions that kept most in the marina on opening day. 10 photos, more, >>click to read<< 15:26
Catch-22 on the Baltic: The Twilight of Poland’s Coastal Fishermen
Antoni Struck looks like a casting director’s idea of a fisherman. He also looks very much unlike those members of the Association of Polish Coastal Fishermen who tend to wear a fancy watch and drive a nice set of wheels. In fact, when the Association meets in the local town hall, some of the attendees look less like fishermen and more like businessmen who happen to have a stake in fisheries. Struck sits through these meetings in his unbranded workwear and sturdy boots, arms folded stubbornly across his chest, looking as though he has just stepped off his boat and is in no mood to be pushed around. “A man can put up with a lot of things,” he is fond of saying. “But he needs to know just one thing: what it is for.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:18
Unalaska pushes back against proposed bycatch restrictions on pollock fishery
Unalaska leaders are pushing back against a proposed petition to eliminate Chinook bycatch in the Bering Sea Alaska pollock fishery. Nearly 100 tribes and communities in western Alaska, including the Association of Village Council Presidents, signed an emergency petition that would set a zero-bycatch limit on Chinook salmon in the pollock trawl fishery for 180 days. Unalaska Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr. said in a letter that a zero-cap would “effectively shut down the entire pollock fishery of the Bering Sea,” and create a “dire situation” for Unalaska. links, more, ??click to read<< 11:19
Fishing advocates say California salmon disaster fund is too low
The $20.6 million allocated for federal relief for California’s Chinook salmon stocking is only two-thirds of the state’s aid request, and threatens the existence of fishing businesses, California commercial fishermen and rental recreational groups said, on Monday. In a letter to U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association and the Northern California Guides and Sportsmen’s Association called for “immediate full funding of salmon disaster funding assistance” at $30.7 million. Data sought by state officials. “The state’s economic analysis already falls short of expected needs, and the federal disaster aid package adds insult to injury,” fishing group leaders wrote in their joint letter. more, >>click to read<< 08:56
Peterhead landings hit new record
With £232 million worth of catches traded across its quaysides, Peterhead set a new record for fish landings in 2023. This smashes the 2022 figure of £220 million, which was also a modern era record, by a comfortable margin, and cements Peterhead’s position as the largest fisheries port in Europe. ‘It was a very successful year for landings, with a notable increase in pelagic landings due to the economic link which is more than compensating for a decline in shellfish landings,’ said Peter Duncan, Peterhead Port Authority’s Head of Fishing – Commercial. In recent years PPA has invested over £50 million in an ultra-modern fish market and quayside improvements that allow for vessels to land at all states of the tide. more, >>click to read<< 07:46
Will $2.9 million in grants actually help Mississippi fishermen?
In 2023, it was declared that it was a federal fisheries disaster, making Mississippi fisheries eligible for assistance. “At this point, it’s more like a feel-good program,” said one fisherman. “Here, let me give you a little money, make you feel better.” It’s been five years since disaster struck the fishing industry in the gulf, and while fishermen have received some help since then, they say the response has been slow – too slow to actually be beneficial. Mark Kopszywa has found himself in a perpetual cycle of playing catch-up after taking such a big loss in 2019 and not being able to make up for it quickly. Video, more, >>click to read<< 06:29
Fishing regulators say no to catching more elvers, a most valuable species
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission needs to set a new quota for next year and beyond because the current management plan is expiring. The commission said Monday its only considering one option for next year’s limit and that is a little less than 10,000 pounds, the same level fishermen have been allowed to catch for several years. The commission is under pressure from fishermen who want the quota raised and from environmentalists who would like to see it reduced. Fishermen who have advocated for removing dams are good stewards of the elvers, said Darrell Young, president of the Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association. Many fishermen run through their quota in just a few days, he said. more, >>click to read<< 20:46
Senator Wicker Statement on the $2.9 Million Awarded to Mississippi Fisheries for 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Openings
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) awarded $2,993,283 in federal disaster relief funds to Mississippi’s shrimp and oyster fisheries. The funding is available because DOC declared a “commercial fishery failure” in 2020 after the repeated openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019. The state will distribute the funds to fishermen, aquaculture businesses, and seafood processors to help cover some of their losses. “This funding is helpful, but it does not make the impacted businesses whole. It should not take years for disaster funds to trickle in. more, >>click to read<< 13:39
Can Taylor Swift help Canada’s seal meat industry, senate committee asks
Canada’s top chefs should offer seal meat on their menus as part of the battle against Russian propaganda as well as celebrities who have spoken out against the seal hunt, a senate committee heard. At the same hearing, independent Senator Bev Busson suggested mega-singing star Taylor Swift might be used to convince young people to chow down on seal. But animal rights activists say claims that Russian propaganda is behind the problems of Canada’s seal industry is a bizarre conspiracy theory. Instead, they point to the ban by 35 nations on commercial seal products as the real reason the industry has declined. The ban, however, hasn’t stopped some from looking for new ways to revive the commercial seal industry. more. >>click to read<< 11:33
New Beamer Delivered to Belgian Owners
A new beamer is a rarity these days and seeing a new such vessel being put into service is something of an event. The latest beam trawler to be delivered to owners in Belgium is Van Eyck Z-53, handed over to its owners following satisfactory sea trials carried out at the end of last year. The Savels family hads initially looked for a second-hand vessel to replace the 1981-built beamer that Steven Savels bought from Freddy Depaepe more than 25 years ago. But when the search proved inconclusive, with no suitable replacement to be found, they looked at the options for a new trawler and approached Van Eyck Z-53, which has delivered a number of new beamers in recent years to Belgian operators. The order for the new vessel was placed in 2022 and the hull arrived in Stellandam for outfitting a year later. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:39
