Lowcountry shrimpers say area restaurants buying shrimp from other countries is putting a strain on the industry
Lowcountry shrimpers are concerned that they are going to be priced out by imported shrimp. But there’s one local organization working to promote eating locally. The South Carolina Shrimper’s Association has multiple goals such as advocating for policies that support the shrimping industry, educating the public about the industry, and promoting sustainable shrimping. One of the biggest problems Lowcountry shrimpers are facing right now is local restaurants importing the shrimp. They say some restaurants import shrimp from other countries at extremely low prices that local shrimpers just can’t afford to beat – and it’s impacting their livelihood. Video, “It’s been happening for a long time now, but it’s gotten to where it’s getting out of hand,” said local shrimper Rocky Magwood. >>click to read<< 13:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 72′ Steel Shrimp Dragger, 500H Cummins K-19 Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 28 photos’, >click here<, To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 11:35
Commercial Fisherman Mark David Rose of Falmouth has passed away
In Loving Memory: Mark David Rose of Falmouth passed away at home in Falmouth on September 30, 2023, from liver cancer and complications, surrounded by family. A restless spirit, Mark left school and started commercial fishing out of Provincetown on the Silver Mink and other boats in the 1970s and 80s. He loved Provincetown deeply with its fishing and Portuguese heritage. Mark moved to Falmouth in the late 1980s where he fished commercially out of Woods Hole, Fairhaven, and New Bedford. He began his own inshore quahog and scallop fishery in the 1990s and continued to fish offshore from commercial ports. Mark leaves behind his two beautiful children. >>click to read<< 08:56
Decline in young lobsters triggers change in legal catch size
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissioner approved in May new management measures when the survey of sublegal lobsters declined by 35 percent. The most recent stock survey shows a 39 percent decline. “The fact that we’ve hit the trigger this soon comes as a significant surprise,” DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher said. “When the Board voted on the Addendum in May, it was anticipated that the trigger would not be hit for a year or two.” Keliher had initially broached to the ASMFC a higher trigger of 38 percent than the 35 percent that passed. But at the latest board meeting, he successfully delayed implementing the first size change from June 1, 2024, as initially set in the Addendum, to Jan. 1, 2025. >>click to read<< 08:08
Another legal challenge to NJ offshore wind farm project
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, commercial fishing and tourism interests and a conservation group joined Cape May County in accusing federal agencies of ignoring and violating laws designed to protect the environment and marine life. The dispute is the latest that threatens to delay the project, which also faces stiff financial challenges that have led officials from Ørsted, a Danish company, to consider pulling out of building the 98-turbine project. Ørsted’s Ocean Wind I, a 1,100-megawatt project about 15 miles offshore from Atlantic City, is entangled in assorted court battles. Orsted has sued Cape May County and Ocean City over delays in obtaining permits while the state faces challenges over its approval of the project from local groups. >>click to read<< 07:09
CJ Gaffney calls on McConalogue to Support Inclusion of Mary Kate in Review
CJ and his family have been fighting for justice in relation to the loss of the beam trawler and the debts incurred during their time of ownership. Although the European Commission has offered the Irish government a solution to compensating the Gaffney family, Minister for Charlie McConalogue, as with his predecessors, Simon Coveney and Michael Creed, has steadfastly refused to consider the issue, and have routed the blame to the Department of Transport, which oversees the Marine Survey Office, who was responsible for signing off on the seaworthiness of the MARY Kate WD-30. After a long campaign, which has received backing from his local County Council, TD’s and Irish MEPs, CJ has once again asked both Ministers McConalogue and Ryan to back an investigation into how the MARY KATE was ever passed as safe for fishing operations. >>click to read<< 16:16
With salmon at risk of extinction, California begins urgent rescue effort
Typically, now is the time when creeks along the Sacramento River are filled with young spring-run Chinook salmon preparing to make their journey downstream to the Pacific Ocean, where they will mature, and eventually make their return to California spawning sites. This year, however, the salmon population has plummeted alarmingly—what officials call a “cohort collapse”—and biologists are taking urgent measures to save them from extinction. For the first time, biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have begun capturing the juvenile spring-run salmon so that they can breed them in captivity, and hopefully prevent them from disappearing from the wild. For the first time, biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have begun capturing the juvenile spring-run salmon so that they can breed them in captivity, and hopefully prevent them from disappearing from the wild. >>click to read<< 13:25
Shetland trawler hits out at ‘dangerous’ encounter
A Shetland based trawler crew have hit out at the “dangerous” behaviour of a French boat which they claim tried to entangle their propeller with a rope. The crew of Lerwick-based Defiant videoed the encounter with the Antonio Maria, 18 miles off Shetland, just outside UK territorial waters. Fishermen are now calling for tougher action and powers for the authorities to prevent lives being put at risk. The owners of the French vessel have been approached for comment. Defiant’s skipper, Magnus Polson, said he was in disbelief during the incident. >>click to read<< 11:30
The Legal Fishery Sparking Arrests and Violence
Atlantic Canada is home to the country’s most lucrative fisheries, including lobster—with an export value of CAN $3.2-billion in 2021—and young American eels, or elvers, which can sell for $5,000 per kilogram. But in 1999, the Supreme Court decision changed who could take a slice of this profitable pie. The court ruled in the case of Donald Marshall Jr. from Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia. Marshall had been arrested in 1993 for catching and selling adult eels without a license and for harvesting outside the commercial fishing season. When the Supreme Court acquitted Marshall, six years later, the decision hinged on his treaty rights as an Indigenous person. Beyond acquitting him, the ruling—known as the Marshall decision—legally affirmed the rights of individuals belonging to 35 Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkati First Nations to earn a living by fishing. Photos, >>click to read<< 10:31
S.C. Shrimpers Association asks public’s help in fighting imported shrimp crisis
The South Carolina Shrimpers Association has announced its new leadership team for the 2023-2025 term. This comes after an emergency meeting was called to address the imported shrimp crisis and elect leaders to navigate the challenges faced by local shrimpers. The newly elected leadership team will shoulder the responsibility of representing the interests of South Carolina shrimpers at both state and federal levels. Their primary focus is on promoting the sustainability of the shrimping industry in the region, particularly in the face of the imported shrimp crisis. Video, >>click to read<< 09:21
‘Codfather’ Rafael’s fleet scrapped amid Blue Harvest bankruptcy
By Monday, the only trace of the Ilha Brava II was the keel. It remains barely floating in the harbor — a testament to the tattered, sunken legacy of two of the largest fishing empires on the East Coast, both of which had owned the vessel and both of which met their demise in court. Neither seafood giant ended its reign with a balanced bank account. Rafael would return to New Bedford a rich man upon his release from prison in 2021, pocketing the $100 million he received from the government-mandated sale of his fabled fleet. The private equity firm that owns Blue Harvest Fisheries, on the other hand, is now claiming in bankruptcy court that it stands to lose over $200 million from its foray into the fishing industry. It also owes millions to countless small businesses on the New Bedford waterfront. “They said it would be no problem to fill my shoes,” Rafael said, speaking over the phone in an interview, “They filled my shoes, all right. They f—ed people for millions of dollars. That’s how they filled my shoes.” Photos, >>click to read<< 08:11
Sternman Larry S. Cromwell of Westport Island, Me., has passed away
Larry S. Cromwell, 62, of Westport Island, passed away on Oct. 11, 2023, with his family by his side following a long struggle with cancer. He was born on Aug. 13, 1961, a son of Francis and Phoebe (Greenleaf) Cromwell. Larry graduated from Morse High School. He worked with his father in construction before becoming a sternman on his grandfather’s lobster boat, which was by far his favorite job ever. Larry also worked with Asplundh Tree Service, Stinson’s Cannery in Bath, Riley’s Cannery, and the City of Bath Cemeteries and Parks Division. Larry enjoyed playing cards, listening to music, watching TV, animals, and talking about good childhood memories of growing up on Westport Island. >>click to read<< 19:37
DFO says thousands of illegal shark fins found during Pacific patrol
Canadian fisheries officers discovered more than 3,000 shark fins while conducting a maritime surveillance and enforcement mission in the North Pacific Ocean, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The agency says the fins were illegally possessed or stored on multiple vessels that were inspected during a two-month patrol of the high seas between British Columbia and Japan. Some of the fins were from threatened species, including the oceanic whitetip shark, the DFO said in news 
release Thursday. The annual enforcement mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, included fishery and coast guard officers from the United States and Japan, as well as a Canadian patrol aircraft temporarily based out of Japan. >>click to read << 16:21
Kelly Bullis: Fishermen might hurt the IRS
Now here is a whopper of a fishing story! The current session of the U.S. Supreme Court has an interesting case on the docket. If they rule in favor of the plaintiffs, it could end up changing a long-standing rule from a prior Supreme Court ruling of almost 40 years ago which underpins the ability of the IRS to do its job. The case is about regulation of fishing boats. And the old Supreme Court doctrine at risk is called the “Chevron Deference Doctrine.” The “Chevron Deference Doctrine” was a coined name that came from a famous landmark case “Chevron USA Inc vs. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc” back in 1984. The Supreme Court set forth a legal test as to when a court should defer to an agency’s answer or interpretation, holding that such judicial deference is appropriate where the agency’s answer was not unreasonable, so long as Congress had not spoken directly to the precise issue at question. >>click to read<< 13:38
The mystery and method of ‘market price’ seafood
To better understand how the market price of a lobster roll or other local delicacy is set by the time it reaches the consumer, Times Review reached out to fishermen, retail and wholesale seafood purveyors, restaurants, chefs and major regional distributors. Only a half-dozen experts were willing to speak on the record, and most insisted on anonymity. The seeming absurdity of sending so much fresh fish on an 80-plus mile round trip to and from New York City makes more sense considering that the price fluctuations that govern the fresh seafood market are driven by a variety of factors, from the uncertainty of boat fuel and trucking costs to overheads including refrigeration, labor, food preparation and the vacillating scarcity or availability of any popular fish. >>click to read<< 12:22
“A massive enterprise’: California’s offshore wind farms are on a fast track
The tantalizing possibility of capturing wind energy from giant floating ocean platforms is considered essential to achieving California’s ambitious goal of electrifying its grid with 100% zero-carbon energy. The state’s blueprint envisions offshore wind farms producing 25 gigawatts of electricity by 2045, powering 25 million homes and providing about 13% of the power supply. The projects will be a giant experiment: No other floating wind operations are in such deep waters. From China to Rhode Island, about 250 offshore wind farms are operating around the world, mostly in shallow waters close to shore and secured to the ocean floor. But the areas off California with the strongest winds are far from shore and too deep for traditional platforms, so developers are planning clusters of floating platforms about 20 miles off the coast, in waters more than a half-mile deep and tethered by cables. Photos, >>click to read<< 10:49
Fishing industry roadshow to be held in Milford Haven
Organised by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, the roadshows are free to attend and will offer fishers the chance to discuss the products, services and training available to support their safety, health and wellbeing needs. Amongst those on hand to offer advice will be Seafish plus representatives of its partners including the Welsh Fishing Association and Fishermen’s Mission. Noemi Donigiewicz, Industry Engagement Manager at Seafish said: “We decided to organise these roadshows following discussions between ourselves, the Welsh Fishing Safety Committee, Welsh Fishermen’s Association, Fishermen’s Mission and the Welsh Government. “There was an identified need to discuss the safety and wellbeing of fishers, show them they are supported and demonstrate the assistance and services available to them. >>click to read<< 08:54
Hull father and son in new Arbella ad. Their dog was definitely not hired, though
A longtime Hull lobsterman and his assistant sternman son are featured in a new TV ad from Arbella Insurance that was filmed off the waters of Hull against the backdrop of Boston Light. Capt. Chad Mahoney and his son, James Mahoney, are shown rescuing a golden retriever from the water and bringing it aboard their fishing vessel, First Light, as the dog’s owner frantically searches for it onshore. Following a screen test, it was determined that Oakley demanded attention but under no circumstances would he accept direction, according to a news release about the ad. “According to the staff at Sunshine Pet Parlor (in Hull), ‘Oakley is the worst dog who visits here. He always knocks everything over.’” Video, >>click to read<< 07:27
Unexpected Drama in Yarmouth as Fishing Boat Seized by Police
In an unexpected turn of events, the quiet harbour of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, was the scene of a dramatic police operation on Tuesday. Armed officers seized a fishing boat, leaving local residents in shock and curiosity. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday when a group of armed officers boarded the fishing vessel. The operation, carried out with precision and efficiency, saw the boat swiftly taken under control without any reported injuries or casualties. The boat was then towed to a secure location, hinting at a more in-depth investigation to follow. >>click to read<< 21:31
A struggle to dodge salmon in pursuit of a massive pollock bounty
Onboard the F/V Northern Hawk — Some 400 miles northwest of Dutch Harbor, Bering Sea pollock congregated in spectacular fashion. In the wheelhouse of this factory trawler, Captain Jim Egaas scanned a sonar displaying a dense red band that represented millions of fish in a school that stretched for miles. He could see the pollock up close on another screen that relayed images from an undersea camera stitched in the mesh of a quarter-mile-long net. The video feed showed swarms of them deep in the funnel-shaped trap. Once pulled on board, the tail end of the net bulged with more than 220,000 pounds of tightly packed pollock. A crewman 
unstitched a seam. Raised by a powerful winch, the net spewed a silver avalanche of fish into below-deck holding tanks to await processing in a plant primed to operate 24 hours a day. Egaas was in hurry-up mode. Even before the last of this catch was shaken from the webbing, he called for crew members to unfurl a second net from a giant reel. “I like what we are seeing. We’re on the stock,” Egaas said. Photos, video, >>click to read<< 15:42
How I restored an old arctic trawler to explore the Scottish islands
Amelia Dalton was at her father-in-law’s funeral when she got the phone call. And it wasn’t good news. The Arctic trawler she had bought, named Monaco, to establish her own cruising business had started to sink in the North Sea. “Off I went up to Peterhead with a background in cooking and antiques to get this boat pulled out of the water and on goes the story of how we converted this 85-foot trawler into a small expedition boat,” Dalton explains. Laughing as she recalls the memory, Dalton admits that “pretty well everything went wrong that you could imagine,” starting with the boat sinking in the North Sea. Photos, >>click to read<< 11:47
Review of the Byline TV documentary – Betrayed: The Big Brexit Lie
Up to 70% of voters in Grimsby supported Brexit because they believed it would usher in a return to the days when the docks effectively constituted a small town, complete with cafes, shops and banks. The trade was so lucrative, crews returning to land their catch would be known as ‘three-day millionaires’. A return to past prosperity is what politicians like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage appeared to promise, with both taking advantage of photo opportunities to rally support at the daily fish market. Yet when the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement was finally delivered, the betrayal became strikingly evident. Barry Deas of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations declared the industry had been “sacrificed”, and Martin Boyers, CEO of Grimsby Fish Market described it as “… just rhetoric and broken promises”. The deal that Johnson and David Frost had negotiated had essentially made it much harder for British fisheries to sell into their largest market – the current accumulated trade deficit for the industry amounts to £1.7bn. >>click to read<< 10:26
More than 50 Indigenous fish harvesters in the Maritimes charged or on trial
Three years after a First Nation started a self-regulated lobster fishery that sparked protests and violence in Nova Scotia, federal prosecutors are pressing ahead with charges against dozens of Indigenous fishers, some of whom are planning constitutional challenges. On Sept. 17, 2020, the Sipekne’katik First Nation issued five lobster licences to its members, saying they could trap and sell their catch outside the federally regulated season. The bold move came exactly 21 years after the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the treaty right of Indigenous groups in Eastern Canada to hunt and fish for a moderate livelihood, but interpretations of that landmark ruling remain in dispute. >>click to read<< 09:25
David and Ellen Goethel talk with Roger Wood About Their Favorite Subjects
David Goethel of Hampton may have retired from commercial fishing, but he’s still on the water on a regular basis. Ellen Goethel, his wife and partner can’t stop teaching about and researching the ocean and its creatures. Together they form a formidable duo in life and in science. David survived a bout with cancer, and while recovering wrote a book. Endangered Species is about his life on the water, his favorite place. But it’s also about the losing battle that those who still go down to the sea in ships have been facing when the rules go against them at a time when scientists are declaring that overfishing has put the species at risk, especially in the productive Gulf of Maine. In this podcast, Roger Wood speaks to both of them, learning about David’s newly published book and their shared passion, the sea. >>click to read/listen<< 08:17
Oregon fishing disaster declared after failure impacting Chinook Salmon
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced Friday that a fishing disaster has been declared following a three-year commercial fishery failure in the state. The declaration comes after U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo determined that a commercial fishery failure occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020 because of a fishery resource disaster impacting Oregon Chinook Salmon Fisheries, the governor said. The determination comes after a request from former Gov. Kate Brown in October 2021. Fisheries with disaster determinations are eligible for funding from fishery disaster appropriations to help with community recovery, fishery restoration and prevention of future disasters. >>click to read<< 17:00
Net Zero Ambitions: Sinking in a Sea of Reality?
Political voices across the globe are expressing skepticism and concern regarding the feasibility and impact of net zero policies. Australian Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, for instance, has described net zero as a “soundbite” and “totally insane,” emphasizing the extensive reliance of various sectors on fossil fuels. ““Almost everything we grow, we make, we do in our society relies on the use of fossil fuels,” he said.” Various countries seem to be subtly shifting away from aggressive net zero targets, reflecting a more pragmatic approach to energy policies. For instance, the UK has delayed the banning of new petrol and diesel cars and residential gas heating, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stating, “We’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people.” >>click to read<< 14:26
Whale Vomit: Fisherman shocked as dog finds ‘disgusting’ blob on beach – and could be worth £400,000
A fisherman said he was surprised after his dog found a “disgusting” blob on a Scottish beach which could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Patrick Williamson, 37, was walking his dog on a beach in Ayrshire when the pup dropped her ball and ran towards a mysterious rock on the shore. The local resident was sure it was ambergris – also known as whale vomit – and was surprised to find it in the area. The substance, a secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales, is created by the animals when they cannot regurgitate problem foods. The whale will then expel the valuable ambergris, which will float in the sea until it washes up on the shore – ready to be found by a lucky treasure hunter. Photos, >>click to read<< 12:10
Celebrating fish and seafood with British fishing community
Next time you fancy a fish dish, forget the familiar standbys and try something different and local, suggests the author of a new cookbook For the Love of the Sea II has been hailed as ‘a seafood odyssey’ in the book’s foreword by Rockfish founder Mitch Tonks. He says: ‘This delightful book not only inspires you with wonderful pictures of our coastline and of fishermen and their communities, but also with recipes from real people, like me and you, that do love British fish and seafood.’ The book reveals stories and recipes from the individuals and businesses that work within the country’s diverse coastal communities, from fishmongers to foragers and basket weavers to marine scientists. Lots of photos, >>click to read<< 10:19
Massachusetts wind farm dodges lawsuits over environmental, fishing concerns
A U.S. judge has rejected challenges to federal environmental permits and construction approvals for a $4 billion offshore wind farm near Massachusetts, which commercial fishing groups have claimed will harm whales and impair their businesses. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston on Thursday tossed the final two federal district court lawsuits directly challenging the Vineyard Wind project roughly 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, which would be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country. Representatives for the plaintiffs and the Army Corps didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. The Interior Department, which oversees BOEM, declined to comment. >>click to read<< 09:11
Bristol Bay red king crab, tanner crab fisheries open Sunday
The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery is back on track, after being closed for two years, with a total allowable catch of 2.15 million pounds – just a bit lower than when it was last opened in 2020 at 2.6 million pounds. The announcement on Friday, Oct. 6, was cheered by crab captains and Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, as a way to get back out doing what they loved, pay some bills, and keep crew working, all while keeping the crab resource sustainable for generations to come. Veteran crabber Glenn Casto, captain of the FV Pinnacle, called it a start in the right direction, that will help pay some bills and help out crew. >>click to read<< 08:20
