Connecticut man convicted in New York waters for poaching black sea bass
Published onA Connecticut charter fishing boat captain was convicted of illegally poachingblack sea bassin New York waters, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced. Michael Tenedine, 58, captain of the Lucky Hook out of Clinton, was found guilty of operating a charter vessel without a permit and illegal possession of black sea bass after a bench trial last week in the county that covers central and western Long Island. Tenedine, who represented himself, was fined $3,250, according to a news release. He could not be reached Monday. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Police spotted Tenedine at the helm of the 48-foot long charter boat offMattituck on the North Fork of Long Island on June 14 shortly after noon, according to an incident report. Tenedine had charter customers aboard along with a catch of 30 black sea bass, a species that was not in season at the time ...
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Rare orcas found eating dozens of sharks
Published onResearchers out of Monterey, Ca., on Thursday enjoyed a rare encounter with mysterious killer whales known to travel in massive pods and prey on deepwater sharks. There were fins everywhere we looked on the horizon, Capt. Evan Brodsky, ofMonterey Bay Whale Watch, told ForTheWin Outdoors. They were spread out for miles. (Video posted below.) It was the first known encounter involving a large pod of offshore killer whales, or orcas, in Monterey Bay since November 2021. Boaters in the region are far more likely to encounter transient orcas, which prey on other marine mammals, including gray whales. Read more.
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New England Fishery Council ruled unconstitutional
Published onA federal court ruling has cast doubt on the legitimacy of the New England Fishery Management Councils (NEFMC) member-appointment process, marking a partial victory for the New England Fishermens Stewardship Association (NEFSA). The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine found that the councils appointment system violates the U.S. Constitution, a decision that aligns with NEFSAs long-standing claims about undemocratic practices in fisheries management. According to NEFSAs press release, the court determined that the NEFMCs unelected members wield significant power over fishermen in five states without sufficient oversight from elected officials or the President. "NEFSA is pleased that the court agreed there are constitutional problems with the council," said NEFSA CEO Jerry Leeman. "But this is only a partial victory. The court rewrote the statute to salvage the regulations that are driving fishermen off the water and decimating our coastal communities. NEFSA is carefully considering ...
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Energy-efficient salmon gurdies
Published onChandler Kemp, owner of Kempy Energetics of Dillingham, Alaska, has been experimenting with hybrid electric boats primarily salmon trollers in Southeast Alaska for several years. With grants from various sources, he worked with the Alaska Longline Fishermens Association (ALFA), hybrid gear manufacturer Transfluid, and others. Kempy, formerly of Sitka, is now located in Dillingham, Alaska. We worked on the hybrid propulsion, says Kemp. But we also started looking for ways to save energy on board and started talking about how we could use electric power for the gurdies. Most salmon trollers use two or three hydraulic gurdies, small winches, on each side of the boat for reeling in fish. With the number of options growing for electronic deck gear, its surprising that just one company, EZ Puller, appears to be making electronic salmon gurdies. EZ Puller markets 12-volt electric salmondownriggerswith high amp 12v up/off/down switch assembly. We ...
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New Icelandic trawler delivered amid company restructuring
Published onThe latest addition to Iceland's fresher trawler fleet, the Hulda Bjrnsdttir, has officially been delivered to its owners in the port of Grindavk. Designed bySkipasn, an Icelandic naval architecture firm that specializes in effective solutions for various fisheries. The vessel was built at Astilleros Armn, a Spanish shipbuilding company based in northwest Spain. It was constructed as a groundfish vessel for the fishing company Thorbjrn (Thorfish). However, its future remains uncertain as the company undergoes restructuring, according to aHook Net Mag article. Hauling the gear during Hulda Bjrnsdttirs fishing gear trials. Photo courtesy of Hook Net Mag The Hulda Bjrnsdttir's construction began before the volcanic activity near Grindavk forced the evacuation of the town and its surrounding communities. As a result, the plans for the trawler have been reassessed, with the vessels original purpose of supporting Thorbjrns groundfish processing in Grindavk now in question. The 189-foot vessel ...
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Upgrading Miss Quahog
Published onThe Miss Quahog, a 45-foot lobster boat, left Farrins Boatshop in Walpole, Maine, this November after the completion of several renovations. It was nothing major, said shop owner Bruce Farrin. That said, the boats owner was extremely appreciative of one of those renovations, the new rubber decking. The shop, which Farrin operates with sons Bruce Jr. and Brian, built the Miss Quahog on a Young Brothers hull 4 years ago with a deck that was finished off with fiberglass and gelcoat. This year, the new rubber decking was laid out in 4-foot-wide strips and glued down with Tile Bond. In early December, Farrin said the Miss Quahogs owner came in and proclaimed, What a difference! Its not slippery. Its easy on your feet. It doesnt tire you out like standing on a fiberglass deck and its easy to keep clean. Other Miss Quahog renovations included remodeling the ...
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California expands pop-up gear trials
Published onCalifornia is set to double participation in a pilot program testing the use of pop-up fishing gear for harvesting Dungeness craba move that conversation groups say will lower the risk of whale entanglements in fishing gear. Nineteen commercial California Dungeness crab fishers took part in the 2024 trials, testing a variety of alternative crabbing gears that dont rely on vertical lines endangered humpback whales tend to be entangled by. While the industry has been hesitant to accept the new gear types, participants in the 2024 pilot program were quick to praise the initiative, claiming the gear was effective. The pop-ups worked, and we brought home every trap that we set! Half Moon Bay, California, crab fisher Steve Melz said in a statement put out by Guardian Ropeless Systemsone of the companies participating in the pilot. The whole test is a complete success: crabbing again in front of home ...
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Illegal harvest strikes Washington Dungeness crab fishery
Published onWhile Californias Dungeness crab fleet remains sidelined, waiting for delayed waters to open, Washington and Oregon fishermen are gearing up for their 2024-2025 seasons. Yet, commercial crabbers face another round of delays and challenges in Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently charged a man with illegal harvesting in the North Sound, as revealed in a December 12 social media post. The man was found with 27 crabs, including 22 female Dungeness crabs and four undersized ones, all unlawfully harvested. "None were recorded on a catch record card," the WDFW noted. Its a reminder of the strict regulations in place to protect the fishery, with recreational crabbers in Puget Sound required to document their catches, shared Seafood Source. The crabs were returned to the water once officials reported the incident. For the commercial fleet, WDFW continues to emphasize its commitment to both marine sustainability and fishermens ...
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Southern Shrimp Alliance opposes Biden’s USITC nominee
Published onThe Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) has come out in opposition to U.S. President Joe Bidens latest nomination of Halie Craig to sit on the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) because she has spoken out against President-elect Donald Trumps trade policies in the past. The U.S. International Trade Commission has played a central role in the shrimp industrys ability to combat unfair trade, SSA executive director John Williams said in a statement. Our nations recent election demonstrates that there is strong opposition to the free-trade ideologies that have destroyed communities throughout our country. The USITC is an independent, bipartisan federal agency that investigates whether imports harm domestic industries and then takes action to negate what it deems unfair trade practices. The USITC has made determinations favorable to the domestic shrimp sector in recent years in November, the USITCvoted to impose duties on frozen warmwater shrimpfrom Ecuador ...
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New England scallop quotas cut by 28 percent for 2025
Published onThe New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) has finalized Framework 39 for the 2025 scallop fishing season, marking a significant moment for one of the Northeasts most valuable fisheries. The decision sets annual projected landings at 19.75 million pounds, a substantial drop of nearly 28 percent compared to the 27.4 million pounds projected for 2024. The reduction comes in response to scientific surveys conducted in 2024, which revealed significant declines in scallop biomass across key fishing grounds. Seafood Source shared that these surveys, performed by institutions such as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the Coonamessett Farm Foundation, confirmed a troubling downward trend in harvestable stocks. According to a NEFMC press release, the catch for 2025 is expected to generate approximately $348.25 milliona reflection of the fishery's high value despite reduced harvests ...
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West Coast Dungeness fleets navigate changes, delays
Published onWhile Californias Dungeness crab fleet waits for delayed waters to open, Washington and Oregon fishermen have geared up for their 2024-2025 seasons under familiar pressures of conservation and commerce. With winter crabbing generally in full swing, balancing marine sustainability with vital economic returns is the focus. In Washington, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) emphasizes its regulatory approach to protecting marine mammals, citing updates from previous seasons as a foundation for the current year. Measures to reduce entanglement risk remain crucial, with state and tribal co-managers collaborating to meet conservation goals while supporting fishermen. WDFW published a Dungeness Crab Newsletter to go over a report of the 2023- 2024 season and new regulations for this year. Other sources have shared that the Washington Dungeness season will be delayed until the end of 2024. In Oregon, the anticipation is palpable in Newport, where boats are stacked high with ...
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NOAA announces $99 million to strengthen Pacific salmon populations
Published onThe U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries announced up to $99 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) to support conservation and recovery projects aimed at preserving Pacific salmon and steelhead populations. This funding includes $34.4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and will help further state and tribal efforts to restore salmon habitats while enhancing community resilience to climate change and bolstering local economies, the agencies said. The PCSRF program focuses on funding projects that conserve 28 salmon and steelhead species, many of which are listed as threatened or endangered, or are at risk of being listed. This funding will also help maintain healthy salmon populations necessary for tribal treaty fishing rights and subsistence fishing, as well as support broader habitat conservation efforts. In particular, the BIL funding will target projects that not only restore and conserve salmon and steelhead habitats ...
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Fans of Deadliest Catch wonder what happened to Edgar Hansen
Published onDeadliest Catch fans have seenEdgar Hansenserve aboard the family-run F/V Northwestern fishing vessel. However, the figure eventually disappeared from the series. Since then, fans have been wondering just what happened toEdgar.Edgar Hansen Served On The Vessel For Around Three DecadesEdgar served aboard the F/V Northwestern vessel, having been part of the crew for close to three decades. He is the brother ofCaptain Sig Hansen. Their brother Norm also served as the vessels engineer.Edgar himself has occasionally served as a captain aboard the vessel, usually during blue king crab or bairdi seasons. While making appearances throughout the series early on, Edgar eventually stopped appearing on the show after season 14. Read more...
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Mørenot’s Injector Flow Gear can replace rock hoppers
Published onAmong the many exhibitors at the November 2024 Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, the Norwegian company Mrenot showcased its electric longline system and trawl doors and introduced its new Injector Flow Gear, a trawl sweep intended to replace rock hopper sweeps for fishing on hard bottom. The rock hopper gear is getting harder to find because of the war, says Haraldur Arnason, Mrenots head of trawl systems. A lot of the material originates in Russia and Ukraine. But scarcity of the rock hopper gear is not the main reason Mrenot developed the Flow Gear. Arnason notes that there are issues with operating rock hopper gear, and the company wanted to develop a product that would address those. With the rock hopper, when it goes over a rock it flies off bottom and stays up long enough for fish to get under the net, he says. Or sometimes it flips the ...
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U.S. Treasury Department sanctions Gulf Cartel members for illegal fishing
Published onIncessant poaching by Mexican fishermen off Texas is directly tied to the Gulf Cartel and its other criminal trafficking in narcotics and human smuggling, U.S. Treasury Department officials said in announcing sanctions against five cartel operatives. The sanctions seek to block transactions and property transfers between the targeted cartel members and U.S. citizens. Illegal fishing operations in U.S. Gulf of Mexico territorial waters typically target snapper and shark species, smuggling their catch from off Texas back to fishing camps in Mexico and often trans-shipment to U.S. buyers, according to Treasury officials. Todays action highlights how transnational criminal organizations like the Gulf Cartel rely on a variety of illicit schemes like IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing to fund their operations, along with narcotics trafficking and human smuggling, said Bradley T. Smith, the Treasury department's acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Smith said ...
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The current state of Alaska fisheries
Published onThe state of Alaskan fisheries was discussed at this years Pacific Marine Expo. The panel featured Senator Gary Stevens, president of the Alaska State Senate, Jeremy Woodrow, executive director of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, and Nels Ure, deputy director of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay. Senator Stevens began the discussion, highlighting the Alaska Seafood Task Force, comprised of four senators and four representatives, which was established to address industry challenges. Were facing enormous problems in the state of Alaska right now in the fishing industry, Stevens said. We will introduce legislation in mid-January, which will then go through committees in both the House and Senate, he noted, emphasizing the importance of finding solutions for fishermen, processors, marketers, and impacted communities. Stevens highlighted difficulties faced in communities like King Cove and the Pibilofs that have lost their processing capabilities. To combat these issues, the task force is exploring incentives for ...
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