Category Archives: Featured
Major Offshore Wind Developer has Stopped Activities in United States
One of the world’s top offshore wind developers, Germany’s RWE, has stopped work on its U.S. projects for now in light of recent moves against the industry by the Trump administration, its CEO said in a text published ahead of the firm’s annual meeting. The comments by Markus Krebber are a heavy blow to the nascent U.S. offshore wind market, which was a key pillar of former U.S. President Joe Biden’s energy policy but which his successor Donald Trump has vowed to stop. RWE holds three offshore wind leases in U.S. waters off the coasts of New York, Louisiana and California. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:27
Shrimpers hope tariffs bring rescue
While American consumers and businesses fret over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, one struggling group is cheering him on: Gulf coast shrimpers. These shrimpers have been hit hard in recent years by a wave of cheap imported shrimp flooding the US market and dominating restaurant menus. Prices have plummeted, profits have thinned to a razor’s edge, and many local operators are fighting to stay afloat. Tariffs, they hope, might level the playing field. “It’s been tough the last several years that we’ve tried to fight through this,” said Reed Bowers, owner of Bowers Shrimp Farm in Palacios, Texas. Tough times have forced difficult decisions – “cutting people off, laying people off, or reducing hours or wages … whatever we can do to survive,” Bowers said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:37
Fishing industry says Trump’s Pacific monument order is about fairness, economy
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument last week, a familiar face stood to his left in the Oval Office. The executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council was there. Kitty Simonds has served on the council for decades. She’s the first Native Hawaiian woman to lead the agency. Simonds said she attended at the invitation of American Samoa U.S. House Delegate Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, who had been writing to the administration about the plight of the territory’s fishing industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02
Little Lady Readies for Next Chapter
Little Lady, the last one-man, wooden western-rig dragger in New England that has been a fixture in Menemsha for three generations, is preparing for a new voyage: this time in education and historic preservation. The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust is working with Capt. Dennis Jason to buy and rebuild the iconic fishing vessel. The nonprofit trust, formed in 2011 to safeguard the Island’s fishing heritage, hopes to raise $2 million to pay for repairs amid plans to use the Little Lady for living historical and educational programs, including fishing. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
Louisiana’s Troy Carter and Clay Higgins want to let the FDA destroy more imported seafood
Though they barely agree on anything politically, Democratic Rep. Troy Carter, of New Orleans, and Republican Rep. Clay Higgins, of Lafayette, came together in an attempt to heighten the regulatory wall protecting Louisiana’s seafood industry from foreign imports. They introduced legislation Wednesday that gives the federal Food & Drug Administration additional powers to impound and destroy imported seafood found contaminated, adulterated or misbranded. “This bill protects consumers from potential health risks and upholds the integrity of our food supply chain, while supporting Louisiana fishermen and seafood processors,” Carter said. “By granting the FDA the necessary authority to destroy food products that fail to meet our strict health and safety standards, we are closing a dangerous loophole that has allowed contaminated seafood to enter our markets.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:45
‘Hope dies hard’: Fishing industry reacts to CA salmon season closure
This week, the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted recommendations for ocean salmon fishing along the West Coast; for an unprecedented third year in a row, the council has recommended closing commercial fishing off the California coast and allowing only limited commercial fishing in Oregon and Washington. Commercial fishermen and fishing organizations largely affirmed the need to suspend salmon fishing but noted that three years without a season has been devastating to fishermen and coastal communities that rely on salmon fishing. Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations Executive Director Lisa Damrosch lamented a lack of a safety net. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:41
Mount Pleasant unveils statue to honor Captain Wayne Magwood at Shem Creek
The town of Mount Pleasant honored one of their own by unveiling a memorial statue of Captain Wayne Magwood to honor the long-time shrimper’s enduring legacy. Capt. Magwood spent long hours on the water and at the docks on Shem Creek. In September 2020, he died after he was hit by a truck while crossing Mill Street at Coleman Boulevard. Thursday, the town unveiled a fisherman’s memorial statue to honor the captain’s life and legacy. “It’s an honor to be able to continue his legacy and bring that forward by helping the current fleet,” said Tressy Mellichamp, Capt. Magwood’s daughter. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:16
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores American Seafood Competitiveness
STRENGTHENING THE U.S. FISHING INDUSTRY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to restore American seafood competitiveness. The Order strengthens the U.S. fishing industry by reducing regulatory burdens, combating unfair foreign trade practices, and enhancing domestic seafood production and exports. It directs the Secretary of Commerce to immediately consider suspending, revising, or rescinding regulations that overly burden America’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries. It directs the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to: Incorporate better, cheaper, more reliable technologies and cooperative research programs into fishery assessments. Expand exempted fishing permit programs to promote fishing opportunities nationwide. Modernize data collection and analytical practices to improve the responsiveness of fisheries management to real-time ocean conditions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:59
Trump Admin Halts New York Offshore Wind Project, Orders Review of All Existing Biden-Era Wind Permits
The Trump administration is halting construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordering a sprawling review of existing offshore wind permits, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday to order foreign energy developer Equinor to cease all construction activities on its Empire Wind project, according to a memorandum obtained by the Free Beacon. Burgum said the Biden administration green-lit permits for the project and ultimately approved it without conducting proper analysis. “Approval for the project was rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects from the project,” Burgum wrote. He said the halt on Empire Wind will be in effect indefinitely until further review is completed to “address these serious deficiencies.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:31
Commercial salmon season is shut down — again. Will California’s iconic fish ever recover?
Facing the continued collapse of Chinook salmon, officials today shut down California’s commercial salmon fishing season for an unprecedented third year in a row. Under the decision by an interstate fisheries agency, recreational salmon fishing will be allowed in California for only brief windows of time this spring. This will be the first year that any sportfishing of Chinook has been allowed since 2022. Today’s decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council means that no salmon caught off California can be sold to retail consumers and restaurants for at least another year. In Oregon and Washington, commercial salmon fishing will remain open, although limited. “From a salmon standpoint, it’s an environmental disaster. For the fishing industry, it’s a human tragedy, and it’s also an economic disaster,” said Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, an industry organization that has lobbied for river restoration and improved hatchery programs. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:54
Fifty-foot shrimp boat runs aground north of Flagler Beach drawing onlookers and questions
A 50-foot shrimp boat ran aground on Beverly Beach, just north of Flagler Beach, on Sunday, a jarring sight that attracted onlookers who were wondering how and why it happened. The crew of the Miss Montie had already been removed from the approximately boat before it ran aground, said Coast Guard Marine Science Technician Brendan Blackwell, who went to the scene Sunday to check on the boat. He said he did not have details on why the crew was removed, but believed they were taken off the boat on Saturday. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Classic boat review: Superb-Us DH 99
Launched in 1964, and owned by the same family since 1968, this South West crabbing stalwart, the Superb-Us DH 99, belies her six decades. Built by Mashfords of Cremyll near Plymouth in 1964 for Browse Brothers of Paignton as the Superb DH 58, this 45ft vessel is the traditional larch on oak and has a Gardner 6LXB engine. There were four Browse brothers, the sons of Ernest Browse – Maurice, Arthur, Stanley and Dennis – but it was Maurice and Stanley who created the well- known Paignton company Browse Brothers in the late 1940s. Dennis had been killed in the war, and Arthur went off to Poole to start his own lobster business. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:28
3 people rescued after boat runs aground in Boston harbor
Crews rescued several people after their commercial fishing vessel ran aground on Friday morning. According to the U.S. Coast Guard Northeast Sector, officers received a distress call around 7:45 a.m. from the crew of the 86-foot fishing vessel F/V Eileen Rita claiming they ran aground near Green Island and were taking on water. The crew of the Eileen Rita put on immersion suits upon running aground. There were no reports of any injuries. Pictures show the vessel partially submerged near a rocky outcropping. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:44
Massive turbine power being built off NY coast despite Trump ban on offshore wind projects
A massive wind power project off the coast of New York blew past President Trump’s executive order to block or pause all new wind energy leasing in federal waterways, which opponents claim will destroy aquatic life and the commercial fishing industry. Norway-based Equinor, which already had all the necessary lease and permit approvals from the feds before Trump’s January 20 executive order went into effect, confirmed that it has started construction at the site — laying rock as the foundation for the giant 54 wind turbines — 15 miles off the coast of Long Beach. The fishing industry also claims offshore wind farms are dangerous hot air. “The whole fishing industry economy could be lost,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Federal cuts endanger ‘critical’ safety program for Alaska’s commercial fishermen
Recent cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services could end programs that are “critical” for commercial fishing safety in Alaska, according to the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, which receives funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The federal institute, known by the acronym NIOSH, is responsible for counting the number of commercial fishermen accidents and fatalities and providing funding for commercial fishing safety training. The director of the Alaska Marine Safety Association, also known as AMSEA, said that the funding for those safety programs saves millions of dollars every year by reducing the need for costly Coast Guard search and rescue operations. Teaching fishermen safety skills does not completely eliminate fatalities in what is still a dangerous profession – but it has reduced them by roughly 80% since NIOSH first introduced its commercial safety fishing programs in 1985, according to AMSEA director Leann Cyr. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53
In a Tiny Gulf Town, Big Cheers for Trump’s Tariffs
“When I saw the announcement, I could hardly believe it at first,” said Jeremy Zirlott, a commercial shrimper in town. “It seemed too good to be true.” In Bayou La Batre and small shrimping towns like it, the economy has cratered in recent years on the back of a deluge of cheap, farmed shrimp. Fishermen unable to sell their shrimp to break even on gas, labor and supplies have had to tie up their boats. Supply shops, seafood processors, marine technicians and others in the industry have suffered, too. More than 90% of the millions of pounds of shrimp consumed annually in the U.S. is imported, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, based on an analysis of data from the U.S. International Trade Commission. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
‘Lied to and cheated’: Fishing industry’s sense of betrayal during Brexit debate
Fishing did not quite return to its pre-Brexit poster boy status in parliament recently, but certainly featured above its weight as MPs debated a motion for the UK to seek a return to membership of the European Union. The debate, prompted by a recent petition to parliament that exceeded the 100,000-signature threshold required to trigger such debates, came as opinion polls show an increase in support for a trade deal, or a return to membership of the EU. Fifty-five percent of British people surveyed in the latest YouGov poll were in favour of a return to EU membership, with just 11% saying that Brexit had been a success. Whilst the debate ranged over a wide number of issues, coastal MPs from all parties made the point that Brexit had badly let down the fishing industry – though for some speakers this was caused by Brexit itself, with others blaming the subsequent TCA. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
South Carolina shrimper says Trump’s tariffs will provide ‘immediate relief’ to US fishery
CJ Seafood owner Craig Reaves told “America Reports” that so much of the industry is being outsourced to Southeast Asia, Ecuador, India and South America, while the U.S. fishery has been “crushed.” “I’m a lifelong shrimper. My dad was a shrimper, so we’re generational fishermen, and we’ve been getting killed by imports for not just years, but literally decades,” Reaves said. “So, we’ve been suffering for a long, long time, and these tariffs, we believe, are going to give us some immediate relief. Also, it’s bringing attention to our industry, who is dying. We’ve outsourced our whole industry. Ninety-four percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States is imported.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:52
Inspired by great-grandfathers near death, scholarship winner hopes to make life safer for fishermen
Ben Collings-Mackay says he knows how he’s going to spend the $45,000 he received for the prestigious Frank H. Sobey scholarship. Collings-Mackay, a fourth-year business student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., and a fourth-generation lobster fisherman, is one of eight recipients this year of the scholarship for Atlantic Canadian business students. He has a business focused on creating a lifejacket for commercial fishermen that is less cumbersome than traditional ones. The lifejacket would inflate automatically when someone hits the water and would have a GPS feature that sends out pings to nearby boats and emergency services detailing the overboard person’s location, said Collings-Mackay. A strobe light on the jacket would also help make it easier to locate the person. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:31
Alabama’s ‘demolished’ seafood industry could be saved by Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs
President Donald Trump rolled out his tariff regime on Wednesday, also known as “Liberation Day,” by raising tariffs, including 34% more on imports from China, 46% on Vietnam and 32% on Taiwan. While the world reacted, people in Alabama’s coastal community are hopeful the move could save a dying industry. Billy Parks, the owner of Billy’s Seafood in Bon Secour, said his business has struggled for nearly two decades. “We’ve had a lot of influx of the imported, farm-raised Asian shrimp coming in and has pretty much demolished the shrimp seafood market as far as the local shrimp sales,” Parks explained. “So, when the fuel price started spiking real high, the shrimp prices started going way down, then it just put a lot of boats out of business.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:41
U.S. Shrimp Industry Hails New Tariffs as Crucial Lifeline
In a move aimed at protecting American jobs and ensuring food security, the Trump Administration has announced new tariffs on major shrimp-supplying countries, a decision praised by the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “We’ve watched as multigenerational family businesses tie up their boats, unable to compete with foreign producers who play by a completely different set of rules,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “We are grateful for the Trump Administration’s actions today, which will preserve American jobs, food security, and our commitment to ethical production.“ Unfair trade policies that disadvantage American shrimpers include billions of dollars in subsidies from international financial institutions to develop foreign shrimp aquaculture, along with widespread use of forced labor, banned antibiotics, and environmental destruction that reduce the cost of shrimp production in major supplying countries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
Macduff Shipyards completes latest new build fishing vessel Gracious
Macduff Shipyards has completed its latest new build fishing vessel. Gracious (PD 103) is a new design of fishing boat arranged for twin rig trawling and is expected to fish in the North Sea region, primarily targeting prawns. Upon initial discussion of the new build, the decision was taken to develop a new hull form, with the aim of providing good sea keeping qualities, high propulsion efficiency, as well as improved living conditions for the crew onboard. Photos, specifications, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:36
All Sides Struggling to Find Common Ground for Potential Compensation Package
Compensation talks among the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, US Wind, Worcester County and commercial fishermen have reached a stalemate. As US Wind continues its efforts to buy two properties in the West Ocean City harbor, DNR is working on a deal for commercial fishermen who would be impacted. Those talks have been ongoing for nearly a year, and on Friday, March 28, DNR met with Worcester County officials and commercial fishermen, hoping to iron out the details before coming to a final agreement. Commercial fisherman Sonny Gwin was at Friday’s meeting. He said money and a new fish house are not the solution here. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:45
Waste of the Day: Over $1 Billion for Foreign Shrimp
The U.S. contributed to over $1 billion spent promoting shrimp farming in foreign countries from 1998 to 2023, which members of Congress say may have violated a federal law protecting American industries from overseas competition. The money came from various United Nations agencies that the U.S. helps fund, including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Finance Corporation, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an advocacy group representing American fishermen. More than $500 million went to companies in Ecuador. The Philippines, China, India and Indonesia each received more than $100 million. Peru, Mexico, Belize and other nations in Latin America and Southeast Asia received funds as well. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:49
Seafood operator applauds NOAA Fisheries cutbacks
One local seafood market owner is not sad to see the fisheries arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scaled back. NOAA Fisheries keeps track of fish stocks, determines when certain fish can be caught and sets catch limits. Last month, the Trump administration fired more than 160 fisheries employees. Those who rely on NOAA Fisheries say the cutbacks mean that stakeholders have lost a voice needed to manage coastal fisheries. But Gerald Pack, who owns Safe Harbor Seafood Market in Mayport, would be glad to see NOAA go. “If they laid NOAA off, it won’t bother the fishing industry,” Pack said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Back to the pricing board: Panel to hear submissions on NL snow crab pricing while union requests slight delay to season starting
After a busy week away from the negotiating table, the focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab season will shift to a hearing before the province’s Standing Fish Price Setting Panel on Saturday, March 29. Despite hopes to avoid having to resort to the panel to determine the minimum price for crab again this season, the union representing the province’s inshore fish harvesters and plant workers and the organization representing fish processing companies were unable to reach enough common ground for a new collective agreement. That means both sides will present their respective submissions to the panel, which will decide who has the most reasonable offer for pricing crab landings this coming season. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:41
Shrimpers in St. Bernard Parish decry Walmart’s misleading poster
A picture of the St. Bernard Parish shrimp boat FJG, docked on Bayou La Loutre in Yscloskey, is featured in a poster hanging in the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Meraux. Right below the sign is a cooler full of frozen shrimp, not from Louisiana waters but imported from Indonesia and Ecuador. Local shrimpers are not happy with the placement of the sign. “The imported shrimp is putting us out of business, and they’re using our likenesses to sell more imported shrimp,” shrimper George Barisich said. “My Daddy’s turning over in his grave right now.” Barisich’s father built the FJG 69 years ago. “They see the picture of that boat and no matter what the package says, you assume they come from Capt. George’s boat in Louisiana in Shell Beach,” Barisich said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Louisiana Shrimpers Are Fighting To Preserve A Historic Gulf Industry
It’s hard to nail down Dino Pertuit. I finally catch the Louisiana seafood legend early in the morning, and we chat while he drives back from a shrimping expedition, the phone call dropping at least three times along the way. His rich Cajun accent and the rumblings of his truck in the background make it hard for me to decipher everything he’s saying. But one sentence stands out crystal clear: “I’m going to do it until I die,” he says of shrimping. And at 57 years old, he’s one of the younger ones who keep it going. A third-generation shrimper, Pertuit has watched as prices for his Gulf catch have stagnated, but the hard work of harvesting it has stayed the same. He says his shrimp commanded about $3.50 a pound in the 1980s and today they still hover around that price—while the costs for everything else, like fuel and boat insurance, have only gone up. His product remains highly coveted; he supplies shrimp to many of New Orleans’ top restaurants, including Herbsaint and Cochon. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
St. Bernard couple’s shrimp boat takes them on a 5-month, 6,000-mile journey around Great Loop
If this were a romantic comedy, it would be called “Tracy and Stacie’s Big Adventure.” If it were a seafaring adventure novel, the title could be “Around the Loop in 125 Days.” Whatever you call it, the five-month nautical journey that St. Bernard residents Tracy and Stacie Alfonso recently completed was the trip of a lifetime. Now the couple is home and their shrimp boat docked once again at Delacroix Island after completing the 6,000-mile Great Loop. Tracy Alfonso, who grew up in a commercial fishing family and shrimped all of his life, had dreamed of navigating the Great Loop since he heard about it. Called the greatest boat adventure in North America, the journey entails circumnavigating much of the United States and parts of Canada. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:03
Carney acknowledges protesting N.L. fish harvesters during 1st campaign stop
Liberal Leader Mark Carney kicked off his election campaign in St. John’s on Sunday, promising tax cuts and also addressing the hundreds of protesting fish harvesters outside the city’s convention centre. Protesters continued to block the lobby, despite securing a meeting with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson and a promise to look at restructuring the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. A heavy police and security presence remained at the centre on Sunday evening, as police guided Liberal attendees through alternative exits. During his speech, Carney acknowledged the protesting harvesters, and said he is there to listen. He said his government will take a closer look at the department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the goal of creating a sustainable fishery and potentially restructuring the department. Videos, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:31
