Saving Seafood

US tariffs worry Chinese seafood exporters aiming to target American consumers

March 5, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump instituted an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on 4 March, following the 10 percent he announced in February, meaning certain goods from China are now subject to a 45 percent import tariff.

The tariffs are causing uncertainty for Chinese seafood firms attempting to find or expand their U.S. customer base, some of which are making the trip from China to the upcoming Seafood Expo North America, which is taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., from 16 to 18 March.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MASSACHUSETTS: Lightning strikes damaged Vineyard Wind turbine

March 5, 2025 — A Vineyard Wind turbine located south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, already compromised by a blade failure last summer, was struck by lightning last Thursday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The incident raises further questions about the structural resilience of offshore wind infrastructure and its implications for maritime industries, including commercial fishing.

The turbine, identified as AW38, had already sustained significant damage when a blade snapped during routine testing on July 13, 2024. Vineyard Wind confirmed that the lightning strike further impacted the splinted nub of the broken blade.

“Based on visual inspection of the damaged blade, preliminary evidence indicates that a lightning strike may have impacted the blade, though we continue to assess in coordination with GE Vernova,” Vineyard Wind said in a statement Sunday night, as The New Bedford Light reported.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: Lightning strikes Vineyard Wind’s broken offshore wind blade

March 4, 2025 — In what appears to be a remarkable coincidence, lightning apparently struck the remains of the Vineyard Wind turbine blade that crumbled into the ocean last summer.

No one was injured and no debris have been found in the water, according to Vineyard Wind, the company constructing the 62-turbine project near Martha’s Vineyard. In a statement, the company said it “deployed both aerial and maritime resources” and saw no evidence that any other part of the turbine was damaged.

It’s unclear when the lightning hit, but the company said it found “preliminary evidence” indicating a possible strike while conducting a routine inspection of the turbine. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified by Vineyard Wind on Thursday.

Petty Officer Lyric Jackson said “there are no navigational hazards to report.” She added that the Coast Guard is “standing by” and is in communication with Vineyard Wind.

The incident comes at a fraught time for the offshore wind industry. President Trump ordered a stop to all leasing and permitting for offshore wind development on his first day in office, and a review of all existing leases.

Read the full article at wbur

MASSACHUSETTS: Broken Vineyard Wind Turbine Struck by Lightning

March 3, 2025 — The same Vineyard Wind turbine blade that snapped in half last summer now appears to have been struck by lightning, according to the company and the U.S. Coast Guard.

On Sunday, officials confirmed that the turbine at the southernmost end of the Vineyard Wind lease off Martha’s Vineyard was apparently hit by lightning late last week, damaging the already broken blade.

The Coast Guard reported a strike occurred on Feb. 27, and it was working with Vineyard Wind to ensure there were no navigational hazards in the area.

Vineyard Wind, in a statement Sunday afternoon, said a preliminary inspection indicated that the blade had been hit by lightning, and the company was continuing to assess the damage.

“This was contained to the damaged blade and based on current information there is no impact to the nacelle or turbine structure,” the company wrote. “Vineyard Wind deployed both aerial and maritime resources and based on current observations, there is no indication of debris from this event.”

The strike comes as Vineyard Wind was working to get back on track after the blade broke in July, scattering thousands of pieces of fiberglass into the ocean. The turbine, one of 62 planned for a 166,886-acre area of ocean about 14 miles south of the Island, had a defect that was not caught in the manufacturing process and had since been turned off.

The company is under orders from the federal government to remove 66 blades that were built at the same Canadian factory as the defective one.

Vineyard Wind on Sunday said it was already continuously monitoring the broken turbine due to the previous blade failure, and its manufacturer, GE Vernova, planned to remove the remaining portion of the blade and replace it in May.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the federal agency charged with overseeing offshore wind energy projects, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Standing more than 800-feet tall, the turbines have been a point of controversy in the region and nationally. Vineyard Wind was the first commercial-scale project to get all of its permitting when it was approved by the federal government in 2021, and last summer, before the break, it was the largest operating offshore wind farm in the country.

Read the full article at Vineyard Gazette

‘Alarm bells.’ After low oxygen scare in Cape waters, Falmouth company uses $2M to help

March 3, 2025 — In a small room in the Falmouth Technology Park, Noah Van Home is assembling 450 sensors that will be scattered in waters from Maine to New Jersey to help scientists, fishermen and businesses in the blue economy learn more about the ocean.

The sensors, or data loggers, are part of a project involving a private-public partnership funded by a $2 million grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and spearheaded by the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance.

Lowell Instruments of Falmouth has been hired to manufacture the data loggers that will collect bottom water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings. The program gives fishermen and scientists a look at what’s happening in the water, not just on top of it.

Read the full article at WickedLocal.com

Vineyard Offshore lays off 50 employees

February 25, 2025 — As the shadow of uncertainty continues to loom over the offshore wind industry, one company recently axed 50 positions from its payroll.

Vineyard Offshore, an offshore wind company founded by the same team that established Vineyard Wind, recently laid off 50 positions in the United States and Europe. According to a Vineyard Offshore spokesperson, the eliminated positions included unfilled roles, contractors, and staff.

The spokesperson did not say whether any of the laid off Vineyard Offshore employees were from Martha’s Vineyard or any other parts of southeastern Massachusetts, though noting that staff at Vineyard Wind would not be impacted.

“Vineyard Offshore believes that offshore wind is a vital part of the nation’s future energy independence,” a company statement reads. “Our projects will provide over 6 gigawatts of reliable and affordable energy to meet growing energy needs on the east and west coasts, while creating thousands of jobs and fueling economic growth. In an effort to position our projects for sustainable long-term success we have made the difficult decision to reduce our current team size in light of recent market uncertainties. We look forward to continuing to advance these transformative American energy projects in the years ahead.”

Read the full article at MV Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Offshore wind execs, No plans to come ashore in Westport

February 25, 2025 — Vineyard Offshore’s Rick Musiol cut right to the chase when he and a colleague stepped before the microphone Thursday afternoon to bring Westporters up to speed on a project that many fear could see high-current electric cables come ashore at Horseneck Beach, laid along the bottom of the Westport River, and finally trenched up Route 88 to points north:

“Our intent is to land our project in New London County, Connecticut,” said Musiol, the director of external affairs and community engagement for Vineyard Offshore, which is working to develop the Vineyard Wind II project off the coast of Nantucket.

His colleague, Carrie Hitt, was just as direct:

“We have no indication that we would go anywhere but New London at this point,” she said.

For more than a year, many Westporters have feared that Vineyard Offshore, which is currently building Vineyard Wind I off Martha’s Vineyard and is in the planning stages of Vineyard Wind II, would choose Westport as its preferred landing site for the 1.2 gigawatts of power the wind farm would eventually generate.

There has been good reason for that concern, as a Vineyard Offshore plan on file with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) lists Westport alongside New London as a potential landing point for that power.

Read the full article at East Bay RI

How do Caribbean fish species end up in Cape Cod waters?

February 24, 2025 — Scientists are tracking the abundance of these fish in local waters. You can help.

Gulf Stream orphans is a term for tropical fish who took a journey far from home via the Gulf Stream and ended up in northern waters, like here off Cape Cod.

Associate Curator of Aquatic Collections at the New England Aquarium Mike O’Neill launched the Gulf Stream Orphan Project a decade ago. Now, he and his colleagues have published a paper that looks at all the data they’ve collected over the years.

Gilda Geist Mike, I want to talk about this term, Gulf Stream orphans. Where does that term come from?

Mike O’Neill So that is a term that has been used here at the aquarium for a while. These fish have been called a variety of things depending on where you are. They also are referred to as tropical strays and Gulf Stream riders.

These are unusual tropical and subtropical species that show up here naturally every summer and fall, but it’s due to getting carried by the Gulf Stream. And the Gulf Stream is this massive mover of water that carries tropical water northward from the Caribbean, and water from the Gulf Stream can make landfall in Massachusetts and along the coast of North America. In all that water from the tropics are the planktonic forms and juvenile life stages of a lot of different species. When our environmental conditions in the summer and fall are warm enough, the species from the tropics can continue to survive that transport, and then they arrive along our coasts and continue to grow up and develop and take their role in our ecosystems.

Read the full article at nhpr

MASSACHUSETTS: Moulton gets an earful from fishing industry

February 21, 2025 — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, got an earful from representatives of the 402-year-old seaport’s fishing industry about the uncertainty and opportunity amid a sea change in Washington, D.C., with the month-old Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency filleting certain federal agencies.

Moulton sat in a conference room of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association in Blackburn Center with Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Sefatia Romeo Theken leading a discussion among local fishing industry representatives, including about a dozen commercial lobstermen and fishermen, seafood processors and industry advocates.

Read the full article at Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center features new generational fishing exhibit

February 20, 2025 — The popular seafood restaurant and market Turk’s Seafood will be featured this Thursday as the first in a new series of mini exhibits at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

This fishing family’s story kicks off Hauling Back: A Generational Fishing Family Project exhibit.

The Hauling Back exhibit will open this Thursday, Feb. 20, and will present the story of Turk’s Seafood and the Pasquill family.

The first mini exhibit will remain on display through March. Turk’s is closed for the winter, but will reopen March 5.

Read the full article at The Standard-Times