Saving Seafood

MREP Fisheries Science and Management Workshop: January 13-17, 2025

October 22, 2024 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) is accepting applications for the next Greater Atlantic Fisheries Science and Management Workshop in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

MREP is designed to equip fishermen with tools to engage in shaping regulatory action and to participate in collaborative science. Created by fishermen, for fishermen, MREP brings commercial, charter, and recreational fishermen from North Carolina to Maine together with regional scientists and managers to learn the processes, share insights, and network.

The workshop is free and includes hotel lodging, meals, and travel reimbursement for accepted participants.

Space is limited – the application takes 5-10 minutes to complete (click here). Applications received by Friday November 8 will be prioritized.

For more information about MREP, please visit https://mrep.gmri.org/faqs or email  mrep@gmri.org. Regional industry involved with MREP can also share their experiences:

• Hank Soule, Groundfish Sector Manager – (603) 781-9718

• Rick Bellavance, Charter Captain, RI – (401) 741-5648

• Robert Ruhle, Commercial Fisherman, NC – (252) 305-0960

MASSACHUSETTS: Maine fishermen rally with boots on the ground for hurricane relief

October 17, 2024 — In the wake of two hurricanes that devastated states in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, the Maine fishing community shows resilience and solidarity that define their way of life, coming together to share resources in times of need. Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina, leaving communities in ruins. Sources report that the total damages are estimated to be about $20 billion to $34 billion, while rescue efforts have been underway weeks after the storm. Many people around the U.S. have donated to non-profit groups, ensuring North Carolina and Tennessee locals get the resources they need to put their homes and lives back together.

Kathleen Kirby and her husband, Jacob Schreiner, are commercial fishermen from Deer Isle, Maine, and were inspired by something they wear every day- boots. Over the past weeks, their idea quickly gained momentum to support the affected communities. The project, which started as a personal response to friends living in hard-hit areas, has quickly transformed into a widespread effort fueled by community collaboration and compassion. Kirby is calling the project ‘Maine Fishing Boots on the Ground”.

Kirby and Schreiner have fished in many industries, from bairdi crab (Tanner crab) in Alaska to lobstering off the coast of Maine. The couple had time off planned for the first time in two years to take a break from fishing. This gave them time to come up with the idea of collecting personal protective equipment (PPE) for those involved in cleanup efforts in North Carolina.

“I saw someone post that they needed PPE for cleaning up, and that’s when I thought of bringing boots from Maine. Everybody I know has extra boots here, so that’s how the idea began,” Kirby shared.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Feds Requiring Vineyard Wind To Complete New Study On “Environmental Harm” From Blade Failure

October 17, 2024 — The federal agency that suspended the Vineyard Wind project following the July 13 blade failure is now requiring the company to complete a new study evaluating the “environmental harm” caused by the incident in the waters southwest of Nantucket, according to a document obtained by Nantucket Current.

In a Sept. 27 letter from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) addressed to Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller, the agency ordered the offshore wind energy company to “conduct a site-specific study that evaluates the environmental harm and other potential damage flowing from” the blade failure, and to identify potential mitigation measures for that damage.

The order was obtained by Nantucket Current through a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Vineyard Wind project remains under a suspension order from BSEE following the disastrous turbine blade failure on July 13 that left Nantucket’s beaches littered with foam and fiberglass debris. That order was modified in August to allow Vineyard Wind to continue installing turbine towers and nacelles, but it is forbidden from producing power or installing blades.

According to the BSEE order signed Kathryn Kovacs, the deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the U.S. Department of the Interior who is exercising the delegated authorities of the BSEE Director, Vineyard Wind was required to submit a plan for the study on Oct. 11, but was eligible to appeal the order. It’s not yet clear if the company appealed the order or not.

Both Vineyard Wind and BSEE officials did not immediately return requests for comment on Wednesday.

The required study “should characterize the subsea debris field resulting from the blade failure and the potential impacts or damage to onshore, coastal, and offshore resources from the blade debris.”

Read the full article at the Nantucket Current

MASSACHUSETTS: Crews Attempt to Retrieve Sunken Turbine Blade

October 17, 2024 — A recovery effort commenced this weekend to collect the pieces of a broken Vineyard Wind turbine that snapped off and sunk to the ocean floor this summer.

GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the blade that doubled over in July and poured down into the sea, had vessels at the malfunctioning turbine Sunday with the goal of retrieving the large pieces of the 305-foot blade, according to the town of Nantucket.

The town, which has been providing regular updates on its communications with GE Vernova, said a first piece of debris was successfully lifted and no pieces broke off. The recovery was expected to continue Tuesday and a vessel was going to be on standby to collect any debris that floated away.

The broken turbine is about 20 miles away from the Vineyard, at the southernmost point in Vineyard Wind’s lease. The water depth is between 120 and 160 feet.

GE Vernova Tuesday said it had done a survey of the seabed in August and was following a plan it had previously outlined to officials.

Read the full article at the Vineyard Gazette

MASSACHUSETTS: MLA Annual Weekend & Trade Show returns to Cape Cod

October 16, 2024 — The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) will hold its Annual Weekend & Trade Show 2025 at the newly renovated Margaritaville Cape Cod Resort in Hyannis, MA, from January 30th to February 2nd, 2025 (the 30th is the set-up day). The show hours are Friday and Saturday, 9:00 AM—4:00 PM, and Sunday, 8:00 AM—10:00 AM.

The Annual Weekend & Trade Show is to provide an opportunity for commercial lobster-men, commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and equipment suppliers to get together and talk about ALL things fishing related, educational seminars and, to have some fun too.

The MLA provides annual educational grants to college bound children of our members and has given out over nine thousand dollars per year for the last many years.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: Is New Bedford the top commercial fishing port in the United States?

October 15, 2024 — New Bedford takes great pride in its port, and its scallopers account for a significant portion of its value.

It’s proven that the Port of New Bedford has great value.

New Bedford still ranks as the top commercial fishing port by value as recently as 2022, according to figures released by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as NOAA Fisheries.

New Bedford had landed $443.2 million worth of seafood in 2022, again placing it at the top of NOAA Fisheries’ revenue list.

That’s thanks in large part to all the scalloper landings in New Bedford contributing to the port’s value. Scallop landings accounted for 84 percent of the value.

Read the full article at the Standard-Times

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Salvage effort for sunken Vineyard Wind turbine blade launches

October 15, 2024 — Efforts began on Sunday to retrieve a large piece of a 350-foot turbine blade that broke off and sank to the ocean floor at the Vineyard Wind project in July.

Nantucket town officials said GE Vernova informed them at around 4 p.m. Sunday that the salvage work had begun earlier that day.

“In addition to the vessel tasked with retrieving the larger pieces of debris, an additional vessel has been deployed to recover any smaller fragments that may break off during the process,” says the town’s press release.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford opens expanded North Terminal, years in the making, to support port industries

October 10, 2024 — New Bedford celebrated the opening of the North Terminal expansion Tuesday on the city’s waterfront.

The expansion is one of the main elements of a decade-long redevelopment plan for the Port of New Bedford, and it aims to serve multiple industries, including commercial fishing and offshore wind.

The project added about 5.5 acres to the terminal and 660 feet of new bulkhead along the water. The bulkhead is now 965 feet long.

Federal, state, and local officials gathered at the terminal for a ribbon cutting.

Gordon Carr, executive director of the New Bedford Port Authority, said the expanded terminal will strengthen the port’s competitiveness.

Read the full article at CAI

MASSACHUSETTS: Nantucket evaluates economic, environmental fallout from turbine blade

October 10, 2024 — Three months after a blade from an offshore wind turbine near Martha’s Vineyard fell, Nantucket is addressing the failure’s economic and environmental impact.

“While our community is committed to doing our part to address climate change, we have had to confront the very real and lasting adverse impacts of offshore wind development,” the Nantucket Select Board wrote in a letter to the Cape island’s residents on Wednesday.

Read the full article at Mass Live

MASSACHUSETTS: $42M New Bedford waterfront port project could attract commercial fishing, offshore wind

October 10, 2024 — There’s a maritime version of the old Mark Twain adage to buy land because they’re not making any more of it.

New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr said it goes something like this: “Waterfront industrial property needs to be preserved at all costs because they’re not making any more of it.”

He added with a smile, “And while I tend to agree with that, today, welcome to New Bedford — because we did make more of it.”

The remark drew applause from the crowd gathered under a tent at 242 Herman Melville Blvd. on the New Bedford waterfront Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the North Terminal Extension Project.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times