Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Investigation continues into fisherman who went overboard on New Bedford scalloper

August 24, 2021 — Blue Harvest Fisheries CEO Keith Decker told the Standard-Times last week that crew members met with Coast Guard officials when they returned to port on Tuesday. He said they were waiting for the investigation to determine what happened.

There were seven crew members on the vessel, including the captain and the man who went overboard. Decker said the man was a first-time crew member with Blue Harvest who had never fished with them before. However, he had heard the man was an experienced fisher.

The man was woken because he had the next watch, but never showed up, according to the Coast Guard. The agency said the man was not wearing a life jacket, which is only required under federal law for children under 13 years of age while the vessel is underway.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Coast Guard Suspends Search For Man Who Fell Overboard Off Nantucket

August 17, 2021 — The Coast Guard said Tuesday it has suspended the search for a man who fell off a fishing vessel southeast of Nantucket late Sunday night.

The search was suspended after combing 1,444 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard said in a tweet.

The fishing vessel Blue Wave out of New Bedford contacted the Coast Guard late Sunday night when the 36-year-old man failed to report for his night watch and could not be found on the boat, Petty Officer Ryan Noel said.

The man was not believed to be wearing a life jacket. His name has not been made public.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at WBUR

Coast Guard Searches For Man Who Went Overboard Off Nantucket

August 16, 2021 — The Coast Guard said Monday it is searching for a man who went overboard southeast of Nantucket.

The Coast Guard in a tweet said the man was on the fishing vessel Blue Wave out of New Bedford.

The vessel contacted the Coast Guard late Sunday night when the 36-year-old man failed to report for his night watch and could not be found on the boat, Petty Officer Ryan Noel said.

The search is taking place about 70 miles southeast of Nantucket.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at WBUR

Coast Guard Hosting NY Bight Port Study Public Meetings

August 6, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

From June 29, 2020, through June 28, 2021, the Coast Guard conducted the Northern New York Bight Port Access Route Study (NNYBPARS) and is requesting public comments on a draft version of the study report. The goal of the study is to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to New York and New Jersey and international and domestic transit areas in the First District area of responsibility.

The First Coast Guard District will host three in-person public meetings starting next week and invites the public to provide oral comments.

  • U.S. Coast Guard Station Point Judith Boathouse, Narraganset, RI
    August 10 at 4 p.m. EST
  • Montauk Fire District, Montauk, NY
    August 24 at 4 p.m. EST
  • Portuguese Holy Ghost Society, Stonington, CT
    August 25 at 4 p.m. EST

Meeting details can be accessed here.

Comments on Study Due August 30, 2021

The First Coast Guard District will consider all comments and material received on or before August 30, 2021. To submit your comment online, go to this link on Regulations.Gov and then click “Comment.”

Questions?

Contact Craig Lapiejko, Waterways Management at the First Coast Guard District, (617) 223-8351

How the Fishing Fleet Served the U.S. Coast Guard in WWII

July 26, 2021 — In the early days of World War II, demand skyrocketed for vessels to fill the needs of the U.S. sea services. The Coast Guard was no exception as they competed with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army for new construction as well as privately owned ships. Facing a high demand for vessels, the service turned to the U.S. fishing industry as a source for its cutters. These emergency acquisitions included East Coast trawlers, whalers from both coasts, and East Coast menhaden fishing vessels, such as the Emergency Manning vessel Dow (WYP 353).

During World War I and World War II, the menhaden fishing fleet became a ready reserve for the Navy and Coast Guard. Both services needed small, shallow draft vessels for coastal convoy escort, mine planting, minesweeping, and anti-submarine net tending duty. Many of these vessels were purchased or leased, while others were loaned to naval forces by fishing businesses as their contribution to the war effort.

Menhaden fishing vessels were designed to harvest schools of small fish in coastal waters, primarily in the Chesapeake Bay. Their very long and narrow design sported a distinctive plumb bow, elevated pilot house to spot large fish schools, a center hold to store the catch and low freeboard to haul full fishing nets on board the vessel. The ungainly design of these vessels was well suited to harvesting large quantities of fish in sheltered waters, but not high seas combat operations.

The Coast Guard patrol vessel EM Dow, formerly the Menhaden-type fishing vessel Annie Dow, was a wartime acquisition under charter (lease) by the Coast Guard. Vessels like the Dow were given the prefix “EM” for “Emergency Manning.” In preparation for military service, these fishing vessels were armed with one or two one-pound cannons fore and aft. This addition usually required sections of iron plating on the deck, which added to the pilothouse and parts of the superstructure for crew protection. Additional communications gear and combat equipment contributed to making the cutter top heavy. These additions had a negative impact on the stability and sea-keeping qualities of these would be fighting vessels. In World War I, the USS James, a menhaden fisherman converted to Navy minesweeper, capsized in a gale off the French Coast.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

7 rescued by U.S. Coast Guard from fishing boat off Jersey Shore

July 26, 2021 — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued seven people from a 40-foot sport fishing boat far off the Jersey Shore on Sunday as bad weather moved into the area, officials said.

The crew of the boat activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, known as EPIRB, just after 1 p.m. as heavy rain, wind and waves of nearly 10 feet began flooding the vessel about 60 miles southeast of Cape May, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement Monday.

The Coast Guard at Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina sent an MH-60 Jayhawk and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft, while station Indian River in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware dispatched a a 47-foot motor life boat after being notified by watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.

All seven people on the fishing boat were hoisted onto the aircraft and brought to Elizabeth City for treatment by local EMS, the Coast Guard said.

Read the full story at NJ.com

Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel near Newport, OR

July 22, 2021 — A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a man Monday afternoon from a 40-foot commercial fishing vessel after suffering a medical emergency 5 miles west of Newport.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend command center received a call from the vessel operator at 1:15 p.m., who reported that a 70-year-old male aboard had had passed out and lost consciousness.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Sector North Bend, already airborne conducting training in the area, diverted to the scene.

Read the full story at The News Guard

MASSACHUSETTS: Station Gloucester says first-all female boat crew sent out

July 20, 2021 — The station, which blasted out the news via its Facebook page, said it is believed to be the maiden voyage at Station Gloucester of the all-maiden voyage.

The pictures show six beaming Coasties who happen to be female. There’s also a dog in one of the photos, but its gender is unknown. Our investigative desk is on it.

There are always going to be firsts. There’s always going to be an event, an achievement or a performance that’s never been viewed, recorded, streamed or experienced before.

Should they all be celebrated? That’s up to the beholder. We here at FishOn, who actually love space travel, couldn’t give two farthings for a space race between two billionaires. Let us know when CATA’s offering it, with the senior discount.

But this? With the importance of this job, with the dangers inherent in the selflessness of military service? This is to be celebrated.

What makes it so special is not only that it was an all-female crew. Probably no one who watched the boat slice through Gloucester Harbor that day could chart their gender.

What makes it special is that it was a full crew of young women serving their country and their community; women, like their male colleagues, who accept the responsibilities of the gig and are up to the task.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

A Battle On The Gulf Pits The Coast Guard Against Mexican Red Snapper Poachers

July 19, 2021 — It’s the hidden U.S.-Mexico border war.

For years, Mexican fisherman have crossed into U.S. waters to illegally catch high-priced red snapper. It has become a multimillion-dollar black market, a Mexican cartel is involved, Texas fishermen are outraged and the federal government can’t seem to stop it.

The U.S. Coast Guard on South Padre Island has a one-of-a-kind mission among the 197 stations along the nation’s seacoasts. Its chief enforcement activity entails bouncing across the swells of the Gulf of Mexico near lower Texas in pursuit of wily Mexican fishing boats filled with plump, rosy fish destined for seafood houses in Mexico City and Houston.

These are the red snapper poachers.

“United States Coast Guard! Stop your vessel! Stop your vessel!” yells a Coastie into his bullhorn as the 900-horsepower, fast-pursuit boat pulls alongside the Mexican lancha. Four Mexican fishermen tried to outrun it but thought better and throttled down. The fishermen are handcuffed, their catch is confiscated and the boat is towed back to the Coast Guard station.

Read the full story at NPR

Texas captain dies after F/V Pneuma capsizes in Alaska’s Bristol Bay

July 7, 2021 — Record-breaking salmon hauls in Bristol Bay were met with tragedy on July 1, when the captain of the F/V Pneuma died after the gillnetter capsized in the Nushagak District fishery, sending the whole crew overboard.

Lance Eric Norby, 45, of Texas, was identified as the captain, according to the Alaska State Troopers.

“Pneuma was stuck on a sandbar when a large wave knocked the entire crew overboard. The F/V Fortress, and tenders Provider and Last Frontier responded to the call,” said OBI Seafoods in a statement released over the weekend.

The Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported that they received a call just before 6 a.m. on July 1 that a commercial fishing boat was taking on water on the South end of Nushagak Bay. All three crew members went into the water, and two troopers patrolling the area in a skiff immediately responded. They were able to pull one of the survivors to safety aboard the skiff. The good Samaritan commercial fishing boats pulled the other deckhand and Norby from the water.

“Poor weather combined with an uneven fish load is likely what caused the vessel to capsize,” said Austin McDaniel spokesman for the troopers, based on the agency’s preliminary investigation.

A Coast Guard rescue swimmer assisted with initial medical care for the crew. Despite extensive life-saving efforts, the captain was declared deceased by Coast Guard personnel at about 9:40 a.m.

Read the full story at National Fisherman