National Fisherman March 2021 by National Fisherman

Net Tech / Aleutian Endurance / Tie-Up Checklist March / 2021

Incorporating

I N F O R M E D F I S H E R M E N • P R O F I TA B L E F I S H E R I E S • S U S TA I N A B L E F I S H

Dock dynasty New Jersey’s Viking Village holds onto fishing history with eye to a bright future

NATIONALFISHERMAN.COM

MARCH

PERMIT NEWS

In this issue

National Fisherman / March 2021 / Vol. 101, No. 11

Notus

20 New tech for an old-school fishing style

Alaska and step on it

Cover Story \ Bright Light New Jersey’s Viking Village approaches its second century with a promising future in the iconic fishing hamlet of Barnegat Light.

Features / Boats & Gear

A Letter from NMFS

Steve Kennedy

06 New clam boat may inspire more; chicken house turned boatshop; convertible bow-and-stern picker.

Product Roundup Furuno’s new high-res, split-beam sounder; Grundéns introduces its Weather-Boss clothing lineup; C-Map navigation warning system.

Inside Cover

Permit News

Editor’s Log

Fishing Back When

Mail Buoy

Northern Lights

Consequences

Updated federal health guidelines say children should be eating more fish — as early as 6 months old.

Around the Coasts

Market Reports

Last Set / Wanchese, N.C.

Outgoing NMFS administrator Chris Oliver bids farewell.

Around the Yards

The “hot rod” Aleutian Endurance heads north for her first season.

On Deck 05

Buck and Ann Fisheries

Britton Spark

The ancient art of purse seining gets lighter, stronger nets and digital sensors.

Reader Services 40

Classifieds

Advertiser Index

National Fisherman (ISSN 0027-9250), March 2021, Vol. 101, No. 11, is published monthly by Diversified Business Communications, 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112-7438. Subscription prices: 1 year - U.S. $22.95; 2 years U.S. $43; 3 years U.S. $62. These rates apply for U.S. subscriptions only. Add $10 for Canada addresses. Outside U.S./Canada add $25 (airmail delivery). All orders must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All other countries, including Canada and Mexico, please add $10 postage per year. For subscription information only, call: 1 (800) 959-5073. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Maine, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes only to Subscription Service Department, P.O. Box 15116, North Hollywood, CA 91615. Canada Post International Publications Mail product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40028984, National Fisherman. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. or DPGM, 4960-2 Walker Rd., Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. READERS: All editorial correspondence should be mailed to: National Fisherman, Portland, ME 04112-7438.

ON DECK

Editor’s Log

Make shift Jessica Hathaway Editor in Chief jhathaway@divcom.com

s a new year stretches out before us, we are tasked again with adjusting to changes in covid-19 mitigation. A potential highlight is scheduled vaccinations for commercial fishermen, who are considered essential service providers. Coming fast on the heels of the vaccines is a more infectious strain of the virus that is predicted to be the predominant strain by March. This new strain is expected to be covered by the current slate of vaccines, making that schedule even more important as the industry begins preparations for a busy summer season. NF and Pacific Marine Expo are teaming up to continue our live online sessions on topics that matter most to

the industry. Coming up in the month of March, we’ll be convening experts on how best to prepare for 2021 operations. On March 4, join us for Seafood Market Watch — a look ahead at the changing precautions for commercial fishing in 2021. We’ll take a look at market changes and how our fleets are adapting to what the new year brings. Every month leading up to Pacific Marine Expo this fall, we will host a new topic for our Expo Online series, including offshore wind, the effects of climate change, safety training, boatbuilding and financing.You can find them all at www.nationalfisherman. com/resources/webinars. The other significant transition is federal leadership. Outgoing NMFS

On the cover L.C. Elich and the rest of the crew of the F/V Kathy Ann off-load at Barnegat Light, N.J.’s Viking Village after a midsummer scallop trip, including a rogue drag net they found. Britton Spark photo

Administrator Chris Oliver writes his farewell column on page 5, and 16-year NOAA staffer Paul Doremus stepped in to serve as acting director. At press time, we also awaited the confirmation of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo as the nation’s new Secretary of Commerce (see the story from Associate Editor Kirk Moore on page 11). And rumors swirled about new leadership TBD for NOAA and NMFS. Regardless of whose names are on these placards, the industry will have an uphill battle to be noticed in a sea of hot topics. As fishermen on every coast negotiate for access to vital grounds among the juggernauts of offshore aquaculture, offshore wind, marine mammal protections, and coastal infrastructure — not to mention ongoing pandemic-related restrictions — the reputation of and demand for local seafood has opened doors for the nation’s fishermen. Supporting our working waterfronts and buying domestic seafood are critical to national food security, which should remain a priority post-pandemic.

In partnership with Pacific Marine Expo The largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast, serving commercial mariners from Alaska to California. www.pacificmarineexpo.com

PUBLISHER: Bob Callahan EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Karpowicz EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jessica Hathaway ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kirk Moore BOATS & GEAR EDITOR: Paul Molyneaux PRODUCTS EDITOR: Brian Hagenbuch ART DIRECTOR: Doug Stewart NORTH PACIFIC BUREAU CHIEF: Charlie Ess FIELD EDITORS: Larry Chowning, Michael Crowley CORRESPONDENTS: Samuel Hill, John DeSantis, Maureen Donald, Dayna Harpster, Sierra Golden, John Lee, Caroline Losneck, Nick Rahaim ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Wendy Jalbert / wjalbert@divcom.com / Tel. (207) 842-5616 NATIONAL SALES MANAGER: Susan Chesney / schesney@divcom.com / Tel. (206) 463-4819 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: (800) 842-5603 classifieds@divcom.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION (818) 487-2013 or (800) 959-5073 GENERAL INFORMATION (207) 842-5608 Producer of Pacific Marine Expo and the International WorkBoat Show Theodore Wirth, President & CEO | Mary Larkin, President, Diversified Communications USA Diversified Communications | 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112 (207) 842-5500 • Fax (207) 842-5503 • www.divcom.com

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ON DECK

Fishing Back When March By Jessica Hathaway

1971— Cold temps in Maine’s Penobscot Bay have locals remembering the Big Freeze of 1918, when islanders walked to neighbors over the frozen sea and Vinalhaven Harbor fishing boats were locked in.

1 9 7 1 The steel freighter Clara was loaded with Christmas trees in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, headed for the Bahamas. On Dec. 14, the cargo went up in flames, and local fishermen rushed to the aid of the crew. The captain sent all but his first mate and engineer to safety, including his wife and 2-year-old son. All survived, but the crew lost all their belongings in the fire. Fishermen’s Wives in Coos Bay, Ore.,start campaign to promote local fleets. President Nixon signs an executive order on Dec. 23, requiring industrial permits before dumping chemicals or pollutants into inland or coastal waters out to the three mile-limit. 4 National Fisherman \ March 2021

1 9 9 1

2 0 1 1 A trawl crew cuts loose a crab pot lost to winter weather.

New England state regulators delay increase in minimum lobster size. “The gauge increase put us at a bad place in the marketplace,” says Dave Cousens, vice president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “If Canada had agreed to join us, it would have been all right.” Alaska’s Gov. Walter Hickel takes office for the second time after a 20-year hiatus, bringing in Clem Tillion of Halibut Cove as a special adviser on fisheries. But the move hasn’t eased the concerns of some fishermen after Hickel put the Bering Sea fleet on notice.

Richard Green backs Senora in to the dock on Deep Creek after a day of ghost potting — searching for lost gear — on Virginia’s James River. Pat Shanahan and the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers celebrate a 55 percent quota increase over the 2010 TAC, with abundance predicted to continue for the next several years. Debate over Amendment 17A to the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery management plan unites the Southeastern fishing community in an example of exceptional cooperation to find an alternative to closing 26,000 square miles and 170 complex species.

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ON DECK

Mail Buoy

Offshore and off course hile wind power itself (with improved technology) makes sense, Maine’s current offshore project, which essentially is doing research to open the door for ownership of hundreds of thousands of ocean acres to private corporations, is foolhardy. There are valid reasons to oppose offshore wind initiatives off the Maine coast. They threaten our economic health, cultural fabric and history. Removing thousands of acres of bottom from fishing access, these turbines threaten the economic health of Maine’s second largest industry (lobstering alone has an estimated annual value of a billion dollars). In fact, they would have a negative impact on all three of Maine’s coastal economic engines. Where would we have been in 2020 without the fisheries, our summer population, and tourism? They pose a hazard to navigation. Never mind the platforms themselves, setting and maintaining them requires dramatic increases in large boat and barge traffic. Cruise ships are kept in lanes (they are on the charts) and regular schedules to maintain safety. But platform ships would have no such

channeling or controls. It is hard to explain the dangers of summer/fall fog. But it’s daunting, even with today’s radar capabilities. Barges are notorious for causing damage to fixed gear. They pose a threat to endangered right whales. This dramatic increase in traffic can only increase the risk to these slow-moving mammoths, who rightfully everyone is trying to protect. Ships strikes were reportedly responsible for 14 right whale deaths from 2010-19. The acoustic vibrations associated with laying and maintaining cables and anchors could negatively affect both marine mammal and fish species. They pose a threat to migrating birds. Multiple studies have shown that wind turbines are harmful to birds. One of the last places left on this planet where birds have their freedom is over open water. They migrate by the millions over Gulf of Maine waters. These aren’t just waterfowl, but also everyday songbirds. Some of the species are approaching endangered status. The required illumination of these platforms at night, and

A Letter from NMFS

Passing the baton By Chris Oliver

his will be my final column in my role as the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. It has been one of the greatest honors in my professional career to serve in this role. The final year of my tenure has been unprecedented for both the industry and the agency. 2020 has been extremely challenging for all of us, and there may be more months of struggle ahead, but I believe we can finally see a light at the end of this tunnel. Through the dedication of NOAA’s professional staff, I know the industry will come out stronger than ever before.

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conditions of poor visibility during the day, only increase the risk of collision. They pose a threat to corals and bottom-dwelling sea life. How many miles of cable will be laid? Given that we are being told the cables will be buried, how can anyone say that no environmental damage will take place? If you are displacing mud, you’re displacing and killing marine organisms: tube worms, borers, quahogs, clams, lobsters, shrimp, and flatfish like skates, flounders, halibut, and much more. If you’re displacing rock, you are blasting sea anemones, coral, kelp, barnacles, varieties of starfish, crabs, krill, mussels, scallops, sponges, and varieties of fish like cod, cusk, haddock and hake, just to name a few species. The diversity of ocean life is amazing, and critical to its health. [Full letter at www.nationalfisherman .com/northeast/offshore-and-off-course.] Jack Merrill Maine Lobstermen’s Association Lobster Institute Cranberry Isles Fisherman’s Co-op

What’s on your mind? Send letters to jhathaway@ divcom.com. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style.

We have a system in place to ensure sustainable management of our ocean resources while amplifying the economic value of commercial and recreational fisheries.The science and management partnerships built between the industry, regional fishery management councils, interstate fishery management commissions, NOAA Fisheries and our many other external partners will enable us to identify the many challenges the future holds and work collaboratively to address them head on. I want to thank all of our partners, the many participants in our commercial, recreational and aquaculture industries and the staff here at NOAA Fisheries for the opportunity to serve the American people in this capacity.

Chris Oliver is the director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Oliver oversees the federal agency responsible for recreational and commercial fisheries.

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 5

ON DECK

Northern Lights VIEWS FROM ALASKA

Eat more fish By Nina P. Schlossman

at more seafood to promote and protect your health. Now that’s good advice, backed by science, that is being built into U.S. nutrition policy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, published Dec. 29, 2020, by the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services www.dietaryguidelines.gov, finally recognize seafood as an essential, nutrient-dense and health-promoting dietary component, starting as early as 6 months of age. As a Ph.D. nutritionist, I have been involved in several cycles of the DGA review and approval process, and these latest guidelines include the most significant advances for the expanded consumption of seafood.The newly released DGA are consistent with the latest evidence and support the consumption of wild Alaska seafood of all varieties. The DGA 2020-25 will serve as the basis of U.S. government food and nutrition policy for the next five years, including seafood dietary recommendations. As a

nutritionist, I am hopeful USDA will take steps to ensure that all government food, nutrition and safety net programs can reliably provide two to three weekly servings of seafood to all recipients moving forward. The DGA 2020-25 recommends two to three servings of seafood a week as part of all healthy dietary consumption patterns (except vegan) for Americans over 6 months of age. For the first time, the guidelines include infants and toddlers under 24 months of age. Breastmilk and seafood are the two main sources of animal/marine quality omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to early cognitive development and growth. Per the new guidelines, seafood should be introduced with other complementary foods at six months. Seafood consumption is significantly below recommendations, at about 90 percent of Americans NOT eating enough seafood at any life stage (as already noted in the DGA 2015): Seafood consumption should be increased to two to three servings a week from 12 months on, including pregnancy and breastfeeding, to promote brain development and immunity. Seafood is considered a vital, nutrient-dense food that should be consumed to meet dietary needs and caloric requirements as part of any dietary pattern; Seafood is included in the protein food and oil categories, two of the six food groups listed

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About the guidelines The DGA 2020-25 are grounded in science and focused on public health promotion, not disease treatment. Five nutrition-related health conditions prevalent in the United States are the basis for the new guidelines: Overweight and obesity; cardiovascular disease and related risk factors; diabetes; cancer; and bone health and muscle strength. Seafood, being rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D and zinc, addresses all five, promoting health and reducing risk of chronic disease. The DGA are based on a recognition that people do not consume individual nutrients but eat changing combinations of foods, so they identified eating patterns for people at every life stage and found seafood is a component in all healthy

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DGA

(vegetables, fruit, grains, diary, protein foods and oils).

Federal dietary guidelines now recommend seafood as an essential part of American diets from 6 months on.

consumption patterns. Through the mission of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Food Aid Program, and its director, Bruce Schactler, more species and product forms of Alaska seafood have been added to domestic and international food assistance programs. This expansion has proven beneficial for both Alaska and the seafood industry nationwide, especially in

2020, when seafood was hurting across the board. Perhaps an even greater benefit is to the millions of food-insecure Americans who now have access to a variety of seafood on a consistent basis through the USDA Food & Nutrition Service programs. Today, seafood products are on the menu for everyone from K-12 school children, to pregnant women, nursing mothers and their young children, to families at food banks, community distribution centers, and through home deliveries. This type of market expansion and increased consumption boosts demand and brings new value to all seafood sectors, from the fishermen to the consumers. Nina P. Schlossman, Ph.D., is president of Global Food & Nutrition and a longtime consultant with the Alaska seafood industry.

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 7

ON DECK

Consequences

Rain check By Mike Conroy and Bob Dooley

t can happen in any port: Fishing boats geared up end up sitting at the dock waiting for the start of the season, whether it’s been called or not. In January, many vessels participating in the West Coast commercial Dungeness crab fishery were tied to the dock while the fleet negotiated a price. Many of these vessels had their gear onboard for an extended period of time, since the fishery was slated to open in mid-December after a delay for whale migration. They then held back when domoic acid reared its ugly head along part of the coast and a price negotiation, further postponing the fishery well into January

in the northern part of Oregon and most of Washington. In other years, the fleet has been called to stand down while crab meat fill achieves a market standard. Unfortunately, even when a boat is sitting at the dock a valve can fail, a pump can quit operating, or the EPIRB may stop operating. We offer these checklists to jump start a thorough self-inspection of your vessel, your safety equipment and your crew’s readiness as you prepare to embark on upcoming trips, especially after any kind of extended delay. Vessel • Bilge pumps, pumps for fish holds and especially for those vessels with live wells; • All of your alarm systems; • Deck or engine room cameras; • PA/intercom/other communication systems between the deck and wheelhouse; and

• Lights — running, deck, safety, etc. • Verify the date of your last Coast Guard safety inspection to ensure the sticker hasn’t expired. • If you can access below-deck compartments: - Make sure you haven’t accumulated water in any voids. - All shafts and bearings are greased. - Check hoses for abrasions or cracks, and ensure hose clamps are secure. • Confirm that all gear is properly secured. Even the slightest easing of tension in your stack can have dire consequences. • Check fittings, connectors, etc. Safety equipment • All lifesaving equipment is where it should be and isn’t expired. • Raft is installed properly, EPIRB tested. • All flashlights are working and have extra batteries.

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Crew readiness • Perform safety drills before you leave. • Make sure each crew member knows where the following are located and used: life ring(s), fire extinguishers, escape routes, PFDs, survival suits, life slings or other devices used to pull people out of the water, flares, first aid kit, knives, radios, GPS, and any other lifesaving and emergency equipment onboard. • Clearly communicate and walk through your abandon-vessel procedures. • Consider adequate head protection to protect each crew member from flying buoys, swinging hooks, falling pots from the top of the stack, and the unforeseeable items that could come into contact with your head.There are a number of options that would seem ideal for the commercial fishing industry — FirstWatch Gear, based on California is one such option. • Ensure each crew member can quickly put on a survival suit; and if your vessel

requires use of a PFD while on deck, as we hope it does, make sure that is clearly communicated and understood. In November, Chris Woodley — former chair of the Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee — wrote in this column about the virtues of PFDs to safeguard against fatalities associated with falls overboard. Citing NIOSH, Woodley indicated that, “220 commercial fishermen died after falling overboard from 2000 to 2016.” He also indicated that 30 percent of industry fatalities come from falls overboard. If one of those fishermen had been wearing a PFD, and was then rescued, their family would have avoided the unimaginable grief of losing a spouse, parent or child.

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This list is not meant to be exhaustive. You know your vessel and crew far better than we do. We hope this will serve as a prompt, and also generate conversations that will prepare you to ensure a safe return for all of you and your crews. Above all else, please use good judgment. If a particular action seems risky, there is no shame in waiting for safer conditions.The Coast Guard has a web-based app that can generate a more thorough checklist to help you prepare for a dockside exam. It is located at www.fishsafewest.info/ checklist/generator.html. We are depending on you to provide all of us with a sustainable source of protein.We hope all of you will be with your families at season’s end.

Mike Conroy is a commercial fisherman and the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. Bob Dooley is a retired commercial fisherman, a member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council and a founding member of Seafood Harvesters of America.

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March 2021 \ National Fisherman 9

AROUND THE COASTS

NOAA

NEWS FOR THE NATION’S FISHERMEN

With seafood markets collapsed and boats tied up, revenue declined in the U.S. industry by 29 percent in the first seven months of 2020.

Nation / World “Over those seven months we’re looking at a 29 percent decrease.” — Paul Doremus, NMFS acting administrator

Covid losses cost industry nearly a third in revenue NMFS economists documented losses March-July after starting the year up 3 percent

he U.S. fishing industry lost nearly one-third of its revenue in the first seven months of 2020 as the covid-19 pandemic vaporized its major markets, according to an analysis by NMFS economists. The year started on a high note, with revenues up 3 percent in January and February — before diving 19 percent in March and cratering at 45 percent less in July, said Paul Doremus, acting administrator at NMFS, in a Jan. 15 conference 10 National Fisherman \ March 2021

with reporters. Cumulatively, “over those seven months, we’re looking at a 29 percent decrease,” said Doremus. The agency mobilized its economic experts and government and academic partners in March to document the impact of the pandemic and begin preparing “as comprehensive an account as we could,” said Doremus. The findings were compiled in a report with more than 100 pages of

supporting documents, including detailed region-by-region breakdowns, by authors and economists Rita Curtis of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science & Technology and Steve Kasperski of the agency’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. While the report only documents the industry’s situation up through July, “we’ve already initiated the work to do that next update,” said Curtis.The goal is to continue monitoring economic impacts and fishermen’s response, drawing lessons and strategies for making fishing communities more resilient, said Doremus. The biggest blow early was restaurant and food-service shutdowns, which normally account for 70 percent of purchases for the $200 billion annual industry. Some fisheries that supply shelf-stable product lines, such as surf clams, felt less impact, but fresh markets dried up across the board. Among shellfish growers, 74 percent reported significant losses — even with limited respite when outdoor dining was allowed in summer months. “Harvesting, processing, and distribution have been curtailed for many products and in some cases have ceased in response to restaurant and other closings throughout the country and globally,” the authors summarized. “Further, the industry’s outlook in the coming months is highly uncertain. “However, those interviewed indicated that in contrast to the fresh fish market, consumers dramatically increased supermarket purchases in late March 2020 of shelf-stable and frozen product forms — including canned tuna, Alaska pollock and king mackerel. Figures for this surge in supermarket sales published in the seafood and food trade press ranged from over a 100 percent increase in sales of canned tuna (compared to the same week in 2019) to a percent increase in sales of frozen seafood compared to the same week last year.” One bright spot is signs the pandemic has wrought a shift in consumer behavior, raising interest in healthy diets and more people preparing seafood at www.nationalfisherman.com

home, said Doremus. But the report notes “indications are not yet available as to whether or not sales of frozen and canned seafood will remain strong. “In addition, some industry participants are shifting from supplying restaurants to expanding sales to supermarkets and to online or direct-to-consumer sales. But the extent and volume of the pivot from restaurants to supermarket and direct-to-consumer sales has yet to be estimated.” — Kirk Moore

R.I. governor Biden’s Commerce choice Raimondo a proponent of wind power

resident Joe Biden’s pick of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to head the Department of Commerce gives her a leading role in his administration’s priority issues around the economy, environment and climate. As secretary of Commerce, Raimondo’s portfolio includes agencies like the National Marine Fisheries Service and weather and climate science offices. She will be at the forefront of the administration’s policies on trade. Raimondo and her allies have ardently pursued offshore wind energy as a growth industry for Rhode Island, where the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm was built in 2016 as a commercial-scale pilot project. That established the state as a base for wind power support services. Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., built the first U.S.-flag crew transfer vessels, operated by Atlantic Wind Transfers in North Kingstown, R.I., setting the stage for the state to be a major base for wind development off southern New England. That has also raised conflicts with the state’s commercial fishing industry — particularly the squid fleet, where captains say proposed turbine arrays could utterly disrupt their fishing patterns. National advocates for the fishing industry praised the choice of Raimondo,

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AROUND THE COASTS

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has promoted offshore wind energy as a growth industry.

while calling for her to steer a path that will allow both industries to coexist. “In light of the increasing number of proposed actions in our federal waters, we sincerely hope Governor Raimondo’s experience working with the commercial fishing industry in

Rhode Island will guide her in ensuring our businesses continue to thrive,” said Leigh Habegger, executive director of the Seafood Harvesters of America, in a statement Jan. 7 as news emerged that Raimondo would be Biden’s choice. “It is my sincere hope that Governor Raimondo carries with her the experiences and lessons learned from her time in Rhode Island,” said Christopher Brown, a Rhode Island captain and founding president of Seafood Harvesters of America. Raimondo “will have to find a harmonious existence for both the fishing industry and the offshore wind industry. Hopefully her time in Rhode Island has granted her the wisdom to make sound choices to ensure the delivery of both,” said Brown. ‘I hope that the commercial industry doesn’t become collateral damage of greater blind ambition.” — Kirk Moore

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March 2021 \ National Fisherman 11

AROUND THE COASTS

Alaska / Pacific “In announcing the state will appeal, the governor has chosen to ignore scientific fact and the large majority of Alaskans.” — Tim Bristol, SalmonState executive director

Alaska governor declares appeal of Pebble decision State backing mine developers; shareholder group sues over misinformation

12 National Fisherman \ March 2021

Bristol added in early January. Meanwhile, a group of shareholders fi led a class action lawsuit against Northern Dynasty, the Canadian minerals company and the parent company of the Pebble Limited Partnership, which owns the mineral rights to the Pebble deposit and has been promoting the mine to investors and engaging in the permitting process. The lawsuit claims the company and its directors misled shareholders about the viability of the proposed Pebble Mine and that its stock prices were artificially inflated between Dec. 21, 2017, and Nov. 25, 2020. After the Corps denied the permit application Nov. 25, the stock value took a nosedive of more than 50 percent immediately. The permit process had been considered all but dead before the 2016 election of President Trump, whose administration allegedly negotiated with Pebble officials to allow the permitting process to run its course.

White House/Shealah Craighead

laska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s Jan. 8 announcement that his state would appeal the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to deny a permit application for the Pebble Mine set off calls for the Biden administration and Congress to extend permanent protections for Bristol Bay. “Bristol Bay residents and Alaskans have been clear that we will not trade one of the world’s last robust salmon fisheries for a gold mine, and the Army Corps decision affirmed that this toxic project is too risky for our home and does not serve the public interest,” said United Tribes of Bristol Bay Deputy Director Lindsay Layland. “While science prevailed when the Army Corps rejected the proposed Pebble Mine’s Clean Water Act permit, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s continued interference on behalf of the Pebble Partnership shows Bristol Bay is far from safe. In announcing the state will appeal, the governor has chosen to ignore scientific fact and the large majority of Alaskans,” said SalmonState Executive Director Tim Bristol. As it stands now, the Army Corps veto would not prevent the permitting process from starting anew at any time. The Pebble Corp. and Northern Dynasty hold the mineral rights and could wait to submit another permit application when a more amenable federal leadership comes along. “The only way to stop this toxic project for good is with an EPA veto. We urge President-elect Biden and Congress to act swiftly and decisively to reenact lasting protections for Bristol Bay — a one-of-a-kind American resource,”

President Donald Trump meets with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy in June 2019 aboard Air Force 1 in Anchorage.

Two days after the lawsuit was fi led, Northern Dynasty said it would fi le an appeal of the Corps’ decision, citing the quality of its mitigation plan to compensate for the degradation of habitat in the process of mining the deposit’s heavy metals. “Pebble’s appeal makes clear the need for permanent protections for Bristol Bay that ensure no company, Pebble or otherwise, will be allowed to operate a toxic, large-scale hard rock mine in the waters that support our fishery and all it sustains,” said Layland. — Jessica Hathaway

Dungeness crabbers strike for price deal Cooperation grows between ports

irst came whales, then came a price most West Coast Dungeness crabbers deemed too low to fish for, but after nearly two months of having their gear at the ready, San Francisco area Dungie fishermen fi nally set their pots Jan. 11 under an “organized start” agreed to by fleets out of Half Moon Bay, San Francisco and Bodega Bay to prevent a mad dash, shotgun start once a price had been agreed to. “Holy Christ has this season been a mess,” said Dick Ogg, who runs the F/V Karen Jeanne out of Bodega Bay. “But the fleet has really come together. If this works, which it looks like it will, it will be pretty amazing and will have a lasting imprint on the fleet.” Delayed twice to avoid potential gear entanglements with migrating humpback whales, the season officially opened Dec. 23, but no gear was set, as California crabbers joined a holdout over low prices offered by seafood buyers, with the strike covering most of the West Coast, from Newport, Ore., to all of California. Dungeness crab fishermen out of Bodega Bay, San Francisco and Half Moon Bay agreed to something new — an “organized start,” said John Barnett, commercial fisherman and president of www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

Boat of the Month Silver Spray

ill Prout never expected the

that fishes crab in the Bering Sea,” Gabriel

wheelhouse of the F/V Silver

said.

Bill Prout

Kodiak, Alaska / Bering Sea crab, salmon tender

Spray to resemble his living

Suddenly, the Silver Spray was a worker-

room back at the family home in Kodiak,

owned family affair, making it a charming

Alaska. In 2001, Prout and then-business

anomaly in Bering Sea crab, where Gabriel

bad? OK, we don’t have to go out and do

partner William Jacobson bought the

explained that most boats are owned by

this. You’re not pushed over the limit like

Silver Spray, a house-forward, steel-

deep pockets that lease to third-party crews.

we used to be.”

Beyond having a share in the boat, every

And while the elder Prout said his wife

A 40-year Bering Sea crab veteran,

crew member on the Silver Spray also owns

does a lot of praying back home in Kodiak

Prout started running the Silver Spray

quota shares, which Gabriel said helps bring

when the family is on the water, she is

himself in 2008, fishing for red king

them together to work toward a common

excited for her kids.

crab, tanner crab, and snow crab in the

goal.

hulled, 116-footer out of Alabama.

winters, while tendering for salmon in Prince William Sound in the summers.

The younger Prouts, meanwhile, have

“You’re catching your own crab, generating

their sights set high as they look to

revenue for yourself,” Gabriel said. “It’s

combat the graying — and rusting — of

Gradually, three of his six kids

already one of the toughest jobs around,

the Bering Sea fleet. The Silver Spray was

became familiar faces on the deck, and

but there’s definitely more of a pride aspect

built in 1990 by Master Boat Builders, but

they took to the tough life of Bering Sea

when you’re working on something that you

it is one of the newer boats in Bering Sea

crab fishing in a way they did not exactly

actually own.”

fleet.

expect. “We all thought we were going to go off to college and find other jobs,” said

And what does Bill Prout think of his kids

“A lot of these boats were built in the

following him into the fishery that is famous

1970s and ’80s. The steel is getting older,

for being a deadly catch?

and the maintenance costs just keep

“I’m all for it,” Bill said from the Silver

going up,” Gabriel said. “Our real goal is

Now, along with his brothers Gabriel,

Spray’s boat phone. “Rationalization has

keep increasing our quota share and build

30, and Ashlan, 24, the younger Prouts

made this fishery much safer. The weather’s

another vessel.”

26-year-old Sterling Prout.

— Brian Hagenbuch

are looking to spearhead a generational shift in Bering Sea crab. They worked for their dad for several seasons. Then last summer, when Jacobson decided to sell out, the brothers saw an opportunity. They joined two other fellow crew members

—

Leo

Tuiasosopo

and

Jacobson’s son, Bill Jr. — and bought Jacobson out. “I’ll just go ahead and say it. We have to be the youngest guys who own a boat

Boat Specifications HOME PORT: Kodiak, Alaska OWNERS: Bill Prout, Gabriel Prout, Ashlan Prout, Sterling Prout, Bill Jacobson Jr., Leo Tuiasosopo BUILDER: Master Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala. YEAR BUILT: 1990 FISHERIES: Bering Sea Red King, Tanner and Snow Crab / Salmon tender in Prince William Sound HULL MATERIAL: Steel LENGTH: 116 feet BEAM: 30 feet DRAFT: 12 feet TONNAGE: 130 CREW CAPACITY: 11 MAIN ENGINES: Two Cummins K-19s REDUCTION GEAR: Twin Disc MG-516 GENSETS: Two Cummins 855, one 65kW John Deere PROPELLERS: 48-inch, four-blade bronze SHAFT: 5 inches x 12 feet, short shaft SPEED: 9 knots cruising FUEL CAPACITY: 25,000 gallons FRESHWATER CAPACITY: 9,000 gallons HOLD CAPACITY: Four tanks holding a total 420,000 pounds salmon or 220,000 pounds

the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association. The fleets agreed to select a day to set gear after a price had been agreed to, followed by a 48-hour buffer before boats could begin hauling. This was put into practice with fishermen setting gear and starting after a price was secured. Fishermen struck over a $2.50 per pound price offered by the largest seafood buyers and instead asked for a base price of $3.30, on par with the price at the same time in past years. The price combined with an anticipated meager Dungeness To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

crab harvest this year have given fishermen more resolve to hold out for a better price. After weeks of delay, California crabbers agreed to a based price of $2.75, Ogg said. After years of litigation over whale entanglements, increased scrutiny from regulators and delayed starts over domoic acid, Ogg sees the recent display of solidarity in the fleet as boding well for crabbers in the future. “We all need to work together on a common goal,” he said. “We’re starting to do just that.” — Nick Rahaim March 2021 \ National Fisherman 13

AROUND THE COASTS

Atlantic “These proposed modifications will affect about 2,500 lobster trap/pot vessels that will have to make changes to the way they fish.” — Chris Oliver, outgoing NMFS administrator

New gear steps proposed to protect right whales

NOAA

Area restrictions, line modifications as NMFS races for May 31 court deadline

A gathering of four North Atlantic right whales.

T vice released its latest plan to prohe National Marine Fisheries Ser-

tect endangered northern right whales from lobster fishing gear entanglements — a suite of changes that include new area restrictions, modifying gear to add weak rope into buoy lines and a new system of state-specific gear markings. The new package of changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan is NMFS’ bid to satisfy a federal court ruling that the agency must do more by May 31, 2021, to protect the East Coast right whale population, now estimated to number fewer than 400 animals and less than 100 breeding females. They seek to reduce the number of vertical lines in the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries by requiring fishermen to fit more of their traps between buoy lines and add weak insertions or weak rope into buoy lines, so whales have a better chance of breaking free of entanglement.

14 National Fisherman \ March 2021

Existing seasonal restricted areas would be closed to buoy lines at times when whales are migrating, and exemptions allowed for so-called ropeless or pop-up gear, to incentivize the industry and partners to “accelerate research and development of ropeless fishing methods so that in the future, commercial fishing using ropeless technology can be used instead of seasonal closures to allow trap/pot fishing while protecting right whales,” outgoing NMFS Administrator Chris Oliver said in announcing the plan. Advocates for the Maine lobster fishery say the last known entanglement of a right whale in Maine lobster gear took place in 2002, and since then the state’s fleet has taken proactive steps to help establish new whale conservation measures. A public comment period opened until March 1 on the rule changes and an accompanying draft environmental impact statement.

“These proposed modifications will affect about 2,500 lobster trap/pot vessels that will have to make changes to the way they fish,” according to Oliver. “The material and labor costs caused by the proposed rule in the first year are estimated to be $7 million to $15.4 million spread out among the fishery that last year generated $485 million in fishing revenue in Maine alone. The proposed changes are in response to an April 2020 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg that found the lobster fishery was violating the federal Endangered Species Act and that NMFS must do more to protect right whales. The agency says its plan now is estimated to reduce potential whale encounters with gear by 60 percent. Next up for the team during 2021 will be recommending risk-reduction methods for gear in other East Coast trap, pot and gillnet fisheries throughout the whales’ migrating range. — Kirk Moore

Michigan’s fishermen fight DNR for survival Lawsuit says state blocking licenses

A Department of Natural Resources

lawsuit filed against the Michigan

claims the state is withholding reissue of all commercial fishing licenses and calling for gear restrictions that will put the industry out of business. “The things that were not renewed have been in place for well over 40 years in most cases, and the only the things that are a benefit to commercial fishers are gone,” says Amber Mae Petersen, who runs the Fish Monger’s Wife seafood retail outlet in Muskegon and serves as secretary-treasurer for the Michigan Fish Producers’ Association, which filed the suit in early January. “The answers are conflicting as to why they were not renewed. It seems off.” For the last eight years, Michigan’s Legislature, stakeholders and www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

Department of Natural Resources have been collaborating on an overhaul of the state’s fishing regulations. In 2020, state Sen. Ed McBroom proposed more than 100 amendments that DNR refused to review, claiming it would be too laborious to assess the ripple effect of those proposals on other state statutes. As a result, the Legislature declined to move the legislation out of committee as the session adjourned. The next move from the Department of Natural Resources was to delay license applications and revert to 1929 statutes that commercial fishermen say severely hamstring their operations, including restricting whitefish trapnets to less than 13 fathoms, or 80 feet. “The 1929 laws regulated a booming gillnet fishery that shipped freshwater fish around the world. That’s not us anymore,” Petersen says. “It is time for new laws but not laws made to help a beginning sport fishery because it’s not 1967 either. It’s 2020. There is room in the lakes for all of us, and the laws should be for a healthy commercial and sport fishery.” In recent years, McBroom and state Rep. Sara Cambensy collaborated on bipartisan efforts to bring commercial fishermen to the table in a state that consistently regulates primarily for the recreational and charter sectors. It was lake trout that started the

Snapshot Who we are Mimi Stafford / Key West, Fla.

s a child growing up in central

“In both industries, there are a lot of

Florida, Mimi Stafford made

unknowns,” Stafford said. “With water

frequent trips to the Florida

quality, we don’t know if it’s the after-

Keys with her family, inspiring her to

effects of the oil spill, red tide, the hur-

seek a career as a marine biologist. Fol-

ricanes. And there’s so much more pol-

lowing her marriage to Simon Stafford,

Englishman

she met while studying abroad in the 1970s,

Michigan Fish Producers Association

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

people.” The veteran trap fisherwoman

suggests

Mimi really wanted

that

to introduce her new

managers push back

state

fisheries

husband to the coral

the start of lobster

reefs and bountiful

harvest season, which

fisheries of the Keys. The couple arrived in Key West in 1974 and never left.

currently

opens

Aug. 6, for a few weeks so that harvesters can get better prices.

Today, Mimi Stafford — 70 and a

“We’re catching most of our lobster

grandmother — runs lobster and stone

when the price is really yuck. Nobody

crab traps with Simon out of the same

wants lobsters in August. It makes

wide, flat-bottomed T-Craft bay boat

sense to push it back so you’re not set-

she’s operated since the 1990s while

tling for the lowest price,” she said.

son Dylan, 38, runs even more lobster

Keys fishermen get their highest lob-

and stone crab traps from his much

ster prices in early January from buy-

larger 43-foot Torres.

ers in China who pay a premium for

“I love the ocean. Any excuse to be

whole, live product.

out there, I look for,” Stafford said. “Be-

Stafford helps to influence policy by

ing on the water and being active has

serving on the South Atlantic Fishery

kept me younger. My body has held up

Management Council’s lobster adviso-

pretty well.”

ry board and working with the Florida

She acknowledges some concerns

Keys National Marine Sanctuary Coun-

for the lobster and stone crab fisheries

cil and the not-for-profit environmental

— both of which are having a mediocre

group Reef Relief.

season.

A Lake Michigan fish tug at work.

lution because of so many more

most recent tug of war between commercial fishermen and recreational fishing advocates. As the lake trout population has blossomed, the commercial whitefish count as lagged. “Lake trout and whitefish don’t coexist,” Petersen said in 2019 testimony on the Michigan House floor. “When the lake trout move in, they push out the whitefish. And so it used to be historically, commercial fishermen would

— Sue Cocking

then just start catching lake trout, and we would sell lake trout. And then the balance would continue.” Commercial fishermen asked for 10 percent of the lake trout quota and 20 percent for walleye. Lake trout are often bycatch in whitefish traps, so fishermen were asking to land some of those fish rather than throwing them back. — Jessica Hathaway March 2021 \ National Fisherman 15

AROUND THE COASTS

Gulf / South Atlantic

One aspect is how scientists calculate the North Atlantic accounted for about 30 percent of the total energy generated by tropical storms in 2020 — twice the normal annual proportion, he said. In the Arctic, a mild winter and record summer heat over Siberia were recorded as Arctic shipping lanes offshore had an open-water season over 100 days, said Vose: “The northern sea route finally froze in November.” “We estimate that the Arctic as a whole was warmer,” said Schmidt. The seasonally shrinking Arctic sea ice was smallest in average extent since 2016, he said. — Kirk Moore

“What’s really striking is the last six or seven years” of temperature increases. — Russell Vose, National Centers for Environmental Information

2020 smashed records for Atlantic hurricane season

Coast Guard/PO3 Paige Hause

Seven hurricanes bring at least $1 billion each in damage to Southern coasts

Mississippi shrimpers catch for food banks Effort delivers enough for 36k meals

Alandfall on the U.S. coast in 2020,

dozen tropical storm systems made

with Hurricane Laura leading among the top seven that each inflicted at least $1 billion in damage on the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic coasts. The annual National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate report shows 2020 effectively tied 2016 as the warmest year on record, said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, said in an online presentation Thursday with Russell Vose, chief of the analysis and synthesis branch at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. “It’s a statistical tie either way” looking at both NOAA and NASA data for 2016 and 2020, said Schmidt. “What’s really striking is the last six or seven years” of average temperature creeping up, said Vose. “There’s been a steady increase in temperatures since the 1960s,” with temperatures rising faster in the past 50 years than the previous 2,000 years, he added. 16 National Fisherman \ March 2021

The NOAA report catalogs new temperature records and extreme weather events around the world and across the U.S. Those impacts include an unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season. Nicaragua was slammed by two late-season category 4 storms, Eta and Iota, that struck with two weeks, their landfalling tracks 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) apart. Twelve tropical systems made landfall in the continental U.S., breaking the previous record of nine landfalls set in 1916, the report notes. Seven of those ravaged the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic coasts with at least $1 billion each in damages — led by Hurricane Laura, a category 4 that slammed into the western Louisiana coast around Lake Charles, La. The overall Atlantic tropical season produced 30 named storms, breaking the record of 28 set in 2005. Worldwide, 103 named tropical systems arose in the world’s oceans, tying the number from 2018, said Schmidt.

Epantries received deliveries of loarly this year, Mississippi food

cally caught, processed and packaged shrimp, harvested by members of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United. A $50,000 Catch Together grant facilitated by the nonprofit Extra Table helped Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United purchase 20,000 pounds of local heads-on shrimp. The

Dawn Ross

A wrecked shrimp boat near Lake Charles, La., after Hurricane Laura.

Ryan Bradley, executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, helps deliver 13,000 pounds of local shrimp.

www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

fishing organization coordinated with processors to have the catch processed and peeled, resulting in 13,000 pounds delivered to families in need across the state in 2-pound frozen bags, comprising 36,000 meals. “It was a wonderful opportunity, and it was a great feeling,” said Ryan Bradley, executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United and an NF Highliner. “I got to tag along when Extra Table was distributing those shrimp. It’s not every day they get fresh seafood in these local food banks.” Mississippi food banks are reporting a 30 to 50 percent increase in need as a result of pandemic-related hardships. The dramatic shift in market demand has affected fishermen, as well. “With demand from restaurants all but gone, this year has been a challenge for our members,” said Bradley. “This effort not only supports these local fishermen and their families during a difficult time, but also lets them support their fellow Mississippians with fresh, nutritious food.” Catch Together, working with Multiplier, plans to issue more than $5 million in grants around the country to aid fishermen in providing fish for local food banks. The initiative is part of Catch Invest, which was founded as a national permit-banking organization. “The goal of this program was to buy local shrimp,” said Bradley. “We were able to make sure the fishermen got a fair price for their shrimp.” There should be more to come from the Catch Together grants this year, Bradley added. “These types of community efforts have never been more important,” Martha Allen, executive director of Extra Table, told the Northside Sun. “Hunger was a critical issue well before the pandemic, and we are grateful to be working with Mississippi shrimpers and other organizations to help our neighbors during this time of crisis.” — Jessica Hathaway

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Cook Inlet, Alaska Caden Culbert, Jason Hudkins, Dawson Tucker, Sarah Hudkins, Kaitlyn Steffy, Jordana Coykendall and Gavin Hudkins setnetting on Salamatof Beach in Kenai’s Cook Inlet.

Coffee Point, Alaska Alex Johnson, Kitty Tolman, Sean Braman, Niki Riga, Christopher Riga, Nolan Braman and Tammy Braman, the 2020 setnet crew at pickup in Bristol Bay’s Coffee Point.

This is your life. Submit your Crew Shot www.nationalfisherman.com/submit-your-crew-shots March 2021 \ National Fisherman 17

MARKET REPORTS

NORTHEAST

Scup

G U L F / S O . AT L A N T I C

Shrimp

With abundant biomass, fishermen look to expand market post-pandemic

Gulf of Mexico’s September landings are the region’s lowest since 2002

ommercial scup, or porgy, landings peaked in 1981 at 21.73 million pounds but dipped to 2.66 million pounds by 2000. In recent years, commercial fishermen have not landed the commercial quota, and there have been industry-wide efforts focused on closing the gap. The commercial fishery is year-round, and mostly in federal waters during the winter and state waters during the summer. A coastwide commercial quota is allocated between three quota periods: winter I, summer and winter II. Total ex-vessel value in 2018 was $9.70 million, resulting in an average price per pound of $0.73. NOAA data shows landings from October to the end of December 2020 are below last year’s landings. Dave Aripotch, a fisherman in Montauk, N.Y., says 2020 was decent, but that he pulled in less volume than previous years. “A lot of times with scup, if you catch them, you catch a lot of them. This year, there were a lot of small and mediums around, and this means the market gets plugged even for jumbo.” Aripotch has fished since 1982, and most of his scup ends up in New York City and at the New Fulton Fish Market there in Hunts Point. He has seen fluctuations over the years. “A few years ago, scup was booming — we caught a huge amount of them, but there were fewer guys doing it.” He says in 1985, jumbos were worth $3. “Now, we get $2 for jumbo, and jumbos were $1 or 75-65 cents at times.” Meghan Lapp, general manager of Seafreeze Shoreside in Point Judith, R.I., says scup markets had volatility, even before the pandemic. “For scup, it’s par for the course. In the past number of years, prices fluctuated between 20 cents and $1.50 a pound, and that’s not unique to now.” She attributes some loss of market interest in scup to a generation of immigrants getting older and younger Americans eating less whole fish. “But I feel like millennials are a really good market to target this to,” she adds. “They are now more inclined to try something they haven’t tried before.” “I’m always optimistic,” adds Lapp, “but I think it’s going to take some effort on behalf of marketing for a wider audience. If there was a targeted campaign, you know: ‘It’s a poor man’s snapper, try this!’” — Caroline Losneck

combination of market conditions and new challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic are leaving a mark on the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery, creating industry uncertainty as fishermen and processors look toward how they may fare in 2021. Some sectors of the gulf fishery have done fairly well in terms of prices paid at the dock. But low turnout of boats has meant less product overall. “Dried shrimp went really well because they have stopped a lot of imports coming into the U.S.,” said Al Marmande of Al’s Shrimp Co. in Dularge, La. “There was a fair price for fishermen in my area, about $1.14 per pound for smaller shrimp. We don’t buy a lot of big shrimp anymore.” The closure of Carson & Co., a major processor in Bon Secour, Ala., has given smaller dock owners like Marmande fewer options for selling the catches they buy. Lower restaurant demand resulting from pandemic closures has had an effect, as well. One shrimp dock reported a drop of sales by 53 percent. That leaves open the question of how much shrimp purchased in 2020 will remain stuck in supply lines. September, usually a good month because of the popularity of large white shrimp, presents a stark new reality, with the lowest tonnage for landings gulfwide, according to data from the fishery monitoring branch of NMFS. That month saw those September landings gulfwide of 6.1 million pounds, the lowest since September 2002. Louisiana is seeing historic lows, with 14.8 million pounds harvested in the first three quarters of 2020, compared to the average for the same period at about 38 million pounds for nearly two decades. Processors and dock owners say a significant factor in the low numbers is much less effort by fishermen and boat owners. They attribute this to economic in response to the pandemic, with fewer people working. Fishermen who worked steadily say the time was well spent, as the scarcity of shrimp staved off a potential of lower dockside prices. “The price was not great,” said veteran shrimper George Barisich, who is president of the United Commercial Fisherman’s Association. “Toward the end they crept up, by 30 or 35 cents per pound. There is still a demand for fresh product, with a strong price.” — John DeSantis

18 National Fisherman \ March 2021

www.nationalfisherman.com

MARKET REPORTS

PA C I F I C

ALASKA

Salmon

Herring

Lots of forage fish for feed led to biomass spread, less schooled up for catching

The fleet struggles to find the right-sized fish, though stocks are on the rise

lame it on an overabundance of forage fish, but 2020 went down as one of the most lackluster seasons for West Coast salmon fishermen; they landed 6.33 million pounds of kings, silvers and chums in 2020. That’s down by almost half of the 11.05 million pounds the three states landed in 2019, according to data from PacFIN, and a fraction of the 56.16 million pounds in the record-setting year of 2013. In California, trollers harvested 1.90 million pounds for revenues of $13.70 million. A predicating theory behind the meager harvest last year was that ocean waters have cooled, making salmon forage fish plentiful — so the spatial distribution of forage fish was so far and wide that it was hard for fisherman to find concentrations of salmon feeding on them. In other years, when there are fewer forage fish, it is easier to find them and find the salmon on the edges. Translated to the 2020 season, king salmon were hard to find. “Here, a couple of boats had trips of 100 fish, but most of the time it was five-, 10- or 15-fish deliveries,” says Scott Adams, plant manager with Hallmark Fisheries, in Charleston, Ore. In Oregon the salmon fleet landed only 1.04 million pounds of kings. “It was a horrible year for us here last year,” says Eric Schindler, the salmon project leader, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in Newport. “We had the lowest chinook catch that we have seen in any year when we have had a season.” (The fishery was shut down in 2008 and 2009.) “We’re basically about half of the average for the last three years.” “I would say that there was definitely a lot of feed this year,” he says. Average ex-vessel prices paid for Oregon fish came in at $4.23 per pound. In Washington, the fleet landed 1.43 million kings for ex-vessel prices of $2.35 per pound. Though covid-19 put the kibosh on end markets tied to restaurants, suppliers quickly redirected fresh king salmon into retail markets where consumer demands outstripped supplies. — Charlie Ess

ith a GHL of 38,749 tons, and only two seiners and one gillnetter participating in the fishery, it is safe to assume there were some grand hauls made in Togiak for the Alaska herring 2020 season. Exact harvest data will remain confidential with fewer than five vessels partaking in the harvest. The Sitka sac roe fishery struck out last year after managers and the industry decided the fishery should remain closed for its second year in a row. The predominance of herring recruiting into the fishery have been 3-year-olds. With weights of about 90 grams per fish, buyers aren’t interested in the tiny egg skeins for salted roe markets in Japan. Managers had hoped the fishery would target a growing population of 4-year-olds, but they average 110 grams — still shy of the 140-gram fish that produce ideal skein size for the market. It didn’t help either that the processing industry had been hobbled by the onset of covid in the weeks before the season typically opens. Meanwhile, more than 900 miles northwest of Sitka, the Togiak industry suffers from fish too large for the market. In the Bering Sea, herring grow to 285 to 330 grams by the time they are 6-and-7-year-olds, which is the predominant age class harvested in the fishery. Still, one floating processor anchored at Togiak last year and sent product to Japan. While the abundance of herring stocks in both Sitka and Togiak continue to rise, the declining trend in demand over the past decade for the salted skeins indicates the industry has returned to what it was in the 1960s and early ’70s. As for the coming season, Tim Sands, the state’s area management biologist in Dillingham, says recent surveys indicate there will be plenty of fish and that 27 percent of those will be 240-gram 5-year-olds, which are a bit closer to the target for market size. Another 47 percent are expected to be 6-and-7year-olds, which should weigh in at under 300 grams. “This is a much smaller fish size than we’re used to at Togiak,” says Sands. With 42,000 tons on tap for the 2021 season, it’s highly likely only a fraction of the potential harvest will make it to market. “Even with four processors you can’t catch that many fish; you can’t freeze them.” –– Charlie Ess

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 19

BOATS & GEAR

NET TECH

FRESH MESH

Technology gives the ancient fishing technique of seining a total overhaul By Paul Molyneaux

20 National Fisherman \ March 2021

“The typical seine is made of twisted nylon, which is very strong. But when it gets wet, it gets heavier, so the more sets a captain makes, the heavier it gets.” Gopakumar points out that increasingly heavy twine makes handling it harder and also adds a safety concern regarding the reduced breaking strength of wet nylon — 10 percent — and the changes a waterlogged net can make to a vessel’s center of gravity.

Dick Shellhorn

hile the earliest incarnations of trawling can be traced back to the 1700s, the earliest versions of seine fishing are depicted on Egyptian tombs from 5,000 years ago. With advances in net technology, sensors and haulers, there is nothing primitive in the way seiners operate today. Barry Matthews comes from a purse seining family on Canada’s Campobello Island, just across the international bridge from Lubec, Maine. “Ivan (Matthews) practically invented it,” says Matthews, who launched his boat, the Ocean Venture, six years ago and bought a powerful seine skiff built in Seattle. Things have changed since Ivan’s day. “I buy twine in bales from another country,” says Matthews. “They come in 50-fathom sections, and we put them together. The biggest we use is 400 fathom, 200 meshes deep, about 60 fathom. They’re a lot bigger than what we used to use. Used to be 6 pounds per fathom, now it’s 20-25 per fathom. We’re using 3/4-inch cable.” Matthews talks about the greater weight of the nylon seines he hauls aboard, but Menon “Gopa” Gopakumar, of the India-based fiber producer Garware Technical Fibres, is excited about new fibers for nets.

“Polyethylene is lighter, and it doesn’t absorb water,” says Gopakumar. “But it floats. We have a fiber available called Plateena. It’s made from a DSM Dyneema, that is coated or impregnated with other material to help it sink. It’s thinner and stronger than nylon. It’s actually been around a while, but it costs three to four times as much as nylon.” According to Gopakumar, new fibers can drastically reduce the weight of seines. “We sell to the menhaden seiners, Omega Protein,” adds Gopakumar. “And we are selling to the seine makers in Seattle, like LFS.” Matthews is sticking with nylon for now, but he is taking advantage of new electronics. “They’ve got a machine now that will tell us how the tide is running at different depths,” he says. “We put Simrad eggs on the net, one forward, one in the middle and one after the hook — at the end.” The Simrad eggs Matthews refers to are the Simrad PX seine sounders. The Simrad system receives information from up to six sensors at the same

Hanging a nylon seine: While the cost of the Plateena and other lightweight fibers can be four times that of nylon, they are stronger and lighter.

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

Marport

NET TECH

The Marport Seine Explorer system offers real-time information on the descent rate and depth of the leadline of the seine.

professional Simrad echo sounders and sonars, enabling this information to be viewed on the same screen.” Several other manufacturers produce sensors for purse seines, among them Marport and Notus. Marport’s Side Looking Seine Sounder can see both vertical to bottom and horizontal into the seine net. Captains can now watch the rate of descent. The horizontal (side looking) beam is used to visualize the depth that the school of fish begins and the depth the school of fish ends. Combined with target strength values, the side looking image will allow the captain to better estimate tonnage. Complemented by the down-sounder functionality, this sensor also monitors the seafloor as it approaches, as well as observes fish targets as they are diving to escape. “This gives captains a real-time presentation of what is happening with the fish in the net so they can react instantaneously,” says Marport’s Patrick Belen.

Notus

time. The system uses a hull-mounted or over the side hydrophone. “The net’s depth, water temperature and the important bottom contact information from both pressure and acoustic signals are displayed in large digits or easy to understand graphics,” says Mike Hillers at Simrad USA. “It’s one of our simpler systems. The small size, quick update rate, long battery life and its long-range capability allows the PX system to be installed on any size net, from a small sardine net to a large tuna net. In addition, the PX system interfaces to the latest

The Marport sensors also provide temperature, depth, rate of decent, and battery life information. Adding more depth and rate-of-descent sensors, a captain can monitor each part of their seine net, observing and reacting to undercurrent sweep. Temperature can reveal and help determine where there are optimal thermoclines to fish. The design of the Notus Seinemaster monitoring system is based on more than 25 years of experience making sensors. “It’s a great kit for real-time wireless information on seine depth,” says Francis Parrott, marketing manager at Notus. “Especially for salmon seiners who might tow the seine. They can lose fishing area, but with the Seinemaster system, they can see the depth of the net at all times.” Parrott notes that with the real-time information delivered by the Seinemaster, fishermen can maximize the fishing area of their nets at all times. David O’Neill has worked with Matthews and many others in purse seine fisheries all around the world. His company, Gannet Nets, focuses on building better purse seines for the specific needs of customers. “I’ve worked in every aspect of this industry,” says O’Neill. “I fished in Alaska; I’ve been a sonar operator; and I worked in R&D for Garware. When Dyneema came out, I said, ‘This is the future.’” According to O’Neill, super strong fibers like Dyneema can reduce net weight and volume by as much as 66 percent, giving fishermen faster sink times and allowing smaller

Notus and other net monitoring systems rely on wireless signals from sensors to hydrophones mounted on the hull or hung over the side of the boat. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 21

BOATS & GEAR

David O’Neill of Gannet Nets says a purse seine system includes four elements, the seine, the sensors, the hauler and the crew.

O’Neill’s experimental block with load sensors for testing what needs to change in order to handle the lighter twines.

the lighter, stronger netting he is promoting, but he is keeping a lid on that until it’s ready. “Talk to me again in the spring,” he says. Matthews uses a couple of different power blocks to haul his net back. “I usually use a 40-inch Westec, that’s the diameter of the sheave. And it’s got a wheel on it that helps the twine stay in the block. But there’s others like Marco. They make them for the tuna fishing, and we just get ’em from them.” The Westec block Matthews uses has not changed much over the years. “They were overbuilt back in the day,” says Westec owner Richard Sikich. “They’re rugged and reliable, we get them back here for service, some 40

years old. Our customers tell us they’re happy.” Marco Puretic Power Blocks come in a wide variety of models with sheave diameters from 19- to 90-inch. They are made in three basic configurations: fixed side-shell with pin connected yoke; open-side-shell that swings out to insert the net; and open topped, suspended from one side. The Marco power block can be also fitted with the exclusive Power Grip which reduces net slippage during hauling. Kolstrand makes a 26-inch Power Block with a yoke-mounted PowerGrip and hydraulic swivel arrangement. It features a bolt-in replaceable rubber cleat sheave (which allows

Marco Puretic

Steven Kennedy

boats to carry more twine, among other things. “But when you make a dramatic change in the net, it affects the entire system,” O’Neill says. “The system is the seine, the hauler, the electronics and the crew. When you modify one part of the system, you have to make adjustments in the others.” To that end, O’Neill conducts as much research and development as he can. Setting nets with as many as a 30 sensors, he sometimes hangs over the side of the boat with his hydrophone in order to collect the data he needs to design nets that will sink faster and purse deeper. “Thirty sensors give you a lot of information, but that’s what you need to really see what the net is doing,” he says. “When you first look at it, it’s page after page of numbers on an Excel spreadsheet. I’m lucky to have a uniquely skilled person to help me.” O’Neill recently worked with a tuna seiner captain in San Pedro, Calif. “We went and set his old net, then we set the new one. At first, he was seeing parts of the net coming up while he was pursing. We found it was purse rings getting stuck on the connectors on the purse line. He was using the old-style rings at the time. But he switched to the new ones, Rings around the World.” O’Neill is also working on a new hauler design that will accommodate

David O’Neill photos

NET TECH

Barry Matthews’ new seiner, the Ocean Venture, uses the latest Simrad PX purse seine sensors to help him keep fish in the net.

22 National Fisherman \ March 2021

Marco power blocks have been an industry mainstay for generations. www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

the fisherman to change-out the worn rubber cleats in-the-field), super-strong sheave and sideshell castings. Additionally, the Kolstrand 26-inch Power Block comes with Kolstrand’s bearing supported pinion gear arrangement (which eliminates motor shaft deflection under load and creates a permanent grease barrier to protect the motor shaft from corrosion issues). Haul your net from either rail without kinking the hoses, and never worry about a leaking motor shaft seal again. Matthews has a 450-hp John Deere engine dedicated to running the Ocean Venture’s hydraulics. “It runs a 30-gallon main pump and a couple of 20s,” says Matthews. “It’s plenty for the block.” Various sectors of U.S. fisheries using seines are seeing different degrees of success and sustainability. While

Kolstrand

NET TECH

Kolstrand and other makers have added wheels to help keep twine in the block. Lighter twine will require more changes.

salmon and menhaden seiners are seeing steady landings and reasonable prices, tuna seiners in the Pacific dropped from 37 vessels in 2016 to 24 in 2020, and herring seiners like

Matthews have seen 90 percent cuts in quota. Matthews has continued to fish profitably by targeting menhaden off New Jersey. But he is furious with the quota cuts. While midwater trawlers can exploit available quota in the deeper waters of Georges Bank, Matthews, as a seiner, is pretty much stuck in the nearshore area, where quota has tightened. “And we are the cleanest fishery,” he says, noting that if a catch is not what the market wants, they can let the fish, or any bycatch, go alive. Seining is an ancient way of fishing, but many technical advances, from twine to haulers and sensors, are making it more efficient. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.”

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March 2021 \ National Fisherman 23

COVER STORY

PORT PROFILE

Viking Village

24 National Fisherman \ March 2021

COVER STORY

PORT PROFILE

New Jersey’s storied fishing dock at Barnegat Light thrives on a century of heritage Photos by Britton Spark • Text by Kirk Moore

hen the covid-19 pandemic sent graphic designer Britton Spark back home to Long Beach Island, N.J., the creative void in his life had to be filled. “I felt stalled. There wasn’t any reason to make stuff ,” said Spark. He and his girlfriend, Viking Village Barnegat Light, Anna Panacek, began New Jersey taking morning walks in Barnegat Light, where she had family connections at the Viking Village fishing dock. There the solution hit Spark. “I thought, ‘How cool would it be to document this?’” Spark recalled. Growing up in nearby Harvey Cedars, the dock was “something I always took for granted,” said Spark. But seeing the buzz of daily activity up close, he began toting his camera. “I’m probably at the docks five days a week,” said Spark, who posts his Instagram photos @couchchronicles.

He says the imagery has been a hit with readers “who never saw fishing in that light… so the response has been really cool from nonfishermen. They just love following the project.” At the northern tip of the island, Barnegat Inlet was dubbed Barendegat — or Inlet of the Breakers — by Dutch explorers in the 17th century. Partially tamed by Army Corps of Engineers jetties in the latter 20th century, the channel is a lifeline for a fleet of around 40 commercial fishing vessels based at Viking Village and nearby Lighthouse Marina. In 1927, several Scandinavian fishermen formed the Independent Fish Co., a location later renamed Viking Village. In the mid-1970s the late captains John Larson and Louis Puskas, who had pioneered a new tilefish fishery, purchased the dock.

By Brian Hagenbuch

The crews of the F/V Ms Manya and F/V Grand Larson III hard at work on an August day, performing maintenance between trips. A late summer sky comes alive with a full house of fishboats home at Viking Village. March 2021 \ National Fisherman 25

COVER STORY

PORT PROFILE

< The F/V Capt. John heads toward Barnegat Inlet, bound for the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area South. The boat was named after one of the Viking Village founders and built by his family to honor his legacy.

83%

^ Yellowfin tuna fresh from Capt. Jimmy Phillips and the F/V Alexandria Dawn crew. The 2020 longline season was prosperous at Viking Village, including strong landings for bigeye tunas.

Barnegat Light scores fifth place among East Coast ports in scallop landings at $20 million in 2018 — 83 percent of the port’s total value of $24 million, according to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

“I honestly loved it. It was so much fun, and there was so much opportunity to make money there,” said Anna Panacek, daughter of dock manager Ernie Panacek and John Larson’s granddaughter. “It has absolutely defined hard work. It has taught me so much.” Today, Barnegat Light scores fifth place among East Coast ports in scallop landings at $20 million in 2018 — 83 percent of the port’s total value of $24 million, according to Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council documents. Monkfish followed that year with $960,000 in landed value, and summer flounder for $490,000. In 2020, Viking Village crews landed 351,815 pounds of tilefish and 367,757 pounds of tuna and swordfish, its other signature species. The Viking Village fleet of 30 includes nine general category dayboat scallop vessels, nine with full-time permits, two longliners and eight gillnetters, according to Austin Schwerzel, receiving manager at the dock. There’s a full-time dock staff of 12, working a multitude of tasks from packing out to sales. 26 National Fisherman \ March 2021

< First Mate Sam Corio and Capt. Stanley Jackson from the C.B. Keane examine their scallop catch carefully at packout.

> Capt. Kevin Wark, a 2012 NF Highliner, works hard yearround. This winter shot of the Dana Christine II, a 46foot Mussel Ridge, heads home with a gull escort. www.nationalfisherman.com

COVER STORY

PORT PROFILE

< Mate Dillon Kelly packs out a fall catch of spiny dogfish on the F/V Eliza. These fish are plentiful just off the coast of New Jersey. Viking Village recorded 1 million pounds of spiny dogfish landings in 2020.

< Before the day is done, Bryan Masterson washes down the F/V Risky Business on the way back to its slip post packout.

> Mike Chiapetta from the F/V Lucky Thirteen, is happy to haul a 40-pound bag of open-bottom scallops fresh off the boat.

^ George West, a skilled deckhand and experienced scalloper, ties off the F/V Ms Manya after one of many summer scallop trips.

“It has absolutely defined hard work. It has taught me so much.” — Anna Panacek, DAUGHTER OF DOCK MANAGER

^ Master tuna grader and salesman Chris Sprague examines fresh tuna coming right out of the holds of the F/V Alexandria Dawn in September. His pelagic fish grading work at Viking Village is a refined skill. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

“We start at 8 a.m., and first thing we do is check dayboat scallops” that have come in, said Schwerzel. “The gillnetters are out, so we get ready for them,” cleaning tubs for head-on monkfish and monkfish livers that have been a specialty for years. The ice plant turns out 60 tons to prep for boats and product, while “our sales team is taking orders 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. All the guys in New York are putting in their orders,” he said. Two workers set to preparing sushi-grade scallops as “the ultimate dayboat Continued on page 33 March 2021 \ National Fisherman 27

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

POISED FOR POTS

Buck and Ann Fisheries photos

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

A new skipper and new launch head for the Aleutian pot cod fishery By Paul Molyneaux

ernie Burkholder is a fourth-generation fisherman in Alaska. His company, Buck and Ann Fisheries, is named for his parents, who fished for years out of Kodiak. Generation five, Burkholder’s son Blake, is already in the game, and generation six — two grandchildren, ages 6 and 4 — represents the future. Expanding his business from one boat, the 78-foot longliner Northern Endurance, Burkholder bought a 58' x 27' steel hull shell with an 11-foot draft from Delta Marine in Seattle, and towed it to Warrenton, Ore., in March 2020. “The Aleutian Endurance,” Burkholder announces her by name. “Delta built it and then had it in a warehouse for about five years. A few people looked at it. Hockema Whalen Meyers were the designers. They did the Northern Endurance, and we’ve had a lot of good experience

28 National Fisherman \ March 2021

with them.” Confident in the basic design, Burkholder bought the boat. “We didn’t know whether to set up for salmon seining, trawling or pot fishing,” he says. “We finally decided on pot fishing, and we’re hoping to get her done and get up to Alaska to fish cod this winter.” Having gotten the shafting done, and adding zincs and transducers at Delta, Burkholder and his team have continued their work with the boat afloat. “We had a barge alongside it with workshops, and that greatly enhanced our efficiency,” says Burkholder, pointing out that the boat might have been finished sooner if he had taken it to a yard. But he wanted more control over how things were done.“We hired a crew of not more than a dozen hand-picked craftsmen. I don’t think we saved any money. Maybe a little, but we have a high-quality boat that is exactly what we want.” www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

“We didn’t know whether to set up for salmon seining, trawling or pot fishing. We finally decided on pot fishing, and we’re hoping to get her done and get up to Alaska to fish cod this winter.” —Bernie Burkholder, FOURTH-GENERATION FISHERMAN

Delta Marine built the 58-foot Hockema Whalen Myers design on spec and warehoused the vessel for five years until Bernie Burkholder bought her.

Burkholder notes that the Aleutian Endurance is not super wide. “But we’re going to have better fuel efficiency and maneuverability, and she’s going to do everything we want,” he says. Curry Marine of Toledo, Ore., supplied Burkholder with a Cummins power package. That includes a 650-hp QSK19 main engine with a Twin Disc MG5170 5:1 gear that turns a 5-inch Duplex 2205 shaft with a 5.5-inch tail shaft. The 68" x 57" four-blade stainless propeller comes from Krueger and Son. And although there is no nozzle, there is a beavertail. Two 210-kW QSB7 auxiliaries to run the hydraulics, hotel and other systems. According to Blake Burkholder, the engine dedicated to the hydraulics powers two Kawasaki Precision Machinery K3VL80 pumps that can deliver 40 gallons per minute at 2,000 psi. “We will be fishing pot longline for To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

blackcod,” says Blake Burkholder. “There can be 30 to 50 pots on a line, and the groundline is over an inch in diameter.” “With all of the engines being high-pressure common rail — sensitive to water in the fuel — we outfitted her with an Alfa Laval MIB303 centrifuge supplied by Separator Spares and Equipment,” adds Blake Burkholder, who was the point man on the project.“Phil Rohr,

owner of North Coast Marine, took over on the metal fabrication and installation of mechanical systems. All of the larger systems, such as the RSW, are electric and run on 480V three-phase power.” Bernie Burkholder notes that many in the blackcod fisheries are converting from hooks to pot longlines in order to reduce the impacts of whale predation. Sperm whales have learned how to pick

Two of these Cummins 210-kW QSB7 auxiliaries will power systems on the Aleutian Endurance.

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 29

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

Hockema Whalen Myers designed the 58-footer with a beavertail to improve the thrust of the 68" x 57" four-blade propeller.

Delta also installed housings for the WASSP and Simrad transducers, which provide crucial information for effective fishing.

The deck equipment is ready for chopping bait and hauling pots. The fish holds of the Aleutian Endurance will hold up to 200,000 pounds in a 60-ton RSW system.

The wheelhouse of the Aleutian Endurance is well equipped with electronics, notably Olex and Nobeltec bottom building systems. 30 National Fisherman \ March 2021

fish off longlines, and it is costing the industry. “There’s a lot of debate over the impact,” says Burkholder. “The official number is 10 to 15 percent. But what I see of the money being spent on boats converting, I think it’s closer to 50 or 75 percent.” With prices depressed and quotas that limit catch, Burkholder is looking at landing the highest quality product possible. The two fish holds in the Aleutian Endurance can hold roughly 200,000 pounds in a 60-ton refrigerated seawater system from IMS. Doug Cannon, owner of Marine Refrigeration Solutions, and his son, Robert Cannon, installed the RSW, as well as an IMS bait freezer. Quality is king in the blackcod fishery, and Burkholder strives to deliver a firstrun product. “We J-cut the blackcod,” he says.“That is, you cut the head off behind the collar and leave the belly.” The crew bleeds all Pacific cod, and they go into the RSW. While Hockema Whalen Meyers designed the hull, Burkholder and his team did the layout for the deck equipment, wheelhouse and crew quarters. “We have a crane from Fred Wahl,” says Burkholder. “Yaquina did our bait chopper, pot launcher and anchor winch. We got our power block from Island Hydraulics, and the scissor table from Highmark Marine in Kodiak.” Moving forward, the Aleutian Endurance has crew accommodations for 5 in a common stateroom, and a stateroom for the captain in the wheelhouse. “We reduced crew comfort a little and used the space to create a workshop and a larger walk-in pantry,” says Burkholder, noting that in the remote areas where they will be fishing, it’s important to be able to fix things. “You can’t just go ashore and get a part.You have to have it with you.” Radar Marine Electronics supplied the electronics, including a Furuno FAR1513 radar with a 6-foot array, a Simrad AP70 autopilot, and a Furuno SC70 GPS compass. www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

Loading pots in Astoria, Ore., in late December, the crew of the Aleutian Endurance prepares to head north for a winter of pot cod fishing in Alaska.

“Fathom Marine Electric did the install,” says Blake Burkholder, who helped put the package together and install it, along with Hung Dang from Fathom Marine. “The most noteworthy electronics are

the F3LX 80kHz WASSP, which does bottom mapping and hardness and is tied exclusively into the Nobeltec Professional plotter,” says Blake Burkholder. “The other transducer is the Simrad 38kHz split beam, which has a 7-degree beam.

Traditionally, we have only run Simrad and Olex on our other boats. But the WASSP is promising in that it will build bottom much faster with 120 beams, and it will give us higher resolution data. The Simrad, on the other hand, works well for steep edges and fishing at depth. It also will work best for finding and sizing cod.” He notes that the Simrad transducer also does bottom mapping and is tied in exclusively to the Olex for depth and hardness data. “We are also running 11 Axis Communications IP cameras with 32 TB of recording capacity. The communication systems are made up of three Icom VHF radios, an Msat for dispatch, Harold Whittlesy, and a KVH V7 HTS for internet and landline communication.” Brandon Johnson, the vessel’s 29-yearold skipper, will be taking the Aleutian Endurance north to fish in the waters around Adak as the 2021 cod season

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March 2021 \ National Fisherman 31

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

Captain Brandon Johnson takes the Aleutian Endurance on sea trials in Oregon. On the way north to Alaska he calls her a “hot rod.”

begins. New Year’s Eve found him and his crew in the Gulf of Alaska bound for Kodiak. “She’s running great,” says Johnson, who has worked for the Burkholders for eight years. “She’s faster than the

Northern Endurance on a course for Kodiak. We’re running at 9 knots all the way. We’re running dry, we have 35 longline anchors in the forward hold for ballast.” Johnson was expecting to make a pit

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stop in Kodiak to top up his 8,954-gallon fuel tanks, pick up groceries, and load the cod table, then head to Dutch Harbor to load more pots and about 9,000 pounds of frozen saury and herring for bait. From there he will run to the grounds around Adak, in the far western Aleutians. “We’ll deliver to a tender and get food and fuel from them until March,” says Johnson. “We try to haul around 300 traps a day,” he says. When fishing’s hot, we get around 500 pounds a trap. When it’s off, we get about 100.” But fishing in long boreal nights pays off for Johnson, who earns about half his annual income in the pot cod fishery. NF wishes him and his crew the best as he takes the helm of the Burkholders’ new vessel for her inaugural season.

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COVER STORY

PORT PROFILE Viking Village Continued from page 27

scallop for high-end markets,” a daily task for five to six hours. There are other tasks before gillnetters return in the afternoon. “I’ll go pack out five boats, then sit down and do invoices for three hours,” said Schwerzel. In addition to the daily requirements, senior staff like Panacek might be involved with industry issues, from government relations to the scallopers’ close research collaboration with NMFS scientists. “It’s a multitalented staff,” said Schwerzel. “People are qualified to do many things.” Spark and Schwerzel also work together, helping the photographer know when boats are coming and going, and Spark’s work appears on the dock’s social media accounts. “Austin will take it to another level with telling people what’s going on and what boats are coming in,” said Spark. “I just find it fascinating to see how everyone there works together.” Kirk Moore is the associate editor for National Fisherman.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

< F/V Sea Farmer Captain Chris Rainone holds a giant golden tilefish with crewmen John Puskas and Riley Harris off-loading back at the dock.

< Before heading out for dayboat scallops, deckhand Kyle Davis prepares the F/V Provider III for departure.

The F/V F. Nelson Blount and F/V Grand Larson III sit pretty at dusk, as a long workday comes to a close at Viking Village.

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 33

BOATS & GEAR

AROUND THE YARDS

NORTHEAST

Massachusetts yard delivers 90-foot clammer; Maine boatshop building lobster-dragger combo

Fairhaven Shipyard built the 90-foot clammer Joey D for Oceanside Marine. She was designed by Farrell & Norton Naval Architects.

airhaven Shipyard in Fairhaven, Mass., delivered the Joey D to Oceanside Marine at the beginning of October. The 90' x 28' clammer, designed by Farrell & Norton Naval Architects, is working out of Atlantic City, N.J., supplying clams to LaMonica Fine Foods. “Basically they are upgrading their fleet,” says Farrell & Norton’s Tom Farrell in New Castle, Maine. One difference between the Joey D and many other clammers is how the towing wire at the top of the gantry leads out to the drag. “A lot of boats have a fixed sheave up there,” says Farrell, “that isn’t able to travel with the wire as it starts going outside the boat.” It’s a hard point that wears out the towing wear. The solution was to go with a different type of sheave, “a fairlead instead of a fixed sheave to try to save the wire,” says Farrell. The “sheave will twist with the wire as the drag is being brought back into the boat or as it is being towed.” When the clams come aboard, they end up in cages in the hold, which has a 44-cage capacity with possibly 12 more on deck. An 800-hp Cummins QSK18 powers the Joey D. That’s “an upgrade in

power compared to their other boats,” says Farrell. Currently, Farrell & Norton has two scallopers being built to their design. One is for Warren Alexander of Atlantic Shellfish at Jemison Marine in Bayou LaBatre and the other is for Eastern Fisheries at Duckworth Steel Boats in Tarpon Springs, Fla. “People are definitely interested in building more,” Farrell says. “I think they are realizing that the fleet is old.”

34 National Fisherman \ March 2021

Moses Ortiz

Steve Kennedy

By Michael Crowley

Boricua Custom Boats is building the 44-foot Grin-N-Barrett as a combination lobster boat and dragger.

Kevin McLaughlin at Fairhaven Shipyard would probably agree with that. While Fairhaven Shipyard has a number of commercial boats in for repairs, there hasn’t recently been a lot of interest in new boats. But now McLaughlin says he has “quite a few people interested in building new boats.” He’s talking with two parties interested in new scallopers and two wanting draggers. It “just gets down to the age. Those are older boats,” says McLaughlin of the existing New England fishing fleets. In Steuben, Maine, it won’t be the usual Maine lobster boat that comes out of Boricua Custom Boats. Nope, when the 44' x 18' 10" Grin-N-Barrett, being built for Harrington’s Dean Barrett, emerges from the shop’s doors it won’t be just a lobster boat, but a combination lobster boat and dragger. It’s probably not a surprise that combining the two fisheries on this 44-footer is taking place at Boricua Custom Boats. Moses Ortiz, the boatshop’s owner, says, “I like to do things differently.” The hull started out as an Osmond 47 that its builder, H&H Marine, also in Steuben, shortened to 44 feet. “This is the first one. There’s not another one like it,” says Ortiz. He is building her “light enough and strong enough” for both fisheries. The trawl winch will go between the wheelhouse and the front of the lobster tanks. That area of the deck is constructed with heavily fiberglassed ¾-inch Coosa Board with a ¼-inch stainless steel plate over it. Supporting posts are beneath the deck. “It will be very rugged in that area,” noted Ortiz. He describes the changeover from one fishery to another as “plug and play.” For bottom fishing, the trawl winch will be bolted to the stainless steel plate. When it’s time for hauling lobster traps instead of a bottom trawl, the winch is removed and stored.Then ½-inch plastic bolts seal the winch plate’s bolt holes, “so nothing leaks into the engine room.” On lobster boats, Ortiz normally runs a stainless steel plate the length of Continued on page 37 www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

AROUND THE YARDS

SOUTH

To reduce the size of the box, Cockrell had to reconfigure the exhaust system. A large portion of the exhaust was mounted above the floorboards (ceiling), which limited floor space and got in the way of work and storing payload. Cockrell, using fiberglass conduit elbows, reconfigured the exhaust so it is now located below the ceiling. “This enabled us to open up more floor space and shorten the engine box, which gives Jimmy more workspace inside the boat,” says Cockrell. Foster uses the boat, named Addy G., to fish crab pots and dredge oysters. The boat is powered by a 270-hp 5.9BTA Cummins Diesel engine. Cockrell is installing six new fuel injectors, rebuilding the injection pump and installing a new fuel lift pump. Inside the yard’s covered railway is the sailing skipjack Claud W. Somers owned by the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum of Reedville,Va. Cockrell installed two new bottom planks on the boat and shored up the area around the mask for an

Chicken grow-out house doubles as a boatshop; Cecil Robbins 29 in for repairs at Virginia yard

Sinepuxent Boatworks in Berlin, Md., delivered this 22-foot glass-over-wood skiff to a Chestertown, Md., waterman to trotline for blue crabs and to harvest catfish.

oey Miller of Sinepuxent Boatworks of Berlin, Md., continues to turn out boat after boat inside a chicken grow-out house that he uses as his boatshop. Throughout the south and over the years, this NF reporter has covered commercial fishing boats being built in deserted fertilizer plants, abandoned oyster shucking and vegetable packing buildings, seine storage sheds, Quonset huts, hay and tobacco barns, inside the family car garage, and under the sky in the backyard. A chicken grow-out house is a bit different but it just goes to show a good boatbuilder can build a quality boat most anywhere. In August, Miller delivered a 22' x 9' glass-over-wood deadrise skiff to Matt Strong of Chestertown, Md. Strong is working the skiff in Maryland’s blue crab trotline fishery and to harvest catfish. The keel and frames on the skiff are made of fir, and frames are set on 20-inch centers. The sides are strip-planked with 1-inch-wide juniper fastened with stainless steel ring shank nails driven every 8 inches. The bottom is made of 1/2-inch fir plywood, and bow deck and washboards out of 3/4-inch fir plywood. The

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bottom is glassed with 1708 biaxial fiberglass cloth and epoxy. The bow deck, washboards and floor (ceiling) are glassed with 1-1/2-ounce mat and epoxy. Miller delivered the boat unpainted as Strong finished off the skiff himself. The boat is powered by a 90-hp Suzuki outboard. At his shop, Miller currently has 25-, 30- and 32-foot deadrise boats underway for sport fishermen. “I’m seeing more demand for sportfishing boats than commercial fishing boats,” says Miller. “I’m a former commercial waterman. I know their challenge. I wish more commercial watermen could afford new boats.” Myles Cockrell of Cockrell’s Marine Railway in Heathsville,Va., has several commercial fishing boats at his yard there for repair and has an order to build an aluminum “davit” fish bailer rig for a pound net fisherman. A Cecil Robbins-built fiberglass 29-footer is inside Cockrell’s boatshop for repair. Before retiring from the trade, Robbins built quality wooden and fiberglass boats in the late 1990s at his shop at Drawbridge, Md. The Robbins 29 belongs to waterman Jimmy Foster of Virginia’s Northern Neck. He had Cockrell reduce the engine box size and repair the Cummins Diesel engine.

Larry Chowning

Sinepuxent Boatworks

By Larry Chowning

The skipjack Claud W. Somers was on the rails at Cockrell's Marine Railway in Heathsville, Va., for replacement of two bottom planks and other repairs.

upcoming U.S. Coast Guard inspection. The Claud W. Somers, built in 1911 at Young’s Creek, Va., by W. Thomas Young, is used by the museum to carry charters and as an education boat. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland in 1985 and in Virginia 2005. Continued on page 37 March 2021 \ National Fisherman 35

BOATS & GEAR

AROUND THE YARDS

WEST

A gillnetter with a very different wheelhouse; good-bye hatches, hello manholes

Peregrine Boats

By Michael Crowley

he last time Jeff Johnson at Peregrine Boats in Chugiak, Alaska, built a Bristol Bay gillnetter like the one that’s currently under construction was 23 years ago. That was for Kim Mikkelsen, the father of Caleb Mikkelsen, a Palmer, Alaska, fisherman who is having the current boat built. The 32' x 15' gillnetter has similarities to the bow- and stern-picker style that features an elevated wheelhouse on deck stanchions, with the reel passes beneath the wheelhouse as it goes from bow to stern. The reel turns 180 degrees so it can fish off either end. Johnson built an elevated wheelhouse design for the 2020 Bristol Bay season and a pair for the 2019 season, after not building one for 20 years. But Mikkelsen’s bow and stern picker “is a little different,” Johnson says. It features a 5-foot-wide by 9-footlong wheelhouse not on stanchions over the deck but built on the side of the deck with the reel passing next to it, as it travels between the bow and stern. Mounting the wheelhouse on one side of the boat “provides quite a bit more deck space since there aren’t a pair of 3' 6" x 4' deck stanchions taking up space,” says Johnson. In addition there’s not the

Peregrine Boats’ new Bristol Bay gillnetter features a net reel that travels bow to stern in the tracks on the deck.

36 National Fisherman \ March 2021

Hansen Boat Co.

blind spot of not being able to see the deck beneath the stanchion-mounted wheelhouse, and with the wheelhouse on deck there’s less windage. Johnson says, he “doesn’t know if anyone else has recently built a similar boat.” The wheelhouse will have windows all the way around, a rain-gear locker and

a head. In the fo’c’sle will be four bunks, a head and a small galley.This gillnetter is designed to fish in very shallow water. It has a 15-foot beam on deck as well as on the bottom, with only a 4-degree V. “It’s super shallow. He’s hoping to get 2 inches less draft than the guy next to him and fish in 14 inches (of water),” says Johnson. In the engine room will be a pair of 550-hp 6.7-liter Fiats matched up with 18-inch Traktor Jets, which should be enough power to get up to the mid30 mph range and on step with 10,000 pounds aboard. The fish hold has a 24,000-pound capacity. At Hansen Boat Co. in Everett, Wash., the 105-foot Royal American, which the boatyard built in 1980 and sponsoned about 15 years ago, was in the dry dock for a deck alteration that Hansen Boat’s Rick Hansen says, “I’ve never seen done before.” The Royal American, which is basically a pollock boat, had three fish holds, each with a large steel hatch cover. Like most steel hatch covers, these get beat up, leak and occasionally have to be rebuilt. Well, no more because those hatch covers are no longer there. “The owners just said, forget it and deck them over,” says Hansen.Thus the holds were decked over and in place of the three deck hatches are

The 105-foot Royal American was dry-docked at Hansen Boat Co. to have hatches replaced with manhole covers. www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

AROUND THE YARDS

three 24-inch manhole covers. With the manhole covers, there’s “less chance of leakage into the tanks and a nice smooth surface for bringing the nets up and pushing fish around” and into the holes, says Hansen. The pollock, which are floating in seawater in the fish holds, will be pumped out. While the Royal American was in the dry dock the tail shaft and shaft bearings were replaced. Also into Hansen Boat was the Odin, a 58-foot combination boat out of Petersburg, Alaska, that was hauled to have the bottom checked over. Due into Hansen Boat this coming April is another older dragger, the 95-foot Nordic Fury, which was built by Martinolich Shipbuilding in Tacoma, Wash., in 1972, as a crabber but was then sponsoned 20 years ago and turned into a dragger. Not long after the sponsoning, Hansen Boat replaced the wheelhouse. “Now they come in every two years to do a haul-out,” Hansen says. Speaking in general of the larger commercial fishing boats that show up regularly at the Everett boatyard, Hansen says, “These guys, every two years they dump a lot of money into the boats to keep them moving.” Around the Yards: Northeast Continued from page 34

the starboard washboard, making that section of the hull, “pretty much unbreakable,” he says. Where the trawl doors will be situated, the underside of the starboard and port washboard’s last 5 feet are being heavily fiberglassed. The split wheelhouse has dual steering stations. In the engine room is a 1,000-hp MAN, and aft of the engine room the fish hold has a 36-crate capacity for lobsters. Up forward are a hydraulic room, four bunks, a microwave and spaces for toolboxes.

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Around the Yards: South Continued from page 35

Pound “trap” net fisherman Thomas Gaskins of Northumberland County, Va., has an order for a new aluminum “davit” fish bailing rig. The new one will be modeled after one made of steel that Gaskins is currently using. Chesapeake Bay trap fishermen use a variety of one-off bailing systems to bail fish out of the head, or main fish pocket of the net. Variations of hauling systems, usually powered off main engines of boats, are used to lift heavy dipnets loaded with fish from the pound net head and then dropped into the bottom of a carry-away boat. On a final note, Edward Nelson Diggs of Mathews County, Va., died on Nov. 26 at the age of 93. One of the last of Virginia’s old-time wooden boatbuilders, Diggs’ first recollection of being a part of the trade was as a boy in early 1930s, where in his backyard he would blow sawdust from his father’s saw mark. He learned the wooden boatbuilding trade from his father, Edgar, and his father’s boatbuilding partner, Ned Hudgins. Most of his life, Diggs built wooden boats of some kind. After retiring from building commercial fishing boats in the late 1990s at Horn Harbor Railway, he built boat models and flat-bottom and deadrise skiffs in his garage at his home in Redart,Va. Late in life, he took up the game of golf and was darn good. His boatbuilding legacy will live on for generations as anyone with knowledge of Chesapeake Bay wooden deadrise boats will certainly confirm that Edward Diggs built some of the prettiest, sturdiest workboats on the bay. Always a gentleman, soft-spoken, and always taking time to talk, he welcomed any arrival to his boatshop or at his home in a kind and friendly way. Amen!

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March 2021 \ National Fisherman 37

BOATS & GEAR

PRODUCT ROUNDUP

Focus on schools Furuno aims for higher resolution with its split-beam sounder By Brian Hagenbuch

resh for 2021, Furuno has rolled out a new, higherresolution split-beam sounder, the FCV38. Matt Wood, Furuno’s national sales manager, said the FCV38 is representative of Furuno’s product line in that it borrows from the past — using the same transducer array and many of the same sensors as its predecessors — but combines it with more powerful signal processing, which provides for a finer-grain presentation of schools. “Being able to do fish school analysis and fish size analysis is kind of the holy grail of commercial fishing. Multibeam and split-beam sounders have always been at the leading edge of being able to see both the size of the school and the size of fish within that

school,” Wood said. Wood added that several upgrades have made the FCV38 more userfriendly than its immediate predecessor, the FCV30. These upgrades include shifting the most meaningful data to be more prominently displayed on the screen as well as a new control mechanism that mimics a conventional PC mouse. “It’s an easier-to-use package, with the updated controller, the updated display unit, and a much higher resolution presentation,” Wood said, adding that the user interface and control mechanism have been harmonized and are more reminiscent of computers that people use on a dayto-day basis. And while split-beam sounders

The high-power FCV38 sounder also works for smaller boats.

involve a significant install and have been more common on larger fishing vessels, Wood said that smaller and smaller components mean boats all the way down to the 40- to 50-foot range can get the technology. “We’re really trying to come up with product sizing that will fit a broader array of boats. So we’re really pleased that overall size of the components of the FCV38 have come down enough to allow them to fit factory trawlers all the way down to seiners or even trollers,” Wood said. FURUNO www.furunousa.com

Warm welcome Grundéns’ Weather-Boss line is heavy-duty cold-weather gear By Brian Hagenbuch

rundéns has rolled out a suite of insulated cold-weather gear that is infinitely wearable. The feature attraction here is the Weather-Boss jacket and bibs, which are built to be heavy-duty workwear for cold conditions. Both coat and bibs are coated with heavy-duty, 10,000-millimeter and 5,000 mvp breathable nylon. All seams are taped, and the coat has a breathable waterproof layer that sits between the nylon shell and the insulated liner, which is made of Primaloft. The Primaloft liner is surprisingly soft and cozy, and maintains some warmth even when it gets damp. “This is just super nice insulation. It’s branded, nice, high-quality stuff, and it’s a big part of the reason the stuff works,”

38 National Fisherman \ March 2021

said Grundéns representative Cory Lowe. Both the Weather-Boss coat and bibs have wider cuts for layering underneath, and the jacket has a regular length cut for wearing a tool belt underneath. While it is not exactly deckwear, this coat is perfect for working around the boatyard or as an outer layer for driving and delivering in cold weather. The bibs also have ample legroom for full workwear underneath, along with reinforced knees and kneepad pouches. “This is for people who are working around the yard, repairing lobster traps or nets in the winter, that kind of thing. It’s not waterproof, but it’s water resistant, and will shed some weather, but it’s more about keeping warm,” Lowe said.

Grundéns makes gear-work warm with insulated layers.

Another addition in the cold weather vein for Grundéns is the Ballast Insulated Jacket. Grundéns says the coat can be worn around the boatyard or on a date “with the right person,” and they do fall more into the evening wear category. This is a good-looking jacket with a slimmer fit than the Weather-Boss that still has great movement, in part from deep lateral shoulder gussets. GRUNDÉNS

www.grundens.com

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BOATS & GEAR

PRODUCTS AT A GLANCE

C-MAP has released a new service, the NAVAREA WARNING SERVICE for IMS. The warning service delivers automatic data that is continually updated and integrated into existing trip planning and weather routing, unlike traditional World-Wide Navigational Warning Service data that must entered manually. Available for most regions of the world, IMS shows searchable NavArea Warnings on charts and on the Passage Plan Report. The service requires a subscription, and daily updates come in via internet or email. C-MAP

www.c-map.com

The RAW WATER STRAINER from RARITAN ENGINEERING is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent costly repairs. The small-mesh strainer removes plants and other solid debris from water taken in for cooling pumps and propulsion, which helps to keep vital pumps and hoses open. A clear polycarbonate housing provides for easy monitoring of the #16 mesh strainer inside. It comes with a mounting bracket and 1.5-inch threaded PVC ports for easy plug-in to existing systems. RARITAN ENGINEERING

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To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Winner of an NMEA Products of Excellence award in 2020 in the Wi-Fi/cellular devices category, the WAVE WIFI TIDAL WAVE allows for offshore wireless connection to internet sources via high-gain antennas and a transceiver. This alternative path to connectivity can patch over holes in the cellular system while on the water. It uses Wave’s proprietary Graphic User Interface, facilitating smooth set-up and use with a host of devices, including personal computers, Apple products, and Android tablets and smartphones.

YANMAR MARINE INTERNATIONAL has released a new VC20 VESSEL CONTROL SYSTEM, which upgrades functionality, design and ease of installation. The VC20 meshes with all of Yanmar’s engine series and transmissions, and it is designed to evolve alongside electronically controlled engines. The system can be used with single, twin or triple engines, and enables up to four helm stations, with control modes dedicated for all Yanmar systems, including joystick controls.

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Italy’s SMARTGYRO launched its first two gyroscopic stabilizers — the SG40 and SG80 — in what is slated to be a complete line. The two models are ideal for boats from 50 to 70 feet, and can be used installed after market. Smartgyro uses a rotating flywheel in a sealed enclosure, combined with electronic controls to reduce rolling in boats. Smartgyro’s liquid cooling looks to correct heating issues associated with other gyroscopic stabilizers, which also allows for engine room installation and longer bearing life. SMARTGYRO

www.smartgyro.com

DURABRITE has appeased customer demands for a light even smaller than its Mini, turning out the new NANO, which pumps 7,000 lumens out of an ultrathin, lightweight unit. Winner of a Reddot Design Award this year, this sleek light is just 1.9 inches thick and weighs 2.1 pounds. There is a dimming function as well as spot and floodlight capacity. Plus Durabrite moved away from standard hard wiring to a waterproof plug, so the light can be quickly and easily unplugged to avoid theft and unnecessary exposure to weather. DURABRITE

www.durabritelights.com

March 2021 \ National Fisherman 39

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE 55’ GILLNETTER Cat 3406 with a twin Disc 514 4.5 to 1 ratio. Recently rebuilt motor and transmission. Not many hours since rebuild.

Price: $85,000 Contact: Brian 781-724-4960

43’ CHESAPEAKE BAY - 1973 Build (1973) wood- Port Haywood, VA. “Margaret-Mary” documented. “Fishery”. Draft 5” – Net tons 13-17 GRTPower – Detroit, V8-71 235 HP, F.W.C., 2 ½ to Trans: 2” 5/5 shaft – 4 blade brass, enclosed head. Tow-Bar 6’ 5.5. open stern aluminum Tower Hydraulic – steer Diesel fuel tanks-100 gal-each (200.) Windlass/Bow 12 knots – 8 GAL/ HR. Strong. Multi-use – Year 1991-2015, on hard restoration, fish plates. New “oak” keel – end – cutlass- skeg keel shoe. Rudder assembly rebuilt. R/E tow boat. Fishing Parties. Cruise. Mooring details. Recreational. Search and rescue. Needs Navigational electronics, Buzzards Bay, MA. Price: Priced to sell! Reasonable offers accepted! Contact: Earl 508-994-3575

70’ STEEL TRAWLER FREEZER 1987 70x22x8. 62” Kort Nozzle, 61 1/2X62 prop, 3408 Cat. with 6 to1 reduction gear, twin disc, 470 HP. 2 Isuzu 60 KW Gensets. 6000 gal fuel. 2500 gal water.Full Galley, 1 head, and 3 staterooms. Full Hydrolics. Loaded with Electronics! 2 radars,2 fish scopes, AIS, 2 GPS, 5 radios,AIS, 2 computers, hailer, camera system,Sat. TV,Phone,searchlight,SS anchor,spare parts and gear! Excellent condition. AND MUCH MORE! Please call for more details! Price: $425,000 Contact: Jimmy 252-671-9161

2005 NORTHERN BAY 650 Volvo D 12, ZF gear, Island berth galley down,Closed head, separate shower, two steering stations, Split Wheelhouse, stainless pot hauler, On demand hydraulic system, Interior is mahogany, 12 swivel rod holders, live well, 4 man life raft, EPIRB 3000 watt inverter

Price: $375,000 Negotiable! Contact: Call Shaun 617-694-7454

40 National Fisherman \ March 2021

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Please contact: schikami@westpacfish.com 42 National Fisherman \ March 2021

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Last

set

WANCHESE, N.C. A crewman sorts a haul of shrimp on the 48-foot trawler Southern Belle run by Boo Daniels. The catch will be distributed by Scallop Shack Farms in Cape May, N.J. Photo by Boo Daniels @scallopshackfarms

48 National Fisherman \ March 2021

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National Fisherman March 2021

Articles inside

Around the Yards

Classifi eds

Around the Coasts

Product Roundup

Northern Lights

Consequences

Editor’s Log

Fishing Back When