National Fisherman October 2020 by National Fisherman

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October / 2020

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National Fisherman / October 2020 / Vol. 101, No. 6

Robert Fritchey

In this issue

Surviving the net bans

Aptly named: Relentless gets more power

Next wave gensets

Barnegat Light, N.J., scallop captain Owen Smith gets his vessel a 325-hp hydraulic upgrade for pulling those dredges.

Hybrid power, variable speeds and new software for more efficiency.

Features / Boats & Gear

On Deck 06

A Letter from NMFS Overfished stocks at an all-time low, and 1.74 million U.S. fishing jobs.

Trawl Tech New sensors make fishing more efficient, and help stock surveys.

Around the Yards

Northern Lights Alaska exports new seafood tastes to the world.

Editor’s Log

Fishing Back When

Mail Buoy

Around the Coasts

Market Reports

Permit News

Last Set / Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Wooden dragger returns to its builders; Maine-built California crabber; Virginia railway rebuilt.

Reader Services 44

Classifieds

Product Roundup

Advertiser Index

Northwest merger brings top deck equipment makers together; Suzuki’s new outboard lineup.

National Fisherman (ISSN 0027-9250), October 2020, Vol. 101, No. 6, 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.

Northern Lights

Jake Smith

In “A Different Breed of Cat,” author Robert Fritchey tells how Alabama fishermen bucked the sportfishing lobby.

ON DECK

Editor’s Log

The other plague Jessica Hathaway Editor in Chief jhathaway@divcom.com

he state of Alaska, known for sustainable fisheries management, has a policy that fisheries allocations cannot be decided at the ballot box — meaning, they endeavor to let the experts decide. Meanwhile, our federal fisheries policy is often targeted for revision by lawsuit. Surely, a federal judge should be an expert on law. But they are not marine biologists, communitybased policy makers, or coastal economists.Yet, this is the scope of expertise required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s National Standards. Federal fisheries policy is formed by councils and commissions after public input, and approved by a federal agency — it requires a holistic perspective on the biomass, the working waterfront, the safety and efficiency of fishing gear and practices, and allocating access

among all user groups. It is an arduous process. Try to explain it in a few sentences. I’ll wait. Anyone who has studied fishery science and policy will attest to its complexities. And those change fishery by fishery and region by region — often within the same state. It would be nice to simplify fisheries policy, but I fear that would not work in any fleet’s favor. What I would like to see is the application of all 10 National Standards to any lawsuit attempting to change fishery policy through the backdoor of a federal bench — Optimum Yield, Scientific Information, Management Units, Allocations, Efficiency, Variations and Contingencies, Costs and Benefits, Communities, Bycatch, and Safety of Life at Sea.These suits should account for their effects on all of these factors (not just one or a handful), as

On the cover Built at Florida’s Eastern Shipbuilding in 1978, the Barnegat Light, N.J.-based scalloper Relentless has been well maintained in recent years at Garpo Marine in New York. Jake Smith photo

federal managers are required to do, and not sacrifice one for another. Anyone with enough money for a good lawyer can effectively cherry-pick the things they don’t like about a single policy.The result is that the fishermen who can muster the cash for their own lawyers must redirect funds and time to defending lawsuits instead of implementing gear, processing and product innovations; and fishery managers are forced to twist and contort into impossible positions in order to try to please everyone (which I believe we all recognize is futile). As you can read in NMFS Administrator Chris Oliver’s column on page 6 and our news coverage on page 9, our federal management is superb and improving every year. The biggest deciding factor in whether or not a fishery is managed well should not be social pressure; it should be based in science. Money spent to halt a fishery would better serve the American public as an investment in better data, cooperative research and product innovation. Without good data, we have no way of knowing what is happening in the ocean. Without good policy, we have no way of safely executing any fishery.

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

2 National Fisherman \ October 2020

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Fishing Back When October By Jessica Hathaway

1970 — A burgeoning offshore lobster fishery gets a new launch with the Susan Y out of Westport Point, Mass. The 60foot steel boat is designed and built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding for Larry Yacubian and can carry 15,000 pounds of lobster and 20,000 pounds of frozen bait.

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The crew of the Eleni lands one of the best sponge hauls in Tarpon Springs, Fla., after a seven-day trip to harvest 4,300 sponges worth about $8,000.

The crew of the factory trawler Arctic Storm manhandle the vessel’s huge net.

Bristol Bay’s Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Co. delivers fish at the beach near King Salmon. Tony Wood and his partner Heather Huffman built the small processing company in an effort to pack their own catch. “We can fillet, vacuum pack and freeze,” Wood says.

Unrestricted pollution, industrialization and a booming population poses a significant threat to the U.S. estuarine system, according to an Interior Department report to Congress, warning that the loss of estuaries is a threat to commercial fish and shellfish.

Massachusetts Rep. Gerry Studds pledges to improve the “credibility of the fisheries science” in a plea to the New England Fishery Management Council in August to press on with a program to rebuild the region’s depleted groundfish resource. Studds spoke with William Fox, head of NMFS.

The body of Morro Bay, Calif., fisherman Matt Hunt, 65, was found on Aug. 12 after an apparent accident occurred on his way to his boat the Sea Hawk, which was moored offshore.

The Texas coast is hit with another layer of oil after a Greek tanker collides with two barges in Galveston Bay on July 28, spilling 700,000 gallons of heavy crude into fish and shellfish-rich waters.

4 National Fisherman \ October 2020

The 50th blessing of the fleet in Dularge, La., serves chicken instead of shrimp, since the local harvest has been scarce. After the ruptured Macondo oil well was capped on July 15, fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico face an uncertain future. Clem Tillion writes a tribute to Alaska’s Uncle Ted after the passing of Sen. Ted Stevens on Aug. 9.

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Mail Buoy

Points of pride larger ocean ecosystem — comes at a critical time. The commission’s progressive action was made possible by substantial and ongoing

Kris Rowe Photography

n Aug. 5, 2020, at their meeting in Arlington, Va., the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission demonstrated bold, decisive leadership in implementing ecological reference points to manage Atlantic menhaden. ERPs are numeric benchmarks used by managers to promote not only the sustainable harvest of menhaden but also broader ecosystem needs, such as supporting key predators. The recommended catches of menhaden are necessarily lower under ERPs than they would have been without them. With more than 100 years of fishery science experience among us, we believe the commission’s decision represents a sea change in how we manage marine fishes. Although not on restaurant menus, nor a target of anglers, menhaden support important fisheries that use them as bait for lobster and crab; as fish meal to feed salmon, poultry, and other livestock; and in the production of omega-3 fish oil supplements. But menhaden is a key forage species, important in the diets of high-profile fishes that we do eat (and love to catch), for example, bluefin tuna, striped bass, and bluefish. Given that these predators and other prized fish are in decline along the U.S. Atlantic coast, the decision to balance the needs of commercial menhaden fishing with fisheries that target their predators — and the

Menhaden’s ecological reference points allow management to meet broad ecosystem needs.

federal, state and academic scientific investments into the creation of ecosystem models, including one that we spearheaded. These state-of-the-art models, built specifically for our region of the Atlantic Ocean, forecast how different levels of menhaden fishing might affect not only menhaden harvests but also the abundance of key predator species, particularly striped bass. By shifting from a traditional approach that considers one single species at a time to an ecosystem approach that accounts for Atlantic menhaden and its predators, the commission demonstrated its commitment

A letter from NMFS

Status of the stocks By Chris Oliver

OAA Fisheries and our many partners continue to build on the United States’ successful fisheries management approach to help us meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. As reflected in our recently released 2019 Status of U.S. Fisheries report, 47 stocks have been rebuilt since 2000 and an all-time low number of stocks are on the overfishing list. We track more than 460 stocks or stock complexes, and the continuous monitoring and improvement of our knowledge about the stocks is key to ongoing sustainable fisheries management under the

6 National Fisherman \ October 2020

to sustaining the nation’s marine resources. The action will benefit commercial and recreational fisheries and other coastal businesses while providing adequate forage to support resilient, productive ecosystems. The commission demonstrated that ecosystem-based fisheries management can be implemented. The decades-long dialogue on menhaden among fishery managers, scientists, industry, and the public created a spirit of trust and understanding about their roles and responsibilities. The adoption of menhaden ecological reference points resulted from a transparent and balanced approach that was informed by science and consistent investments in objective, peer-reviewed research. This bold step forward serves as a prime example of ecosystem-based management for other fisheries to strategically plan and implement.

Thomas Miller University of Maryland, Solomons

Andre Buchheister Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif.

Edward Houde University of Maryland, Solomons

David Chagaris University of Florida, Cedar Key

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

Magnuson Stevens Act. Further, the 2017 Fisheries Economics of the United States report shows the enormous economic impacts U.S. commercial fishing, the seafood industry, and recreational fishing generate for the United States. The economic report highlights the $244 billion in sales nationally, $111 billion contributed to the gross domestic product, and 1.74 million full- and part-time jobs supported by those industries. I know that 2020 continues to be challenging for the seafood industry, but these reports remind us that we are managing our fisheries well and continue to have a positive impact on the economy. Chris Oliver is the director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Oliver oversees the federal agency responsible for recreational and commercial fisheries.

www.nationalfisherman.com

ON DECK

Northern Lights VIEWS FROM ALASKA

Alaska’s flying fish very year, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute invites international seafood buyers, chefs and journalists to our state. Alaska, our well-managed fisheries, scenery, warm fishermen, and world-class menus tell the stories that help us market our seafood in the United States and more than 40 countries abroad. However, in the spring of 2020, for the safety of our fishing communities and the participants, ASMI canceled all in-bound missions. I miss the excitement and, of course, the cuisine, but as I reflect on the ways different groups around the world enjoy Alaska seafood, it brings our regions close again and reminds me of how food connects us all. In our most valuable export market, Japan, consumers enjoy many premium Alaska roe products, including Alaska herring roe on kelp and the gift item, marinated herring roe skeins, called kazunoko. Alaska pollock roe is commonly sold as tarako — plain, salted skeins — or mentaiko, the more brightly colored salted and marinated skeins. Japanese consumers also appreciate our salmon roe, both as ikura, generally made with pink or keta roe, and sujiko, marinated sockeye roe still in the skein. A bowl of rice often accompanies these items, or the texture of the tiny eggs in mentaiko

ASMI

Smoked sockeye salmon is a traditional product that becomes new with a recipe refresh.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

works well as a sauce on noodles. Mentaiko can also be found at the convenience store in rice balls and as a popular flavoring for a wide variety of snacks! Mentaiko originated in Korea and remains popular there today. Korea is also a valuable market for Alaska pollock and for specialty products like skate wings or cod heads for soups and braised dishes. These niche products add value to the catch and help us achieve our full utilization goals. Alaska salmon roe, with its pleasing pop and rich orange color, is also found throughout Europe as caviar. In Eastern Europe people eat red caviar on blinis or bread. Geopolitical forces play strongly in this market. The Russian market is currently closed to Alaska seafood exports; however, Ukraine closed its borders to Russian products, creating an opportunity in Ukraine for Alaska caviar. Additionally, ASMI promotes salmon caviar in Spain, France and Germany. Europe hosts many traditional markets for Alaska seafood, such as a long-standing Alaska cod market in Portugal, which has also influenced the strong consumption of Alaska cod in Brazil. The UK is the largest export market for canned salmon, and refreshed Alaska sockeye is sold at more than 80 percent of retail outlets. Recent ASMI UK campaigns highlighted sockeye for the BBQ and canned salmon in healthy recipes like salads. ASMI creates new recipe ideas for traditional products and promotes innovation. In Europe we’ve seen new Alaska whitefish products, such as “sea dogs” from Alaska yellowfin sole or similar pollock preparations. These items are indicative of two ongoing trends: First, more consumers are turning to flexitarian or pescatarian eating as they avoid red meat. Second, consumers gravitate toward convenient products that blur the line between foodservice and retail options, ready to eat, or served

ASMI

By Hannah Lindoff

Sea Dogs made from Alaska yellowfin sole are popular in Europe.

through an alternative vendor like a food truck or food court. Trends like these have accelerated during the pandemic, as consumers seek healthy foods and convenient prepared items. Although fresh farmed Atlantic salmon is readily available throughout Europe, many smokers seek wild products. I once visited a smoker in Germany who collected the trimmings from their sockeye fillets for a French baby food brand. Among all the products I see, I have a special place in my heart for the Alaska seafood items offered to children. With three small children of my own, I pay close attention to nutrition information and know how Alaska seafood benefits developing minds and bodies. Recently we were excited to work with a company in Thailand that created an Alaska salmon baby food; and in China, a company packages mini portions of Alaska sablefish and salmon for children. Although we remain isolated from our international colleagues and friends, in many ways the world has grown nearer. Consumers around the world report they are cooking new foods for the first time, with many of them now also teaching their children to cook. For those who chose Alaska seafood for the first time, welcome to Alaska!

Hannah Lindoff is the senior director of Global Marketing and Strategy for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 7

AROUND THE COASTS

NOAA

NEWS FOR THE NATION’S FISHERMEN

Crew members sort fish on the NOAA research vessel Henry B. Bigelow. The Bigelow’s autumn trawl survey is among more than a dozen now canceled over covid-19 safety concerns.

Nation / World

“After much deliberation, we determined that we will not be able to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives.” — NMFS statement

NMFS cancels more 2020 survey cruises over covid-19 Safety concerns derail longtime annual research, as agency tries to restore observers

en more research surveys around the country were canceled by NMFS amid the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, including key groundfish trawl surveys in the Northeast and Pacific, the agency announced. “These are difficult decisions for the agency as we strive to balance our need to maintain core mission responsibilities with the realities and impacts of the current health crisis,” according to a statement by NMFS officials. “Since March, we have been rigorously analyzing various options for conducting 8 National Fisherman \ October 2020

surveys this year and are taking a surveyby-survey, risk-based approach. After much deliberation, we determined that we will not be able to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives.” Off the East Coast, the Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey, key to assessing Northeast groundfish and other stocks, has operated since 1963. But it’s off for this fall. “A future bottom longline survey and new work on industry-based sources of data may help mitigate data gaps,” according to

NMFS. The agency’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center has called off its Summer/Fall Plankton Survey that covers the entire Gulf of Mexico continental shelf from Brownsville, Texas, to Key West, Fla. “It is the only fishery independent survey available to measure the spawning capacity of the adult population of Gulf of Mexico king mackerel and an important supplemental survey for red snapper and several other reef fish,” agency officials said. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center canceled three remaining surveys, including its Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey — the primary source of fishery-independent data for many West Coast stocks. “The loss of the 2020 survey data could result in increased uncertainty in upcoming stock assessments,” the agency warned. “We will coordinate with the Pacific Fishery Management Council for any affected stock assessments and leverage the long timeseries data to provide the best scientific information.” As the science centers pulled back on surveys, NMFS regulators and industry advocates struggled over plans to bring back at-sea observers, particularly in the Northeast groundfish fleet. After several postponements, the agency set Aug. 14 for the restart, but said it will continue to waive monitor requirements on a trip-by-trip basis if covid-19 safety protocols cannot be met. NMFS administrator Chris Oliver said waivers are allowed when observers or at-sea monitors are not available for deployment, or when companies providing observer services “cannot meet the safety protocols imposed by a state on commercial fishing crew or by the vessel or vessel company on its crew.” — Kirk Moore

Report: fishing industry supports 1.25 million jobs Revenue, rebuilding also on the rise

t the end of 2019, NOAA’s overfishing list came down six to 22 of 321 stocks assessed; its overfished list increased by three to 46 out of 244 stocks assessed. In late July the agency that oversees www.nationalfisherman.com

NOAA

AROUND THE COASTS

As of 2017, U.S. fisheries economic indicators were all on the rise.

NMFS released a report on the status of the nation’s commercial stocks (for 2019) and a preview of a forthcoming economics report on the effects of commercial and recreational fisheries (for 2017) — including a tally of 1.25 million commercial fishing related jobs

nationwide. As of 2017, California took the national lead with 153,000 commercial fishing jobs. Massachusetts came in second with 128,000. According to the 2019 stock status report, Southern California cowcod and American

plaice became the 46th and 47th rebuilt stocks since 2000. White marlin came off the overfishing list for the first time since 2000. “It’s important we acknowledge the achievements in sustainable fisheries made in recent years by fishermen, industries, scientists, managers, and conservationists across our nation. These updates are a testament to their outstanding work,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. NOAA acknowledged that “environmental change, habitat degradation, and international fishing contributed to” new stocks being added to the overfished list. Despite that recognition, the notably problematic terms “overfished” and “overfishing” are still standard for describing stressed stocks as defined in the MagnusonStevens Act. The economic report shows that those stocks were worth $170.3 billion in commercial fisheries revenue alone, which was up more than 15 percent from 2016. —Jessica Hathaway

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October 2020 \ National Fisherman 9

AROUND THE COASTS

Alaska / Pacific

“It went off the road and went approximately 200 feet into the trees alongside the road, along the length of the road but down the steep embankment.” — Dave Berg, Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department

Car accident kills four fishermen, including siblings Three Alaskans and a New Yorker who crewed together lost in Petersburg wreck

Wrangell Fishermen’s Memorial. Sig’s and Helen’s names will be the fi rst to grace their hometown memorial. Additional funds will be raised to start a Memorial Scholarship Fund in their honor. Julie Decker is the executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, chairwoman of the Alaska Mariculture Task Force, and a commercial fi sherman along with her husband, Gig Decker. Both are contributors to NF and Pacific Marine Expo. — Jessica Hathaway

Bristol Bay base price slashed almost in half But higher retails seen in Lower 48

Decker family photo

I Gunner Thorstenson, Capt. Bob Thorstenson Jr., Sig Decker and Helen Decker all crewed together this summer on Bob Thorstenson's F/V Vigilant out of Petersburg, Alaska. Ian Martin and Dennis Lord crewed on Thorstenson’s F/V Magnus Martens.

hen Bob Thorstenson Jr. docked at his home port of Petersburg, Alaska, his mission was to tend to engine troubles on a seiner — he runs the Vigilant and Magnus Martens. He and his crew had just wrapped a salmon opener in some of the roughest weather he’d ever seen, Thorstenson told KFSK radio in Petersburg. Members of his crew from the two boats — Petersburg local Ian Martin, 29; and siblings Helen and Sig Decker, 19 and 21, of Wrangell; and Dennis Lord, 37, of Elmira, N.Y., reportedly set off in an SUV headed for Blind Slough, off the southeast side of Mitkof Island, about 25 miles from Petersburg. When they hadn’t returned by Tuesday morning, their friends began to search for them and put out a call to authorities. Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Dave Berg of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department found the wreckage of the SUV they had been traveling in and confi rmed that all four passengers had died. “We noticed some tire tracks on the road, some skid marks, not very many

10 National Fisherman \ October 2020

though,” said Berg, according to KFSK. “It looked like the driver may have tried to correct... too much around the turn and lost control of the vehicle. It went off the road and went approximately 200 feet into the trees alongside the road, along the length of the road but down the steep embankment.” The Alaska State Troopers reported that Sig Decker had been behind the wheel, all passengers were wearing seatbelts, and the airbags had deployed. Toxicology reports were pending at press time. Martin’s step-father, “Dean Haltiner, is my best friend and business partner,” Thorstenson told NF. Haltiner is married to Martin’s mother, Nicole Emmeneger Haltiner, and considered Martin to be his son, Thorstenson said. Friends of the Haltiner family wrote on a GoFundMe page that Martin was a U.S. Navy veteran and had recently become a paramedic, working as an EMT in Texas. The United Fishermen of Alaska, along with friends of the Decker family, initiated a GoFundMe to help cover unexpected expenses. The rest will go to fi nalizing the

n late July major processors like Trident Seafoods and OBI Seafoods announced an ex-vessel base price of $0.70 per pound for Bristol Bay sockeye, just over half last season’s base of $1.35. Predictably, the fleet was not happy. Exhausted fi shermen had just scooped up a harvest of more than 37 million fi sh, much of it over a two-week period that came after a slow start gave way to a wall of fi sh on July 4, setting off a string of historic days with more than 2.5 million-fi sh harvests. The surge overextended not just processors — most were forced to put fi shermen on poundage limits — but skippers and deckhands as well. So when tired, hurting fi shermen heard this week they would, for now, take an almost 50 percent price reduction, many of them were fuming. Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association Executive Director Andy Wink told NF the consternation is justified. “The fi shermen are so mad, and all I’m saying right now is that I can’t understand this price. I’m not saying it’s necessarily unreasonable, it’s just that it’s not supported by the data that I have access to,” said Andy Wink, pointing out that salmon supply is low and retail prices are higher than the past two years, when strong prices culminated in the fi shery’s most lucrative season ever in 2019. Wink published an analysis on the association’s website that used historical and current data to estimate fi nal ex-vessel price. The model he used came within six www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

Boat of the Month Khristy Michelle Stonington, Maine / Lobster

ohn Williams, of Stonington, Maine, started fishing with his father when he was only 6 years old, and from then on, he’s lived a life on the water. “I fished

an outboard in high school and bought his 34-foot Jonesporter when I graduated. We went groundfishing during the ’80s and back lobstering in 1990.” Today, Williams lobsters on his 8-year-old Khristy Michelle, which he named after two of his nieces. “I had it built at John’s Bay Boat Company, in South Bristol Maine, by Peter Kass and crew (on) Nov. 12, 2012. Most people think wooden boats are more expensive, but they are not. Wood isn’t as expensive as resin.” Williams is pleased with the way Kass built the Khristy Dock. Stonington is a great place to fish from. We have eight

Michelle. “Peter designed my boat. This is the second boat he built

full-service docks to work from. We also have a full-service

for me. My last boat was 41 feet. We extended this one to 44

shipyard at Billings Diesel & Marine Service.” He even uses his

feet to get a better run. She is better on fuel and gets lower

boat for special occasions. “My crew, Marissa Billings Carter and Zack Carter, were

RPMs.” He says wooden boats are often misunderstood: “Everyone thinks wooden boats have a short lifespan, but if you haul out and paint them every year, they will last a lifetime.” Williams is rooted in the Downeast Maine town he grew up in, and his boat connects him to the community in ways that

married aboard the Khristy Michelle, when it was new.” He and his wife have two sons, but neither one has chosen lobstering as a career, says Williams. “If you don’t love it, don’t do it.” But, for Williams, who describes his boat as a work of art, “fishing has been a great life. Anything we can do to keep it

go beyond fishing. “We’ve always lived and fished out of Stonington, and I have

going for the younger generation, we have to try.”

the privilege to be able to tie up my boat at the Atlantic Avenue

—Caroline Losneck

Boat Specifications HOME PORT: Stonington, Maine OWNER: John R. Williams BUILDER: Johns Bay Boat, Peter Kass & Crew YEAR BUILT: 2012 FISHERIES: Lobster HULL MATERIAL: Wood LENGTH: 44 feet BEAM: 14 feet DRAFT: 5 feet TONNAGE: 32 tons CREW CAPACITY: 1-2 MAIN PROPULSION: QSL9 Cummings GEARBOX: ZF Gear 2.17 PROPELLER: 32'' x 30'' SPEED: Cruising at 15-17 knots; 19 top end FUEL CONSUMPTION: About 1 gallon per mile: “Just put a new engine in last week, so I’m not sure at this time.” FUEL CAPACITY: 300 gallons HOLD CAPACITY: 80 traps, comfortably ELECTRONICS: Furuno radar, depth finder, loran; Hondex plotter; two Standard Horizon VHF radios

cents of calculating the correct price since 2011, and turned up a final ex-vessel price of $1.43 for 2020. The model’s estimated 2020 base price, Wink pointed out, is closer to $1.20, and that we could see significant adjustments over the coming year, but it is still a far cry from the $0.70 fishermen are getting out of the gates. He added processors have more access to data than anyone else, and thinks there should be more transparency on that To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

data. “There was no indication as to why these prices are what they are. Fishermen are being told they’ll be paid roughly half of last season with no explanation,” Wink said. “I get that they spent money, and I’m sure for some it was a lot. But if you view fishermen as partners, there has to be some transparency,” Wink said. According to data from Urner Barry

acquired by the association, the average price for sockeye fillets compiled from retail promotions at 45 stores in July of this year is $12.69, a bump from last year when it was $12.19, with 2018’s July promotions averaging $11.50. “It’s a question: Why are we seeing lower ex-vessel prices when we’re seeing higher retail prices in the U.S. and lower sockeye harvests?” Wink said. — Brian Hagenbuch October 2020 \ National Fisherman 11

AROUND THE COASTS

Gulf / South Atlantic

“That is a slippery basis for empowering an agency to create an entire industry the statute does not even mention. We will not bite.” —Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan

Appeals court rules against gulf aquaculture plan

he U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2018 lower court ruling that NMFS lacks legal authority for permitting aquaculture in federal waters, dealing a new blow to proposed fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico. In its 2-to-1 decision Aug. 3, the appeals panel decided that notwithstanding six years of planning by the agency and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the guidelines they developed for growing up to 64 million pounds of finfish annually are not allowed under the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management Act. “The act neither says nor suggests that the agency may regulate aquaculture,” Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan wrote in the majority opinion. “The agency interprets this silence as an invitation, but our precedent says the opposite: Congress does not delegate authority merely by not withholding it.” “Undaunted, the agency seeks authority in the act’s definition of ‘fishing’ — the ‘catching, taking, or harvesting of fish,’” Duncan wrote of NMFS’ position. “Harvesting, we are told, implies gathering

Ocean Era

Judges say Congress would need to expand Magnuson-Stevens Act to permit fish pens

Hawaii-based Ocean Era seeks to build the first Gulf of Mexico fish pen in federal waters.

crops, and in aquaculture the fish are the crop. That is a slippery basis for empowering an agency to create an entire industry the statute does not even mention. “We will not bite. If anyone is to expand the 40-year-old Magnuson-Stevens Act to reach aquaculture for the first time, it must be Congress.” The legal challenge was brought by

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AROUND THE COASTS

a coalition opposed to expanded Gulf of Mexico aquaculture — specifically net pen fish farming proposed off Florida’s west coast. “This is a landmark victory protecting our oceans and fishing communities,” said George Kimbrell, a lead counsel for plaintiffs in the case. “Allowing net-pen aquaculture and its environmental harms in the Gulf of Mexico is a grave threat, and the court properly held the government cannot do so without new and proper Congressional authority. Aquaculture farms cannot be shoehorned under existing law never intended for that purpose.” The lawsuit was filed in 2016, and in 2018 the District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled that the Department of Commerce did not have the authority to permit aquaculture under federal fisheries management law. The department appealed, and the agency under the Trump administration has stressed its determination to smooth the regulatory path for federal-waters fish farming. In a dissent, appeals Judge Stephen A. Higginson made an argument that aquaculture is not that much different from other technological advances in harvesting fish and can be seen within the purview of existing law. “Congress’s clear purpose to conserve and maintain our nation’s offshore fisheries, coupled with its explicit and capacious grant of authority over ‘all fish,’ lead me to conclude that modern aquaculture methods of fishing fit vitally in, not out of, the Magnuson Act regime,” Higginson wrote. — Kirk Moore

Tropical Storm Isaias rakes N.C., Chesapeake NOAA predicts more storms in 2020

ornadoes and torrential rain swept from North Carolina past Chesapeake Bay as Tropical Storm Isaias brought its tempest to the East Coast. Days later, NOAA warned of an increased likelihood for more tropical systems this season. Carolina fishermen whose boats and businesses were battered during Hurricane To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Florence in 2018 hustled to prepare again. “It’s scary. We’ve barely got everything back to normal and now this,” said Keith Bruno, who owns Endurance Seafood in Oriental, N.C. “But this is where we chose to live and work and we are getting as prepared as possible and praying. We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. “It’s frustrating but that’s what you do when you fish for living.” In an Aug. 6 update, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said key indicators in this year’s hurricane season show it has “the potential to be one of the busiest on record.” On average only two named storms form by early August; this year there were nine, according to center scientists. One measure of overall hurricane season activity, the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index, measures the combined intensity and duration of all named storms during the season. “This year, we expect more, stronger,

and longer-lived storms than average, and our predicted ACE range extends well above NOAA’s threshold for an extremely active season,” said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Current oceanic and atmospheric conditions that make an ‘extremely active’ hurricane season possible are warmer-thanaverage sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, reduced vertical wind shear, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon,” according to a statement from the center. “These conditions are expected to continue for the next several months. A main climate factor behind these conditions is the ongoing warm phase of the Atlantic MultiDecadal Oscillation, which reappeared in 1995 and has been favoring more active hurricane seasons since that time.” — Maureen Donald and Kirk Moore

Snapshot Who we are Stuart Skogmo / Bristol Bay, Alaska / Salmon

tuart Skogmo’s three years of

working among various beach gangs at

experience working the back

other seafood plants around the bay

decks of salmon gillnetters in

until a hiatus of eight years found him

Alaska’s Bristol Bay are but a slice of a life that began in the tiny salmon

serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. After that, his heartstrings tugged him back to the

village of Ekuk, when he

bay. He and his wife,

was just 6 years old. Skogmo,

38,

Serafima

came

Malygina,

north each summer

make their home in

with his father who

Spokane, Wash., in

worked as a cannery

the off-season. She

foreman at the Wards

usually comes north

Cove

Packing

with him each year to

plant

work in the canneries,

there for years. “My first job was picking up dead fish from the beach,” he says. The seafood plant was the site of frequent inspections, and Skogmo was

but this year’s covid twist changed their plans. This year, he landed a job aboard the Miss Gladys in Naknek.

responsible for keeping the cannery

“I love watching the fish hit the net,”

immaculate in terms of cleanliness.

says Skogmo. “I like the brotherhood

But his devotion to the fishing industry

on a boat.”

didn’t end there: Skogmo found himself

—Charlie Ess

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 13

AROUND THE COASTS

Atlantic

“This decision by MSC is another example of decision-makers ignoring the data and singling out the Maine lobster fishery as the scapegoat for the right whale decline.” — Patrice McCarron, Maine Lobstermen’s Association MLMC/Patrick Daly

Maine lobster certification suspended by whale lawsuit NOAA at odds with activist groups, but aligned on the threat caused by ship strikes

he Marine Stewardship Council suspended Maine’s lobster fi shery certification, citing an ongoing federal lawsuit, according to the Maine Certified Sustainable Lobster Association. The judge presiding over that case brought by the Center for Biological Diversity ruled that NMFS’ 2014 biological opinion on the Northeast American lobster fi shery violates the Endangered Species Act because it does not include an incidental take permit for North Atlantic right whales. NMFS is working to release a draft of a

new biological opinion this year. The association says that “once the 2020 biological opinion is fi nalized and implemented, the MCSLA will work to quickly regain its MSC certification.” “Right whales are critically endangered, but not because of the Maine lobster fi shery,” said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen's Association. “This decision by MSC is another example of decision-makers ignoring the data and singling out the Maine lobster fi shery as the scapegoat for the right whale decline.”

Kodiak, Alaska Grace Allan and Gloria Roe with a deckload on the last set, salmon seining on the F/V Agnes Sabine out of Kodiak. Photo by Ted Tetrault.

This is your life. Submit your Crew Shot nationalfisherman.com/submit-crew-shots

14 National Fisherman \ October 2020

Maine lobstermen haul traps in Stonington, the state’s lobster capital.

The last known entanglement of a right whale in Maine lobster gear took place nearly 20 years ago, in 2002. Since then, the Maine fleet has been proactive in establishing comprehensive whale conservation measures. “The facts related to the right whale decline are clear,” McCarron added. “Since 2017, 31 right whales have died. The full accounting of these right whale deaths reveal that Maine lobstermen are not the culprits: 23 right whale deaths were attributed to Canada (8 vessel strikes, 6 entanglements, and 9 undetermined), six were attributed to the U.S. (2 vessel strikes and 4 undetermined), and two were undetermined without a distinguishing feature to tie them to a particular fi shery or country. Last year, all 10 right whale deaths were attributed to Canada.” NOAA announced Aug. 6 it was starting a new effort to publicize the dynamic management area speed limits and extend that message to small vessel operators and recreational boaters. That new campaign follows the fi rst reported U.S. right whale death this year, when a male right whale calf was found dead off New Jersey, the victim of a vessel strike. — Jessica Hathaway and Kirk Moore

Menhaden’s ecological role recognized in FMP Plans will account for other fish species

he Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission agreed to start accounting for menhaden’s role as food for other fi sh species, including striped bass, bluefi sh www.nationalfisherman.com

and weakfi sh — a goal for decades among recreational fi shing groups. “This is a historic day for fi sheries management. Menhaden have been called ‘the most important fi sh in the sea’ for good reason,” said William C. Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, referring to the title of a 2007 book by menhaden conservation advocate H. Bruce Franklin. The Rutgers University professor and cultural historian called for valuing menhaden for their ecological services, warning then of “ominous signs that we may have pushed our most important fi sh to the brink of an ecological catastrophe.” The Atlantic states commission resisted that doomsday warning then, but over the years tightened controls on the menhaden reduction fi shery practiced by Omega Protein based at Reedville, Va., on Chesapeake Bay. Over the past decade, the commission examined several ecosystem models to develop new ecological reference points to ensure the menhaden are numerous enough to feed and rebuild striped bass and bluefi sh

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

NOAA/Jerry Prezioso

AROUND THE COASTS

New ecological reference points will be added to the East Coast menhaden management plan.

populations. Omega Protein officials said they will “work with the commission and its staff on further developing the ERP (ecological reference points) model and identifying future harvest levels for the fi shery.” “The best available science shows that current management is already doing much to ensure that menhaden meets ecological

needs,” the company said, citing a study by professor Steve Cadrin at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth that calculated 0.5 percent of each menhaden year class is harvested. “The latest commission stock assessment further confi rms that menhaden is not overfi shed, nor is overfi shing occurring, with menhaden biomass near record highs.” — Kirk Moore

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 15

MARKET REPORTS

AT L A N T I C

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

Oysters

Stone Crab

Supply steady and quality reaches a high for retailers still selling

New rules will shorten Florida’s coming season, increase claw size

s concerns about covid-19 have failed to dissipate over the summer, many events celebrating eastern oysters have been canceled, such as the annual Milford Oyster Festival in Connecticut. The festival, scheduled for mid-August, typically draws more than 50,000 attendees each year, as well as significant tourist spending, featuring musicians like Blue Öyster Cult, Joan Jett and Jefferson Starship. But it’s on hold now until 2021, and organizers are encouraging oyster lovers to seek out the popular saltwater bivalve mollusks from local establishments, to help support the industry. “As I talk to various producers and dealers from up and down the coast and into the gulf, I hear some hatcheries [are] really hurting, and some telling me that their sales are recovering after a flurry of purchase cancellations,” says Bob Rheault, executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. “Growers in some areas claim to be seeing solid sales — while the vast majority are seeing some rebound in sales, but few are where we need to be to avoid significant challenges later in the year in terms of balancing supply and demand.” Because consumers are not always comfortable cooking or shucking oysters at home, restaurant markets are critical to the oyster industry. “The number of guests that we are able to accommodate has gone down a lot, but it is clear that all customers still want oysters,” says Arlin Smith, owner and general manager of the popular Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine. There was some indication that the pandemic led some aquaculture producers to leave their oysters to grow for longer than they typically would have. But overall, aquaculture producers were prepared for the reopening of restaurants. “We did not hear of any big issues with farmers worried about sitting on product,” adds Smith. And there are upshots. “We have noticed a big change in the quality of oysters, across the board. Many farms that would normally come into us kind of shoddy (weak shells, dirty, dead, translucent meat) are showing great improvement in quality. That is good for everyone who is a part of this chain” from growers to consumers, he says. “We don’t have much hard data — but anecdotally, things are not great,” says Rheault. “Curiously, the impacts appear highly regional and localized.” — Caroline Losneck

ig changes are coming for Florida’s 2020-21 stone crab season, aimed at shoring up declining landings and building the resiliency of one of the state’s most valuable fisheries. The season will be two weeks shorter. Minimum claw size will increase. And beginning in 2023, escape rings will be required on all plastic and wooden stone crab traps. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently adopted the new rules in response to a 22 percent decline in landings since the late 1990s, likely a result of overfishing and environmental factors like red tide, hurricane-related trap loss, warming waters, and declining water quality. Meanwhile, dockside prices have skyrocketed. Here’s a rundown of the new rules that the commission developed, after numerous public workshops and in consultation with an industry-led advisory committee: • The harvest season will open Oct. 15 as usual but will close on May 1 instead of May 15. State fisheries scientists and some crabbers agree shortening the season will protect egg-bearing females that are now being trapped in increasing numbers in April and May. • The minimum claw size limit will be increased by 1/8 inch to 2 7/8 inches. Escape rings measuring at least 2 3/16 inches in diameter will be mandatory before the 2023-24 harvest season in order to select for legal-sized claws and to spare juveniles. • Possession of whole crabs on vessels will be limited to two checker boxes with a total volume of 24 cubic feet. Kelly Kirk of the Florida Stone Crabbers Association urged commissioners to hold off on new regulations while the world is still in the grip of the covid-19 health and economic crisis. “We as commercial fishermen have suffered greatly. We are faced with losing our livelihoods if these regulations are passed,” said association member Holly Dudley. “If it isn’t Mother Nature working against us, it’s the state.” Captain Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, said a May 1 closure will benefit the fishery: “If we shave the back side of the season to May 1, it will give us 360,200 pounds per year back in the stone crab biomass.” – Sue Cocking

16 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

MARKET REPORTS

PA C I F I C

ALASKA

Urchins

King Crab

Open season on purps with goal to help restore red urchins, abalone

Uncertainty as coming season hinges on biomass calculations

he outlook remains bleak for the California dive industry and its efforts to remove purple urchins and rejuvenate bull kelp beds — prime habitat for the more marketable red

urchins. Divers in 2018 received $130,000 in grant funding to remove and destroy purple urchins in hopes that kelp beds in plotted areas would respond and provide increased habitat for red urchins and abalone. Since then, the state has stepped in to pledge $500,000 for purple urchin removal in the Mendocino area and another $600,000 for statewide efforts, according to Josh Russo, president of the Watermen’s Alliance, in Suisun City. “And the understanding is that this will be a continued stream of funding,” he says. The commercial divers must harvest the purps from their beds.They are then trucked to grinding facilities for disposal, while recreational divers are allowed to crush the purps without removing them. The additional provisions to allow “purp smashing” in their beds represents an all-out effort to save dwindling red urchin and abalone populations. The abalone seasons have been shut down in California since 2018 and haven’t been scheduled to reopen until 2021 — and that’s contingent on noticeable recovery of the population. Likewise, the spread of purple urchins into Oregon has forced the industry to put a three-year hold on abalone fishing there. The population explosion of the purps, meanwhile, began back in 2013 when warmer ocean temperatures became prevalent along the West Coast. In 2014, the warm-water blob accelerated the decimation of bull kelp beds, a key source of food for red urchins and abalone. At the same time, the absence of the kelp and disease led to sharp declines in sea stars, a key predator of purple urchins. The West Coast harvest of red urchins for 2013 — the year before ocean temperatures began rising — added up to 21.79 million pounds, according to data from PacFIN. By 2019, production had declined to 4.94 million pounds. For 2020, the harvest stood at 4.94 million pounds. Meanwhile, the ex-vessel averages for those respective years have climbed from 71 cents per pound in 2013 to $1.98 in 2019 and $2.35 per pound in 2020. — Charlie Ess To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

laska’s red king crab fleet fi shed on a TAC of just 3.8 million pounds in the Bering Sea during the 2019-20 season — and continued decline in biomass may dash the chances of a 2020-21 season altogether, if population surveys don’t come up with a miraculous discovery of male crab ready to recruit into the fi shery. Low biomass brought king crab closures to the Bering Sea king during the 1983, 1994 and 1995 seasons. The most recent precipitous decline in the TACs began with a TAC of around 20 million pounds for the 2008-09 season, and the crab fleet fi shed on a TAC of 6.6 million pounds in the 2017-18 season. Last year’s 7.1-pound average weight for male crab has raised concerns that the crabbers are catching one of the last strong age classes as it matures. The lack of smaller, lighter male crab in catch samples indicates a lack of recruitment of younger age classes into the fi shery. “Our impression right now is that the fi shermen have been fi shing on the older crab,” says Miranda Westphal, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Dutch Harbor. Westphal adds that the catch per unit of effort (CPUE) fell to 15 keeper crab per pot during the 2019-20 season, which is down from 20 the year before and way shy of the 38 per pot in the banner year of 2016-17. “Usually, we’re in the mid-20s,” says Westphal. Fewer keepers indicate a declining population. As for the fate of the upcoming season, that wasn’t to be announced until October. Biologists will be working with less data this year, as repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic thwarted trawl surveys that are usually conducted each summer. Last year’s 2019-20 ex-vessel prices for red king crab settled out at a preliminary average of $9.12 per pound, which is a record for dockside deliveries, according to Alaska Department of Fish & Game data in Dutch Harbor. The previous all-time record high ex-vessel price of $9.06 per pound was paid in 2011. — Charlie Ess

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 17

FEATURE: BOOK EXCERPT

ROLLING WITH

THE TIDE New book recounts fish fights in coastal Alabama

By Robert Fritchey New Moon Press, 2020 362 pages, $17.95

fter Florida’s voters outlawed most commercial fishing nets in the November 1994 election, sportsmen rose in unison across the Gulf of Mexico. Marshalled by the sportfishing industry’s Coastal Conservation Association, recreational anglers in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana demanded that their own states Ban the Nets! With a “global fish crisis” media campaign as backdrop, hysteria over a threatened invasion by out-of-work commercial fishermen from the Sunshine State presented sportsmen in the three central-gulf states with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and they knew it. The battles raged over the spring and summer of 1995. Fishery managers in Louisiana and Mississippi buckled under the sportsmen’s incessant clamoring, and the future looked bleak for Alabama’s family fishermen as well. Then the cream rose to the top. Virtually every one of Alabama’s institutions, including its natural resource management agency, media, legislators, even the governor, did their parts to help preserve the public’s sustainable fishery. And in so doing, they made this characteristically hidebound state appear downright progressive. Veteran fisheries journalist, author and former commercial fisherman Robert Fritchey’s new book, “A Different Breed of Cat,” documents landmark disputes between the

18 National Fisherman \ October 2020

recreational and commercial fishing industries with an insider’s perspective and an emphasis on fishery allocation and its relation to our environment, economy and food supply. His other books include “Wetland Riders,” “Missing Redfish,” and “Let the Good Times Roll.” In “A Different Breed of Cat,” he chronicles the battles over nets from the mid-1990s onward in Alabama, where the state’s resource-management agency brokered a compromise that was hailed as the beginning of a new age in managing the state’s coastal fisheries.

A Different Breed of Cat Biologists at Alabama’s Division of Marine Fisheries monitored a complex of 13 fish species in 1994 and weren’t hesitant in stating clearly and often that those stocks were healthy. That the fish populations were in good shape — after two centuries of harvest by both sport and commercial fishermen — was testament to the abilities of the state’s fishery managers. It also helped that Alabama’s coastal fisheries were confined to the waters within Mobile Bay and along the state’s limited coastline. But if their compactness made them easier to monitor, it also made them more vulnerable. When managers attested to the vigor of the fisheries, they made it clear that their data applied only “under current effort.” If too many of Florida’s displaced net fishermen crossed the border to set up shop, Alabama’s fisheries could be stretched to their limits. The question was, how best to address that problem? Proposed solutions initially ranged c rit from, “Let our Brothers come,” by the more F rt be devout of the net men, to the recreational anRo glers’ somewhat less gracious, “Ban the nets here, too!” Ultimately, the task of resolving the issue fell to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Advisory Board, which in the past had exhibited a strong propensity to base its decisions more on scientific facts than he y

A Different Breed of Cat

Bayou la Batre is known as the Seafood Capital of Alabama.

The commissioner went so far as to predict that the net ban in Florida could produce an upside for Alabama: “Another factor I don’t think people have considered is we’re probably going to see an increase in the fishery because of the pressure being taken off the fishery in Florida.” To preserve the industry so that it could benefit from that increase, Grimsley wanted to thwart the possible influx of Florida fishermen by suspending the sale of licenses to non-residents, as Mississippi was doing, “but we feel we can’t discriminate against nonresidents because it’s against the Constitution,” said the commissioner, who suggested a safer but more painful alternative: a limited entry system that restricted license sales to any and all netters who could demonstrate a meaningful history in the state’s fishery.

Brian Gauvin

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

on emotion and political whim. Charlie Grimsley, former commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is a case in point: In a late-November 1994 interview with the Mobile Press-Register, he stated that he had no intention of putting the state’s family fishermen out of business, in spite of “the pressure we’ve had to go ahead and ban the nets, even before the Florida vote. From then, it’s been a crescendo of pressure to ban nets. “The position I’ve had since I’ve been here is to try to do what’s best for the resource and try to stay out of the emotion,” said Grimsley. “I think there’s a tendency, as the saying goes, to throw the baby out with the bath water: ‘Since Florida shut it down, let’s shut it down.’ People get caught up in ban mania, and we don’t think that’s the way to do it.” Grimsley allowed that if the Legislature were in session, a total ban would likely be passed, but that would be “a mistake,” he said. “I think a middle ground can be found where commercial and recreational fishermen can share the resource. “I think the resources were put there for the benefit of man,” added Grimsley, who, before “sustainable use” was cool, articulated its tenets: “I believe in allowing the benefit of the resources as long as it does not impair our ability to pass on the resources to our children and grandchildren.”

Robert Fritchey

FEATURE: BOOK EXCERPT

Alabama’s Mobile Bay is dwarfed by its massive 43,662 square-mile watershed.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Net fisherman Paul de la Maire, one of three industry participants profiled in book.

Something had to be done, he emphasized, because a net ban was still a very real possibility, despite what many commercial fishermen believed: “They talk about it as an inalienable right to follow their birthright because their fathers and grandfathers netted. But it’s a privilege in this state. And the people that grant it can take it away.” With the state agency as referee, sport and commercial interests crafted a bill that legislators rubberstamped and sent to the governor. In one of the book’s three oral histories, netter Paul de la Maire said, “Governor Fob James, as far as I understood, didn’t side with the sports, like Foster did over in Lou’siana. “Fob James, he was a Republican, and that had me worried at first. You know, after those Republicans in Texas told their fishermen, ‘You’re outta here!’ But Fob turned out to be a good man. “His whole thing, he loved mullet and grits on Wednesday. I’d just read that in the paper about him, and when we was fightin’ the net ban, we had gone up to Montgomery for the first hearing.We was all standin’ by the elevator up in the Capitol, Pete Barber and all of us, and the door opened up and who walked out but Fob James. “And he goes, ‘What are y’all fellas doin’ up here?’ And I said, ‘We’re here to make sure you have plenty of mullet and grits on Wednesdays.’ “’That’s great! Good luck, boys!’ he told us. ‘You get that bill up there and I’ll sign it!’ And we got it up there.” In the decade after the mid-1990s compromise, sport and commercial landings generally increased. Commercial fishermen October 2020 \ National Fisherman 19

Perdido Pass, near the Florida line, was a hotspot of conflict between commercial and recreational fisheries.

catch even greater numbers of fish than they did before the compromise.” “Yeah, we caught a lot o’ mackerel,” countered Mobile seafood dealer Ralph Atkins, “because there’s a lot o’ mackerel. It’s real easy.” In 2007, the Coastal Conservation Association made another run for the nets. This

Ralph Atkins

landed about 117,000 pounds of the migratory Spanish mackerel in 1993, before the reform. Afterward, their landings topped 900,000 pounds for the first time in 2004, then peaked at nearly 919,000 pounds in 2006. The increase drove the CCA’s leaders wild. Compounding their misery was the fact that the bullish landings were distributed among fewer and fewer netters. The 1995 rationalization had immediately reduced the number of resident and non-resident commercial net licenses by two-thirds, from 566 to 188. Since then, the number of active licenses continued to decline, to 127 in 2004, and 108 in 2006. Netters specifically targeting mullet and mackerel were even fewer; they were required to obtain additional endorsements which, in 2004, numbered 92, and in 2006, just 79. Yet those reductions in licenses had done nothing to limit the number of fish caught by gillnets in the state, complained CCA Executive Director Ed Williamson in a newspaper article. Instead it allowed “fewer netters to

Tommy Patterson, Gulf Coast Aerials

FEATURE: BOOK EXCERPT

Ralph Atkins, owner of Southern Fish & Oyster Co. kept ads from the Mobile Press-Register.

20 National Fisherman \ October 2020

time, the Texas-based group’s leaders adopted the same playbook that had worked so well in other states: They smeared the net fishermen in a defamatory media campaign; paid fishery biologists to justify their actions; imported an official from Texas to paint a happily-ever-after picture of net-free waters; and circumvented the state’s scientifically based fishery management body by turning a pack of high-priced lobbyists loose in the Statehouse. At the outset of their campaign, CCA spokesmen confidently predicted a “slam dunk,” and the histories of heavyweight states like Texas and Louisiana certainly indicated that politicians favored moneyed anglers over working fishermen. Yet, by the time this dogfight was over, one seriously had to consider the possibility that there really was something in Alabama’s drinking water because even the state’s legislators told the entitled anglers to hit the road, and don’t let the screen door hit your butts on the way out! Had the anglers taken the nets in 1995, commercial landings would likely have plummeted the following year. Instead, in the 12 years from 1996 through 2007, Alabama’s coastal netters landed over 61 million pounds of fish worth nearly $30 million at the dock. Still, in 2008, with millionaire sportsman Manning McPhillips at the helm of CCA’s “government relations” committee — and a fleet of lobbyists — the anglers came back harder. www.nationalfisherman.com

WE’VE LAUNCHED

Our team is excited to announce the launch of a fully redesigned nationalfisherman.com. The site has been rebuilt from the ground up with the needs of our commercial fishing audience in mind at every step of the way, and we cannot wait for you to check it out. If you have signed up for Fish e-News, follow us on social, or subscribe to the digital edition of National Fisherman magazine, you already know we are committed to making our digital dispatches lively, current and customized. The new site allows you to search for content by species, by region or navigate directly to the breaking news that is important to you. The redesign emphasizes the visual, improves readability and is designed with your mobility in mind. Commercial fishermen are on the go, and now NF fits right in your pocket. The NF crew has been facilitating industry conversations for more than 70 years. The new nationalfisherman.com takes it to the next level with the NF Forum. Moderated by our editors as well as some industry leaders, you can use this space to ask questions, get feedback on gear, or just be social. We hope you take a moment to visit the new site and let us know what you think. We built it just for you.

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BOATS & GEAR: MARINE POWER

MER Equipment

Seattle-based genset manufacturer MER is pushing the envelope with inverter technology that improves hybrid genset performance.

NEXTGEN

Genset efficiency gets major upgrades with hybrid systems, variable speeds and software updates By Paul Molyneaux

ower onboard is a vital aspect of a successful fishing operation, and for newbuilds and repowering, boatowners need the right fit — along with reliability, serviceability, and regulatory compliance. A host of genset manufacturers are competing for various sectors of the commercial fishing vessel market, delivering gensets from 1.5 to hundreds

22 National Fisherman \ October 2020

of horsepower. Many manufacturers are using innovative engineering to combine various diesel engines with available generators. Other companies, such as Volvo-Penta, build all components of their gensets in-house, but all are pursuing increased efficiency through development of hybrid systems. R.A. Mitchell Co. of New Bedford, Mass., has been building gensets since 1954. “Our brand is Ramco,”says Bob

Mitchell, who took over the company from his father and now runs it with his daughter, Jen. “We have put gensets on over 500 fishing vessels,” he says, noting that the company is WBE and DBE certified (Women’s Business Enterprise and Disadvantage Business Enterprise), making it eligible to bid on federally assisted projects. While R.A. Mitchell just introduced a 40-kW genset powered by a Tier III Yanmar 4TNV98, and makes a range of gensets up to 350-kW, the company’s most popular generator is its 150-kW unit. “We mostly use John Deere, the 6068 AFM85, with a Marathon generator for that,” says Mitchell. “We’re one of the few OEM companies that package these John Deere and Yanmar commercial marine generator sets.” Like most engines on the market, the John Deere is electronically controlled, and like many in the industry, Mitchell believes technological advances have made electronically controlled engines reliable. “As long as they’re handled correctly there’s no problem,” he says. “You shouldn’t disconnect the wiring once it’s been connected. That can send a harmonic down the wire and short circuit the system.” According to Mitchell, reliability is also vital. “Any fishing boat that is 40, 50 or 200 miles offshore needs a genset that’s going to last 25,000 to 35,000 hours,” he says. “But the day it breaks the question is who is going to fix it and how fast? We had a guy in Connecticut whose 99-kW genset went down, and he needed a replacement. We had one on the floor ready to go and shipped it right out to him.” Unique among genset manufacturers, Volvo-Penta makes its entire genset, the engine and the alternator. The company currently sells a D13 genset, and is in the process of bringing its D8 to the U.S. market. “In the four years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen any D13s sold to commercial fishing boats,” says Rich Murdy, marine www.nationalfisherman.com

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sales rep at Pacific Power Group. “But I think the D8 will open up more of that market for us.” In addition to taking advantage of the new Tier III genset, Murdy believes fi shermen will benefit from Volvo-Penta being a single-source manufacturer. “It’s all under one warranty,” Murdy says. Caterpillar, like many other companies, has developed hybrid systems primarily for tugboats. The company strives for efficiency in its gensets, using new technology. In 2019, Cat introduced its Multi-Engine Optimizer, a computerized system designed to maximize fuel efficiency up to 15 percent, reduce maintenance and cut emissions. “Every engine has its sweet spot, the rpms for the best fuel burn,” says Chris Blazevich, Northwest sales rep for N.C. Power, a major Cat dealer. “The MEO monitors the burn and the power requirements of the vessel and balances the engines for optimum efficiency.” According to Blazevich, it can sometimes be better to meet the requirements of a 1,200-kW system, for example, with two 600-kW gensets, especially if it means staying clear of Tier IV after-treatment systems required to meet EPA emissions regulations. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

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BOATS & GEAR: MARINE POWER

“The Tier IV regulations are designed to reduce emissions, not put people out of business.”

The Multiple Engine Optimizer engineered by Caterpillar, enables hybrid and multiple genset systems to maximize efficiency.

So far Blazevich has not sold any Tier IV systems to fi shing vessels, in spite of selling some hefty packages. “We put a 1,825-kW genset on one catcher-processor,” he says. “But that was before Tier IV requirements

came into effect. Vessels can also petition for an exemption if they fi nd they have to upgrade but cannot accommodate an after-treatment system. The regulations are designed to reduce emissions, not put people out of business.” While Cat works with many Alaska boats with heavy power demands for processing and freezing, the company also makes gensets down to 1.5 kW. “Those are for a small boat that wants to add some chilling capacity or something,” says Blazevich. Based in Seattle, MER Equipment makes a wide range of gensets under the

MER Equipment

N.C. Power

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MER is putting its R&D capital into reducing dependence on fossil fuels, including hydrogen-powered hybrid systems.

brand name Bollard, from 8 up to 395 kW. “Mostly we use John Deere engines,” says Greg Sangster, former COO at MER and now hobby farmer on the east side of Washington’s Cascade Mountains. “But

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24 National Fisherman \ October 2020

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we started using Scania on the bigger gensets, and Kubota on the smallest ones.” Sangster notes that the most important thing is to get the right genset for the vessel. “You have to fi nd out what the loads are — refrigeration, pumps, hotel, and all that. You have to size it correctly.” When it comes time to choose a specific genset, sometimes the naval architect will make a recommendation, or yards will push a brand. “I used to drive every year from San Diego to British Columbia talking to yards about our products,” says Sangster. “But sometimes the owner will say what they want. They might have experience with a certain brand, and that’s it.” MER’s recent projects include putting a 200-kW Bollard genset on B&N Fisheries’ 115-foot vessel Arctic Wind. “We were tickled to get that,” Sangster says. Besides the basic genset, MER provided a SCOR (Sea Change Oil Regeneration) oil fi ltration system, Superflex exhaust, and a SeaDrive power take-off. “We’re distributors for SCOR and Superflex,” says Sangster. “The SCOR system can remove particles less than 1 micron, and it removes water. And you know it’s not the oil that breaks down, it’s the additives. The SCOR system adds additives back in.” According to Sangster, the SCOR oil fi ltration can stretch time between oil changes up to 1,000 hours. “The Superflex exhaust can last five times longer than a regular bellows,” says Sangster. “The SeaDrive PTO can run your hydraulics and pumps. It’s our own design, we have 25 people working on R&D.”

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“We’re putting all our reserves into R&D that will get us off diesel fuel.” — Bob Allen, MER EQUIPMENT

One of the big R&D moves the company is making is toward hybrid technology. “Moving forward, we want to become the company that puts us out of business,” says Bob Allen, owner of MER. “We’re putting all our reserves into R&D that will get us off diesel fuel.” To that end, MER is looking at hybrid systems that would charge a battery bank that can kick in when loads are low. “The battery picks up the load, or will load share with the engine until one or the other can shut down,” says Allen. “They will be programmed to fi nd the most efficient combination of battery power and engine power.” But as Allen notes, you have to charge the batteries somehow, and MER is looking at hydrogen. “I think that’s our best bet. I’m looking forward to the day when carbon fuels are no longer viable, but for now we’re doing all we can to maximize economy and minimize emissions in our diesel engines.” The idea of shifting high-capacity gensets offl ine when loads are low has been growing in popularity thanks to technological advances. Northern Lights, another Seattle-based company, Continued on page 36 To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

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October 2020 \ National Fisherman 25

BOATS & GEAR: BOATBUILDING

Jake Smith photos

RELENTLESS NEVER QUITS

Built in 1978 at what is now Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the Relentless has been repowered and maintained for many years at Garpo Marine on Staten Island, New York.

A venerable East Coast scalloper goes in for a significant power upgrade at Staten Island’s Garpo Marine Services By Paul Molyneaux

boat that has been working the fi shing grounds off the U.S. East Coast for 42 years has earned the name F/V Relentless. Originally built in Panama City, Fla., in 1978 at what is now Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the Relentless started as a dragger. “When I bought her in 2002, she had these big winches and a net reel,” says owner and captain Owen Smith of Barnegat Light, N.J. “I bought her from Walter Allen. I think they were fi shing the deep water looking for orange roughy. But they never found any.”

26 National Fisherman \ October 2020

In February of 2020, Smith had the Relentless hauled out at Garpo Marine Services, on New York’s Staten Island. “We’ve been coming here a long time,” says Smith. “They treat us really well.” Over the years that Smith has been bringing Relentless to Garpo, he has done everything from repowering with an 850-hp Mitsubishi S12A2 in 2006 to rebuilding much of the boat over the years. “She’s a well-built boat. She’s all half-inch plate on the work deck, sides, and bottom,” says Smith. Nonetheless, four decades and more of service take a toll on a hard-working boat. “I wouldn’t say we’ve replaced 50 percent of the steel,”

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR: BOATBUILDING

“John Deere’s been good to us. We got one genset, a John Deere 4039 with over 75,000 hours on it. If this one can treat us that well, we’ll be doing alright.” — Owen Smith, BOATOWNER

At Garpo Marine on Staten Island, New York, workers wasted no time, they cut right through the bow to get the old auxiliary engine out and put in the new John Deere.

says Smith. “But I’m sure we’ve done 40. Last year we put in a new shaft log, a new bearing and redid the doublers.” Smith considered building a new boat when he saw how much steel he was putting into the Relentless, but decided to keep going with the boat he knows. “She’s a good sea boat,” he says. “I was very happy to get an Eastern

Marine boat.” The major focus of this year’s work is installation of a new auxiliary engine to run the hydraulics, primarily two Pullmaster H30 main winches for hauling the dredges, and two Pullmaster H12s for dumping the dredges. “We used to run 15s,” says Smith,

With the new engine in place, and Captain Owen Smith working on getting it fitted, welders begin rebuilding the bow of the Relentless.

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referring to the width of the dredges. “Now we use 14-foot turtle drags. They’re configured differently. There’s no bars in the triangle, and there’s like a mat in front that’s supposed to keep the turtles out. They pull harder, we use 10 to 20 percent more fuel with the 14s. If we stayed with 15s (with mats), we’d be swilling fuel.” Workers at Garpo started by cutting a sizable hole in the bow of the steel hull. They took out Smith’s old Detroit 8V71, and slid in a new 6-cylinder John Deere 6090, 9-liter engine rated at 325 hp. “John Deere’s been good to us,” says Smith. “We got one genset, a John Deere 4039 with over 75,000 hours on it. If this one can treat us that well, we’ll be doing alright.” A 325-hp auxiliary may seem like a lot to run a hydraulic system, but Smith has an excuse. “I’m power mad,” he says. “But really, you need power and speed. We wanted a system for high flow, high volume.” He’s got that in the two Pullmaster H30s. Each one has a maximum operating pressure of 2,500 psi and a maximum oil flow of 115 gpm. The 14-foot dredges can weigh 5 tons when full of scallops and rocks, and Smith notes that he has had loads in the dredges that have nearly stopped the H12 winches, which are rated at 12 tons. “We have two inline 50-gpm commercial shearing pumps,” Smith says. “The limiting factor is the control valves. Ours are 41 gpm. That’s where the pinch is.” Smith is a hands-on owner-operator, with the new engine in the hull, he has been welding the motor mounts. “I’ve got the mechanics coming up tomorrow, and we’re going to goose her around. We might get her hooked up before we leave. We might wait and finish back in Barnegat Light.” October 2020 \ National Fisherman 27

BOATS & GEAR: BOATBUILDING

F/V Relentless

“I got in just before the door closed on guys like me. The permit was valued at $400,000 back then. Now a permit is $6 million.” — Owen Smith, BOATOWNER

Home port: Barnegat Light, N.J. Owner: Owen Smith Builder: Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla.

Smith had the Relentless back on the tow in in late May. This year he only expected to get about fishing 70 days. “We have 24 days in the open areas, and five or six openings in closed areas.” It’s a big difference from when he started in 1986. “We could fish, but there wasn’t a lot around.” Smith guesses he worked for about 2 cents an hour back in the day, but that did not stop him from making a career out of scalloping. “It’s an interesting way to make a living,” he says. “In the ’80s I went with Kirk Larson just as something to do. In 1989, I decided it was what I wanted to do. everything about this business was right up my alley — the welding, the mechanical stuff. I ended up running boats for Kirk.

And then when this boat came up I decided to buy it.” Smith recalls that people thought he was crazy to pay $850,000 for the boat and permits. “But Kirk says I’m the last of the independents. I got in just before the door closed on guys like me. The permit was valued at $400,000 back then. Now a permit is $6 million.” While he no longer works directly for Larson, Smith sells almost all his product to Viking Village in Barnegat Light, which is owned by the Larson and Puskas families. Along with his scallop permit, Smith got a multispecies permit with the Relentless, but has given up any thoughts of using it. “We could fish about a week, then we’d

Maintenance and updates: Garpo Marine Services, Staten Island, N.Y. Hull material: Steel Year built: 1978 Fishery: Atlantic scallop Length: 76 feet Beam: 22 feet Draft: 11 feet Propulsion: Diesel Engine: Mitsubishi S12A2 Power train: Twin Disc MT520 4.49:1 reduction; 4-inch Aquamet 22 shaft; 59" x 58", four-blade Kaplan propeller in nozzle Fuel capacity: 7,500 gallons Speed: 11 knots top; 9-10 cruising at 1,500 rpm Electronics: 2 Olex bottom builder systems (one with Northstar GPS, one with Furuno Navnet 3D) Furuno 292 sounder, Furuno radar, Simrad autopilot Deck gear: Pullmaster H30 main winches, Pullmaster H12 winches for handling dredges Owen Smith’s new 325-hp, 9-liter John Deere in place. The engine will run the hydraulics for the big Pullmaster H30 main winches, and H12s that lift the dredges.

28 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR: BOATBUILDING

have to get more quota and join a sector,” Smith says. “If guys with experience can’t make it, I’m not going to try.” Smith rebuilt the stern of the former dragger, replacing the net reel and stern ramp with a shucking house. “Back in the ’90s it seemed they tried to force you to be either a dragger or a scalloper. They tried to funnel everybody into categories.” Smith dedicated the Relentless to scalloping. “If we had a smaller boat, we could diversify, but scalloping is where the money is.” Smith has worked hard to make the Relentless an efficient scallop boat. When he repowered with the Mitsubishi S12A2, he used a Twin Disc MG520 gear with 4.49:1 reduction turning a 4-inch Aquamet 22 shaft and a 59 x 58, 4-blade Kaplan propeller in a Kort nozzle. He has two gensets, a 50-kW John Deere 4045 that replaced the well-worn 4039, and an older John Deere 45-kW. He runs two Olex bottom builder

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Intellium satellite connection provides the crew with TV on the overnights.

Owen Smith got into scalloping in New Jersey in the late 1980s and bought the Relentless with permits in 2002 for under $1 million. “I’m the last of the independents,” he says.

systems. One through a Furuno Navnet 3D, and the other through a Northstar

GPS. “I use Olex constantly,” says Smith. I never want to be without it, so we have two

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 29

BOATS & GEAR: BOATBUILDING

completely independent systems in case one goes down.” Smith also has a Furuno 292 bottom sounder and an older Furuno radar and Furuno sat-compass, along with his Navnet 3D. He also uses a Simrad AP70 autopilot controller, which comes in handy when he’s shucking scallops. Smith notes that back when scallopers had 10- or 11-person crews, the captain and mate often stayed in the wheelhouse running their watches, typically six hours on, six off, while the crew picked deck and shucked. “Now with seven-man crews, everyone has to work,” says Smith. He has a shucking box set up in the wheelhouse, where he can work and keep an eye on the boat. “I’m just a couple of steps from the wheel,” he says. Smith still runs six-hour watches. “Some people try other things, eight-hour watches. But with rolling eights, you’re always getting up at different times. We just do things the old way.”

In March 2020 the venerable scalloper Relentless splashed back into the Atlantic. With a new auxiliary engine and other upgrades, she’s ready to get on the tow again.

After more than 30 years, Owen Smith knows his game, and the Relentless has proven to be a reliable boat. They appear to be made for each other.

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and the author of “The Doryman’s Refl ection.”

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30 National Fisherman \ October 2020

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BOATS & GEAR: TRAWL TECH

FINDERS KEEPERS New trawl technology helps fleets fish smarter and managers track biomass, despite covid disruptions By Paul Molyneaux

a manned vessel’s crew costs and fuel costs. The 26.5-foot USV has a 7.3-foot beam and draws 2.3 feet. For receiving commands and transmitting data, the vessel has a mast that reaches 14.4 feet above the sea surface. The vessel can run autonomously or be operated from a laptop PC or radio control with data telemetry via a Kongsberg’s K-MATE control system, with communication through Maritime Broadband Radio and Iridium satellite (VSAT optional). A 125-hp Steyr Diesel engine can power the vessel at 12 knots, and at that speed is expected to cruise for six to 15 days. But at 4 knots, the USV reportedly can cruise for 20 days. TASA, the largest fishing company in Peru, has contracted with Kongsberg to put the first USV in operation, and some large U.S. companies are reportedly interested in the new technology. Kongsberg Maritime is developing a whitepaper for the Alaska groundfish fisheries.

“The unmanned vessel is equipped with high-definition SX95 omnidirectional sonar. Then there is a moon pool in which we can put other equipment. We just put an EK80 echosounder in one, and we are hoping to demonstrate it next year for NOAA.” — Richard Mills, KONGSBERG MARITIME The three D’s of robotics are, dirty, dangerous and dull. But the Kongsberg Maritime USV never complains.

32 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

Kongsberg Maritime

n trawl fisheries, vessels usually spend costly amounts of time and fuel searching for fish. Even with advanced technology, the cost of finding fish comes with the price of investment. To increase efficiency, Kongsberg Maritime of Norway has developed an unmanned surface vehicle that can hunt for fish at a fraction of the cost of a fully manned fishing vessel. “The vessel is equipped with high-definition SX95 omnidirectional sonar,” says Richard Mills, head of marine robotics sales at Kongsberg. “Then there is a moon pool in which we can put other equipment. We just put an EK80 echosounder in one for a company we can’t name, and we are hoping to demonstrate it next year for NOAA.” According to Mills, the USV can search large expanses of ocean and transmit data to land-based receivers and fishing vessels. “We sit down with our customers and look at cost benefits,” says Mills, noting that the USV could operate for as little as 15 percent of

Saildrone Inc.

BOATS & GEAR: TRAWL TECH

A 23-foot saildrone being tested off the coast of California can collect data on fish stocks for a fraction of the cost of a manned vessel.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Virskus says. The Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation is an industry-funded organization involved in cooperative research. According to Virskus, the industry organization worked with NOAA and Saildrone Inc. to better understand king crab distribution. In June 2019, researchers tagged 148 mature male crabs while aboard a chartered fishing vessel. Two Saildrone USVs were deployed in October 2019 and again in April 2020 to relocate the tagged crabs.

What’s in the net While unmanned surface vehicles may aid in fish-finding, other companies are fine-tuning net sensors to make the most of the fish that have been found. Notus Electronics, based in St. John’s,

Notus

In the states, Saildrone Inc., based in Alameda, Calif., has also been working with Kongsberg Maritime, and NOAA, since 2015, developing a sonar-equipped sail-powered USV to conduct climate change and other surveys. This year, with its survey cruises canceled because of the pandemic, NOAA has utilized three saildrones — each equipped with a Simrad EK80 split-beam sounder — for its Bering Sea pollock survey. According to NOAA, the agency’s scientists believe using acoustic technology on saildrones to survey in the eastern Bering Sea will — based on past comparisons of the technology with ship-based surveys — provide a reliable estimate of pollock abundance. It also helps that pollock are the dominant fish species in this area, minimizing the need to further sample with a trawl net to confirm species identification. Three 23-foot saildrones, each weighing more than 1,500 pounds, arrived in the Bering Sea in late June and split up to cover most of the U.S. EEZ. Each saildrone will cover a third of the 600-nautical-mile-wide survey area, which is bordered by Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to the south and the edge of the eastern Bering Sea shelf to the west. Cruising at an average speed of 2-3 knots, the saildrones are expected to complete the survey in two months. According to Jenn Virskus, content manager at Saildrone, no fishing companies have sought to use the company’s USV in active fishing operations, yet. “But the Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation did participate in the king crab survey we did last year,”

Newfoundland, is improving its trawl sensor systems, Mantis and Echo. “Our company focuses on trawl sensors,” says Francis Parrott, marketing manager at Notus. “We made a decision to focus on one thing and do it well.” According to Parrott, Notus’ Mantis and Echo systems are providing fishermen with information needed to increase efficiency. The Mantis system includes sensors on the net that monitor the position of the net and the catch, and a paravane receiver that collects the signals and sends them on to the wheelhouse for processing. The paravane can be set over the side or towed. “It’s like a wing with a hydrophone. You can think of it as an antenna, and the sensors as transmitters,” Parrott says. The sensors monitor the spread of the doors, the position of the headrope and sweep in relation to the bottom, and the quantity of fish going into the net. “That’s important for redfish, because the quantities can be huge and you can damage the gear,” Parrott says, adding that the system isn’t just one-way. “We are the only manufacturers of an active system,” he says. “It’s a twoway system. If a captain wants data on trawl wire length every 5 seconds, he flips a switch and sends a signal to the sensors mounted on the doors. Then those sensors send a signal back to the receiver on the paravane. It’s all wireless.” Parrott notes that many of the boats using the Mantis system are factory trawlers that only get hauled out about every five years. Besides providing a clearer signal, having a

The Notus net monitoring system Mantis improves efficiency by showing captains how their nets are performing, what they are catching, and how much.

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 33

Twin trawls can double the net opening while reducing fuel consumption and are becoming more popular.

captain to maneuver around obstacles.” The big developments with Marport’s sensors are around production and multiple net systems. “The quota is not going to change,” says Belen. “What is going to change is efficiency.” To that end he points out that in the last 2 1/2 years, many big boats have started using twin trawls, where two nets are towed between two doors. “In the middle, where the nets connect, they put a clump weight and another wire to the boat. They can almost double the spread of the doors,” he says. Belen notes that boats using multinet systems are towing less net through the water and often getting more fish. Belen explains that the usual

Notus

receiver separate from the hull enables regular maintenance. In addition to doing its own manufacturing, and research and development, Notus works with Newfoundland’s Memorial University and often models its various systems’ performance in the Memorial’s tow, flume, wave and ice test tanks. Ice can be a problem for boats fishing the rich waters close to the Arctic.“Of course, vessels operating in ice have to have the receiver mounted on the hull,” Parrott says. Notus is also logging success with its Echo system for shrimp fishermen. “That’s wildly popular,” Parrott says. “You can’t see shrimp on a sounder because they have no bladder, what echo does is pick up the sound of shrimp hitting the grid, so captains can know where they’re getting shrimp and focus on that sweet spot. The guys who don’t have this can’t keep up with the ones who do.” Capt. Réjean Côté, of the F/V Helen M. Cadegan, says that using Echo “is the first time in 43 years of shrimping that I know exactly where I have been catching the shrimp.” The Icelandic company Marport is also in the net sensor business, and the company’s U.S. branch is focused on Alaska’s groundfish trawlers. “Right now we are fine-tuning our sensors for twin- and even triple-trawl systems,” says Patrick Belen, sales manager for Marport USA. According to Belen, the Marport sensors can export data directly into Olex, TimeZero and other bottom building programs in real time. “We can provide a 3-D presentation that is reality based, enabling the

Matthew McHugh/Bord Iascaigh Mhara

BOATS & GEAR: TRAWL TECH

Capt. Réjean Côté of the Helen M. Cadegan swears by the Notus Echo shrimp monitor. “It is the first time in 43 years of shrimping that I know exactly where I have been catching the shrimp.”

34 National Fisherman \ October 2020

“Right now we are finetuning our sensors for twin- and even triple-trawl systems.” — Patrick Belen, MARPORT USA

configuration for sensors includes one on each door, one on the clump weight, one on each headrope and one near the cod end. “That’s six, but captains may want to add more catch sensors. They may add as many as three additional sensors.” The sensors collect a variety of data, Belen notes, including trawl symmetry and speed of water moving through the net. “They want to know that the net is deployed according to the design,” he says. While Marport and other companies — such as multiple net system designer Dantrawl — work closely with fishermen, covid-19 has taken a toll on the ability of equipment manufacturers to get on board boats. “We can’t send our people to Dutch Harbor right now,” says Belen. “We are collecting data remotely, but it’s not the same as being right there. It’s surprising how much you can learn from these guys.They know what they’re seeing, and they know what they want.” Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National fisherman and the author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.” www.nationalfisherman.com

OCTOBER PERMIT NEWS

Dock Street Brokers

(206) 789-5101 (800) 683-0297 www.dockstreetbrokers.com For all the latest permit & IFQ listings please call or visit our website.

IFQ NEWS *Price differences reflect the range from small blocks of D or C class on the lower end to unblocked B class unless ortherwise indicated.*

HALIBUT At the time of this writing, landings are well below historic average for this time of year. Market activity remains limited, a result of the ongoig global pandemic and weak grounds prices. It is reasonable to speculate that the allowance of temporary transfers of IFQ pounds without emergency medical reasons has lessened the need to buy/sell during such uncertain market conditions. The latest is as follows:

AREA

ESTIMATED VALUE

2C $45.00/# - $57.00/# - No activity despite reduced asking prices. 3A - Unblocked available

$35.00/# - $44.00/#

3B - Buyers looking for unblocked.

$22.00/# - $27.00/#

4A $10.00/# - $15.00/# - Buyers available at reduced asking prices. 4B $10.00/# - $18.00/# - Blocked and unblocked available. 4C - No activity.

$10.00/# - $18.00/#

SABLEFISH At the time of this writing, salmon seasons are ongoing and market activity for black cod IFQ remains limited. There continues to be a strong supply of unfished IFQs available, with lack of demand being the limiting factor. We remain cautiously optimistic than an improved grounds price will increase market activity. The latest is as follows:

AREA

ESTIMATED VALUE

SE $12.00/# - $18.00/# - Limited activity despite reduced asking prices. WY $14.00/# - $18.00/# - Unblocked available, offers encouraged. CG $9.00/# - $14.00/# - Recent activity, unblocked available. WG $6.00/# - $10.00/# - Some recent sales at reduced prices. AI - No activity.

$1.50/# - $8.00*/# (A class)

BS $1.50/# - $8.00*/# (A class) - Recent activity, limited availability.

See all our listings at www.dockstreetbrokers.com

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

ALASKA PERMITS

ESTIMATED VALUES

Power Troll

$25k

Area M Drift

$185k

Area M Seine

$170k

Area M Setnet

$55k

Bristol Bay Drift

$155k

Bristol Bay Setnet

$63k

Cook Inlet Drift

$26k

Kodiak Seine

$36k

PWS Drift

$130k

PWS Seine

$140k

SE Dungeness (75 - 300 pot)

Variable - Sellers wanted

Southeast Drift

$70k

Southeast Herring Seine

$100k

Southeast Salmon Seine

$175k

SE Chatham Black Cod

$420k - Permit available

WEST COAST PERMITS

ESTIMATED VALUES

California Crab Variable - Call for info Reduced prices have resulted in a slight increase in market activity, but sales remain limited. Permit values remain difficult to determine due to the limited number of sales. Call for more information. The latest is as follows: - 175 pot: $30k - $50k range - 250 pot: $45k - $60k less than 40’. $50k - $100k for 40’ - 60’ + - 300 - 350 pot: $70k - $150k, low availability - 400 - 450 pot: $100k - $280k, value dependent upon length - 500 pot: $250k - $450k+, highest value in 58’ and above CA Deeper Nearshore

$35k

CA Halibut Trawl

$70k - $100k

California Squid

Variable - call for info

CA Squid Light/Brail

Variable - call for info

Oregon Pink Shrimp

$50k - $65k

Oregon Crab Variable - call for info Steady demand for 500 pot permits over 58’ - 200 pot: $45k - $65k - 300 pot: $110k - $200k - 500 pot: $200k - $300k for <50’ & $6k - $7k per foot for >50’ Puget Sound Crab

$135k

Puget Soun Drift Drift

$12k

Puget Sound Seine

$100k

Washington Crab Variable - call for info Recent listings at reduced prices, offers encouraged - 300 pot: $90k - $160k depending on length - 500 pot: $300k - $400k depeneding on length Washington Pink Shrimp Washington Troll

$38k - Leases available $21k

Longline - Unendorsed $110k - $130k - Cash buyers looking, sellers wanted. Leases available. Longline - Sablefish Endorsed Variable -Tier 2 and 3 permits available, prices reduced A-Trawl

Variable - Call for info

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 35

BOATS & GEAR: MARINE POWER

Boats & Gear: Marine Power

has been pioneering variable-speed gensets. “They are adapted to follow the load,” says Don Williams, global sales manager at Northern Lights. The challenge with developing variable-speed gensets has been maintaining 60-Hz frequency at variable rpms. “To put it simply, the alternator produces what we call dirty AC,” says Williams. “We rectify that, turning it into DC and then, using an inverter, back into clean AC at a steady frequency.” According to Williams, the variable-speed generators can run at 2,400 rpm under heavy loads and produce up to 40 percent more power. “They can also run at lower speeds so that overall the average rpms are lower than average,” he adds. The variablespeed gensets follow their optimum fuel curve at all times. As a component of a Northern Lights hybrid system, it’s possible to switch loads from the genset to battery banks. In no-load and lowload conditions, the engine operates only when the battery bank is depleted and only at the rpm required to satisfy the load. Williams credits advances in inverter technology, mostly coming out of the auto industry, with driving change in new gensets. “This is nascent technology,” he says. “So far we have not done any hybrid projects with commercial fi shing boats. We’d love to fi nd partners to work with and develop systems that are

The Marine Equipment Provider for Fishing, Passenger, Cargo, Tourism, & Watersports Industries

Northern Lights

Continued from page 25

Northern Lights is leading the way with variable-speed gensets that can match speed to load, saving on fuel and maintenance.

specific to their needs. With hybrid there is so much versatility, I am sure we could fi nd efficiencies.” Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and the author of “The Doryman’s Refl ection.”

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AROUND THE YARDS

Wooden boat gets first major workover in 57 years; a little welding help comes along just at the right time By Michael Crowley

Makela Boatworks photos

The wooden dragger and crabber Blue Pacific after leaving Makela Boatworks.

hat kind of shape would you expect a 57-year-old wooden dragger and crabber to be in that hadn’t undergone major restoration work? Well, if it’s the Blue Pacific built by Makela Boatworks in Fort Bragg, Calif., the answer would be “pretty good shape.” The brothers Fred and Nick Makela started Makela Boatworks in 1947, building and repairing wooden boats. Today, the boatyard still specializes in working on wooden boats, but now it’s under the direction of Fred’s son, Howard, who recently finished some extensive repairs on the 56' x 16' Blue Pacific that his father and uncle built in 1963. “This is the first major work that’s been done on it,” says Howard Makela. He doesn’t refer to it as rebuilding or a major restoration; it’s just that “after all these years, they always need a little TLC.” A good reason the more than five-decades-old wooden boat has been able to put off extensive repairs is because she was built with “good lumber and materials. The wood is not rotten, it’s more worn out,” Makela says. Replacing that worn-out wood is what Makela has done, mostly from the back of the pilothouse to the stern. That means steaming in new oak frames and installing three new deck beams under the winches. Covering

38 National Fisherman \ October 2020

Planking on both port and starboard bulwarks was replaced.

boards and some decking were removed and replaced to access the deck beams and to refasten other deck beams; otherwise new decking went down as needed. Half the outside planking on the port and starboard bulwarks was replaced, along with new bulwark rail caps. Makela looked around the lazarette and determined that it “seemed like it was in very good shape.” One thing Makela has noticed was the condition of the Monel ring nails that had been used as fastenings. “For 1963 fastenings they were

in real good shape, though a little green.” He emphasizes that the fastenings weren’t galvanized nails. The replacement fastenings were bronze and stainless screws. At Noyo Boatworks, another Fort Bragg boatyard, The Trianna was launched July 2, about a year after it was expected to go in the water, and on July 17 went on sea trials. That marked the end of a very long, arduous and painful process. For the Trianna’s builder, Jason Malsom, there was a lot riding on the building of the 60' x 27' 6" Jensen Maritime Consultants-designed steel longliner and crabber. This was the first boat for Malsom, who had worked for Chris Van Peer at Van Peer Boatworks. When Van Peer retired in November 2017 Malsom bought the boatyard’s equipment, rented the boatshop, renamed it Noyo Boatworks and then took on building the Trianna for Fort Bragg fisherman Nick Jardstrom. By early September 2018 the steel hull was mostly plated up, and Malsom said things were going “pretty well.” He had even talked with a Seattle fisherman about building a 58-footer. But it wasn’t long before things started going downhill. There had previously been some design issues that had to be resolved, but the main problem was finding qualified welders. It’s an issue that other boatyards have had as well. For a long time it was only Malsom and one other welder working on the boat.Then for about six months it was just Malsom welding steel plating together. In July 2018, when the boat was about halfway completed, Van Peer came to work Continued on page 41

The Trianna, a 60-foot longliner and crabber, will be fishing in Alaska after being launched at Noyo Boatworks on July 2.

www.nationalfisherman.com

Dave Slone

WEST

AROUND THE YARDS

NORTHEAST

Maine yard sends crabber to the West Coast; lobstermen’s love of racing perseveres in pandemic

H&H Marine

By Michael Crowley

This Osmond 46' x 17' 6" crabber is one of several boats H&H Marine has sent to California.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

lengthened by three feet at the stern to bring it out to 50 feet. “When he brings the engine up, we are going to put the Volvo engine in, shaft, rudder and a few bulkheads,” says Grindal. The hull is being built with an open stern that will receive a hydraulic tailgate. H&H has built about five 50-footers. A 32' x 11' 3" Osmond rod and reel tuna boat is going to Montauk, N.Y., with a 400-hp John Deere by the end of October. That will follow an Osmond 42 rod and

Continued on page 41

Jon Johansen

&H Marine in Steuben, Maine, should really set up a boatshop on the West Coast. Ideally it would be somewhere around San Francisco, because that’s where they’ve sent several boats. The next one being built for the San Francisco area is an Osmond 42 with a 17' 6" beam that will be finished off as a crabber with a 750-hp John Deere for power. The 42-footer may be working another fishery, as well as crabbing, because the owners are “talking about putting a net reel on,” says H&H Marine’s Bruce Grindal. The 42-footer should be leaving H&H Marine at the end of the year. Not counting that boat, H&H Marine has sent about 10 fishing boats to the West Coast, with at least one West Coast fisherman satisfied enough with the Osmond 46 he had been fishing that he took delivery of a second one in early 2019. The most recent West Coast delivery was an Osmond 46' x 17' 6" crabber with a 700-hp Volvo that also went to the San Francisco area. Closer to home in New England, H&H Marine is currently building an Osmond 50' x 19' 2" kit boat that will lobster out of Gloucester, Mass. An Osmond 47 was

reel tuna boat with a 750-hp John Deere that went to the Gloucester area. Racing time. Three boats idle up to the starting line, hesitate until the starter’s flag drops, then three throttles are slammed down and the scream of diesels ramped to their maximum tells anyone within earshot it’s Maine Lobster Boat Racing Season, the time of the year when the last thing a lobsterman is thinking about is hauling traps. They are putting everything on the line — including the life of their engine — to be first across the finish line. It was June 27 and the 17th contest of the day at Rockland, the first race of the 2020 season. Sixty-two boats showed up to take part in at least one of 29 races starting with Class A Skiffs, 16 feet and under with outboards up to 30-hp, operator 18 years and under. The day would end with the Fastest Lobster Boat race. The three boats at the starting line waiting for the flag to drop were Misty, a Crowley Beal 33 with a 650-hp Scania; Maria’s Nightmare, a Mussel Ridge 26 with a 600-hp Cummins and Sea Borne, a Duffy 35 with a 610-hp Cummins. It was the Class I (551 to 700 hp, 28 to 35 feet) race. Misty has been the boat to beat for a number of years, but this season may be different because Maria’s Nightmare is now eligible for Class I after its Cummins engine replaced the 2,500-hp Chevy she ran with last year.

Black Diamond won Gas Class C at Rockland, Bass Harbor and Moosabec Reach. Here she moves past Wide Open at Bass Harbor’s lobster boat races.

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 39

AROUND THE YARDS

SOUTH

Rebuilt railway put to task on its owner’s boat; classic deadrise gets new fiberglass and painted hull

Nelsons Railway near White Stone, Va., has recently opened and can handle 50-foot-long and 30-ton boats.

rank Nelson of White Stone,Va., says he has commercial fished for 45 years, working in the New England scallop fishery to chasing swordfish in waters around Key West, Fla., and never had the privilege to have his name printed in National Fisherman. Well, you made it this month, Frank! Nelson and his wife, Kathy, have recently rebuilt a 30-ton commercial railway on Antipoison Creek near White Stone and are hauling commercial fishing boats. When they purchased the old railway, most of the parts were in the creek. The engine and onshore gears, used to haul boats, were sold off by a previous owner. The couple bought the property five years ago and have slowly rebuilt the railway. “When we got here, most of the steel rails and wheels and all but 14 feet of the wooden cradle were underwater,” says Nelson. “We used the surviving 14-foot cradle as a template to rebuild a cradle that can now handle up to 50-foot-long boats.” Nelson used Virginia white oak and pressure-treated pine beams to rebuild the cradle. Since the stationary engine and gears were removed, Nelson now hauls boats with a Ford 4110 utility tractor. In May, Nelson had his own boat on the

40 National Fisherman \ October 2020

rails. She was named Miss Sharon but has since been renamed Miss Kathy after Nelson’s wife. The wooden 42' x 12.6' x 5' 7" was built in 1990 by the late Frances Haynie of Northumberland County,Va. Before purchasing the Miss Kathy, Nelson worked out of a wooden 30-foot deadrise built by Jerry Pruitt of Tangier Island. “As (Virginia’s) oyster fishery started coming back, we leased some private oyster grounds,” says Nelson. “I found out I needed a bigger boat to carry more seed (oysters) to my beds. My new boat will carry about 300 bushels, compared to 70 bushels in my old boat.” After Nelson bought the Miss Kathy, he discovered portions of the boat were infested with wharf borer beetles and some wood had

Continued on page 41

Larry Chowning

By Larry Chowning

been compromised. “I’ve had experience with these bugs before, and the only way to get rid of them is to remove all the soft wood,” he says. Nelson replaced 23 bottom planks with pressure-treated wood and coated the entire inside of the bottom with linseed oil and turpentine. “My experience with those bugs is that they do not settle in pressure-treated wood,” he says. He also replaced all of the floor decking inside the boat with 3/4-inch marine plywood. After Miss Kathy went back into the water in July, Nelson hauled a 37-foot deadrise for routine maintenance owned by oysterman Robert Burnett of Kilmarnock, Va. “Needless to say, Kathy and I are going to cater to working watermen,” says Nelson. Moving to another Virginia yard, there is hardly ever a day when there is not a commercial fishing boat on the hard at Holiday Marina in Achilles, Va. Dave Westcott of Seaford and Richard Green of Hayes are longtime watermen who were working at the yard in July on their own boats. Westcott owns the 42-foot deadrise C.E. Crockett, named after his grandfather. The C.E. Crockett was built in 1979 in Deltaville, Va., by Grover Lee Owens. Westcott currently works the boat out of Rescue, Va., on Pagan River, where he and his mate, Eric Muza, oyster year-round. When Virginia’s public oyster dredge fishery is closed, they work on state-leased private grounds. At the yard,Westcott, 70, was sitting on the tailgate of his truck while Muza was preparing the boat to paint. The captain was taking a

The strut and prop have been removed from the C.E. Crockett for fiberglass repair work to be applied to the bottom of the boat at Holiday Marina in Achilles, Va.

www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE YARDS

Around the Yards: West

Around the Yards: Northeast

Around the Yards: South

Continued from page 38

Continued from page 39

Continued from page 40

with Malsom. (Van Peer also helped build the Ocean Challenger for Jardstrom’s father in the 1980s.) Van Peer’s friend Rae Dean Barker also started working for Malsom, helping Van Peer with things such as building the top house, putting it on the boat, helping to install engines and preparing parts for welding. “She can do just about everything,”Van Peer says. With about three or four months to go, “Justin Sanders, a good young welder came along,” says Van Peer, and that helped ease the burden. Then Jardstrom “had his crew come and work on it.” (Jardstrom did not want to talk for the story other than to say his 58foot Keltie, a crabber and longliner, is for sale. Jason Malsom was unavailable.) The covid-19 virus did its part to build the stress level by making it very difficult to get materials. “Shipping was already terrible in this area,” says Van Peer, “and it got a lot worse.” Some of the materials that took a long time getting to Noyo Boatworks included insulation, pumps, compressors, condensers and chillers. In the end, Van Peer describes the Trianna as “a very nice boat.” He especially notes the work of a couple of good carpenters and cabinetmakers that “did a very nice job in the galley, crew’s quarters and tophouse.”

The challenge Sea Borne faces was evident when Maria’s Nightmare crossed the finish line first at 46.8 mph, Sea Borne was in second place, two boat-lengths back. The fastest time recorded at Rockland was 49 mph by Blue Eyed Girl, a Morgan Bay 38 with a 900-hp Scania in Diesel Class K (702 to 900 hp, 28 feet and over). Blue Eyed Girl also won the Diesel Free For All at 48.4 mph. The next two races were on June 28 at Bass Harbor and July 4 at Moosabec Reach. Forty-nine boats came to Bass Harbor and 81 to Moosabec Reach. A lot of boats will be at all seven races, ending on Aug. 16 in Portland. A boat that’s done well over the first three races is Black Diamond, a Holland 32, with 454 Chevy. She enters Gas Class C (V8, 376 to 525 cid, 28 feet and over). At Rockland, Bass Harbor and Moosabec Reach she won her class races, hitting 35 mph at Moosabec Reach and won the Gasoline Free For All at Bass Harbor. The fastest time for all three events was registered by Wild, Wild West, a West 28 with a 1,050-hp Isotta Fraschini. At Moosabec Reach she took the Diesel Free For All at 52.8 mph and later the Recreational Lobster boat Race at an estimated 62 mph. Visit the National Fisherman site for updates.

break as he recently had a knee replacement, which according to him was successful. At some time in the life of the C.E. Crockett, the wooden hull was encapsulated with fiberglass. A section of fiberglass had pulled away from the bottom near the stern. Westcott and Muza removed the strut and prop to provide space enough for applying a new coating of fiberglass. They are also painting the boat from top to bottom. Just a few boats down, Green has a hull of a 45-foot deadrise sanded down to bare wood and covered with a makeshift tent. The deadrise was built by Edward Diggs, a longtime Mathews County,Va., boatbuilder now retired from the trade. The boatowners coordinated the hiring of a fiberglass specialist to encapsulate the hull on Green’s boat and patch the bottom on Westcott’s vessel. They were awaiting his arrival. While getting the hull ready to glass, Green replaced a few small chunks of wood in the round stern and installed some new side planking. “The hull is in great shape,” Green says. Green is counting on Virginia’s oyster fishery to continue to thrive and grow. He leases over 2,000 acres of oyster grounds from the state. The 45-foot deadrise will be used to work those grounds.

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www.hhmarineinc.com October 2020 \ National Fisherman 41

BOATS & GEAR: PRODUCTS

Product Roundup

Joining forces Integrity Machining brings three brands under one roof By Brian Hagenbuch ntegrity Machining, makers of Kolstrand-branded marine deck equipment, has expanded its product line by acquiring the assets of J.K. Fabrication, putting the two Washington statebased marine deck equipment manufacturers under one roof. A little over a year ago, Integrity Machining moved from its 5,000-squarefoot shop in Seattle’s port neighborhood of Ballard. Forty-five minutes north on the freeway, the company also secured an ample 15,000-square-foot shop with an extra 15,000-square-foot yard in Marysville. Brad Tibbs, the sales engineer for Integrity Machining, said the addition of J.K. Fabrication should boost production capacity

considerably. Two J.K. fabricators who will be joining the crew in Marysville bring with them nearly 50 years of experience in the marine industry. “There’s a wealth of knowledge that comes with those two employees, along with a lot of great relationships and customers,” Tibbs said. In addition, J.K. Fabrication founder Jim Kreider has joined the Integrity Machining team. “The J.K. phone number has been routed to our office and Jim (Kreider) will be answering questions and serving the same customers that he has been serving for the last 20 years,” Tibbs said. Adding Nordic haulers and deck winches and other J.K. Fabrication products to its

More flexibility is the goal of the product expansion.

lineup, Integrity Machining has assembled “the broadest product line in the marine deck equipment industry,” Kreider said. Tibbs added the company will provide around 250 products and more capacity to adjust to customers’ specific needs. “Not only do we have our standard products but we also do a lot of customization to really make sure that equipment is exactly what they need.” Tibbs said.

INTEGRITY MACHINING/ KOLSTRAND

www.kolstrand.com

Suzuki unveils new outboards Smaller outboards offer big upgrades By Brian Hagenbuch Suzuki Marine has unveiled two smaller four-stroke outboards, the first in their class with driveby-wire technology, which provides “silky smooth shifting, instant throttle response, enhanced performance and superior fuel efficiency,” according to the company. Drive-by-wire technology has proved to be popular in larger Suzuki outboards from 150 up to 350 horsepower, and now Suzuki has made it available in the new DF115BG and DF140BG, which have 115 and 140 horsepower. “Drive-by-wire controls are ideal for a wide range of small commercial boats. In single and dual installations, they can power skiffs and pilothouse vessels used in a variety of fishing applications. Suzuki’s factory

T W

42 National Fisherman \ October 2020

fly-by-wire shift and throttle controls provide instant response and allow for precise, smooth maneuvering by the operator. This type of precision control will come in handy for boats that are working setnets, deploying or picking up pots, or pulling up to the dock to off-load catch,” said Gus Blakely, who is Suzuki Motor of America’s vice president of the marine division. A bump in compression ratio — it is 10.6:1 — has improved thermal efficiency, increasing acceleration as well as top-end speed. And the fuel efficiency is better, too. In contrast to Suzuki’s comparable existing models, these new engines are anywhere from 5 to 7 percent more efficient on gas. “In addition to drive-by-wire precision, these new outboards provide performance

Suzuki’s drive-by-wire technology is now available in lower-horsepower outboards.

characteristics commercial fishermen will appreciate. For one, they deliver improved fuel economy at cruising speeds when compared to our existing 115- and 140-horsepower models. A higher compression ratio and aggressive gearing provide the robust hole shot needed to get heavily loaded boats up on plane. And these motors’ 40-amp alternators provide more charging output at lower engine speeds, to help keep electronics, pumps and other important gear humming,” Blakely added. SUZUKI MARINE

www.suzukimarine.com

www.nationalfisherman.com

AT A GLANCE

There is a new competitor in the ongoing competition to make the stickiest, strongest tape. T-REX’S FEROCIOUSLY STRONG WATERPROOF TAPE is looking to carve out a circular nook on your crowded tool shelf with robust and stretchy tape that can be applied underwater. The tape stretches up to 700 percent its original length, making it a good option for quick temporary fixes and hoses and pipes, so you can fish out the opener. The black tape resists breakdown from UV rays and is rated to withstand temperatures from minus 70 to 200 degrees F. T-REX TAPE

www.trextape.com

The FIBRELIGHT MOB RECOVERY CRADLE from LRSE is a very lightweight, versatile man-overboard recovery system that can be used by a single crew member. The SOLAS-approved cradle is made of PU-coated polyester webbing that is reinforced by carbon rods and weighs just 3.5 pounds per three feet, far lighter than anything similar on the market. The cradles are available from six to 27 feet long. Beyond their main purpose of scooping crew out of the water, they can also be used as a stretcher, a scramble net, or a boarding ladder.

VERATRON’S new LINKUP is a gateway module system that uses built-in wireless antennas to convert engine information for NMEA 2000 display. Five different plug-and-play variations can be configured via Android or iOS to route information from onboard sensors that monitor temperature, pressure, liquid levels, and other engine vital signs. The information is then available for display on OceanLink, AcquaLink, or a glass cockpit NMEA 2000 system. Dockside variations are available, and the PC Configuration Tool allows for real-time analog readings.

VETUS has released two new ISOcompliant inspection tank ports for fuel and water tanks. The ILT120B and ILT120X feature upgraded lid designs and are reinforced with glass fiber, meeting small craft standards for fuel systems and tanks. A clamp and seal design makes getting the lids off and on easier while facilitating cleaning and inspection of tanks. Four bolts on the counter flange are tightened to sink down on a rubber gasket, creating a tight seal around a 120-millimeter internal aperture.

VERATRON

VETUS

www.veratron.com

www.vetus.com

The RTIC SOFT PACK line of floating coolers are a cold, durable addition to any fishing boat. There are four sizes that can hold from eight to 40 cans, and each is sheathed in a heavy-duty vinyl shell over 2 inches of closed-cell insulation. The result is a leak-proof, puncture-proof battering ram of a cooler that can stand up to life on a fishing boat and keep ice for days. An antimicrobial liner fights back mildew, and the outside has UV protection. Reinforced straps abound — side, top and shoulder — and all larger models have a zippered pocket for dry goods.

Following up on the request of a customer, HOOPERS ISLAND OYSTER CO., based out of Cambridge, Md., developed its new HYDRAULIC BIN TIPPER, a safe, automated way to dump oysters down the production line into hoppers, conveyors, and tumblers. The stainless hydraulic unit is manufactured in the United States and can safely raise up to 1,500-pound totes with no floor anchoring. The lack of an anchor also allows for it to be easily moved around the plant floor, making it a highly adaptable piece of equipment.

LRSE

RTIC

HOOPERS ISLAND OYSTER

www.lrse.com

www.rticoutdoors.com

www.hoopersisland.com

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 43

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE JARVIS NEWMAN 36’ FLY BRIDGE CRUISER 1980 Semi Displacement Trawler/Long Range/, New England Pilot House Fishing/Workboat. 370 Yanmar - 14 knot Cruise. 2380 hrs. on engine. Boat located, Florida West Coast. Price: Asking $68,000 Contact: Call Rick at (713) 249-0351

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-Bir 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: $68,000 Contact: Earl 508-994-3575

55’ GILLNETTER 55” Gillnetter - Cat 3406 with a twin Disc 514 4.5 to 1 ratio for $85,000. Also a new twin Disc mg5114 dc 3.43 1 housing with Vulcan silicone torsional input coupling for $16,500.

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

LE BLANC CRAB / LONGLINER LL-288 1999 Le Blanc Crab / Longliner Hull Material: Fiberglass Dimensions: Length: 44.11’ Beam: 18.7’ Draft: 6’ Capacity : Fuel: 2,000 Gal. / Water: 700 Gal. / Speed: 10 Knots Gross Ton: / Net Ton: 30 / Hold: 10 K Live Machinery : Engine: 3406 CAT / Gear: TD 2 to 1 TD RSW 5 Ton System - Sleeps 3 / AC Unit / Pull Master H 14 Winch / Rope Hauler / F/Deep Water Trap Fishing. Price: $217,000 Contact: Call John 321-626-6542

44 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 45

CLASSIFIEDS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LAW

FISHERY/LOBSTER FACILITY FOR SALE

MARITIME INJURIES

$595,000 PRICE REDUCED! Tightly Held Leasehold Marine Facility located in the high demand port of Galilee in Narragansett, Rhode Island. An 11,000 commercial fishing opportunity with its unparalleled access to Port Judith and the Atlantic, with office/retail income producing tenants in place.

401-523-9555 âŹ§ imcommercial@yahoo.com https://buildout.com/website/270greatisland

HELP WANTED

LATTI & ANDERSON LLP

Over 50 years experience recovering multimillion dollar settlements and verdicts representing Fishermen, Merchant Seamen, Recreational Boaters, Passengers and their Families nationwide.

CALL 1-800-392-6072 to talk with Carolyn Latti or David Anderson

www.lattianderson.com

MATES/CHIEF ENGINEERS WANTED Tradition Mariner LLC is looking for qualified Mates and Chief Engineers to serve aboard their fleet of 1000 ton to 1400 ton capacity High Seas Tuna Vessels for extended voyages at sea. For more information, please visit our website:

www.traditionmariner.com

South Pacific Tuna Corporation is currently seeking qualified and experienced individuals for the following positions aboard a Class Six purse seine fishing vessel: MASTER CHIEF ENGINEER CHIEF MATE For details, please refer to our webiste www.sopactuna.com or contact: Robert Virissimo bobbyv@sopactuna.com

MARINE GEAR

Seeking potential US Licensed Chief Engineers and Mates That have experience operating and maintaining large scale tuna purse seiners operating in the South Pacific. Carrying capacity of the vessel is 1600MT of Tuna and trip lengths vary from 30 to 60 days. Contract is on a trip by trip basis.

Please contact: schikami@westpacfish.com 46 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED

MARINE GEAR

**LOOKING FOR A USCG LICENSED CHIEF ENGINEER** For an uninspected fishing vessel, a Tuna Purse Seine operation with 4000HP and 1500 MT Cargo Capacity. Must hold a current USCG Engineer’s License, have a minimum 3 years experience with this type of operation. This Full Time position operating out of American Samoa and several other Western Pacific Ports and Requires experience and working knowledge of EMD and CAT engines, R717 Refrigeration / Freezing system, Hydraulic Systems, etc.Please submit Resume and license info to PPFisheries@gmail.com

MARINE GEAR F/V HAYLEY ANN SEABAG All proceeds will support MFCA on Honor Capt Joe Nickerson and his crew that perished at sea while fishing on the F/V Hayley Ann. Joey’s daughter, Hayley designed these bags to honor her father’s legacy.

$210.00

includes shipping

Place an Ad! Call Wendy (207) 842-5616 wjalbert@divcom

www.mainecoastfishermen.org • One side of the bag features the F/V Hayley Ann. • On the opposite side, is the MCFA logo. • Inside is a map of the Gulf of Maine with a

heart identifying the location where the F/V Hayley Ann was lost at sea. • Price includes shipping and handling. • Bags are all made in Portland, Maine • Large: 14"h x 6"w x 18"l

New England’s Most Complete Packaging Supplier www.skipsmarine.net

New Bedford, MA To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

◼

(508) 993-9446

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 47

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

COMPLETE FRONT POWER TAKE-OFF SYSTEMS Multiple Options for Every Engine Front SAE Bell Housings & Flywheels SAE Hydraulic Pump Mounts Live Power Take-Offs Multiple Clutch Options

East Coast Dealership Opportunities Available

BEST BRONZE PROPELLER Sick of pitted and pink props after one session? Ours hold the pitch longer and recondition more times than the brand name props you have been buying and reconditioning every year for the few years they last. Built to your specs not taken off theshelf and repitched or cutdown. (781) 837-5424 or email at twindiscgears@verizon.net

800.777.0714

MARINE ENGINES & PARTS

All Island Marine is an authorized dealer of all these brands. Everything you need for boating is located in our showroom. Stop by and see us.

Ship Daily UPS/FedEx

480 Reina Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572 ⬧ 516-764-3300

www.allisland.com

To locate a dealer visit

www.merequipment.com

Volvo Engine for Sale CTAMD 63L—236 HP @2500 RPM- 1450 Bobtail Merries up to #3 bell house. 7000 plus hours.

$12,000

Divorcee—MUST GO!

CALL Doug —805-218-0626 48 National Fisherman \ October 2020

TWIN DISC MARINE TRANSMISSIONS, CATERPILLAR & CUMMINS ENGINES & PARTS. New and rebuilt, Biggest selection of used ENG & Gear parts in the world. Worldwide shipping. Best pricing. Call Steve at Marine Engine & Gear 781-837-5424 or email at twindiscgears@verizon.net

DEPENDABLE 12 VOLT ELECTRIC TRAP HAULERS

ELECTRA-DYNE CO.

quick

POWERFUL

RUGGED QUIET and in stock

P.O. BOX 1344, PLYMOUTH, MA 02362 508-746-3270 Fax: 508-747-4017

W W W. E L E C T R A - D Y N E . C O M www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

N-Virodredge™ USA N-Viro scallop dredge… Anything else is a drag! • Cleaner catches • Less bottom impact (207) 726-4620 office (207) 214-3765 cell ◼

• Saves fuel • Protects junvenile stock 736 Leighton Pt. Rd., Pembroke, Me. 04666

www.n-virodredgeusa.com ◼ tim@gulfofme.com

●

Protected under International patent application No. PCT/GB2009/002002

THE L ARGEST

COMMERCIAL FISHING SUPPLY IN USA.

PARTS ● SALES ● SERVICE

432 Warren Ave Portland, ME 04103 Phone (207) 797-5188 Fax (207) 797-5953

90 Bay State Road Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone (781) 246-1811 Fax (781) 246-5321

Since 1982 we are a leading provider in quality commercial fishing supply in the United States. We warehouse a huge selection of ready to ship products

Place an Ad! Call Wendy (207) 842-5616 wjalbert@divcom

SHOP NOW AT WWW.LEEFISHERFISHING.COM For further questions, please call 800.356.5464 or email graymond@leefisherintl.com

MARINE GEAR COMMERCIAL GEAR Catalog Available

 Exsum Monofilament

 Manufacturers of Hydraulic Deck Equipment: Pot Launchers, Crab Blocks, Trawl Winches, Net Reels, Sorting Table, Anchor Winches  Dockside Vessel Conversions and Repairs  Machining, Hydraulics and Fabrications  Suppliers of KYB Motors, Rotzler Winches, Pumps, Cylinders,

Hydrocontrol Valves, Hoses

Phone: 541-336-5593 - Fax: 541-336-5156 - 1-800-923-3625 508 Butler Bridge Road, Toledo, OR 97391

 Siltlon & Marinmax Monofilament  Dexter Russell Knives

1112 Main Street Sebastian, FL 32958 (772) 589-3087 Fax (772) 589-3106

www.snlcorp.com

 Grundens ® Foul Weather Gear  Mustad ® & Eagle Claw ® Hooks  Chemilure Lightsticks

◼

Email: snlcorp@bellsouth.net

Inshore and Offshore Fishing Gear (800) 330-3087 AK, HI, PR, US VI (800)824-5635

Same Day Shipping!! To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Keel Coolers Trouble free marine engine cooling since 1927!

THE WALTER MACHINE CO, INC Tel: 201-656-5654 • Fax: 201-656-0318 www.waltergear.com

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 49

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR PARACHUTE SEA ANCHORS From PARA-TECH,the NUMBER 1 name in Sea Anchors Sea Anchor sizes for boats up to 150 tons Lay to in relative comfort and safety with your bow INTO the weather Save fuel, save thousands due to “broken trips”

PARA-TECH ENGINEERING CO.

On Sale!

1580 Chairbar Rd. • Silt, CO 81652 (800) 594-0011 • paratech@rof.net • www.seaanchor.com

P-Sea WindPlot II

NEW! P-Sea FishFinder with Hardness and Roughness

This Windows program turns any IBM computer into a chart plotter that displays our library of bathy. charts, FREE NOAA BSB raster charts, Navionics and C-Map MAX vector charts with tide and currents. Interfaces with GPS, ARPA radar, AIS, temp. or depth. Track and record other vessels paths with the ARPA/RADARpc option. Features include: virtually unlimited waypoints, marks and tracks. NOAA Fishing Logbook. Boundary builder for setting fishing zones. Vessel and cursor positions can be set for either TD’s or Lat/Long. with TD grid overlay TD to Lat/Long conversions with optional ASF correction table for GPS/TD accuracy. See the sea bottom in 3D with the 3D option or rebuild the bottom in 3D with the P-SeaBed Builder option. Record bottom hardness, roughness, biomass and temperature down to one hundredth of a degree with the new P-Sea FishFinder option and the Koden 1000 watt dual-frequency sounder module. See for yourself all of the latest features and download the online demos via our website now or call for a mailed CD or dealer referral at 800-88-RADAR.

MARINE GENERATORS Save Fuel Run Cooler Last Longer

9kW - 550kW Gensets

Manufactured by MER Equipment, Inc.

800.777.0714

P-Sea Software Co.

To locate a dealer visit

P.O. Box 1390, Morro Bay, CA 93442 USA

www.merequipment.com

Ph. order dept: (800) 887-2327 • Ph. Info: (805) 772-4396 • Fax: (805) 772-5253 E-mail: info@p-sea.com • Internet: www.p-sea.com

TWO CATERPILLAR C32 ACERTS 1925 HP ENGINES.They also come with 2 ZF 2:1 ratio transmissions.. warranty until January 2021. Engine hours 4870 hrs. Oil samples available. Great running motors in great condition. Motors have been through all service Requirements. Contact me for any questions regarding motors. The motors are currently at Gregory Poole in Wanchese NC. Call Austin Robins 804815-6294 Asking $200,000 50 National Fisherman \ October 2020

(New) SpinClearView S-300 Commercial grade marine clear view 12V window. Used on yachts, fishing, police, military, commercial vessels. The SpinClearView S-300 keeps a glass disk free of rain, snow and sea water by a nearly silent and fast rotation of 1500 rpm. $1,795.00 view more on tinyurl.com/ycob7ruh Cell/Tx: 707-322-9720 or Contact: david@satinbiz.com

CATCH A DOORMAT THIS SEASON.These lifelike, beautifully detailed coarse bristled mats will catch anyone’s eye on home/business doorstep, dock or cockpit. Ideal fisherman, boaters gift. Fluke (brown, black) small (30”) $19.95, Large (43”) $36.95, Stripers (38” grey, black) $27.95, Red snappers (43” red, black) $28.95, Largemouth bass (43” green, black) $29.95, scallop (24” brown, black) $27.95. Send check or MO to A. McDonald, 629 Main St. Greenport, NY. 11944. MC or Visa accepted. Add $5.95 S&H to all orders. $10.95 Gulf/ West Coast, AK, HI. Retailers welcome. (631) 377-3040 www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

PERMITS Only rely on the

STRONGEST

Fresh Spot Prawns

Rope Eye

2,0 bre 00lbs + stre aking ng th

Made in USA

888.607.4790

www.mondopolymer.com

PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY FOR THIS FRESH DELICACY!!! 100 lb. minimum

NOTICE

How to place a Classified ad?

Shooting seals and sea lions is against the law. Shooting a seal or sea lion may result in: • • • • •

Ocean run spot prawns caught in southeast Alaska.

Paying civil penalties > $29,000 Spending up to a year in jail Paying criminal fines Forfeiture of your vessel Harming your fishery’s good name

Report violations 1-800-853-1964

You can place a classified advertisement in National Fisherman by using one of the following methods: ONLINE You can place your ad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at nationalfisherman.com By Phone or Email You may place your ad, correct or cancel by calling 800-842-5603 or email our classifieds sales rep. wjalbert@divcom.com

907-401-0158 PERMIT FOR SALE Longline permit, Tuna, incidental sword & shark 91' 166 ton. Call George 804691-7021 $9,000.

SERVICES

Complete vessel documentation service to USCG regulations NMFS ◼ Permit Transfers

(207) 596-6575

342 Gurnet Road, Brunswick, ME 04011

coastaldocumentationii@gmail.com

Wanted To Buy. Offshore Live Lobsters. Top Dollar $$ Paid. Call Pier 7

ADVERTISER INDEX

(located on Gloucester waterfront)

John (617)268-7797

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute ......................... CV3

Marport Americas Inc ................................................ CV2

Boatswain’s Locker Inc .................................................. 3

MER Equipment............................................................ 23

Bostrom, H.O. Co Inc ................................................... 30

Naust Marine ................................................................ 29

Commercial Marine Pro ............................................... 36

Coast Guard.................................................................. 36

Duramax Marine LLC ................................................... 12

Pacific Power Group .................................................... 37

FPT Industrial ................................................................. 5

Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op ............................. 29

Furuno USA ............................................................... CV4

PYI Inc ........................................................................... 25

H & H Marine Inc........................................................... 41

R.A. Mitchell Co. Inc. .................................................... 25

La Conner Maritime Service........................................... 9

R W Fernstrum & Company ........................................... 9

Little Hoquiam Shipyard............................................... 31

TWG Canada - LANTEC and Pullmaster Brands ........ 24

Marine Hydraulic Engineering Co Inc .......................... 24

Walker Engineering Enterprises................................... 15

Marine Medical Systems .............................................. 41

Williamson & Associates .............................................. 23

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

October 2020 \ National Fisherman 51

Last

set

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. Captain Wayne Magwood, on the outrigger, started trawling at the age of 12. After more than 50 years in the industry, he is retiring. His 68-foot-long, 83-ton shrimping vessel Winds of Fortune is now under new ownership and renamed as the Shayna Michelle. Photo by Jamie Edens

52 National Fisherman \ October 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

We Work So The World Sees It Too. We’re bringing to the surface the story of Alaska’s fishing fleet to hook customers all over the globe. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s robust public relations and social media marketing campaigns show the world every angle of Alaska Seafood from beautiful fillets to hardworking hands. This is just one example of how Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute puts all hands on deck to tell the story of wild, sustainable Alaska seafood so you and your family can focus on fishing today and for generations to come.

alaskaseafood.org Stay updated via our fleet-focused page!

@ASMINewsAndUpdates

MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME AT SEA TARGET YOUR CATCH WITH FURUNO

When your living depends on your catch, every trip counts, so you need to make the most of your time at sea. Furuno's acoustic sensing technology finds fish faster by seeing farther and wider, as well as measuring fish size and school density in multiple locations simultaneously. Even in deep water, Furuno sensors maximize your time and effort. We make it simple, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always know the situation at a glance, and be ready to hit that quota by targeting your catch.

SearchLight SONAR

FCV1900/2100 TrueEcho CHIRP

CH500/CH600

Searchlight Sonar

WASSP Gen 3

3D Bottom Profiler