National Fisherman April 2020

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

April / 2020

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Ropeless Gear

Northern Lights

New tech is popping up, but will it work for fixed-gear fisheries?

Feeding a growing domestic demand for seafood with a story

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ON DECK

National Fisherman / April 2020 / Vol. 100, No. 12

18

Justin Yager

In this issue

Back from the ashes

24

34

YEARBOOK A look back at 2019

Ropeless gear quest

A pause for offshore wind power; Mississippi’s high water ravages fisheries; West Coast whales delay Dungeness; Bristol Bay fight intensifies.

U.S. and Canadian fishermen race to develop whale-safe pot gear.

Features / Boats & Gear

On Deck 07

Dock Talk

Larry Chowning

Alaska’s cod fishery is alive and well with careful stewardship.

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08 Product Roundup A global fishing vessel database for fishermen; Longsoaker’s new time-release baits

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Around the Yards A pair of 90-footers from Fairhaven; Progress returns to Alaska; Virginia builder takes new projects.

Northern Lights Americans are buying more seafood, and sales will grow still more.

02

Editor’s Log

04

Fishing Back When

06

Mail Buoy

06

A Letter from NMFS

12

Around the Coasts

52

Last Set / Packing out at New Bedford

Reader Services 44

Classifieds

51

Advertiser Index

National Fisherman (ISSN 0027-9250), April 2020, Vol. 100, No. 12, 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.

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Oceana

After a devastating fire, the 90-footer reborn as the Dauntless is ready for another 40 years of fishing.

ON DECK

Editor’s Log

Fish lures Jessica Hathaway Editor in Chief jhathaway@divcom.com

was with an old friend around New Year’s, hoping to grab a quick bite for lunch. We were in a remote corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains with limited options, and she is pescatarian.

She was leaning toward the BK Impossible Whopper when I suggested the McD’s Filet-O-Fish made with wild Alaska pollock. We ordered one for everyone in the car — a first for everyone aside from yours truly.

Pollock can go high-end, too. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers are preparing to launch the first Wild Alaska Pollock Week in Seattle (Feb. 28-March 8).

Many of those fisheries’ stakeholders will also join us (and this issue) on the show floor

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at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, where we will undoubtedly be talking a lot about seafood marketing. In fact, a conference session on day one will convene members of the federal Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee to discuss the possibility of resurrecting the National Fish and Seafood Promotion Council.

If the question is: Do we need this again?

My answer is unequivocally YES. Or at least something very similar to this.

We have watched over the last year-plus as a trade war and now coronavirus have brought fisheries to their knees, and even shuttered some entirely. The small geoduck dive fishery in Southeast Alaska shut down, likely for the whole season, because the typical $5-10-per-pound price sank to $1

On the cover A year in the life. Our cover issues for 2019 in National Fisherman, North Pacific Focus and Pilothouse Guide.

with the closure of Chinese ports (see our story on page 15). A live-market fishery can’t rely on cold storage. Their product waits in the water, unharvested, and the fleet simply loses that income. Granted, geoducks are not a bread-and-butter fishery. But the small-scale community-based fishing lifestyle is built on the ability to string together a year-round portfolio of fishing and sundry other jobs.

So what can we do to make sure our fishermen stay afloat when global markets can close on a dime? First, eat more and a variety of seafood. Second, support a national marketing effort to promote domestic fisheries to our domestic market.

Much like my pescatarian friend, the data shows that Millennials on down are clamoring for real food with a story. They will pass on processed plant- and landbased proteins in favor of fish, especially wild fish with a good story. Read more in ASMI Domestic Marketing Director Megan Rider’s Northern Lights column on page 8, “Americans are loving seafood.”

This is our domestic market. Americans are looking for what we have. We just have to let them know where to find it.

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 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: Elma Burnham, 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 \ April 2020

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ON DECK

Fishing Back When April

By Jessica Hathaway

1990 — Landing a 470-pound halibut became a singleminded passion for the crew of the 108-foot Alaska Trojan.

The fish became a symbol of a disappointing season.

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1 9 9 0

2 0 1 0

A New Zealand crayfish boat hauls traps against a wild lee shore. The two-man crew hauls a catch that is likely to end up on American tables.

Southeast Alaska troller Barre McClelland unloads salmon from a trip to the Fairweather grounds out of Ketchikan.

President Richard Nixon establishes the three-member Council on Environmental Quality as his first executive order of 1970. In his State of the Union address, he committed to $10 billion for a national clean waters program.

Two Maine islands assess offshore salmon farming and come to opposite conclusions. Vinalhaven rejects a 10acre lease proposal by a Norwegian company, given fears about the waste and loss of lobster and scallop grounds for local fishermen. Swans Island residents give an eventual thumb’s up to Mariculture Products for 18 salmon pens in as many acres, using no antibiotics, growing fish up to 3 pounds.

Skipper Ryan Littleton gaffs and pulls a large halibut from the ground line and over into the Angjenl’s deck bins from the Southeast Alaska waters of Stephens Passage.

A fisheries conference in Montréal acknowledges the need for automation and technological advances in fishing.

4 National Fisherman \ April 2020

NF remembers “Deadliest Catch” Capt.

Phil Harris, who died of a stroke on Feb. 9. Harris owned and operated the Bering Sea crabber Cornelia Marie and died in Anchorage at age 53.

NMFS acting director James Balsiger announces the National Saltwater Angler Registry as an initiative to track recreational fishing activity.

www.nationalfisherman.com

Together, We Make Alaska Seafood Stronger.

From ocean to table, the heavy lifting doesn’t stop here. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute works to put your product into a variety of markets, from restaurants and grocery stores to university dining halls to hospitals and school lunch programs.

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

ON DECK

Mail Buoy

Once upon a time in Alaska n 1977, I began my career as a commercial fisherman at the age of 28. In the ’70s the upstart baby boomers were entering the business.

The fleet was made up of Boomers and Old Timers, and not too many in between.

Most of the trolling boats were old, wooden and small. There were some big rigs in the seine and longline fleet. For the most part, people participated in a single fishery. Trolling saw the biggest influx of entrants, many of these were hand trollers fishing out of skiffs. There were scows and packers all over Southeast Alaska, servicing the fleet.

King salmon fetched $2.50/pound; cohos $1.50; and eggs were $1 a pound. Some of those kings were worth well over $100, which was a lot of money back then.

By the mid ’80s the king salmon seasons were getting cut short. In 1984, most of the Boomers diversified into the halibut longline fishery, and into blackcod in 1985. Most of them had never even seen a blackcod before.

By the end of the ’80s the longline fisheries had become so competitive that halibut season was one day a year and blackcod eight. It was, to say the least, a nightmare. I remember the last year of the blackcod derby. The season opened at midnight in April, with

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everyone jogging into position, fighting over a spot to set their gear, and someone getting on the VHF channel 16 and yelling, “IFQs or IFU.” That was a classic and gave us all a good laugh and relieved some of the stress.

IFQs were implemented, and the qualifying years were the same years that most entered into these two fisheries. Most of the Old Timers had retired before the qualifying years and got absolutely nothing, even though a few of them had longlined their whole lives. Others who got in late didn’t get much either. But something had to be done. Boats and fishermen were being lost, the markets were saturated with a poor quality product, and, for a short amount of time, neither the processors nor the fishermen were making much money.

The decade of the ’90s ushered in the IFQ program along with the explosion of the charter industry. The discrepancies between how the commercial and the charter fishermen are regulated by state and federal agencies is truly beyond belief.

When engaged in fishing, we have observers, which we pay for, and/or cameras.

When we unload, every pound of fish is accounted for. That is in sharp contrast to what the charter industry gets away with.

A letter from NMFS

Bluefin: optimized

By Chris Oliver

OAA Fisheries is committed to the sustainable management of our nation’s fishery resources, including bluefin tuna.

We domestically manage western Atlantic bluefin tuna based on recommendations adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, of which the United States is a contracting party. A recent Final Environmental Impact Statement of proposed actions published by the agency would continue to prevent overfishing of bluefin tuna and reduce bycatch of other stocks.

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The state has embraced the tourist-related businesses at the expense of local Alaskans’ quality of life, and of the valuable resources the commercial fishing industry has sacrificed dearly for, in the hopes of future better returns. One cannot solely put the blame on the charter industry, as they are merely seizing the opportunity.

Unfortunately, change is unlikely. The state has filled its boards, commissions and political seats with tourist-friendly people.

Fish of all species will continue to exit the state by the millions of pounds every summer via Alaska Airlines, various marine lines and the Alaska State Ferry System.

The shipping companies, charter operators, lodges, and Alaska Airlines are the big winners, and the local residents, commercial fishermen, processors, state of Alaska and worst of all, the resource, are the big losers.

Dennis Beam, Richland, Ore.

Correction The article on the new Maine lobster boat Paradigm (NF February 2020, p. 30) says the hauler is made by Lawless. The hauler was supplied by Lonnie’s Hydraulics in Topsham, Maine. It is a modified Hydro-Slave hauler.

“We put a bearing block on it, a longer shaft. It takes the load off the hydraulic motor and protects it from the elements,” says owner Rodney Woods.

Through the public rulemaking process, we are considering whether current area-based and gear management measures are necessary.

The preferred alternatives outlined in the statement relieve unnecessary regulatory burden on pelagic longline fishermen and include undertaking a review process to evaluate the need for the Northeastern United States Closed Area and Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area; removal of the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area; and require pelagic longline fishermen to use weak hooks in the Gulf of Mexico only when spawning bluefin tuna are abundant from January to June.

The published statement is not a final action (that is anticipated in spring 2020), but it is a great step in deregulation while optimizing fishing opportunities.

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

Dock Talk

Alaska cod is certified strong

By Julie Decker

ecent headlines discussing a potential suspension of the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification for Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod have included some misleading and even inaccurate depictions of the status of the fishery. As the client for both MSC and Responsible Fisheries Management certifications for all Alaska Pacific cod, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation feels it is important to provide necessary context and clarification.

ASMI

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Alaska Pacific cod, and recent surveys from these fisheries show abundant populations.

To say that sustainability certification and fisheries management standards are complicated is an understatement.Yet every aspect of fisheries management in Alaska is based on the best available scientific data, effective management practices, and a precautionary approach designed specifically to sustain the long-term health of the species and ecosystem. In Alaska, we are now

Hauling traps for Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod out of Kodiak.

Most importantly, all Alaska Pacific cod is currently certified under both the MSC and RFM programs, with only a small percentage (6 percent or less) of the commercial harvest under review in 2020 by the certification bodies. Alaska’s Pacific cod fishery is split into three primary commercial fishing regions — the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska — which will account for about 78 percent, 16 percent, and 6 percent of the 2020 harvest, respectively. Only the Gulf of Alaska harvest is under review and subject to a potential change in certification status. The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands produce 343 million pounds of To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

challenged by the fact that climate or environmental changes are often the key drivers in fisheries health and management. This makes our investment in and commitment to federal surveys, annual stock assessments, monitoring, and catch accounting data even more important.

Adherence to our robust management systems, even when climate-driven events necessitate a fishery closure, is the strongest demonstration of Alaska’s sustainable fisheries.

Surveys of the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery in 2017 observed lower Pacific cod biomass (total abundance of fish) due

to atypical warm water temperatures (a socalled marine heat wave) experienced across the Gulf of Alaska during 2014 through 2016. In response to the lower biomass, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council followed the advice of fisheries scientists as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to reduce the allowable catch in the Gulf of Alaska by 80 percent in 2018 and 2019 to maintain the future viability of the fishery.

In 2020, after another federal survey indicated low biomass, the directed fishery was closed, as required by regulation to preserve Pacific cod as a food source for Steller sea lions in the region. Alaska’s commitment to scientifically-driven decisions and its resulting swift actions exemplify responsive, sustainable, ecosystem-based fisheries management.

The science is clear that the lower Alaska Pacific cod population in the Gulf of Alaska in recent years is caused by the Gulf of Alaska marine heat wave, and not the result of fishing pressure or lack of a management response. However, current MSC certification standards assess stock levels, regardless of the shifting dynamics of environmental pressures or the management response. As our understanding of the impacts of these climate-driven events improves and changes, the certification criteria should be modified to take such changes into consideration, and to support responsible management systems as a true gauge of sustainability.

Alaska cannot control wild fishery population fluctuations; however, we can control our response, to facilitate the long-term sustainability of the fishery. Alaskans are proud of our world-leading fisheries management standards established by the MSA, executed by the North Pacific council, and supported

by Alaska’s fishing fleets. Alaska’s communities and seafood industry demonstrate continued resilience and commitment to the resource in the face of climate-driven ecosystem changes so that we may realize sustainable fisheries for generations to come.

Julie Decker is the executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation.

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 7

ON DECK

Northern Lights VIEWS FROM ALASKA

Americans are loving seafood

By Megan Rider

s anyone in the industry knows, the market for seafood can ebb and flow like the tide. And while there are certainly factors that affect our industry beyond our control, we are currently seeing industry-wide marketing efforts and changing consumer habits forecasting a high tide for Alaska seafood consumption.

According to Mintel’s “Fish and Shellfish — U.S.” November 2018 report, seafood consumption is up 13 percent over the last five years and is expected to continue to grow an additional 15 percent over the next five. While Americans may not all agree on what constitutes the healthiest eating style,

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seafood fits into most of today’s top diets, including the rapidly growing “flexitarian” lifestyle, as well as Mediterranean, paleo and ketogenic diets.

For the increasing number of consumers

13%

The increase of domestic seafood consumption, which is expected to rise another 15 percent.

who are aiming to limit their meat consumption in the year ahead, a majority of them plan to replace it with seafood rather than plant-based protein sources (Datassential, 2019). Americans are not only eating more seafood in general, but they are increasingly paying attention to the source, species and supply chain of their seafood.

Wild seafood is especially low in contaminants, high in nutrients and, when sourced from Alaska, sustainably managed and harvested — an element that consumers are increasingly seeking from the food they eat. Consumers are even willing to pay more for food that was produced sustainably or is perceived to be higher quality, reports “The Power of Seafood.” In fact, according to a 2018 Technomic Report, “Seafood Consumer of the Future,” seafood from Alaska “is inherently linked to positive attributes such as high quality, sustainable harvesting, and being a product of the U.S. As a result, consumers recognize Alaska seafood at a higher value.”

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The most successful Alaska seafood brands continue to provide transparency with labels indicating seafood that is wild, sustainable and responsibly sourced.

Diners and shoppers are getting their sea legs in different species and preparations of seafood as well, looking beyond traditionally popular items like shrimp, salmon and tuna. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are predicted to spark increased Japanese culinary influence into the United States, with preparations like poke and species like wild Alaska sablefish and roe already starting to catch the eye of American consumers.

According to data from “The Power of Seafood,” 84 percent of consumers are eager to learn more about how to prepare and cook seafood. With only a small percentage of consumers who consider themselves knowledgeable about cooking and buying fish, there is an opportunity for producers and retailers to address the emerging desire for guidance in seafood preparation — especially in cooking directly from frozen. As we all know, Alaska’s frozen-fresh practices lock in quality and ensure food safety. That message is starting to get through to consumers, with frozen foods experiencing a revival as consumer perception shifts toward viewing frozen foods as equally nutritious to their fresh counterparts. Within the seafood industry, Mintel predicts the frozen segment will grow the fastest over the next five years.

While these data specifically reflect the U.S. market, the trends

are reflected in similar ways across all of Alaska seafood’s major international markets. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute works with producers, retailers and foodservice operators to consistently highlight origin, quality and sustainability as a differentiator that makes seafood from Alaska some of the best in the world. Additionally, they share the passion that goes into bringing seafood from sea to table, while conducting research, education, trade and marketing activities to best support the thousands of families and communities involved in the Alaska fishing industry, for generations to come.

References Mintel (2018) “Fish and Shellfish — U.S.,” November 2018 Datassential (2019) “Alaska Seafood at Foodservice — U.S.,” October 2019 Food Marketing Institute (2019) “The Power of Seafood,” March 2019 Technomic (2018) “Seafood Consumer of the Future,” July 2018

Megan Rider is the domestic marketing director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute in Juneau.

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 9

AROUND THE COASTS

AROUND THE COASTS University of Washington/Jason Ching

NEWS FOR THE NATION’S FISHERMEN

An Iliamna Lake freshwater seal near a gravel beach in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region.

Alaska / Pacific

“The Pebble Mine threatens the very survival of the Iliamna Lake seals and the fish species they depend on to survive.”

— Kristen Carden, Center for Biological Diversity

Rare seals and earthquakes pose risks for Pebble Mine Endangered status for freshwater seals, Ring of Fire activity raise questions

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ne week after the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for Lake Iliamna harbor seals, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conceded it may be a new challenge to Pebble Mine permitting.

“The Pebble Mine threatens the very survival of the Iliamna Lake seals and the fish species they depend on to survive,” said Kristin Carden, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, about the petition, filed Feb. 6.

The center advises that its petition would

10 National Fisherman \ April 2020

not interfere with subsistence hunting or fishing by Alaska natives. Whether it may affect commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay remains to be seen.

Lake Iliamna sits between Cook Inlet and Kvichak Bay in southwest Alaska. Its waters drain into Bristol Bay through the Kvichak River, which is also a vital salmon stream.

NMFS previously declined to list the Iliamna Lake seal population following a 2013 petition from the center.The current petition relies on new research from the University of Washington showing that the population is, indeed, unique.

“Should the harbor seals become listed, the Corps would comply with all legal requirements to consider the impact of any particular project on endangered species, as it has done with species currently listed,” said John Budnik, public affairs specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

While a new endangered species could shake prospects for the mine, people in the Bristol Bay region got their own reminder of other dangers when they woke to a magnitude 3.6 earthquake near the proposed mine site Jan. 28.

Earthquakes in Alaska are nothing new.

But the rate of activity has increased. According to the Alaska Earthquake Center, 2018 and 2019 took fi rst and second place for the most earthquakes recorded in the state: “With a total of 50,289 reported earthquakes, 2019 fi nished as a runner up to the record-breaking 2018.”

Alaska’s earthquake hazards are one focus for critics of Pebble Mine and the Corps permitting process, which has not www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

included any analysis of failure of a proposed 500-foot-tall dam that would be built to retain mining waste at the site.

— Jessica Hathaway

Pacific halibut quotas cut to boost breeding stock Higher catch rate seen for females

he International Pacific Halibut Commission made a widely expected move to set quotas down for 2020 at its annual February meeting in Anchorage.

Quotas for Pacific halibut will be reduced by just over 5 percent this year as a result of declining stocks. Alaska’s share of the 36.6 million-pound total catch is 28.13 million pounds for all user groups, 17.11 million pounds for the commercial sectors. The halibut fishery will open on March 14 and close on Nov. 15. The U.S. West Coast commercial quota is up slightly from about 860,000 pounds to roughly 870,000.

The commission states the primary reason

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Pacific halibut quotas will be reduced by about 5 percent for 2020.

for the quota cut is to protect the breeding stock after documenting a higher rate of females caught than once believed.

New data from the commission show that the sex ratio of the commercial catch ranged from 81 to 97 percent female in some regions.

In an effort to collect better data on the sex-ratio of the catch, the commission developed two new methods of data collection.

One method relied on commercial fishing crews to physically mark fish before dressing

out the fish. Females got two parallel cuts in the dorsal fin, while males got one cut in the gill covering on the white side of the fish.

Commission biologists also worked with researchers at the University of Washington to develop a DNA test for sex based on small fin clips. The DNA method was first used to validate the accuracy of the physical marking.

By 2019 the DNA sampling method proved to be both more accurate and efficient.

— Jessica Hathaway

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 11

Atlantic

“It’s not like we’re making up these quotas.”

—Tom Nies, New England Fishery Management Council

Challengers seek shutdown of Northeast cod fishing Activists’ petition comes as council considers 100 percent at-sea monitoring

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harging that New England fishery regulators are dominated by “deference to short-term economic interests,” the Conservation Law Foundation filed a petition with the Department of Commerce seeking to halt directed fishing for Atlantic cod.

No fishing should be allowed until the New England Fishery Management Council and NMFS meet their legal obligation to end overfishing and rebuild the Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine cod stocks, the Boston-based environmental group said in its Feb. 13 filing.

Snapshot Who we are Tom Santaguida Harpswell, Maine / Lobster

F

ishing in the 1980s was a lot

variety of fisheries have diminished, San-

different than it is today, and

taguida continues to find ways to diver-

not just because of less ad-

sify and spice things up. When he is not lobstering, he spends his time

vanced technology. Forty years

surfing and painting, and

ago, fishermen had various

he is a proficient cook

and numerous opportunities to go fishing. If

who learned to prepare

lobstering wasn’t go-

food with his Italian

ing well, you could go

grandmother when he

groundfishing. And if

was a boy. Later in life,

that wasn’t working out,

when he started fishing, he took every opportunity

you could hop on another

to share fish with his grand-

boat and hunt for crabs or squid or bluefish or striped bass or weakfish, which today is rarely found in New England waters.

mother and learn new recipes.

“My grandmother loved that I was a fisherman, and she made me feel

Tom Santaguida, 58, fondly remem-

proud to be one,” said Santaguida. “I

bers time spent Downeast in the 1980s,

get a great sense of pride being a fish-

when he gained experience fishing

erman and a producer of seafood. And

abundant fish stocks teeming with a va-

I get great happiness from cooking for

riety of species. Santaguida describes

people.”

Rockland, Maine, a bustling fishing port

Santaguida has even dabbled in some

at the time, as a place where there were

private investigating work, but these

no stores, but there were 50 draggers.

days prefers to spend his time doing

And places like the Wayfarer, a hotel and

more joyous activities and making oth-

boarding house — since replaced by

ers happy. He is exploring new oppor-

condominiums — would be home to 100

tunities in the kitchen and sharing his

fishermen waiting for their next trip out

recipes and meals with others in a new

to sea.

venture, Cucina del Pescatore, or Fisher-

While opportunities to participate in a

12 National Fisherman \ April 2020

man’s Kitchen.

— Monique Coombs

The Conservation Law Foundation seeks a suspension of fishing for Atlantic cod Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine stocks.

Those steps should include 100 percent atsea monitoring, closures to protect spawning locations and habitat, and selective groundfish gear requirements, the petition says.

“Our regional managers have lost control of and abandoned the cod fishery,” said Peter Shelley, the foundation’s senior counsel. “To give this iconic species a chance at survival and recovery, the federal government must take the strongest possible action today and temporarily prohibit further cod fishing.”

The petition was filed two weeks after the New England council agreed on a draft format for Amendment 23, its latest effort to improve groundfish management, to bring to public hearings and final action in June. In a surprise move, council members supported a motion by NMFS Regional Director Michael Pentony to include 100 percent at-sea monitoring — with observers or electronic monitoring on the boats — as the way to solve shortcomings in data.

“I want it to be very clear that I’m not making this motion because it’s my opinion or the agency’s opinion,” Pentony told council members. Making 100 percent coverage the preferred option will “provide a sense of what’s possible,” and a “good framework for discussion during the public hearing process,” he said.

It’s also the only option that would make possible the elimination of management uncertainty buffers, and making more groundfish available to catch, Pentony said.

Tom Nies, executive director of the New England council, said the Conservation Law Foundation arguments oversimplify a history of the council acting in good faith on scientific advice and recommendations from its scientific and statistical committee.

“It’s not like we’re making up these quotas,” Nies added. Based on stock assessments, the www.nationalfisherman.com

Wikimedia Commons/Han-Petter Fjeld

AROUND THE COASTS

science and statistical committee establishes allowable biological catch as the basis for quotas, and “the fishing mortality rate has been dramatically reduced” since 2015, he said.

— Kirk Moore

Acoustic technology to track whales at wind sites Wind developers, scientists team up

A

coustic sensors on buoys and an undersea drone will be used to map out the movements of endangered northern right whales, marine mammals and fish around offshore wind energy sites, in a joint project with wind developer Ørsted and marine science institutions. Ørsted announced the Ecosystem and Passive Acoustic Monitoring project is launching in cooperation with Rutgers University, the University of Rhode Island and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It’s a large-scale application of acoustic tracking

tags, or pingers, that ocean scientists use to monitor fish moving through the region.

Rutgers will supply a Slocum electric glider, an undersea probe that can operate autonomously for weeks at a time, periodically surfacing to transmit data back via satellite link. Now widely used in oceanography, the glider technology will be a first for Ørsted, one of the pioneer companies in European offshore wind.

Findings from the study will be used “to better protect the North Atlantic right whale during survey, construction and operation phases of their U.S. offshore wind farm portfolio,” the company said in a statement. ” With only about 450 animals now surviving, northern right whales can be harmed in ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement, and NOAA is intently focused on protection. The whales migrate past offshore energy sites leased by Ørsted and other developers. The potential for them to be affected by construction and operation of

A Rutgers glider on the surface in the Western Ross Sea of Antarctica.

turbine arrays is a concern for wind power advocates and critics alike.

The glider and buoys will carry acoustic receivers, and the signals will be shared with existing networks. Some of those movements include commercial fishing species, so the acoustic study could further that understanding, according to Ørsted. The company works with the fishing advocacy coalition Responsible Offshore Development Alliance on research of mutual interest.

— Kirk Moore

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AROUND THE COASTS

AROUND THE COASTS

Nation / World

Boat of the Month Redemption Kodiak, Alaska / Salmon, cod

“We need to diversify, and the lake trout

T

he

words

sweat

population is blossoming.”

equity

sound strong, but when you

— Amber Mae Petersen,

actually see them manifested

Michigan Fish Producers Association

in the form of a fishing boat, they’re nothing short of a miracle.

Michigan lawmakers move on Great Lakes fisheries ban

Levi Pingree, 21, of Kodiak was no stranger to hard work, even at 12, when he crewed for the season on a cod

After lower house passage, fishermen prepare for last stand in state Senate

years later, Pingree, his three sisters Levi Pingree

and a brother bought a seine permit for the area in hopes that someday they’d use it to make a living for themselves.

In the meantime, Pingree found work on a seine boat in Prince William

out the decking and built a tophouse.

Sound, saved his crew shares for a

As for why he chose the derelict

few years in hopes of acquiring a boat.

Ledford over other dormant boats

would

already in the yards, Pingree says he’s

become the Redemption. When he

partial to a shallow-draft design for

spotted the remnants of a 38-foot

fishing the rocky shores on the north

hull, originally built by Ledford Marine

side of the island.

Then

he

found

what

Construction of Marysville, Wash., left to die on the remote beaches near Chenega in Prince William Sound, he made arrangements to have it towed

“Ledfords are shallow draft, and they have a thick hull,” he says.

In 2019 the Redemption was ready to fish.

to Homer, where it would undergo an

“We put in a decent season,” he

entire transformation in 2017 and 2018.

says of seining last year for sockeyes

“It barely made it to Homer,” he

and pinks.

says of the salvage trip. He hauled out

The other advantage of sweat

the hull and built a shelter over it, then

equity, Pingree is quick to point out, is

began cutting out the rotted decks.

that he doesn’t have a boat payment.

“I used a circular saw, a Sawzall

With his financial picture in the black,

and even a chainsaw to remove the

the plan going forward is to buy out his

rotten wood,” he says.

siblings’ shares of the permit.

Next, he put in an engine, finished

T

hree bills in the Michigan Legislature passed the lower house in February, and they do not bode well for Michigan’s 13 active Great Lakes commercial fishermen.

Michigan has shoreline on lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie — four of the five Great Lakes. The state’s commercial fishermen use live trap nets and primarily target whitefish. At present they do not harvest lake trout and walleye, and can only take yellow perch in Saginaw Bay, but these species are all designated as commercial species and could be taken if there were a commercial quota. The measures now being considered would designate these species as game fish.

According to a story by James Proffitt for Great Lakes Now, Scott Everett, legislative director for the Michigan Commercial Fish Producer’s Association

Lake Michigan Fish Producers Association

jigging boat out of Kodiak. Just two

— Charlie Ess

Boat Specifications HOME PORT: Kodiak OWNER: Levi Pingree BUILDER: Ledford Marine Construction, Marysville, Wash. YEAR BUILT: 1973 FISHERIES: Kodiak salmon, cod jigging HULL CONSTRUCTION: fiberglass LENGTH: 38 feet BEAM: 12 feet 6 inches DRAFT: 3 feet CREW CAPACITY: 5 TONNAGE: 12 tons HOLD CAPACITY: 30,000 pounds MAIN PROPULSION: Cummins 6CTA, 300 hp GEARBOX: Twin Disc 509, 2:1 PROPELLER: Bronze four-blade 24" x 22" SHAFT: 2-inch stainless steel ELECTRONICS: Furuno 812 radar; Standard Horizon plotter; Furuno FCV-1100L depth sounder; Uniden Solara DSC and Raytheon Ray 45 VHF radios SPEED: 8 knots FUEL CONSUMPTION: 2.5 gallons an hour FUEL CAPACITY: 400 gallons FRESHWATER CAPACITY: 60 gallons

14 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Lake Michigan’s commercial fishermen are up against legislation that could remove commercial designations for key species.

www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE COASTS

Coronavirus rattles Asia, U.S. seafood markets Scare shut out Keys, Canada lobster

A

s coronavirus investigators zeroed in on seafood and live animal markets in Wuhan, China, precautions by public health authorities thousands of miles away were soon felt by Florida Keys fi shermen.

After a sudden January lockdown of ports by China in the middle of the country’s New Year festivities, prices for Florida lobster dropped to around $6 to the boats, far from the $12.20 to $20.20 seen in past years when export demand was high, buyers reported.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Canadian lobster exports to China had ramped up in 2019, after China imposed a 42 percent tariff on U.S. imports that undercut what had been Maine’s growing market. But Canadian exporters saw their advantage dissipate in weeks as the coronavirus outbreak disrupted Asian markets.

Northwest Dungeness crab fi shermen saw a similar drop, as prices fell by $1 to $1.50 per pound after a live-import ban imposed by Chinese officials.

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says the commercial fi shermen are looking for a small percentage of the state’s total allowable catch of the lake trout, walleye and perch, as the mainstay of whitefi sh recruitment has declined.

Amber Mae Petersen, the association’s secretary-treasurer, points out that at present the commercial fi shery is focused on whitefi sh only. “That’s not good,” says Petersen, who also runs a retail seafood business in Muskegon and is a member of one of the state’s commercial fi shing families. “We need to diversify, and the lake trout population is blossoming.”

Everett notes that commercial operators only seek a small piece of the pie — 10 percent of Michigan’s TAC for lake trout and 20 percent for walleye. A competing bill in the state Senate would grant that to the commercial sector.

“We’re talking about lake trout that are already being caught and thrown back,” Everett says. “In S.B. 389 we want to establish a process based on quotas, based on sound scientific estimates of fi sh populations through data gathering and analysis.”

Everett hopes friendly votes in the Senate will prevent game fish bills from going to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. If that fails, he believes Whitmer would defer to Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources director, Daniel Eichinger — former director of a sport fishermen’s organization that supports the bills — and limit future commercial fishing.

— Paul Molyneaux

SUPPLIES

Southeast Alaska’s geoduck clam fi shery closed after divers met to discuss sinking prices with exports to China off the table.

Farmed salmon producers like Chile and Norway saw similar disruptions, as Chinese consumers reduced their demand and the government there recommended avoiding markets and restaurants. Industry analysts said it would take weeks to assess the true fallout from the outbreak.

— Kirk Moore and Sue Cocking

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AROUND THE COASTS

Gulf / South Atlantic

“There was smoke everywhere. I got the nets up and we saw the fire onboard. We subdued it a couple of times with the extinguishers we had.”

— George Barisich, United Commercial Fishermen’s Association

Louisiana fishermen’s advocate survives boat fire

A

longtime advocate for commercial fi shermen found himself in peril when a fast-moving fi re consumed his 62-foot trawler while shrimping in waters off the Louisiana coast.

George Barisich, the 63-year-old president of the United Commercial Fishermen’s Association and 2002 NF Highliner, was trawling the waters of Lake Borgne with deckhand Robert Campo Jr. at around 10 p.m. on Jan. 2, when smoke began wafting.

“There was smoke everywhere,” Barisich said. “I got the nets up, and we saw

the fi re onboard. We subdued it a couple of times with the extinguishers we had.”

His cell phone and plotting instrumentation were beyond reach as the cabin was consumed. But Campo’s phone was in his pocket, and he used it to call the Coast Guard.

Shifting winds did the men no favors, and efforts to halt the fi re were not successful.

“We stayed on the stern of the boat, and we almost had to jump one time,” said Barisich, who used a 5-gallon bucket to keep

George Barisich’s boat burned while trawling in Lake Borgne, La., Jan. 2.

advancing fl ames from the area of the fuel tank.

A Coast Guard boat reached the Peruga and rescued the men. The vessel sank about a quarter-mile northwest of Half Moon Island, some hull and the rigging still visible.

The cause of the fi re is not known at this point, although Barisich reckons it may have had something to do with the exhaust.

Less than two weeks after the loss, Barisich was in Washington, D.C., lobbying for commercial fi shermen, as he has done for decades.

“It has been very moving to see people we have helped for so many years stepping forward to help now in my time of need,” he said.

— John DeSantis

NOAA considers easing bluefin gear restricted areas Agency says will loosen regulations

T Adak, Alaska Chase Chris, Taylor Toelupe and Everett Snyder offloading the Araho after another great trip during the 2019 B-Season out of Dutch Harbor for mackerel and Pacific Ocean perch.

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

16 National Fisherman \ April 2020

he Cape Hatteras gear restricted area would be lifted for pelagic longlining, and new season times adopted for other Northeast and Gulf of Mexico areas under bluefi n tuna bycatch adjustments considered by NOAA. A fi nal environmental impact statement summarizes the reasoning and anticipated effects of modifying bluefi n tuna bycatch management, after several years of study by the agency and public comment, including industry suggestions.

The newly published report is another step in that long process, which could lead to rule adoption later this year. www.nationalfisherman.com

George Barisich

George Barisich of United Commercial Fishermen was trawling when blaze erupted

AROUND THE COASTS

Atlantic and Gulf coast bluefin tuna regulations could change by the end of the year.

required weak hook use from year-round to seasonal from January to June will “relieve regulatory burden and reduce bycatch of white marlin and roundscale spearfi sh,” according to the EIS statement.

The goal remains to appropriately limit the incidental catch of bluefi n tuna and minimize, to the extent practicable,

NOAA

The fi nal EIS lists four main preferred alternatives: Begin a review process to evaluate the continued need for the Northeastern U.S. Pelagic Longline Closure. That includes a provision that the closure area off the MidAtlantic states effectively remains the same in terms of percentage covered in the event that the U.S. allocation of bluefi n tuna gets cut at any future International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas meeting.

Elimination of the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area off North Carolina.

Undertake a second review process to evaluate if the Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area spring closure is still necessary. As for the Northeast area, the area covered must remain the same in the event of a future ICCAT-imposed reduction.

Changing the seasonal requirements for using weak hooks, a measure in the Gulf of Mexico longline fi shery to help reduce bluefi n bycatch. Adjusting the duration of

bycatch and bycatch mortality of bluefi n tuna by pelagic longline gear. The changes will also “simplify and streamline Atlantic highly migratory species management,” and help the U.S. longliners to harvest the target species — especially swordfi sh, the agency concludes.

— Kirk Moore

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BOATBUILDING

BOATBUILDING

TRIAL BY

FIRE

The F/V Dauntless, a shrimp and crab boat for the future, rises from the ashes of a venerable old ship, the F/V B.J. Thomas

By Paul Molyneaux

W

the old boat,” says Yager. “We pretty much gutted her. We cut off the bow; we cut off the stern. We didn’t save any of the old systems, the electric, the mechanical, the plumbing.”

According to Yager, the forward fi sh hold, the engine room, and a bit of the forepeak are all that remain of the old boat with a very different boat built around it — and a new name, the Dauntless. “My friends told me if she comes out of the yard as the B.J. Thomas, it’ll always be the B.J. Thomas, this was the time.”

The Dauntless originated as a Gulf of Mexico shrimp boat built at Marine Builders in Mobile, Ala., in 1976. Sarah

On February 27, 2019, a fire and the salt water used to extinguish the blaze, laid waste to the B.J. Thomas, setting the stage for her conversion.

18 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Sarah Yager

hen Justin and Sarah Whaley Yager bought Sarah’s grandfather’s boat the B.J. Thomas in 2018, they realized they’d have to put some serious work into the 90-foot by 22-foot Gulf of Mexico shrimper at some point. But a fi re on the night or Feb. 27, 2019, wrecked the boat, and they had to do it sooner than expected.

“The fi re started in the galley and spread down into the engine room,” says Justin Yager, talking from offshore. According to Yager, the Coast Guard used bay water to put out the fi re, ruining all the systems. “We didn’t save much from

www.nationalfisherman.com

Sarah Yager

BOATBUILDING

The B.J. Thomas, built in Mobile, Alabama in 1976, heads out from Newport, Ore., with a load of crab traps.

Yager’s grandfather Lloyd Whaley bought the boat at auction in Crescent City, Calif., decades later. Whaley fi shed for crab and shrimp before selling the boat with all permits to Justin and Sarah Yager.

“We always knew we’d have to sponson her,” says Justin Yager. “The fi re forced

“We always knew we’d have to sponson her. The fire forced our hand.”

imported the point cloud into Rhino3D. “We then created new lines around the existing vessel, following the owner’s vision,” says Kent, but he notes that “she looks like a Fred Wahl boat.”

Kent says they started welding on the

modules on Aug. 7, 2019. “Since then, it has been a race between the engineering department and the fabricators,” he adds.

The Yagers had originally planned on using a Nautican triple rudder, but the company went out of business, so Kent and the

INSIDE THE DAUNTLESS (EX-B.J. THOMAS)

our hand.” They towed the damaged vessel 70 miles south to Fred Wahl Marine Construction in Reedsport, Ore. “We got her down there in late April,” he says. “Usually when you’re going to do this you plan for a year. But this caught us by surprise. It was late May or maybe later before we knew what we were going to do.”

According to Yager, Scott Kent, engineer at Fred Wahl did the design work for the transformation of the B.J. Thomas into the Dauntless. “Scott drew everything up, and Fred oversaw it,” says Yager. “They did it all in-house. I like that. It’s really good to have everything, all the engineering and design, done by the people who are doing the work.

It simplifies everything. To have a boat in a yard is expensive and hard enough.”

According to Scott Kent, engineer at Fred Wahl, the yard laser scanned the hull and interior with a FARO S70 scanner and To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Fred Wahl Marine Construction

— Justin Yager, DAUNTLESS OWNER

HOME PORT: Newport, Ore. OWNERS: Justin and Sarah Yager BUILDER: Originally built for Sarah Yager’s grandfather, L. Whaley by Marine Builders in Mobile, Ala. CONVERSION: Fred Wahl Marine Construction in Reedsport, Ore. HULL MATERIAL: Steel YEAR BUILT: Built 1976, conversion 2019-20 FISHERY: Crab and shrimp LENGTH: Originally 90 feet; now 86 feet 1 inch BEAM: Originally 22 feet; now 29 feet 6 inches DRAFT: 10 feet ENGINE: Cummins QSK-19 750-hp GENSETS: 150-kW Cummins QSB7, 100-kW John Deere 4045HF285, 30-kW Isuzu POWER TRAIN: Twin Disc 5:1, 5-inch C1045 forward shaft; Aquamet 17 shaft, 65.5-inch fiveblade wheel FUEL CAPACITY: Was 12,000 gallons, almost doubled with conversion TOP SPEED: Approximately 12 knots; cruising: 9 knots HOLD CAPACITY: Forward hold volume 1,635 cubic feet; 1,460 cubic feet aft ELECTRONICS: Simrad autopilot, WASSP transducer, Furuno 1150 sounder, Furuno 2117 Radar; plotter running TimeZero, Simrad FX80 net monitor DECK GEAR: Yaquina winches; net reel built in house at Fred Wahl Marine Construction

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 19

BOATBUILDING

Justin Yager photos

The forward fish hold, engine room and some of the forepeak of the old B.J. Thomas are ensconced in the heart of the F/V Dauntless.

Fitting out the new galley aboard the Dauntless, which has bunks for eight. “In case we do a survey,” says Justin Yager.

Laying the stingers for the raised wooden deck that will provide a relatively dry work platform for crew, and protect hydraulic lines.

Justin Yager calls the Dauntless “a family boat.” The Yager children stand in front of what began as their great-grandfather’s boat.

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BOATBUILDING

team at Fred Wahl’s designed a triple-rudder system themselves.

Besides widening the boat by 8 feet, they built up a raised fo’c’sle and a new wheelhouse above that.

“The way she’s designed — wider sponsons — she should be able to fi sh tougher weather,” says Yager. “With the raised fo’c’sle, when she lays down you won’t have water coming over the bulwarks.” Yager notes that the bulbous bow is also the freshwater tank, and adds to stability.

While the Yagers decided to expand the aft fi sh hold, they left the forward fi sh hold and engine room the same.

“We just left voids in the sponsons,” says Yager. “The engine room is simple, it doesn’t have a lot of machinery. There’s no RSW” — refrigerated sea water system.

Yager points out that the new hydraulics system is electronically controlled. “There’s no clutches, nothing off the engine,” he says. “It’s modernized. Everything is updated, but it’s simple and bulletproof.”

Yager opted for a Cummins QSK-19, 750hp main engine and a Twin Disc for 800-hp with 5:1 reduction, turning a 5-inch Aquamet 17 shaft, and a 65.5-inch five-blade wheel.

“We have a 150-kW Cummins. QSB 7 genset for the hydraulics and everything, and a 100-kW John Deere 4045 genset for backup. And then we have a 30-kW Isuzu for the hotel.”

On deck, Yager has the winches that were on the boat when it caught fire. “They’re Yaquina winches,” he says.“They’ve been rebuilt and gone through. Wahl’s or Seven Hills are going to build the net reel.”

The Dauntless has all new hatches, flush with a raised wooden deck. “It lets the water go, so it’s not where the guys are standing,” says Yager. The raised wooden deck also covers hydraulic lines and keeps them protected.

On the port side of the raised fo’c’sle, the Yagers added a bait freezer; inside are crew’s quarters for a total of eight. “We have two staterooms with four bunks,” says Yager. “And another bunk in the captain’s stateroom.”

Above the raised fo’c’sle sits the new wheelhouse with a new suite of electronics.

Yager, talking at the end of a long day hauling Dungeness crab gear, tries to remember everything. “I know we’re getting a Simrad autopilot. And we have the WASSP. We’ve got To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

a Furuno 1150 down sounder, and a Furuno 2117 radar.The plotter is running TimeZero.”

Yager notes that connecting the TimeZero to the WASSP transducer proved to be the easiest option for him to have a glitch-free bottom-building program. “We have a tagphone, it’s a satellite phone, where you can talk free from boat to boat, but you have to pay to call home. But we don’t have satellite TV like those Alaska boats.”

Yager has been fishing for more than 20 years. “How’d I get into it? Bad luck, I guess.

Misfortune. I started with an old guy here in a 42-footer. I was always pushing him to fish harder and he said, ‘If you want to work that hard you better get your own boat. You can buy this one.’”

Yager bought the old plywood boat, “the Dawn Treader. We fished albacore, crab, halibut openings, longlined for blackcod, everything. I don’t miss those days.”

But those years of experience have gone into making the Dauntless. “It’s the biggest project I’ve ever done,” says Yager. “And a lot

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 21

BOATBUILDING

of money. The insurance paid a million of a 3-1/2- to 4 million-dollar project.”

But still, he’s being careful with those dollars. “We want it done right,” says Yager.

“We want her to have everything she needs.

Super functionality, but not totally blinged out.”

To pay it all back, Yager is going to focus on fi shing for crab and shrimp. “We’ll crab and then trawl for fi sh for a little while, then shrimp, then trawl, then crab again.”

When fi shing and shrimping, Yager will use some additional electronics. “I have a Simrad FX80 trawl monitor so I can see what’s going in the net,” he says.

When shrimping, Yager tows two 90foot nets off the outriggers. “We’ve come a long way since the ’90s,” he says. “With the lights on the nets now and everything, it’s a very clean fi shery.” While he notes that knotless twine and bycatch reduction has made shrimping more efficient, like most

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Sarah Yager

The Dauntless will use the Yaquina winches from the B.J. Thomas.

The bulbous bow will feature a bow thruster, it also serves as the vessel’s freshwater tank.

others he still uses the slotted wooden doors that have been used in shrimp trawling for decades. “You’d think they would have come up with something new, but everybody seems to have the best luck with wood doors.”

Pacific Seafood buys most of the shrimp Yager catches, but when shrimping he sometimes lands his catch in other ports.

“We wander around a lot. One day we might be fi shing off Washington, and two days later we’re down off California. It depends on where the shrimp are.” According to Yager, that can vary from 50 to a 150 fathoms depth, and anywhere from two to 35 miles off the coast.

While there are ups and downs, Yager is optimistic about the future. “Overall the fi shery is doing well,” he says.

That he and his family are investing big in the Dauntless says more than words.

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for North Pacifi c Focus and the author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.”

www.nationalfisherman.com

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FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

NORTHEAST

Wind power pause he offshore wind energy industry’s momentum got a tap on the brakes in summer 2019, when NMFS refused to endorse an environmental impact statement for the proposed Vineyard Wind project off southern New England.

That prompted a directive from Interior Secretary David Bernhardt for a broader review of potential cumulative effects from up to 15 offshore turbine arrays that are proposed between New England and the Carolinas.

Preliminary findings from that study, originally anticipated for March 2020, have been pushed back to mid-June — with a final decision by Dec. 18, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management said.

“While we need to analyze what a longer

T

permitting timeline will need for beginning construction, commercial operation in 2022 is no longer expected,” said Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind, in a Feb. 11 response to the agency update. “We look forward to the clarity that will come with a final EIS so that Vineyard Wind and deliver this project to Massachusetts and kick off the new U.S. offshore wind industry.”

The company is talking to Treasury Department officials about how it might preserve its 18 percent investment tax credit eligibility for its Vineyard Wind 1 Project — the first 400-megawatt phase of what would be an 800-MW array — and others that may be delayed due to what the company calls “unforeseeable regulatory action.”

Top Product: Ketchum Supply’s floating oyster cage KETCHAM SUPPLY, based out of New Bedford, Mass., likes to think of their floating oyster cages as the Cadillac of the field — larger, more buoyant, a luxury.

Ketcham’s cages are 40.5 inches wide — the industry standard is 36 inches — which means they can hold more volume while still getting good waterflow.

“We wanted these larger cages so you have flow between all your bags and plenty of food for the oysters to get maximum growth,” said Ketcham COO Myron Horzesky, pointing out that most of the nutrients oysters need for growth are in the top of the water column. Another key to Ketcham’s formula is higher volume floats. “Our floats have 243 pounds of flotation each, so you’ve basically got 500 pounds of flotation. I like to tell our guys that if your boat ever breaks down you bring a trolling motor with you, strap it on the cage, and go home, or to Portugal,” Horzesky added.

Motoring to Portugal aside, the extra flotation means bags stand high above the water line when they are flipped, allowing for complete drying that kills barnacles on shells and other secondary growth that forms on bags.

The 24-hour dry period provided by floating cages makes them less labor intensive than flip bags or floating bags.

Ketcham Supply www.ketchamsupply.com

24 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Ketcham Supply

By Brian Hagenbuch

Deepwater Wind

By Kirk Moore

The Block Island Wind Farm, the first U.S. commercial offshore wind energy project, was built in 2016.

Despite President Trump’s own criticisms of wind power, his administration’s 2020-21 budget proposal would allocate an additional $5 million for BOEM’s renewable energy planning. That would boost it to $26.5 million a year, at a time when the agency is examining more potential offshore lease sales in the New York Bight, and a first round of offerings in three areas off California.

With BOEM’s larger East Coast study holding up wind farm approvals, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance — a coalition of commercial fishing groups — proposed a system of traffic lanes through the Vineyard Wind tract and other federal wind power leases off Martha’s Vineyard.

The developers holding those leases submitted a Nov. 1 proposal to BOEM and the Coast Guard for uniform 1-nm spacing between turbine towers. In response, RODA drafted its own proposal based on that grid pattern — adding up to six transit lanes, 4 nautical miles wide and as long as 70 miles, through the turbine arrays.

The wind developments themselves are still fiercely opposed within the fishing industry. Squid fishermen flatly say they will not be able work those waters.

“RODA reiterates, consistent with each of our previous comments on the record, that most fishing vessels will not be able to operate in this array,” the alliance said in its Jan. 3 letter to federal officials. “A comprehensive and inclusive mitigation plan will be necessary to account for these impacts.

“The question of whether you can fi sh in an array is an entirely different matter,” said Annie Hawkins, RODA’s executive director. www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

MARKET REPORT NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST

Lobsters hold strong despite China worries; no end in sight for oysters; strong future for seaweed

WINNERS LOBSTER: Although catch dropped by more than 15 percent this season, the commercial lobster fishery still hauled in 100 million pounds, according to Maine’s Department of Marine Resources. While that marks a 20 million-pound drop from 2018, many still feel positive about the industry’s trajectory over the past decade — after all, the 2019 catch is still above historical averages. Exports of lobster to China dipped by 46 percent after a tariff was imposed in 2018, and the coronavirus outbreak further disrupted the trade in lobsters from the U.S. and Canada.

OYSTERS: The taste for oysters seems to have no end in sight, and 2019 was no exception. The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association Executive Director Bob Rheault said that along the Atlantic coast “farmed oyster production has doubled in the

past five years. There has been some consolidation — bigger firms buying smaller ones, and lots of new entrants” with most farms aiming to increase production. The association estimates the total East Coast oyster industry is valued at $90 million, and Rheault says raw bars are hot.

“Everyone seems to want to eat fresh oysters and Instagram the experience, compare flavors from different areas and really savor oysters like fine wines.”

ATLANTIC SEA SCALLOPS: Regulators consider Atlantic sea scallops healthy, not overfished or subject to overfishing. In the 2018-19 season, 62.5 million pounds were landed from federal waters, with New Bedford fleets bringing in much of that. At auction, 10/20 was $9.5010.50 per pound and U-12s were $14-15.

Continued on page 32

FISH MOVE FORWARD. YOU SHOULD, TOO.

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 25

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

Calif. Department of Fish and Wildlife.

PACIFIC

West Coast whale woes

By Jessica Hathaway

alifornia’s 2019 was bookended by whale troubles for its Dungeness crab fleet. A 2017 lawsuit filed against the California Department of Fish and Wildlife by the Center for Biological Diversity came to a head early in the year.

The suit was reportedly a response to an uptick in whale entanglements (though the cause was not determined to be commercial gear). The center sought to close the state-managed fishery until California’s 2018 application for a federal incidental take permit for Endangered Species Act-listed whales is granted — a process that could take years.

“Dungeness crab fishermen have been singled out,” said Benjamin Platt, 57, a fisherman out of Crescent City and Bodega Bay.

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“The shipping industry kills more than a dozen whales a year by their own admission, but where’s the outrage there?”

After three years of industry-led work on gear modifications in concert with environmental groups, scientists and other stakeholders, the Dungeness fleet was dismayed to face the back-door approach of shutdown by lawsuit. The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group convened in 2015.

“The Center for Biological Diversity’s lawsuit is disappointing because it seems designed to divide rather than unite the very groups who are already committed and working hard to find proactive solutions,” said the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations in a release.

Top Product: Wesmar Catch Sensor WESMAR’S newest version of its trawl net catch sensor, the CS30, is now more durable, adaptable and easier to use. Wesmar President Roger Fellows explained that most trawlers use four sensors in the net, each with its own frequency to indicate what part of the net has filled up. Before, you needed back-ups for each frequency.

This one has multiple frequencies. “There’s a little magnetic switch in there that allows you to swipe on the sensor and change the frequency,” Fellows said. That means boats can carry just a couple of extra sensors that can then be used at any position.

Charging pins that were prone to corrosion are replaced with galvanically balanced pins, and Wesmar has made the sensors easier to handle, with spring-loaded locking pins that allow you to pop the sensors in and out of the housing even with gloved hands. Another upgrade is the serviceability.

The battery and electronics on the CS30 can be accessed and serviced.

“Obviously these are still waterproof, but we’ve made a cap on these that will come off so we can pull the electronics out and fix them if we need to,” Fellows said. The battery life is long — 840 hours, or around five weeks — and aided by a saltwater switch, which ensures that the sensor is only running when submerged.

WESMAR www.wesmar.com

26 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Wesmar

By Brian Hagenbuch

A California fisherman works Dungeness crab pots.

California’s fish and wildlife Commissioner Charlton Bonham agreed to a settlement. Fisheries advocates managed to get to the table for settlement talks, but they felt cornered into an agreement to close the season three months early on April 1 to avoid coastwide closure until the incidental take permit is granted.

The shutdown was a blow to the beleaguered fleet, beset by delays for meat fill and domoic acid testing.

“The past several years have been extraordinarily challenging for fishing families, and the actions we’re taking here are no exception,” said Noah Oppenheim, then-executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “But in the end, we’re going to emerge together with a resilient, prosperous, and protective fishery that will continue to feed California and the nation.”

The Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Association made a unanimous decision in mid-November 2019 to delay the next season’s start after weeks of hand-wringing over marine mammals and testing for domoic acid.

The deciding factor was a surveillance flight on Nov. 18. Dick Ogg, vice president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association and a 2019 NF Highliner, was on the flight along with fish and wildlife officials. They spotted scores of endangered humpback whales feeding near Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay, according to Ogg. “The whole concentration was significant. It was animals feeding all up and down the areas where we will be fishing,” said Ogg, who counted 86 whales.

The Bodega Bay association met the next day and agreed to delay setting gear. www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

MARKET REPORT PACIFIC

PACIFIC

Petrale sole makes a comeback; purple urchins still plague California; hopes that squid can return in 2020

WINNERS DUNGENESS: The long, bountiful ride continued for West Coast Dungeness crabbers, with 19 million pounds landed in 2019. Ex-vessel prices were nothing to sneeze at either. According to preliminary data from PacFIN, the Oregon fleet averaged $3.58 per pound for revenues of $66.7 million. Though the season opened very late on Feb. 1, it went off without strikes or major holdups in state-sanctioned price negotiations. Ex-vessel offers for some shipments of live crab shipped to Asia can hit around $5 per pound, but were subject to trade tariffs.

SALMON: Winter rain and snow, healthy ex-vessel prices and an official declaration that El Niño has ended added up for a banner year of salmon production in California. According to PacFIN,

the California troll fleet landed 2.95 million pounds in 2019.

At average ex-vessel prices of $5.55 per pound, revenues for the fleet crunch out to $16.39 million. That more than doubles landings of 1.07 million pounds in 2018 but falls short of the record harvest year of 2013. Ocean temperatures have returned to normal, according to climatologists with NOAA, which meant optimum survival conditions for this year’s age class. Better yet, continued rainfall and ocean temperatures bode well for 2020.

PETRALE SOLE: Trawlers found dense concentrations of petrale sole and landed 1,708 metric tons of a 2,587-metric-ton quota.

Ex-vessel prices averaged $1.19 per pound, putting the season’s revenues at $4.48 million.

Various biomass surveys bode well for substantial increases in the quotas for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Continued on page 32

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 27

ORTH PACIFIC FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

GULF & SO. ATLANTIC

Flooded by freshwater ustained high water down the Mississippi River devastated oyster beds, drove down crab and shrimp landings, and fueled debate over Louisiana’s plans for freshwater diversions to rebuild its land.

Blue crab landings stabilized by the end of 2019, months after the Corps of Engineers finally closed the Bonnet Carré Spillway upriver of New Orleans, after the longest opening since the control structure was built in response to the great flood of 1927.

But the prolonged high water heavily damaged public and private oyster beds, drove out inshore shrimp for months, and heightened fears of what could happen with a changing climate and future river diversions.

From January to June, precipitation in

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the vast Mississippi drainage basin — some 41 percent of the lower 48 states — was 150 percent or more above average, according to NOAA and the National Weather Service.

That triggered the longest high-water event in recorded history, far exceeding the 1927 duration of 152 days.

The Corps of Engineers first opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway Feb. 27 to April 11 — diverting water into a dedicated spillway to the Lake Pontchartrain basin — and reopened the structure in mid-May as the Mississippi began to peak again. It was the first time the spillway was opened twice in one year since it was completed in 1931.

The Morganza Control Structure, completed in 1954 to divert floodwater to the Atchafalaya River basin, opened in June for

Top Product: Cummins X15

CUMMINS has been outfitting commercial fishing vessels since 1919, when it put its first diesel engine in a shrimp boat. In 2019, to mark a century of powering fishing fleets around the world, Cummins released the X15 for the marine market. This inline six-cylinder was rolled out to meet the marine sector’s growing demand for a size in between two other Cummins products, the 11-liter QSK11 and the 19-liter QSK19, and will look to nudge out 13-liter engines from competitors, according to Brian Pinkstaff, Cummins’ West Coast Marine director.

“You’re going to see quite a few of the (X15s) in the smaller aluminum workboats, the crabbing vessels, the 58-foot limit seiners,” Pinkstaff said.

“One of the main features on it is a front power takeoff, which is really common for fishing vessels that go up to Alaska.”

On continuous commercial duty, the X15 has a horsepower between 450 and 575 at an EPA III rating. The first two X15s were installed in the 65- by 17-foot aluminum crew boat the Joseph M and can power the craft up to 21 knots while slashing fuel by an estimated 20 percent. Why make the switch?

Pinkstaff said you’re getting a lighter, cleaner, more fuel-efficient engine that still has Cummins’ traditional durability, but with the innovations and features of newer engines.

Cummins www.cummins.com

28 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Cummins

By Brian Hagenbuch

Corps of Engineers

By Kirk Moore

The Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway in February 2019 to start the longest period of high water on the Mississippi.

only the third time in its history. The consequences of the flood had already begun slamming Louisiana fisheries in early spring, the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported.

By June, oysters harvested from public bottoms were down by 80 percent from the year-to-day average, according to commercial harvest data. Statewide landings of brown and white shrimp plummeted 36 percent in March and 45 percent in April, compared to the five-year averages.

In the Vermilion/Atchafalaya basin, biological sampling revealed an 85 percent decrease in white shrimp numbers, and brown shrimp catches showed a 66 percent decline from long-term average. Sampling in bays and marshes of St. Bernard Parish during May likewise showed brown shrimp numbers far down, almost four times lower than the five-year average.

Blue crab landings across Louisiana were down by 33 percent during March and 45 percent in April compared to the five-year average. State biologists found April blue crab sampling results in the Pontchartrain basin were down 60 percent, and off by 78 percent in the Vermilion/Atchafalaya basin.

In late August, the Save Louisiana Coalition, an alliance of commercial and recreational fishermen and residents opposed to planned freshwater diversions, went to neighboring Mississippi to seek support for Plaquemines Parish officials fighting Corps of Engineers permits for new diversion structures. In October, officials in Hancock County, Miss., joined that fight against the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority plans. www.nationalfisherman.com

NORTH PACIFIC FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020 NORTH PACIFIC

MARKET REPORT GULF & SO. ATLANTIC

GULF & SO. ATLANTIC

Fishermen say red snapper is recovered; Mississippi River wreaks high-water havoc; coronavirus deals wild card to lobster fishermen seem inclined to lift restrictions that have been in place since 2009.

WINNERS RED SNAPPER: The Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery continues to be stable and strong, with ex-vessel prices running between $5 and $6 per pound and plenty of available stock to fulfill the annual catch limit of nearly 7 million pounds. NMFS is moving toward giving Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas permanent control over their quotas for the gulf recreational fishery, which is expected to curb that sector’s overfishing of the species. However, the situation is not quite as rosy in the South Atlantic where the commercial harvest season is only about 60 days long, with a 75-pound trip limit and 125,000-pound catch limit, and dock prices around $6.75 per pound. Fishermen insist the stock is fully rebuilt and say they could accept slightly lower prices if the season were extended. But federal fisheries managers don’t

LOSERS FLOUNDER: A team of fisheries researchers who studied Southern flounder in north Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina in 2019 found the stock had plunged to historically low levels as a result of decades of overfishing.

North Carolina reacted by immediately closing both commercial and recreational fisheries and imposing 45-day fishing seasons in 2020, with the goal of rebuilding the stock within ten years. Other states may follow suit. Prior to those developments, 2018 South Atlantic southern flounder landings totaled more than 950,000 pounds valued at nearly $4 million.

Continued on page 33

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 29

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay

NORTH PACIFIC

Bristol Bay mayday

By Jessica Hathaway

ast year changed the trajectory of the tug of war over Pebble Mine.

The Trump administration EPA’s reversal of Obama-era Clean Water Act protections for the region paved the way for a draft environmental impact statement in February.

When a 90-day public comment period opened on March 1, scientists, residents and fisheries advocates called for an extension, given the heft of the nearly 1,500-page draft.

The federal government granted another 30 days in May after Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan echoed concerns of the state’s residents.

“Acting now is important, given the length and complexity of the (draft report) and the need to ensure that the thousands of Alaskans who have followed this project

L

closely can provide meaningful feedback on it,” wrote Murkowski (R-Alaska) in her letter to Col. Phillip Borders, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Alaska district commander.

At an Alaska State House Resources Committee hearing on April 1, scientists and fishery leaders testified on the range of inadequacies in Corps’ draft EIS, as well as the economic, social and environmental value of Bristol Bay’s salmon watersheds that would be at risk under the proposed plan.

The draft’s 20-year time line, scientists said, is too short to evaluate the long-term risks. A 100-year analysis would have been more transparent, because the tailings dam has a 1 in 5 chance of failing over a century.

“Alaskans should be dismayed. Alaska’s leaders should be outraged. The Army Corps

Top Product: John Deere 4.5-liter JOHN DEERE POWER SYSTEMS is retrofitting commercial vessels with its new 4045SFM85 marine engine, a 4.5-liter unit that is ideal for the 32-foot and below range, especially boats that want to get on step and go. The engine provides a beneficial weight to power ratio that is wellsuited for either planing or semidisplacement hulls. A turbocharger boosts torque when rpms are low, which provides for punch at acceleration, and early reviews on top-end speeds are bullish.

Marty Wise, a gillnetter in the fast-paced Copper River, Alaska, fishery, repowered his 32-foot bowpicker Graycie Lynn, converting it from a single John Deere 9-liter to twin 4045SFM85 engines. Combined with new ZF 220 transmissions and 10-inch Hamilton 274 jets, Wise is now able to keep up with the pack.“I work in a high-speed fishery. Everybody goes fast, even with a load of fish on. If you can’t, you’re behind everybody,” Wise said.

Another 4045S convert is Donald Haught, a crabber out of Port Norris, N.J., who significantly bumped up the speed and fuel economy of his 30-foot Crab Chaser. Haught said that with a load of pots, he now pushes 16 knots, well over the old 12-knot cruising speed. Even better, he cut his fuel bill in half at cruising speed. “I estimate that it will save $10,000 a year,” Haught said. Other features of the engine include replaceable cylinder liners for easy rebuild and longer life, and a water-cooled exhaust manifold for a quieter, cooler engine.

John Deere www.deere.com

30 National Fisherman \ April 2020

John Deere

By Brian Hagenbuch

Fishermen gather in Bristol Bay on June 14 with a call for Alaska’s delegation to act.

of Engineers should be ashamed of themselves and embarrassed if they are going to put this environmental impact statement forward as a piece of credible science. It is not,” said Dr. Daniel Schindler from the University of Washington’s Alaska Salmon Program.

On Friday, Dec. 20, the United Tribes of Bristol Bay and Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay released a joint response to an investigative report that accused Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy of collaborating with the Pebble Limited Partnership to lobby on the corporation’s behalf.

CNN obtained letters that show “Dunleavy forwarded requests, on behalf of the state of Alaska, that were ghost-written by the Pebble Partnership to the White House, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency asking them to do away with the EPA’s proposed protections for Bristol Bay and to fast track the Army Corps’ environmental assessment,” said the joint release.

The investigation also questions whether the Pebble Partnership had advance knowledge of EPA’s decision to eliminate the protections. Tom Collier, Pebble Partnership CEO, denied any such knowledge at a U.S. House hearing in October.

“I want to adamantly state that we had no such advance knowledge at all of the decision,” Collier said in his testimony to the House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Collier is in line for a $12.5 million bonus if Pebble gets its Corps permit within four years of filing.

The application was filed in December 2017.

The Corps is expected to make a decision in 2020 after it processes the nearly 100,000 comments submitted on the draft. www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

MARKET REPORT NORTH PACIFIC

NORTH PACIFIC

Oysters continue growth trajectory; warmer waters mean tough path ahead for Pacific cod; blackcod quota could get a 2020 boost WINNERS

aligns with the state’s Mariculture Task Force, which anticipates Alaska’s oyster and seaweed growing industry is on track to become a $100 million industry in the next 20 years.

POLLOCK: The Bering Sea trawl fleet fished on a TAC of 1.397 million pounds, while the Gulf of Alaska TAC had been set at 141,227 metric tons for 2019. As for the abundance of pollock stocks in the Gulf of Alaska, scientific teams proposed a cut that would take the TAC down to around 112,000 metric tons in the Gulf of Alaska for 2020 while the Bering Sea stocks are expected to decline slightly and could wind up with a 2020 TAC of 1.26 million metric tons.

SALMON: The salmon harvest for all five species hit 199.98 million fish for the 8th largest in Alaska’s history. Bristol Bay’s Nushagak District accounted for 27 percent of the total statewide harvest of 55.28 million sockeye. The pink salmon season harvest fell short of the projected 137.70 million and came in at 90 percent with landings of 124.30 million.

OYSTERS: Alaska’s oyster industry continues to increase production. As of last summer, the state received applications for what may become an operation of 127 acres on Prince of Wales Island. In Sitka, Silver Bay Seafoods began the application process for a tract of 182 acres. The increase in oyster ventures

SCALLOPS: Alaska’s fleet of two scallopers opened their season on July 1 to lower statewide guideline harvest levels than in 2018. The grand total for all areas in 2019-20 GHL totals up to 267,500 pounds of shucked meat, up slightly from the 265,000 pounds of 2018.

Continued on page 33

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 31

FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

NORTHEAST

PACIFIC

Market Report continued from page 25

Market Report continued from page 27

SEAWEED: 2018 marked a record-setting year for seaweed in Maine (22 million pounds). For 2019, numbers are not in yet, but a recent court ruling curtailing the harvest of wild rockweed (worth $1 million dollar at the docks), with landings consistently making up more than 95 percent of all landings statewide, could take a toll.

SHRIMP: As ocean temperatures hit the nexus between La Niña and El Niño, survival rate among young shrimp recruiting into the fishery and rapid growth afforded Oregon a good year.

In the end, the fleet put up 26.9 million pounds. At the average ex-vessel price of 74 cents a pound, fleet revenues crunched out to nearly $20 million.

LOSERS MAINE SHRIMP: The Northern shrimp story sounds like a tragic broken record for an industry that used to be worth around $16 million annually.

“The Gulf of Maine is changing rapidly, as is our understanding of that change and its impacts,” says Maggie Hunter, a scientist at Maine’s Department of Marine Resources. The shrimp fishery remained shuttered in 2019, as it had been since 2013.

Ocean temperatures in western Gulf of Maine shrimp habitat have increased, and with temperatures predicted to continue rising, things do not bode well for the recovery of this fishery.

HERRING: The lobster industry is used to fluctuations and adapting to change, but herring as bait has seen better days.

Federal regulators cut quota by more than a half in 2019, from 50,000 metric tons to 21,000 metric tons.

Wyatt Anderson, of O’Hara Lobster Bait in Rockland, Maine, said there was a bit of herring around in 2019, but that menhaden was what saved the day. If you could get herring, it was $250-$275 per barrel, while locally harvested pogies were $80$125 a barrel. .

ONES TO WATCH GROUNDFISH: There were several groundfish-related actions under development in 2019, including setting catch limits for 2020-22 for most stocks and shared U.S/Canada stocks of some species on Georges Bank. The New England Fishery Management Council is looking at whether 100 percent at-sea monitoring can deliver improved data and management, possibly through electronic monitoring.

SCUP: Some in the industry think scup is an underappreciated fish. Recently, landings haven’t matched quotas, and there is room for market growth. Average wholesale prices for 2019 were 85 cents per pound for medium, $1.25 for large, and $1.50 for jumbo.

— Caroline Losneck

32 National Fisherman \ April 2020

LOSERS HERRING: The San Francisco herring industry held hopes for increasing biomass and stronger market demand in the advent of the 2019 season. The gillnet harvest quota had been set at 775.6 short tons, and the harvest came in at 718 short tons, according to data from PacFIN. Though PacFIN data notes an average ex-vessel price of $500 per ton, some deliveries brought considerably less, based on low roe content..

URCHINS: Purple urchins continue to plague divers seeking out red urchins throughout California. The Blob, El Niño and other environmental factors stacked up a few years ago, decimating large beds of giant and bull kelp. Last year, divers cleaned several areas and had the purple urchins ground into meal, hoping that similar efforts in the future will sterile the ground and allow the more profitable red urchins to return in abundance.

BLACKCOD: Recruitment of young age classes into the fishery has thrown the predominance of the catch toward 1- to 2-pound fish. Markets in Japan have adapted to moving smaller fish through the chain to consumers — but at a reduced price point.

A 2-pound fish last year brought $3.60, while an 8-pounder just two years ago sold for $64.

ONES TO WATCH SQUID: Early catches in the cooler waters offshore of Oregon had the fleet hopeful that biomass would show up farther south as the summer ensued. The 2019 squid crop came in at $11.91 million in revenues, which pegs ex-vessel prices at just under $1,000 per ton.

SWORDFISH: The U.S. fleet working the waters in the Western and North Central Pacific Ocean harvested 157.7 metric tons in 2019. At average ex-vessel prices of $4.31 per pound the fishery tallied up to revenues of around $1.5 million. West Coast landings are but a fraction of what the fleet from Japan catches in a year.

— Charlie Ess

www.nationalfisherman.com

ORTH PACIFIC FEATURE: YEARBOOK 2020

GULF & SO. ATLANTIC Market Report continued from page 29 OYSTERS: Gulf of Mexico oyster fishermen are still reeling from last spring’s record Mississippi River flooding which caused 100 percent mortality at some public and private grounds in Louisiana and Mississippi. Landings for 2019 were about 6 million pounds — about half the historical average — while prices shot up to $80 per sack — nearly four times the average price of 10 years ago.

STONE CRAB: Persistent red tides and recent hurricanes that scoured the bay bottom sent Florida’s 2019-20 stone crab production into a tailspin with near-record low landings and stratospheric prices. Since the season opened in mid-October, landings are estimated at 1.4 million pounds — on track with 2019’s dismal 1.9 million pounds at season’s end in mid-May. Boat prices range from $25 per pound for the largest claws down to about $11.50 for the smallest.

SHRIMP: With 2019 gulf shrimp landings estimated at about 75 million pounds — (nearly 33 percent below the historical average of 111 million pounds) — fishermen are hoping the Mississippi will refrain from flooding this spring and summer and that cheap imports won’t drive prices for U.S. product any lower.

BLUE CRAB: Gulf blue crab stocks were hit hard by the spring 2019 flooding, particularly in Mississippi where landings — which had been increasing over the previous five years — were down an average of 26 percent to as much as 84 percent in some basins.

Meanwhile, in the South Atlantic, North Carolina resource managers declared blue crab overfished and announced cutbacks aimed at ending overfishing and rebuilding the stock.

NORTH PACIFIC Market Report continued from page 31

LOSERS HERRING: Sitka’s herring season came and went without so much as a commercial landing in 2019. Meanwhile, the 2019 quota for Togiak had been set at 26,930 short tons. The problem with the Sitka fishery is that the egg skeins coming from the small fish are too small for markets in Japan, while Togiak suffers the opposite plight with young fish that are too large for market recruiting into the fishery.

PACIFIC COD: Fishermen faced a dismal TAC of just 12,368 metric tons in the Gulf of Alaska when the season opened on Jan. 1. That’s down from the 13,096 metric tons of 2018 but pales in comparison to the reduction from the 2017 TAC of 64,442 metric tons. The TAC for the Bering Sea, meanwhile, has been set at 159,120 metric tons, which is down from the 188,136 metric tons of 2018. The prevalent theory behind the cod crashes ties low recruitment to warmer sea temperatures.

KING CRAB: Bering Sea crabbers went after just 3.8 million pounds of Bristol Bay red king crab in 2019. Based on abundance estimates, the population appears to be declining at around 12 percent a year since 2013. What’s worse, ex-vessel prices have not climbed anywhere near commensurate with the shortage of volumes, and cheaper Russian king crab has been filling in gaps in the market.

HALIBUT: The 2019 halibut season got underway on March 15, with a quota of 18.9 million pounds. Ex-vessel prices ran lower in 2019, with processors offering $5.25 per pound for fish in the 20-pound range, $5.50 per pound for 20-40-pound fish and topped out at $5.75 for 40 ups.

ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH

LOBSTER: Harvest levels for spiny lobster in the Florida Keys — which account for 80 percent of Florida’s production — are a little down for the 2019-20 season, which ends March 31. With estimated landings so far of 2.7 million pounds, the season is not expected to exceed 2018-19’s healthy total of 6.5 million pounds. The ongoing trade skirmish with China depressed prices for whole, live product by about $2 per pound to an average of $8.50..

GEODUCKS AND SEA CUCUMBER: Southeast Alaska geoduck and sea cucumber divers kicked off their seasons in October with a 637,900-pound GHL for geoducks and a 1.9-million-pound GHL for cukes. As for ex-vessel prices divers have been averaging around $6 per pound for geoducks and around $5 per pound for the sea cucumbers.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: The outlook is hopeful for the gulf this spring with the early arrival of good numbers of fish in the 110-140-pound range and the possibility that federal area closures imposed to protect bluefins may be lifted. — Sue Cocking

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

BLACKCOD: The blackcod fleet fished on a quota of 25.97 million pounds for the 2019 season, which is up slightly from the 25.80 million-pound quota of 2018. Strong representations of 2and 3-pound fish entering the fishery bode for quota increases by up to 25 percent for 2020. Surplus volumes of small fish entering Japanese markets continues to dampen prices.

— Charlie Ess

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 33

BOATS & GEAR: ROPELESS TRAPS

POP-UP POTS

From coast to coast, U.S. and Canadian fixed-gear fishermen are tasked with efforts to develop whale-safe systems

EdgeTech

By Paul Molyneaux

Handling ropeless gear adds time to a day’s work. If lobstermen spend 5 or 10 minutes more per trawl, that can add up to hours in the course of a day.

lay becalmed one summer night trying to sail from Cutler, Maine, to Nova Scotia. I drifted in the dark, lying across the cockpit in my survival suit and listening for the thrum of a freighter that might run me downhill. Out of the inky black came a blast like a tire exploding, followed by a ringing like bellows, the sound of a great inhalation. It was a whale. I sat up, startled, but could see nothing. Right whales had been in the area that summer and frequented the channel where I lay adrift. They passed me for 15 minutes or so and then were gone.

The morning broke with the wind driving me right back to Cutler, through a carpet

I

34 National Fisherman \ April 2020

of lobster buoys. There are an estimated 3 million traps off the coast of Maine, ground zero for a $483 million dollar industry. Unfortunately, the last 400 North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species with a propensity to get tangled in the buoy lines of fixed-gear fishermen anywhere between Florida and Newfoundland. According to the New England Aquarium, 83 percent of these whales show signs of having been entangled at least once and 59 percent more than once.

While right whales also die from ship strikes and other causes, the environmental groups that are part of NOAA’s Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team are calling for eliminating rope in the water column.

Fixed-gear fishermen on the West Coast have a similar problem. A spike in humpback whale entanglements in 2014 and 2015 led the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity to sue the commonwealth of California in 2017, resulting in a settlement that will require fishermen to limit spring fishing and pursue a conservation plan that could include ropeless or “pop-up” gear, as they call it in California.

Ropeless fishing is out of the question for Maine at this point, as far as Cutler lobsterman Kristan Porter is concerned.

“There’s just no way to make it work,” he says, emphasizing, “no way.”

Porter, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and a 2018 NF Highliner, points out a host of obstacles for shifting the fishery to ropeless gear, beginning with the time it takes to use most of the systems being developed. Porter visited a lobsterman in Australia who was using the Desert Star bagged-rope system.

“It’s slow and tedious,” says Porter. “You send an acoustic signal down and wait for wire to burn that releases the buoy and rope.

Then it’s just a small buoy that comes up, and you have about five minutes to get it before the tide drags it under.” The problems don’t stop there.

“You’ve got these bags of rope, and you need three sets for each trawl: one on the traps, one on the boat, and one getting rebagged,” says Porter. “How are we supposed to have space on the boat for all that? Not to mention the cost.” According to Porter, regulations would also have to be changed because www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR: ROPELESS TRAPS

“You’ve got these bags of rope, and you need three sets for each trawl: one on the traps, one on the boat, and one getting rebagged. How are we supposed to have space on the boat for all that?”

— Kristan Porter, MAINE LOBSTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION

gear must be marked at the surface.

Porter has declined invitations to participate in testing. He argues that since 2002, only one whale has died from being entangled in Maine lobster gear, and that since 1997 the industry has eliminated floating buoy line at the surface, added break-away links to help entangled whales free themselves, replaced floating groundline with whale-safe sinking line, and eliminated 2,700 miles of buoy line by establishing a minimum number of traps per buoy.

Mark Baumgartner, associate scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has talked about the entanglement issue with Porter and believes ropeless fishing can work, and that it may be the best option for enabling fishermen and whales to share the same waters. But he acknowledges that it will take time to find a system that works in a way that is effective and economical for intensive trap fisheries, such as Maine lobster.

Baumgartner acknowledges Porter’s points, but notes that besides Desert Star, a number of systems are in development and limited production, some of which are being tested in other fisheries.

“The idea had been around for a while, but in 2017 we started thinking about ropeless fishing again after 17 whales were killed that year,” says Baumgartner. He points out that the right whale population has been declining since 2010, and the smaller it gets the more pressure will be put on fishermen to take action. “It may take five years to get something that works,” says Baumgartner.

“But if right whales continue to decline, we will need a solution in the coming years to avoid fishery closures. And if we start now, we’ll be that much closer to having a system that works when we really need it.”

In California, participants in the Dungeness crab and other fixed-gear fisheries must come up with a conservation plan as part of their settlement with the Center To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

for Biological Diversity. A number of fishermen working with the environmental group Oceana are wondering if ropeless gear could be part of the solution.

“We call it pop-up gear,” says Geoff Shester, Oceana’s California campaign director.

“Because it’s not really ropeless.”

Shester organized some tests in May 2018, and is continuing to expand those efforts. “In September 2019, we organized a gear innovation day and looked at five systems: galvanized release, Desert Star, Fiobuoy, SMELTS, and Ashored.”

A dozen California crabbers, including 2019 NF Highliner Dick Ogg of Bodega Bay, and Calder Deyerle of Moss Landing, joined

Shester. They tested a galvanic release system that is the epitome of simple: A wire rusts away over a calculated amount of time and releases a buoy and line. They also tested the Desert Star system described by Porter.

“We tested the Fiobuoy system,” says Shester. “That’s a spool with and acoustic release mechanism.” Shester and company also tested the SMELTS system, which uses a compressed-air tank activated by an acoustic trigger to inflate a lift bag.

The last prototype they worked with was the Ashored system, developed by a company in Nova Scotia. It’s a variation on the theme of a container holding rope and buoy that are deployed by an acoustic signal to the release mechanism.

“We were supposed to have EdgeTech here, too, but they couldn’t make it,” says Shester.

In October 2019, EdgeTech’s Rob Morris was in the Canadian Maritimes testing the new system with snow crab fishermen.

“If you want to stop whale entanglements,

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 35

Oceana photos

BOATS & GEAR: ROPELESS TRAPS

With the Desert Star system, fishermen stuff line into a plastic mesh bag and reset the trigger with a small filament.

Unlike the acoustic release systems that flake line into a container of some sort, the Fiobuoy spools the line around the buoy itself.

Its competitors rely on a trigger-released buoy and line, but the SMELTS system uses a lift bag to float the entire trap to the surface.

I guarantee our system will do it,” says Morris. “We’re in production and could deliver in 30 days.” EdgeTech’s system consists of a buoy attached to the lid of a cage that holds the buoy line.

“We made it so the fishermen can make the cage themselves to match the footprint of the gear they’re using,” says Morris. “The acoustic release is the heart of the system, and can be adapted to whatever the

fishery requires.” The potential weakness of the EdgeTech system is that when the buoy line gets flaked back into the trap it could become tangled. “Over hundreds of tests, we have never had a snarl,” adds Morris.

Baumgartner sees promise in several of the systems, but getting a buoy to the surface is only one part of the problem to be solved; fishermen need to be able to find their own gear and know where other gear is so they don’t set on it.

“I’m working on a system that will constantly update the position of the gear on bottom and allow fishermen to know where each other’s gear is,” says Baumgartner.“Right now, the most basic system registers the last known position of the gear at the surface. But if your gear moves from that surface location, other fishermen won’t know exactly where it is. And if it moves a long way, you can’t retrieve it.”

In high-energy environments like the coast of Maine, that may not be ideal. A fisherman may send a release signal to gear that has moved too far away.

A more common method of locating gear is called ranging, in which a boat sends a ping to its trap in the area where it was set, and the trap responds.

“Then you can triangulate and find it,” says Morris, of EdgeTech. If the trap is too far from that point, it is also difficult to locate. In the case of EdgeTech, for example, the signal to the trap can reach around 1,000 fathoms.

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Oceana

EdgeTech

BOATS & GEAR: ROPELESS TRAPS

The EdgeTech system, shown on Canadian snow crab gear, uses an acoustic modem that reportedly is adaptable to almost any fishery.

The Ashored unit is shown upside down. A proprietary acoustic signal frees the buoy from the base and allows it to lift the line.

According to Baumgartner, gear equipped with an acoustic modem that constantly updates its position using information from passing ships is the most accurate location system possible. “The system we’re working on uses an acoustic modem that responds to passing ships with its position, so that they know where it is,” he says. As Baumgartner describes it, every time a trap equipped with the acoustic device answers a ship that sends it a ping, the coordinates get plugged into a database that fishermen can use to check on their own gear while at home. “But this is all in prototypes. Six months ago it existed only in my brain,” he says.

The technology, particularly the acoustic modems and release mechanisms that are the crux the ropeless/pop-up systems, are far from cheap.

“Ours are $3,750 per unit,” says Morris of EdgeTech’s pots. “Multiply that by 40 trawls.

It’s not fair to ask the fishermen to pay that.”

Baumgartner and Shester agree. All contend that the cost of the gear needs to be subsidized somehow.

Fishermen are keeping a close eye on developments, but pop-up gear is still a long way off. Recent rules proposed for protecting whales in Maine make no mention of ropeless gear, nor do proposed or pending rules elsewhere in the country.

“I’m not aware of anything pending in the regulations,” says Baumgartner.

Baumgartner and Shester also point out that entire fisheries do not need to shift to ropeless gear. “We could start this in areas that are closed because of whales,” says Baumgartner. “It’s a way to get fishermen

back in those areas and increase demand so that we can get the cost down.”

According to Caroline Coogan at NOAA, ropeless gear can be used in areas that aren’t closed to trap fishing if fishermen get authorization from state or federal authorities that allow them to fish without surface marking. “We are looking into modifying areas closed to lobster and other trap/pot fisheries to protect whales (so closed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act) to areas closed to the buoy lines rather than closed to the fishing itself,” says Coogan. “Fishing would still be subject to gear marking requirements of other fishery management regulations, so an exemption to those requirements would still be necessary.”

In the meantime, fishermen continue to watch the water for whales and the horizon for a change in tide.

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

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April 2020 \ National Fisherman 37

BOATS & GEAR: PRODUCTS

Product Roundup

Click and connect New software builds fishing vessel database

By Brian Hagenbuch he new software by the Faroe Islands-based company FishFacts gives users access to a quickly expanding database with a variety of information on fishing vessels around the globe. The most salient feature of the FishFacts database is that it tracks the movements of 2,000 fishing vessels, enabled by both land antennas and satellites to make information fast and reliable.

“Most of the skippers are basically using it to know where other people are fishing.

The skippers are looking at other boats, and that helps them to prepare and figure out where they might go,” said Hanus Samró of FishFacts.

The software is smartly designed, with

T

easy category searches that can quickly be modified by country, fishery and boat name.

Along with the location and track feature that shows recent movements, there is also information on the boat, including who owns the vessel and what other boats that company owns.

Samró added that the program’s users — fleet managers and ship owners, along with captains — are providing invaluable input to the nascent company about what they want.

This has led FishFacts to include, at the request of users, location information on research, Coast Guard and cargo vessels.

Samró explained that right now FishFacts is mostly restricted to larger boats and heavy to the European fleet, but has grown quickly

FishFacts lets skippers know the location of other boats.

and plans to expand geographically and include smaller boats.

“It is important for us to illustrate that we are with the fishermen, not against the fishermen. We are not regulatory. We don’t do any catch information. It’s mostly just on an operational level,” he said.

The program also lets captains know where they can get fuel and supplies, helpful in planning trips or navigating unfamiliar fisheries.

FISH FACTS

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Time-release bait Longsoaker keeps your trap tempting underwater

By Brian Hagenbuch he McGirk Longsoaker is a timerelease canister that provides fresh bait for trap fishermen up to five days after pots are set. Russ Mullins, president of Longsoaker Fishing Systems, said there’s nothing like it on the market.

“It’s patented and one-of-a-kind. It keeps the bait dry at depth, so it’s not washing out.

There are no fleas. There’s no current contacting it. It just sits there and waits,” Mullins said.

To set up the Longsoaker, you fill an inner basket with up to a pound of bait. An outer housing goes over the basket and is sealed against an O-ring with a slight twist. Then, a rubber strap is fixed over the entire canister with a zinc-magnesium alloy release that corrodes at a known rate.

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38 National Fisherman \ April 2020

The Longsoaker is then suspended from the top of the trap by a retention strap, out of the way of the normal function of the trap. Fishermen bait the trap as they normally would, but the difference is they will have reserve bait when the zinc corrodes and the Longsoaker pops open.

“When the release parts, the rubber strap comes loose and allows access to the pressurerelease hole, which is the patented part. Otherwise, you’d never be able to get it to open at depth because of the pressure,” Mullins said.

The releases, which cost just a dollar apiece, can be set anywhere from eight hours to five days, with several increments in between.

“Some people use them with 24-hour soaks with 14-hour releases, and some people use them all the way up to a week. What

The McGirk Longsoaker extends the fishing life for crab pots.

we’re seeing is if you’re on a 10-crab average, you’re generally going to get around 14 or 15 crab, maybe more,” Mullins said.

He added that the bait that has been secured in the Longsoaker is fresher than the original bait, which is susceptible to getting washed out as the pots cascade to ocean floor, or rinsed as it sits in swirling currents.

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The new BL100 PURSE RING from Japanese innovators ASANO METAL INDUSTRY CO. adds to the company’s growing line of stainless steel blocks and hooks. The most unique part of this 4-inch ring is the simple button release on the gate, which allows for easy manipulation of the gate, and features a replaceable spring. When locked, the hook part integrates into the body of the ring for a higher working load capacity. The alloy steel roller keeps the purse line from rubbing against the body of the ring.

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ROGERS MACHINERY has reduced the footprint on its industry-proven KI/ KIV SERIES air compressors with new tank-mounted models. The single-stage, air-cooled compressors, available from 10 to 30 hp, now perch on top of the 120-gallon, 200-psi tank, making the unit far more compact and easier to work on.

It also means piping is preinstalled and made of stainless instead of hose. The tank-mounted package also comes with an optional rear-mounted dryer to reduce water in the compressed air system.

Leading rope-maker SAMSON is touting its new DURA OCEANMASTER ECO. It’s a lead-free weighted line that can be used as lead or cork line for gillnetters. Made from a polymer composite and polyester mix, Samson says it is not just environmentally friendly but also easy to handle, with good flex and surface yarns that are prime for hanging net. Although it is not spliceable, the line is extremely durable and high strength.

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To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 39

AROUND THE YARDS

NORTHEAST

Mass. boatyard builds two 90-foot fish boats; Maine shop adds safety device to lobster tanks

Steve Kennedy

By Michael Crowley

The 90-foot dragger Francis Dawn was built at Fairhaven Shipyard and designed by Farrell & Norton Naval Architects.

n the fall Fairhaven Shipyard in Fairhaven, Mass., launched the 90' x 30' dragger Francis Dawn that's now fishing out of Portland, Maine. The yard crew is also building a 90' x 28' clam boat that’s due to be completed this spring (see “Shuck driver,” NF March 2020). “We try to launch one boat a year,” says Fairhaven Shipyard’s Kevin McLaughlin. Currently he’s talking with two fishermen about having scallopers built.

Farrell & Norton Naval Architects designed the Francis Dawn and the clam boat that’s under construction. (Farrell & Norton is also designing two scallopers, one to be built at Duckworth Steel Boats in Tarpon Springs, Fla., and the other at Jemison Marine in Bayou La Batre, Ala.) What makes the Francis Dawn different from most draggers is “it has an aft engine room, and the fish hold is forward,” says Farrell & Norton’s Tom Farrell at the company’s Newcastle, Maine, office.

Having the fish hold forward makes it easier to take care of the fish and “helps the way the boat goes through the progression of the trip, by helping the boat stay in more

of a level condition.” In the engine room a 1,100-hp Mitsubishi provides propulsion power.

Another difference between the Francis Dawn and other draggers is its beam. Normally it would be 26 to 28 feet, says Farrell, but with its 30-foot beam, the Francis Dawn “has got a lot of deck space and a lot of carrying capacity.”

The 90-foot clam boat has a stern dredge and an 800-hp Cummins for power. She will fish for surf clams out of Atlantic City, N.J. “It’s a little smaller than the ones that go offshore,” says Farrell. The clams will

40 National Fisherman \ April 2020

S.W. Boatworks

I

be stored in four tanks.

Beyond building new boats, Fairhaven Shipyard’s McLaughlin notes, “I’ve got a whole variety of stuff going on.” He’s talking about several engine overhauls, mostly Caterpillar 3512s and 3508s and “a lot of shaft replacements. The machine shop has been extraordinarily busy building new shafts.” These are for older boats with shafts that have done, says McLaughlin, “a lot of twisting, twisting, and twisting over 20, 25, 30 years.” Then there are always boats, generally between 80 and 160 feet, in for maintenance, everything from bottom painting to hull replacement.

Up in Lamoine, Maine, S.W. Boatworks was due to launch in January a 44' x 17' 6" Calvin offshore lobster boat for a Cranberry Island fisherman. Constructed entirely of composite materials, the 44-footer will leave the boatyard with a split wheelhouse, fish holds below the platform, and an open stern with a tailgate.

It’s the second boat built with an electronic valve-switching system to control flooding and dewatering in the lobster tanks. The first boat with the valve-switching system was the lobster boat Sweet Victory, a 44 Calvin delivered in 2019.

The valve switching system is controlled from a switchboard mounted in the wheelhouse and was the idea of S.W. Boatworks’ Stewart Workman. “It’s good for safety,” he says, “because the crew doesn’t have to jump down in the engine room to throw Continued on page 43

S.W. Boatworks launched the Mister E, a 44 Calvin offshore lobster boat in January.

www.nationalfisherman.com

AROUND THE YARDS

WEST

Progress back fishing after rebuild at Fred Wahl; seiner gets major overhaul at Washington yard

Fred Wahl Marine Construction

By Michael Crowley

The 131-foot Progress leaves Fred Wahl Marine Construction on Jan. 8 after being lengthened and sponsoned.

n Jan. 8 the Progress left Fred Wahl Marine Construction in Reedsport, Ore. The Progress is the 114' x 30' cod and pollock trawler that had been towed from Dutch Harbor in the Bering Sea to Reedsport in March 2018 after a wave smashed through the wheelhouse, flooding much of the boat.

Instead of repair work to get her back in the water as soon as possible, the Progress was taken out of service for a year and rebuilt (See “The year of Progress,” NF July 2019).

That included lengthening and sponsoning.

O

When the Progress went back in the water, she measured 131' x 41' 6". The first week in February, Fred Wahl Marine Construction’s Heath Greene said the Progress was back fishing in Alaska and had “already brought full loads in. The boat is doing really well.”

The yard was also finishing out a sponsoning job on the 88' x 22' B.J. Thomas, a West Coast crabber and shrimper out of Newport, Ore. But it wasn’t the need to be sponsoned that brought the B.J. Thomas to Fred Wahl.

See the Boatbuilding

feature on page 18.

Other boats in for repairs include the San Diego-based Royal Dawn, which was getting all new shaft work. The Windward, an older tender that requires “extensive steel repairs” to the hull, and a 130' x 30' Alaska crabber, the Alaskan Trojan, which was having its bottom and fish hold blasted and painted.

The last new boat to be completed was the Halcyon, a 58' x 28' combination boat for an Alaska fisherman. The next new 58-footer will probably be the 58' x 29.5' spec boat whose subsections were starting to be assembled in February.

The Tradition, built at Fred Wahl Marine Construction in 1991, left WCT Marine just before Christmas, a very different boat from the crabber, seiner and tender that showed up at the Astoria, Ore., boatyard in March 2019. Back then she measured 58' x 19' and was at WCT Marine to have the hull sponsoned out to 28 feet. That was to be the extent of it.

But once work began, the boat’s owner “started to see how big the galley could be, the bathroom, the staterooms and everything,” says WCT Marine’s Willie Toristoja.

“He decided to gut the interior and start over.” The accommodations area’s original hull plating was removed, and now “the galley is huge,” notes Toristoja.

Continued on page 43

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www.marinemedical.com April 2020 \ National Fisherman 41

AROUND THE YARDS

SOUTH

Virginia builder takes on projects in lieu of retirement; father and son carry on wooden boatbuilding tradition

Larry Chowning

By Larry Chowning

The deck boat Elva C. and deadrise pound net boat Glenna Fay are on the rails in January at Reedville Marine Railway.

eorge Butler of Reedville Marine Railway in Reedville,Va., cannot seem to find a way to retire.

For a while now, Butler has been talking retirement. However, there are still boats on the rails being hauled and maintained.

The 40' x 11.5' Glenna Fay and 48.8' x

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13.5' Elva C. were on the rails in January.The Glenna Fay is owned by Reedville pound net fisherman Walter Rogers. Rogers is doing his own routine annual maintenance on the boat. He inherited the Glenna Fay from his father who had it built at the railway by George Butler’s father in 1947.

The Elva C. is awaiting the arrival of 2-inch-thick white cedar planks from John England of Urbanna, Va. Butler is going to install new sideBJ5000EX, ROLLERS, SQUID planking on one side.

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The Elva C. is owned by the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum and is used as an education boat. The deck boat was built in 1922 and worked in the pound net fishery for most of its working life.

One thing that keeps wooden commercial fishing boats and other wooden boats alive on the Chesapeake Bay is an aging boatbuilding infrastructure that still knows how to repair old wooden boats and lumberyards that cater specifically to wooden boatbuilding.

England purchases his white cedar from North Carolina and air dries it at his lumberyard in Virginia. The rough-cut lumber is milled to his desired width. The planks are flitch cut, also referred to as live-edge lumber, with the bark still attached to the sides.

England also sells white oak and spruce pine to boatbuilders. The time-length for air drying wood depends on the type of wood.

White oak and spruce pine must be dried for one year for every inch of thickness, says England.

Two-inch-wide white oak planks require two years of drying. White cedar dries much quicker. Two-inch-thick white cedar is usually ready in six months, says England. Butler is waiting for his white cedar to pass the moisture test. England uses a moisture meter to test his wood. The moisture level in the wood must be down to 15 percent for side and bottom planks.

England says kiln dried lumber is not the best wood to use for planking on old boats.

“When the boat is in the water, you want the wood on the bottom and sides to swell,” he says. “Kiln-dry lumber dries the wood too

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email: gaskimarine@outlook.com phone: 902-701-8210 ∙ www.gaskimarine.com 42 National Fisherman \ April 2020

Larry Chowning

Serving fishermen since 1994

Dave and Nick Rollins of Poquoson, Va., are repairing the wooden deadrise Miss Nina.

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AROUND THE YARDS

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Around the Yards: Northeast

Around the Yards: West

Continued from page 40

Continued from page 41

mechanical valves.” Workman notes that with “all the fi sh holds” some lobster boats are being built with, installing the mechanical valves can turn into “a plumber’s nightmare. I was just trying to fi nd a way to simplify it.” The fi rst one worked “really well, so we tried it again.”

Fuel tanks were removed, allowing the forward fish hold to be increased in size, then “blew the stern fish hold all the way out into the new sponsons,” Toristoja said, which doubled her carrying capacity, from 70,000 to 140,000 pounds.

The 24-inch bulbous bow was cut off and replaced with a 60-inch version. The original plans called for the wheelhouse to be enlarged a year after the hull was sponsoned. But once it was decided to rebuild the interior, that idea was scrapped, and the starboard side of the wheelhouse was pushed out to the bulwarks.

On the port side, the house was extended enough to allow a captain’s bunk to be built while still leaving room for an 18-inch space between the wheelhouse and the bulwarks to walk around.

An unexpected problem was “the condition of the original hull. It needed a lot more attention than we originally thought,” said Toristoja, and called for a lot of steel work and framing. Tullio Celano of Crescere Marine Engineering in Columbia City, Ore., did the design work for rebuilding the Tradition.

The Tradition, which is home-ported in Ilwaco,Wash., was crabbing off the Washington coast in January.

“I was just trying to find a way to simplify it.”

— Stewart Workman, S.W. BOATWORKS

In January, construction had just started on a larger version of the 44 Calvin for a Vinalhaven, Maine, lobsterman. It will measure 48' x 17' 6" after a 44 Calvin has been cut in two and four feet added to the middle of the hull.

Workman describes it as “a big off shore dayboat” that will be hauling trawls, “so it needs the deck room” gained with the additional four feet. When the 48-footer goes in the water, probably at the end of the summer, a 1,000-hp Cat C18 will be bolted to the engine stringers.

It’s not the largest hull to come out of S.W. Boatworks. That would be the boatyard’s fi rst 50-footer that is being fi nished off in Boothbay, Maine. It’s is also a stretched-out version of a 44 Calvin.

It will have a 900-hp Scania.

42' Stormi Gayle On a smaller scale, S.W. Boatworks is building a 38 CalNow accepting orders for hulls, vin with an 800-hp kits and complete boats.

Scania for a York, We offer twelve models from 25' to 47' Maine, lobsterman 932 U.S. Route 1, Steuben, Maine 04680 that will be comPhone: (207) 546-7477 Fax: (207) 546-2163 pleted in late winter www.hhmarineinc.com or early spring.

H&H MARINE, INC. Brian Robbins

fast and destroys some of the structure in the wood that hinders swelling.”

Moving to Poquoson,Va., blue crab fisherman Ken Diggs owns the 46' x 14.6' wooden deadrise workboat Miss Nina. The vessel was built in 1981 by the late Grover Lee Owens of Deltaville,Va. Diggs is having father and son David and Nick Rollins of Poquoson rebuild the house/pilothouse, replace coamings, toe rails and washboards, and bulkhead aft of the house. The boat is also getting new wiring, and a new QSM11 Cummins diesel engine was recently installed.

Miss Nina was built for Diggs’ late uncle Ernest Diggs, and since the day it was launched has worked in every Virginia crab pot season. “We’ve got to have it ready by the first of March (opening day of crab pot season) come hell or high water,” says 70year old David Rollins. Nick, 40, and his father are two of just a few talented wooden boatbuilders left on the lower bay who have generational knowledge of how to repair a wooden boat.

The Rollinses are also replacing mahogany tongue-and-groove strips on the back of the house/pilothouse with new mahogany strips.

Since the late 1970s, some Virginia watermen have been using mahogany on certain places to brighten up their boats. The use of a wellmaintained mahogany stern is a source of pride to some fishermen. Watermen also use mahogany in areas where there is little wear and tear, such as on the back of the house.

The new coaming, washboards and toe rails are made from white cedar. The house/ pilothouse is made from white cedar and MDO plywood. The bulkhead, located just aft of the house, is made from salt-treated pine. The boat is fastened with stainless steel bolts and screws, and every joint is glued with the West Epoxy System, says Rollins.

The Rollinses are also repairing woodwork in Iva W. and Linda Carol, two Chesapeake Bay deck boats that have been converted to yachts. They are also working on a 70-foot tugboat named Captain Johnny. Three berths are being installed in the tug’s forepeak.

Although traditional wooden boatbuilding customs are waning in the South, there are still a few builders and lumbermen carrying on the trade.

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 43

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE BOATS FOR SALE

1997 Island Hopper 58’ x 24’ Steel Limit Seiner 2018 Equipped with a Cummings C 350 Hpsets.

Engine Twin 8.9 Cummins, 80/40/12KW Gen Removable aft Total hours: approx 3,000 cabin with additional living quarters for charter or family, Large Fishing Wellis 150,000lbs, shallow draft-48”, two fish hold capacity Tacklechillers, Center 7 ton flash freeze system. Sleeps 12 in 6 25ton Stern rooms, Thruster state 4 steering stations, 4 heads/showers, sauna, Much more... hydronic heating. Galvanized cranes, mast, and crows nest, 1000 lb Navy Anchor, vessel weight is 200,000 lbs., 16” Price: $70,000 bow thruster, trans vac pump. Apitong decking on stainless Contact: 631-587-8670 or Email dan@simssteel.com support members. Fully outfitted to seine, tender, or charter, current contracts on vessel.

42 ft Fiberglass Freezer Troller 42 ft Fiberglass Freezer Troller

Reduced Price!! – AKKO CHAN, 42 ft Fiberglass Freezer AKKO CHAN, 42 ft Fiberglass Freezer Troller Very clean, Troller, Very clean, well-maintained. Brand new John Deere well-maintained. Brand new John Deere 240 hp engine in240 hp engine installed 2017, new gear, twin disc, new exstalled 2017, new gear, twin disc, new exhaust and tail shaft; haust and tail shaft; lots of fishing gear included. This vessel lots of fishing gear included. This vessel is ready to fish. is ready to fish.

Price: $180,000 (CDN). Serious inquiries only.

Price: $175,000 (CDN). or 250-637-1997 Contact: 250-559-4637 Contact: Call 250 559 4637 or 250 637 1997

Price: $4,100,000 Contact: 907-717-4427

How to place a Classified ad?

You can place a classified advertisement National SPORTFISH Fisherman by using one of 46 ftinWESMAC 2005 thewith following Cat C18 803 hp 1400 hrs.methods: Extended warranty to 3500 hrs Or March 2021, 18-20 knot cruise @80% load,750 gal. fuel. 9k generator, 3 stations, 4 plotters, 2 1 heat pumps,water maker, 600 lb. ice maker, 3 fighting chairs, Rupp outriggers. ONLINE You can place your ad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at www.nationalfisherman.com 2

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 Price: $575,000 Contact: Call Bill @ 252-241-2651 or email at: a1a.bvs@gmail.com 44 National Fisherman \ April 2020 To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

31’ JC East Coast 1979 Lobster Boat Split hull design, Wheelhouse raised about 16”, New B Series, Turbo Road 250h Cummins with 1500 hrs. Two bunks. 12” crab block and davit. Furuno radar model, a 1622 Furuno GPS navigator ICOM, ICOM 45 VHF, Garman GPS map 2006, ComNav auto pilot w/ exterior joystick, AM/FM CD player w/ interior & exterior speakers, Deck lights, new large electrical panel, 3 access points to engine room, two 8D batteries, Dripless shaft packing, Three blade bronze prop. VOLVO ENGINE- CTAMB 63L, 236 HP @2500 RPM, 1450 Bobtail, merries up to a #3 bell house, 7000 plus hours - $12,500. POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION AVAIL- Twin Disc 506- $4300.00 Price: $68,000 Engine: $12,500 Contact: Doug 805-218-0626 www.nationalfisherman.com January 2020 \ National Fisherman 41

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE

2008 30’ Lobster Boat for Sale

Newly Build 58’ Hogan Steel Seiner

I have a 2008 30ft lobster boat for sale. Its 25ft with a 5ft extension. Its 10ft wide on the outside of the washboards. It has a 4 cylinder 85hp perkins diesel. Boat is in great shape and comes with all electronics. Has autopilot chart plotter radar vhf and CD player. Boat is great on fuel, burns about 50litres a day and goes about 7knot at 2200rpm. Has a 12inch hauler and a electric clutch.

This newly built Seiner/Charter Vessel, semi-displacement steel boat is equipped to be versatile in the fishing industry as well as a research or charter vessel. Built by a reputable builder in Washington and was completed in late 2017. The Twin 350HP Cummins engines and 3 generator all have Low hours. The large deck and 24’ beam make it a great seiner or tender with a 150,000 lb. hold.

Also includes a 24′ x 18′ Removable cabin.

Price: $32,000 (CDN).

Price: $2,350,000

Contact: Pete - Cell 506-650-8816

Contact: Dave – 907-209-6136 or thehelm@alaskaboatbrokers.com

How to place a Classified ad?

You can place a classified advertisement in National Fisherman by using one of the following methods:

1 ONLINE You can place your ad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. online at www.nationalfisherman.com

2

By Phone or Email

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

You may place your ad, correct or cancel by calling 800-842-5037 or email our classifieds sales rep

LOBSTER TANK ROOM & BUYING STATION Available in Portland, Maine. Lobster tank room & buying station. Concrete tank will float 125 crates. Can be double stacked in tank. Contact Ian Mayo at #(207)210-8335 or call General Marine Construction at (207) 772-5354.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 45

CLASSIFIEDS

LAW

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS FOR SALE BOAT BUILDING & FIBERGLASS FABRICATION Southeast coastal North Carolina.

Complete operation. 15 thru 22ft.

In active production owner retiring.

Call Pete at: 910-675-1877

Business for Sale!!

Myrtle Beach S.C.

Long term established seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

Private event room, lots of seating with two full commercial kitchens.

843-267-3473 ⬧ mrfish@mrfish.com

HELP WANTED

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

Place a Help Wanted Ad! Call Wendy (207) 842-5616 wjalbert@divcomcom

**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

MARITIME INJURIES 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 HELP WANTED Seeking potential US Licensed Chief Engineers and Mates

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

46 National Fisherman \ April 2020

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 www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

Got Crabs?

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

NETTING

Spotted Prawns? Lobsters?

Call for Volume Discount!

The Trap can't rust, won't rot, resists marine growth, and is not subject to electrolysis.�

Fathoms Plus, Inc.

Phone: (619) 222-8385

◼

Email: FathomsPlus@cox.net

www.FathomsPlusTraps.com

 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

HART SYSTEMS, INC. THE TANK TENDER The Original Tank Measuring System Made in the USA by Hart Systems, Inc. Since 1982 ACCURATE tank measurement made easy when just one TANK TENDER measures from 1 to 10 water, diesel and holding tanks.

Pneumatic, long term reliability, no electricity, no batteries.

Easy installation and operation.

253-858-8481 - www.thetanktender.com

Place a Marine Gear Ad! Call Wendy (207) 842-5616

THE L ARGEST

COMMERCIAL FISHING SUPPLY IN USA.

wjalbert@divcom.com

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

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

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 47

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR Working Fishermen

®

Our Goal is to Exceed Your Expectations

OceanMedix® The Source For Medical, Emergency & Safety Equipment - Since 2006 http://www.OceanMedix.com 1-866-788-2642

Fishing Vessel Medical Kits

●

Coastal & Offshore Configurations

Available in Three Sizes

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

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

COMMERCIAL GEAR Catalog Available

 Exsum Monofilament  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!!

48 National Fisherman \ April 2020

CONCH Processor for Sale

Two individual motors for cracking conch, 3-phase or 220, ready to go.

Asking $20,000 firm.

CALL WAYNE

252-725-3129 www.nationalfisherman.com

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

DEPENDABLE 12 VOLT ELECTRIC TRAP HAULERS

ELECTRA-DYNE CO.

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.

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

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

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

NEW! P-Sea FishFinder with Hardness and Roughness

P-Sea Software Co.

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

Only rely on the

STRONGEST Rope Eye 2,0 bre 00lbs + stre aking ng th

Made in USA

888.607.4790

www.mondopolymer.com

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

(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. $1,995.00 view more on www.ebay.com/ itm/172755728984 or Contact: david@satinbiz.com 707-322-9720

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 April 2020 \ National Fisherman 49

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

Over 150 Floats to Choose From!

Regarded as the Best Floats in the Industry •

Consistent in size, weight, and buoyancy shipment after shipment.

• Variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and buoyancies available.

• PVC, EVA, ABS, Styrofoam, and more.

1-800-332-6387 ext. 107 floats@fitecgroup.com www.fitecfloats.com

COMPETITIVE PRICES!!

Commercial Longline, Troll and Tuna fishing hooks

PERMITS PERMIT FOR SALE Longline permit, Tuna, incidental sword & shark 91' 166 ton. Call George 804-691-7021 $9,000.

Fresh Spot Prawns

WANTED: MA Tautog Permit Call Gregg at: 508-991-1299

All of our hooks are stainless steel and SHARP right out of the box!

Hooks Tested & Approved

by Alaskan fishermen!

For a list of distributors or to become a distributor go to:

www.qihooks.com

BLACK SEA BASS PERMIT: New Jersey Black Sea Bass Permit for pots. For boats up to 44’ and 300 hp.

Also federal posts and rod/reel. For more info please call or text Tom @ 732-322-7471 Area 1 Lobster Permit for Sale. $42,000 or best offer Call Dave at 207-557-6161

SERVICES

Ocean run spot prawns caught in southeast Alaska.

PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY FOR THIS FRESH DELICACY!!!

100 lb. minimum

907-401-0158

SERVICES

Complete vessel documentation service to USCG regulations NMFS ◼ Permit Transfers

(207) 596-6575

342 Gurnet Road, Brunswick, ME 04011

coastaldocumentationii@gmail.com

WANTED Wanted To Buy. Offshore Live Lobsters.

Top Dollar $$ Paid.

Call Pier 7 (located on Gloucester waterfront)

John (617)268-7797

50 National Fisherman \ April 2020

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CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISER INDEX Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute ..................... 5

La Conner Maritime Service ............................... 29

Bloom Incorporated ............................................ 32

Marine & Construction Supplies ........................... 9

Jensen Maritime Consultants Inc ......................... 8

Marine Hydraulic Engineering Co Inc ................. 36

Duramax Marine LLC .......................................... 11

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

Farrin’s Boatshop ................................................ 37

NET Systems Inc ................................................. 33

FPT Industrial ................................................... CV3

Pivotel .................................................................. 25

Fraser Bronze Foundry Inc ................................. 37

Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op .................... 13

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

PYI Inc .................................................................. 29

Fusion Marine Technology, LLC.......................... 35

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

Gaski Marine ........................................................ 42

Seafood Expo North America ............................. 23

Grundens/Stormy Seas ......................................... 3

Walker Engineering Enterprises.......................... 27

H & H Marine Inc.................................................. 43

Wescold Systems, A Div of IMS ......................... 15

Imtra Corp ............................................................ 20

WESMAR - Western Marine Electronics ......... CV2

Integrated Marine Systems Inc ........................... 22

Westec Equipment Int Ltd .................................. 17

Kinematics Marine Equipment Inc...................... 13

ZF Marine ............................................................. 21

Comfish/Kodiak Area Chamber of Commerce... 17

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

April 2020 \ National Fisherman 51

Last

set

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. Tony Caneira waits for the lumpers to fill the basket with groundfish on the New Bedfordbased dragger Sao Marco II.

Photo by Phil Mello / Big Fish Studio

52 National Fisherman \ April 2020

www.nationalfisherman.com

MOTOR-SERVICES HUGO STAMP, INC. (MSHS) IS YOUR POWER AND PROPULSION PRODUCT AND SERVICE PROVIDER.

YOU MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY WE BOOST EFFICIENCY

With full service locations in the Southeast, Gulf Coast and the Pacific Northwest, plus a network of local representatives throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, MSHS factorytrained engineers are always within reach. Available 24/7, MSHS carries an extensive inventory of FPT spare parts and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Where to buy?

Visit www.mshs.com or call +1 954-763-3660 Contact a Sales Representative: enginesales@mshs.com

FPT Industrial’s flagship marine engine, the C16 1000, provides the power of a 16-liter engine in the footprint of a 13-liter. Engineered for efficiency, the C16 1000 delivers up to 815 HP @ 2300 RPM, making it a perfect fit in heavy-duty applications for ground fishing.

As with all FPT Industrial engines, the C16 1000 provides outstanding fuel consumption, durability and dependability, and it’s easy to service and maintain.

Learn more at fptindustrial.com

C16 1000

599 kw @ 2300 RPM

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 you’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

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www.furunousa.com