month : 05/2016 27 results

Lobster Boat Goes Down on Second Last Day of Season

The lobster boat Lois N II sank May 30 off the coast of Port La Tour, Nova Scotia. Sub-Lt. Jamie Tobin, a spokesman for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, said two fishing vessels collided around 9 a.m., the Chronicle Herald reported. Lois N II began sinking, but the other vessel was in better condition and was able to take on the five-member crew of the sinking boat and transported them safely to shore. The JRCC didn’t send any rescue teams to the accident, but Sub-Lt. ...

LIFO Meetings Kick Off in St. John’s

The Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Last In, First Out (LIFO) policy specific to Northern shrimp will be holding seven public consultation meetings in the following communities: May 10, Iqaluit, NU May 24-25, St. John’s, NL May 26, Gander, NL May 28, St. Anthony, NL May 30, Mary’s Harbour, NL May 31, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL June 10, Halifax, NS (Translation will be provided) The purpose of the meetings is for the Panel to obtain advice from organizations, ...

Changes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s Recreational Groundfish (Cod) Fishery

More Days of Recreational Fishing This Year Followed by Public Consultations Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and Member of Parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity on behalf of Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, today announced an extension to Newfoundland and Labrador’s recreational groundfish (cod) fishery. In 2016, the public will be able to fish cod for a total of 46 days during the annual recreational groundfish fishery. ...

FFAW Calls on Ottawa to Assist 3Ps Fishermen

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union  and fish harvesters in 3Ps, on the province’s south coast, are calling on the federal government to take immediate action to address the severe economic challenges facing harvesters in the area. As a result of an unprecedented decline of fish resources in the area, harvesters are experiencing conditions that rival the cod moratorium, the FFAW stated in a press release. “Through no fault of their own, harvesters in 3Ps are struggling to ...

Fisheries and Oceans Canada to Hire 135 Scientists

Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, accompanied by Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, today discussed exciting and innovative career opportunities in marine sciences with high school and university students at the Canadian Museum of Nature. As part of an interactive event during Science Odyssey week, the Ministers talked with scientists and students about what the Government of Canada’s new investments in ocean and freshwater science will mean to ...

Cooke to Purchase Alaska-Based Icicle Seafoods

The Cooke family recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the purchase of Icicle Seafoods Inc. Once closed, Cooke said in a press release the deal will enhance the family’s investments in both the wild fishery and the aquaculture sectors, making them leaders in the U.S. salmon farming sector and a major player in the Alaskan salmon fishery. “The closing of this deal will be an exciting venture for us as it will add a well-respected fishery to our family businesse...

FFAW and Processors Form N.L. Groundfish Lobby Group

On April 8, the union representing fishermen and plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador announced it has teamed up with some of the province’s fish processors to form the N.L. Groundfish Industry Development Council (NL-GIDC), with the goal of facilitating inter-industry cooperation in the revitalization of the groundfish industry. The NL-GIDC will be comprised of equal representation from the harvesting and processing sectors. The harvesting members on the council will be represented ...

Incentives, Risks and Safety

Safety is a big concern in the fishery, as this issue of The Navigator illustrates. Fishing is widely reputed to be the most dangerous occupation in the world. There are certainly long histories and many stories of tragic losses of vessels and crews. And the danger is probably a big part of the reason reality TV shows like The Deadliest Catch and Coldwater Cowboys attract substantial audiences. So why are people willing to fish for a living, despite the dangers? Essentially, people ...

You Can’t Fix It — Part III

As the Seafaring Legend was sinking, Captain Corey Starkes and his crew faced monumental odds attempting to survive. One crewmember, Max Pittman, was unable to help himself, Corey became snagged in debris and rope, both life rafts were submerged, seas were 15-20 feet high and winds were 35 nautical miles per hour (65 km/h) As well, the men didn’t know if their mayday had transmitted because the electronics were underwater by the time Corey made the call, they were 65 miles offshore and there ...

Controversial LIFO Policy Under Review: Prominent Economist Says Offshore Shrimp Fishery Provides More Benefits to Province

The federal government finally announced it will be setting up a committee to review the much-debated and hotly contested last in, first out (LIFO) policy. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that a ministerial advisory panel will perform an external review of the LIFO quota allocation policy and deliver its findings and recommendations to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans by June 15, 2016. The yet-to-named panel will be conducting consultations in several communities across ...