Clearwater Permitted to Fish 100 Per Cent of Arctic Surf Clam Quota
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) confirmed Sept. 11 that the remaining 25 per cent of the 2018 and 2019 Arctic surf clam Total Allowable Catch (TAC) will be made available to the current licence holder, Clearwater, with a view to identify a new participant for the 2020 fishery.
DFO said this decision will allow for the economic benefits to remain in coastal communities while it continues to work to broaden access to this fishery.
“In order to move forward on implementing ...
World Oceans Day Celebrations at Middle Cove Beach
Memorial’s Department of Ocean Sciences celebrated World Oceans Day 2018 at Middle Cove Beach on June 7. This year’s theme was marine debris.
Grade 5 students from Roncalli Elementary and St. Francis of Assisi Elementary were invited to the beach to learn about the importance of the ocean in their own backyard, the impact on the ocean (particularly relating to marine debris), invasive species and to protect this fascinating underwater world.
Activities for the day included a beach ...
Clicking in the Classroom
As an instructor with the Marine Institute’s School of Fisheries, I’ve been using clickers in the classroom for a couple of years and I love the results.
Clickers, which are also known as student response systems, are radio frequency devices used to transmit responses to multiple-choice, numerical and short-answer questions. Answers are collected by a wireless receiving device and software automatically tabulates and displays the anonymous responses in a bar graph to the entire class.
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N.S. Fishing Safety Excellence to be Recognized
Safety excellence in the Nova Scotia fishing industry will be being celebrated at the first annual Splashes of Safety awards dinner and fundraiser on Sept. 28 at the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel in Halifax.
Presented by the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia, DSS Marine and FitzWright Survival, Captain Keith Colburn from the television show, Deadliest Catch, will be guest speaker for the evening. Captain of the Wizard, the largest vessel in the Deadliest Catch fleet, Colburn will speak ...
Fishermen Encouraged to Attend SWNS Lobster Forum
Photo by Lonnie Snow
Once again, lobster fishermen from throughout southwestern Nova Scotia will be gathering in Yarmouth this fall for frank discussions and hear expert advice on issues facing the industry.
The third annual SWNS Lobster Forum is being hosted at the Grand Hotel on Sept. 19 by five fishermen’s organizations; the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) Local 9, Coldwater Lobster Association, Scotia Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association, the Bay of Fundy Fishermen’s ...
Yarmouth Shark Scramble Celebrating 20 years
Organizers say it promises to be a fantastic year for the Yarmouth Shark Scramble, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary during Aug. 15–18.
The Yarmouth Shark Scramble was started in 1998 by co-founders Bob Gavel and John Boudreau. Gavel approached Boudreau with the idea of organizing a shark derby for Yarmouth. Having been in derbies in other ports, they both thought it was a good idea and the experience gave them an advantage and the know-how to organize and execute a derby that ...
Survivor Extreme – Part II
On November 1, 1995, a tug with four men onboard, struck a rock in waters approximately 10 miles south of Nain, Labrador. Within a few minutes, the severely damaged Sea Alert sank. One man, engineer Dave Barnes, managed to get off the ship. His struggle to survive over the next 16 hours is almost incomprehensible. This is the continuation of Survivor Extreme.
When Dave ran from the engine room to the deck, he saw his three shipmates, Eph Skinner, Dave House and the tugboat’s ...
Tidal Energy Turbine Worrying Bay of Fundy Fishermen
Photos by Lonnie Snow
Fishermen in the Bay of Fundy have been left wondering and worrying who will be responsible for the tidal energy turbine that was deployed in the Minas Passage by Cape Sharp Tidal, just days before the parent company in the venture filed for bankruptcy in Ireland.
The turbine deployment was done on July 22, nine days before the lobster fishing area (LFA) 35 lobster fishery closed for the season on July 31 and four days before OpenHydro Group Ltd. filed for ...
Drilling Resumes in Scotian Basin
Lobbyists Call for Moratorium and Public Inquiry
BP Canada Energy Group ULC (BP Canada) is back drilling in the Scotian Basin.
The resumption in oil petroleum exploration drilling comes only a month after an unauthorized discharge of 136 cubic metres of synthetic based drilling mud forced the company to suspend operations, pending an investigation by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NSOPB).
The C-NSOPB’s “ongoing investigation into the unauthorized discharge of ...
Cautious Optimism Greets New Federal Fisheries Minister
Photo by David Greening
More than a few eyebrows were raised when Jonathan Wilkinson was appointed the new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard on July 18.
The new minister just happens to be the Member of Parliament for North Vancouver. As a result of a recent cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Justin appointed a fisheries minister from the west coast of the country. Wilkinson replaced the often-times controversial Dominic LeBlanc
It would be an understatem...