Industry Uncertainty Cannot Overshadow Safety
Like most industries around the globe, COVID-19 has many seafood harvesting and processing businesses reeling right now.
At this time of the year, Southwest Nova lobster fishermen are normally putting a big push on to finish their season strong, while in other parts of Atlantic Canada, the snow crab fishery is about to ramp up into high gear, not to mention other Maritime lobster seasons.
Economically speaking, spring is the critical season for many fishing enterprises.
However, the ...
The Twine Loft – May 2020
Passed On: Tom Best – Petty Harbour, N.L. fisherman
Best, 74, passed away on March 31 at the Miller Centre in St. John’s following a battle with cancer. He became a licenced inshore fisherman in Petty Harbour in 1963 after finishing high school. He was a fiercely proud inshore fish harvester who dedicated his life’s work to advocating for sustainable fisheries and communities. He chaired the Petty Harbour Fishermen’s Committee for many years and was the founding president of the Petty ...
Inshore Fishing Industry Loses a Steadfast Advocate
Tom Best: December 31, 1945 – March 31, 2020
Tom Best was a tireless advocate for the inshore fishery, which was once the economy driving Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of the best-known inshore fishermen in this province.
Before I met Tom, I got to know him from open line radio shows and the Fisherman’s Broadcast.
In the 1980s, when the inshore fishery started to decline, Tom like many others, saw the warning signs and the potential demise of the industry that was so important ...
On the Waterfront – May 2020
DFO Permits Fishing Without At-Sea Observers
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has issued a Fisheries Management Order (FMO 2020-01), under section 9.1 of the Fisheries Act, which requires that all authorized fishing activities be carried out, on a temporary basis, without any at-sea observer coverage.
Under this Fisheries Management Order, the following requirements are imposed:
All fishing activities authorized under the Fisheries Act must be ...
Processors Now Key to Lobster and Crab Survival in Canada
Above: Kathy Johnson photo
This month, economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic will become more visible and the success or failure of economic decisions will have a big impact on our lives, as much as the success or failure of pandemic containment actions.
The big money fisheries in Atlantic Canada are lobster and snow crab and how these fisheries navigate the next few months will be critical to the survival of many shore communities and small businesses.
We need to prepare ...
Additional PFD Options on the Horizon
Industry Input Being Sought Through Online Survey
New harmonized standards for personal flotation devices (PFDs), lifejackets and lifejacket components, and throwable lifesaving devices means more options of personal lifesaving appliances are on the horizon for the fishing industry.
“We do know there are changes being made right now. Some of them are good changes that some folks in the fishing industry will like, but not all the changes we want to see… we get a lot of verbal PFD ...
Risk = Probability x Impact
Safety is the theme for this month’s issue of The Navigator.
But safety is a concern because of risk. The fishery is widely regarded as being the riskiest occupation in the world.
The risks have even been the subject of reality television shows, such as Deadliest Catch, about the crab fishery in Alaska. When the risks in your industry are offered to the public as a form of entertainment, to provide a vicarious thrill, it is not a good sign.
Risk can be assessed based on the simple ...
Appropriate Technical Support is an Essential Part of Vessel Construction
When designing a new vessel or modifying an existing one, the starting point to ensuring safety is to work with competent persons that have the relevant skills, experience and education.
There are many experienced and talented boatbuilders throughout Atlantic Canada — we just seem to have a knack for it in this region.
Boatbuilders could be individuals that grew up around boatbuilding because of a family history in the industry. Boatbuilders could also be carpenters that became involved ...
A Decade of Promoting Safety in Nova Scotia’s Fishery
The Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia (FSANS) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020.
“We’re hoping to incorporate the 10th year anniversary into a few events throughout the year, including Splashes of Safety, but right now because of COVID-19 everything has kind of hit a pause,” said Matthew Duffy, safety advisor for the FSANS.
He said once the COVID-19 all-clear comes, the FSANS plans to conduct man overboard drills during the spring along the Eastern Shore, all ...
Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia: Looking Back on 10 Years of Growth
Above: On the morning of Splashes of Safety 2019, the Are You READY team hosted a safety demonstration at the Shad Bay Wharf with Captain Keith Colburn of Deadliest Catch. Pictured from left to right: Capt. Danny O’Neill, Capt. Keith Colburn, Derek Fitzgerald, Matthew Duffy and Tommy Harper.
It may be hard to believe, but January 2020 marked 10 years in existence for the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia (FSANS).
After 10 years of working with the fishing ...
