Will 2021 Hold More Cetacean-Related Closures and Concerns?
If you pay a visit to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) website, a few clicks will bring you to a page with no less than 87 fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales — all for the year 2020.
These notices involved whale-related delays, interruptions and closures/re-openings for various fisheries throughout the Maritimes.
According to DFO, acoustic detections of whales by hydrophones (underwater microphones) and visual sightings of right whales from vessels and ...
Billion-Dollar Clearwater Deal With Premium and Mi’kmaq First Nations Coalition Finalized
A coalition of seven Nova Scotia First Nations communities is now the proud co-owner of one of North America’s largest vertically integrated seafood companies and the largest holder of shellfish licenses and quotas in Canada.
The billion-dollar sale of Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated to Premium Brands Holdings Corporation and FNC Holdings Limited Partnership, representing a coalition of Mi’kmaq First Nations, was finalized on Jan. 25, after Clearwater shareholders voted overwhelmingly ...
The Twine Loft – March 2021
Passed On: Michael Drake – Fortune, N.L. fisherman
Drake, 48, passed away tragically on December 15, 2020. He was crewmember on the scallop dragger Chief William Saulis that went down in the Bay of Fundy.
Passed On: Henry Vokey – Trinity, N.L. boatbuilder
Vokey, 91, passed away on January 27 at home surrounded by his family. He was born in Little Harbour, Trinity Bay on October 6, 1929. He started boatbuilding at a young age, the start of a lifelong passion. At the age of ...
On the Waterfront – March 2021
Grieg Newfoundland and Carpenter’s Union Sign Labour Agreement
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 579 was recently voluntarily recognized as a signatory union by Grieg Seafood Newfoundland.
Mike Williams, President of Carpenters Local 579 stated, “Local 579 is looking forward to providing our newest signatory partner with a well-trained and skilled workforce that demonstrates their strong work ethic, productivity and safety mindset on the job site every day.”
Knut ...
Annual N.S. Fisheries Minister’s Conference Going Digital
The Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture is once again partnering with the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia (AANS) for the annual Minister’s Conference and the AANS Seafarmers Conference.
Only this time around, the conference has gone virtual, with a series of five, 90-minute online seafood industry sessions being held between Feb. 25 and April 8 that are free of charge to attend just by registering online.
A sixth conference session will feature the Minister’s ...
Good Fishing Practices Lead to Good Fishing
Overfishing continues to be one of the major problems facing many commercial fisheries around the world.
Despite the efforts of many countries, many fisheries are still nothing more than a cash-grab, free-for-all, with little or no concern for sustainable management practices.
The 2020 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Review of Fisheries reported that at least one quarter of global fish stocks with known status are overfished and a third of fishing activity is ...
When is a Plan Not a Plan?
For years there have been calls for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to develop a rebuilding plan for our Northern cod stocks.
Leaving aside the larger question of whether it is even possible for humans to rebuild wild stocks, we want to look at what the department finally came up with just before Christmas to supposedly satisfy those calls.
The federal rebuilding plan as presented by DFO begins with four overviews — a biological synopsis, an overview of the cod fishery, ...
Seafood, Consumers, Climate Change, the MSC and Government in 2021
CFOOD, the website established by University of Washington scientists to explain the science of sustainable seafood, recently published an excellent summary of the problems facing the Maine lobster fishery due to right whale interactions.
There are six lobster fisheries interacting with right whales certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in the U.S. and Canada, but only the Maine fishery was suspended by the MSC. The Maine fishery lost its MSC certification due to a lawsuit ...
COVID-19 Impact on Lobster Markets a Daily Concern
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
It is day by day for lobster buyers and dealers in the Maritimes, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact markets around the world.
“The marketplace continues to be a work-in-progress,” said Leo Muise, executive director of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance. “As of the end of January, we can report that 2020 was rather challenging in the seafood sector and the initial weeks of 2021 have been similarly so.”
Muise said the market in ...
LFA 33, 34 Seasons Continue on an Even Keel
Above: Fishing boats line up to offload their catch of the day at the Falls Point wharf in Woods Harbour. Kathy Johnson photo
It has been steady as she goes for the first two months of the southwest Nova fishery in lobster fishing areas (LFA) 33 and 34.
“It’s been very steady,” said Lockeport buyer Mike Cotter of Cotter’s Ocean Products. “It hasn’t been a crazy season like normal years when there would be an $11/pound shore price, two days later it would be $13, ...
