Safety in the Fishery Must be Unwavering
Our collective thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones as we remember:
Edward Norman, age 67
Scott Norman, age 35
Jody Norman, age 42
Isaac Kettle, age 33
Aaron Cogswell, age 29
Leonard Gabriel, age 55
Daniel Forbes, age 37
Michael Drake, age 48
Eugene Francis, age 48
Charles Roberts, age 58
This list of Atlantic Canadian fish harvesters, lost in 2020 when their fishing vessels sank, is a stark and painful reminder of the risks that fishermen ...
The Twine Loft – May 2021
Passed On: Aaron Cogswell – Aldershot, N.S. fisherman
Cogswell, 29, was lost at sea on December 15, 2020, when the vessel he was on, the Chief William Saulis, sank off of DeLap’s Cove, Digby County. He loved being on the water and always had the biggest smiles when he was aboard a fishing boat.
Passed On: Michael Webber – Petite Riviere, N.S. marine engineer
Webber, 51, passed away on March 17. He was the son of Warren Webber and Sheila MacNeil. He excelled in his career ...
Remembering Gordie Gore
When an obituary describes the deceased as “our professional blueberry picker, baker of pies, weapon on the dance floor and ruthless card player,” you know this was an interesting person.
When friends describe that person with words like integrity, kindness, honesty, humour, respect, caring and trust, you know this was an awesome person.
Those are words we heard over and over again when we asked Gordie Gore’s friends and former colleagues what word comes to mind when they think ...
Overall Northern Shrimp Stock Showing Signs of Life
The Northern shrimp stock off Newfoundland’s northeast coast appears to be holding its own, including the all-important shrimp fishing area (SFA) 6.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held a technical briefing recently regarding the 2021 Northern shrimp stock assessment and reported that the SFA 6 spawning stock and fishable biomasses increased slightly between 2019–20.
SFA 6 is where the majority of the inshore N.L. shrimp fishery takes place.
DFO said that SFA 6 remains ...
Moderate Livelihood Fishery Concerns Continue
All eyes are on the federal government going into the end of the commercial lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia this year, to see if Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan is good on her word.
In a statement issued by Jordan on March 3, “effective this season, we will introduce a new path for First Nations to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood, one that addresses much of the feedback we’ve heard over the past year. It’s a path that is flexible, adaptable and based on three ...
On the Waterfront – May 2021
Two Fishermen Lost After Crab Fishing Vessel Capsizes off Cape Breton
Captain Craig Sock and deckhand Seth Monahan have been identified as the fishermen who lost their lives after their vessel, the Tyhawk, went down on April 4.
According to reports from CBC, the vessel was owned by the Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick and had left that community early Saturday to fish snow crab off Chéticamp, N.S. The three other crewmembers were rescued on Saturday evening.
The Joint Rescue ...
Marine Search and Rescue Takes a Team
Above: The MRSC St. John’s is located at the Canadian Coast Guard Atlantic regional headquarters
On Monday, Sept. 23, 2019 at 1:52 a.m., Howard Power got a call that lasted only minutes, but will stay with him for a long time.
Power could hear the panic in the voice on the other end. It was a distress call from a vessel taking on water.
“I could tell from his voice there was something wrong. You get the tone of their voice after a while. He started yelling ‘Mayday ...
Recurring Safety Deficiencies Identified in TSB Report on 2018 Atlantic Sapphire Sinking
Many of the safety issues identified in the investigation of the Atlantic Sapphire sinking are known and recurrent in the fishing industry, says the Transportation Safety Board (TSB).
The Atlantic Sapphire, out of Lower West Pubnico, was fishing the Georges Bank when it sank on Dec. 13, 2018. The crew of three were rescued by the Angelo O, also out of Lower West Pubnico, which was fishing nearby.
“The investigation found that the vessel was operating beyond its stability limits. When ...
PFDs: The Most Talked About Safety Topic in the Industry
Above: Participants in a FSANS safety training exercise. FSANS photo
While it appears that more and more fish harvesters are wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) when on the water, there is still a way to go in getting the safety message out and improvements to the life saving device.
In both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, provincial labour regulations stipulate that PFDs must be worn if there is a risk of drowning, applying not only to the fishing industry, ...
Stability Assessments: Your Best Option for Vessel Safety
Stability is an ongoing topic of discussion in the fishing industry.
Knowing about the stability characteristics and limitations of your vessel is probably the single most important safety consideration for any vessel owner. Most vessel owners and operators have a reasonable understanding of stability, but the value of having a stability analysis completed for your vessel cannot be overstated.
Vessel operators with years of experience on a particular boat certainly have the skill and ...
