Project R3D: Giving Old Plastic a New Purpose
Above photo: Project R3D attended the Enactus Regional Exposition for Atlantic Canada, where they won the Scotiabank Climate Change Challenge award.
From plastic bottles to fishing gear, Project R3D is taking plastic waste in Newfoundland and Labrador and giving it new life.
The project was created through Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Enactus program — a student entrepreneurial program that “strives to solve environmental, social and economic issues through entreprene...
Cleaning Up N.L.’s West Coast With the Marine Institute
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Marine Institute Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources (CSAR) is on a mission to clean up and recycle lost, abandoned or otherwise discarded fishing gear from the sea floor off the island’s west coast.
According to project lead Mark Santos, a fisheries technologist at CSAR, the funding came about in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, which devastated areas of Atlantic Canada, ruining numerous wharves and casting hundreds of pieces of stored fishing gear ...
N.L. Ropeless Fishing Gear Needs Work to be Viable: CCFI
The Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI), an organization that supports research and development within the seafood industry, recently tested the viability of ropeless fishing gear in Newfoundland and Labrador’s crab and lobster fishery.
While ropeless gear, also known as rope-on-command (ROC) gear, would allow harvesters to fish in areas closed due to the sighting of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, the CCFI has identified a number of issues with the ...
Development of SmartNet Fishing Trawl System by Katchi Technologies Continuing
A SmartNet fishing trawl system that eliminates contact with the ocean floor, reduces greenhouse emissions and the loss of gear is expected to be ready for commercial sales in 2024.
Katchi Technologies Inc. of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia has been developing the system for several years now. Founded by Marc d’Entremont, the idea behind the SmartNet system is to eliminate the use of traditional trawl doors by using a set of hydrodynamic blocks to open and fly the net in the water column, enabling ...
Charting Her Own Course: Lobstering with Lunenburg Harvester Gail Atkinson
Gail Atkinson is one of Canada’s very few female lobster harvesters, who employs an almost entirely female crew aboard the Nellie Row.
Gail Atkinson grew up on Cape Sable Island in Southwest Nova Scotia. Coming from a long line of fish harvesters and boat builders, she originally had no desire to follow in her family’s footsteps.
“I ended up starting fishing with my father,” said Atkinson. “I started when I was a little bit older because I couldn’t wait to get out of there. ...
DFO Releases Guidelines for 2023 Stewardship Cod Fishery
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently released the conservation harvesting plan (CHP) for the 2023, 2J3KL cod stewardship fishery on the heels of announcing a rollover of last year’s 12,999-tonne maximum authorized cod harvest.
Within NAFO division 2J, the season is scheduled to open on Sunday, July 23 and will close on Saturday, October 14. Within 3KL, the season will open on the same date and run through to Saturday, November 4. As in previous years, harvesters will have ...
Port au Choix Shrimp Plant Changes Hands
Economic hardship and a severe reduction in shrimp landings have forced Ocean Choice International (OCI) to consolidate its holdings and sell off a shrimp processing plant in Port au Choix, Newfoundland and Labrador to Barry Group Inc.
“The last three years have been very difficult in the shrimp business, and it hasn’t been economically viable,” said Martin Sullivan, CEO and Co-Chair of OCI. “The business has seen such a big decline in raw material volumes over the last number of ...
Whale Entangled in LFA 33 Gear Found in N.L. Waters
A humpback whale, found entangled in rope in Newfoundland waters from lobster fishing area (LFA) 33 fishing gear, was successfully freed from its extra baggage by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Whale Release and Strandings group in July.
“Fishermen saw it over several days and kept telling us about it,” said Julie Huntington co-director of the group. “We went out for one day and couldn’t find it but we did the next.”
Huntington said the whale was entangled in rope from lobster ...
Union Lobbies for Support for Harvesters and Plant Workers
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) claims the effects of COVID-19 were slow to hit the fishing industry and is calling for the Canadian government to give harvesters and fish plant workers financial support after the difficulties of the 2023 season.
“We represent people that bring in the new dollars to our province,” said FFAW Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle.
“We’ve said it before and rightfully so, there’s been primary industries like farming or the automobile ...
FFAW Sees “Overall Positive” 2023 Crab and Lobster Season
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) claimed that besides low prices for crab, Newfoundland and Labrador’s crab and lobster seasons are seeing great catch rates of high-quality seafood.
After what Jason Spingle, Secretary-Treasurer of the FFAW, called a “difficult” lead-up to the crab season, with price negotiations between the union and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) breaking down and leading to a six-week delay in the fishery, things seem to be looking up for ...
