Features – Fishermens News

Commercial Harvesters Weigh in on PFDs, Rain Gear, Boots

Veteran Bristol Bay set netter Shannon Ford Ward still vividly recalls that day in the Naknek-Kvichak district of Bristol Bay 15 years ago when the boat she and husband Don Ward were sailing went down after hitting a set net line that wasn’t supposed to be there. The Mustang personal floatation devices, or PFDs, that they were wearing saved their lives, she said. “When our boat went down, nobody else on our beach was wearing PFDs,” she said. “After our boat sinking, everybody started wearing them because we were able to give concrete examples of why you need to wear them.” The Ward family, which has fished Bristol Bay since 1933, operates as Two If By SeaFoods, offering a variety of wild Alaska salmon products online. The loss of two drift gillnetter crew who drowned during the 2024...

Marine Propulsion Technology News Roundup

The marine propulsion market is growing and evolving, with new and different low- and zero-emissions products for commercial fishing vessels entering the design and production phase. In recent times, companies on the Pacific coast and beyond have been, and continue to be, busy working on new and different engines and other devices that can help fishing boats operate faster and more efficiently while doing minimal harm to the environment. Here’s a roundup of news about companies that in recent months have announced that they’re either bringing new propulsion technologies to market, or intend to do so within the next several months. John Deere In late January, marine engine maker Deere & Company, commonly known as John Deere, announced the unveiling of two new products—the JD14 and...

Beyond Regulation: A Smarter Approach for Protecting Food Security

For generations, commercial fishing has been a way of life. It is how families have supported themselves, how coastal communities have been built, and how fresh sustainably harvested wild seafood with a low carbon footprint has made its way to dinner tables. Commercial fishing has long proven its ability to adapt, because in fishing if you don’t adjust, you don’t survive. The ocean changes, fish and crab move, weather shifts and regulations tighten. Fishermen always work to find a way forward because that is what they do and it is what is needed to keep domestic seafood available and accessible to the public. Yet today, adapting to ocean conditions is no longer the biggest challenge. Navigating an endless cycle of new regulations, legal threats from some NGOs (non-governmental organizat...

Top Products Use Modern Technology to Find Fish Faster, More Accurately

By Sara Hall Modern technology can make a notable difference when it comes to quality fish-finding electronic devices in commercial fishing. Recent product releases highlight speed, wider and clearer views and advanced built-in capabilities. Fishermen’s News reached out to some of the top manufacturers to find out about the latest and greatest devices on the market. Humminbird The latest innovation from Humminbird, a marine and fishing electronics company, is a brand-new product series focused on speed, accuracy and advanced mapping. Humminbird spokesman Braeden Harris told Fishermen’s News that the Humminbird XPLORE is an “excellent” choice for commercial vessels and fishing guides who need “reliable, high-performance sonar.” Company officials say the new fish-finder series “...

West Coast Fisheries Spring Seasons Preview

By Daniel Mintz Several key West Coast fisheries begin or pick up during spring months. Here’s a rundown on the areas, regulations and species included in spring fishing seasons. Salmon West Coast Chinook salmon fishing in California and Oregon has been impacted by reduced abundance of Sacramento and Klamath river fall run stocks, with California under complete closure the last two years. Oregon’s fishing has been limited, especially in the Klamath Management Zone from Humbug Mountain to the state’s southern border. The process of developing abundance forecasts begins in February and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) approves West Coast salmon seasons in April. In years that aren’t being affected by drought and other limiting factors, seasons begin in late April and...

Alaska’s Commercial Fisheries: There’s Always a Harvest at Hand

By Margaret Bauman No matter the day, month or year, somewhere in Alaska a commercial fishery is likely happening, given an allowable biomass that’s confirmed under the watchful eyes of state and federal fisheries managers. From shellfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands to pot and jig cod in the groundfish fisheries and the winter troll for king salmon in Southeast Alaska, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and NOAA Fisheries are busy year-round managing them all, with emergency openers and closures as needed. Along with annual biomass surveys and other data collected on the abundance of stock in each fishery, state and federal managers need to contend with other issues, including recording incidental catch of species not targeted, weather conditions, ocean temper...

Pacific Marine Expo Draws Eclectic Industry Group

By Margaret Bauman Pacific Marine Expo 2024 at Lumen Field Events Center Seattle in Seattle served up a plethora of offerings Nov. 20-22—health tips for seafood harvesters and updates on seafood trade economics and the blue economy. There was a little something for everyone networking their way through the event. The annual expo attracts participants from Florida to British Columbia and much of the Pacific Northwest, for myriad reasons, from wanting to sell a vintage commercial fishing boat to learning about new technology, checking out new industry equipment and simply going from booth to booth and picking up swag. Networking at Pacific Marine Expo proved to be a good investment this year for the Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association of St. Paul Island, in the Pribilofs, Preside...

Bristol Bay Harvester Hawks Gillnetter at Pacific Marine Expo

Veteran Bristol Bay salmon harvester Leslie Stambaugh was on the move at the 2024 Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, eager to talk with anyone willing to listen about the 32-foot drift gillnetter he has for sale. Stambaugh kept a steady pace from Nov. 20-22, through the vast open spaces at the Lumen Field Event Center filled with some 380 trade show booths, attracting attention from many folks manning and visiting the booths. Pacific Marine Expo, billed as the largest annual gathering of the commercial maritime industry on the West Coast, attracts several thousand individuals, businesses, government agencies and non-profits with links to maritime and commercial fisheries. “My wife just wants me to quit fishing; she wants me home,” said Stambaugh, 70, of Green Valley, Ariz., where there a...

Innovations in Work Vessel Deck Machinery

By Karen Robes Meeks karen@maritimepublishing.com In the commercial vessel deck machinery market, companies have been improving upon product lines of reels, cranes, winches, power blocks and other forms of equipment and technology in recent years. And deck machinery and vessel services provider MacGregor, for one, has said there’s “a growing market for electric deck systems.” “As with electric cranes, electric deck machinery enables significant OpEx savings—especially when factoring in its reduced maintenance and spare parts requirements,” Thomas Kappel, a senior MacGregor executive for deck machinery, said. “It is also more compact and easier to install than hydraulic-electric systems, while the absence of hydraulic oil makes it safer for the crew and the environment.” Marine powe...

Revised Commercial Fishing Rules, Program Amendments Coming in 2025

By Sara Hall There are some changes in regulations related to commercial fishing coming down the pike for Pacific Coast states next year. While many rule-setting processes don’t follow the calendar year, some regulation changes or program amendments have already been adopted this year or are expected in the upcoming season. Fishermen’s News reached out to officials in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii to find out some of the new rules and regulations that may impact commercial fishers working in Pacific waters in the upcoming season. Alaska At the state level, while some fishing regulation changes come directly from the state’s Department of Fish and Game, the majority go through the Alaska Board of Fisheries. As of early fall, the board had yet to discuss regulator...