From the Editor

In case you missed it, the Supreme Court on May 1 agreed to take up a dispute between the Biden administration and East Coast commercial fishing companies that could eventually have a huge impact on the U.S. commercial fishing industry as a whole. The court’s eventual judgment has the potential to overrule a nearly 40-year-old decision that gives deference to federal agencies. The case, Loper Bright Enterprises et al. v. Raimondo, is expected to be heard in the Supreme Court’s next term. The court is being asked to override the 1984 Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council ruling, in which the justices determined that courts should defer to an agency’s reasonable interpretation of statutes when laws are ambiguous. The case revolves around Atlantic herring fishermen who say the Nati...

We all know that IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing is bad for the commercial fishing industry. But a new editorial from the World Economic Forum, an international non-governmental and lobbying organization, serves as a strong reminder of the multiple reasons why. Among the reasons cited in the editorial are the physical danger to crew members, the threat to marine ecosystems and human rights abuses. The editorial, which can be found on the World Economic Forum’s website, begins with the harrowing tale of an IUU fisherman who said it had been normal for anglers to work 20 hours or more per day and that some people were driven to commit suicide or were killed trying to escape into the sea. “Illegal fishing is commonplace because no one is watching,” the fisherman, 52-yea...

Hello and Happy New Year, This is just a reminder that starting with this edition, the Fishermen’s News Online newsletter is being sent out at 10:15 am each Wednesday rather than at 11 am. However, despite the change in time, each edition will still contain five stories that are of importance to the commercial fishing industry. In fact, as 2023 gets underway, I’d like to take a moment to renew our commitment to our readers, and let you know that you can continue to expect high quality content in the print edition of Fishermen’s News, as well as its online newsletter. And of course, the newsletter is still free and will remain so. As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments about the content in Fishermen’s News of Fishermen’s News Online, feel free to contact m...

In mid-November, I had the privilege and pleasure of representing Fishermen’s News at one of the largest and longest running commercial fishing and commercial marine trade shows in existence, Pacific Marine Expo, which took place Nov. 17-19 in Seattle. Maritime Institute, the parent company of Maritime Publishing, which runs Fishermen’s News, operated Booth 220 at this year’s expo. A handful of Maritime Publishing representatives, including Publisher Dave Abrams, Advertising Manager Katie Higgins and yours truly, Managing Editor Mark Nero, were at the booth during various times over the course of the three days, as were other folks who help create content for the magazine, including Senior Designer Kathy Samuelson, Business Manager Sarah Spangler and Writer Norris Comer. Not only would ...

As you probably know if you’re involved in the West Coast commercial fishing industry, one of the largest and longest running commercial fishing and commercial marine trade shows in existence, Pacific Marine Expo, takes place Nov. 17-19 in Seattle. And once again, the company that owns Fishermen’s News Magazine will be in attendance. Maritime Institute, the parent company of Maritime Publishing, which operates Fishermen’s News, will be at Booth 220 during this year’s expo. A handful of Maritime Publishing representatives, including publisher Dave Abrams, advertising manager Katie Higgins and yours truly, managing editor Mark Nero, will all be at the booth during various times over the course of the three days, as will other folks who help create content for the magazine. If you’re going ...

Some important news for professional fishermen and women in California occurred in September: the state’s governor signed a bill that provides anglers a two-year exemption from the state’s so-called ABC test, which is used to determine whether workers are employees or independent contractors. Under the ABC test, a person being paid to provide labor or services is considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity can prove that the person is an independent contractor. A worker is considered an employee and not an independent contractor unless the employer satisfies all three of the following conditions: The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for...

In the June issue of Fishermen’s News, we ran a lengthy feature article on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and how, for multiple reasons, such fishing is a leading global maritime security threat. Well, as a follow up to that report, I’m happy to report this news: the United States is strengthening its commitment to combating IUU fishing. In late June at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Portugal, the U.S. made a series of announcements that elevates the country’s commitment to combat IUU fishing and the labor abuses associated with it. In conjunction with the announcements, President Biden signed a memorandum addressing IUU fishing and related harmful fishing practices. Among the measures that the Biden administration spells out in the memorandum are t...