February 2023 – Fishermens News

From the Editor: BC Fisheries in Flux

Inside this issue, you’ll find an excellent article on the status of the British Columbia fishing industry. In the article, reporter Norris Comer states that “A myriad of challenges face B.C. fisheries, with the threatened Pacific salmon stocks taking center stage.” But in addition to the article in this issue, there’s an article published by Canada’s National Observer, a news and analysis website. In the National Observer article, reporter Rochelle Baker declares that British Columbia’s commercial salmon fleet is “clearly in the midst of transformative change.” The federal government in Ottawa has shuttered about 60% of B.C.’s commercial fisheries since 2021, and in December, launched a buyback program to lure fish harvesters to exit the industry to protect plummeting salmon stocks. ...

ODFW to Look Back at 2022, Forward to 2023 Salmon Season

The 2023 Ocean Salmon Industry Group meeting is scheduled to take place Feb. 27 in Newport, Ore., both in person and virtually, to review the 2022 seasons and take a look at 2023 salmon forecasts. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) officials said this meeting is also to begin development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts via public input to take through the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) regulation-setting process. The meeting is open to commercial salmon troll fishers, ocean sport fishing anglers and charter operators, as well as others interested in participating in development of the 2023 ocean salmon seasons. ODFW staff are expected to provide background materials and presentations, then work with attendees to develop p...

Commercially Fishing for Crab: Bang or Not? And How Best to Bang?

Many fishing vessels in the Pacific Northwest have installed bang bars (also known as banger bars) to assist crew while they empty Dungeness crab pots into the dump box. There are a variety of designs and range of heights above the dump box or sorting table. The bang bar design depends on a lot of factors, including vessel design, deck layout, crew preference, and fabricator availability. As vessel owners think about what’s best for their situation, it is important to know how the bang bar design could maximize benefits to crew safety and health. Ergonomics experts at Oregon State University (OSU) set out to do just that—find the ‘just right’ bang bar configuration. Crabbing in the Lab In the lab at OSU, we set up a simulated crab pot landing station without a bang bar and with four ...

Preparing Your Boat, Crew for the Upcoming Commercial Fishing Season

Commercial fishing vessels are built to withstand rough conditions and last for generations, but regular maintenance and upkeep are crucial to keeping them in tip-top shape. It’s particularly important to inspect a boat and its equipment prior to the fishing season after the vessel has been sitting idle for a stretch of time. The same goes for the crew. While you’ll be hard-pressed to find tougher workers than in the commercial fishing industry, the job is demanding, strenuous and dangerous. It can take a toll on even the hardiest of mariners. Being up to date with safety training and ensuring safety equipment is in good-working condition can mean the difference between life and death out on the water. It’s also important to ensure all inspections are completed and permits are in order...

British Columbia Fisheries: Status Update

The salmon fisheries of BC remain threatened and take center stage in the region’s fisheries dialogue. It’s a new year, which merits a review of British Columbia commercial fisheries in anticipation of the 2023 Salmon Integrated Fishery Management Plans, which are expected to be released for stakeholder consultation in February. A myriad of challenges face B.C. fisheries, with the threatened Pacific salmon stocks taking center stage. When reached for comment, Fisheries and Oceans BC summarized the sentiment. “Pacific salmon is fundamental to the livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians, and central to the cultural and spiritual lives of the Indigenous peoples of our country,” the federal agency said in a statement. “Unfortunately,” the statement continued, “many key Pacific...

Fishing as a Contact Sport

Anyone who has spent time on a boat knows that bumps and bruises are inevitable. You can be standing there minding your own business and the boat gets jostled by a wave. Next thing you know, you’re banging up against sharp, pointy things or unyielding wood or metal. That’s just a part of being at sea. However, serious injuries can happen when a crew member comes into contact with the vessel, fishing gear, or equipment. Common injury hazards include getting hit or struck by a moving object, entangling with fishing lines, or caught in a running equipment such as a winch or seafood processing equipment. The working environment on a fishing vessel is never static, not even on the dock. For instance, a crew member can bump into a vessel structure (e.g., door frame, stairway railing) or fis...

An Energy Revolution in the Commercial Fishing Fleet?

With diesel prices soaring and the world abuzz about climate change, there has never been a better time for fishermen to contemplate our fuel use. Diesel fuel is a necessary part of today’s fishing businesses, but let’s face it. If we could get by with less of it—or find a long-term substitute that was cheaper, cleaner and just as reliable —then wouldn’t we want to? Fishermen in places as far-flung as Maine, Massachusetts, Washington and Alaska think so, and they are stepping up to do something about it. And they’re using bottom-up approaches that are tailor-made for their operations, looking to prevent or in some cases outrun burdensome, inflexible top-down mandates. In Sitka, the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) is supporting the installation of a hybrid electric engine ...

NSEDC Says ‘No’ to Buying Winter Red King Crab

The Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. (NSEDC) will not purchase crab from the 2023 red king crab winter commercial fishery, in what the corporation has described as a difficult decision based on concerns for the long-term health of the fishery. While the stock appears to be rebounding, NSEDC believes a cautious approach to commercial harvests continues to be necessary to preserve the recovery, the corporation said in a statement issued in the second week of January. NSEDC is a private nonprofit corporation, with offices in Nome and Anchorage representing 15 member communities and nearly 8,500 people in the Bering Straits region of Northwestern Alaska. With the current mature crab stock being vital for reproduction, NSEDC officials said, a conservative harvest approach over the n...

Seattle-Based Coast Guard Cutter Leaves Australia, Bound for Antarctica

The Seattle-based U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star departed Australia on Dec. 21 to begin its journey across the Southern Ocean en route to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2023. The Polar Star ’s Hobart, Australia port call was part of the crew’s annual deployment to Antarctica to support Operation Deep Freeze, a joint military service mission to resupply the Antarctic stations of the National Science Foundation, the lead agency for the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). The Polar Star departed its Seattle homeport Nov. 16. The vessel’s four-day port call in Hobart was their final stop before reaching Antarctica. While in Hobart, the crew hosted a reception for guests from the Australian Antarctic Division, Australian Border Force, Tasmanian government representatives and...

USCG Cutter Bertholf Returns from 77-Day Patrol

After more than 18,000 nautical miles and 77 days on patrol, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Bertholf returned to Alameda, Calif. from a trek through the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Guard announced Dec. 3. During that time, the 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter engaged in drug enforcement, including the boardings of several suspected drug-smuggling vessels that resulted in detaining a number of suspected smugglers and seizing of more than 1,050 pounds of cocaine, according to the Coast Guard. This was done while providing enforcement off the Central and South America coasts in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South, a multiservice, multiagency effort. The Bertholf also offloaded the more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana interdicted by the crew members of Coast...