November 2023 – Fishermens News

Safety Gear & Technology 2023: ‘A Tectonic Shift’

Many times when the annual Fishermen’s News safety gear and technology articles are written, the updates usually concern incremental updates to various pieces of gear used on or near commercial fishing vessels. But in this instance, our article delves into some momentous happenings in the safety gear industry brought on by new international regulations. As of July 2022, any Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB, newly installed on a commercial vessel must have an internal Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking system used for collision avoidance on sea and monitoring of maritime traffic. New EPIRBs are required to have an internal AIS locating signal and an internal Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, along with 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz transmitters...

From the Editor: PME ‘23

Once again, the time is almost upon us for one of the largest and longest running annual marine trade shows on the West Coast, the Pacific Marine Expo. This year’s event takes place Nov. 8-10 at the Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle. And this year, as usual, the company behind Fishermen’s News Magazine, Maritime Publishing, will be in attendance all three days. Also on hand will be representatives from Maritime Institute, the San Diego-based business that Maritime Publishing is under the umbrella of. Maritime Publishing and Maritime Institute personnel will staff booth 220 during this year’s expo, and a handful of representatives from each company are scheduled to be there, including CEO-Publisher Dave Abrams, Advertising Sales Manager Katie Higgins, Senior Designer Kathy Samuelson ...

Columbia Riverkeeper Settles Water Pollution Lawsuit

Environmental nonprofit Columbia Riverkeeper on Sept. 12 said that it has reached an agreement with the Port of Vancouver USA to settle a Clean Water Act lawsuit challenging years of alleged unlawful water pollution from the port that threatened endangered salmon. As part of the settlement, the port committed to make significant changes to reduce the amount of water pollution that flows off the 1,643-acre property and into the Columbia River. “Today’s settlement is a big win for clean water and everyone who values the Columbia’s iconic salmon and the people and cultures that rely on them,” Columbia Riverkeeper Executive Director Lauren Goldberg said. “Public ports have a critical role to play in keeping the Columbia swimmable and fishable for all.” However, before the proposed settlemen...

Paying for Offshore Wind Fishery Impacts

With the onrush of new offshore wind (OSW) projects planned all over the U.S. West Coast (most recently with new designated areas offshore in Oregon), and both state and national policies pushing these projects hard, the real fear in the commercial fishing industry is that the protection needs of many valuable ocean fisheries will simply be ignored. OSW projects are, unfortunately, going to be sited where the ocean winds are strongest and most reliable. These are often the areas of greatest fish abundance, because they are the areas with strongest cold-water upwellings. Strong ocean winds create and power these same upwellings, which provide vital nutrients to support multiple fish species in those key fisheries areas. Threats to Fisheries We have written before about the potential har...

Ammonia Risks in Fish Processing

Ammonia is a popular, cost-effective refrigerant in many fish processing plants, both afloat and onshore. Anhydrous (without water) ammonia (NH3) is a colorless, heavier-than-air gas at normal air pressure and temperature, but at pressure it turns into a liquid. It is stored in pressurized containers. Once released from pressure it turns into an icy vapor that can freeze skin within seconds. When it combines with water it forms ammonium hydroxide, which is a component of lye and thus is also very caustic to skin. It is potentially a flammable gas if heated above 1,560 degrees Fahrenheit and an ammonia/air mix of 16%-25%. This material is very toxic to aquatic life. Water contaminated with this material must be contained and prevented from being discharged to waterways, sewers or drains. ...

Veteran Harvesters Focus on Training the Next Generation of Crew

Good crew members for commercial fishing boats come in all sizes and ages, with varied skill sets. But these days, with an overall labor shortage, finding the right crew can prove challenging for skippers getting ready for any number of directed fisheries in Alaska. “Not all crew work out and not every crew is the right fit for a particular boat, but just finding crew has been tough,” Linda Behnken, a veteran harvester who is the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) in Sitka, Alaska said. What with the fleet aging and the average commercial fisherman being 50 years of age, up nearly 10 years over the 1980s, entities ranging from ALFA to Alaska Sea Grant are working to increase training programs for anyone interested in crewing, be they a greenhorn or...

Building a Resilient Future – How Business Advisory Teams Can Shape Success in Commercial Fishing

It’s no secret that the commercial maritime industry is facing several changing market conditions. There are whispers of pending economic headwinds, biomass resource challenges, and persistent inflation across the board. Furthermore, as the Federal Reserve maintains its course of quantitative tightening by raising interest rates, the cost of borrowing continues to rise. These impacts are having and may continue to have a large impact on your business. Implementing a strategic mindset and using best practice management tools will add value to your business and help you successfully navigate today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. The Power of an Advisory Team Many commercial fishing operations are owned by an individual or as a partnership. These are successful business models that are nim...

Coast Guard Responds to Grounded Fishing Vessel on Catalina Island

The Coast Guard, along with California state and local agencies, responded to a commercial fishing vessel that ran aground on Catalina Island near Los Angeles the morning of Sept. 15. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach watchstanders received a radio distress call around 2 a.m. from the Pacific Knight, a 62-foot commercial fishing vessel with eight people onboard, after it ran aground on the east end of the island. The boat also carried up to 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel. A good Samaritan fishing vessel and the Baywatch Avalon Los Angeles County lifeguard station on Catalina Island first responded to the incident. Avalon Baywatch transferred one crew member suffering from mild hypothermia to awaiting emergency medical services in the town of Avalon on the island. The remaining s...

Coast Guard, Partner Agencies Remove Hazardous Materials, Oil from Fishing Vessel

The U.S. Coast Guard in mid-September completed the removal of fuel, oil and hazardous materials from the fishing vessel Pacific Producer in Tacoma, Wash. The Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and the Tacoma Fire Department initially responded to a report of an anhydrous ammonia release on Aug. 13. The vessel was determined to present a significant threat to the environment. The federal on-scene coordinator took action in the interest of protecting public health and the environment, the Coast Guard said in a statement. During the response, hazmat crews secured the anhydrous ammonia release and removed 3,500 pounds of ammonia from the vessel. Contractors removed all miscellaneous hazmat from the vessel, including paint, flammable liquids, corrosives and pressurized gas cylinders,...

Energy Dept. Awards ALFA $700,000 For Energy Transition

A $700,000 Department of Energy (DOE) award announced on Oct. 3 is expected to allow the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) in Sitka to move forward with its long-term plan of energy transition in the small boat fishing and mariculture industries. The ALFA BETA (Boat Energy Transition Accelerator) project aligns with ALFA’s mission to address climate change and decarbonize the seafood industry. “With generous support from DOE, ALFA is poised to play a leading role in revolutionizing energy usage within the small boat commercial fishing sector,” ALFA Executive Director Linda Behnken said. “This project will allow us to pilot test hybrid and full electric propulsion in small boat fishing and mariculture operations,” she continued. “We will build on our work with the National R...