Tag: Commercial Fishing

Building the Next Generation of Commercial Fishermen

12/23/2024 - By Carli Stewart. From Alaska's icy waters to the Gulf of Mexico's warm tides, commercial fishing is critical to the economy and to support coastal communities. With a graying fleet and evolving challenges, the industry’s leaders are stepping up to mentor, train, and inspire the next generation. The Workforce Development… SEE MORE

Alaska 2024 Salmon Season Tanks in Both Total Catch and Value

12/20/2024 - By Laine Welch Alaska’s 2024 salmon fishery saw double-digit declines in both catches and value. Just over 101 million salmon were harvested across Alaska, a 56% decrease from the more than 232 million fish caught in 2023. Fishermen’s paydays also took a big hit, with the total salmon value at $304… SEE MORE

Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies offers Commercial Fishermen Free Safety Classes

12/12/2024 - By Ben Hayden. The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) offers a range of training programs designed for professionals in the maritime industry. Combining traditional hands-on instruction with newer technologies, MITAGS provides educational resources to prepare crews for work demands and accident response. If an individual can show… SEE MORE

Buyboat is a Labor of Love

12/8/2024 - By Larry Chowning. Several years ago, while attending the Sultana Downrigging Festival in Chestertown, Md., Jim Drake and his wife Brooke were introduced to Chesapeake Bay buyboats. Brooke fell in love with the boats and Jim set out to build her one. Since 2015 National Fisherman has followed Jim Drake’s efforts in… SEE MORE

Record Lobster Seizure Amid Rising DFO Concerns

10/27/2024 - By Carli Stewart. During a significant operation last Friday, federal fisheries officers seized over 13,000 pounds of lobster from a Shelburne County, Nova Scotia facility. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the seizure—valued at more than $100,000—marks the largest lobster confiscation in the Maritimes this year. The Maritimes is… SEE MORE

Virginia proclaims Commercial Waterman Safety Week

9/28/2024 - By Larry Chowning. As a reminder that commercial fishing is an important part of the State of Virginia’s economy, Commonwealth’s governor Glenn Youngkin issued a proclamation recently that the week of September 15-21 is “Commercial Waterman Safety Week.” The proclamation notes that the “Commonwealth’s commercial watermen and seafood industry generate… SEE MORE

Why Choose the Hard Life of Commercial Fishing?

9/26/2024 - By Carli Stewart. Why would anyone who has a choice want to fish for a living, given the cold, wet, uncertainty, danger, muck, dependence on weather for make or break, and general ass-busting hardship? For a skipper of any sized boat, add the government regulations, ruinous cost of fuel and… SEE MORE

Nine Charged in Multi-State Illegal Catfish Operation

9/24/2024 - By Carli Stewart. Multiple individuals face charges concerning illegal commercial catfish activity in multiple states, including Kentucky and Alabama. In a Facebook post, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife wrote that game warden Cody Fox and other law enforcement, including the division’s Special Investigations Unit, began investigating illegal commercial catfishing activity at… SEE MORE

A Landmark Celebration of Fishing Heritage and Community

9/5/2024 - By nationalfisherman.com. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has installed a striking new landmark in the heart of the City's Seaport Historic District. Catch the Tradition captures the spirit and enduring legacy of New Bedford, the nation’s most valuable fishing port, and invites visitors to explore the story of commercial fishing, one of… SEE MORE

$2 Billion Lawsuit Alleges Cooke Inc. Violated U.S. Fishing Laws

5/30/2024 - By Larry Chowning. A $2 billion “False Claims Act” lawsuit alleging “figurehead fraud” against the Canadian seafood giant Cooke Inc. of St. John, New Brunswick, was unsealed in April in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. The suit alleges Cooke Inc., Omega… SEE MORE