Commercial Fisheries News is the Northeast’s commercial fishing industry newspaper. Published monthly, CFN provides the latest waterfront news along with coverage of the state and federal rules and regulations affecting the harvest of all the region’s major species. Regular features include lobster and fish market reports, a safety column, new boats, the enforcement report, and the popular and effective Classifieds.
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Titan successfully fishing the Grand Banks
NEW BEDFORD, MA – After a hiatus of almost 20 years, a New England vessel is back on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Carlos Rafael’s freezer-equipped, New Bedford-based 111′ groundfish trawler Titan has been making trips to the fabled distant water fishing grounds since last year. Although US-flagged vessels have a long history of working …
Lobsters – Prices, data, collaborative
Processor demand pushes boat price increase Twelve days before Labor Day lobster catches in certain parts of the coast had dropped off. Processors in the US and Canada needed product. The result: the boat price jumped 10 cents/lb for new shells. At ports where the catch had dropped off earlier, the price had risen earlier; …
EDITORIAL – Work, goodwill yield relief for gillnetters
In a welcome turn of events, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to eliminate the consequence closure strategy it implemented in 2010 as an incentive for gillnetters to use pingers to keep harbor porpoise out of their gear. The move, which was announced on Aug. 26, came about through the willingness of people …
Working Waterfront Festival to showcase industry
NEW BEDFORD, MA – The Working Waterfront Festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with a retrospective look at how commercial fishing and fishing communities have changed over the past decade. Scheduled to take place Sept. 28-29 here in the number-one dollar-value port in the nation, this year’s festival will explore past themes …
SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Inspection, maintenance – Follow a schedule
by Fred Mattera – It is the responsibility of the captain and crew to inspect and maintain all vessel systems constantly. For me, a checklist was my means of tracking the maintenance schedule, so I’ve made one here to get you started. Since I no longer have a vessel to walk through and refresh my …
New Boat – Lindsay’s Turn
Builder: SW Boatworks, Lamoine, ME Finisher: Simmons Boatworks, Friendship, ME Owner: Rex Benner, Friendship, ME Dimensions: 44’x17’6″ Designer: Calvin Beal Jr., Beals Island, ME Fishery: Lobster Hull: Solid fiberglass Top: Molded unit; foam cored Power: C12 Caterpillar (700 hp @ 2300 rpm) w/2.47:1 ZF 360A marine gear; Milton Cat Speed: 20 knots …
Elver issues unresolved at ASMFC
ASMFC still at odds over glass eel fishery ALEXANDRIA, VA – Maine elver fishermen left an Aug. 7 meeting here relieved that the threat of a coastwide fishery closure appeared to be off the table. But it now looks like sharp quota restrictions may be inevitable, and this has many of them worried. The meeting, …
ASMFC approves herring 10percent rollover, seasonal quota splits, closure triggers
ALEXANDRIA, VA – With no dissent and very little discussion, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Herring Section voted on Aug. 6 to approve Addendum VI to Amendment 2 of the interstate herring plan. The addendum: Allows seasonal splitting of sub-annual catch limits (sub-ACLs) for Areas 1B, 2, and 3, which up …
Buxton Boats launches wooden 38′ Seasong
STONINGTON, ME – “Yeah!” I was crouched in the stern of Peter Buxton’s Susan Marie, a 37′ REPCO that he completely rebuilt a few years back. A former lobster boat/gillnetter/dragger, the Susan Marie sees much easier duty these days, as Buxton takes out small charters after hours when his Buxton Boats LLC shop is closed. …
Fishermen, scientists investigate skate mortality in scallop dredges
NEW BEDFORD, MA – Skates are a nuisance on scallop boats, where sorting them from the pile and tossing them back overboard takes up valuable crew time. Nonetheless, several New Bedford scallopers have been participating in a study designed to better understand what really happens to these skates after they are discarded. It’s clear they …
BOATS of the YEAR 2024
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