National Fisherman

1 day ago | nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart

Since 1987, NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center has operated fishery observer programs in the Gulf of America to monitor the impacts of fishing activity on finfish stocks and protected species. What began as an economic evaluation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs_ has evolved into a critical effort to collect biological data and refine gear technology in both shrimp and reef fish fisheries.

1 day ago | nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart

Once again, the U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers have introduced legislation to reauthorize and update the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). The MSA was last revised in 2006, and being the primary legislation governing U.S. fisheries, it is critical to ensure that federal law reflects today’s fisheries challenges across the country. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), James Moylan (R-Guam), and Ed Case (D-HI) reintroduced the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act.

2 days ago | nationalfisherman.com | Paul Molyneaux

Working on the breakwater of the fishermen’s harbor in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Ben Anderson cuts the twine out of rim-racked gaspereaugillnet. “It got hooked up when I was setting it, and I didn’t stop it in time,” Anderson says. “Fortunately, I have another one at the house, so I’ll put that one on. We sometimes get a good run of gaspereau in late May.”Anderson’s boat, the Just Splashy, a 44-foot, 11-inch fiberglass vessel, rigged for gillnetting, is tied to a float just inside the breakwater.

2 days ago | nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart

Fuel costs eat into narrow margins, and emissions regulations continue to tighten in the commercial fishing world. The idea of electrifying commercial fishing vessels is beginning to float. But for Paul Nosworthy, owner of New England Marine Engineering and Supply Inc. in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the conversation isn’t just about swapping diesel for batteries; it’s about practicality, power, and the people doing the work.

3 days ago | nationalfisherman.com | Paul Molyneaux

My first time at Portland Yacht Service (PYS) and Portland Shipyard surprised me. Up on the hard was the late Barry Matthews’s 110-ton seiner the Ocean Venture. It seemed like a lot of boatto get up on blocks in a yard, but in fact far below the capacity of the PSY’s 330-ton travellift. Looking around more, I saw the yard was full of everything from 100-foot schooners to 40-foot tuna boats and a couple of acres of small pleasure boats.