Latest news with #fishingindustry
ABC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
SA seafood still safe for purchase during algal bloom, producers say
South Australian seafood producers in areas not impacted by the algal bloom are calling on customers to keep supporting the local industry. The widespread harmful algal bloom in Gulf St Vincent and parts of the Spencer Gulf is having a major effect on fishing industries in some of those areas. To the south-east, along the Limestone Coast, waters have not been affected by the bloom, but there are concerns about how it may impact the state's reputation and sales. "Ninety per cent of what we do down here is exported internationally, and it's sourced from an area that's not affected by the algal bloom," said Tom Ryan, who works in the seafood industry at Port MacDonnell. "But in Adelaide I have heard of people that have been affected because there's been misinterpretations of where the seafood's sourced. "There's been people where their business and turnover has slowed down because people assume the seafood comes from affected areas, when in fact it's actually come from areas that haven't been impacted whatsoever. On the Limestone Coast, the lucrative rock lobster industry has just emerged from a difficult period due to COVID and a ban on exports to China. Andrew Lawrie has been exporting lobsters from Robe since 1997, and said the past few years had been fairly trying. "The domestic market's been really good," he said. "They've supported industry through the three or four years we could not export." With the lobster industry currently in its off season, Mr Lawrie said he hoped the state government could "get it under control before it spreads too far" towards the south east. "Our industry with the lobsters is substantial – we can't afford to risk that," he said. "The tuna industry would be very concerned, but hopefully they're almost through their harvesting now, so then they can change their strategies if it does move in. Depending on where and how severely the bloom impacts other parts of the state, however, economic losses could be high. BDO economist Anders Magnusson said in certain parts of SA, lost production could cost millions. "The production [of seafood in SA] is close to $500 million," he said. "Definitely there are locations where if they're affected there's tens of millions of dollars to be lost." As part of a $28 million support package from the state and federal governments, grants of up to $100,000 for affected commercial fisheries and licence holders have been made available. SA Environment and Water Minister Susan Close said it was important to get the message out that seafood from South Australia was safe to consume. "In fact if you wanted to help people through this bloom, go holiday by the coast and buy seafood that is South Australian," she said. "That's the best thing you can do."
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Fishing groups push to postpone protections for endangered right whale to 2035
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine congressman and several commercial fishing groups are getting behind a push to delay rules designed to protect a vanishing species of whale for 10 years. The North Atlantic right whale numbers only about 370 and has declined over the last 15 years. They have been the subject of proposed federal fishing laws that are backed by conservation groups because the whales are threatened by lethal entanglement in commercial fishing gear. The federal government is in the midst of a pause on federal right whale rules until 2028. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and a coalition of fishing organizations said in letters to congressional officials that they want to extend that moratorium out to 2035. Golden, who played a role in the initial moratorium, said extending the pause would give the government the time it needs to craft regulations that reflect science. He also said it would protect Maine's lifesblood lobster fishing industry, which is one of the fishing sectors that would have to comply with rules intended to protect right whales. 'Maine's lobster fishery has most recently been valued at more than half a billion dollars — and that's just the value of the catch. It also supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is an iconic part of our state's economy, heritage and appeal to visitors,' Golden said in a July 22 letter to a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee. The extension of the moratorium was originally proposed by Alaska Republican Nick Begich. It's one of several changes to the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act proposed by Begich, who like Golden represents a state with a large commercial fishing industry. The changes have drawn condemnation from environmental organizations and praise from commercial fishing groups. A group of fishing organizations including the Maine Lobstermen's Association said in a July 21 letter to the subcommittee that 'heavy regulation comes at a heavy cost.' The whales were once numerous off the East Coast, but they were decimated during the era of commercial whaling and have been slow to recover. They are also threatened by collisions with large ships. The population of the whales fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nets torn 'all to hell': Port Canaveral fishermen worry about increasing rocket launches, debris
Every rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast triggers hours of varying maritime-vessel security and danger zones offshore of Port Canaveral, with fishermen warned to avoid those areas. Rockets continue lifting off at an unprecedented rate. The Cape remains on track to surpass 100 annual orbital rocket launches for the first time this year. And looking ahead, SpaceX seeks environmental and regulatory approvals to soon add up to a whopping 190 additional rockets to the Eastern Range manifest per year — including enormous Starship-Super Heavy two-stage tandems. That's why the Southeastern Fisheries Association and other groups recommend that Congress and/or SpaceX establish a space-operations compensation program "for all domestic fishers, processors, and distributors who suffer economic losses or equipment damage." SpaceX increasing launches: Environmental groups concerned about SpaceX's bid to launch 120 Falcons per year at Cape Canaveral "If these fishermen lose a day's catch, they've lost several thousand dollars in income. They're typically historical families that have passed the fishery on from generation to generation," SFA Executive Director Bob Zales II said. What's more, Zales said shrimpers and other fishing operators should receive compensation for damaged equipment and lost income after they snare underwater rocket pieces and space junk and "tear their nets all to hell." He wants state officials to organize a commercial-fishing town hall in Brevard County to discuss space-related economic concerns. The SFA represents Florida's commercial seafood industry, ranging from shrimpers, fin fishers and crabbers to restaurants, processors, retail markets, distributors and for-hire charters. As of 2022, Brevard trailed only Duval among Florida's 12 East Coast counties with nearly 4.5 million pounds of seafood landed on the docks. Zales said seafood cost increases are borne along the chain "from the net to the plate." "We, on a routine basis, encounter (space) debris out in the ocean. The bottom trawlers are picking up debris, and it's impacting their fishing time, impacting their fishing gear," Mike Merrifield, co-owner of Cape Canaveral Shrimp Co. and Wild Ocean Seafood Market at Port Canaveral, told Air Force officials during a July 8 Starship public hearing in Titusville. In an interview at Wild Ocean Seafood Market, Merrifield stood alongside an iced retail case displaying a cornucopia of seafood for sale: snapper, grouper, tilefish, brown tail shrimp, white tail shrimp, red shrimp. Fishing vessels offload catches at his companies' docks for sale to seafood processors and restaurants ranging from Orlando to West Palm Beach. Merrifield said Port Canaveral shrimpers have snared aging space junk from Delta rockets and NASA's space shuttle program for many years — but he is worried about the Cape's unparalleled projected launch cadence, particularly the arrival of SpaceX's massive Starships. He said shrimpers can lose a day or two of fishing time repairing damaged nets, and a full set of nets can cost more than $10,000. Zales said navigational restrictions particularly harm Port Canaveral's small-boat Spanish mackerel fleet. These fish, which are aggressive feeders, follow baitfish throughout the day. The SFA supports establishment of a designated nearshore north-south vessel transit corridor during Spanish mackerel season, citing lost catch, income and market supply. SpaceX media personnel did not return messages seeking comment for this story. Officials with Space Florida declined comment, though the authority delivered a presentation and discussed fisheries topics during a June 2023 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting. Designated offshore security zones prevent fishermen, both commercial and recreational, from entering during rocket launches. During some missions, Coast Guard marine safety bulletins warn that mariners who enter, pass through or remain in a security zone can face up to $117,608 in civil penalties — with "willful violation" punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and up to six years of jail time. 'We're not anti-rocket or anti-Space Force or anything like that. But at the same time, we want the people over there to be harmed as little as possible,' Zales said. Fishermen concerned about increasing launch rates As August approaches, Florida's Space Coast remains on track to set a new annual rocket launch record for the fourth straight year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Previous Cape annual records were set with 57 launches in 2022, 72 launches in 2023, and 93 launches in 2024. Looking to the future, runaway industry leader SpaceX is planning tremendous growth: Increase annual Falcon rocket launches from 50 to up to 120 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Start launching up to 76 enormous Starship-Super Heavy rocket tandems per year from Launch Complex 37 at the Space Force installation. Start launching up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from pad 39A at KSC. "The Council has received multiple fishermen's public comments from Florida regarding their concerns about the impact these closures will have on their business and the surrounding economy. Specifically, this area is extremely important for the Rock Shrimp fishery that is concentrated off the shore of Cape Canaveral," SAFMC Chair Trish Murphey said in an April letter to the Federal Aviation Administration about SpaceX's proposed increased liftoffs. Murphey noted that "fishermen in this region and the tackle shops and marinas they use rely on every good weather day to operate" — and scrubbed launches still trigger offshore closures. According to a 176-page Air Force draft environmental impact statement, the Starship-Super Heavy flights and landings proposed at Launch Complex 37 alone would generate an estimated maximum of 488 hours — or 20⅓ days — of maritime restrictions per year. Half would occur at night, when commercial fishing is less prevalent. "SpaceX would seek to minimize interruption by reducing the duration of closure times for launch operations and opening the closure areas as soon as a launch is scrubbed," the Air Force statement said. "Local commercial fishing operations should be able to temporarily adjust their routes or find other suitable locations to fish to avoid revenue loss during these restricted activities," the statement said. "SpaceX intends to reuse all launch vehicle components, limiting debris in the ocean and minimizing the potential for damage or loss of commercial fishing gear and equipment resulting from contact with debris," the statement said. State officials project Starship operations will generate at least $1.8 billion in capital investment and about 600 new full-time jobs by 2030. Beyond SpaceX, Blue Origin's hulking New Glenn rocket may launch on its second flight as early as Aug. 15. And United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rockets are contracted for 38 future launches for Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellite constellation alone. Trying to gauge cumulative losses to fishing industry Kathleen Howington is a habitat and ecosystem scientist with the SAFMC. She is working to gather statistics regarding navigational closures and cumulative fishing impacts from space-industry activities. A key question: Which agencies and organizations keep track of such information? "Space activities have become increasingly talked-about. They are having very large impacts on our habitats and our fisheries. Specifically off the east coast of Florida, with those closures, at this amount," Howington said July 15 during a SAFMC Habitat and Ecosystem Advisory Panel meeting in North Charleston, South Carolina. "And I don't foresee this slowing down," Howington said. Space Florida estimates the state must prepare to support launching 5,000 metric tons of cargo per year by 2035. That equates to 219 Falcon 9 launches, 194 ULA Vulcan launches, 111 New Glenn launches or 40 Starship launches. In its letter to the FAA, SAFMC concerns with space operations off the Florida coast included loss of revenue and disruption of activities stemming from launch restrictions, damage to fishing gear after snaring rocket debris, oceanic environmental consequences from launches and debris, and timely communication of navigational restrictions. Howington said the panel discussion recommended that the SAFMC create a working group to analyze data related to frequency of launches, hazard zones and space debris and their impacts on local fisheries. Laurilee Thompson, whose family has worked in the seafood business for four generations, co-owns Dixie Crossroads in Titusville. Two years ago, she was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Thompson objected in writing to a summation from Page 82 of the Air Force's Starship-Super Heavy draft environmental statement. That's where military officials said fishing activity that could be affected by Port Canaveral-area vessel restrictions "would be a small fraction of the amount of fishing within the South Atlantic Region and would have a minimal effect on southeastern U.S. fishing operations." "But if you're that fisherman who lives here and has fished out Port Canaveral for your entire life, the increase in rocket launches will not have a minimal impact on you. It will be major!" Thompson wrote. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Port Canaveral fishermen: Increasing rocket launches will cost us money Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
South Australian government calls for Commonwealth to support fishers as algal bloom continues
The South Australian government is urging the Commonwealth to "come to the party" and assist local industries affected by the state's toxic algal bloom, amid mounting criticism of the federal government's response to the crisis. The bloom, first detected off SA's Fleurieu Peninsula, has been ravaging marine life across the state over the past four months, threatening coastal ecosystems and disrupting local tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries. SA's Minister for Primary Industries and Regions, Clare Scriven, wrote to her federal counterpart Julie Collins on Thursday regarding "industry support" for fishers. The request comes as commercial fishers across South Australia report being left with nothing to catch due to fish kills happening underwater. "We are really, really hoping the federal government will come to the party and assist in what is a very difficult time for South Australia and particularly for South Australian fishers and our regional communities," Ms Scriven said. The state government has previously announced commercial fishers can apply to have licence and other fees waived if their catches have been impacted by the bloom. Ms Scriven said the state government is also advocating that the federal government declare the event a "national disaster". "So we would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster. "We hope that they will come to see it in that light." Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the Albanese government recognised the bloom was "very serious for South Australians", adding that he would "certainly consider" any assistance request from the state government. But he also stressed that the bloom was occurring in state, not Commonwealth, waters. "I think the reality is that state governments do have primary responsibility for state matters including in state waters, and federal governments have responsibility for federal matters including things in Commonwealth waters," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young renewed her calls for a "national disaster" declaration over the "environmental catastrophe" being caused by the toxic bloom. "South Australians are increasingly alarmed at what's going on every day, a walk down the beach is becoming an exercise in counting dead fish, dead dolphins," she said. "They're increasingly frustrated they are being abandoned by the federal government." She said South Australians had been "virtually dismissed" by the Albanese government following Minister Watt's interview on ABC Radio Adelaide. "Saying that this is just up to [the] state government means [Minister Watt] hasn't really understood the enormity of this issue," Ms Hanson-Young said. Ms Hanson-Young referenced the infamous "I don't hold a hose, mate" justification made by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 after he took a holiday during the Black Summer bushfires which ravaged parts of the country. SA opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said he was "gobsmacked and outraged" by Minister Watt's response and called for the state and federal governments to collaborate. "They should be working together in a collaborative fashion to make sure they can do everything that is available to them, at their disposal, to improve this situation," he said. Mr Tarzia said he had written to the federal Environment Minister urging him to visit South Australia to "see the decimation" for himself. "There should be a package on the table right now, whether it's for tourism operators or whether it's for fishermen, or whether it's for better testing regimes," he said. "For the federal [Environment] Minister to not even be here, not even visit SA, it's just not good enough." Mr Watt admitted he had not been to the state "personally since the algal bloom has started" but said he was well aware of the situation and the seriousness of it. He was asked about criticisms levelled by political commentators and SA Greens MPs that the government would have responded to the bloom quicker if it happened in Sydney. "I certainly am aware that that's the perception in Adelaide," Mr Watt said. "And I can understand people feeling that way. "But I guess what I'm saying is for some time now ... we have been engaged with the South Australian government."
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Osprey came back from the brink once. Now chicks are dying in nests, and some blame overfishing
GLOUCESTER POINT, Va. (AP) — Stepping onto an old wooden duck blind in the middle of the York River, Bryan Watts looks down at a circle of sticks and pine cones on the weathered, guano-spattered platform. It's a failed osprey nest, taken over by diving terns. 'The birds never laid here this year,' said Watts, near the mouth of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay. 'And that's a pattern we've been seeing these last couple of years.' Watts has a more intimate relationship with ospreys than most people have with a bird — he has climbed to their nests to free them from plastic bags, fed them by hand and monitored their eggs with telescopic mirrors. The fish-eating raptor known for gymnastic dives and whistle-like chirps is an American conservation success story. After pesticides and other hazards nearly eliminated the species from much of the country, the hawk-like bird rebounded after the banning of DDT in 1972 and now numbers in the thousands in the U.S. But Watts has documented an alarming trend. The birds, which breed in many parts of the U.S., are failing to successfully fledge enough chicks around their key population center of the Chesapeake Bay. The longtime biologist blames the decline of menhaden, a small schooling fish critical to the osprey diet. Without menhaden to eat, chicks are starving and dying in nests, Watts said. Osprey are an environmental indicator Watts's claim has put him and environmental groups at odds with the fishing industry, trade unions and sometimes government regulators. Menhaden is valuable for fish oil, fish meal and agricultural food as well as bait. U.S. fishermen have caught at least 1.1 billion pounds of menhaden every year since 1951. Members of the industry tout its sustainability and said the decline in osprey may have nothing to do with fishing. But without help, the osprey population could tumble to levels not seen since the dark days of DDT, said Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 'The osprey are yelling pretty loudly that, hey, there's not enough menhaden for us to reproduce successfully,' Watts said. 'And we should be listening to them to be more informed fully on the fisheries side, and we should take precaution on the fisheries management side. But that hasn't won the day at this point.' Decline linked to menhaden in studies Watts, who has studied osprey on the Chesapeake for decades, has backed his claims of population decline by publishing studies in scientific journals. He said it boils down to a simple statistic — to maintain population, osprey pairs need to average 1.15 chicks per year. Osprey were reproducing at that level in the 1980s, but today in some areas around the main stem of the Chesapeake, it's less than half of that, Watts said. In particularly distressed areas, they aren't even reproducing at one-tenth that level, he said. And the decline in available menhaden matches the areas of nesting failure, Watts said. Also called pogies or bunkers, the oily menhaden are especially important for young birds because they are more nutritious than other fish in the sea. Osprey 'reproductive performance is inextricably linked to the availability and abundance' of menhaden, Watts wrote in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Conservationists have been concerned for years, saying too many menhaden have been removed to maintain their crucial role in the ocean food chain. Historian H. Bruce Franklin went so far as to title his 2007 book on menhaden 'The Most Important Fish In The Sea.' Fishing industry pushes back Menhaden help sustain one of the world's largest fisheries, worth more than $200 million at the docks in 2023. Used as bait, the fish are critical for valuable commercial targets such as Maine lobster. They're also beloved by sportfishermen. The modern industry is dominated by Omega Protein, a Reedville, Virginia, company that is a subsidiary of Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke. The company pushed back at the idea that fishing is the cause of osprey decline, although it did acknowledge that fewer menhaden are showing up in some parts of the bay. Federal data show osprey breeding is in decline in many parts of the country, including where menhaden is not harvested at all, said Ben Landry, an Omega spokesperson. Climate change, pollution and development could be playing a role, said Landry and others with the company. Blaming fishing 'just reeks of environmental special interest groups having an influence over the process,' Landry said. New rules could be on the way The menhaden fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate body that crafts rules and sets fishing quotas. Prompted by questions about ospreys, it created a work group to address precautionary management of the species in the Chesapeake Bay. In April, this group proposed several potential management approaches, including seasonal closures, restrictions on quotas or days at sea, and limitations on kinds of fishing gear. The process of creating new rules could begin this summer, said James Boyle, fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. The osprey population has indeed shown declines in some areas since 2012, but it's important to remember the bird's population is much larger than it was before DDT was banned, Boyle said. 'There are big increases in osprey population since the DDT era,' Boyle said, citing federal data showing a six-fold increase in osprey populations along the Atlantic Coast since the 1960s. Environmentalists says bird's decline could worsen To a number of environmental groups, any decline is too much. This irritates some labor leaders who worry about losing more jobs as the fishing industry declines. Kenny Pinkard, retired vice president of UFCW Local 400's executive board and a longtime Virginia fishermen, said he feels the industry is being scapegoated. 'There are some people who just don't want to see us in business at all,' he said. But Chris Moore, Virginia executive director for Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the country risks losing an iconic bird if no action is taken. He said Watts's studies show that the osprey will fail without access to menhaden. 'Osprey have been a success story,' Moore said. 'We're in a situation where they're not replacing their numbers. We'll actually be in a situation where we're in a steep decline.' ___ Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
