In Mixed Catch, NF Senior Editor Linc Bedrosian spotlights a wide range of commercial fishing-related news items from coast to coast.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
The sun is shining, the sky is blue and it's a beautiful 72 degrees here in downtown Portland, Maine, but today, I have winter on my mind.
And it's not because in Maine we generally have two seasons, winter and the Fourth of July. Actually, our neighbors to the north are responsible for my mindset.
That's because the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters, which represents fishermen across the country, has posted the first of a series of short videos that feature fishermen from across Canada. And the first one, which can be found on the member-based non-profit organization's website and on YouTube, offers a beautifully filmed glimpse of a family's commercial ice fishing operation on Lake Winnipeg in Dauphin River, Manitoba, a community of 65 fishermen that contributes over $5 million to Manitoba's economy.
On a February day, third generation fisherman Helgi Einarsson, his wife, Dale, and his younger brother Kris show how they drill through the ice, setting 10 to 15 nets in a day to catch pickerel, the most valuable species, and whitefish.
Other videos in the eight-episode series will spotlight lobstering in Meteghan, Nova Scotia, oyster harvesting in the French River area of Prince Edward Island, fishing for crab and shrimp in Newfoundland, and catching finfish in Sept-Îles, Quebec and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The last video will examine the fish harvesters council's role, its work, tools and products.
The video series is still being filmed and will be released throughout the summer, the council says. It could prove to be a powerful way of getting fishermen's stories out to the general public.
"We're very excited about this series," says the council's director, John Sutcliffe, in a council press release. "Our work at the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters is seen in every aspect of the fish harvester's day, from safety to the best way to market their catch. It provides a seldom seen glimpse of the industry. It depicts the lives of harvesters and their communities. Few people have a chance to see challenges harvesters face and the pride they have in their work. I believe it may change people's perception of the owner/operator fish harvesting industry."
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
Over 500 lots of seafood processing equipment formerly owned by Adak Seafood will be sold at auction on Tuesday, June 18, starting at 10 a.m. Hawaiian-Aleutian Daylight Time at the Hilton Garden Inn in Anchorage Alaska.
The equipment is located in a recently updated 250,000 square foot state-of-the-art processing facility in Adak, Alaska. Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Hilco Industrial, which conducts 75 machinery and equipment auctions in a wide range of industries annually, will conduct the auction.
Adak Seafood opened originally as Ada Fisheries in Anchorage in 1986. The facility, updated in 2005, is located on the island of Adak, the southernmost city in Alaska near the western end of the Aleutian Islands. The facility processed cod primarily, as well as halibut, blackcod, crab and pollock, Hilco says.
Alaska fisherman and commercial fisheries activist Kevin Adams was elected chairman at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors meeting on May 9 in Anchorage.
The governor-appointed board consists of seven members: five seafood processors and two industry representatives actively engaged in commercial fishing. Adams was appointed to fill a harvester seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2004.
With 38 years of fishing experience in Bristol Bay, Adams has long been an active member in the Alaska fishing industry, ASMI says. He has worked for both the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, and represents Alaska fishermen on numerous boards.
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