National Fisherman

Paul Molyneaux

Editor

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman.

Author Archive

An Atlas Meridan camera system in the net enables Danish fishermen to know when they are catching nephrops, a valuable small lobster harvested in northern Europe. Ludvig Ahm Krag photo.

Artificial intelligence joins the crew

Ports like Portland, Maine are struggling to maintain their infrastructure and commercial fishing fleets. As the catch share programs tends to shift quota to larger ports the Portland Fish Exchange has had to diversify in order to stay open. Paul Molyneau

Staying Alive

Living aboard for up to five days, Shane Slaughter rebuilt the fo’c’sle of his Nova Scotia-built Dixon 42 and extended the wheel house aft so that he and his crewman could add a hot shower, a step up from the deck hose. Shane Slaughter photo.

Cross country

MacGregor’s electric net reels aboard the Norwegian trawler, Libas. Like the company’s winches, the net reels are powered by four electric motors. MacGregor photos.

The Buzz on Electric Deck Machinery

Lobster buoys made of fungi and coated with a soy-based paint may replace the styrofoam buoys that are known to shed microplastics into the sea. Paul Molyneaux photo.

Make room for 'shrooms

For three generations, the McCurdy’s smoked herring in Lubec, Maine, with no problems. But in 1991, the Food and Drug Administration shut them down over food safety concerns.

A Lasting Grudge: FDA's Closure of the Historic Maine Smokehouse

Fishing for halibut, Jay Dinsmore can feel the bouncing on the line long before he brings a fish alongside. Paul Molyneaux photo.

At Sea: Good times roll with Maine halibut

Chris Johnson, aboard the 35-foot Reel Easy, has just hooked up with a bluefin in the Gulf of Maine. He is using a Trident 80-130, and the Alutecnos 130 2-speed reel. Reel Easy photo.

Going Big for Bluefin: Top-Notch Rod and Reel Key to Success

Sabino, left, and Toño, two crewmembers on Jonathan Reyes’ panga, set anchor over an isolated reef off the coast of Veracruz and prepare to handline for various species of reef fish. Giuseppe Lacorazza photo.

Eating from the sea

Snow & Co.’s Eric Rasmussen with his own Atlas engine, a 4 cylinder very similar to the Western Flyer’s original engine, a160-hp, 6-cylinder Atlas Imperial. Snow & Co. photo.

Western Flyer: Still in the game