Last weekends tragic man overboard incident in the Chrismore Pass area, has spawned a debate over the state of rescue capabilities on the North coast. But as more details become public about the incident, it appears in this instance as fast a response as possible was provided by local officials.
The Wednesday Daily News provided a look at the events on the crab vessel Reid Pass on Friday night and how a large flotilla of boats and one aircraft responded to the call to search for the missing deckhand.
The case has since been turned over to the Prince Rupert RCMP as a missing persons file and no name has been released as next of kin has yet to be located and informed.
Search for lost crab fisherman was joined by many
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
It was a sad day Saturday when the search and rescue mission for an Area B crab vessel crew member was called off.
Marine search and rescue resources were called out Friday evening around 8:30 p.m. after a mayday call was received from Area B crab vessel Reid Pass, informing authorities that a crew man had gone overboard in the area of Chrismore Pass, located near Porcher Island.
The weather was calm with light winds when the deckhand fell into the water. He was followed closely by the vessel's captain who jumped in after him in an attempt to assist him.
Unfortunately, the skipper of the 32-foot aluminum boat was unable to reach the man, and it was the last time the deckhand was seen.
A large team of boats and one aircraft headed out to search the area upon receiving the emergency call.
Rescue resources employed that night included the Coast Guard cutter Point Henry, Point Henry II, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel Rainbow Responder, Port Simpson Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit 65, the Coast Guard vessel Tanu and her workboat.
"It was a pretty extensive search that went out for him," said Geoff Gould, "and it was pretty good search conditions in a fairly defined area with calm waters and clear skies. But if the object you're looking for isn't floating, you're not going to find it."
A Buffalo aircraft from Comox dropped flares over the scene for more than two hours to assist the search teams, but after no success, the coast guard search was called off after daybreak on Saturday.
The RCMP has taken over the responsibility for the search, and the identity of the fisherman is still being withheld pending the notification of kin.
The Reid Pass deckhand was not believed to have been wearing a life jacket at the time he went overboard. Nearly 80 per cent of all drowning incidents in Canada occur within a half mile of shore, and involve the victim not wearing a personal flotation device.
"It's just so easy to fall off a boat, just one minute of inadvertence and you're in the water," said Gould. "That's why you've got to wear that PFD all the time."
Showing posts with label Crab fishery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crab fishery. Show all posts
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Crab fishery hoping for better year as season gets undeway
Last Thursday saw the start of the Area A crab fishery, and hopes are high for a better season this year to hopefully put the memories of last season behind the areas crab fishers. The Daily News featured the details of the expected haul this year in Thursday’s paper.
CRAB FLEET HOPING FOR BIG HAUL AS NEW SEASON STARTS
Fishermen looking for better season after relatively poor one last time
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Pages one and two
Starting at 8 a. m. this morning, Area “A” crab fisherman were legally able to drop their traps in the water.
The molting time for crabs to mate and shed their old shells, forming their new harder and larger exteriors, has been determined by Archipelago marine Research and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Meaning most boats have already been on the ocean for the past 24 hours, waiting patiently to begin the crab season.
Hopes are high for this year’s season, after Area “A” crabbers experienced a poor season in 2006-07.
“Last year was a particularly bad year product-wise,” said Area “A” Crab Association executive director Geoff Gould.
“But as long as crabbing has been around, it’s been going in cycles.”
Crabbers must steer their boats many miles off the coast to reach the best trapping grounds, and their trips will last around three days on average.
The ideal depth for trapping Dungeness crab is a less than 100 feet, but the depth crabbers will leave traps depends on where the largest numbers are located.
The crab season cannot begin until after molting, which could only be determined through research conducted by Area “A” volunteer vessels and crews. And due to a previous court decision, the DFO can no longer fund the soft-shell research, meaning the Area “A” Crab Association members had to fund it from their own pockets, totaling around $100,000.
“Without the research being conducted, (crab fishers) would miss the prime time to be fishing,” said Jason Scherr, program manager for Achipelago. “And the prices (for crab) are better in the spring than in the middle of summer.”
This is something Area “A” fishermen have been fighting about with the government for what they feel has been too long.
“Basically, the Department (of Fisheries and Oceans) still gets the same budget each year, but they’ve found other areas to spend it on,” said Gould. “The bottom line is, we’ve rattled as many offices as we could. So the industry has just had to absorb the cost and get on with it.”
However, this is only one of the many problems Area “A” crab trappers face these days. Each year, the viable coastal area for catching crab shrinks, due to parks and recreation protected spaces, a rising number of sea otters who prey on the crab, and numerous other reasons. Yet the number of crab licences hasn’t been reduced, and in Area “A” the number actually increased last year.
“There’s probably too many licences given out on this whole coast,” said Gould. “And it’s an issue here because (DFO) has no real long term strategy to deal with it.”
The first crab boats coming back with full hauls will probably be arriving back in Prince Rupert by as early as Monday or Tuesday.
Fishermen looking for better season after relatively poor one last time
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Pages one and two
Starting at 8 a. m. this morning, Area “A” crab fisherman were legally able to drop their traps in the water.
The molting time for crabs to mate and shed their old shells, forming their new harder and larger exteriors, has been determined by Archipelago marine Research and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Meaning most boats have already been on the ocean for the past 24 hours, waiting patiently to begin the crab season.
Hopes are high for this year’s season, after Area “A” crabbers experienced a poor season in 2006-07.
“Last year was a particularly bad year product-wise,” said Area “A” Crab Association executive director Geoff Gould.
“But as long as crabbing has been around, it’s been going in cycles.”
Crabbers must steer their boats many miles off the coast to reach the best trapping grounds, and their trips will last around three days on average.
The ideal depth for trapping Dungeness crab is a less than 100 feet, but the depth crabbers will leave traps depends on where the largest numbers are located.
The crab season cannot begin until after molting, which could only be determined through research conducted by Area “A” volunteer vessels and crews. And due to a previous court decision, the DFO can no longer fund the soft-shell research, meaning the Area “A” Crab Association members had to fund it from their own pockets, totaling around $100,000.
“Without the research being conducted, (crab fishers) would miss the prime time to be fishing,” said Jason Scherr, program manager for Achipelago. “And the prices (for crab) are better in the spring than in the middle of summer.”
This is something Area “A” fishermen have been fighting about with the government for what they feel has been too long.
“Basically, the Department (of Fisheries and Oceans) still gets the same budget each year, but they’ve found other areas to spend it on,” said Gould. “The bottom line is, we’ve rattled as many offices as we could. So the industry has just had to absorb the cost and get on with it.”
However, this is only one of the many problems Area “A” crab trappers face these days. Each year, the viable coastal area for catching crab shrinks, due to parks and recreation protected spaces, a rising number of sea otters who prey on the crab, and numerous other reasons. Yet the number of crab licences hasn’t been reduced, and in Area “A” the number actually increased last year.
“There’s probably too many licences given out on this whole coast,” said Gould. “And it’s an issue here because (DFO) has no real long term strategy to deal with it.”
The first crab boats coming back with full hauls will probably be arriving back in Prince Rupert by as early as Monday or Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Crabbers less than happy with Federal Fisheries Department
The Crab fishery on the North Coast is facing at least a half of summer of idleness after a recent federal court decision.
As a result of fall out from the Larocque decision, Crab fisherman in Area A of the North coast, are not happy with recent developments from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the decisions reached regarding research into the collection of data for the fishery.
The Queen Charlotte Islands Observer reviewed the events that have brought the crab fishery to logger heads with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and could cost the crab fishermen a share of the 22 million dollars in revenues that the industry generates each year.
Federal decision hurts crabbers
Queen Charlotte Islands Obersever
June 11, 2007
North Coast crab fishermen may be out of work for half of the summer due to a recent federal court decision.
Known as the Larocque decision, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled it illegal for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to pay for scientific research by selling any of the fishery resources collected during that research.
Since 2000 crabs have been protected during the moult, when they have soft shells and are breeding. At the time, DFO imposed fixed closure dates from March 1 to August 1, but Geoff Gould, the executive director of the Area A Crab Association, said the six-month closure was deemed too conservative.
So soft shell testing system began in 2001 and since then licensed crab vessel owners trained themselves and their crew on how to collect the data and have chartered their boats for research purposes.
After reviewing the data, a shorter closure period was allowed and an average of 67 fishing days per season were gained.
But DFO is no longer able to pay for this research by allowing crabbers to keep and sell their catch during the research period. The ruling, which was based on an action brought by a New Brunswick fisherman who objected to the Minister of Fisheries paying for services with assets that did not belong to him, but to the public, was handed down in June 2006.
Mr. Gould says the result is that Area A crab fishermen are losing 2.5 to 3 months of a fishery that generates $22-million in revenue annually.
Not only that, but the soft shell tests allow crab fishermen to start the fishery at the moment when crabs' shells are at the shiniest and hardest, bringing in a better price on the market.
Mr. Gould has been told that DFO does not have the budget to pay for the research any other way.
This spring, four Association vessels volunteered to collect data at their own expense. The data indicates a mid to late June opening may be justified.
The Association will do another test soon at a cost of $2,500 a day.
Mr. Gould says the crab fishermen pay more than their share of running the fishery and expects DFO to pick up the cost in the future. He says that the cost of the data gathering is basic science about the resource that costs about $100,000. He feels sure DFO could manage to find that amount in its $1-billion budget.
As a result of fall out from the Larocque decision, Crab fisherman in Area A of the North coast, are not happy with recent developments from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the decisions reached regarding research into the collection of data for the fishery.
The Queen Charlotte Islands Observer reviewed the events that have brought the crab fishery to logger heads with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and could cost the crab fishermen a share of the 22 million dollars in revenues that the industry generates each year.
Federal decision hurts crabbers
Queen Charlotte Islands Obersever
June 11, 2007
North Coast crab fishermen may be out of work for half of the summer due to a recent federal court decision.
Known as the Larocque decision, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled it illegal for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to pay for scientific research by selling any of the fishery resources collected during that research.
Since 2000 crabs have been protected during the moult, when they have soft shells and are breeding. At the time, DFO imposed fixed closure dates from March 1 to August 1, but Geoff Gould, the executive director of the Area A Crab Association, said the six-month closure was deemed too conservative.
So soft shell testing system began in 2001 and since then licensed crab vessel owners trained themselves and their crew on how to collect the data and have chartered their boats for research purposes.
After reviewing the data, a shorter closure period was allowed and an average of 67 fishing days per season were gained.
But DFO is no longer able to pay for this research by allowing crabbers to keep and sell their catch during the research period. The ruling, which was based on an action brought by a New Brunswick fisherman who objected to the Minister of Fisheries paying for services with assets that did not belong to him, but to the public, was handed down in June 2006.
Mr. Gould says the result is that Area A crab fishermen are losing 2.5 to 3 months of a fishery that generates $22-million in revenue annually.
Not only that, but the soft shell tests allow crab fishermen to start the fishery at the moment when crabs' shells are at the shiniest and hardest, bringing in a better price on the market.
Mr. Gould has been told that DFO does not have the budget to pay for the research any other way.
This spring, four Association vessels volunteered to collect data at their own expense. The data indicates a mid to late June opening may be justified.
The Association will do another test soon at a cost of $2,500 a day.
Mr. Gould says the crab fishermen pay more than their share of running the fishery and expects DFO to pick up the cost in the future. He says that the cost of the data gathering is basic science about the resource that costs about $100,000. He feels sure DFO could manage to find that amount in its $1-billion budget.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Crab fleet set to tie up over dispute with government
The Crab fishery may get off to a rather rocky start, as the Area A Crab Association makes plans to remain tied up over a continuing disupte over funding issues on funding of the Dungeness soft shell test fishery.
The Daily News provided details on the issue and what the Crab Association intends to do to try and get its message heard at Fisheries and Oceans.
Funding loss has the area’s crabbers in pinch
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Pages one and three
Crab boats could remain tied up for part of this season while their $22 million catch crawls away because of the federal decision to stop funding the Dungeness soft shell test fishery.
Geoff Gould, executive director of the Area A Crab Association, has written the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans explaining how Fisheries and Oceans Canada's response to the "Larocque" decision last October means they will not have adequate data to know when the crabs are ready for harvest.
"If the crabs are ready to fish in June, they don't wait around to be caught until the fixed Aug. 1 opening date. So without the charter test data and an earlier opening date, a substantial part of the season can be lost. A lost season is a blow to the local economy and a missed fishing opportunity," said Gould.
He is asking the federal government to come up with the money to pay for the test fishery.
"The association submits that it is the basic mandate of DFO to manage all Canadian fisheries to their maximum economic potential in a sustainable and renewable manner. This not only benefits local economies, but government coffers as well. DFO must fund this basic science and re-institute and fund the soft shell charters for Area A," he said.
Under the Larocque decision, the federal government is prohibited from using the fish resource to fund its operations as it has in the past, unless the DFO starts funding them out of its regular operating budget.
Previously, the federal government used to fund a soft shell test fishery by contracting crabbers and allowing them to keep some of the catch.
"(Now) DFO says they have no money to fund these scientific charters and that conservation measures will be met with the four-month fixed closure dates," said Gould.
This means local crabbers, who bring in $22 million annually, won't be able to start fishing until August, even though data collected by some fishermen indicates a mid- to late-June opening would be appropriate.
This spring, even though they were not being paid, four association vessels volunteered to collect soft shell test data at their own expense.
"The data collected so far indicates that a mid- to late-June opening may be justified. These tests were done while the area was open and while the test vessels had their regular crab gear in the water actively crabbing," said Gould.
Area A' is now closed, so that any vessel that volunteers to test in May, June or July will have to pay fuel, grub, gear and crew costs out of their own pockets with no chance of any offset from the resource
Gould said the association is between a rock and a hard place.
"If we do not test, the bulk of this year's catch could be missed. The cost of running a vessel for the testing is about $2,500. per day.
The association contends that the charter soft shell data is basic science that the department should be paying for out of the budget the department receives from Ottawa.
"This data is essential to the determination of the best biological and economic opening date," he said. "The testing is not, as the department has stated, a program primarily benefiting a small group of licence holders. In contrast, the ability to maximize sustainable fishing opportunities has allowed the crab marketers to develop new, premium markets at a time when competition from Oregon, Washington and California is limited."
The Daily News provided details on the issue and what the Crab Association intends to do to try and get its message heard at Fisheries and Oceans.
Funding loss has the area’s crabbers in pinch
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Pages one and three
Crab boats could remain tied up for part of this season while their $22 million catch crawls away because of the federal decision to stop funding the Dungeness soft shell test fishery.
Geoff Gould, executive director of the Area A Crab Association, has written the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans explaining how Fisheries and Oceans Canada's response to the "Larocque" decision last October means they will not have adequate data to know when the crabs are ready for harvest.
"If the crabs are ready to fish in June, they don't wait around to be caught until the fixed Aug. 1 opening date. So without the charter test data and an earlier opening date, a substantial part of the season can be lost. A lost season is a blow to the local economy and a missed fishing opportunity," said Gould.
He is asking the federal government to come up with the money to pay for the test fishery.
"The association submits that it is the basic mandate of DFO to manage all Canadian fisheries to their maximum economic potential in a sustainable and renewable manner. This not only benefits local economies, but government coffers as well. DFO must fund this basic science and re-institute and fund the soft shell charters for Area A," he said.
Under the Larocque decision, the federal government is prohibited from using the fish resource to fund its operations as it has in the past, unless the DFO starts funding them out of its regular operating budget.
Previously, the federal government used to fund a soft shell test fishery by contracting crabbers and allowing them to keep some of the catch.
"(Now) DFO says they have no money to fund these scientific charters and that conservation measures will be met with the four-month fixed closure dates," said Gould.
This means local crabbers, who bring in $22 million annually, won't be able to start fishing until August, even though data collected by some fishermen indicates a mid- to late-June opening would be appropriate.
This spring, even though they were not being paid, four association vessels volunteered to collect soft shell test data at their own expense.
"The data collected so far indicates that a mid- to late-June opening may be justified. These tests were done while the area was open and while the test vessels had their regular crab gear in the water actively crabbing," said Gould.
Area A' is now closed, so that any vessel that volunteers to test in May, June or July will have to pay fuel, grub, gear and crew costs out of their own pockets with no chance of any offset from the resource
Gould said the association is between a rock and a hard place.
"If we do not test, the bulk of this year's catch could be missed. The cost of running a vessel for the testing is about $2,500. per day.
The association contends that the charter soft shell data is basic science that the department should be paying for out of the budget the department receives from Ottawa.
"This data is essential to the determination of the best biological and economic opening date," he said. "The testing is not, as the department has stated, a program primarily benefiting a small group of licence holders. In contrast, the ability to maximize sustainable fishing opportunities has allowed the crab marketers to develop new, premium markets at a time when competition from Oregon, Washington and California is limited."
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Crabbers voice concern over offshore wind farms
Last week we provided a story on some possible changes to the nature of life on the North Coast. With a potential wind farm in the offing for the waters of the Hecate Strait, local crab industry stakeholders presented their concerns over the impact the new industry may have on the crab fishery.
The Daily News on Monday provided some more information of the issue, highlighting the release of a recent study from Denmark, one which has been hailed by NaiKun wind power as a good guideline for success of their proposal.
On the other side of the debate is the Area A Crab Association, which is quite concerned about the impact any such industry may have locally.
The findings and responses were found on the front page of Monday’s paper.
CRABBING INDUSTRY FEARS IT WILL BE BLOWN OFF COURSE
Local crabbers say wind farm proposed for hear of grounds a cause for concern
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, January 22, 2007
Pages one and three
A Danish report touted by developers as evidence that offshore wind farms can have minimal negative environmental effect proves nothing about the impact the industry could have on the Hecate Strait, say local crabbers.
“It’s half a world away where there’s no Dungeness crab,” said Geoff Gould, Area A Crab Association executive director, of Danish Offshore Wind a report recently lauded by energy company NaiKun. “What this demonstrates is we’re up against a public relations machine from a large corporation where every month they send out some little bit of glitter about how great they’re going to be.”
So far, crabbers have had little luck getting firm details on where the company plans to place its wind towers. The billion dollar multi-phased project remains in the proposal stage and no environmental assessment has been conducted. However, what documentation has been filed for phase one shows the towers smack in the heart of the heaviest crabbing area of the Hecate Strait – an area where 35,000 traps are dropped yearly – raising concerns for an industry that employs hundreds of people in Rupert and Masset and one that injects millions into the economy. The first phase – and NaiKun has proposed five – covers as much as a fifth of the area where North Coast crabbers ply the water, raising questions about the crab industry’s future if the wind farm takes off.
“Once the towers are there, we don’t think we’ll be able to crab between the towers, you’d be nuts to take your boat in there. It would be like going into a grid of 300 rock piles,” said Gould of the proposed first phase.
“Plus, if these guys have a fear that the (underwater power) cable is going to be interfered with then all of a sudden they’re going to come up with a big exclusion zone and you’re kicked out of another area.”
On top of that, crabbers worry that the big push for alternative energy and the potential to generate huge sums of money for both government and private industry may leave them tied to the dock.
“If phase one is successful, (and) starts making money there’ll be another 300 towers out there the next year. They would put a tower on every piece of real estate out there if they could,” he said. “And if they started making huge money, the crab industry would be pushed to the side and they’d probably have the government right there helping them push.”
Along with the economic concerns, a recent Parks Canada report on Haida Gwaii – in contradiction to the Danish report – cites bird strikes, sea bed disturbances, acoustic effects of construction and interference with the Dungeness crab fishery all as environmental concerns about offshore wind farms. With all these concerns still unanswered, building towers on land – like Katabatic Power’s Mount Hays Mount Hays project – is the obvious answer, said Gould.
“If you’ve ever flown to Masset, you can see all the trees that are bent right over. The prevailing wind is constant, why not just put all the towers along there and service them from the beach,” he said. “Not only that, you can supply power to the Charlottes, instead they’re talking about an undersea cable coming through Kitkatla while the Charlottes are burning diesel fuel.
“If they put it where we aren’t going to crab, we’ll go buy shares.”
The area the towers appear to be headed for is a nursery ground for many types of fish and Gould said that concerns from other fishing groups may be forthcoming.
The Daily News on Monday provided some more information of the issue, highlighting the release of a recent study from Denmark, one which has been hailed by NaiKun wind power as a good guideline for success of their proposal.
On the other side of the debate is the Area A Crab Association, which is quite concerned about the impact any such industry may have locally.
The findings and responses were found on the front page of Monday’s paper.
CRABBING INDUSTRY FEARS IT WILL BE BLOWN OFF COURSE
Local crabbers say wind farm proposed for hear of grounds a cause for concern
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, January 22, 2007
Pages one and three
A Danish report touted by developers as evidence that offshore wind farms can have minimal negative environmental effect proves nothing about the impact the industry could have on the Hecate Strait, say local crabbers.
“It’s half a world away where there’s no Dungeness crab,” said Geoff Gould, Area A Crab Association executive director, of Danish Offshore Wind a report recently lauded by energy company NaiKun. “What this demonstrates is we’re up against a public relations machine from a large corporation where every month they send out some little bit of glitter about how great they’re going to be.”
So far, crabbers have had little luck getting firm details on where the company plans to place its wind towers. The billion dollar multi-phased project remains in the proposal stage and no environmental assessment has been conducted. However, what documentation has been filed for phase one shows the towers smack in the heart of the heaviest crabbing area of the Hecate Strait – an area where 35,000 traps are dropped yearly – raising concerns for an industry that employs hundreds of people in Rupert and Masset and one that injects millions into the economy. The first phase – and NaiKun has proposed five – covers as much as a fifth of the area where North Coast crabbers ply the water, raising questions about the crab industry’s future if the wind farm takes off.
“Once the towers are there, we don’t think we’ll be able to crab between the towers, you’d be nuts to take your boat in there. It would be like going into a grid of 300 rock piles,” said Gould of the proposed first phase.
“Plus, if these guys have a fear that the (underwater power) cable is going to be interfered with then all of a sudden they’re going to come up with a big exclusion zone and you’re kicked out of another area.”
On top of that, crabbers worry that the big push for alternative energy and the potential to generate huge sums of money for both government and private industry may leave them tied to the dock.
“If phase one is successful, (and) starts making money there’ll be another 300 towers out there the next year. They would put a tower on every piece of real estate out there if they could,” he said. “And if they started making huge money, the crab industry would be pushed to the side and they’d probably have the government right there helping them push.”
Along with the economic concerns, a recent Parks Canada report on Haida Gwaii – in contradiction to the Danish report – cites bird strikes, sea bed disturbances, acoustic effects of construction and interference with the Dungeness crab fishery all as environmental concerns about offshore wind farms. With all these concerns still unanswered, building towers on land – like Katabatic Power’s Mount Hays Mount Hays project – is the obvious answer, said Gould.
“If you’ve ever flown to Masset, you can see all the trees that are bent right over. The prevailing wind is constant, why not just put all the towers along there and service them from the beach,” he said. “Not only that, you can supply power to the Charlottes, instead they’re talking about an undersea cable coming through Kitkatla while the Charlottes are burning diesel fuel.
“If they put it where we aren’t going to crab, we’ll go buy shares.”
The area the towers appear to be headed for is a nursery ground for many types of fish and Gould said that concerns from other fishing groups may be forthcoming.
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