Indonesia Nabs Elusive Criminal Fishing Boat
Indonesia, acting on a request from Interpol, has seized a fishing boat carrying 600 illegal gillnets that can stretch up to 30 km (18 miles) after it evaded capture in several countries, the Fisheries Ministry said. The vessel, the STS-50, had targeted Antarctic toothfish, the ministry said, a cod species that plays an important role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Gillnetting, which uses walls of finely meshed nets, has been banned in Antarctic waters since 2006 and is described by Australia as posing a huge risk to “almost all marine life”. Officially stateless, the STS-50 evaded authorities by flying eight different flags at different times, including those of Sierra Leone, Togo, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Micronesia and Namibia, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Compliant Hydraulic Fluid Gains Industry Use
In the search to find EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) compliant lubricants, ship owners don't have to sacrifice performance or competitive pricing to meet the regulations. Panolin America offers a range of Greenmarine environmentally considerate lubricants, including its high-performance hydraulic fluid HLP Synth. Developed more than two decades ago, HLP Synth derives from saturated synthetic esters, rather than vegetable or mineral oils. Like all Greenmarine products, it is 100% VGP and sVGP compliant.
Burger to Build 60-ft Research Vessel
Burger Boat Company and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources signed a contract for the construction of a 60-ft research vessel to support expanded study and survey work of the Lake Michigan fisheries. Named after the fish genus that includes: Lake Whitefish and Lake Herring, the new RV Coregonus will be capable of gill netting and allowing fisheries staff to continue the work done on the previous research ship—the RV Barney Devine. The RV Coregonus will also have expanded features including onboard laboratory equipment…
Fishing for Maximum Power
The commercial fishing industry must rely on the power of their vessel to stay afloat in business. Weather, rough water, long excursions and heavy loads can cause great wear and tear on a boat. When fishermen spend hours, days and even weeks at sea, they have to count on the boat's engines to get them safely to and from their destination. Captain Bob Brewster, the owner of Brewster Fishing out of Barnegat Light, NJ, and a long-line commercial fisherman, has been fishing the Atlantic Ocean, from New England to Puerto Rico, since 1992. He and his crew of four depend on his two vessels, the F/V Snoopy, a 55-ft. wooden, long-line, gill netting boat, built in 1969 and the F/V Eaglet, a 65-ft. steel boat, built in 1972.
