Arctic Venture News

United States' President Barack Obama defends his decision to allow Royal Dutch Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. He insisted that there was no contradiction between his climate change agenda and Arctic drilling. “I share people's concerns about offshore drilling,” Obama said, while emphasizing that Shell bought its exploration leases before he took office. His televised message did not stop several environmentalist organizations from criticizing the contradictions in his words and policies. Obama said the bottom line is that “safety has been and will continue to be my administration’s top priority when it comes to oil and gas exploration off America’s precious coasts – even as we push our economy and the world to ultimately transition off of fossil fuels”.

Bowhead Transport Company, LLC, and Crowley Marine Services, Inc., announced the formation of a joint venture to provide marine services in Alaska’s Arctic. The new Alaska-based joint venture will operate under the name UIC Bowhead-Crowley, LLC. Bowhead Transport is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), the Alaska Native Village Corporation of Barrow, Alaska. Both companies have longstanding histories of providing services in the Arctic with Bowhead Transport Company providing common carriage service for 30 years to the coastal communities of Alaska and Crowley providing marine transportation, energy support and petroleum distribution services for over 60 years throughout the state.

On the Bering Sea king crab fishery, explains deckhand Jerod Goodin, "There are six in the deck crew. Each of us will work 15 hours on and then take a three hour break. That is just the way it is in one of North America's most lucrative and dangerous fisheries, which will probably have just four days of fishing this autumn. In early October, the crew of newly built Arctic Venture were excited and anxious to get the pots and other gear loaded on the Astoria Oregon waterfront near the mouth of the Columbia River. The new 124 x 30-ft. (31.7 x 9.1 m) boat, owned by three partners, Don Jester, David Lethine and Derrick Ray, was built in a remarkably short time at Giddings Boatworks in Coos Bay, Ore.

On the Bering Sea king crab fishery, explains deckhand Jerod Goodin, "There are six in the deck crew. Each of us will work 15 hours on and then take a three hour break. That is just the way it is in one of North America's most lucrative and dangerous fisheries, which will probably have just four days of fishing this autumn. In early October, the crew of newly built Arctic Venture were excited and anxious to get the pots and other gear loaded on the Astoria Oregon waterfront near the mouth of the Columbia River. The new 124 x 30-ft. boat, owned by three partners, Don Jester, David Lethine and Derrick Ray, was built in a remarkably short time at Giddings Boatworks in Coos Bay, Ore.