Welcome aboard award winning "Nautical Talk Radio," the number one nautical  radio program that takes you around the nautical world in 60 minutes.  Every week, listeners get a smell of the salt air and a taste of the  sea, as we feature the latest nautical news, sea stories, fish tales, marine environmental issues, Coast Guard activities, maritime history, and local waterfront events.

Click Here for the top Nautical Talk News stories of 2015

Captain Lou's Nautical News Headlines

CAPT LOU’S NAUTICAL NEWS 9/11/16 FATALITY IN TAUNTON BOAT RACE A boat race organized by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in Taunton turned tragic. A 39 year old New Hampshire man was killed and two others injured after their boats collided during the power boat race. Police said one of the boats spun out of control going 65 mph and caused the two other boats in the race to hit it. All three boat drivers were ejected into the water. Taunton Fire Department's Dive Team and the state's Environmental Police quickly got everyone out of the water, but the driver of one of the boats was declared dead at the scene. Another driver, 69 years old, was in critical condition. The third driver was lucky to sustain only minor injuries. The Bristol County District Attorney’s office is investigating the crash. PLYMOUTH BUOYS DETECT GREAT WHITE SHARKS Plymouth has three special buoys equipped with collectors that record the identities of tagged great white sharks. The buoys are located off Manomet Point and Ellisville Harbor. Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter said the buoys cannot be utilized as a warning system. The data must be collected. So far the data collected showed that two great whites named Agnes and Cilla B were regular visitors in Plymouth waters. Officials said because the buoys only detect tagged great whites, they have no idea how many untagged sharks pass by, but one thing is certain. Great white sharks are in the area. PADDLERS MUST NOW WEAR LIFEJACKETS Massachusetts officials are reminding paddlers in kayaks and canoes that they must wear lifejackets from September 15 to May 15. According to the Massachusetts Environmental Police, most boating fatalities in the Commonwealth result when boaters fail to wear lifejackets while in small craft in cold water or cold weather. The law also applies to waterfowl hunters using canoes or kayaks. EUROPEAN UNION CONSIDERS BANNING MAINE LOBSTERS This past Tuesday, the European Union’s scientific arm announced that Sweden had presented enough evidence to them that proved North American lobsters presented a threat as an invasive species. Sweden’s request to declare the American lobster an invasive species will now be reviewed and possibly considered for a vote by the E.U.’s Alien Species Committee. If it is approved, the E.U. will enact a ban on imported live North American lobsters to its 28 member countries. American and Canadian fisheries officials vociferously oppose Sweden’s claims, arguing that Sweden’s report was based on its discovery of 32 American lobsters in the country's waters and a few examples of cross-breeding with their native crustaceans. Lobstermen in the U.S. and Canada export about 200 million dollars worth of lobsters to the E.U. each year. SEAFOOD FRAUD OFTEN COMMITTED A new study by the environmental nonprofit group Oceana found seafood fraud in Italy, Brazil, Belgium, and Germany occurred an average of 20% of the time. In the United States, they claimed fraud occurred a little more often at 28 percent of the time. Oceana claimed they tested more than 25,000 samples in its latest report. It showed fraud occurring at every step of the seafood supply chain, including retail, wholesale, distribution, import/export, packaging/processing and landing. Oceana representatives said that the most commonly substituted species were pangasius, hake and escolar, which were used in place of more expensive species. Oceana is calling for sea-to-plate traceability of all seafood. A spokesperson for the National Fisheries Institute in the U.S. disputed Oceana’s study of seafood fraud claiming it was a gross exaggeration, and said the problem can be tackled in the United States through better enforcement of existing laws. “Prosecution is the answer, not more laws,” he said. HUMPBACK WHALES REMOVED FROM ENDANGERED LIST Federal authorities are removing most humpback whales from the endangered species list. Nine out of fourteen distinct populations of humpback whales are being removed from the list. One of the remaining 5 distinct populations of humpbacks was upgraded to threatened instead of endangered. The remaining four groups of populations will still be listed as endangered, but the population of all 14 groups of humpbacks is substantially increasing. 360 MILLION YEAR OLD FISH FOSSIL FOUND WITH LEG BONES And last on today’s nautical news, scientists have found fish fossils in a mass grave that are at least 360 million years old. The importance of this find is that the fossils could be the key evolutionary link connecting backboned animals from the sea that moved onto land. Analysis of the fossils suggest that the animals lived exclusively in the water during the early stages of their life and moved on to land in their adult years. Researchers know this by studying the growth rings in their leg bones. Scientists said it is still a mystery if the bones became strong enough for them to walk on two or four legs, but as they mated with other animals on land, they were soon walking like a man. CELEBRATING 24 YEARS ON RADIO STATION 95.9FM WATD" Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou and crew, Sunday mornings from 11 - 12 noon (Boston time) on radio station 95.9FM WATD, streaming around the world on www.959watd.com. You can also listen to a replay of recent shows anytime during the week at www.NauticalTalk.com. * Winner of Mass/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW" * Winner of Boston's Achievement In Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" AWARD * Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY AWARD" * Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service * Nominated Boston's A.I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM" * Past Judge of IBEX Innovation Products * Judge of New England Boat Show's Best Exhibitors * Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council * Member of South Shore Harbormaster Association * Retired Status U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary * Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Association * Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association * Member of Boat Writers International * Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association * Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club

 

CELEBRATING 24 YEARS ON RADIO STATION 95.9FM WATD"

Listen to the live broadcast of "Nautical Talk Radio" with Capt Lou  and crew, Sunday mornings from 11 - 12 noon (Boston time) on radio  station 95.9FM WATD, streaming around the world on www.959watd.com. You  can also listen to a replay of recent shows anytime during the week at  www.NauticalTalk.com.

* Winner of Mass/Rhode Island Associated Press "BEST TALK SHOW"
* Winner of Boston's Achievement In Radio "BEST INTERVIEW" AWARD
* Recipient of American Lighthouse Foundation's "LEN HADLEY AWARD"
* Recipient of Coast Guard's Joshua James Lifesaving Medal for public service
* Nominated Boston's A.I.R. "BEST PRODUCED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM"
* Judge of IBEX Innovation Products
* Judge of New England Boat Show's Best Exhibitors
* Member of Boston Harbor Islands National Park Advisory Council
* Member of South Shore Harbormaster Association
* Member of Quincy Bay Race Week Association
* Member of Stellwagen Bank Charterboat Association
* Member of Boat Writers International
* Life Member of Mass Striped Bass Association
* Life Member and Past Commodore of Metropolitan Yacht Club