Coast Guard turns focus on remaining longliners

The Canadian Coast Guard will work again on Monday to try to free the final fishing vessels that have been stuck in heavy ice off Newfoundland for at least two weeks.

The Coast Guard was able to free 11 longliners from ice over the weekend.

Capt. Brian Penney, head of operations with the coast guard's command centre in St. John's, said Monday morning that ice remains "very heavy" off Fogo Island.

Some eight vessels are still stuck about 20 nautical miles,or about 37kilometres, north of Fogo Island.

Penney said the coast guard vessels Ann Harvey and Terry Fox will be concentrating their efforts there on Monday.

Two additionalcoast guard vessels worked on clearing ice to aid the 11 other longliners this weekend, he said.

At one point, more than 100 vessels heading home from the annual seal huntwere stuck amid heavy sheets of ice. Coast guard vessels were gradually able to help free many of the vessels, particularly as weather conditions improved and the winds blew the ice offshore.

In addition to the longliners, three commercial carriers had requested assistance.