Monday, January 9, 2012
HOMER PREPARES FOR RADIOACTIVE DEBRIS
Cook Inletkeeper’s Bob Shavelson was at work Monday locating a geiger counter online to purchase for measuring any radioactive presence on jetsome that floats ashore on Kachemak Bay beaches.
– Homer Tribune
More:homertribune.com
West Coast trawl quota
January is traditionally a time to reflect on the year just past, and to look forward as well. For many of the men and women who fish off Oregon's coast, this month marks an especially important milestone.
– Brad Pettinger, writing in The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
Feds to set far reaching quotas
In an effort to sustain commercial and recreational fishing for the next several decades, the United States this year will become the first country to impose catch limits for every species it manages, from Alaskan pollock to Caribbean queen conch.
– Washington Post
More:www.washingtonpost.com
Canada probes Native salmon sales
The federal government is conducting a complex and extensive investigation into first nations salmon fisheries on the B.C. coast, Provincial Court documents reveal.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
Value of Bristol Bay catch
Researchers at Portland based Ecotrust concluded that the value of fish harvested in Bristol Bay averaged $2.2 to $2.9 billion annually from 2005-2008.
– Alaska Dispatch
More:www.alaskadispatch.com
Bering Sea crabbing early
The Bering Sea snow crab fishery is picking up steam earlier than usual as the fleet scrambles to get the catch before rapidly encroaching sea ice shuts them down.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, writing in SitNews, Ketchikan
More: www.sitnews.us
Nome tanker plows through ice
A Russian tanker is inching through thick ice in the Bering Sea en route to delivering fuel to Nome. The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy is cutting a path for the 370-foot Renda, which is carrying more than 1.3 million gallons of fuel.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Cordova smothered in snow
The fishing town of Cordova is used to dealing with excessive snow -- but not like this.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: www.adn.com
Deadliest Catch tough guy
Tattooed tough guy Feleti "Freddy" Maugatai of the crab boat Wizard on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch has been charged with misdemeanor assault in the wake of a December fight at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Dutch Harbor.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
FISHING BOAT EXPLOSION
An explosion aboard a 56-foot commercial fishing vessel docked in Boat Haven shook local windows and rattled walls but caused no injuries or damages to the adjacent boats — which included the Coast Guard cutter Osprey.
– Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, Wash.
More:www.peninsuladailynews.com
Crab tender aground
The 180-foot crab tender Baranof was switching docks to pick up crab pots when it beached itself on the backside of Little South America.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Cordova: National Guard in
Cordova residents say at this time of year, there are more shovels than people in town – but even with all the shovels, they can't seem to dig themselves out of more than 14 feet of snow they're facing.
– KTUU, Anchorage
More:articles.ktuu.com
Acidification in Dillingham
The issue of ocean acidification was addressed at length during a roundtable presentation held in Dillingham.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
Dry land salmon farming
A unique fish farm proposal, designed to grow commercial volumes of salmon in tanks on land, was given an $800,000 government boost.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Tighter logging standards
A study finding that logging on private timberlands is making streams warmer, potentially harming salmon, has prompted the state Board of Forestry to consider tightening state logging standards.
– Eugene Register Guard
More:www.registerguard.com
Fish house stuck in Canadian probe
A seafood company that prides itself on buying nothing but sustainable and legal fish says it has become a bycatch in an investigation into an alleged illegal first nation salmon fishery.
– Globe and Mail, Toronto
More:www.theglobeandmail.com
B.C. oil pipeline costs more
Enbridge Inc.'s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline through British Columbia's mountains faces rising costs as regulators and opponents weigh environmental threats in the latest battle over Alberta's oil sands.
– Financial Post, Canada
More:business.financialpost.com
Big fish farmer sues B.C. activist
Don Staniford has fought many battles in his 15 years of opposing salmon farming, from his days as a master of environmental science student in England to lobbying against farmed Atlantic salmon on British Columbia's coast.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
CORDOVA SHOVEL SHORTAGE
An Alaska community blitzed by nearly 15 feet of snow was hit by another storm and a new problem – a shortage of shovels.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Snow sinking Kodiak boats
The harbormaster is advising all boat owners to go shovel the snow off their vessel immediately. Marty Owen says three boats have sunk this morning.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
Next crab opener
A second wave of Dungeness crab is expected to hit the market when the North Coast of California opens to commercial crabbers on Sunday.
– Sacramento Bee
More:www.sacbee.com
Crab prices go up
Nick Furman, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, says the new price of crab has been hovering around $3/pound for processors and $3.50/pound for live buyers.
– KCBY
More:www.kcby.com
Propane reason for boat explosion
A leaking acetylene tank has been identified as the probable source of the flammable gas that ignited and caused Monday's onboard explosion felt all over town.
– Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News
More:www.peninsuladailynews.com
Fuglvog associate facing charges
Trial has been set for Feb. 13 for an Oregon man accused of fishing in one area and falsely reporting the fish were caught in another area.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Fewer Cook Inlet Belugas
Scientists from NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center announced the 2011 abundance estimate for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population is 284 animals, almost 20 percent lower than last year's estimate of 340.
– SitNews, Ketchikan
More:www.sitnews.us
Columbia River sturgeon cut
Washington's Fish and Wildlife Commission wants a 38 percent cut in the allowable sport-commercial catch of sturgeon from the lower Columbia River this year.
– Vancouver, Wash., Columbian
More:www.columbian.com
Thursday, January 12, 2012
QUOTA CUTS TRAWL BYCATCH NUMBERS
Under this system in the first year, discards of wasted fish have fallen to 1 to 3 percent of the catch.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.nwsource.com
B.C. oil port dangerous
There have been many comments about the lack of dangers in the shipping of oil by tanker, some by people who have never been in the waters of the North Coast.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Alaska fisheries upset Canadians
Three conservation groups in British Columbia are taking aim at Alaskan salmon fisheries that they allege are damaging the region's fish stocks and which they also claim are violating conditions of the Marine Stewardship Council's eco-certification.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
Hollywood enviros object over turtle
Oceana has filed a complaint about the United States government's decision in October of 2010 to allow eight New England and Mid-Atlantic fisheries to harm 14 times more (from 42 to 610) threatened loggerhead sea turtles.
– Fish Update
More:www.fishupdate.com
More snow for Anchorage
Heavy snow fell in Alaska's largest city Thursday, adding to what already has been the snowiest period for Anchorage since records have been kept.
– Atlanta Journal Constitution
More:www.ajc.com
Cordova: Ugh!
When you're trying to clear nearly 15 feet of snow, a regular shovel just isn't going to cut it.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Ice barge to Naknek in June
The organization that owns the 2 large ice barges that are deployed each summer in Bristol Bay has decided to move one of those barges to another fishing district.
– KDLG, Dillinham
More:kdlg.org
Oil barge nears Nome
The Coast Guard Cutter Healy and Russian tanker Renda are experiencing dynamic ice conditions and the transit to Nome is slow but continuous. The vessels are approximately 100 miles from Nome.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Oops! Correction
The article on your web site, "Propane reason for boat explosion," does not mention propane; it is about acetylene. … Acetylene (welding gas) is extreme explosive and caused this explosion. And, yes, propane is a menace on boats because it is very heavy and tends to collect in bilges, eventually causing a very hot fire with people often getting hurt (but rarely, if ever a bang).
– Mac MacCarter
Editor's note: Our mind was in neutral. Sorry.
Friday, January 13, 2012
FIRST SIGN OF TSUNAMI DEBRIS
The Japanese government estimated that up to 25 million tons of debris washed into the Pacific Ocean. Now that debris may be starting to make landfall along US coasts.
—LCC, Eugene
More:klcc.org
Fish farm disease vaccine
This vaccine is given together with commercial salmon feed through a system patented by the U.S. company.
– FIS.com
More:www.fis.com
Coast Guard moves to St. Paul Island
With an increased number of vessels operating in the region, the Coast Guard will again forward deploy two MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crews from Air Station Kodiak to St. Paul to provide a more rapid response should the need arise.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
D-crab opener I
Another wave of Dungeness crab is expected to hit the market next week.
– CBS, Sacramento
More:sacramento.cbslocal.com
D-crab opener II
Commercial crabbers along Oregon's southern coast are prepping their equipment for a late season opening.
– Oregon Public Broadcasting
More:news.opb.org
Englund to leave state commish
Jon Englund, 74, who's run Englund Marine & Industrial Supply and served on numerous boards, committees and commissions around the North Coast, will be stepping down this year from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, after serving two terms equaling eight years.
– Daily Astorian
More:www.dailyastorian.com
Ice breaker nears Nome
The Healy and the Russian tanker Renda are now approximately 27 nautical miles away from the city.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Samuelsen retires from CDQ
One of the local Bristol Bay leaders who was involved with the creation of the CDQ organization for the region is resigning as its president and CEO.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, some fishermen in Cordova may have lost their boats to the unnatural dump of snow there, a new factory long-liner will be built in-state, and the dilemma of bycatch.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
New safety and survival DVD
NPFVOA Vessel Safety Program has updated its Safety and Survival DVD. The new DVD is completed and ready for sale. To preview a sample of the new DVD, please go to www.npfvoa.org and click on "Watch Preview." To order, call 206-285-3383 or email info@npfvoa.org
