Monday, January 23, 2012
TIME TO TAME SITKA HERRING FISHERY?
Every season, it seems, we see more and more evidence of Sitka's cutthroat style of fishing, thanks to the proliferation of digital recording devices and YouTube videos.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Sitka reality show off the air
A reality television show filmed during Sitka’s herring fishery has been pulled off the air.
– KCAW, Sitka
More:www.kcaw.org
Carlson payout reversed again
The Alaska Supreme Court has reversed one of its own earlier decisions and slashed more than $50 million from what would have been a windfall for a group of out-of-state fishermen.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
MSC questions ASMI
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has issued a statement questioning the sustainability of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s new standards.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
Sierra Club hurting women, babies
When compiling names of agenda-driven lobbying groups who care little about the collateral damage their campaigns inflict on public health and nutrition, the Sierra Club rarely makes the list. In fact, it is usually a list of well-meaning environmental stewards that features the Sierra Club.
– nj.com, New Jersey
More:www.fishnewseu.com
New refuge for leatherbacks
The National Marine Fisheries Service has designated more than 41,000 square miles off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington as critical habitat for endangered leatherback sea turtles.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.nwsource.com
Where will NOAA go?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a slogan that captures its odd position in the federal hierarchy: “NOAA may be the most important agency you’ve never heard of.”
– Washington Post
More:www.washingtonpost.com
Nome tanker heads to open water
A Russian tanker that brought fuel to iced-in Nome is heading back to open water – once it gets through miles of sea ice.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Wave energy for Alaska?
With its lengthy stretches of coast line, rapid currents, and big waves, Alaska could be capable of producing about a fifth of the nation’s electricity.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Cordova harbor OK
Cordova’s harbor held its own during the horrendous January storm, with the only apparent damage to one finger float and a yacht that was swamped, but then refloated, says Glenn Anderson, operations and maintenance supervisor.
– Cordova Times
More:www.thecordovatimes.com
Herring boom in SF Bay
Some fishermen say the San Francisco Bay sac roe herring fishery has been just about perfect – not counting the price.
There were three buyers and 20 boats fishing. One buyer was offering $200 a ton, while the other two held open tickets.
But the weather was good (“Every day like summer,” as fisherman Ernie Koepf said), and no rain to speak of.
Four-year-old fish predominated, as usual. There were 630 tons landed in the first week. Most of the fish came from the North Bay. About 3,000 pounds a week were diverted to the local fresh market.
“Sooner or later, an enterprising soul will buy herring in SF and export them for consumption – and not just sac roe. It's a no brainer,” Koepf said.
The fish continued to come, supporting an opening last week.
“I'm gonna break over 100 tons this year. That's a Togiak herring season!” Koepf said.
You can see Koepf in action here:www.youtube.com (He’s the guy who lands on his ass – twice.)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
ASIA WEALTH BOOSTS YOUR PRICE
Rising wealth in Asia and fishing subsidies are among factors driving overexploitation of the world's fish resources, while fish habitat is being destroyed by pollution and climate change.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.nwsource.com
Sea lion hunting season?
The lower Columbia River sturgeon population is in peril. The decline is irrefutable. The reason is not overfishing by commercial and sports fisherman.
– Vancouver (Wash.) Columbian
More:www.columbian.com
Halibut meeting begins
The International Pacific Halibut Commission is holding its annual meeting through Friday at the Hilton Anchorage.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Unalaska ports director gone
With Osterback gone, Public Safety Director Jamie Sunderland is the acting ports director. He says he's mostly overseeing operations, not working on projects.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Cordova cleaning up
In the wake of a devastating storm that overwhelmed Cordova and caused severe damaged to one of its buildings, Copper River Seafoods is busy removing debris and working to assure safe storage for vessels and supplies that were housed there.
– Cordova Times
More: www.thecordovatimes.com
Big boat to be built in Ketchikan
Alaska Ship and Dry Dock in Ketchikan is set to build its first big fishing boat – a 136 foot, all steel catcher processor for Alaska Longline Co. of Petersburg.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, writing in SitNews, Ketchikan
More:www.sitnews.us
Thinking tsunami debris
Efforts to deal with debris from last year's Japanese tsunami are moving forward. Dave Gaudet is the marine debris program coordinator for the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation. He says that politicians and policy-makers are finally starting to address the issue.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
More tsunami wreckage
Wreckage from the tsunami that struck Japan last March is slowly making its way across the Pacific Ocean.
– NPR
More:www.npr.org
Trawl ratz anniversary
"Discards are down, people are landing fish that they had to throw away and that's good – those fish have value," he said. "It has provided fishermen greater flexibility."
– Eureka Times Standard
More:www.times-standard.com
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
ICE ADVANCING IN BEARING SEA
Rapidly advancing sea ice has left crabbers scrambling to get their gear out of the water or stuck in port, waiting for better weather.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Klamath deal a good deal
Removing four Klamath River dams would provide $14 billion in short- and long-term economic benefits, according to a draft economic analysis.
– Herald and News, Klamath Falls
More:www.heraldandnews.com
Jack-up rig to Homer?
But where will the rig be stored during the winter months? One plan is for the 300-foot-tall rig to be docked at the harbor near the end of the Homer Spit. The plan is already drawing controversy in Homer.
– KCAW, Sitka
More:www.alaskapublic.org
Rough weather = slow pollock start
The Bering Sea's biggest fishery is open once again.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Coastal management – the sequel
The Alaska Legislature is preparing to take up discussion on a Coastal Management Program to replace the one that expired before it could get reauthorized during last year's regular and special sessions.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
New AK-fed fisheries coordinator
Nicole Kimball, a veteran federal fisheries analyst, is Alaska's new federal fisheries coordinator, filling the vacancy left when Stefanie Moreland joined the staff of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska as a legislative aide for fisheries and Arctic matters.
– Cordova Times
More:www.thecordovatimes.com
Free-for-all threatens fish
Jack mackerel, rich in oily protein, is manna to a hungry planet, a staple in Africa. Elsewhere, people eat it unaware; much of it is reduced to feed for aquaculture and pigs.
– New York Times
More:www.nytimes.com
Same fish, new products
In early 2010, Mike Babcock, a former lumber mill owner, started Oregon Seafoods as a small canning company in Coos Bay.
– OSU
More:oregonstate.edu
Columbia River habitat purchase
The Columbia Land Trust completed the purchase of the 920-acre Columbia Stock Ranch on the south shore of the Columbia River near Goble, Ore., with $5.3 million in BPA funding from electric ratepayers.
– Columbia Land Trust
More:www.piersystem.com
B.C. salmon farmer fined
The largest salmon-farming company in B.C. has been fined $5,000 after pleading guilty in Port Hardy provincial court to failing to return wild herring to the ocean.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Thursday, January 26, 2012
BIG DAY FOR KODIAK COAST GUARD
Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews rescued 11 fishermen from two different vessels near Kodiak.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Orcas killing northern sea lions
Killer whales and other ocean predators are targeting and killing the pups of a threatened northern sea lion species at an increasingly high rate.
– MSNBC
More:www.msnbc.msn.com
B.C. troll buy-back not popular
A federal plan to retire Chinook salmon licenses in the B.C. fishery is not popular with the local fishing community.
– Canada.com
More:www.canada.com
Overfishing: What about sports guys?
Commercial fishing operations get most of the blame for overfishing, but they're not the only player. Recreational anglers can also have a big impact on fish populations by dint of their numbers.
– Sciencemag.org
More:news.sciencemag.org
Recover stocks and make money
The worldwide fishing industry could benefit from an annual $50 billion boost if stocks were allowed time to recover.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
More on Bering ice
Sea ice is encroaching unusually early on the central Bering Sea, threatening to grind Alaska's economically important snow crab fishery to a halt at the peak of the season, leaving crabbers facing major losses.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Fish costlier, but less than beef
Fish and seafood prices were up 0.7 percent from November to December 2011 and are 6.8 percent above the December 2010 level.
–Bloomberg
More:www.bloomberg.com
Northern waters report
The Alaska Northern Waters Task Force has released a summary of a report that will be presented to the Alaska Legislature.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
More tsunami debris
A half dozen large buoys suspected to be from Japanese oyster farms have appeared near Yakutat at the top of Alaska's Panhandle and may be among the first debris from Japan's devastating tsunami last year.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Friday, January 27, 2012
TARIFFS DROPPED ON FARMED FISH
Norwegian salmon farmers can freely send fish to the United States for the first time in 21 years after U.S. officials dropped a penalty tariff stemming from old charges that Norway had dumped underpriced salmon in U.S. markets.
– Reuters
More:www.reuters.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
This week, plenty of news from the Fish Board meeting last week in Petersburg, and on the other side of the Gulf, snow crab is on hold because of advancing sea ice, which is also causing problems for the pollock A season fishermen.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org
NOAA satellites save lives
Satellites operated by the USA's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association played a crucial role in the rescues of 207 people from life-threatening situations in the United States and its surrounding waters last year.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
B.C. halibut arguments
Commercial halibut fishermen disagree with any changes to the current limits, claiming that Canada's halibut fishery is one of the best-run in the world.
– Canada.com
More:www.canada.com
Aid for Bella Bella fish plant
Sen. Yonah Martin announced support for the Heiltsuk Economic Development Corp. to upgrade the fish processing plant in Bella Bella.
– Market Watch press release
More:www.marketwatch.com
Conservation builds jobs
The Jan. 16 World editorial titled, "Marine reserves: So far, so good," is based on the mistaken idea that resource conservation equates to job loss.
– Coos Bay World
More:theworldlink.com
Canada policy supports fish farmers
Evidence now confirms that government policy supports the salmon farming industry, and that the industry has been willing to exploit this advantage to win regulatory concessions for its economic gain.
– Canada.com
More:www.canada.com
Columbia seasons set
Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today set fishing seasons for 2012 on the lower Columbia River that anticipate a strong run of spring Chinook salmon but a further decline in the number of white sturgeon available for harvest.
– Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
More:wdfw.wa.gov
First aid at sea classes
Washington Sea Grant and Port of Seattle Fishermen's Terminal are co-sponsoring a Coast Guard-approved First Aid at Sea course for commercial fishermen and recreational boaters on Feb. 29.
– Sea Grant
More:www.wsg.washington.edu
