Monday, March 05, 2012
Purse seiners out of SE herring fishery
Alaska’s Board of Fisheries voted to take purse seiners out of a Ketchikan-area herring fishery.
– KRBD, Ketchikan
More:www.krbd.org
A record Klamath run?
More than 1.6 million fall Chinook salmon are in the ocean and finning their way toward Northern California's Klamath River, and that's the best news Southern Oregon offshore anglers could hear this year.
– Medford Mail Tribune
More:www.mailtribune.com
Klamath fish kill coming?
Humboldt County officials and the Hoopa Valley Tribe are saying a fish kill on the Klamath is possible this year if the government doesn't release more water from the Trinity River.
– Eureka Times Standard
More:www.times-standard.com
Stop Chuitna strip mine
Some folks from Texas want to strip-mine the Chuitna River watershed on the west side of Cook Inlet so they can send coal to China.
– Juneau Empire
More juneauempire.com
Cable snaps, kills man
A 39-year-old man died aboard a fishing vessel on Thursday after being struck by a snapped cable.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Rescue off Brookings
The 38-foot fishing vessel Njord had taken on approximately two feet of water when a distress call was received by the Coast Guard at 11:42 a.m.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d13.uscgnews.com
Fishermen lobby for Tongass
A group of Alaska commercial fishermen, anglers, guides, naturalists, and tour operators are in Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for more conservation and restoration of fish habitat in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska.
– Trout Unlimited
More:www.tu.org
Good Sam rescues crew near Kodiak
The Cyclone was sinking about 20 miles southeast of Kodiak Friday. The watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast notice to all mariners in the area to assist the Cyclone crew.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Pebble report suits miners
As leaders of Alaska-based organizations representing the interests of Bristol Bay residents, commercial fishermen, and sportsmen throughout the state, we want to provide some perspective on the unveiling of the "Environmental Baseline Documents" by the Pebble Limited Partnership in a series of presentations that will be occurring across our region over the coming weeks and months.
– Dutch Harbor Fisherman
More:www.thedutchharborfisherman.com
Halibut fight moves ashore
The fight over halibut fishing allocations have come ashore, and landed with a major thud.
– CTV News, Victoria
More:www.ctvvancouverisland.ca
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
TRAWL RATZ MAKES MONEY
Revenues and efficiency have climbed substantially over the last year for West Coast commercial fishers trawling for whiting and other valuable groundfish under the catch shares programme, according to preliminary data from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
– FIS
More:www.fis.com
Sea lion judge won’t budge
Federal Judge Timothy Burgess declined to lift controversial commercial fishing restrictions the federal government imposed to protect endangered Steller sea lions in the Aleutians.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
Moveable marine reserves?
Researchers from Stanford University in California suggest that marine protected reserves would work much better if they were moveable and not fixed conservation areas based around static points such as coral reefs and seamounts.
– Practical Fishkeeping, U.K.
More:www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
Salmon win Cal victory
California salmon and salmon fishermen won in federal court when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said the federal water project is obliged to provide enough water to double the salmon population.
– San Francisco Chronicle
More:blog.sfgate.com
Alaska fisherman medevaced
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a 47-year-old man from the fishing vessel Alaska Ocean approximately 50 miles north of Cold Bay Monday.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Professor takes fight to Australia
Hilborn released a paper, titled Australian Seafood Consumers Misled by Prophets of Gloom and Doom, that questions the motives of non-government organizations (NGOs) in perpetuating myths about the sustainability of Australian fisheries.
– Donnybrookmail, Australia
More:www.donnybrookmail.com.au
Dillingham looks to annex Nushagak
If Dillingham voters approve annexation of the waters of the Nushagak Commercial Salmon District in April, fishermen who own property within the city of Dillingham will get a break on the potential 2.5 percent fish tax set for concurrent approval.
– Dutch Harbor Fisherman
More:www.thedutchharborfisherman.com
Ketchikan against harbor improvements
The Ketchikan City Council Thursday night rejected a proposal to put a $10 million bond proposition before voters. The bond proposition would have been used to pay for harbor improvements.
– KRBD, Ketchikan
More:www.krbd.org
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
SNOW CRABBERS SEEK LONGER SEASON
Sea ice is wreaking havoc on the Bering Sea snow crab harvest for the second time this season.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Gathering deckhand information
The information would be valuable to fishing communities, but the practicalities of gathering the data are, so far, insurmountable.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
CG aviator declared innocent
The Sitka-based Coast Guard aviator was facing charges of negligent homicide and destruction of government property in connection with a 2010 helicopter crash. He also faced charges of dereliction of duty.
– KCAW, Sitka
More:www.kcaw.org
Cable snaps, man medevaced
A second commercial fisherman off Alaska has been struck by a snapped cable in a five-day period.
– KTUU, Anchorage
More:www.ktuu.com
Be afraid!
It looks like 2012 will be the year of two salmons: one a genetically altered "frankenfish" currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration, and the other an inhabitant of one of the world's last great wild salmon runs, which is unfortunately situated atop a whole lot of copper and gold deposits.
– Huffington Post
More:www.huffingtonpost.com
Student visa change worries fish packers
The U.S. State Department program that allows foreign college students to come to America and work for the summer is in danger of going away suddenly, leaving seafood processing operations in Kodiak and elsewhere around Alaska in a lurch.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
Named to national fish committee
Secretary of Commerce John Bryson has announced the appointment of seven new advisors to NOAA's Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, bringing the group's membership to the full complement of 21. New members are Julie Bonney, Kodiak; Dick M. Brame, Wilmington, N.C.; Michele Longo Eder, Newport; Elizabeth (Liz) Hamilton, Oregon City; Micah McCarty, Neah Bay; Robert Rheault, Wakefield, R.I.; and Pamela Yochem, San Diego.
Fishermen, be more visible
"You never see a fisherman in the halls with a button saying 'I love fish.' The impact is the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You have to be involved to make your presentation."
– Cordova Times
More:thecordovatimes.com
Bill threatens otter exclusion
Legislation introduced into Congress threatens to scuttle a deal to end a quarter-century exclusion of sea otters from Southern California waters.
– Mercury News
More:www.mercurynews.com
Black cod or butterfish?
Boston-area celebrity chef Ming Tsai appears to be on a campaign to rename Alaska sablefish.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Thursday, March 08, 2012
GOOD NEWS FOR NW TROLLERS
Salmon fisheries in California and Oregon look particularly promising, due primarily to good river conditions, and excellent ocean conditions, for salmon.
– Pacific Fishery Management Council
More:yubanet.com
Solar storm fouls navigation
A strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival on Thursday could affect power grids, airplane routes, and space-based satellite navigation systems.
– Reuters
More:www.reuters.com
Protect Tongass salmon
The ex-vessel value of salmon caught commercially in Southeast Alaska in 2011 exceeded that of all other regions, including Bristol Bay for the first time since statehood.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Fish Board and gear conflicts
A Yakutat-area lodge-owner has lost a battle over salmon allocations after it appeared that he had won. It's just one of the conflicts between user groups that came before Alaska's Board of Fisheries.
– KCAW, Sitka
More:www.kcaw.org
Fish farm disease spreads
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed an outbreak of salmon virus at a commercial Nova Scotia fish farm.
– CBC
More:www.cbc.ca
Seiner buyback set for vote
Owners of 379 Southeast seine permits will vote this spring on whether to take out a $13.1 million loan to purchase 64 permits.
– KRBD, Ketchikan
More:www.krbd.org
Japanese radiation in Alaska
Now, the United States Geological Survey has issued a report releasing their final data and, as expected, some of the highest levels of radiation were detected at Alaska sites.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
False Pass fuel spill
Approximately 3,468 gallons of unleaded gasoline were lost from the 30,610-gallon capacity tank, which was gauged at 12,325 gallons at the end of January. The spill is contained within the lined containment area.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:dec.alaska.gov
Norwegians met by anti-fish farmers
A top-level parliamentary delegation from Norway was met by fish-farm protesters in Victoria, and more demonstrations are expected when they head to Quadra Island.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Friday, March 09, 2012
B.C. HERRING SEASON OPENS
Comox Harbor was packed with commercial fishermen earlier this week as the Pacific Roe Herring Fishery opened for business.
– Canada.com
More:www.canada.com
Alaska herring fleet ready
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued a revised quota for this spring's Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery — 28,829 tons.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Japan nukes stay shut
All but two of Japan's 54 commercial reactors have gone offline since the nuclear disaster a year ago, set off by an earthquake and tsunami, and it is not clear when they can be restarted.
– Minneapolis Star Tribune
More:www.startribune.com
Radioactivity in Japan fish
South Korea is finding radioactive materials in fishery products from Japan with increased frequency but has no immediate plans to ban imports as the radiation levels are far below safety limits, the Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing an unidentified inspection agency official.
– Japan Times
More:www.japantimes.co.jp
A cut in tsunami preparedness
The federal government is proposing at least a million dollar reduction in funding for tsunami programs in Alaska.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, potential changes to the foreign student work program could mean big trouble for Alaska's canneries this summer; longliners and the charter fleet reach a rare compromise in Southeast; and the Fish Board chairman said there was nothing improper with his accepting room and board for a meeting in his own town.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
SE divers off geoducks
The local commercial dive fleet is sitting out yet another geoduck opening due to high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning. The closures come at a time when geoduck prices are at all-time highs.
– KRBD, Ketchikan
More:www.krbd.org
Bering Sea medevac I
A Kodiak-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew medevaced a fisherman from the 314-foot Seattle-based fishing vessel Arctic Storm 63 miles west of Cold.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Bering Sea medevac II
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a fisherman from the 310-foot fishing vessel Northern Hawk southeast of St. Paul.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
New chief at NW fisheries center
John E. Stein, deputy director and current acting director of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, has been named the new permanent director of the Center, the agency announced March 7, 2012.
– NOAA
More:www.nwfsc.noaa.gov
