Monday, March 11, 2013
REVIEWING MAGNUSON-STEVENS
The fourth 10-year revision and re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is about to get underway.
– Gloucester (Mass.) Times
More:gloucestertimes.com
Sucking California dry
But for too long, California has allowed farmers and cities to divert massive amounts of water from the rivers that run through the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley, leaving only a fraction of the natural flow in these rivers in the winter and spring months.
– NRDC Switchboard, California
More:switchboard.nrdc.org
Economy of fisheries
The just released "Fisheries Economics of the U.S." by NOAA Fisheries covers the commercial and recreational fishing industries from 2002-2011 and is loaded with descriptive seafood industry stats by region.
– SitNews, Ketchikan
More:sitnews.us
A tough line of work
Commercial fishing has the highest rate of U.S. occupational death, mostly from vessels sinking, but also winch injuries and falling overboard.
– UPI
More:upi.com
Northwest king forecast
While predictions for a near-record Chinook salmon run last year never materialized, ocean biologists are forecasting strong returns to key Chinook rivers in Southern Oregon and Northern California and anticipate good ocean-fishing seasons this year.
– OPB, Oregon
More:opb.org
B.C.'s sac roe herring fishery
Gilnetters and seiners hauled in thousands of tons of herring from the Strait of Georgia, but there are fewer fish in the water than last year, even though the quota for the roe herring fishery is higher.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:timescolonist.com
Atka growth
The tiny Aleutian community of Atka could be in for some major growth over the next few years, if the Atka Pride Seafoods plant expands according to plan.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:kucb.org
Stormy weather medevac
Stormy weather delayed the medevac of a crewmember from the F/V Beauty Bay Friday morning.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:kucb.org
Tsunami anniversary
Amid growing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of recovery, Japan marked the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing and has displaced more than 300,000.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:adn.com
Crew license increase
State Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, has introduced House Bill 143, which would raise the fee for a seven-day crewmember license from $30 to $60.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
ALASKA HERRING
It's shaping up to be a good year for herring fishermen in Southwest and Western Alaska.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
Save your life
The best way to survive an accidental cold water immersion is to wear a life jacket.
– Infozine
More:infozine.com
Shares, not fish
Commercial fishermen used to be able to fish the U.S. seas freely. A new catch-share system has changed all that.
– Salon.com
More:salon.com
Lobbying for Tongass
A delegation of commercial and sport fishermen and tour operators traveled to the nation's capital this week to press Congress to enact stronger protections for salmon and trout in the country's largest national forest.
– Trout Unlimited
More:americansalmonforest.org
Senator and Pebble assessment
While many of our elected officials in Alaska and Washington, D.C., have taken an ill-informed, uncompromising stance against the watershed assessment, Sen. Begich's comments represent a rational approach in line with the vast majority of his constituents.
– Homer News
More:homernews.com
Tracing B.C. seafood
The crab comes with a coded tag that can be typed into a tablet or smartphone and it will quickly give you the story of that crustacean. Information includes the name of the fisherman who caught it, possibly a picture of his boat, and a map of where it was caught.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:timescolonist.com
Texan and Pebble Mine
Rep. Lamar Smith is from Texas and he stressed that EPA staff should be able to provide information on how much money has been spent preparing the "Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment" and a list of similar watershed assessments prepared in advance of permit applications for a large mining project.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
Oil companies and Arctic
Two oil companies with offshore leases in the Alaskan Arctic both clarified their plans for future development, shortly after the announcement that Shell Oil wouldn't be drilling in the region this summer.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:kucb.org
Missing crewman
A search is underway in the waters south of Nanaimo for a man who may be missing from a 25-meter fish boat.
– Vancouver Sun
More:vancouversun.com
Council and forage fish rules
Tim Roth, a deputy project leader for the federal Columbia River Fisheries Program in Vancouver, said the plan may lead to more conservative management of West Coast fisheries, at least initially.
– The Oregonian
More:oregonlive.com
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
CATCH SHARE GLOOM
But sweeping across the globe is a system that slowly and steadily hands over a $400 billion ocean fishing industry to corporations.
– The Bay Citizen
More:baycitizen.org
Sea otter bounty bill
Here's a sponsor statement from Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, on his sea otter control bill.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Lower Japan radiation
Two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, most marine products from the disaster-affected areas fall beneath national radiation limits, data from the Fisheries Agency shows – though contamination appears to persist in some areas.
– House of Japan
More:houseofjapan.com
Recovering stocks nationally
A decade and a half after a fisheries crisis led the U.S. Congress to enact landmark requirements for the rebuilding of fish stocks, two-thirds of the stocks subjected to the requirements have been rebuilt or are making significant rebuilding progress.
– Natural Resources Defense Council
More:switchboard.nrdc.org
West Coast stocks
Just ask local commercial fishermen. Many of them can recall times when they've had to throw away tons of fish caught in their nets.
– KOIN, Portland
More:kionrightnow.com
Cal salmon comment period
Regional wildlife officials are seeking public comment on the proposed salmon fishing season for both commercial and recreational fishermen.
– Santa Rosa Press Democrat
More:pressdemocrat.com
Sportsman salmon sales
Alaska Wildlife Troopers this weekend caught a man selling sport-caught salmon at the Southeast Artisans Flea Market.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Arctic cold war
Just a quarter-century ago, and for millenniums before that, the Arctic Ocean was covered year-round by ice, creating an impregnable wilderness that humans rarely negotiated.
– New York Times editorial
More:nytimes.com
Canada fish value
The latest trade figures for Canada's exports of fish and seafood products reveal that the country exported $4.14 billion in fish and seafood products in 2012, an increase of $41 million from 2011.
– FishNewEU
More:fishnewseu.com
B.C. ignoring bio-diversity
Environmental protection of B.C.'s landscapes is fragmented, inconsistent, and falls woefully short of what scientists say is needed to conserve species biodiversity.
– Vancouver Sun
More:vancouversun.com
Thursday, March 14, 2013
ALASKA SCALLOP REVIEW
A bill extending the limited entry program for scallops is making its way through the Alaska State Senate, but not without scrutiny.
– Alaska Journal
More:alaskajournal.com
Magnuson Stevens review
Commercial fishermen and industry representatives complained about the requirement to have human observers on vessels recording the size of the catch and by-catch.
– Alaska Public Radio
More:alaskapublic.org
Cook Inlet settlement
Sockeye salmon provide for the needs of a much larger number of users than Chinook salmon.
– Alaska Journal of Commerce
More:alaskajournal.com
Marina web improvements
Having a data connection has become nearly essential for many fishermen.
– Half Moon Bay Review
More:hmbreview.com
Alaska permits and liens
This legislation would prohibit maritime liens from being imposed on commercial fishing permits, while protecting the rights of fishermen as they continue to engage in the commercial industry in order to provide for their families.
– Alaska Native News
More:alaska-native-news.com
Fall Columbia season
State, federal and tribal officials — plus all manner of commercial and sport fishing interests — are in the middle of the month-long process leading to the setting of summer and fall salmon fishing seasons and regulations.
– Vancouver (Wash.) Columbian
More:columbian.com
Otter legislation
A bill rewarding sea otter hunters was praised and panned at its first hearing on Wednesday.
– KTOO, Juneau
More:ktoo.org
Fish fraud legislation
This week Alaska Senator Mark Begich introduced a bill that seeks to stem the tide of mislabeled seafood in the American marketplace.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:kmxt.org
Sitka herring survey
During this first flyover, biologists will look at the distribution of herring predators, like sea lions and whales.
– KCAW
More:kcaw.org
Friday, March 15, 2013
AKUTAN HOVERCRAFT
The Aleutians East Borough is moving ahead with a plan to replace the hovercraft that runs between Akutan and the airport on nearby Akun Island, but the timeline for swapping out the vessel is still up in the air.
– KUCB, Unalaska
More:kucb.org
Arctic drilling
"Shell screwed up in 2012."
– Alaska Public Radio
More:alaskapublic.org
Oregon rockfish
By indiscriminately netting too many rockfish in their prime breeding years, humans disrupted this long, slow balancing act.
– The Daily Astorian
More:dailyastorian.com
Alaska salmon habitat
Commercial fishermen, and environmental groups on March 13 asked Alaska Fish and Game Commissioner Cora Campbell to adopt basic rules to protect wild salmon habitat and provide Alaskans a chance to participate in salmon habitat decisions.
– Cordova Times
More:thecordovatimes.com
U.S. fisheries rebounding
Sixty-four percent of once-overfished, monitored fish stocks nationwide have been rebuilt or made significant progress thanks to additional protections added to the federal fisheries law in 1996.
– News Park Forest
More:enewspf.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Fishermen seek broader habitat protection for the Tongass, MSA reauthorization gets underway in Congress, and no, it's never too early to start talking about herring.
– KMXT
More:kmxt.org
Klamath water rights
The state of Oregon backed the Klamath Tribes' claim to have the oldest water rights in the upper Klamath Basin.
– Eureka Times Standard
More:times-standard.com
Sacramento plan
California water officials released the first part of a $23 billion plan to restore and protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and guarantee a stable water supply for millions of Californians.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.com
Otter replenishment
Those animals are now represented by some 21,000 to 25,000 that occupy much of their original habitat.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Magnuson-Stevens deadline
Congress must reauthorize the Magnuson Stevens Act, the federal law regulating the nation's fisheries, before it expires Sept. 30.
– Alaska Public Radio
More:alaskapublic.org
