Monday, April 23, 2012
ALASKA KING & SNOW CRAB FISHERIES CERTIFIED TO FAO-BASED RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT STANDARD
Following a twelve month fishery assessment period, a Global Trust Certification Committee met on April 16th 2012 and formally certified that the management system of the U.S. Alaska King and Snow Crab Bering Sea Commercial Fisheries have met the FAO-Based Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification Standard.
– Seattle pi
More: www.seattlepi.com
MSC Certification for Alaska's Salmon Fisheries Could Continue
The Marine Stewardship Council's sustainability certification for Alaska's commercial salmon fisheries could continue beyond this year.
– KDLJ Radio
More:www.kdlg.org
Another sorry season expected on the Yukon
State and federal agencies have come out with the Yukon River salmon outlook for this year, and it's not great.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Fishing out the facts on marine life
Zachary Semeniuk may be a fisheries biologist and marketer of sustain-able seafood but that doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
Study shows marine protected areas boost fish populations 100 miles away
A new study offers the first hard evidence that larvae from yellow tang living in marine reserves off the Kona Coast of Hawaii grew into adult fish in unprotected areas far away,
– The World
More:theworldlink.com
Scientists seek Arctic ban on commercial fishing
The five Arctic countries are being urged by more than 2,000 scientists from around the world to impose a moratorium on industrial fishing in the increasingly accessible waters of the central Arctic Ocean.
– The Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
Salmon runs, grizzly bear dreams
Earlier this month, California’s beleaguered salmon fishing industry finally got a break. After the catastrophic collapse of Central Valley’s fall Chinook run in 2008-2009, hundreds of thousands of fish may be on their way back to Sacramento riverbeds.
– KQED Quest
More:science.kqed.org
Seafood Leads Alaska Exports in Record Setting Year
Alaska Seafood exports rose dramatically in 2011 to lead the state’s increase in exports to a record $5.2 billion.
– SitNews Ketchikan
More:www.sitnews.us
First Nations fishing rights upheld
The Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decision to deny the Crown’s appeal in the Ahousaht fishing rights case has been hailed by some as a step in the right direction for First Nation resource claims.
– Coast Reporter
Protecting wildlife can sustain our future, too
Despite the knowledge that many species depend on salmon, humans have never managed fisheries with wildlife in mind. A salmon can enter a fishing net or the mouth of a grizzly bear, but can we manage for the interests of both?
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
TOURISM ON BRISTOL BAY?
Like much of the Alaskan bush, the landscape surrounding the austere, pewter-colored expanse of Bristol Bay is unlike anything you'll see in the Lower 48 (a place locals refer to as "America").
– Conte Nast Traveler
More: www.cntraveler.com
Arctic populations on the rise
In fact fish populations have risen dramatically.
– Mother Nature Network
More: www.mnn.com
Mapping Oregon's coast
The seafloor off the Oregon coast now holds a little less mystery, thanks to a team of geologists, oceanographers, and commercial fishermen.
– Our Amazing Planet
More: www.ouramazingplanet.com
Big changes coming
Along with sweeping changes to NOAA's observer program, in 2010 Congress passed extensive new safety regulations as part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org
Sustainable labels promise much
The labels give customers a false impression that purchasing certain products helps the ocean more than it really does.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: www.adn.com
More complexity in your life
Standing on the deck of his rusted steel trawler, Naz Sanfilippo fumed about the latest bad news for New England fishermen: a decision by Whole Foods to stop selling any seafood it does not consider sustainable.
– New York Times
More: www.nytimes.com
Future choices to be painful
Everyone wants a diverse and plentiful mix of fish in the ocean for centuries to come, but fishermen, regulators, retailers, and the public face difficult choices.
– News Telegram, Worcester, Mass.
More: www.telegram.com
Seals and sea lions: bad boys
Biologists estimate that harbor seals consume six to eight percent of their body weight every day.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More: www.timescolonist.com
Cal Dungeness panel
The California Dungeness crab task force administrative team would like to announce that the final meeting summary from the April 2 meeting in Ukiah is now available online.
– California Dungeness crab task force
More: www.opc.ca.gov
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
SALMON SEINERS WANT MSC
The prospect of losing markets has prompted a new group to step forward as the client for the Marine Stewardship Council's certification of Alaska commercial salmon fisheries.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org (scroll down)
Another certification for king crab
Following a 12 month fishery assessment period, a Global Trust Certification Committee formally certified that the management system of the U.S. Alaska king and snow crab Bering Sea Commercial Fisheries have met the FAO-Based Responsible Fisheries Management Certification Standard.
– Perishable News
More: www.perishablenews.com
Fish farmers want wild fish
"If these proteins are obtained from extractive fisheries, aquaculture stops being an alternative to over-fishing and starts contributing to it, turning it into a risk for natural marine ecosystems."
– PhysOrg
More: phys.org
Petersburg blesses the fleet
A crowd gathered at Fisherman's Memorial Park in Petersburg to welcome the 2012 fishing season and remember lost loved ones.
– KFSK, Petersburg
More: www.kfsk.org
New vessel safety regulations
Along with sweeping changes to NOAA's observer program, Congress passed extensive new safety regulations as part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org
Chukchi susceptible to oil
"I've never seen a system in which you can have such dramatic changes, environmentally, in such a short distance."
– Anchorage Daily News
More: www.adn.com
Ice breaker crew honored
The unit commendation was awarded to the crew for meritorious service in support of Coast Guard operations during their seven month 2011 science mission, which was extended an additional month in order to avert a potential energy crisis in Nome, Alaska.
– Coast Guard
More: www.d13.uscgnews.com
Fishermen plagued by crab rustlers
Rogue crabbers wait for dark to haul up other crabbers' baited pots.
– The Oregonian
More: www.oregonlive.com
Canadian feds promise to do better
"We have been clear that the current rules governing the protection of fish habitat are indiscriminate and unfocused and do not reflect the priorities of Canadians."
– FIS
More: www.fis.com
Thursday, April 26, 2012
MORE ON KODIAK MURDERS
Investigators want to talk with anyone who saw the vehicle on or near the roadway between the Kodiak State Airport and the ComSta between 7 and 7:18 on the morning of the murders.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org
Pebble not yet proposed
No mine plan had been drafted yet and a lot of disinformation was being distributed.
– Financial Mail, UK
More: www.fm.co.za
Petition against halibut bycatch
A petition being circulated to commercial and sport fishermen, coastal residents, and other stakeholders seeks to reduce halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska by at least 15 percent, the maximum reduction being considered at this time.
– Cordova Times
More: www.thecordovatimes.com
Heavy tanker traffic
U.S. government statistics show 548 tankers entered Juan de Fuca Strait bound for Washington state ports in 2010. Another 252 came in bound for Canada.
– Victoria Times
More: www.timescolonist.com
Canadian sporties feel forgotten
It appears that over the past couple of decades, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has forgotten how important recreational fishing is to British Columbians.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More: www.timescolonist.com
Benefits for fishing towns
The operating budget passed April 15 by the state Legislature includes $20 million in spending to fund four new loan pools designed to benefit local fishing economies in Alaska.
– Homer News
More: homernews.com
Murkowski and frankenfish
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has time and time again expressed concerns about a proposal to allow genetically modified salmon to be produced and sold as food in the United Sates.
– KDLG, Dilllingham
More: kdlg.org
Kodiak moorage rates
The Kodiak City Council heard the results of a study of moorage fees in the city's harbors.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org
Watching for tsunami debris
The problem with marine trash is the tragedy it causes marine life when a bird plucks a morsel that is actually styrofoam, or when a seal gets strangled by fishing nets.
– Homer Tribune
More: homertribune.com
Friday, April 27, 2012
OREGON ASKS TO KILL BIRDS
They want federal approval to shoot a type of seabird that eats millions of baby salmon trying to reach the ocean.
– San Jose Mercury News
More: www.mercurynews.com
Half Bristol Bay catch chilled
A new report indicates that for the first time ever the Bristol Bay drift-net fleet chilled over 50 percent of the harvest last year.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Bill would keep Cal otter line
The bill, backed by House Republicans, would retain the zone south of Point Conception until wildlife officials develop a plan ensuring that the threatened marine mammals and endangered abalone recover and that the commercial shellfish harvest stays at current levels.
– L.A. Times
More: www.latimes.com
Gold in the water
Fueled by demand from China, prices for Northwest geoduck clams are soaring.
– Seattle Times
More: seattletimes.nwsource.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, the gillnet herring fishery in Southeast could be going on as we speak, after fishermen were put on two-hour notice Monday night; Now is the time to start getting prepared for new fishing vessel safety regs going into effect next y ear; And putting on your best face when the fish council comes to town.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: www.kmxt.org (scroll down)
Salmon farms vs. shellfish
While wild fish conservationists have long voiced their concerns over the impact of huge discharges of juvenile sea lice from the fish-farms causing damage to emigrating juvenile wild salmon and sea trout, concerns are also being expressed by commercial shell fishermen as to the chronic effect of the use of sea lice treatment chemicals on marine crustaceans, such as crab, lobster, prawn and shrimps.
– Deadline.com
More: www.deadlinenews.co.uk
Fishing in thawed Arctic
Leading scientists from around the world warned that unbridled commerical fishing in newly thawed Arctic waters is likely to result in resource depletion similar to what's occurred in other areas.
– Summit County Citizens Voice
More: summitcountyvoice.com
Seeking smelt
Now researchers are using special equipment to sample for tiny smelt eggs and larvae.
– The Oregonian
More: www.oregonlive.com
Panel OKs Cal crab changes
The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife committee approved a bill that would change crabbing regulations.
– Eureka Times Standard
More: www.times-standard.com
