Monday, May 16, 2011
OUTWITTING HUNGRY WHALES
When Southeast Alaska commercial fisherman Jay Skordahl prepares to lay down a 2-mile line of baited fish hooks, he keeps an eye out for 40-ton pests.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Columbia sea lions under the gun
NOAA gave permission Friday for Oregon and Washington to resume removing or killing California sea lions at Bonneville Dam six months after a federal appeals court struck down a similar permit.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
Alaska Legislature calls it quits
Saturday's abrupt end to the special legislative session has almost certainly doomed Alaska's coastal management program.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Togiak herring opened, but the fish were just a little too green for fishermen's tastes. Icicle will have a floating processor in Norton Sound for herring this year. And, is an electronic observer in your future?
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org (Scroll down.)
Alaskans bounced from beluga panel
Can Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists do impartial work on a team mandated to come up with a recovery plan for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale? Apparently not without representing the state's interest or positions, said James Balsiger, the regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service.
– Homer Tribune
More:homertribune.com
Commercial Puget crabbers lose in court
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee rejected the Puget Sound Commercial Crab Association's request for a temporary restraining order that would have reverted our more conservative season regulations to 2010 late this afternoon (May 13). Judge McPhee rejected the Association's challenge that the Fish and Wildlife Commission acted in a capricious and arbitrary manner in setting the new Puget Sound crab allocation ratios last October.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.nwsource.com
Smaller mesh on the Yukon
Like most commercial and subsistence fishermen on the Yukon River, Eagle resident Mike Sager will take advantage of a net exchange program meant to ease the impact of a new regulation requiring fishermen to use smaller gillnets.
– Fairbanks News Miner
More:Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Net swap is next best hope to save Yukon king salmon
Natives lose in B.C. court
B.C.'s highest court has rejected an appeal by three First Nation members involved in a fishing dispute going back more than a decade.
– Canadian Press
More:www.google.com
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
MAN OVERBOARD TRAINING VIDEO
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Alaska Pacific Regional Office announces the release of a new safety training and awareness video, Man Overboard: Prevention and Recovery. The new training video is designed to help prevent work-related deaths from drowning in commercial fishing.
More:www.cdc.gov
B.C. politician fishing fine
Already in hot water over his controversial remarks about sexual orientation, designated B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins was fined $200 in Surrey Provincial Court for taking part in an illegal fishery.
– Globe and Mail, Toronto
More:www.theglobeandmail.com
California waits for salmon
"The big hype we heard early about the salmon season this year being good so far hasn't happened."
– Monterey County (Calif.) Herald
More:www.montereyherald.com
NOAA expose televised tonight
After a six-month investigation, Dan Rather Reports will broadcast an in-depth look at the U.S. commercial fishery tonight.
– FishUpdate.Com
More:www.fishupdate.com
Salmon in Vietnam
Vietnam proves to be a promising market for seafood from Chile, particularly for salmon and trout.
– FIS
More:www.fis.com
Alaska Air to stay independent
Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer pilots a rarity in the airline industry – a carrier that has made it through a turbulent decade without filing for bankruptcy or merging with another airline.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Portland Coast Guard open house
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland will host an open house for the public Saturday. The event will give members of the community a chance to learn about the missions of the Coast Guard through demonstrations and interactive displays including boat tours, damage control demonstrations, safety displays.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d13publicaffairs.com
New weather buoys off Alaska coast
A new set of buoys in Alaska waters will help scientists understand how climate change may be affecting the pH level of northern seas. University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) researchers placed the first buoy last month.
– Green Car Congress
More:www.greencarcongress.com
Do it now!
Fish Wrap needs more readers, so we're asking you to help us. Suggest to your colleagues that they subscribe. It's free, and the product is good. Besides, what better way to celebrate World Telecommunication Day? Wheeeee!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
NOAA TO FISHERMEN: WE'RE SORRY
The U.S. Commerce Secretary ordered $650,000 in unjust fines returned to Northeast fishermen, while the nation's oceans chief apologized to the group and said restoring the money marks a turning point in their tense relationship.
– Wall Street Journal
More:online.wsj.com
B.C. fishery tied to the mob?
It has long been suspected in B.C. that the aboriginal fishery is a cover for operations, with possible organized crime links, that trade in salmon the way others trade in drugs.
– Globe and Mail, Toronto
More:www.theglobeandmail.com
Arctic fishing ban urged
A leading North American environmental group stepped up its push for an international moratorium on commercial fishing in the central Arctic Ocean.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.canada.com
Sporties against Pebble Mine
If you fish and have not heard of Pebble, you may have been under a rock.
– Fly Rod & Reel magazine
More:www.flyrodreel.com
Interview with new Alaska fish commish
Formerly Gov. Sean Parnell's fisheries adviser Cora Campbell was appointed acting commissioner in December. She also dealt with wildlife, environmental conservation, natural resources, Arctic issues and climate change.
– Arctic Sounder
More:thearcticsounder.com
Trapped sea lions not on death list
The Oregon Fish & Wildlife began trapping sea lions below Bonneville Dam, but none of the four which climbed into cages were on a list of animals eligible to be euthanized.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
Alaska oil fields called unique
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also agreed with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that oil and gas development in Alaska is unique, and said at a hearing in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that they'll be working to better coordinate the federal permitting process in Alaskan Arctic.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
First Copper River fish in Seattle
The first planeload of fresh Copper River salmon from Alaska arrived at Sea-Tac Airport where chefs were waiting eagerly.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Copper River Flats sinking averted
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, forward deployed to Cordova and two good Samaritan vessels rescued a 32-foot fishing vessel – Divalu – taking on water 22 miles south of Cordova.
– Coast Guard
More:www.d17.uscgnews.com
Thursday, May 19, 2011
BRISTOL BAY RIVERS 'ENDANGERED'
Rivers and tributaries of Bristol Bay, home of the world's largest run of wild sockeye salmon, have been added to the list of America's most endangered rivers, in a report issued by the group America Rivers.
– Seward Phoenix Log
More:thesewardphoenixlog.com
Managers: B.C. Natives 'out of control'
Aboriginal fisheries on the lower Fraser River are "out of control" and vast amounts of salmon supposed to go strictly for food, social and ceremonial purposes are instead sold on the black market.
– Surrey (B.C.) Leader
More:www.bclocalnews.com
Court: B.C. Natives may sell fish
The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld the right of aboriginal groups to take part in the commercial fishery and sell what they catch, except for a specialized commercial clam fishery.
– Canadian Press
More:www.google.com
Alaska trawl surveys begin
Alaska Fisheries Science Center has just launched its biennial comprehensive survey in the Gulf of Alaska, during which National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers will help determine the next catch rates.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Editorial: Time for NOAA criminal probe
The fishermen and other waterfront business owners have been criminally victimized by a wing of their own government. And "sorry" isn't going to cut it, even while NOAA throws money at the problem to boot. Let a full criminal investigation begin. It's long overdue.
– A front page editorial in the Gloucester (Mass.) Times
More:www.gloucestertimes.com
Bodies retrieved from Cook Inlet
The U.S. Coast Guard found the bodies of two missing clam diggers near a beach on the west side of Cook Inlet, raising the death toll to five after a commercial clamming skiff disappeared.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
New B.C. salmon farm proposed
A major new salmon farm is being proposed for Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve in British Columbia.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
After disasters, Japan recession
Japan's economy shrank in the first quarter, veering back into recession as factory production and consumer spending wilted in the aftermath of March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
– The Coos Bay World
More:theworldlink.com
Fisherman retains port seat
Port of Astoria Commissioner Bill Hunsinger retained his seat in Tuesday's election.
– The Daily Astorian
More:www.dailyastorian.com
Friday, May 20, 2011
SAFE FISH: NO FALLOUT
The Environmental Protection Agency continues to post the monitoring data on radionuclides in air, precipitation, milk and drinking water. The good news is there's no news.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
No price bump for squid
When the squid season began April 1, local fishermen held back in hopes of pressuring processors to bump the price of calamari from $500 to $600 per ton.
– Montery County (Calif.) Weekly
More:www.montereycountyweekly.com
Copper River starting strong
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says the Copper River salmon catch is off to a strong start.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: www.adn.com
Vessel burns in Kodiak
The fishing vessel Family Pride was damaged by fire and smoke in Fuller's Boatyard when welding work on the outside of the vessel spread fire to an inside berthing area and up the wheelhouse.
– Kodiak Daily Mirror
More:www.kodiakdailymirror.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Seattle Mariner's baseball legend Jay Buhner is thrilled that Copper River salmon is open, fishy haiku, and fish tales on stage this weekend in Juneau.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
Dragger dings ocean observatory
A wayward fishing trawler has knocked out a key section of the $100-million Neptune Canada observatory on the sea floor off Vancouver Island.
– Victoria Times Colonist
Read more:www.canada.com
Invasive zebra mussel in Oregon
The Medford Mail Tribune reports a state boat inspection crew found the first non-native zebra mussels at a checkpoint near Ashland.
– Pacific Fishing correspondent Cassandra Marie Profita reporting in Ecotrope, Oregon Public Broadcasting
More:ecotrope.opb.org
Memorial fund founded for clamdiggers
The Pacific Seafood Group has created a memorial fund account to assist the families of the deceased clam diggers in Alaska.
– Pacific Seafood
More:www.pacseafood.com
Quake hurts Japan aquaculture
Japan's aquaculture industry suffered over JP¥100 billion ($1.22 billion U.S.) in damage – roughly a quarter of its 2009 annual output – resulting from the devastation of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
Alaska local coastal program ends
The state's politicians couldn't manage to come up with an agreement to keep the Coastal Zone Management Program going.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
