Monday, June 24, 2013

KING SALMON ON THE WANE

The coast-wide phenomenon of weak returns from the Yukon River in the north to the Stikine River in the southern Panhandle suggests problems in the ocean pastures where young salmon feed and grow.

– Alaska Dispatch

More: alaskadispatch.com

Legal battle over B.C. fishery

The claim is seeking a court declaration that the Sto: lo people are the "proper holder of the aboriginal rights and title in the Five Mile Fishery," and also have an aboriginal right to fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes in a strategic salmon fishing spot north of Yale where the Fraser Canyon narrows.

– Vancouver Sun

More: vancouversun.com

Coast Guard responds to injured crewman

The man, 43, was injured when a falling box of frozen fish struck him in the head, the Coast Guard said.

- Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss

More: deckboss.blogspot.com

Bristol Bay Fisheries Report

This edition of the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report includes a report on the latest stock composition summary for the catch as part of the Port Moller Test Fishery and updates on how things look in the Egegik and Nushagak Districts.
 
– KDLG

More: kdlg.org

Pebble opponent challenges oil tax

Now, it's come out that the person behind the opposition effort is actually a well-known political operative who's been promoting an initiative of his own.

– Alaska Public Media

More: alaskapublic.org

Astoria dock project done

The project cost $4.5 million to reconstruct the dock that was rotting fast, draining thousands of dollars in maintenance costs every year.

– The Daily Astorian

More: dailyastorian.com

Endangered orca deaths

Two female killer whales from the endangered southern residents have been confirmed dead by the Center for Whale Research.

– Times-Colonist

More: timescolonist.com

Fishermen wary of wharf upgrade

A landlord's attempts to get the decaying Driscoll's Wharf back into ship shape and revitalize San Diego's commercial fishing industry has some tenants concerned that he is trying to drive them out.

– U.T. San Diego

More: utsandiego.com

Fisherman laments wasted fish

People are starving in many places on our little blue dot, and I and my men have probably thrown away close to half a million pounds of fish in my fishing career.

– BlueRidgeNow.com

More: blueridgenow.com

Squid harvest crackdown

The new rules are in response to what pier officials say is a fair amount of trouble with commercial-size catches of squid under the guise of recreational fishing.
 
– Cape Cod Times

More: capecodonline.com

 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A MILLION-FISH DAY

The daily harvest of sockeye in the massive Bristol Bay commercial fishery topped 1 million fish on Sunday.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Port Moller sees records

The Port Moller Test Fishery got underway again on Sunday.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Bristol Bay escapement

The sockeye salmon continue to pour into the Nushagak and Wood Rivers as one river has already met its escapement goal and the other is well on its way.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

The lonely Pebble fight

Right now, the future of this little-known natural jewel is caught up in a frenzied political fight, part of what the Washington Post calls President Barack Obama's biggest environmental decision that "You've never heard of."

– National Resources Defense Council

More: switchboard.nrdc.org

Trident embezzler to prison

She spent her half of the embezzled money on a new truck, diamonds, and an addition to her house, among other things.

– KMXT, Kodiak

More: kmxt.org

Seals under threat

One of the most notable cases like this comes from Alaska, where the National Marine Fisheries Service is investigating whether or not the small population of freshwater seals living in Iliamna Lake.

– Scientific American

More: blogs.scientificamerican.com

Curse of jellyfish

"I think it's a very scary thing that we could be heading back to a situation where jellyfish are dominating the oceans, but if we keep heading down the path that we're currently on, I'm not sure I see very many alternatives."

– Japan Times

More: japantimes.co.jp

Cheap yen hurts fishermen

Fishermen especially are suffering from rises in fuel oil prices.

– Japan Times

More: japantimes.co.jp

Stuck on Adak

Flights to and from Atka have been cancelled for more than two weeks, and some passengers are starting to lose patience with Grant Aviation.

– KUCB, Unalaska

More: kucb.org

Money men question Pebble plan

Investment firms Trillium Asset Management and Calvert Investments are leading a group of investors representing millions of dollars in assets in urging a Clean Water Act review of the proposed Pebble mine project.

– Cordova Times

More: thecordovatimes.com

 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

BRISTOL BAY SCORECARD

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that another 725,500 sockeye were harvested bay-wide on Monday to push the season total to just over 4 million.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Big escapement numbers

The Nushagak District continues to post large sockeye salmon escapement numbers.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Strong genetic signals

The latest genetics from the fish caught as part of the Port Moller Test Fishery have been released.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Fisheries leader dies

Here's an online obituary for John White, a Bethel dentist who served on the Alaska Board of Fisheries from 1995 to 2002.

– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss

More: deckboss.blogspot.com

Wesley's latest on Adak

It's a more than $2 million bet that Adak, trying to remain a viable civilian town on what used to be naval base, can attract another processing company to make use of the equipment.

– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss

More: deckboss.blogspot.com

Where's Klamath deal?

But implementation of the agreement reached three years ago would have made a terrible water year less terrible.

– Daily Astorian

More: dailyastorian.com

Furloughed game wardens

A contingency plan released by OFM outlines some of the potential impacts, including suspension of fish and wildlife enforcement activities, most hatcheries operations, and certain sport and commercial fisheries.

– Chinook (Washington) Observer

More: chinookobserver.com

New Commerce boss

A close friend of President Obama, and Chicago billionaire, whose family founded the Hyatt Hotel chain, was easily confirmed on a Senate vote of 97-1 by the full Senate.

– Alaska Native News

More: alaska-native-news.com

Crime against fishermen

Reports from shop owners, commercial fishermen, and RV park managers show that crime activity is getting worse — quickly.

– Oregon's Curry Coast Pilot

More: currypilot.com

CG saves sinking boat

Coast Guard and good Samaritans responded to a mayday call from the fishing vessel Arial, which was taking on water in Clarence Strait 30 miles southwest of Ketchikan.

– Coast Guard

More: piersystem.com

 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

SOCKEYE PASS PORT MOLLER

It looks like the peak sockeye run through the Port Moller Test Fishery area has come and gone, leading to speculation that the inshore peak is just days away.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

It's not July 4 yet

Bristol Bay sockeye at 7 million.

– ADFG

More: adfg.alaska.gov

Chum on the Yukon

The lower Yukon dipnet chum fishery is booming. For example, Monday saw 20,000 fish taken, an astonishing figure for such small-reach gear. The river is seven miles wide at its mouth. In the past week, fishermen took 71,000 fish, or 400,000 pounds of the high-oil chum, according to Jack Schultheis, sales manager for Kwik'Pak Fisheries at Emmonak.

– Kwik'Pak

No Kenai kings – again

King salmon fishing on the Kenai River has been closed due to lack of fish.

– Kenai Peninsula Carion

More: peninsulaclarion.com

B.C. crab season cut short

Members of the Area A Crab Association are meeting with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to determine why their fishing season was suddenly cut short.

– The Northern View, Prince Rupert

More: thenorthernview.com

Shrimp closed for three years

The commercial shrimp fishery will be closed for three years.

– Juneau Empire

More: juneauempire.com

Lisa wants more logging

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to take immediate steps to reverse declining timber harvests and return the Tongass National Forest to a working forest.

– SitNews, Ketchikan

More: sitnews.us

Lisa against Tongass protection?

Trout Unlimited and Sitka Conservation Society voiced concern that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, may be backing an ill-conceived proposal by Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell that the Forest Service hand over 2 million acres of Tongass National Forest old growth to the state for clear-cut logging.

– Trout Unlimited

More: americansalmonforest.org

Rescue: Four fishermen and a dog

The Coast Guard rescued four fishermen and their dog from the Ocean Viking 190 miles southwest of Kodiak Wednesday.

– Coast Guard

More: piersystem.com

 

Friday, June 28, 2013

HALIBUT PUBLIC INPUT

The catch sharing plan would also authorize transfers of commercial halibut individual fishing quota to charter halibut permit holders under the "guided angler fish" program. Deadline is Aug. 12.

– NOAA

More: alaskafisheries.noaa.gov

New class of Alaskan fishing

But if we carve out a small portion of these fisheries and regulate them differently, lower the cost of entry for small-scale fishers but require that the catch be marketed locally, we would be taking a huge step toward improving food security across the state.

– Seward Phoenix Log

More: thesewardphoenixlog.com

More on Adak buy

With announcement in April that Icicle Seafoods was pulling out of town, Adak's city manager had to make a gut call: buy the seafood processor's equipment to resell to another fishing business, or risk losing the village's only real industry.

– Dutch Harbor Fisherman

More alaskadispatch.com

PWS escapement ahead

Early season indicators of wild stock chum and pink salmon escapement in Prince William Sound are that three districts are ahead of anticipated numbers and support wild stock fisheries now, state fisheries officials say.

– Cordova Times

More: thecordovatimes.com

Bristol Bay scorecard

The total run for Bristol Bay sockeye stood at 8.5 million on Wednesday.

More: adfg.alaska.gov

Ammonia kills fisherman

A man injured during an ammonia leak aboard a fishing vessel in Sitka has died.

– KCAW, Sitka

More: kcaw.org

Fine over oil spill

The Washington Department of Ecology has fined fining Sturgell Fisheries of Warrenton $11,500 for spilling nearly 675 gallons of oil to state marine waters Jan. 25.

– Daily Astorian

More: dailyastorian.com

More study on Oregon crab

Oregon's CRAB project is currently looking for ways to improve the long-term sustainability of the state's Dungeness crab fishery while building relationships with the fishing industry and local community.

– FishNewsEU

More: fishnewseu.com

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, one man was seriously injured when ammonia leaked from a floating processor at the Sitka dock, the ringleader of the Trident Embezzlement scheme gets nearly four years in prison for masterminding the half-million-dollar theft, and attempting to stop fraud on the high seas.

– KMXT, Kodiak

More: kmxt.org

Forget Pebble

About 12,000 people work full- or part-time harvesting and processing the bay's sustainable salmon.

– New York Times

More: nytimes.com



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