Monday, June 30, 2014

LARGER SOCKEYE RUN FORECASTED

The data from the massive sockeye fishery in Bristol Bay keeps rolling in and 2 organizations are predicting a larger sockeye run than was forecasted pre-season. 

– KDLG

More: kdlg.org

Alaska seafood free of Fukushima radiation

The results confirm information from federal, State and international agencies that seafood in the North Pacific and Alaska waters poses no radiation related health concerns to those who consume it.

– Sitnews

More: sitnews.us

B.C. sockeye forecast uncertain

Predictions for this year's salmon fishery on British Columbia's Fraser River are so massive there's no historical data to use to forecast the many millions of sockeye expected to return. But no one involved in the fishery would dare celebrate early as the ghost of the disastrous 2009 Fraser River fishery continues to haunt their memories.

– Huffpost British Columbia

More: huffingtonpost.ca

Lowdown on Alaska's summer fisheries

Salmon takes center stage in Alaska every summer, but many more fisheries also are going on all across the state.

– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, reporting for The Fish Site

More: thefishsite.com

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, they started fishing on the Kuskokwim this week, much to the relief of pretty much everybody; The President is moving to crack down on IUU fishing to protect American stocks, and saving king salmon from low water.

– KMXT

More: kmxt.org

Salmon season highlights

The statewide, all-species catch stands at about 14 million fish. The forecast calls for a harvest of 133 million salmon for the year.

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

More: deckboss.blogspot.com

'Faces of the Fleet' protests Pebble project

While most opposition to the mine is quite direct, a fisherman's association hopes to convey their message through photography. 

– KDLG

More: kdlg.org

CA quota transfer promotes sustainability

The Morro Bay Community Quota Fund will now manage the city's fishing quota and five fishing permits and lease them to local fishermen.

– The Tribune

More: sanluisobispo.com

U.S. bycatch waste pegged at $1 billion

Oceana estimates that in the Southeastern U.S. fishermen threw overboard $3.4 million worth of bluefin in 2010, while California fishermen threw away half a million dollars' worth. 

– Takepart

More: takepart.com

Getting naked over overfishing

German actress Asli Bayram, is photographed by British Photographer John Swannell at Holborn studios in central London, as part of the FishLove collection which hopes to raise awareness of the consequences of over-fishing.

– Seattlepi.com

More: seattlepi.com

 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

HUGE BRISTOL BAY HARVEST

The sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay slowed down on Sunday as the large catches late last week overwhelmed the Bay's processing sector resulting in limits and suspension placed on many fishermen.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

High hopes for Southeast kings

Tuesday (7-1-14) is the first day of the summer troll opening for king salmon — and Southeast fishermen are looking at a record high target harvest.

– KCAW

More:kcaw.org

Pushback on Obama's reserve expansion

The main group overseeing fishing operators in Hawaii and three U.S. territories in the region declared Monday it opposes the proposal, on the grounds that it would hurt the U.S. fishing industry.

– The Washington Post

More:washingtonpost.com

Comment opens on reducing sea lion protections

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is opening public comment on a plan to relax Steller sea lion protections and allow more commercial fishing in the western Aleutian Islands.

– Pacific Fishing columnist Lauren Rosenthal, reporting for KUCB

More:kucb.org

Water loss suspends salmon fishing

The Kwik' Pak fisheries plant in Emmonak lost 75,000 pounds of fish at the height of this year's commercial salmon season because of a lack of water.

– KNOM

More:knom.org

Over-escapement for Wood River

The Wood River is officially in over-escapement as setnet fishing in the Nushagak District is open until further notice.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Opinion: NMFS 'cooked the books'

The fisheries service now admits the commercial values it reported were inflated by a lot of imported seafood – including the farmed salmon Alaska commercial fishermen detest.

– Anchorage Daily News

More:adn.com

CA looks to El Niño for drought relief

Relief may come in the form of a growing El Niño event setting up in the equatorial Pacific waters. El Niño is the warming of Pacific waters, which in some years has provided abundant rainfall for California.

– News 10 ABC

More:news10.net

Copper River Seafoods owner retiring

After this season, he'll go back to doing what he loves: being outside, spending time with his family whom he feels he's neglected since building his business, and fishing the flats.

– Cordova Times

More:thecordovatimes.com

Study probes Bering Sea fishing injuries

Researchers with a major university have delved into the data to try and figure out what is causing injuries aboard large seafood harvesting and processing vessels in the Bering Sea.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

 

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

COASTIES BUST GO-GO BOAT

Though the first two days and nights of operation were reportedly very successful for the floating bar and grill "Wild Alaskan" anchored off Kodiak's water front, the weekend was a bust. Literally. 

– KMXT

More:kmxt.org

More sockeye surging to Bristol Bay

The Port Moller Test Fishery continues to record relatively strong catches indicating that there are likely still millions of sockeye headed to the Bristol Bay region.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Banner year for West Coast kings

In pure numbers, this spring's commercial chinook and shrimp seasons exceeded expectations along the Oregon and Washington coasts.

– News Times

More:newportnewstimes.com

B.C. fish farming threats undisclosed

The federal government puts wild salmon stocks and research at risk by not releasing important data about fish farms along the B.C. coast, says a report by the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria.

– Times Colonist

More:timescolonist.com

Study IDs orca threats

Triple threats of pollution, vessel noise and the availability of food are making it hard for a group of orcas that live along the continent's West Coast to increase beyond an estimated population of 80, says a decade-long U.S. study.

– Vancouver Sun

More:vancouversun.com

B.C. sockeye eluding nets

The British Columbia sockeye salmon catch this year is down compared to the same time last year, largely because the fish are smaller and are able to swim through the nets.

– The Fish Site

More:thefishsite.com

'The Brig' details enforcement actions

Check out The Brig for an avalanche of enforcement news.

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

More:deckboss.blogspot.com

Coast Guard's new Columbia River commander

Captain Bruce Jones, who is retiring after 31 years, on Friday transferred command to Capt. Daniel Travers, most recently of Juneau, Alaska.

– Daily Astorian

More:dailyastorian.com

Tribes on front line of Pebble fight

One would hope that our region's position is as clear as our waters: this type of development isn't welcome here. Yet in spite of the science and the will of the people our elected officials continue to favor foreign mining companies and destructive development projects.

– Alaska Dispatch

More:alaskadispatch.com

Newport dominates Halibut landings

Newport-based commercial fishing boats caught more than half of the 121,881 Pacific halibut harvested in Oregon, Washington and Northern California waters during a 10-hour window last week.

– News Times

More:newportnewstimes.com

 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

UPDATED FORECAST: 38 MILLION SOCKEYE

Catches appear to be tailing off at the Port Moller Test Fishery but there seems to be a sizable tail left to this year's sockeye run. This has led to an updated in-season total run forecast of 38 million sockeye.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Radiation fears linger

In an effort to answer lingering questions about the effects of Japan's failed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a nonprofit organization has launched a crowdsourced funding project to test water in the lower Cook Inlet for radiation.

– Peninsula Clarion

More:peninsulaclarion.com

Fraser coho bycatch debated

A federal decision allowing commercial fishermen to catch five times the usual amount of endangered coho salmon this year should not be a cause for alarm, said Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a non-governmental organization working to conserve salmon.

– The Tyee

More:thetyee.ca

Bristol Bay harvest: 12 million-plus sockeye

The commercial sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay topped 12 million on Tuesday. That's still well over 4 million fish shy of the harvest anticipated in the pre-season forecast.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Aleutians brace for tanker traffic

Last month, the Canadian government gave conditional approval to the Northern Gateway pipeline in British Columbia. If it's built, it'll bring hundreds more oil tankers through the Bering Sea.

– KUCB

More:kucb.org

Freezer plant proposed for West Coast port

The Port of Ilwaco and Jessie's Ilwaco Fish Company are in the beginning stages of planning a "green" cold storage facility they believe could create 75 new jobs, save local fish processors thousands of dollars in transportation and storage costs and draw other seafood-related businesses to the area.

– Daily Astorian

More:dailyastorian.com

Looking back at halibut abundance

Pacific halibut is still widely available, although less so than in 1964. About 31 million pounds of Pacific halibut were caught by United States and Canadian commercial fishing boats in 2012, just over half the 1964 total.
 
– New York Times

More:nytimes.com

Norton Sound chum running strong

As severe restrictions on Chinooks continue to hit subsistence users, early signs of strong chum runs are leading the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to announce some unanticipated commercial openings.

– Alaska Public Media

More:alaskapublic.org

Fisherman charged with shooting at
power substation

If Stacy's name sounds familiar, that's most likely due his previous role as the vice president of the Port San Luis Commercial Fishermen's Association, during which he was the public face of the clash between local commercial fishermen and PG&E.

– New Times

More:newtimesslo.com

Maine fishermen's feud leads to arson

An escalating rivalry between commercial fishermen Donald Simmons of Waldoboro and James Simmons (no relation) led to lines being cut, shots being fired and eventually, fires being lit.

– Boothbay

More:boothbayregister.com

 



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