Monday, July 7, 2014

LIMITS ON BRISTOL BAY

On the grounds, fishermen were not caught off guard by the size of their catches, but they were taken aback to hear from buyers that they would be limited on how much they could deliver. 

– Bristol Bay Times

More:thebristolbaytimes.com

Sockeye harvest at 19 million

Bristol Bay gillnetters have blown past the forecast, catching a total of 19.2 million sockeye salmon through Saturday.

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

More:deckboss.blogspot.com

Vessel capsizes in Port Valdez

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage received a report that the seine fishing vessel Elohim capsized while transiting Port Valdez with four adults aboard. The fishing vessel Infinite Grace recovered all four crewmembers and delivered them to the Valdez Small Boat Harbor.

– Coast Guard

More:uscgnews.com

Remains on Adak identified

The human remains discovered in Adak last month are likely those of a Navy veteran, reported missing six years ago, who had returned to his former military base to pan for gold and live off the land, but disappeared soon afterwards.

– Bristol Bay Times

More:thebristolbaytimes.com

Assessing Sitka's harbor upgrade

A brand-new harbor comes with a price. Moorage for boats here is now slightly less affordable.

– KCAW

More:kcaw.org

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, the feds are recommending more seafood for young children and pregnant women; there's still no radiation contamination to Alaskan seafood from Fukushima, and a water problem in Emmonak has a ripple effect for processors and fishermen.

– KMXT

More:kmxt.org

Auke Bay herring bouncing back

At the end of June, herring returned to Auke Bay to spawn in significant numbers for the first time in more than 20 years — and though the ultimate success of the eggs remains to be seen, it's a promising sign for those working to increase herring's abundance in Lynn Canal and Southeast Alaska.

– Juneau Empire

More:juneauempire.com

U.S. relies on overseas aquaculture

About 90 per cent of US seafood is imported and half of that is farm-raised overseas, writes Sarah Mikesell covering the Future of Fish and Sustainable Seafood Week NYC event.

– The Fish Site

More:thefishsite.com

Subsidies for oil, coal dock criticized

Brett VandenHeuvel, executive director of the environmental group Columbia Riverkeeper, said it's "outrageous" that coal and oil companies could get public money for projects that many Oregonians oppose.

– Daily Astorian

More:dailyastorian.com

Hanging on to fishing in Morro Bay

Ever since the commercial fishery was declared a federal economic disaster in 2000, fishermen in this coastal community of lazuline waters midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco have fought to hang on to their historic livelihood.

– New York Times

More:nytimes.com

 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

MORE SOCKEYE ON THE WAY

The ongoing Port Moller Test Fishery continues to record sockeye headed to Bristol Bay.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Crewman dies after falling overboard

A crewman fell off the commercial fishing vessel Matt Michelle and died near King Cove, the Alaska State Troopers report.

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

More:deckboss.blogspot.com

Canada charts fishing's future

Only recently, Canada and the European Union (EU) agreed on a comprehensive trade agreement that will significantly boost trade and investment links and create job opportunities and further business partnerships for the fishing sector.

– World Fishing and Aquaculture

More:worldfishing.net

Sockeye scorecard: 20 million-plus

The sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay has topped 20-million as the run has exceeded the pre-season forecast.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Change of command in Cordova

Gathered on the deck of the USCGC Sycamore last week, distinguished guests, family and visitors took part in the Change of Command Ceremony, formally transferring command from Lt. Commander Michael Sarnowski to Lt. Commander James L. Jarnac.

– Cordova Times

More:thecordovatimes.com

Fishing's effects on reefs

Scientists have taken a closer look at commercial fishing and have found that it dramatically alters nearby reef ecosystems, disturbing microbes, corals, algae and fish.

– Science World Report

More:scienceworldreport.com

Slavery at sea

Commercial fishing operations in particular exist in an environment that is often referred to as a jurisdictional black hole — a situation where there is no real social or legal accountability — with those most likely to be abused, least able to have a say or stand up for themselves, says Thomas Harré, one of the legal team at Slave Free Seas (SFS).
 
– The Maritime Executive

More:maritime-executive.com

Fisherman catches 482-pound halibut

What appears to be the largest halibut caught in the Pacific Ocean in at least a decade has been landed in the Alaska Panhandle port of Gustavus, but it will not be a world record.

– Alaska Dispatch

More:alaskadispatch.com

Aleutian quake's effects

At a magnitude 7.9, last week's deep-sea earthquake was the most powerful to hit the Western Aleutians in 50 years. The quake didn't cause any structural damage — but it was a reminder that life in the islands can change in an instant.

– Alaska Public Media

More:alaskapublic.org

NMFS moves to protect sharks

The National Marine Fisheries Service on Thursday classified as endangered and threated four distinct populations of a shark species whose fins are favored as an ingredient in shark fin soup.

– SFGate

More:sfgate.com

 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

ALASKA'S COMMERCIAL FISHING VALUE

In Alaska, the value of commercial fishing continues to outweigh the value of marine recreational fishing despite the change, but that wasn't the case elsewhere in the nation.

– Journal of Commerce

More:alaskajournal.com

Sockeye run tops 30M

Commercial fishermen continue to harvest huge amounts of sockeye as the total run to Bristol Bay has exceeded 30-million.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Fraser enforcement gears up

When sockeye salmon return en masse to the Fraser River this year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will have a large presence on land and water to ensure commercial fishers don't take more than they're allowed, said Larry Paike, director of DFO's Pacific conservation and protection branch.

– The Tyee

More:thetyee.ca

Bycatch on the menu

During a recent trip, Deckboss perused his in-flight magazine and found an article that says: "More and more chefs are putting bycatch on the menu."

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

More:deckboss.blogspot.com

Test fishery wraps up

The ongoing Port Moller Test Fishery is set to wrap up Wednesday after a month of trying to gauge size of the sockeye run the Bristol Bay.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Boat craftsman dies

Renn Tolman passed away peacefully Saturday, July 5 at home in his cabin next to the shop where he built more than 100 skiffs and inspired the construction of hundreds more around the world.

– Homer Tribune

More:homertribune.com

Ocean acidification in Alaska

Scientists from NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, the University of Alaska and the Alaska Ocean Observing System are teaming up this summer and early fall to use new unmanned tools to study how melting glaciers in Alaska's Prince William Sound may be intensifying ocean acidification in the sound and on the Gulf of Alaska continental shelf.
 
– Fish Information Services

More:fis.com

Fish versus farms on CA river

Water users say the diversion project is vital for them. Environmental groups, however, want the project's two dams removed to restore access to many miles of prime fish-spawning territory on the upper Eel.

– The Sacramento Bee

More:sacbee.com

The future of seafood

Goodbye, tuna. So long, cod. Hello, pangasius and kelp!
These are the seafoods - and sea organisms - we are likely to be eating in the future.

– SFGate

More:sfgate.com

Worms no cause for alarm

Worms in fresh cod and other whitefish are actually fairly common, and the fish is fine if cooked thoroughly.

– The Commercial Appeal

More:commercialappeal.com

 

Thursday, July 10, 2014

B.C. SALMON THREAT

Two multi-billion-dollar LNG marine export facilities slated for the province's northwest are under fire for being smack dab in the most critically important waters for rearing millions of wild B.C. salmon, a new Simon Fraser University scientific study reveals.

– Vancouver Observer

More:vancouverobserver.com

Updated forecast: 35.5M sockeye

The weighted model anticipates that this year's run will top out at over 35.5-million sockeye. That's 6-million fish larger than the organizations preseason forecast that anticipated a run of 29.4-thousand sockeye. 

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Columbia River forecast upscaled

State, federal and tribal biologists on Monday updated the summer chinook run prediction from 67,500 to 74,000. The upgrade makes more Chinook available to both the sport and commercial fisheries.

– The Columbian

More:columbian.com

Gillnet season starts strong

For gillnetters in Northern Southeast, the season started off with lots of big, heavy fish and boats from around the region flocking north for a piece of the action.

– KTOO

More:ktoo.org

Kenai gillnet opener slow, rainy

The raindrops and red salmon were intermittent Wednesday as setnetters on the east side of the Cook Inlet fished a 12-hour opener — the first of the season for the Kenai and East Forelands section of the fishery.

– Peninsula Clarion

More:peninsulaclarion.com

Debate over chum opening

As the Kuskokwim River king salmon run comes to an end, the Department of Fish and Game is looking toward a commercial chum opening in the lower river Friday. But in a year with unprecedented chinook restrictions and increased reliance on chum salmon, many middle river fishermen say it's too early.

– KTOO

More:ktoo.org

Ocean policies under fire

American fishermen are reacting with skepticism, concern and frustration at the latest murky steps to prevent fishing in vast tracts of the Pacific.

– Fox News

More:foxnews.com

Whales key to ocean ecosystem

Some commercial fisheries argue the whales are eating too many other fish and taking a big bite from their profits. But experts argue opposite is true.

– Voice of America

More:voanews.com

Counting salmon in a remote place

Aside from living a Spartan lifestyle in a remote place, the three Fish & Game employees at Miles Lake are using one of the department's most important assets, a DIDSON sonar system, to do one of its most important jobs: counting salmon escapement as they travel back to their spawning grounds.

– Cordova Times

More:thecordovatimes.com

Aquaculture 'to the rescue'

If we continue to fish at the current pace, some scientists predict we'll be facing oceans devoid of edible marine creatures by 2050.
Aquaculture could come to the rescue.

– Mother Jones

More:motherjones.com

 

Friday, July 11, 2014

PEBBLE'S EPA LAWSUIT CHALLENGED

The United Tribes of Bristol Bay recently announced it would intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Pebble Limited Partnership against the EPA's use of its Clean Water Act authority in order to stop development of the proposed Pebble Mine.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Setnetters await opener decision

State fish biologists plan to meet Friday afternoon to assess whether to allow hundreds of Cook Inlet commercial setnetters to put out their nets Saturday for sockeyes, which would dramatically affect the chance for success this weekend by Kenai Peninsula dipnetters and sport fishermen.

– Alaska Dispatch

More:alaskadispatch.com

B.C. sockeye's first wave

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is conducting test fisheries daily and biologist Jennifer Nener, who is the area director of the Lower Fraser in DFO's Pacific Region, said there are some fish entering the Stuart River, which is the earliest of the four different sockeye runs.

– The Province

More:theprovince.com

Extra day for test fishery

The Port Moller Test Fishery was scheduled to end after the fishing effort on Wednesday but was extended another day on Thursday in an effort to get a little more insight on the late part of the sockeye run to Bristol Bay.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, we've got salmon updates from every corner of the state; we're reminded of the dangers of commercial fishing, and the ANB Harbor in Sitka finally has a ribbon-cutting.

– KMXT

More:kmxt.org

Alaska poised for wave energy

With 90 percent of the nation's tidal power, and a good chunk of its wave and river energy, Alaska's quickly become the epicenter for this budding technology.

– KUCB

More:alaskapublic.org

Fall chum best bet for Yukon

ADF&G fishery biologist Jeff Estensen says the pre-season forecast for fall chum is between 800,000 and 1 million fish, which should provide well for subsistence and limited commercial opportunity.
 
– Knom

More:knom.org

Legal read on fish discard case

In short, the other words in the statute, such as "record" and "document," modify the term "tangible object" to include things like hard drives and diskettes, not fish.

– The Cato Institute

More:cato.org

Global aquaculture market rising

The global market for aquaculture is expected to reach USD 202.96 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc.

– The Fish Site

More:thefishsite.com

The art of galley cooking

Serious lack of space would cause many cooks to abandon the kitchen and eat out or turn to take-out menus. But that's not possible for LaDonna and Ole who spend weeks at a time at sea, miles and miles from the nearest store, let alone a restaurant.

– SFGate

More:sfgate.com



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