Monday, July 29, 2013
HALIBUT PLAN DEBATED
Tension has been mounting in south central Alaska among commercial fishermen and charter operators concerned about new rules in a proposed plan by the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement a halibut catch share plan.
– KTUU
More: articles.ktuu.com
Setnetters fight for more fishing
An evidentiary hearing and oral arguments are set for July 30 in Superior Court in Anchorage in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of setnet fishermen who want the state to allow up to 51 hours of extra fishing periods for Upper Cook Inlet setnetters.
– The Cordova Times
More: thecordovatimes.com
Alaska salmon update
The statewide all-species catch stands at nearly 89 million fish, or roughly half the preseason forecast of 179 million.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Fisheries manager reflects on career
One of the top Fish & Game officials in Southeast is stepping down, after 23 years helping manage the area's commercial fisheries.
– KCAW
More: kcaw.org
Bristol Bay fisheries report
The Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 26th includes an update on the effort to lighter the fuel off the sunken tender Lone Star and a report on how things are shaping up in the Togiak District.
– KDLG
More: kdlg.org
Psychedelic fish bus
Decorated with masks and idols, fishnet and a rainbow of colors, with an essence of Ken Kesey's Further, resembling a food truck, yet not quite a food truck, Capt. Jonny Rush's bus is hard to miss.
– The World
More: theworldlink.com
Boat recycling proposed
The term shipbreaking, a common term used for dismantling ships, scrapping and selling their metal and other usable components, sticks in the craw of Frank Allen, the organizer behind Blue Ocean Environmental
– The Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
Sailing for salmon
A well-known member of Bristol Bay's driftnet fleet is looking for a captain and crew that might be interested in fishing for salmon next year in the Bay. The catch is that they would use an old double-ender sailboat.
– KDLG
More: kdlg.org
Hake for MSC recertification
The Pacific hake offshore fishery, which operates off the west coast of the United States and Canada, has entered assessment for re-certification.
– MSC
More: msc.org
Tiny fish ear bones
A tiny white sliver inside the heads of fish could hold evidence of a century's worth of humans wrecking the environment: atomic bombs, overfishing, even climate change.
– Seattle Times
More: seattletimes.com
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
COOK INLET SALMON ARE SHRINKING
Are the king salmon smaller? Yes, but for a variety of reasons including an overcapitalized, in-river, guided, professional sport fish industry that has systematically targeted large king salmon.
– Paul Dale, Alaska Salmon Alliance, writing in the Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
B.C. fishermen end strike
Salmon fishermen have untied their boats and returned to their fishing grounds after accepting Canfisco's offer for 28-cents per pound of pink salmon.
– Quinn Bender, reporting for The Northern View, B.C.
More: thenorthernview.com
Marketing cod
Alaskan Leader Fisheries and Copper River Seafoods have formed a marketing alliance that will promote hook-and-line caught Alaskan cod to retail and food service operators.
– Margaret Bauman, writing in The Cordova Times
More: thecordovatimes.com
Jet fuel kills fish
Initially, B.C. government officials said there were no reports of fish or wildlife being killed, but said they are aware fish kills are being reported.
– The Vancouver Sun
More: vancouversun.com
Tasting salmon
Here, we catch, taste and discuss the wild Pacific salmon–from the reddest to the biggest to the best.
– Smithsonian magazine
More: smithsonianmag.com
Coal wins over salmon
Governor Parnell and the Alaska Department of Natural Resource rejected a petition filed by local citizens seeking to protect wild Alaska salmon streams from coal strip mining in Upper Cook Inlet.
– Seward City News
More: sewardcitynews.com
CG vessel in collision
An Alaska Marine Lines barge, the Cordova Provider, was being maneuvered by the tug Krystal Sea, when it struck the cutter Sycamore at its mooring.
– Tony Gorman, reporting for KCMU, Valdez
More: alaskapublic.org
False Pass tidal station
Fishermen and scientists have known for years about the extremely strong ocean currents that rush past the Aleutian town of False Pass.
– Audrey Carlsen, reporting in KUCB, Unalaska
More: alaskapublic.org
Processor wants Nushagak salmon
A seafood processor based in Togiak is hoping to come into the Nushagak District later this week to buy coho salmon.
– Mike Mason, reporting for KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
TRACKING SALMON
Imagine if you could harvest a salmon and know exactly where that fish has been and where it's headed.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Waiting for halibut commissioners
We've been waiting quite a while for the Obama administration to decide on appointments to the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog, Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Learning on a gillnetter
Commercial fishing requires a lot more than sea legs and a sturdy boat.
– Restaurant News
More: nrn.com
Lawsuit over Cal otters
A lawsuit filed on behalf of commercial fishing groups challenges the lifting of a federal ban on sea otters in Southern California waters.
– Santa Cruz Sentinel
More: santacruzsentinel.com
Japan eager to export fish
Japan needs to make adequate preparations so that its fishing industry will survive and prosper under a new environment in which export of fisheries products will become important.
– Japan Times
More: japantimes.co.jp
Disease lab suspected
A lab that said it detected a deadly fish virus in British Columbia salmon lacked proper quality standards and didn't thoroughly investigate conflicting test results, a review has found.
– CBC
More: cbc.ca
Fish value in 2012
Those values for sockeyes, the big money fish continued to slide last year averaging $2.89 a pound, compared to $3.20 in 2011.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, reporting on her Alaska Fish Radio
More: alaskafishradio.com
Plan ahead for salmon
If we want healthy salmon runs at the same time that our population is multiplying, our interactions with land and water must pose fewer threats to salmonids than they have in the last 100 years.
– The Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
Hi-def underwater camera
If a picture is worth a thousand words, get ready for millions of undersea images – brought to you by a handmade, high definition undersea camera.
– Laine Welch, Pacific Fishing columnist, writing in SitNews, Ketchikan
More: sitnews.us
Thursday, August 1, 2013
ESCAPING A DRUNKEN SKIPPER
The two victims and a third crew member escaped by taking the seine skiff to Kodiak.
– KTUU, Anchorage
More: ktuu.com
Pot farms hurt fish
With parts of Northern California's scenic hillsides illegally gouged by bulldozers for marijuana grows, frustrated local officials asked the state for help to protect streams and rivers from harmful sediment and the chemicals used on the pot plants.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: adn.com
Chinook not in critical condition
Though the king numbers are low, late run post-season analysis by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game showed that the 2012 closures on the Kenai River were unnecessary and were the result of previously misunderstood salmon counting and run timing issues.
– Paul Dale, writing in the Peninsula Clarion
More: peninsulaclarion.com
Marketing cod
Copper River Seafoods and Alaska Leader Fisheries announced the creation of a marketing alliance to boost hook-and-line Alaskan wild cod trade.
– FIS. Com
More: fis.com
Chuitna mine halt denied
A recent petition to make lands in the Chuitna watershed a mine-free zone was rejected by the Department of Natural Resources, with the state agency citing a lack of evidence supporting the claim that reclamation of salmon streams is impossible.
– Carey Restino, reporting for the Homer Tribune
More: homertribune.com
New on fish board
Commercial driftnet fishermen Fritz Johnson from Dillingham has been selected by Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell to fill a vacancy on the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
– Mike Mason, reporting on KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Alaska salmon and MSC
The effort to get Alaska's commercially caught salmon recertified under the Marine Stewardship Council's label of sustainability took a major step forward Wednesday with the release of a draft report.
– Mike Mason, reporting on KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Lobsters resort to cannibalism
For marine biologists in the United States, an unusual combination of climate change and overfishing caused them to bear witness to the transformation of lobsters into cannibals.
– Science Recorder
More: sciencerecorder.com
Friday, August 2, 2013
BERING SEA BOWLING
The Ounalashka Corp. is getting the ball rolling on reopening its bowling alley.
– Stephanie Joyce, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More: kucb.org
Otter-free zone
Suit filed on behalf of harvesters of sea urchin, abalone, and lobster accuses federal agency of illegally terminating program designed to protect fisheries.
– Los Angeles Times
More: latimes.com
Columbia seine plan
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking applicants for a five-member advisory board that will help develop a commercial seine fishery on the lower Columbia River.
– Daily News, Longview, Wash.
More: tdn.com
Judge rejects setnetters
Demands for more salmon in the setnets of commercial fishermen working the east side of Cook Inlet have been thrown back into the shark tank of Alaska fisheries politics by an Anchorage Superior Court judge.
– Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
Keep off Kenai kings
The closing of the river last week by Alaska Department of Fish and Game was absolutely the right thing to do, it should have been much sooner.
– Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
Don't call him a fish cop
The emphasis is on "observer," because he has no part in enforcement: "I only take data."
– Coast Weekend
More: coastweekend.com
Slow-growing halibut
The problem isn't that the total amount of halibut in the water is declining. The problem is that the halibut aren't reaching the same size at age they were two decades ago.
– Alaska Journal of Commerce
More: alaskajournal.com
MSC recertification nearer
The effort to get Alaska's commercially caught salmon recertified under the Marine Stewardship Council's label of sustainability took a major step forward with the release of a draft report.
– Mike Mason, reporting for KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Octopus fishery eyed
Hunting giant Pacific octopuses in Puget Sound could be banned or restricted under regulations being considered by a state panel.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: adn.com
Tough summer for salmon
Alaska has broken records this summer for hot days and sunny skies – and that's proving to be tough on salmon. Dried up rivers and streams have the fish pooling up in shallow waters offshore, waiting to head home to spawn.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, reporting for her Fish Radio show
More: alaskafishradio.com
