Monday, August 18, 2014

DISASTER RELIEF'S FIRST PAYOUT

According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration award notice, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is set to receive $7.8 million for direct payments to commercial fishermen in the Yukon River and Cook Inlet regions.

– Peninsula Clarion

More:peninsulaclarion.com

B.C. spill may harm fish

B.C. officials said sediment discharged from a tailings pond that spilled mining waste in the Cariboo region is not toxic for humans but may harm aquatic life.

– Vancouver Sun

More:vancouversun.com

Trawl boss arrested for observer assault

Law enforcement officers this week arrested the deck boss of a groundfish trawler from Astoria, Ore., for allegedly assaulting, impeding and interfering with a federal fishery observer while the vessel was at sea in May.

– NOAA Fisheries

More:westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov

Stronger Nushagak coho run

The coho run to the Nushagak River is coming in stronger than last year resulting in liberalized fishing time for commercial fishermen. 

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

U.S. arctic rep gets Alaska tour

The United States Special Representative for the Arctic is visiting Alaska. Retired Coast guard Admiral Robert Papp is charged with managing the country's entire arctic portfolio.

– Alaska Public Media

More:alaskapublic.org

EPA's Pebble proposal debated

A public EPA hearing in Dillingham gave a number of responsive advocates the chance to voice their appeals on both sides of the EPA's proposal to protect waters in Bristol Bay. 

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Exporters eye Russia

Russia's ban on imports of fishery products from the European Union (EU), the United States and other Western markets, in response to sanctions against it over events in Ukraine opens new business opportunities for Argentine exporting firms.

– Fish Information Services

More:fis.com

Searching for legendary shark

Even though the legend has evolved over the last century, what always remains constant — Old Hitler is the biggest, meanest shark to ever roam the waters from Everglades City to Tampa Bay.

– SFGate

More:sfgate.com

Fires impact Canada fishing

It's been a slow summer for commercial fishers in the Northwest Territories, who have netted less than half of last year's catch.

– CBCnews

More:cbc.ca

Morro Bay success story

A small business owner in a backbreaking industry, commercial fisherman Brett Cunningham has helped turn a dying fishery around. What's more, his California coastal town is becoming known nationally for its thriving sustainable fishing industry.

– GreenBiz.com

More:greenbiz.com

 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

FRASER'S SOCKEYE 'GOLD RUSH'

What's certain is that hundreds of thousands of sockeye will be pulled from the Fraser by commercial fishermen, local First Nations, and sport fishermen. The commercial fishery got its first two cracks at Fraser sockeye earlier this month; each opening lasted just a few hours.

– National Post

More:nationalpost.com

NW Alaska fish die-off

For the last week, from Shugnak all the way down to Kotzebue, people are reporting dead fish washed up on the banks of Northwest Alaska's Kobuk River in astonishing numbers.

– Alaska Dispatch News

More:adn.com

Panel to probe B.C. mine spill

The B.C. government has loaded an "independent" panel that will investigate Imperial Metals's Mount Polley tailings dam collapse with engineering experts.

– Vancouver Sun

More:vancouversun.com

More charges in processor pollution case

Federal attorneys have filed more charges as they continue an investigation into Clean Air Act violations at the Westward Seafoods plant in Unalaska.

– KUCB

More:kucb.org

End of the season for SE trollers

After an unprecedented two extensions, the summer king salmon season for trollers in Southeast is over.

– KCAW

More:kcaw.org

Russia pursues import options

With the US, Canada, the EU, Australia and Norway out of the picture, Russia is looking to Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and China to supply its needs. Over the last week the Russian veterinary and food safety authority has approved several food processing operations in Chile and Brazil for export to the Russian Federation.

– The Fish Site

More:thefishsite.com

Norway pursues export options

The Norwegian Seafood Council is boosting its marketing activities in other important markets for Norwegian seafood after the Russian import ban.
 
– Fish Information & Services

More:fis.com

The art of net repair

Today, as equipment knowledge wanes, Mike and Rob Maxwell, due to a lifetime in a rapidly-maturing fishery, remain beacons of skill and proficiency.

– Cordova Times

More:thecordovatimes.com

Army Corps ordered to release review documents

It will have taken nearly two years, but an environmental group will finally get the documents it wanted about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review of a proposed Oregon coal export terminal.

– Daily Astorian

More:dailyastorian.com

Opinion: the value of locally-caught fish

Like most areas of the American economy, imports and exports are more complicated than a simple list of numbers on two sides of a ledger, yet it's easy to see that something needs to change.

– Concord Monitor

More:concordmonitor.com

 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

BRISTOL BAY SALMON SLEUTHING

The research is particularly important for tracking salmon populations, as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates that only half of their streams have been officially catalogued.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Golden king crab opener

Golden king crab season is officially open in the Aleutian Islands.

– KUCB

More:kucb.org

Former USCG commander tackles the arctic

For former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Robert Papp, newly appointed as the government's top Arctic envoy, leading American circumpolar policy is somewhat akin to sailing in volatile conditions.

– Alaska Dispatch News

More:adn.com

Anchorage port project struggles

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan estimates the city needs about $300 million in additional funding to complete the Port of Anchorage construction project.

– Juneau Empire

More:juneauempire.com

Ketchikan profile

The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission estimates Ketchikan borough residents fished 344 permits in 2013, resulting in $23.4 million in gross income.

– Sitnews

More:sitnews.us

B.C. reports note mine pond dangers

There were 46 "dangerous or unusual occurrences" at tailings ponds at mines across B.C. between 2000 and 2012, according to annual reports of B.C's chief inspector of mines.

– Vancouver Sun

More:vancouversun.com

Rallying for Klamath salmon

Hundreds of North Coast tribal members and river advocates trekked to Sacramento on Tuesday to voice their frustration and try to persuade the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to reconsider its cessation of pre-emptive water releases for fish on the drought-stricken Trinity and Klamath rivers.

– Times-Standard

More:times-standard.com

Sea creatures amass on CA shores

Thousands of strange sea creatures are washing ashore on California beaches, puzzling tourists and thrilling scientists quick to explain the phenomenon.

– 40 29 TV

More:4029tv.com

Tongass stream project nearly done

The project is intended to restore salmon streams damaged over 40 years ago on Kuiu Island.
 
– KFSK

More:kfsk.org

Changing of the salmon boats

Efforts to restore the 86-year-old boat named Red Salmon proved to be too much of a challenge. So the city and Pittsburg Historical Society figured it was time for the old boat to go and be replaced by the Pescatori.

– Contra Costa Times

More:contracostatimes.com

 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

DEADLY RUSH TO SPAWN

University of B.C. researchers say sockeye salmon that sprint to spawning grounds through fast-moving waters may be at a higher risk of dying from heart attacks.

– Vancouver Sun

More:vancouversun.com

Salmon prices uncertain

Alaska's commercial in limbo fishermen have hauled in more than 125 million salmon this year, but the prices for those fish are still in limbo.

– Homer News

More:homernews.com

Klamath fish kill feared

Members of American Indian tribes in Northern California said Tuesday a massive fish kill may be only days away if the federal government does not immediately release more water into the Klamath River.

– KCRA.com

More:kcra.com

NOAA administrator visits Anchorage

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Kathy Sullivan touched down in Anchorage on Tuesday for an official visit.

– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Coast Guard medevacs fisherman

The Coast Guard medevacked an injured fisherman from near the Islands of the Four Mountains in the central Aleutians Wednesday.

– KUCB

More:kucb.org

Russia OKs salmon fry imports

The Russian government announced Wednesday that it will authorize the import of Atlantic salmon and trout fry from the European Union (EU), United States, Canada and other countries.

– Fish Information Services

More:fis.com

WA charter boat seized, skipper charged

Enforcement officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife seized an Oregon charter boat Friday after the skipper was caught allegedly running an illegal charter operation out of the Port of Ilwaco.

– The Daily Astorian

More:dailyastorian.com

Volunteers upgrade Crescent City jetty

The Crescent City Jetty is finally undergoing a long-planned upgrade that aims to make search and rescue operations safer and more efficient.

– Del Norte Triplicate

More:triplicate.com

New rules for Puget Sound smelt

Anglers are reminded there are new recreational and commercial smelt fishing regulations in effect for Puget Sound.

– The Olympian

More:theolympian.com

Student, athlete, fisherman

Nikita Kalugin, Gervais High School's star senior running back, spent this summer – as he has been doing for a few years – commercial fishing in Alaska's Bristol Bay.

– Statesman Journal

More:statesmanjournal.com

 

Friday, August 22, 2014

CRAB CAPER CRUNCHED

An Oakland husband and wife have been convicted of using a speedboat with hidden compartments to poach more than 100 Dungeness crabs off the San Mateo County coast.

– SFGate

More:sfgate.com

Russian import ban sought

Leading companies from Alaska's $6 billion seafood industry today announced their support for a ban on Russian seafood imports to the United States and urged Russia to rescind its August 7th ban on U.S. food imports.

– Sitnews

More:sitnews.us

Fake calls to Coast Guard spike

It's a disturbing new trend. The U.S. Coast Guard says they're receiving more fake distress calls than ever.

– WITN

More:witn.com

Alaska's dramatic climate change

A senior government official recently said not only is climate change present in Alaska.  It's accelerating.
 
– KDLG

More:kdlg.org

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, federal disaster funds are starting to come available for those affected by the king salmon collapse; a third cannery worker has been charged with pollution in Unalaska, and did you know that there's a Siberian freshwater salmon that can reach seven-feet long?
 
– KMXT

More:kmxt.org

Alaska demands action on B.C. mines

A broad coalition of Alaskans, including the state's bipartisan congressional delegation and some of its largest commercial fishing organizations, urges U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene with Canada as large-scale mine developments in British Columbia near Alaska's southeast border rapidly advance.

– Sitnews

More:sitnews.us

Coast Guard in arctic rescue

The U.S. Coast Guard medevacked a man suffering from a head injury from a South Korean research vessel 250 miles north of Barrow on Wednesday, according to a press release.

– Alaska Dispatch News

More:adn.com

Tracking OR salmon population

This fall, fishery biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will capture adult Chinook in the Siuslaw River near Mapleton as part of a broader study to accurately estimate this year's return.

– KVAL.com

More:kval.com

Scottish salmon exports rise

Scottish salmon was enjoyed in 65 countries since January with the US leading the way.
 
– Fish Information Services

More:fis.com

Opinion: B.C. river's a bellwether

If we want to preserve rivers and lakes for fish, recreation and industry we need a real, long-term mitigation plan. We cannot treat low water levels as transient annoyances; they are a fact of life.

– Times Colonist

More:timescolonist.com



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