Monday, September 17, 2012
EXPERTS OBJECT TO SEA LION STUDY
A federal biological opinion to restrict multi-million dollar commercial mackerel and cod fisheries in the western Aleutian Islands to protect sea lions and their habitat has been challenged by a panel of independent reviewers.
– Cordova Times
More:thecordovatimes.com
EDITORIAL: No on gillnet ban
Let this circus end. Measure 81, cleverly titled "Protect Our Salmon Act," should be defeated in November.
– The Oregonian
More:oregonlive.com
Halibut price sinks
For halibut, in a reversal of trend and fortune, prices have dropped by 70 cents a pound in recent weeks.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, writing in SitNews, Ketchikan
More:sitnews.us
Cal salmon an 'improvement'
It didn't live up to eye-popping preseason forecasts, but the 2012 salmon season represented a marked improvement for embattled California fishermen.
– San Jose Mercury News
More:mercurynews.com
Shell delays Arctic plans
Shell is abandoning its plans to drill for oil in Arctic waters this summer, after it became clear this weekend that a critical oil spill vessel would not be ready in time.
– FuelFix
More:fuelfix.com
An infected drill rig?
A Chinese heavy-lift vessel brought the Endeavour jack-up drill rig to Kachemak Bay from Singapore, but it appears the rig itself might have carried its own unique and unwanted cargo.
– KBBI, Homer
More:alaskapublic.org
CDQ conflict
Deckboss predicted conflict among the six companies operating under Alaska's Community Development Quota program.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
End of Crescent City era
The old ice plant at 270 U.S. Highway 101 near Ocean World has been demolished by Hector and Eileen Brown, who own the neighboring Ocean View Inn.
– Crescent City Triplicate
More:triplicate.com
Good grades for trawl ratz
Data compiled by NOAA's Fisheries Service strongly suggest that West Coast trawl fishermen are becoming more confident about a new fishery management system put in place early last year, and both they and the fish stocks they target are benefiting.
– NMFS
More:pcouncil.org
Sea otters reduce carbon?
A new study is adding another dimension to the sea otter debate. The research shows the marine mammals help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major contributor to climate change.
– KTOO, Juneau
More:ktoonews.org
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
COOK INLET NEEDS SELECTIVE GEAR
Since no one knows when king salmon stocks might rebound it would be appropriate for Fish and Game managers and politicians to consider ways for setnetters to harvest sockeye salmon without impacting king salmon.
– Kenai Peninsula Clarion
More:peninsulaclarion.com
Probing Alaska Chinook failure
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game answers questions here regarding poor Chinook salmon returns to certain parts of the state.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Tribe now opposes Taku mine
The Taku River Tlingit First Nations this month withdrew support for all government approval for the Tulsequah Chief Mine.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Natives against Alaska drilling
The prospect of offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic has prompted vocal opposition from many environmental groups and now some Alaska Native Tribal organizations have joined the fight.
– KDLG, Dillingham
More:kdlg.org
Destroy dams, grow salmon
A small dam on a productive salmon stream near Sooke will be bulldozed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada next year despite fears that this could wipe out the coho run.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:timescolonist.com
Moving toward Columbia gillnet ban
Oregon is moving ahead with a proposed phase-out of commercial gillnetting along the Columbia River.
– OPB
More:opb.org
Sporties hitting lot of Columbia jacks
Fishing guides and anglers alike said jacks appeared early this year and, at times, dominated their catches in the estuary.
– The Oregonian
More:oregonlive.com
Columbia gillnet opener
Three nights of gillnetting in the Columbia River between Woodland and Beacon Rock were approved Monday by Washington and Oregon officials.
– The Columbian
More:columbian.com
Ah-arrrr! Pirate day tomorrow
Wednesday, Sept. 19, is the 10th anniversary of a silly holiday. Talk Like a Pirate Day started as a joke between two friends, but in 2002, syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry turned it into a national, and eventually an international, phenomenon.
– KRBD, Ketchikan
More:krbd.org
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
U.S. CATCH AT 17-YEAR HIGH
The U.S. seafood catch reached a 17-year high in 2011, with all regions of the country showing increases in both the volume and value of their harvests.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.com
Fishery disasters all over
Fishery disaster determinations have been issued in the Northeast, Alaska, and in Mississippi.
– World Fishing
More:worldfishing.net
This dam helps salmon
A small dam on a productive salmon stream near Sooke will be bulldozed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada next year despite fears that this could wipe out the coho run.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:timescolonist.com
Weak Chinook run threatens villages
The drop has devastated commerce and tourism, but the most dramatic effect has been on subsistence villages where fishermen eat what they catch.
– BBC
More:bbc.co.uk
Mustang recalls life vests
We are notifying the public of an urgent advisory for specific hydrostatic inflatable PFDs manufactured during April and May of 2012.
– Mustang
More:uscg.mil
No SE red king crab season
After opening in 2011 to end a five-year shutdown, the Southeast Alaska commercial red king crab fishery will remain closed this year due to weak stocks.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, reporting on his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Bristol Bay in New Seasons
For the sixth consecutive year, grocery chain New Seasons Market is bringing Bristol Bay aockeye and commercial fishermen into its Oregon stores.
– Fishermen for Bristol Bay
More:fishermenforbristolbay.org
Cal aquaculture measure
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro to boost California's aquaculture industry.
– Eureka Times Standard
More:times-standard.com
New Gig Harbor pier
The Gig Harbor commercial fishing fleet, once the largest on the West Coast, continues the tradition today with approximately 40 active vessels.
– Gig Harbor Patch
More:gigharbor.patch.com
Norwegian bait fish shrink
The results have been published in the current issue of the journal Marine Biology Research, and find that, during 2000-2009 there was a downward trend in zooplankton biomass, meaning less food for all fish.
– FishNewsEU
More:fishnewseu.com
Thursday, September 20, 2012
UNALASKA TOP U.S. PORT - AGAIN!
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just issued its fisheries report card for 2011, and Alaska is on the honor roll.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More: kucb.org
Japan needs live eels
Imports of live eels soared more than sixfold from a year earlier during the year through July to nearly 40 tons, due apparently to an acute scarcity of Japanese eels, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.
– Japan Times
More: japantimes.co.jp
Sea ice begins winter
The National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado announced that the sea ice is starting to freeze up again in the Arctic Ocean.
– Alaska Public
More: alaskapublic.org
Natives push Bristol Bay protections
Leaders from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation are in Washington, D.C., pushing members of Congress to support the forthcoming EPA watershed assessment and to increase protections for the salmon fishery in Bristol Bay.
– Alaska Public
More: alaskapublic.org
Land review could limit Pebble
The state's natural resources department will have to justify its rationale for how it designated land use in the Bristol Bay region nearly a decade ago, a process that could have ramifications for the proposed Pebble Mine.
– Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
Acidification study funded
As scientists continue to research ways in which the oceans are changing – and what these changes mean for fish populations – three new research projects will receive funding to examine the effects of ocean acidification on fisheries, and the coastal economies that depend upon them.
– NOAA
More: noaanews.noaa.gov
Bill would limit Cal crab transfers
When high-capacity vessels cruised to Crescent City packed to the brim with hundreds of crab traps, North Coast fishermen cried foul that the emergency transfer clause was being abused.
– Triplicate, Crescent City
More: triplicate.com
Action to protect halibut quota
The Alaska Halibut Catch Share Plan will be considered at the fall North Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting. There is a possibility that 5 percent of the annual allocation of halibut will be shifted from commercial fishing to charter boat and recreational fishing.
The Halibut Coalition is seeking consumer support to prevent any further reallocation of halibut to the charter sector. By commenting now, consumers can help protect their access to halibut.
If individual consumers or restaurants want to comment on the upcoming North Pacific Fishery Management Council decision, they should contact the Halibut Coalition at halibutcoalition@gmail.com for talking points. By commenting now, consumers can help protect their access to halibut. Comments should be submitted by Sept. 25.
More: CSP Alternatives and Halibut CSP Review
Friday, September 21, 2012
SALMON MAY REPLACE TUNA
Tuna's share of the fish market has declined steadily over the past 25 years, however, and salmon could reclaim the title of America's favorite fish in the next decade or two.
– Slate
More:slate.com
Cal salmon catch
As of Aug. 31, close to 300,000 salmon were taken off the California coast by both the sport and commercial salmon fishing fleets.
– Indybay.org
More:indybay.org
Creating the perfect (farm) salmon
Scottish scientists are homing in on the elusive genes that could create the perfect salmon and revolutionize aquaculture.
– HeraldOnLine.com
More:heraldonline.com
Alaska bulls eye for tsunami debris
A literature study by researchers suggests Alaska could see the greatest mass of debris from last year's tsunami in Japan.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:adn.com
Alaska Chinook symposium
The goal is to discuss gaps in knowledge of Chinook salmon abundance and productivity, and seek input on a targeted list of research priorities to fill these gaps.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Seeking WWII sub off Oregon
A patrol boat had made contact with at least one enemy submarine off the Oregon coast, but was out of depth charges.
– The Oregonian
More:oregonlive.com
Cummins reorganizes
Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. has reorganized its Commercial Marine Business around five customer-focused market segments: commercial transport; offshore oil and gas; passenger transport; government/defense; and special use (fishing).
– Marine Log
More:marinelog.com
Pebble would relieve poverty
That's because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is about to lock some of America's poorest communities into a permanent economic depression as a favor to national environmental groups.
– The Hill
More:thehill.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, the king escapement on the Kusko might not have met expectations, we get an update on fish prices around the state, and more detail on those upcoming mandatory boat exams.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:kmxt.org