Monday, October 7, 2013
CRAB SEASON IN SUSPENSE
Fishermen are gearing up for the opening of the Bering Sea's lucrative crab season. But they may be off to a late start this year, because of the federal government shutdown.
– KUCB
More: kucb.org
Bristol driftnet permit values up
The September report puts the value of a Bristol Bay driftnet permit at $100.7-thousand dollars. That's up from the $95.5-thousand dollars permit value recorded back in August.
– KDLG
More: kdlg.org
Harbor closes after tender sinks
The fishing vessel Neptune has sunk in the Haines harbor, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Fishermen get Obamacare help
An umbrella organization that represents 36 Alaska commercial fishing organizations is working to help fishermen work through the complicated process of meeting the "Individual Mandate" requirement of the Affordable Care Act.
– KDLG
More: kdlg.org
Storm advisory for South Central Alaska
"Powerful storm on the way," announced the National Weather Service Sunday morning, regarding strong winds and heavy rains expected to pound the area of Southcentral Alaska around Anchorage on Monday and Tuesday.
– Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
Plankton clouds Kachemak Bay area
A brown sludgy plankton bloom slogging into small bays that rim Kachemak Bay is raising concerns on how it may impact the delicate filtration systems of shellfish and other marine life.
– Homer Tribune
More: homertribune.com
B.C. Herring comeback hatched
The society plans to install plastic wrappings on as many as 20 pilings at Fisherman's Wharf — by Granville Island — before herring enter the area to spawn in February and March.
– Times Colonist
More: timescolonist.com
'Alarming' B.C. starfish die-off
Within weeks, the tentacled orange sea stars had all but disappeared in Howe Sound and Vancouver Harbor, disintegrating where they sat on the ocean floor.
– Vancouver Sun
More: vancouversun.com
Astoria's salmon canning history
In its peak year of 1884, the Columbia fishery generated about 31.5 million cans of salmon. Astoria was also closely involved with Alaska, which by 1902 was producing up to 106 million cans of salmon a year.
– Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
Lack of fish scuttles B.C. salmon seller
A local smoked salmon business has shut down this year but is hoping to be able to reopen next year.
– Terrace Standard
More: terracestandard.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
PEBBLE LAYING OFF WORKERS
The group behind the proposed Pebble Mine is laying off workers after one of the partners in the controversial project pulled out.
– Alaska Public Radio
More: alaskapublic.org
Otter study ending
Overall, Hoyt says southern southeast is seeing an otter population that is growing exponentially but that growth isn't the same in every area and neither is their diet.
– Matt Lichtenstein, reporting for KSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
SE dive fishery prices
Divers are expecting good prices for geoduck clams and sea cucumbers, two bottom dwelling sea creatures sold to Asian markets.
– Joe Viechnicki, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
Already-eaten fish recalled
"The likelihood that they'll recover much of the smoked product is pretty slight, because it probably will have been eaten."
– Robert Woolsey, reporting for KCAW, Sitka
More: kcaw.org
Haines harbor reopens
Fuel from a sunken vessel in the Haines Small Boat Harbor has been contained, although it could still be several days until clean-up is complete and the boat is salvaged.
– Margaret Friedenauer, reporting for KHNS, Haines
More: alaskapublic.org
Tsunami debris carries invaders
John Chapman, an invasive species biologist who studies tsunami debris at Oregon State University, said the mussels could threaten the local B.C. habitat.
– CBC Radio
More: cbc.ca
Woman missing off Charleston
Crews rescued the men and their dog off the north jetty of Coos Bay.
– Emily Thornton, reporting for the Coos Bay World
More: theworldlink.com
Sportie tag charge official
An annual endorsement will cost $9.75 when purchased with a fishing license, and $1 per day for daily licenses and will be required on all rivers within the Columbia River Basin when fishing for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon.
– Oregon Outdoors
More: democratherald.com
Prowler boat christened
The first large commercial fishing vessel built in Alaska has been christened.
– Anchorage Daily News
More: adn.com
Ship contract to B.C.
Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards will build an additional 10 Non-Combat vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard.
– SeaSpan
More: seaspan.com
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
ALASKA SALMON NEAR CERTIFICATION
Another step has been taken towards getting Alaska's commercial salmon fisheries recertified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
– Mike Mason, reporting for KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Snow crab TAC down
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced a Bering Sea snow crab total allowable catch (TAC) of just under 54 million pounds for the 2013-14 season.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog, Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Cal talks acidification
Despite lingering skepticism across the country, California has taken the most proactive approach of any state in preparing for the impacts of climate change.
– Adam Spencer, reporting for the Crescent City Triplicate
More: triplicate.com
Acidification is huge threat
Ocean acidification threatens to scramble marine life on a scale almost too big to fathom.
– Seattle Times
More: video.seattletimes.com
Southeast's 'blue economy'
Southeast Alaska's maritime economy provides more than a quarter of the wages paid in the region.
– Ed Schoenfeld, reporting for KRBD, Ketchikan
More: krbd.org
Shutdown hurts Kenai Peninsula
The email message was sent to approximately 120 commercial visitor services that represent the gambit of businesses that use the refuge, from river guides to horse packing services to air taxi operators.
– Sara Hardan, reporting for the Kenai Peninsula Clarion
More: peninsulaclarion.com
Gas pipeline to end at Nikiski
Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada announced that Nikiski is their top choice for a stopping point.
– Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for Alaska Public Radio
More: alaskapublic.org
Myths about sport fishing
In some areas, anglers catch more of certain species of fish than commercial fishermen do.
– Lee Crockett, writing for National Geographic
More: newswatch.nationalgeographic.com
Alaska volcano pops
The Veniaminof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula began erupting again over the weekend resulting in an increase in the volcano alert level.
– Mike Mason, reporting for KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Thursday, October 10, 2013
RADIATION POISONING YOUR FISH?
In October's Pacific Fishing, we examine claims that radiation from Japan's Fukushima reactor is damaging fish caught off North America. Not true. Not even close. See for yourself.
Click: pacificfishing.com
Stop Dungeness fishery
I am advocating that as a community we request that the Board of Fish immediately close the waters of Southeast Alaska to commercial harvest of Dungeness crab.
– John Norton, writing in the Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
Diver dies in Southeast
The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the Mountain Point area and assisted with transporting the diver to the Ketchikan Medical Center.
– Mary Kauffman, writing in SitNews, Ketchikan
More: sitnews.us
B.C. miners raise Alaska ire
"This is the latest in a series of selective and self-serving disclosures from Chieftain that do not provide a complete and accurate picture to potential investors."
– Rivers Without Borders
More: riverswithoutborders.org
Another look at acidification
In particular, climate change deniers cite a study by Justin Ries of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
– Joe Eaton, reporting for Bay Nature, San Francisco
More: baynature.org
Understanding Southeast's estuaries
In fact, we see the estuary as a nursery ground for juveniles of lots of species, such as salmon and other commercially valuable fish and shellfish.
– Dave Albert, being interviewed on Alaska Public Radio
More: alaskapublic.org
Sporties suspect gillnets
The fall Chinook that return to the free-flowing Hanford Reach of the Columbia River are renown for including a few gargantuan survivors in the 50- to 60-pound range.
– Rich Landers reporting in The Columbian
More: columbian.com
GOP: Save king crab fishery!
Three Republican members of Congress argue Alaska's lucrative red king crab fishery can and should open.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog, Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Friday, October 11, 2013
HATCHERIES MAY KILL KINGS
Since 1970, the combined efforts of the U.S., Canada and other Pacific Rim countries have increased the number of hatchery-raised salmon released into the Pacific from 500 million to 5 billion fish.
– Les Palmer, writing in the Peninsula Clarion
More: peninsulaclarion.com
Fishing needs health insurance
Some in the industry say the cost and lack of access to comprehensive health insurance is a barrier to new fishermen and an ongoing concern for those already in the business.
– Matt Kichtenstein, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: ktoo.org
Trading salmon for kilowatts
With this dam, the state administration and Alaska Energy Authority are asking Alaskans to choose between electricity and our wild resources – between salmon or lights.
– Doug Smith, writing for the Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
Alaska salmon roundup
There were no commercial Chinook salmon fisheries in the Arctic, Yukon or Kuskokwim areas, the department said.
– Pat Forgey, reporting for Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
Lifting Haines tender
A salvage operation and clean-up efforts are still underway in Haines, where a 78-foot tender sank last weekend in the boat harbor.
– Margaret Friedenauer, reporting for Alaska Public Radio
More: alaskapublic.org
Kodiak energy audit session
Gaffney will discuss how different energy-using systems were employed on fishing vessels, including gillnetters, trollers, longliners, seiners, trawlers, and tenders, and explain how the results translate into solid recommendations for the different vessel types.
– Jay Barrett, reporting for KMXT, Kodiak
More: kmxt.org
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, Bering Sea crabbing might be delayed because of the federal government shutdown, clean up continues on the fuel spill caused by that tender sinking in Haines, and the largest longliner built in Alaska gets christened. All that and more on the Alaska Fisheries Report.
– Jay Barrett, with help from KUCB's Lauren Rosenthal in Unalaska, KHNS' Margaret Friedenour in Haines, KRBD's Sean Carlson in Ketchikan, and KDLG's Mike Mason in Dillingham
More: kmxt.org
Copper River elections
The silvers have slowed, gold leaves swirl to ground, and inside the Copper River/PWS Marketing Association elections are being held.
– Kim Ryals, writing in the Cordova Times
More: thecordovatimes.com
Spill response drill
The Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, ConocoPhillips/Polar Tankers, Inc., and Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. conducted a joint oil spill response exercise in Valdez and Anchorage, Monday through Wednesday.
– Coast Guard
More: piersystem.com
