Monday, October 17, 2011
NO KING CRAB OPENING NEXT YEAR?
After seeing the reduction this year over last and seeing what the survey says, it’s a very realistic possibility that we don’t have one next year.
– Pacific Fishing columnist
Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
King crab cannibals
Red king crabs are highly cannibalistic, which is a problem for mass culture and may reduce post-release survival.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
Wild Atlantic salmon dying
A salmon summit in France has seen scientists confirming that wild Atlantic salmon are dying at sea in alarming numbers.
– FishNewsEU
More:www.fishnewseu.com
Record B.C. sockeye run
An estimated record run of 1.1 million late-run sockeye are destined for the Harrison River system in the upper Fraser Valley.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
Sea lions back before kill panel
Its task: to recommend to kill and remove sea lions feasting on endangered salmon below Bonneville Dam this spring – or not.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com/
Bering factory trawler adrift
A Fishing Company of Alaska vessel was adrift in the Bering Sea.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Third Nushagak orca found dead
A third killer whale that swam up the Nushagak River has been found dead.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Bristol Bay story on the road
It’s thousands of miles away, but supporters of a campaign to stop a controversial mine proposal in Alaska say it would harm more than just the pristine ecosystem where it’s located.
– KPLU, Tacoma
More:www.kplu.org
Coast Guard done with pirate ship
An illegal high seas drift net fishing boat that a U.S. senator called a "pirate" ship has been turned over to a federal law enforcement office.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
DEADLY FISH FARM VIRUS HERE
Wild sockeye salmon from B.C.'s Rivers Inlet have tested positive for a potentially devastating virus that has never been found before in the North Pacific.
– Vancouver Sun
Read more:www.vancouversun.com
Close vote against Pebble
Lake and Peninsula Borough voters have approved by fewer than 40 votes a ballot initiative meant to sidetrack the massive Pebble mine prospect.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Columbia gillnetters after coho
Gillnetters will return to the lower Columbia River on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
– Vancouver Columbian
More:www.columbian.com
Big Yellow pictures Bristol Bay
Southwest Alaska and Bristol Bay comprise a relative undisturbed habitat that supports the most productive wild salmon fishery and one of the largest herring fisheries in the history of the world.
– National Geographic
More:newswatch.nationalgeographic.com
Congressional hearing about Alaska sea lions
"Despite this funding, NOAA still is not able to answer the questions regarding whether the commercial fishing industry is limiting the food available for Steller sea lions."
– Seattle P-I
More:www.seattlepi.com
Hearing testimony
"Scientists, seafood industry representatives, and environmental groups squared off to challenge the basic science and political motives of the National Marine Fisheries Service and their recent decision to shut down several Alaska fisheries, eliminating as many as 750 jobs in Washington State and Alaska."
– Steve Minor, Waterfront Associates, testifying before the House committee concerning Alaska sea lions
More:www.pacificfishing.com
Was the hearing impartial?
The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in Seattle on how "unsubstantiated" federal science on the Steller sea lion is jeopardizing Alaska's fishing industry.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Trawler towed to Captain's Bay
After suffering a mechanical failure on Friday, the factory trawler Alaska Victory was successfully towed into Captains Bay this weekend.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Fisherman's rescue called heroic
Coast Guard swimmer Christopher Austin dropped into a cold Pacific Northwest bay where a fisherman floated, prone in the violent surf.
– SignOnSanDiego
More:www.signonsandiego.com
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
FEDS REPORT ON DEADLY KATMAI SINKING
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued the report of its joint investigation with the U.S. Coast Guard into the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Katmai in the Bering Sea on October 21-22, 2008.
The report:www.ntsb.gov
Pebble miners to press on
Leaders of the group promoting a massive gold-and-copper prospect near Alaska's Bristol Bay said Tuesday they plan to press on with their work, despite passage of a ballot initiative aimed at stopping the controversial Pebble mine.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Kodiak stars in reality show
A new reality show based in Alaska will debut next month. Commanding Officer of Kodiak Air Station Captain Bill Deal said people from the Weather Channel called him earlier this year with the idea for the aptly titled "Coast Guard Alaska."
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
Doubts about B.C. runs
Goldstream was the site of a gasoline and diesel spill in April. Although the water is now running clear, there are concerns that the fish sense something is wrong.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.timescolonist.com
More humpback whales
U.S. scientists have increased their estimate of the number of endangered humpback whales in the North Pacific in a new analysis of survey data.
– UPI
More:www.upi.com
Sea lions not your enemy
They want to kill sea lions because this native marine mammal dares to eat a Lilliputian portion of the fish that some fishermen would rather have to themselves.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
B.C. fish farmers fight sea lions
The largest salmon farming company in B.C. is installing thick netting around its fish farms in an effort to reduce the number of marine mammals killed.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.canada.com
Canadian snow crab bountiful
The value of snow crab landings for the 2011 fishing season in Newfoundland and Labrador surpassed $250 million, the highest recorded landed value for snow crab in the province since 2004.
– TheFishSite
More:www.thefishsite.com
Thursday, October 20, 2011
FOCUS ON FISH FARM DISEASE
More scientists in Washington started talking, and 24 hours later everyone is asking more questions.
– New York Times
More:www.nytimes.com
Plan to address fish farm disease
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is calling on government scientists to develop a response to a newly discovered virus that could wreck the salmon industry in the Pacific Northwest.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Where fish farm disease came from
A policy allowing over 29 million Atlantic salmon eggs to be imported into B.C. since 1985, despite scientific evidence showing ISA could be transmitted via infected eggs, is the antithesis of the precautionary principle.
– Vancouver Sun
More:www.vancouversun.com
W. Alaska salmon diminish
Salmon returns to western Alaska continue to decrease, and that trend is leading to severe restrictions on commercial and subsistence fisheries.
– KTUU, Anchorage
More:articles.ktuu.com
Senators fight frankenfish
Alaska's U.S. Senators filed two separate pieces of legislation in a pincer movement to crush the production of genetically engineered salmon in the U.S.
– Juneau Empire
More:juneauempire.com
Studying Alaska octopus
What marine animal can unscrew the lid of a jar, squeeze into a water jug, tear off scientific tags meant to track him and shoot out clouds of ink to mimic its own shape?
– Homer Tribune
More:homertribune.com
Big NW oceanography study
News these days from the Oregon State University seems to have taken its cue from Jules Verne.
– The Oregonian
More:www.oregonlive.com
$5 million, and derelict still aground
A consortium of agencies trying to deal with the problem, and $5 million later, the landing craft and its pieces remain on the harbor floor.
– Homer Tribune
More:homertribune.com
Friday, October 21, 2011
HUGE SALMON FARM IN FUCA STRAIT?
Now an Oregon company, Pacific Seafood, wants to grow 10 million pounds a year of steelhead and Atlantic salmon in cages in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. That would nearly double the farmed fish grown in saltwater in Washington.
– Seattle Times
More:seattletimes.nwsource.com
Ownership of otter pelts
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, is pushing legislation that would ease restrictions on the sale of sea otter hides by amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The act restricts the harvest and sale of marine mammals.
– Alaska Dispatch
More:www.alaskadispatch.com
Great white attack off Oregon
A surfer on Thursday survived the attack of a great white shark that destroyed his surfboard and shattered his nerves.
– Newport News Times
More:www.newportnewstimes.com
Big donation from Pebble backers
The group promoting a mine project near the headwaters of Bristol Bay donated $150,000 to defeat an initiative aimed at Pebble Mine in the waning days of the election.
– Anchorage Daily News
More:www.adn.com
Some pricey crab
This season, some red king crab could be worth over $30 a pound. That is, if they're wrapped in pink or green string and seem to have some sort of capsule attached to them.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More:www.kucb.org
Other states want more voice
Now comes another voice urging greater Washington and Oregon representation on the council to balance out Alaska's advantage.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More:deckboss.blogspot.com
Emergency towing for fishing boats
The emergency towing system was developed in order to respond to distress cargo vessels in bad weather, and now a partnership between the state, the Coast Guard, and local governments is trying to figure out how to best use it on fishing vessels.
– Pacific Fishing columnist Alexandra Gutierrez, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska
More: www.kucb.org
Alaska Fisheries Report
A virus that has devastated fish farms around the world has been found in wild salmon stocks in Canada. We have a wrap up of the seine season in Southeast, and the fur flies over sea lions.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More:www.kmxt.org
B.C. downplays fish farm disease
The Harper government, which on Thursday described as "inconclusive" tests showing British Columbia wild sockeye salmon have been infected with a potentially devastating virus, isn't taking the matter as seriously as top politicians in the U.S.
– Victoria Times Colonist
More:www.canada.com
Fish farm disease backgrounder
Yesterday, we sent out some background information about the fish farm disease found in wild sockeye in B.C. In that format, some of the links didn't work and the address had to be copied for your browser. Today, we're trying another format.
Click:www.pacificfishing.com/Resource
