Monday, November 11, 2013
'SUBSTANTIAL DISCARDS' REPORTED BY OBSERVERS
Starting this year and for the first time ever, observers were placed aboard smaller boats as well as Alaska's hook and line fleet to start getting information about "removals" in that gear group's fisheries. The primary finding after eight months can be summed up as: "substantial discards."
- Pacific Fishing columnist Laine Welch, writing in Sitnews
More: sitnews.us
Setnetters fight ban proposal
The Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association responds to news of a campaign to ban commercial setnets in Cook Inlet and elsewhere.
- Pacific Fishing Columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog: Deckboss
More: deckboss.blogspot.com
Kings left out of Alaska's salmon boom
Out of the five species that swim Alaska's waters, the mighty Chinook, or king, salmon falls to last place with preliminary harvest numbers from Fish and Game coming in at 309,000 fish. That's a far cry from 1994, for instance, when the harvest statewide was at 640,000.
- Juneau Empire
More: juneauempire.com
Mining industry affected by Pebble pull-out
At this gathering, abandonment by Anglo America is a widely characterized as a big loss for all Alaska miners.
- Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
'Leadership institute' grooms seafood processors
A group of aspiring cannery bosses from all over the state was in town this past week.
- KMXT
More: kmxt.org
Crab boat enlisted for fire truck's transport
Trident Seafoods donated the use of the vessels the town needed for the final push - a freighter with a crane that can handle a 10-ton fire truck, and a crab boat that can safely navigate St. George's shallow harbor.
- KUCB
More: kucb.org
New data on ocean salmon migration
Basic ocean conditions such as current directions and water temperature play a huge role in determining the behavior of young migrating salmon as they move from rivers and hit ocean waters for the first time, according to new research.
- The Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
EPA helms Humboldt Bay haz mat removal
Adding urgency to the effort is a constant fear that a large earthquake could lead to a potentially disastrous spill into the sensitive environmental habitat and economic engine that is Humboldt Bay.
- Times-Standard
More: times-standard.com
Englund Marine awarded
The Astoria-based company was given the National Operation School Bell Award for financial support of the program that gives clothes to school children in need.
- The Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
UFA: put fish on Alaska school menus
The United Fishermen of Alaska's Board of Directors set that as a priority during its recent meeting in Sitka.
- KTOO
More: ktoo.org
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
ALASKA STORM DISASTERS DECLARED
A storm that brought high winds, high water and high surf caused flooding to communities along the coast of Western Alaska this weekend.
– KUCB
More: alaskapublic.org
The lowdown on farmed fish
With this industry regularly touted as a paragon of food production, whether you eat seafood or not, you should know these nine key facts about farmed fish.
– OpEdNews.com
More: opednews.com
Rare shark sighting highlights conservation
Irrefutable photographic evidence of the biggest and rarest fish on Canada's west coast — the endangered basking shark — is shining light on a sea change in federal government attitude, from destruction to conservation of sharks.
– Vancouver Sun
More: vancouversun.com
Salmon rebound in B.C. stream
On one day last week, volunteers counted 449 coho and two cutthroat trout — more than the entire run last year.
– Times Colonist
More: timescolonist.com
Clean audit for Alaska fishery
The Alaska black cod/sablefish fishery has completed the 2nd Annual Audit of the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification. The objective of the audit is to monitor any changes since the previous assessment.
– Fish Information and Services
More: fis.com
Skipper naps, crabber aground
An unfortunate nap caused the destruction of a fishing boat and fuel spill the night of Halloween, but no injuries were reported to the crew of the crabber that crashed ashore within sight of Dutch Harbor.
– Pacific Fishing contributor Jim Paulin, reporting in the Bristol Bay
Times
More: thedutchharborfisherman.com
More to sustainability than banning discards
Banning the practice of throwing unmarketable or over-quota fish back into the sea is just one of the measures needed to deliver sustainable fisheries according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
– Phys.org
More: phys.org
Commercial fishing slavery?
Is it a case of modern day slavery? Bad working conditions? Or just sour grapes over pay? Allegations are flying about distress on the docks from the crew of some Honolulu fishing vessels.
– KHON, Honolulu
More: khon2.com
Opinion: kings are bycatch
Setnetters are somewhat lucky that in their case king salmon bycatch falls in a category the NOAA calls "retained incidental catch."
– Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
B.C. fish farming fight
An effort by environmentalists, a First Nation and commercial fishermen to use a NAFTA side agreement to force Canada to change the way it polices British Columbia's salmon farms has bogged down in legal arguments.
– CTV News
More: ctvnews.ca
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
ALASKA SALMON RECERTIFIED
Global seafood markets can continue to source MSC certified Alaska salmon and apply the MSC ecolabel.
– FIS
More: fis.com
Groups opposed recertification
Wild Fish Conservancy of Seattle and Watershed Watch Salmon Society, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, and Raincoast Conservation Foundation of British Columbia objected to MSC's failure to assess fishery impacts on endangered king (Chinook) salmon runs from BC and the continental US that are overfished as they migrate through Southeast Alaska.
– Wild Fish Conservancy and others
More: wildfishconservancy.org
MSC cautions about cod
The Marine Conservation Society has decided not to change its advice on North Sea cod, saying that more stability is needed before it can be put back on the menu and eaten without guilt.
– The Guardian, U.K.
More: theguardian.com
Dogfish replacing cod?
So with a shortage of local cod, there is an effort underway to lure diners away from the revered species and steer them towards new types of fish that are abundant.
– Rachel Gotbaum, reporting for WBUR, Boston
More: wbur.org
Alaska black cod re-certified
The Alaska black cod/sablefish fishery has completed the 2nd Annual Audit of the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification.
– FIS
More: fis.com
Alaska black cod re-certified
The Alaska black cod/sablefish fishery has completed the 2nd Annual Audit of the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification.
– FIS
More: fis.com
Otter hunting increases
Southeast Alaska and the state as a whole have seen an apparent upswing in sea otter hunting in recent years.
– Matt Lichtenstein, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
SE pink forecast is normal
Next year's Southeast Alaska pink salmon harvest could come in at less than a quarter of this year's all-time-record catch.
– Matt Lichtenstein, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
More seafood in schools
A major commercial fishing organization is pushing for more funding to put seafood on school lunch tables.
– Ed Schoenfeld, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: kstk.org
Guilty in felony fishing
Carr fished in the closed areas anyway, and reported the catch came from an open area farther from Kodiak.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: kmxt.org
B.C. Oil Coast protest
Prince Rupert activists will be joining others across the country on Nov. 16 to protest growth in the oil development and export industries.
– Shaun Thomas, in The Northern View, Prince Rupert, B.C.
More: thenorthernview.com
A small Pebble mine
One idea broached by Northern Dynasty even before it formed the Pebble Partnership with Anglo American, was for a smaller underground mine to high-grade the richest gold deposits. The idea is reportedly supported by Rio Tinto, a major mining company that owns a little over 19 percent of Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Partnership. From what I have seen, the idea deserves a fair hearing.
– Keith Searles, writing in Alaska Dispatch
More: alaskadispatch.com
Thursday, November 14, 2013
SF FLEET READYING FOR CRAB
The docks of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf were teeming with life; forklifts zipped in every direction, hoists lowered stacks of crab traps onto waiting boats, and fishermen stocked their boats with ice and bait.
– Joe Rosato, reporting for NBC, San Francisco
More: nbcbayarea.com
Shell reviving Arctic drill plan
Shell Oil is taking measures to revive its troubled Arctic drilling program.
– KUCB's Lauren Rosenthal on KDLG, Dillingham
More: kdlg.org
Treaty rights produce few fish
Tribes in Western Washington are catching fewer fish than before the landmark Boldt decision of 1974 because continuing habitat loss is destroying salmon and steelhead runs.
– Lynda V. Mapes, reporting for the Seattle Times
More: seattletimes.com
New salmon farm in Washington?
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.
– Craig Welch, reporting for the Seattle Times
More: seattletimes.com
B.C.'s controversial fish kings
Etchegary is never shy with his views, but he currently happens to have a new book out, wherein he chronicles his life in the fishery going back to his first being hired by Fishery Products Ltd. in 1947 —two years before Confederation.
– Jamie Baker, reporting for CBC
More: cbc.ca
Killing sea lions
The killing of California sea lions will happen despite the fact that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently estimated that their predation has declined and is barely more than 1 percent of the spring salmon run up the Columbia River.
– Sharon Young, reporting in the Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
Searching for sardines
Federal fisheries managers slashed upcoming West Coast sardine harvests by two-thirds while scientists try to get a better handle on indications the population is significantly dwindling.
– The Daily Astorian
More: dailyastorian.com
New shrimp on market
As a slow shrimp season comes to a close in December, the local product fills an important gap for fishermen and consumers as shrimp globally are in short supply.
– KLFY, Louisiana
More: klfy.com
Fishing towns start permit banks
Some Nova Scotia communities are stepping closer to creating fishing license banks to keep high-value licenses available to local commercial fishermen.
– Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia
More: thechronicleherald.ca
Friday, November 15, 2013
FIRST CAL POT-LIMIT SEASON
At precisely 12:01 a.m. hundreds of fisherman off the Half Moon Bay coast began to reel in the first commercially caught crab of the season.
– Samantha Weigel, reporting for The Daily (San Mateo) Journal
More: smdailyjournal.com
Cal crab forecast good
On the first day of this year's Dungeness crab season, expectations among Monterey Bay area fishermen are already high because of a record-setting haul last year.
– David Royal, reporting in the Monterey Herald
More: montereyherald.com
Record estimate of Russian cod
The Barents Sea cod stock is growing and spreading northwards and eastwards. Never before have scientists found cod as far east as during this year's ecosystem mission.
– Trude Pettersen, reporting in the Barents Observer
More: barentsobserver.com
Fishermen protest UK cod ban
Scottish fishermen were angered this week when a British conservation group recommended North Sea cod stay off menus despite a recent comeback by the species.
– UPI
More: upi.com
Predicted for 2014: 22 million pinks
Next year's Southeast Alaska pink salmon harvest could come in at less than a quarter of this year's all-time-record catch.
– Matt Lichtenstein, reporting in KFSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
AK trollers doing well
It's about a month into the Southeast Alaska winter king salmon season and so far, commercial trollers have had some of the best fishing they've seen in the last 20 years, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
– Matt Lichtenstein, reporting for KFSK, Petersburg
More: kfsk.org
No help after fishery failures
Five significant commercial fishery failures in 2012-2013 have failed to receive federal relief, prompting 22 members of Congress to urge inclusion of $150 million in fishery disaster relief in any final funding package for fiscal 2014.
– Cordova Times
More: thecordovatimes.com
Salmon runs cyclic
Mathisen said he thinks Alaska's salmon species — the chum, pink, silver, sockeye and king — have seen strong returns in recent years overall, but he also has seen the returns ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. Some years are better than others, he said.
– Abby Lowell, reporting in the Homer News
More: homernews.com
Cal weather buoy on the blink
As many as 100 fishermen are casting off each day from Pillar Point Harbor, but this year they're venturing out blindly into unknown conditions.
– Mark Noack, reporting in Half Moon Bay Review
More: hmbreview.com
Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, commercial fishermen respond to the Soldotna sportsfishing guide industry's attempt to bring to an end to one of Alaska's oldest fisheries; it looks like crabbers got their pots in the water with enough time to meet holiday deadlines in Japan; and a summit for fishermen who are young – or young at heart – all coming up on the Alaska Fisheries Report.
– KMXT, Kodiak
More: kmxt.org
