Monday, December 16, 2013


NEW REGS FOR INLET

Lower Cook Inlet commercial fishermen will see some changes in the boundaries for certain fisheries next year.

– Molly Dischner, Alaska Journal of Commerce

More: peninsulaclarion.com

Fishermen blameless in orca deaths

To point the finger of blame for declining Puget Sound orcas first at fishing, as did your Nov. 27 story, ("Off course on the road to recovery") is a disingenuous way to avoid acknowledging the real yet very difficult solution.

— Richard Bard, Vanshon Beachcomer

More: vashonbeachcomber.com

Island Outlaws cucumber harvest

For the first time, American Samoa has banned the removal of sea cucumbers after fisheries officials reported reefs being stripped bare of the species.

– Radio New Zealand

More: rnzi.com

Complaints about Inlet fishermen

The United Cook Inlet Drift Association, a commercial fishing group that represents the Cook Inlet drift gill net fleet, and a number of its members are using the Alaska Board of Fisheries to launch an all-out attack on personal-use and sport fishing in Southcentral Alaska.

– Kevin Delaney, writing in the Alaska Dispatch

More: alaskadispatch.com

New boat said to protect deckhands

Crews face rogue waves and frigid gales that toss around heavy machines and cause vessels to pitch, yaw and roll on turbulent waters.

– KOMO News

More: komonews.com

Change bill or kill it

The Soldotna Republican has opposed the bill as passed by the state House of Representatives because it invests far too much power in the commissioner of natural resources to allow developers a free hand on state lands without public notice or knowledge, and kill too many protections of state resources.

– Anchorage Daily News

More: adn.com

Russia wants Norwegian fish ban

A Russian ban on import of fish from Norway will lead to a 20 percent price increase for consume.

– Trude Pettersen, writing for the Barents Observer

More: barentsobserver.com

Gasoline in Kake harbor

Officials say 7,000 gallons of gasoline have spilled into a harbor in southeastern Alaska.

– Anchorage Daily News

More: adn.com

Newport fishing vessel aground

Officials are investigating how a fishing vessel ended up grounded near Newport.

– Daily Astorian

More: dailyastorian.com

 

Tuesday, December 17, 2013


FISHERMEN FIGHT BACK

The United Cook Inlet Drift Association (UCIDA), the industry organization that represents the Cook Inlet commercial drift gillnet fleet, and a number of UCIDA members acting as individuals have launched an attack on personal use and sportfishing in Cook Inlet through a series of nearly 50 proposals submitted to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

– Kevin Delaney, writing in the Juneau empire

More: juneauempire.com

Pot bust finds stream dying

The pump was pulling water from pools where Salmon and Steelhead Smolt were living causing the water level to drop and water temperature to heat up killing the young fish.

– Eureka Times Standard

More: times-standard.com

Set net killing zones

"The 210-foot-long set nets are indiscriminate killers that catch everything swimming by.

– Hannah Heimbuch, writing in the Homer Tribune

More: homertribune.com

Halibut catch-share plan on

Under the CSP there is no retention of halibut allowed by Captain and Crew and also that we are "charged" with a release mortality for every halibut that is released.

– Seward City News

More: sewardcitynews.com

Scientists question frankenfish rule

Two scientists who helped review a risk assessment of a P.E.I. facility that produces genetically-modified salmon eggs are surprised there is no mention of export limits in Environment Canada's approval.

– CBC

More: cbc.ca

Fukushima fish said safe

They tested 100 fish and seafood product and found that 95 did not contain any radioactive materials, while the remaining 5 had less than one-tenth of the 100 becquerels limit set by the government.
 
– Japan Daily Press

More: japandailypress.com

UFA publishes community fact sheets

UFA is seeking to provide UFA groups, members, and the public with economic information about the seafood industry to illustrate the industry's significance in their communities.

– UFA

More: ufa-fish.org

Deal over dirty diesels

As part of the settlement agreement, RDI Marine has agreed to either replace the engines or modify the existing engines to bring them into compliance.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

Pinks on ASMI agenda

A major item on the agenda is a plan to market this year's huge pink salmon pack.

– Pacific Fishing columnist Wesley Loy, writing in his blog, Deckboss

More: deckboss.blogspot.com

Alaska fines Greenpeace boat

The violation occurred during Greenpeace's "Save the Arctic" tour to protest Shell's oil exploration in July 2012.

– Lauren Rosenthall, reporting for KUCB, Unalaska

More: kmxt.org

 

Wednesday, December 18, 2013


WORKING FOR OREGON CRAB

The crab are out there, but you have to work this year.

– Coos Bay World

More: theworldlink.com

CG plucks teen off Oregon boat

The teen crew member aboard the Fishing Vessel Bess Chett reported suffering from chest pains and a loss of vision Monday evening while the vessel was near Cape Blanco State Park.

– Coast Guard

More: uscgnews.com

Shrimp killer spreads

A new strain of a common bacterium has been wiping out populations since 2009 in southeast Asia, where most of the world's shrimp is raised on farms.

– Memphis Commercial Appeal

More: commercialappeal.com

Cook Inlet hatcheries

Three new hatchery management plans for Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association-run facilities were approved after extensive discussion along with a modification to the original proposals during the Lower Cook Inlet Board of Fisheries meeting.

– TheFishSite

More: thefishsite.com

Drought killing Chinook

Low water releases out of Shasta and Keswick dams, coupled with less water flowing into the Sacramento River from tributaries, has eggs in hundreds of salmon nests in the river "high and dry," killing the eggs and recently hatched baby salmon.

– Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight

More: chicoer.com

Good news for the Klamath

Convened by Oregon Sens. Wyden and Merkley, Rep. Walden, and Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber earlier this year, the task force was a tremendous success.

– Eureka Times Standard

More: times-standard.com

Pebble before high state court

The question before the Alaska Supreme Court Tuesday morning seemed simple: Does extensive exploration work for the proposed Pebble mine amount to merely a temporary use of land that can be turned back to how it was, or is it significant enough to trigger protections for public good provided in the state Constitution?

– Lisa Demer, writing in the Anchorage Daily News

More: adn.com

Prison for Chignik Bay assaul

Last week a jury in Naknek found Daniel Whittington, 22, of Oregon and Lloyd Davis, Jr., 38, guilty of kidnapping, burglary, assault, and criminal mischief.

– KDLG, Dillingham

More: kdlg.org

No growth for B.C. farms

One of the world's largest aquaculture companies is turning its farming focus in South America to a Pacific salmon subspecies — yet the company will continue to raise Atlantic salmon on the B.C. coast.

– CBC

More: cbc.ca

Alaska loses mine

The Australian-owned mining company is turning its sights on coal prospects in Alberta, Canada, instead.

– Alaska Public Media

More: alaskapublic.org

 

Thursday, December 19, 2013


SETNET WAR HEATS UP

As the deadline to certify an initiative to ban setnetting nears, fishing groups are filing legal opinions with the state opposing the measure.

– Molly Dischner, Alaska Journal of Commerce

More: alaskajournal.com

Quality crab, but few of them

The quality of crab is great, experts say, but for fishermen and processors the season may be just average.

– Coos Bay World

More: opb.org

Salmon oil extracted, sold

Using precision equipment made in Europe, Simpson's team steams and grinds the heads of pink, chum, and red salmon to render a product now available in box stores as 90-count bottles of "Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil" gel tablets.

– Ned Rozell, Alaska Science Forum

More: capitalcityweekly.com

New smelt season eyed

Prior to the federal listing, Washington and Oregon allowed brief commercial fisheries to gather information about the strength of the run.

– Allen Thomas, reporting in the Vancouver Columbian

More: columbian.com

Delta flies Seattle-Juneau

Delta Air Lines is resuming its long-dormant Seattle-Juneau flights.

– Ed Schoenfelk, KCAW, Sitka

More: kcaw.org

Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, salmon is the focus of a science workshop in Anchorage, folks in Homer get reminded of when crab was king, and a story we've wanted to share for a couple months, and not just because of its name: Spawn-O-Rama!

– Jay Barrett, KXMT, Kodiak

More: kmxt.org

Tender skipper a movie star

Robert "Bob" Carter, a longtime salmon fish packer skipper in Ketchikan, is spinning into motion a feature-length independent film set in southern Italy based on his travels in Italy in the 1970s.

– SitNews, Ketchikan

More: sitnews.us

Oil not worth fish kill

The proposed oil industry expansion on B.C.'s coast is not worth the risk to wild salmon.

– Vancouver Times Colonist

More: timescolonist.com

Higher springer forecast

State, federal and tribal biologists predict an improved run of 227,000 spring Chinook salmon will enter the Columbia River in 2014 headed for waters upstream of Bonneville Dam.

– OPB, Portland

More: opb.org

CG petty officer dies

Petty Officer Third Class Travis Obendorf died in a Seattle hospital on Wednesday as a result of injuries he sustained during search and rescue operations near Amak Island, Alaska, Nov. 11, while serving aboard Coast Guard Cutter Waesche.

At the time of his injury, Waesche personnel were conducting small boat operations to assist the disabled fishing vessel Alaska Mist with 22 mariners aboard. During the first transfer of passengers, Obendorf was injured while recovering the small boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew transported him to Cold Bay for a commercial medevac to Anchorage and further medical care. Obendorf's family arrived in Anchorage shortly thereafter. He was then transferred to Swedish Hospital Dec. 6 for continued medical care.

"Petty Officer Obendorf's selfless actions directly contributed to rescuing five mariners in distress. His willingness to assist others, even amidst the dangerous environment of the Bering Sea, truly embodies the Coast Guard's core values," said Waesche's commanding officer, Capt. John McKinley. "Travis will be sadly missed."

– Coast Guard

More: uscgnews.com