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Judge’s Ruling Allows One Halibut per Day Rule to Take Effect Tomorrow (6/4)
Charter fishermen limited to one halibut a day, for now (KCAW Audio) (6/4)
Kodiak Researchers Seek Whale Avoidance Data (KMXT Audio) (6/1)
STATE
Red Salmon Return Better Than Anticipated (KUAC Audio) (5/29)
Saying food is in short supply, fishermen talk of flouting rules (6/1)
Northern villagers test the waters for commercial fishery (5/28)
State listens while Yukon River people wait (6/2)
Sand Point Fishermen Looking For A Good Season (KMXT Audio/More)(6/3)
Residents share fishery concerns with Fish and Game (6/4)
Policies in planning stage for critical habitats (6/4)
Bay’s commercial fishery marks 125 years (6/4)
Pursuit of herring evokes glory of bay fisheries (6/4)
Opinion. Nels Anderson Jr. Life-changing issues await the next leaders (6/4)
MARKETING
Alaska Expects Large Salmon Harvest (6/4)
Copper River salmon pampered to market (6/4)
FEDERAL
Update: Aleutian Islands Risk Assessment Advisory Panel meets in Anchorage (6/2). ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Aleutian Islands Risk Assessment (AIRA) Advisory Panel convened for the first time in Anchorage on Thursday, May 14th, marking a significant step forward for the Risk Assessment.
Nearly 30 stakeholders and experts participated in the full day of open and closed discussions, including the newly assembled Advisory Panel, Nuka Research and Planning Group (an expert firm selected to facilitate the Advisory Panel), the AIRA Management Team, public attendees and special guests. Advisory Panel members unable to attend in person participated via web conference.
“This Risk Assessment has been tasked with finding a way to reduce the risks that these ships and other human activities have posed to the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska,” said Rear Admiral Gene Brooks, Commander, 17th Coast Guard District, in his opening remarks during the public session. “The establishment of this Advisory Panel brings us one step closer to fulfilling that task.” More
Alaska, Mass. fishing experts up for top job (7/3). President Barack Obama needed less time making a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court than oceans and fisheries administrator Jane Lubchenco has already used mulling which of two candidates she will appoint to head the National Marine Fisheries Service.
But the pivotal choice has emerged between Arne Fuglvog, 45, an Alaskan fisherman, businessman and former appointed fisheries council member turned senatorial aide, and Brian Rothschild, an academic at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
Rothschild, 73, once taught James Balsiger, the outgoing acting NMFS administrator, at the University of Washington, and has been a rallying force for the New England fishing industry that is in the midst of a wrenching reorganization from effort controls to "catch shares."
Fuglvog is considered by many to be the likely choice for the job that Balsiger, a fellow Alaskan, will give up to return to his state to become NMFS' regional administrator.
Lubchenco's office declined to comment yesterday on the pending selection.
"We are not able to discuss this while the decision is still under consideration," said Justin Kenney, director of communications for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More
Judge upholds one-fish limit for Southeast halibut charters (6/4). WASHINGTON -- Anglers who go out on charter-fishing boats in Southeast Alaska will be limited to taking just one halibut a day, a federal judge ruled today. Charter-boat owners and operators had asked U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer for an emergency injunction to stop the rule from taking effect on Friday, but she denied their motion.
However, Collyer said, the charters may still go forward with their lawsuit challenging the rule that cuts the daily catch limit from two to one, Collyer said. Charter operators last year successfully blocked the federal government's efforts to impose a one-fish limit.
John Butler, an attorney for the charter-boat owners and operators, argued that limiting the catch to one halibut will be a financial blow to business owners whose customers have grown accustomed to being able to catch up to two halibut a day and will no longer book fishing trips in Southeast.
They also argued that the number of halibut caught by charter boats was negligible in the overall catch limits imposed by the federal government, especially compared to what commercial operators take.
But a lawyer for the government, Robert Williams, argued that the charter catch was eating away at the overall number of halibut available -- including for commercial fisheries. More
Judge Maintains One-Fish Halibut Limit (APRN Audio) (6/4). A federal judge in Washington has refused to stop a one-fish limit for halibut charter clients in Southeast Alaska from going into effect. Libby Casey, APRN - Washington DC
Judge’s Ruling Allows One Halibut per Day Rule to Take Effect Tomorrow (6/4). Judge Rosemary Collyer of the Washington, D.C. U.S. District Court ruled today against a preliminary injunction that would have allowed charter boat clients in Area 2C to continue keeping two halibut per day despite fishery managers’ objections. The new one halibut per day rule will take effect as scheduled tomorrow.
There are four standards for granting a preliminary injunction, including irreparable harm and a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of the case. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs did not meet the standards.
Halibut Coalition members are pleased with the outcome and say the new rule will benefit the halibut resource and all harvesters as well as American consumers by protecting the resource from overfishing by the charter fleet. Halibut Coalition members include subsistence, recreational, and commercial harvesters as well as processors.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction,” said Sitka subsistence and resident sport fisherman Randy Gluth. “The local subsistence fishermen have had to travel farther and farther and spend more and more on gas just to put food on their tables. The near-shore honey holes just quit producing because they got hammered day in and day out by charter boats. I hope this rule goes a long way in allowing the halibut to recover and ensuring all users can participate in the fishery in the future.” More
Charter fishermen limited to one halibut a day, for now (KCAW Audio) (6/4). SITKA, ALASKA (2009-06-04) On Thursday, a federal judge in Washington refused a request for an injunction on to stop a change in the daily bag limit for guided sport fish. Charter operators have vowed to proceed with a lawsuit. KCAW’s Emily Schwing talked to charter customers on the docks of Crescent Harbor in Sitka.
Kodiak Researchers Seek Whale Avoidance Data (KMXT Audio) (6/1). This summer researchers from the University of Alaska Marine Advisory Program across the state will be working with salmon fishermen on identifying ways to help keep whales out of fishing nets. Kate Wynn says she and Bree Witteveen have already had a couple of sessions with Kodiak fishermen.
STATE
Red Salmon Return Better Than Anticipated (KUAC Audio) (5/29). The red salmon return on the Copper River is coming in better than anticipated. State area management biologist, Mark Sommerville says indicators point to a strong early return.
Saying food is in short supply, fishermen talk of flouting rules (6/1). Fishermen on the lower Yukon River will get the king salmon they need to feed their families, even if it means getting a ticket or going to jail, two Native leaders said.
State and federal wildlife managers tightened the rules on subsistence fishing this summer, a “last-resort” decision to boost the number of kings returning to spawning grounds, said Steve Hayes, who manages the run for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The Yukon River management plan calls for no subsistence fishing along the river during the first pulse of king salmon, as well as sharply reduced fishing periods later in the run.
The first pulse traditionally accounts for about 25 percent of the run, though that percentage has dropped in recent years.
That burst of kings, which usually passes the village of Marshall in mid-June, is also when many families get the king salmon they need for the year, said Nick P. Andrew Jr., executive director for the Ohagamiut Traditional Council. More
Northern villagers test the waters for commercial fishery (5/28). Diomede, Wales, Teller and Brevig eye opportunities in Bering Sea. By Laurie McNicholas
Teller fishermen discussed their potential for becoming Bering Sea commercial fishermen at a meeting with Joe Garnie, their representative on the Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. board of directors, and NSEDC staff May 19 in Teller.
NSEDC board members Mary Menadelook of Diomede, Frank Oxereok of Wales and Reggie Barr of Brevig Mission attended the meeting because residents of their communities also are considering becoming Bering Sea commercial fishermen.
A few hours prior to the Teller meeting, NSEDC board and staff members covered the same topic with fishermen in Brevig Mission. Garnie launched the discussion during an NSEDC board meeting April 21 in Unalakleet by requesting a feasibility study to determine what is needed for residents of the four villages to become Bering Sea commercial fishermen.
State listens while Yukon River people wait (6/2). By Myron Naneng, Association of Village Council Presidents. I traveled to Mountain Village and Emmonak on Saturday to listen to concerns raised by the village community members regarding the upcoming summer fishing season and how restrictions are going to be implemented on the chinook salmon, the stable and food for many families on the Yukon River.
In attendance were: Denby Lloyd, commissioner of Fish and Game; John Moller, the governor’s rural adviser; John Lindermann, area Fish and Game biologist and supervisor; Danielle Evenson, Fish and Game chief of research for the Yukon River; Sue Asplund, deputy director of Commercial Fisheries. The purpose for the trip was to explain the proposed summer fishing schedule and the restrictions that are going to be imposed on the first pulse of chinook salmon, and potentially the second pulse to meet treaty obligations with Canada/U.S. Pacific salmon treaty. The treaty obligation has not been met for the last two years, with low chinook salmon escapements. In Mountain Village, concerns were raised regarding lack of income from commercial fishing by the local community. Families are struggling to pay for food and fuel due to a lack of income from salmon fishing. And when commercial fishing was opened for chum salmon, many felt that they donated whatever they caught to the fish buyers due to the high cost of fuel. More
Sand Point Fishermen Looking For A Good Season (KMXT Audio/More)(6/3). With the 2009 commercial salmon season set to open in Sand Point in a few days, the fishery is looking forward to another good year. And after last year's unexpectedly positive returns, there's always hope in Sand Point of exceeding preseason projections.
KMXT's Erik Wander has more.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Sand Point does not have the resources to produce a formal forecast for its commercial salmon fishery, according to Fish and Game area biologist Aaron Poetter. He made a distinction between a forecast and a projection, which Fish and Game does make for Sand Point each year. The projection is based on an average of total commercial harvest over the past five years. Poetter said this year's projection is slightly over two-million sockeye and about eight-million pink salmon. More
Residents share fishery concerns with Fish and Game (6/4). The state’s Fish and Game commissioner visited six lower Yukon River villages last week to talk about the river’s struggling king salmon fishery and bycatch in the pollock industry.
Residents in Holy Cross told Denby Lloyd on May 28 they were concerned that not enough has been done to prevent the pollock industry from catching their king salmon, known as bycatch.
“I think if we got to take a reduction in salmon, then I think the pollock fishermen got to do the same, otherwise it’s unfair,” said Alfred Demientieff, a subsistence fishermen.
The Yukon run, which historically receives about 250,000 returning king salmon, has fallen sharply in recent years.
Since 2005, not enough salmon have reached spawning grounds in Canada. Half the kings that spawn in the 2,300-mile river originate in that country, and state and federal managers fear the run is in a critical state. More
Policies in planning stage for critical habitats (6/4). The planning team for the Bristol Bay Critical Habitat Areas Management Plan met last month in Anchorage to continue its discussions on drafting goals and policies.
The BBCHA management plan includes Egegik, Pilot Point, Cinder River, Port Heiden and Port Moller, which were designated in 1972 by the Legislature as critical habitat areas and essential to the protection of fish and wildlife, according to Tammy Massie, a habitat biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The critical habitat areas in Bristol Bay support migratory stopover areas for various shorebirds, ducks and geese in the spring during their journey north for nesting and they stop again on their trip south in the winter, the Fish and Game wildlife conservation Web site says. Some of the areas provide habitat to harbor seals, walrus, sea otters and bear; and the rivers are used by salmon and Pacific herring. More
Bay’s commercial fishery marks 125 years (6/4). As Alaskans mark the 50th anniversary of statehood this year, the commercial fishermen of Bristol Bay set sail on their 125th season on June 7. They do so in much more comfort and with better gear than the pioneering fishermen of the Bay. Fishing today is very different from the time, up until 1951, when salmon were netted from sailboats. Despite the differences, however, the essential activity remains the same — it still takes two hands to pick a salmon out of the net. In the last century and a quarter, tens of thousands of pairs of hands have picked hundreds of millions of salmon from the nets of Bristol Bay.
The fishery began in 1884 when San Francisco businessman Carl Rohlffs organized the Arctic Packing Co. and built the first cannery on the Bay at the Native Village of Kanulik across the Nushagak River from present day Dillingham. The first commercial pack of canned salmon was only about 400 cases or 6,000 fish. A meager beginning for what would become the most productive wild salmon fishery on earth. Over time more than 50 canneries would be built in Bristol Bay. Most have since succumbed to fire or neglect. More
Pursuit of herring evokes glory of bay fisheries (6/4). You can’t be weak or a pushover to go herring fishing in Bristol Bay. I learned that the hard way last week, when I fished the Togiak herring fishery with my dad for the first time. Cold, windy, 35 degrees, rainy nights. It even snowed once! Slime everywhere, fish scales flying into your eyeballs and all over your face while picking the nets at 3 a.m. Finally getting into the bunk bed that was rattling because of high seas at 6 a.m. for just a little nap before you started all over again. Not showering for 10 days. To top it all off, a bucket replaced the flush toilet.
Despite all of that, I am extremely grateful for the time I spent with my dad, experiencing one of the largest runs of herring on the planet that many of our respected Dillingham locals have been fishing for decades. Like many of these fishermen that I’m proud to say are my elders, I revisited my roots as a man from a fishing family and community. More
Opinion. Nels Anderson Jr. Life-changing issues await the next leaders (6/4). I wonder how we are to reconcile ourselves to the bycatch of kings that impact our people who need the kings for subsistence and how important it is to continue to fish pollock?
I grew up hating the offshore fishery — first foreign trawls, then American trawlers, then Alaska trawlers, now.
Our Bristol Bay world is bumping up against a large number of counter-intuitive, life-changing issues of huge magnitude.
How do we prepare our people for Pebble? How do we prepare our people for offshore oil and gas exploration? How do we reconcile bycatch of kings and the CDQ program? How do we get our leaders to attack energy in a comprehensive manner? How do we fight cancer, death by trauma, diabetes, heart disease? More
MARKETING
Alaska Expects Large Salmon Harvest (6/4). Oftentimes when purchasing fish, we might not know exactly where it came from or how it was harvested.
As over-fishing endangers many of the world's fish populations, it is important to note that there is a source of wild salmon that is also sustainable. And the best part? It is found right here in America - in our 49th State...ALASKA!
Did you know?
-Alaska accounts for over 95% of the WILD salmon supply in North America (this includes Canada!)
-ALL Alaska salmon (and seafood) is, by definition, wild.
-Fish farming is illegal in Alaska.
-No species of Alaska seafood has ever been listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
-Alaska is considered a model of sustainability the world over, given its proven historical track record of fisheries management.
As program director for the AlaskaSeafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), Randy Rice has traveled extensively speaking on topics of food safety, fisheries sustainability, and ecological issues associated with seafood consumption. Video/More
Copper River salmon pampered to market (6/4). With a 36-hour opener on the Copper River last week fishermen were happy with the red salmon run. According to the report provided by Alaska Fish and Game, the Miles Lake sonar began counting on May 18.
As of May 29, a total of 144,104 salmon had been counted versus a minimum cumulative in-river goal of 112,084.
Plant manager Hap Symmonds of Ocean Beauty Seafoods said the price has leveled on the fishing grounds at $1.75 a pound for the Copper River red salmon. This is half of the price at the start of the season which was $3.55 a pound. “I think that the price reduced rapidly due to the economy,” Symmonds said. “People are not going to pay exorbitant prices for anything in this economy. Retailers are not moving as many fish as folks are hanging on to their money.”
Alaska Airlines gets the fresh Copper River fish to the customers outside of Cordova. Alaska Air Cargo’s fish-filled freighters with Copper River king and sockeye salmon come from three seafood processors: Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Trident Seafoods and Copper River Seafoods. More
Marine Conservation Alliance
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Juneau, AK 99801-1186
