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UFA Update

UFA Update

December 30, 2009

We wish all a warm New Year’s celebration, and a successful 2010.

Table of Contents
1. Court: One halibut a day in Southeast (for SE charter customers)
2. Halibut Commission calls for more cuts to Southeast halibut fleet
3. IPHC Annual meeting Jan 26-29, Seattle
4. State Requests Extension of Federal Subsistence Review Deadline
to Allow More Alaskans to Participate
5. Governor Parnell Appoints Alaskans to Subsistence Advisory Councils
6. NPFMC Items from the December meeting:
7. Board of Fisheries posts summary of actions -Bristol Bay finfish meetings Dec 1-8.
8. Comment Deadline January 12 on AYK Finfish Proposals for Jan 26-31 meeting
9. Interest high, buying low in state's fishing permit sales
10. Bristol Bay Native Corp. opposes Pebble Mine
11. U.S. Ocean Policy Task Force: Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning – comment deadline February 12, 2010.
12. HR 4363 Offshore Aquaculture Act introduced in House Resources
Capps unveils marine farming regulations
13. ADN Review: 'Sea Change' documentary visually beautiful, but fragile
14. Glaciers an important marine food source
15. Fisheries and Aquaculture Face Multiple Risks from Climate Change
16. To Save the Planet, Save the Seas - NY Time Op-Ed by Dan Laffoley
17. Salmon Roe Ranks among Richest Omega-3 Foods
18. ASMI reminder on Vitamin D – How To Get It When The Sun Goes Down –from salmon
19. ASMI Salmon Market Bulletin –December 2009:
20. AFDF Symphony of Seafood calls for entries for new products contest
21. Exxon decides not to appeal $70M in costs from punitive damages settlement
22. Tug’s accident raises questions
23. Governor Indignant at Oil Spills in Prince William Sound, Prudhoe Bay
24. CCA pushes Ballot Initiative to ban gill nets in Oregon
25. Coast Guard delivers 20,000 pounds of fish to Kotzebue
26. Norwegian speakers:  Let wild salmon die – farmed salmon more important?
27. Catch Shares Improve Consistency, Not Health, Of Fisheries
28. Op Ed - The Times They Are a-Changin' - by Nils Stolpe
29.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
30. USCG Safety Alert: Unapproved EPIRB Battery Replacements
31. Alternate Compliance and Safety Agreement Program Implementation for H&G
32. Comment deadline January 25 for U.S. Navy Gulf of Alaska Training Activities 33. Comment deadline February 16 on salmon bycatch EIS
34. Forest Service and ADF&G Seek Concurrence to Protect Fish Habitat and Passage
35. USDA Forest Service launches collaborative process for new planning rule
36. NMFS posts MMPA List of Fisheries for 2010
37. NMFS posts IFQ cost recovery standard prices
38. Comment deadline January 4 on 2010-2011 BSAI groundfish specifications
39. Comment by January 6 on Council regulation, procedures & disclosure changes
40. Comment deadline February 1 on Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Critical Habitat
41. Comment by March 1 on Cook Inlet Beluga economic value mail survey
42. Comment Deadline March 11 on National Standard 2 regarding science
43. Council Coordination Committee meets January 13-14, Washington DC

1. Court:1 halibut a day in Southeast (for SE charter customers)
By Margaret Bauman, Alaska Journal of Commerce
Halibut charter operators in Southeast Alaska were defeated in a court battle to reinstate a two-fish-a-day rule for their fishery, and are now weighing their options for appealing the Nov. 23 federal court decision…
Linda Behnken, director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association and board chair for the Halibut Coalition, hailed the decision as a real benefit to protecting the halibut resource from overharvesting.
Behnken noted that the allowable harvest of halibut by the longline fleet has been cut by 53 percent over the last three years to keep the resource sustainable.
"The charter fleet exceeded its guideline harvest level by over 100 percent in 2008 and the charter harvest has continued to grow," Behnken said. "This decision establishes that all sectors need to share in conserving the resource, to ensure sustainable harvests for everyone in the future."
 http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/120409/
loc_img1_002.shtml

Halibut Coalition home page: http://www.halibutcoalition.org/

2. Halibut Commission calls for more cuts to Southeast halibut fleet
By Margaret Bauman, Alaska Journal of Commerce
Commissioners of the International Pacific Halibut Commission will consider in late January cutting the 2010 quota for the commercial setline halibut fleet by 26 percent, an overall 65 percent reduction since 2006, because of a decline in the fishery's biomass.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/122409/
loc_26_001.shtml

IPHC Staff Preliminary Catch Limit Recommendations for 2010
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel
/2009/nr20091208.htm

3. IPHC Annual meeting Jan 26-29, Seattle
The Eighty-sixth Annual Meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be held from Tuesday, January 26 through Friday, January 29, 2010 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront…
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/
pubs/annmeet/IPHCAM.htm

2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 10:  http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/n
ewsrel/2009/nr20091203.htm

International Pacific Halibut Commission home page: http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/

4. State Requests Extension of Federal Subsistence Review Deadline
to Allow More Alaskans to Participate
(JUNEAU) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game requested an extension today of the deadline for comments to the Department of the Interior (DOI) on the Federal Subsistence Program Review. The request for additional time is based on the significant importance of the review to Alaskans.

“We believe that providing little more than a month before the holidays is not sufficient.”  said Denby Lloyd, ADF&G Commissioner. Although a DOI website to submit comments went online November 12, and Interior is requesting comments before the holidays, Lloyd explained that department staff has received numerous complaints from the public that there is not enough time to prepare comments…
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2009/12-04-09_nr.php

Previous item: Secretary Seeks Input for Review of Federal Subsistence Program
http://www.doi.gov/subsistencereview  

5. Governor Parnell Appoints Alaskans to Subsistence Advisory Councils
December 14, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today announced appointments to state-federal subsistence advisory councils for the seven national parks and monuments created by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).

6. NPFMC Items from the December meeting:
GOA Pcod Sector Split motion: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/
current_issues/pcod/GOApcodsplit_motion1209.pdf

Salmon Bycatch Data Collection motion: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch
/SalmonBycatchDataCollectionMotion1209.pdf

BSAI Salmon Bycatch motion; http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch
/SalmonBycatchMotion1209.pdf

Outreach Plan for EA/RIR/IRFA on Non-Chinook Salmon Bycatch in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues
/RuralOutreach/ChumOutreach1209.pdf  

Final Council specs for 2010/2011: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/
npfmc/CouncilSpecs1209.pdf  

December Newsletter: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/
newsletters/NEWS1209.pdf

NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/

7. Board of Fisheries posts summary of actions -Bristol Bay finfish meetings Dec 1-8.
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum
/2009-2010/Dec09-summ.pdf

8. Comment Deadline January 12 on AYK Finfish Proposals for Jan 26-31 meeting
See meeting notice, proposals, agenda, roadmap & ADFG comments for this meeting on the BOF calendar at http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcal.php
Comment instructions are at the bottom of the meeting calendar page.

9. Interest high, buying low in state's fishing permit sales
LAINE WELCH – Alaska Journal of Commerce
KODIAK -- Sales of fishing permits and catch shares is a good way to gauge how confident people feel about the economy, and brokers say the past year has been a mixed bag in their business.

"It's been the slowest year I've ever had, but with the most phone time ever. There's a lot of interest, but not a lot of movement," said Olivia Olsen at Alaskan Quota and Permits in Petersburg. "A lot of guys want to buy and they had the money, but the world situation and some declining fish stocks didn't give them a lot of confidence."

Mike Painter at the Permit Master in Anacortes, Wash., agreed, but added the tide seems to be turning…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/122409/fis
_10_001.shtml

10. Bristol Bay Native Corp. opposes Pebble Mine
ANCHORAGE - The Bristol Bay Native Corp. is opposing the development of the Pebble copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska.
The corporation's board voted Friday to oppose the mine, as well as offshore oil and gas leasing in the Bering Sea. The board cited the "unquantifiable impacts the project could have on the natural resources of the Bristol Bay region."
"Maintaining a neutral stance on the Pebble Mine project is no longer in the best interest of the corporation or to the values of cultural and economic sustainability to which we hold ourselves," said Bristol Bay board chairman Joseph Chythlook in a press release…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/121409/sta
_535641806.shtml

11. U.S. Ocean Policy Task Force: Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning – comment deadline February 12, 2010.
On December 14, 2009, President Obama’s Ocean Policy Task Force released its Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning  (Interim Framework) for a 60-day public review and comment period.  With competing interests in the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes, the Interim Framework offers a comprehensive, integrated approach to planning and managing uses and activities.  Under the Framework, coastal and marine spatial planning would be regional in scope, developed cooperatively among Federal, State, tribal, local authorities, and regional governance structures, with substantial stakeholder and public input.

The Interim Framework includes a number of important provisions that would significantly overhaul the Federal Government’s approach to coastal and marine planning, including:

- A New Approach to How We Use and Protect the Ocean, Coast, and Great Lakes.

- Moves us Away From Sector-by-Sector and Statute-by-Statute Decision-Making.

- Brings Federal, State, and Tribal Partners Together in an Unprecedented Manner to Jointly Plan for the Future. 

- Places Science-Based Information at the Heart of Decision-Making. 

- Emphasizes Stakeholder and Public Participation.

CEQ Ocean Policy Task Force announcement:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives
/oceans/interim-framework

Interim Report: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files
/microsites/091209-Interim-CMSP-Framework-Task-Force.pdf

To submit comments see: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/
eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interim-framework/submit

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-30071.htm

12. HR 4363 Offshore Aquaculture Act introduced in House Resources
Capps unveils marine farming regulations
By ERIC LINDBERG —Santa Barbara Daily Sound -  Dec. 18, 2009
Farming fish and other seafood in federal waters may soon be possible if legislation introduced this week by Congresswoman Lois Capps is approved.
The National Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2009 would establish the first legal regulations for marine farming in waters at least three miles off the coast of the United States. Capps said she plans to develop a regulatory framework that balances environmental considerations with potential economic gains.
http://www.thedailysound.com/121809aquaculture

Representative Capps’ Press release: http://capps.house.gov/2009/
12/capps-introduces-comprehensive-sustainable-offshore-
aquaculture-legislation.shtml

For information and bill text see http://thomas.loc.gov/ , enter HR 4353 and select search by Bill Number.

House Resources home page: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/

13. ADN Review: 'Sea Change' documentary visually beautiful, but fragile
"A Sea Change" is about ocean acidification -- the proposition that man-made carbon emissions wind up in the ocean, lowering the pH level, stressing out the shelled critters who inhabit the bottom of the food chain, eventually sending starvation up the line until we get a world without salmon, pollock or humpback whales...
The bigger disappointment is that statements are not challenged, counter-arguments are not noted and sourcing is often absent. This is the producer's prerogative, but it dilutes the film's value as education and blunts its power to persuade…
http://www.adn.com/life/arts/story/1052191.html

UFA hosted a presentation on current Ocean Acidification research in the North Pacific by Dr. Richard Feely at our Pacific Marine Expo meeting day.
Dr. Feely’s Powerpoint presentation to UFA is online (27 meg download pdf at: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/mar/Feely_
UnitedFishermen_Nov09_mac.pdf

14. Glaciers an important marine food source
Study helps scientists understand the role of glaciers as they recede
By Kim Marquis | JUNEAU EMPIRE
A study done on Juneau's glaciers shows that the hulking blocks of ice produce high-quality food for the organisms that live in downstream rivers and the ocean.

The information will help scientists better understand marine food chains as glaciers continue to shrink, said researcher Eran Hood, a University of Alaska Southeast associate professor who led the study…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/122409
/loc_539293675.shtml

JUNEAU, Alaska, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Melting glacial ice in the Gulf of Alaska affects the marine food chain from microbes to the fish that feed on them, scientists said.

The organic matter of the gulf's watersheds is "remarkably" biologically active and is likely to decrease as glacial ice melts and the biomass is not replenished, said Rick Edwards, an aquatic ecologist with the Pacific Northwest Station in Juneau, Alaska.

 http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/12/28/
Melting-glacial-ice-harms-food-chain/UPI-46081262028938/

15. Fisheries and Aquaculture Face Multiple Risks from Climate Change
ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2009) — A new report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, predicts "an ocean of change" for fishers and fish farmers. It concludes that urgent adaptation measures are required in response to opportunities and threats to food and livelihood provision due to climatic variations.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/
091215170218.htm

16. To Save the Planet, Save the Seas - NY Time Op-Ed by Dan Laffoley
…Few people may realize it, but in addition to producing most of the oxygen we breathe, the ocean absorbs some 25 percent of current annual carbon dioxide emissions. Half the world’s carbon stocks are held in plankton, mangroves, salt marshes and other marine life. So it is at least as important to preserve this ocean life as it is to preserve forests, to secure its role in helping us adapt to and mitigate climate change…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/opinion/
27lafolley.html?_r=1

17. Salmon Roe Ranks among Richest Omega-3 Foods
Study ranks salmon eggs as one of the three roes richest in omega-3s; ounce for ounce, fish eggs outrank even the fattiest fish as sources of omega-3s..
This story and more are online in the current Vital Choices newsletter at:
http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/index000414220.cfm

18. ASMI reminder on Vitamin D – How To Get It When The Sun Goes Down –from salmon
During the dark winter months, sunlight can be an insufficient source of vitamin D which is vital for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Low vitamin D levels have recently been linked to a greater chance of developing diseases including diabetes and heart disease, several cancers and the common cold.
The good news is that there is a delicious and healthy, vitamin D rich food source, that’s also one of American’s top favorite seafoods: Wild Alaska Salmon.
Salmon is one of the highest natural food sources of vitamin D with 360 IU* (International Units) per 3.5 oz.
http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/shortest-day-of-the-y
ear-vitamin-d-%e2%80%93-how-to-get-it-when-the-sun-
goes-down/

19. ASMI Salmon Market Bulletin –December 2009:
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/fishingprocessing/
seafoodweb_dec09/index.html

20. AFDF Symphony of Seafood calls for entries for new products contest
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation announced last week that it will again hold its Alaska Symphony of Seafood new products contest in Seattle. The event will be held on Feb. 3…
Dutch Harbor Fisherman article:
http://www.thedutchharborfisherman.com/article/09
52fisheries_development_group_calls_for_products

AFDF Symphony of Seafood home page: http://www.symphonyofseafood.com/

21. Exxon decides not to appeal $70M in costs from punitive damages settlement
Exxon will pay out money it had previously set aside for punitive damages, stated a news release posted Dec. 15 on the Exxon Qualified Settlement Fund Web site…
http://www.thecordovatimes.com/article/0952exxon
_decides_not_to_appeal

22. Tug’s accident raises questions
• Advisory council wants to know how spill prevention strategy failed
by Naomi Klouda, Homer Tribune
The final drawing down of tanks aboard a tug boat that spilled an estimated 33,500 gallons of diesel fuel after hitting Bligh Reef on Dec. 23 was expected to be completed by Tuesday. However, officials say they have not yet determined what caused the grounding on Alaska’s well-marked navigational hazard…
 http://homertribune.com/2009/12/tug%E2%80%
99s-accident-raises-questions/

For more info, the PWSRCAC web page on the Tanker Escort System is online at http://www.pwsrcac.org/projects/MaritimeOps/escort.html

23. Governor Indignant at Oil Spills in Prince William Sound, Prudhoe Bay
December 24, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Following the oil industry's third significant spill at Prudhoe Bay in one month and yesterday’s spill in Prince William Sound, Governor Sean Parnell today called executives at both BP Exploration and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company to express his deep concern.

“Frankly, when I saw so many spills in such a short time I was indignant that these spills would occur,” Governor Parnell said. “The spills harm both Alaska's environment and Alaska’s reputation for responsible resource development. I let the companies know this was not acceptable.”

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=5208&type=1

24. CCA pushes Ballot Initiative to ban gill nets in Oregon
PORTLAND – Coastal Conservation Association is launching a ballot initiative …
The Protect Our Salmon Act would ban the use of gill nets and tangle nets in Oregon waters, including the Columbia River.

The press release had some technical difficulties but is linked from  the CCA PNW homepage at: http://ccapnw.org/home

CCAPNW Briefing Document on Oregon Gillnet Ban “Protect our Salmon” ballot initiative:
http://centralpt.com/upload/502/POSA/10583_2009-
POSABriefingDocumentwebsite.pdf

25. Coast Guard delivers 20,000 pounds of fish to Kotzebue
KOTZEBUE, Alaska - A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew delivers 20,000 pounds of silver salmon fillets to Kotzebue Dec. 28, 2009.
The Coast Guard delivered the fish for a humanitarian effort which will feed 11 villages and more than 1.000 families in the area.
District 17 Press release: http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/
780/436735/

Seashare home page: http://www.seashare.org/

26. Attn Norwegian speakers:  Let wild salmon die – farmed salmon more important?
Quotes as translated with Google:
- Let the wild salmon to die out if it is necessary to farm, say two mayors who are tired of the researchers massive criticism against the industry.
- I think farming is more important than taking care of the wild salmon if you can not do both, "said Mayor Helge Njåstad in Austevoll (FRP) to TV 2
http://www.tv2nyhetene.no/innenriks/velger-oppdrett
-foran-villaks-3045428.html
(from what I’ve seen from automated Japanese translators these quotes may need verification -MV)

27. Catch Shares Improve Consistency, Not Health, Of Fisheries
Catch share programs result in more consistent and predictable fisheries but do not necessarily improve ecological conditions, according to a new study published online this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lenfest Ocean Program Press Release:
http://www.lenfestocean.org/publications/NR%20Catch%
20Shares%20Essington%20final.pdf

Report summary:
http://www.lenfestocean.org/publications/Lenfest%20RS%
20Catch%20Shares%20FINAL.pdf

28. Op Ed - The Times They Are a-Changin' - by Nils Stolpe
 Fishermen have finally concluded that it’s time for long overdue changes, and that the place to go is Congress.
It’s been a long time coming, but it appears as if a critical number of fishermen have finally reached the conclusion that the way things are heading, there’s not going to be an acceptable fishing future for any of us, that it’s time for some long overdue changes, and that the place to effect those changes is in Congress…
http://www.savingseafood.org/columns/the-times-they-
are-a-changin-by-nils-stolpe-2.html

29.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Wednesday 12/30/09 Call for entries in Symphony of Seafood contest‏
Tuesday 12/29/09 “New rules” proposed at IPHC annual meeting 
Monday 12/28/09 Holiday oysters = aphrodisiac!
Friday 12/25/09 Christmas miracles from the sea
Thursday 12/24/09 Whales and fish quotas‏

Listen Online at: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/
fishradio.htm

30. USCG Safety Alert: Unapproved EPIRB Battery Replacements
Fishing vessel safety staff in the Coast Guard’s Seventh District has received at least three reports in the past few months regarding unapproved replacements of 406 EPIRB batteries by servicing companies having no association with the EPIRB manufacturer. These unauthorized battery installations would likely result in a failure of this critical item of lifesaving equipment, and as such are not in compliance with the operational readiness requirements of 46 CFR.
http://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/
MyCG/Editorial/20091130/0809.pdf?id=
089d972bd1f885fec4fd41997ef272101d05aafa

31. Alternate Compliance and Safety Agreement Program Implementation for H&G
The ACSA Implementation Guide for the "Head and Gut" Fleet has been published.  &
The Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Digest was revised and updated in 2008.  It is available for viewing and/or downloading.  Select "Fishing Vessel Homeport" at the left, and when in "Homeport" go to the "References & Publications" topic group.  It will appear as the first item.

See links on fishsafe homepage at: http://www.fishsafe.info/

32. Comment deadline January 25 for U.S. Navy Gulf of Alaska Training Activities EIS -  -Public meetings scheduled for Jan 7 – 12 in Kodiak, Anchorage, Homer, Juneau & Cordova

…the Department of the Navy (Navy) has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) for public release on December 11, 2009. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a Cooperating Agency for the EIS/OEIS.

    The Draft EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential environmental effects of the Proposed Action from Navy training activities conducted in the Gulf of Alaska and Alaska's inland training areas, collectively referred to as the Alaska Training Areas (ATA). The Draft EIS/OEIS addresses ongoing and proposed military training activities, as well as proposed force structure changes and the introduction of new weapons and systems to the Fleet. The Proposed Action serves to achieve and maintain Fleet readiness using the ATA to support and conduct current, emerging, and future training activities. A Notice of Intent for this Draft EIS/OEIS was published in the Federal Register on March 17, 2008 (73 FR 14237).

    The Navy will conduct five public hearings to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. Federal, State, and local agencies, elected officials, and other interested individuals and organizations are invited to be present or represented at the public hearings. This notice announces the dates and locations of the public hearings for this Draft EIS/OEIS.

    An open house session will precede the scheduled public hearing at each of the locations listed below, and will allow individuals to review the information presented in the Draft EIS/OEIS. Navy representatives will be available during the open house sessions to clarify information related to the Draft EIS/OEIS.

   Dates and Addresses: Five public hearings will be held in Alaska to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. All meetings will start with an open house session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a presentation and formal public comment period from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Public hearings will be held on the following dates and at the following locations:

Public hearings will be held on the following dates and at the 

following locations:
                                                

1. Thursday, January 7, 2010, at Kodiak High School Cafet
eria, 722 Mill Bay Road, Kodiak, Alaska;     
2. Friday, January 8, 2010, at Fairview Recreation Center
 MainGymnasium, 1121 E. 10th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska;
3. Saturday, January 9, 2010, at West Homer Elem
entary School Gymnasium, 995 Soundview Avenue, Homer, Alaska;
4. Monday, January 11, 2010, at Juneau Arts and Cultu
re Center Main Hall, 350 Whittier Street, Juneau, Alaska; 
5. Tuesday, February JANUARY 12, 2010, at Orca Adventure Lodge
 Meeting Room & Cafe, 2500 Orca Road, Cordova, Alaska.

FEDERAL REGISTER CORRECTIONS:
-The EPA Notice of Receipt of 11 Dec 2009 contained an incorrect phone number for Amy Burt. The correct phone number is 360-396-0924.
-In the Notice of Public Hearings published by the Navy on 11 Dec 2009, the month for the Cordova, Alaska public hearing was incorrect. The correct date for the Cordova meeting is January 12, 2010.

Federal Register Notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-29565.htm

Home page- with links to draft EIS & comment form:
 http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/

Draft EIS: http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/
otherresources.aspx#draft

Documents page: http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/
OtherResources.aspx#Brochures

Comment form online:
http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/Documents/
GOAwebsiteCommentForm.pdf

33. Comment deadline February 16 on salmon bycatch EIS
NOAA Fisheries has published an environmental impact statement concerning the accidental catch of Chinook salmon in the Bering Sea pollock fishery…

The EIS analyzes five alternatives, including the Council's recommended alternative, that generally involve limits or "caps" on the number of Chinook salmon that may be caught in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Managers would close all or part of the pollock fishery when a Chinook salmon bycatch cap is reached, even if the entire pollock total allowable catch has not yet been harvested.

Comments on the final EIS will be received until February 16, 2010. After studying public comments on the final document, NOAA will publish a record of decision…
NOAA Press release:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
salmonbycatch121809.htm

34. Forest Service and ADF&G Seek Concurrence to Protect Fish Habitat and Fish Passage
Juneau, Alaska- Alaska Forest Service Regional Forester Denny Bschor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game that outlines protocols for gaining concurrence in conducting instream activites on the Tongass and Chugach national forests December 18.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by ADF&G Commissioner Denby Lloyd December 10. Both agencies have the common goal of protecting fish resources on Alaska's national forests while continuing a long-standing cooperative relationship. The Forest Service and ADF&G's Division of Habitat will work together to reach concurrence on all instream activities and to maintain fish passage in all fish-bearing water bodies on national forests in Alaska. US Forest Service Alaska region Press release: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/newsroom/releases/
AK_Forest_Service_and_State_ADFG_sign_fish_mou_
121409.shtml

MOU: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/newsroom/releases
/fisheries_mou.doc

US Forest Service Alaska Region home page: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/

35. USDA Forest Service launches collaborative process for new planning rule
  WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2009-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the USDA Forest Service is beginning an open, collaborative process to create and implement a modern planning rule to address current and future needs of the National Forest System, including restoring forests, protecting watersheds, addressing climate change, sustaining local economies, improving collaboration, and working across landscapes. The Forest Service will publish a notice of intent (NOI) in the Federal Register tomorrow, December 18, to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to develop a new planning rule that will provide a framework for management of national forests and grasslands…
USFS press release:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?
contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/12/0620.xml

Federal Register notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/
2009/E9-30174.htm

36. NMFS posts MMPA List of Fisheries for 2010
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2010, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2010 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine
mammals. NMFS must categorize each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The categorization of a fishery in the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan requirements.
DATES: This final rule is effective January 1, 2010.
Federal Register notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/
2009/E9-27431.htm

37. NMFS posts IFQ cost recovery standard prices
NMFS publishes individual fishing quota (IFQ) standard prices for the IFQ cost recovery program in the halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2009 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2010…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-29463.htm

38. Comment deadline January 4 on 2010-2011 BSAI groundfish specifications
NMFS proposes 2010 and 2011 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch allowances for the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area…Comments must be received by January 4, 2010.
 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-28831.htm

39. Comment by January 6 on Council regulation, procedures & disclosure changes
NMFS proposes changes to the regulations that address the operations and administration of Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils). The regulatory changes are needed to clarify which Council documents should be available to the public, clarify Council member nomination procedures, clarify financial disclosure requirements for
Council members, and revise the security assurance procedures for nominees to and members of the Councils.

DATES:  Written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. e.d.t.
on January 6, 2010…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-29062.htm

40. Comment deadline February 1 on Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Critical Habitat
...the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose to designate critical habitat for the Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) distinct population segment under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Two areas are proposed, comprising 7,809 square kilometers (3,016 square miles) of marine habitat. We solicit comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal.

DATES: Comments and information regarding this proposed rule must be
received by close of business on February 1, 2010. Requests for public
hearings must be made in writing and received by January 19, 2010.
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-28760.htm
NOAA press release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories
2009/20091201_alaskabeluga.html

Previous item:  NOAA Reports Latest Cook Inlet Beluga Population Estimate
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
cibeluga100609.htm

41. Comment by March 1 on Cook Inlet Beluga economic value mail survey
…The public benefits associated with the results of protective actions on the Cook Inlet beluga whale, such as population increases, are primarily the result of the non-
consumptive value people attribute to such protection (e.g., active use values associated with being able to view beluga whales and passive use values unrelated to direct human use). Little is known about these values, yet such information is needed for decision makers to more fully understand the trade-offs involved in choosing among potential
protection alternatives and to complement other information available about the costs, benefits, and impacts of protection alternatives.
The National Marine Fisheries Service plans to conduct a pilot survey to test a survey instrument that will be used to collect data for measuring the economic benefits the public receives for providing additional protection, beyond current levels, to the Cook Inlet beluga whale. These preferences are currently not known, but are needed to
assist in the evaluation of alternative measures to further protect and recover the species' population, such as in the evaluation of critical habitat designations…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-30924.htm

42. Comment Deadline March 11 on National Standard 2 regarding science
NMFS proposes revisions to the guidelines for National Standard 2 (NS2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) regarding scientific information. This action is necessary to provide guidance on the use of best scientific information available (BSIA) for the effective conservation and management of the nation's marine living resources. NMFS proposes to modify the existing NS2 guidelines on BSIA and establish new guidelines for scientific peer review to ensure the reliability, credibility, and integrity of the scientific information used in fishery conservation and management measures. Further, NMFS is proposing to add language to the guidelines regarding the role of the Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSCs) of the Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils), and the relationship of SSCs to the peer review process…
DATES: Written comments must be received by March 11, 2010…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-29589.htm

43. Council Coordination Committee meets January 13-14, Washington DC
NMFS will host a meeting of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors in January 2010. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils,
including FY 2010 budget allocations and budgetary planning, the Ocean Policy Task Force, Marine Spatial Planning, the draft Catch Shares Task Force Report, and implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-30694.htm

November 12, 2009

We will hold our Fall meeting on Tuesday November 17th and Wednesday November 18th at the Swedish Cultural Center near Lake Union in Seattle – paid members are invited to attend.

On Thursday, Nov 19th, the UFA meeting will be held as part of Pacific Marine Expo, at the Qwest Center.

Members, lapsed members & new members – pay  your UFA dues online at
http://www.ufa-fish.org/paymt.htm .

Please consider supporting UFA today, and join us at Pacific Marine Expo next week.

Table of Contents

1. Secretary Seeks Input for Review of Federal Subsistence Program
2. Secretary Seeks Federal Subsistence Board Chair
3. USFS & USFWS post proposed changes for Subsistence Board special action process – comment by Jan 12, 2010.
4. AFN Resolutions online:
5. Sea otters pose big threat to Southeast fisheries
6. USFWS posts ESA Critical Habitat for Southwest northern sea otters
7. Fisheries managers feel the heat in Bethel
8. Board of Fisheries summary of actions – Oct 13-14 meeting
9. Nobel Prize Winner Ostrom: Government oversight not only way to solve human problems
10. Federal scientists (NOAA): Limit offshore drilling plans
11. Coast Guard bill HR 3619 passes House, includes new safety mandates
12. Herron Calls for Continued Monitoring & Management of Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim's Declining Salmon Fisheries
13. State challenges polar bear listing
14. Gov. Defends State’s Mine Permitting Process
15. ADFG notes Anadromous Waters Catalog less than 50% complete
16. Pebble opponents target financial groups to chill investment
17. EPA issues more toxin protections for fish, shellfish
18. NOAA Scientists Fly to the Ends of the Earth to Measure Greenhouse Gases
19. NOAA and FDA to Combine Resources on Seafood Inspection
20. Murkowski Announces Senate Passage of Funding Bill That Includes Resources for Alaska Fisheries Research and Management
21. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces $234 Million to Promote U.S. Food and Agricultural Exports
22. Economic Value of Alaska Waters Stressed by Begich during Oceans Subcommittee Hearing
23. Senate Commerce Hearing Summary - The Future of Ocean Governance: Building Our National Ocean Policy 
24. Deadline Dec 2 for NPFMC Science & Statistical Committee nominations
25. NPFMC seeks input on Bering Sea Pollock Chum bycatch measures – by Dec 2.
26. NPFMC posts Items from the October Meeting
27. Rep. Neuman Named to National Sportsmen's Caucus Executive Committee
28. Risk assessment of Alaska oil infrastructure called flawed
29. Chamber: White House attacks are backfiring
30. Alaska Seafood Processors Advisory Council Meeting, Nov. 20, Seattle
31. Alaska DNR Aquatic Farming Public Notice – comment by December 8.
32. 40,000 fish escape Maine farm
33. MMRC: Time Flies When You’re Tagging Seals
34.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
35. NOAA Fisheries includes more rural residents in subsistence halibut fishery
36. NMFS posts Arctic FMP & Amendment 29 to the Crab FMP
37. NOAA Reports Latest Cook Inlet Beluga Population Estimate
38. Coast Guard Arctic Operations: An Overview (PDF - 2 MB):
39. NMFS posts web process for CDQ, Rockfish, Amendment 80 & BSAI Crab xfers
40. NPFMC Groundfish plan team meets Nov 16-20, Seattle
41. NPFMC Rural Community Outreach Committee will meet by teleconference Nov 20
42. NMFS Workshop on seaLandings & 2010 recordkeeping, Seattle Nov 18
43. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 9
44. USCG Kodiak NWR & Glacier Bay Communication site proposals available for public comment
45. Deadline Nov 30 for USDA Rural Dev. Value-Added Producer program
46. NPRB Online Proposal Submission deadline December 4
47. ADF&G posts Bristol Bay reports
48. ASMI Trade Mission to China Stimulates Business
49. Fishermen wanted -  Serve on an ASMI Committee
50. In memory of UFA Lifetime Member Steve Smith - Birder, fisherman's Alaskan dream cost $20

1. Secretary Seeks Input for Review of Federal Subsistence Program
On October 23, 2009, Secretary of the Interior Salazar announced to the
Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage the initiation of a
Departmental review of the Federal Subsistence Management Program in
Alaska.  The review will focus on how the program is meeting the purposes
and subsistence provisions of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), and how the program is serving rural
subsistence users as envisioned when the program was begun in the early
1990s.

The Alaska Affairs office of the Secretary will lead this review effort.
The Secretary has directed that the review be driven by input from
subsistence users.  Comments and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged
in this review.  In addition to legislative mandates, the review will
include the structures and operations of the Federal Subsistence Board,
the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils, and budgetary issues.
The Secretary has indicated his desire to complete the review and to
consider recommendations for possible actions in the next several months…

Additional information about the review of the Federal Subsistence
Management Program will be available shortly on the web at
http://www.doi.gov/subsistencereview 

Please send any comments or recommendations for consideration in this
review:
By mail:Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary
1689 C Street, Suite 100
Anchorage, AK 99501
By e-mail:      subsistence@ios.doi.gov

By fax:  (907) 271-4102

Questions?  Contact the Office of the Secretary in Anchorage at (907)
271-5485.

Press release: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/newsrel/r110609a.pdf  

2. Secretary Seeks Federal Subsistence Board Chair
As part of his call for a review of the federal subsistence program, Secretary of the Interior Salazar announced his intention to appoint a Chair of the Federal Subsistence Board. Nominations and applications for this position of Chair of the Federal Subsistence Board are now being solicited and welcomed through December 4, 2009. The appointment is expected to be made in the next several months…
Online at http://www.doi.gov/subsistencereview/

The Federal Office of Subsistence Management press releases are found at http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/news.cfml

3. USFS & USFWS post proposed changes for Subsistence Board special action process – comment by Jan 12, 2010.
We, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are proposing to amend the regulations that manage take of wildlife and fish in Alaska for subsistence purposes to clarify them. In particular, we want to clarify the Federal Subsistence Board's process of accepting and addressing special action requests, along with the role of the Regional Advisory Councils in the special action process. We would also update public notice requirements to bring them into line with the practices of the digital age and accommodate a new biennial regulatory cycle.
Public meeting: The Federal Subsistence Board will hold a public
meeting on January 12, 2010, to receive comments on this proposed rule.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-24653.htm

4. AFN Resolutions online:
Resolution #01, as well as 08, 09,10,11, 13, 14, 27, 32, 34, 35,and 38 relate to subsistence or fisheries.
The entire document is online at:
http://www.nativefederation.org/documents/2009%20AFN%20
CONVENTION%20FINAL%20RESOLUTIONS%20WITH%20FLOO
R%20AMENDMENTS.pdf
&
(Oct 18) - Subsistence rights expected to headline AFN convention
CONTROL: State or federal management, consultation with users among themes.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/afn/story/978389.html

UFA’s  invitation to AFN to address the UFA Board was declined.
We have common ground nonetheless  on AFN resolution #08 concerning sea otters

5. Sea otters pose big threat to Southeast fisheries
By Laine Welch | Capital City Weekly
Several things pose dangers to various fisheries in Alaska, but there is one big threat in the Panhandle that is seldom mentioned: sea otters.

Sea otters in Southeast Alaska were hunted almost to extinction by Russian fur traders in the 18th and 19th centuries, and estimates peg the population at just 2,000 in 1911. Sea otters were re-introduced to the region by ADF&G in the 1960s; within a decade their numbers reached 160,000 animals, and otter counts have grown exponentially ever since.
No one knows how many sea otters have set up housekeeping in Southeast or how much shellfish they're feasting upon. Hoyt and Sunny Rice, the local Sea Grant marine advisor, aim to start finding out.

"The first step of our proposed project is to get an estimate of how many otters are in southern Southeast before we can move forward with anything else," Rice said, adding that concerns by fishermen and subsistence users prompted the study.
 http://capitalcityweekly.com/stories/090209/bus_488907462.shtml

Sunny Rice will present at UFA’s open session at Pacific Marine Expo, 4:30 PM on Thursday, November 19th.

6. USFWS posts ESA Critical Habitat for Southwest northern sea otters
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for the southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 15,164 square kilometers (km2) (5,855 square miles (mi2)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. All the critical habitat is located in
Alaska.
DATES: This rule becomes effective on November 9, 2009.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-24087.htm

& USFWS Southwestern Sea Otter Fact Sheet
http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/pdf/fact_
sheet_oct2009.pdf

7. Fisheries managers feel the heat in Bethel
Link: The Tundra Drums
Angry Western Alaska commercial fishermen lashed out at state fishery managers in Bethel on Monday during a meeting of the House Resources Committee, charging that they mismanaged Yukon River king salmon this summer. Fishermen said the state undercounted fish and needlessly restricted fishing, allowing too many kings to swim upriver into Canada's Yukon. Myron Naneng, head of the Association of Village Council Presidents in the Bethel region, said villagers must be involved in helping set fishery rules. "Lower Yukon villages are experiencing economic genocide," he said. State officials acknowledged inaccurate fish counting and promised to do a better job in the future…
http://www.adn.com/3437/story/973430.html

8. Board of Fisheries summary of actions – Oct 13-14 meeting
-Vince Webster elected chair
-ACR 5 - accepted & scheduled for March 2010 -   SE District 2 Dungeness Crab commercial closure
-ACR 7 -accepted & scheduled for March 2010 – Bering Sea Opilio TAC
ACR 9 -accepted & scheduled for March 2010 – Bering Sea Tanner Crab minimum size

Board generated Proposal A  - accepted & scheduled for Jan 2010 – Revise management triggers in the Yukon Summer Chum Management Plan
Board generated Proposal B  - accepted & scheduled for Jan 2010 – Revise management triggers in the Yukon Fall Chum Management Plan

Escapement Goals and Stocks of Concern: changed Kvichak River sockeye from a “management concern” to a “yield concern”.

Salmon Industry Restructuring proposals – additional information needed, to be requested from ADF&G, on #15 (repeal of 32 foot limit in Bristol Bay) and #168 (repeal of 58 foot Seine limit).

Heard reports on extended jurisdiction program, Bering Sea Chinook bycatch measures, sport guide service board & more…

Details are online at
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/2009-2010
/soa-oct-work09.pdf

9. Nobel Prize Winner Ostrom: Government oversight not only way to solve human problems
…The first woman to win a Nobel economics prize, announced today, emphasizes in her work, for example, how pools of users manage natural resources as common property, such as how lobster fishermen in Maine in the 1920s came together to self-police the industry due to too many of the sea creatures being captured threatened their extinction…
http://www.indystar.com/interstitial.html?ad_cat=local&campaign
=ryland&backto=http%3A//www.indystar.com/article/20091012/
LOCAL/910120361/

&&&

Pioneering Nobel Prize winner influenced Alaska, resources
The first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics also has bolstered the credibility of Alaskans who worked for decades to instill the concept of public ownership of the state's natural resources.
 Elinor Ostrom, 76, and Oliver E. Williamson of the University of California Berkeley shared this year's economics prize, announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Monday.
       A political scientist at Indiana University, Ostrom studies the management of common resources, like fish, grazing lands and forests. She shed light on examples around the world -- including Alaska's fisheries -- in which people have worked cooperatively to sustain their resources rather than destroying them.

You can read the full story online at:
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/971399.html?story_
link=email_msg

10. Federal scientists (NOAA): Limit offshore drilling plans
The federal government's top ocean scientists are urging the Interior Department to drastically reduce plans to open the coast to offshore oil and gas drilling, citing threats to marine life and potentially devastating effects of oil spills in Arctic waters…
NOAA says the leasing plan's assessment of the risks of drilling, such as oil spills, is "understated and generally not supported or referenced."

For example, in Alaska's North Aleutian Basin and Chukchi Sea, the agency says it is "very concerned about potential impacts to living marine resources and their habitats, viable commercial and recreational fisheries, and subsistence use of marine resources as a result of future lease sales, exploration, and development."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ocean-drilling
12-2009oct12,0,2819272.story

11. Coast Guard bill HR 3619 passes House, includes new safety mandates
Gloucester Daily Times
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved new legislation that includes a number of fishing vessel safety improvements championed by Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank.
The 2010 Coast Guard Reauthorization bill increases funding for the Coast Guard, and enhances its ability to carry out homeland security missions. The bill passed the House on Friday by a vote of 385-11.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_
299223436.html

To See HR 3619, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ , enter H.R.3619 click to search on Bill Number

&&&

ADN Editorial: Our view: Safer seas
Coast Guard inspections vital
Too many fishermen die on the job. The deaths of five more in the sinking of the Alaska Ranger in the Bering Sea in 2008 drove home that truth once again, and for the fourth time after a fatal accident, the National Transportation Safety Board has said Congress should give the Coast Guard the power to do mandatory inspections of commercial fishing vessels…
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/962645.html

For HR 2652 Vessel Safety legislation by Oberstar, see http://thomas.loc.gov/ , search by bill number.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are over 2,000 commercial fishing vessels registered in Alaska with a length of 20 feet or less, and many of these are in very small communities that are unlikely to host vessel inspection teams.

UFA encourages fishermen to participate in USCG dockside safety inspections, and we support the work of the Fishing Vessel safety Advisory committee and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association-  http://www.amsea.org/ .

12. Herron Calls for Continued Monitoring & Management of Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim's Declining Salmon Fisheries
(Bethel) - Following on the heels of a pair of recent trips by government officials to the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, Rep. Bob Herron, D-Bethel, is calling for continued monitoring and improvements in the way the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game manages the areas salmon fisheries. Herron hopes to raise public awareness on the issue, which is damaging the region's economy following the ban on commercial fishing in the Yukon earlier this year, and implementation of restrictions on subsistence fishing…
http://www.housemajority.org/item.php?id=item-399

13. State challenges polar bear listing
Parnell: Status threatens resource development along northern coast
ANCHORAGE - The state of Alaska is trying to bolster its efforts to overturn the listing of the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Attorney General Dan Sullivan announced Wednesday he has filed a supplement to the state's earlier lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C. In it, the state claims the U.S. Department of Interior did not respond to the state's concerns in a timely manner before polar bears were listed last year.
Gov. Sean Parnell, who succeeded Palin upon her resignation last summer, joined Sullivan at the Wednesday news conference in which they said the Endangered Species Act was being used as a way to shut down resource development along Alaska's northern coast.
Parnell said he does not intend to let that happen.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/102209/sta
_507750760.shtml

&&&

Polar bear habitat given 'critical' status
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is setting aside 200,000 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/story/983238.html

&&&
Comment by December 28 on Polar Bear Critical Habitat
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-25876.htm

14. Gov. Defends State’s Mine Permitting Process
November 6, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today defended the state’s system of regulating and permitting mines, saying the misuse of the Endangered Species Act and proposed changes to federal mining laws threaten mineral exploration and development in the state.

In his speech to the annual convention of the Alaska Miners Association, the governor praised the state’s rigorous permitting process as a world-class system that protects the environment while providing jobs and services across Alaska.

“Our permitting standards start with many years of environmental baseline data collection,” Governor Parnell said. “Dozens of authorizations from state, federal and local agencies are required before a mine can begin operations, and denial of any one of these authorizations along the way can stop the project…
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=5134

15. ADFG notes Anadromous Waters Catalog less than 50% complete
“The Catalog of Waters Important for the Spawning, Rearing or Migration of Anadromous Fishes and its associated Atlas (the Catalog and Atlas, respectively) currently contain about 16,000 streams, rivers or lakes around the state which have been specified as being important for the spawning, rearing or migration of anadromous fish. Based upon thorough surveys of a few drainages it is believed that this number represents less than 50% of the streams, rivers and lakes actually used by anadromous species. It is estimated that at least an additional 20,000 or more anadromous water bodies have not been identified or specified under AS 16.05.871(a).
The Catalog and Atlas are important because they specify which streams, rivers and lakes are important to anadromous fish species and therefore afforded protection under AS 16.05.871. Water bodies that are not "specified" within the Catalog and Atlas are not afforded that protection…If you would like to request a change to the Catalog and Atlas you can download the nomination form.
ADFG Catalog of Anadromous Waters home page:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/SARR/AWC/

ADFG Summary of Habitat Statutes: http://www.habitat.adfg.alaska.gov/regs.php

16. Pebble opponents target financial groups to chill investment
By Tim Bradner, Alaska Journal of Commerce
A report released Oct. 29 by opponents to the proposed Pebble copper/gold project in Southwest Alaska and aimed at financial investment groups claims significant legal and political risks would jeopardize the project.
A spokesman for the companies that want to develop the mine discounted the report and says the project is still in its preliminary stages, too early for anyone to draw conclusions about its viability…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/110509/loc_19_001.shtml

The Earthworks press release that is the topic of this article is online at:http://www.earthworksaction.org/PR_JewelerMomentum.cfm

17. EPA issues more toxin protections for fish, shellfish
By Laine Welch, AK Journal of Commerce
Fish and shellfish will soon get more protection from mercury and other toxins in the atmosphere that end up in U.S. waters.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced in late October that for the first time, it is putting the brakes on fossil fuel emissions from U.S. power plants. About half of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels is absorbed by the oceans; the resulting off kilter chemistry is beginning to wreak havoc on sea creatures…
The EPA will be required by November 2011 to set controls for coal- and oil-fired power plants; oil is used to generate only a small percentage of U.S. electricity. Companies will have three years to comply after the new regulations go into effect.
Most of the atmospheric pollutants in the North Pacific come from emissions of coal-fired power plants in Asia. That's bad news for Alaska - water samples collected last spring from the Gulf of Alaska showed that acid levels are increasing more quickly and more severely than previously thought. The gulf findings are similar to those seen in the Chukchi and Bering seas…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/110509/fis_6_001.shtml

18. NOAA Scientists Fly to the Ends of the Earth to Measure Greenhouse Gases
November 2, 2009
Broomfield, Colo. – NOAA scientists took off Saturday on the second phase of a mission that, when complete, will provide a detailed view of how carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are distributed globally. Monitoring the increasing levels of greenhouse gases and black carbon aerosols in the atmosphere is crucial to understanding human-caused climate change…
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091102_hippo.html

19. NOAA and FDA to Combine Resources on Seafood Inspection
NOAA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled an interagency agreement today to strengthen seafood inspection and improve seafood safety and quality.

The agreement formalizes the working arrangements between NOAA’s Fisheries Service Seafood Inspection Program and the FDA to reinforce each agency’s efforts through cooperation and information sharing in the inspection of fish, fishery products, and establishments. Inspection agents from both agencies will work together when appropriate, and NOAA will share inspection results with FDA.

“Americans are eating an average of 16 pounds of seafood a year--that’s a lot of fish,” said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “This partnership will help ensure that seafood consumers—who spent nearly $70 billion on seafood last year—continue to get safe, healthy seafood through combining our resources with FDA.”…
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091026_
seafoodinspect.html

20. Murkowski Announces Senate Passage of Funding Bill That Includes Resources for Alaska Fisheries Research and Management
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill which includes a number of important projects for Alaska. The bill now goes to a joint House-Senate conference committee to reconcile differences in each chamber’s version of the bill.

“This bill provides important resources for fisheries research and management, extended continental shelf mapping and law enforcement,” Murkowski said. “I am pleased the Senate recognizes the crucial role that natural resources, especially fisheries, play in Alaska and has provided funding for these priorities.”

The bill provides funding for the following items important to Alaska…
• Bering Sea Crab Management and Research - $300,000…
• U.S./Canada Yukon River Salmon Agreement Studies - $500,000…
• Seal and Steller Sea Lions Biological Research - $300,000…
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks – Extended Continental Shelf Mapping - $300,000…
• Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund - $80 million…

Senator Murkowski press release:
http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=ec5b7ad0-4780-42d1-b5b2-3e0b3d54a
5e1&ContentType_id=b94acc28-404a-4fc6-b143-a9e15bf92d
a4&Group_id=c01df158-d935-4d7a-895d-f694ddf41624

21. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces $234 Million to Promote U.S. Food and Agricultural Exports
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 11, 2009—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 70 U.S. trade organizations received more than $234 million in Fiscal Year 2009 to help promote American food and agricultural products overseas…

Including:
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute $4,667,028
http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/PressRelease/pressrel_dout
.asp?PrNum=0278-09

22. Economic Value of Alaska Waters Stressed by Begich during Oceans Subcommittee Hearing
Probes Oceans Zoning Effort Considered by Administration
While welcoming increased attention to the health of America's oceans, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today expressed concerns about whether limited federal resources currently used to manage fisheries and other economic activities from the nation's oceans could be at risk from changing national priorities.

Begich raised those concerns and others during a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard on an interim report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force appointed earlier this summer by President Obama. The task force held a hearing in Alaska this summer and issued a preliminary report about possible changes to federal management of the nation's oceans.

"Alaska's oceans provide more than half the nation's seafood landings annually, worth over $4 billion and which drive the economy of our coastal communities from the Southeast panhandle to the Aleutian Islands, but this is not reflected in the interim report," Begich said. "Neither is the fact that our waters support strategic routes of international commerce, attract over a million tourists annually, and that Alaska's outer continental shelf is a potential storehouse of oil and gas to help meet the nation's energy security.

"While I welcome the increased attention to the health of America's oceans, the economic impacts also need to be considered. I'm also concerned that federal dollars currently used to manage fisheries and other ocean resources could be shifted to a new ocean council led by the White House." he said.

http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&Con
tentRecord_id=cf903845-1cf2-4237-a7bc-27e0203927c5&Cont
entType_id=ef710aa3-7e29-440a-b9de-316ee20df1b5

23. Senate Commerce Hearing Summary - The Future of Ocean Governance: Building Our National Ocean Policy 
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today (11/4) on The Future of Ocean Governance: Building our National Ocean Policy.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=
PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=69b84995-e485-459
2-a4b3-03269e517428&Month=11&Year=2009

24. Deadline Dec 2 for NPFMC Science & Statistical Committee nominations
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/CallforNominations2010.pdf

25. NPFMC seeks input on Bering Sea Pollock Chum bycatch measures – by Dec 2.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is Evaluating Measures to Limit Chum Salmon Bycatch in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch/
chumoutreachflier909.pdf

26. NPFMC posts Items from the October Meeting
Observer motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/observer/
Observermotion1009.pdf

GOA Pcod sector allocaton motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/pcod/
GOAPcodmotion1009.pdf

Research Priorities
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Research_priorities09.pdf

Rockfish Program Motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/groundfish/
Rockfish1009motion.pdf

October NEWSLETTER
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS1009.pdf   (revised 10/19)

NPFMC home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/

27. Rep. Neuman Named to National Sportsmen's Caucus Executive Committee
(Big Lake) - House Resources Committee Co-Chair Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake/Su Valley, was recently elected to serve on the executive committee of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses. Neuman was elected along with four others to the ten-member panel.

"I'm pleased to be selected by my peers," Neuman said. "Alaska's sports and outdoor heritage are unlike any other in the world and that gives me a unique perspective to bring to the committee. The NASC brings together legislators from the state and federal government to debate policy on hunting, fishing, wildlife management, trapping, state-to-state cooperation, and federal regulations. This is a tremendous opportunity to help inform and direct the committee as we debate more issues important to sportsmen across the U.S."

The full text of this release can be found below:
http://www.housemajority.org/item.php?id=neum20091103-409

28. Risk assessment of Alaska oil infrastructure called flawed
EXPERTS: Study is too dependent on industry cooperation, panel says.
By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
A panel of national scientific experts is raising serious concerns about the state-led, $5 million project to evaluate risks posed by Alaska's aging oil and gas infrastructure.
The study, initiated by former Gov. Sarah Palin, was triggered by recent spills, leaks and corrosion on the North Slope, including the 2006 spill that shut down half of Prudhoe Bay for weeks and resulted in multimillion-dollar penalties for BP, the Prudhoe operator.

But the National Academy of Sciences said in a 45-page report circulated Tuesday that the state's study -- as currently designed -- is unlikely to meet its own ambitious goals.

The study, funded by the Legislature in 2007, involves reviewing and ranking oil and gas-related risks along the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline, at the Valdez tanker port and at North Slope and Cook Inlet fields…

As designed, the study would involve sifting through a massive amount of data. Also, it assumes oil and gas "industry cooperation that is neither promised or likely to be forthcoming," the panel's report says…

The report notes that state regulators have not yet secured cooperation from oil and gas producers to provide their data. The state needed that cooperation early on in the project, the report says…
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/oil/story/980882.html

29. Chamber: White House attacks are backfiring
By: Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen - Politico
October 26, 2009 04:50 AM EST

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue says a campaign by the White House and its allies to undermine his $200-million-a-year association has largely failed — and actually has helped raise even more money for its pro-business efforts.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8E81FADE-18FE-
70B2-A8842C9313516AAE

UFA encourages fishing families and businesses to join, participate in, and thereby  influence their local and State Chambers. Please drop by our session with the Alaska and Greater Seattle Chambers, on the afternoon of Nov. 19th at Pacific Marine expo.

30. Alaska Seafood Processors Advisory Council Meeting, Nov. 20, Seattle
9:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M PST
(10 A.M. – 12 A.M. Alaska Time)
Location:  Seafood Products Association, 1600 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98144
Or
For more info call in number contact Randy Pfeuffer, Alaska DEC/Food Safety and Sanitation, Anchorage, AK 99501
907-269-7505

31. Alaska DNR Aquatic Farming Public Notice – comment by December 8.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting comments on preliminary best interest findings and decisions (PD) for the 2009 aquatic farm applications and amendments. Ten (10) applications are being reviewed for new aquatic farm proposals plus one amendment for an existing farm site. One (1) new application is proposed in southcentral Alaska within Kachemak Bay just north of Halibut Cove near existing aquatic farm lease sites; eight (8) new applications are being proposed in southeast Alaska plus one (1) amendment is being reviewed in southeast Alaska. One (1) farm site is being proposed south of Yakutat, one (1) south of Kake, and five (5) within bays north of Klawock and south of Edna Bay (Prince of Wales Island) and one (1) new aquatic farm site is being proposed northwest of Ketchikan within the Tatoosh Islands. One (1) aquatic farm amendment is being reviewed for an existing farm site on northwest Tuxekan Island.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7a892
5672a0060a91b/561b45ce21185bd589257664006d8fcd?Open
Document

32. 40,000 fish escape Maine farm
Gillnetters near Sointula report catching Atlantic salmon

A recovery vessel working for a fish-farming company recovered about 1,100 escaped Atlantic salmon yesterday, and will continue working over the weekend to catch more of the estimated 40,000 escaped fish…
"The response time really troubles me," said Chief Bob Chamberlin of the nearby Kwicksutaineuk-Ah-Kwaw-Ah-Mish band.
"One of the only reasons we found out was because a commercial fishery was going on and they were catching Atlantics."
http://www.timescolonist.com/fish+escape+farm/2141317/
story.html#

33. MMRC: Time Flies When You’re Tagging Seals
The field season has now drawn to a close and Consortium research teams returned home. But before they traded the Bering Sea for highways, traffic lights, and of course, data compilation, we caught up with Chad Nordstrom and Brian Battaile to find out how they fared.
http://www.marinemammal.org/2009/fieldseason09b.php

Marine Mammal Research Consortium home page: http://www.marinemammal.org/

34.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Thursday 11/12/09 Fishing still #1 as most dangerous job
Wednesday 11/11/09 AK Highliner, Fishermen of the Year contest
Tuesday 11/10/09 Are you smarter than a 5th grader when it comes to AK salmon?
Monday 11/9/09 Fishing grounds give property rights, says UFA
Friday 11/6/09 Pollock livers pack omega 3s, uses for skins
Listen Online at: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm
& also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html

35. NOAA Fisheries includes more rural residents in subsistence halibut fishery
NOAA Fisheries has published new regulations, effective December 4, 2009, that mean more residents in remote areas will be able to participate in the subsistence fishery for Pacific halibut in waters in and off Alaska…
Press release: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/halibutsubsistence
_alert110409.htm

Federal register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-26559.htm

36. NMFS posts Arctic FMP & Amendment 29 to the Crab FMP
NMFS issues a final rule that implements the Fishery Management Plan for Fish Resources of the Arctic Management Area (Arctic FMP) and Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP). The Arctic FMP and Amendment 29 to the Crab FMP establish sustainable management of commercial fishing in the Arctic Management Area and move the northern boundary of the Crab FMP out of the Arctic Management Area south to
Bering Strait. This action is necessary to establish a management framework for commercial fishing and to provide consistent management of fish resources in the Arctic Management Area before the potential onset of unregulated commercial fishing in the area…
DATES: Effective December 3, 2009.
Federal Register notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-26452.htm

NOAA Fisheries – Arctic Fisheries home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/arctic/

NOAA Press release: Arctic Fishery Management Plan goes into effect December 3
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/arctic
_alert110309.htm

37. NOAA Reports Latest Cook Inlet Beluga Population Estimate
The endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population is not showing recovery, according to NOAA Fisheries Service’s latest annual survey and estimate. NOAA scientists, analyzing recent population estimates, find a continued trend of gradual population decline…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/cibeluga100609.htm

38. Coast Guard Arctic Operations: An Overview (PDF - 2 MB):
http://www.uscg.mil/d17/ArcticOverview.pdf

39. NMFS posts web process for CDQ, Rockfish, Amendment 80 & BSAI Crab xfers
Alaska Community Development Quota Program, Rockfish Program, Amendment
80 Program; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area Crab Rationalization
Program
NMFS issues regulations to provide harvesting cooperatives, crab processing quota share holders, and Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups with the option to make intercooperative transfers, crab individual processing quota transfers, and inter-group transfers through an automated, web-based process…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-24217.htm

40. NPFMC Groundfish plan team meets Nov 16-20, Seattle
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's GOA and BS/AI
groundfish plan teams will meet in Seattle, WA. The meetings will be held November 16 20, 2009. The meetings  will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 16, and continue through Friday, November 20.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4, Observer Training Room (GOA Plan Team) and Traynor Room (BS/AI Plan Team), Seattle, WA…

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane DiCosimo or Diana Stram, North
Pacific Fishery Management Council; telephone: (907) 271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The plan teams will prepare and review the
stock assessments for groundfish fisheries in the BSAI and GOA and
recommend catch specifications for 2010/2011. Agenda posted on website
at: http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/ .

NPFMC home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/

41. NPFMC Rural Community Outreach Committee will meet by teleconference Nov 20
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Rural Community Outreach Committee will meet by teleconference, (907) 271-2896.
DATES: The teleconference will be held on November 20, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: North Pacific Fishery Management Council; telephone: (907) 271-2896.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Kimball, North Pacific Fishery
Management Council; telephone: (907) 271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The committee is scheduled to receive updates from staff on several ongoing outreach efforts stemming from committee and Council recommendations. The committee's primary task at this meeting is to provide recommendations toward developing a Bering Sea chum salmon bycatch outreach plan.
    The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be
posted at http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/ .

42. NMFS Workshop on seaLandings & 2010 recordkeeping, Seattle Nov 18
NMFS, Alaska Region, and the U.S. Coast Guard, North Pacific Fisheries Training Center, will present a workshop on seaLandings, a consolidated electronic means of reporting production of commercial groundfish to multiple management agencies for Federal and State fisheries off the coast of Alaska, and 2010 recordkeeping and reporting
requirements for the Alaska groundfish fisheries and Individual Fishing Quota fisheries.

DATES:  The workshops will be held on November 18, 2009, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Swedish Cultural Center
Seattle, WA, 1920 Dexter Ave. N in the Svea Room on the Main Level.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Patty Britza, 907-586-7376.

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-27186.htm

43. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 9
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2009
/nr20091102.htm

IPHC home page: http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/Default.htm

44. USCG Kodiak NWR & Glacier Bay Communication site proposals available for public comment
JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are seeking input on proposals to permit, construct, operate and maintain search and rescue communications facilities in Middle Cape area of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and within Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

This input marks the beginning of the process under the National Environmental Policy Act used to decide whether to issue a Right-of-Way permit and authorize construction.  Such comments will help the agencies to determine what issues will be addressed in an Environmental Assessment…
The agencies have sent out letters inviting any comments, issues and concerns that interested parties might have.  Comments may be sent to William Freeland, Environmental Protection Specialist with Rescue 21 PRO Alaska, 100 Savikko Rd., Douglas, AK 99824…
Comments may be posted concerning Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=12&projectId
=26546&documentID=30163.  People interested in receiving further information on this and other projects may request to be place on a mailing list…
USCG Notice: http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/392519/

45. Deadline Nov 30 for USDA Rural Dev. Value-Added Producer program
& USDA corrects dates in Value-Added Producer program
(NOFA) on September 1, 2009 stating an anticipated award date of
January 7, 2010 for Value-Added Producer Grants. Due to the delay in
publication of the NOFA in the Federal Register, this award date does
not allow sufficient time for scoring and processing applications.
Therefore the anticipated award date is May 3, 2010…
(Deadline still Nov. 30)
Federal Register Notice http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-23939.htm

Value-added producer Grants program home page:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm

In Alaska contact USDA Rural development office at (907) 761-7705

46. NPRB Online Proposal Submission deadline December 4
Online proposal submission is now available for respondents to the 2010 RFP. Proposal deadline is Friday, December 4, 2009, at 4:00 pm Alaska Standard Time.

Also  - See opportunity to suggest a research priority for the 2011 RFP – on the NPRB home page at: http://www.nprb.org/

47. ADF&G posts Bristol Bay reports
New reports are posted:
-Review of Salmon Escapement Goals in Bristol Bay, Alaska, 2009.
-Overview of the Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery 2007 2009, a Report to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
-Summary of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon Harvests by Gear Type, 2007–2009.
-Kvichak River Sockeye Salmon Stock Status and Action Plan, 2009; a Report to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
-Overview of the Togiak District Herring Sac Roe and Spawn on-Kelp Fisheries of Bristol Bay, Alaska, 2009; a Report to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
-Salmon Spawning Ground Surveys in the Bristol Bay Area, Alaska, 2008
And more all online at http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/
pubs_recent.php

48. ASMI Trade Mission to China Stimulates Business
World’s Third Largest Market Warms Up To Alaska Seafood:
NOVEMBER 12, 2009. JUNEAU, ALASKA. Stimulating the demand for Alaska’s seafood exports and setting the stage for business transactions were top priorities of a week-long trade mission to China conducted by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). “China is obviously thriving amidst a global downturn,” observed Joe Jacobson, director of ASMI’s international marketing program. “China’s rapidly growing middle class is willing to spend something extra for high quality, safe imported food.”

Members of the Alaska seafood industry met in early November with members of the seafood trade from each major region of China, and participated in the 2009 China Seafood and Fisheries Expo, where ASMI’s exhibit was a beehive of activity.

ASMI Press releases are posted at http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/

49. Fishermen wanted -  Serve on an ASMI Committee
There are vacancies on ASMI committees. If you are interested in serving on an ASMI committee please send a letter of interest and a resume to the ASMI Executive Director Ray Riutta and to his assistant Lynn Coffee at these addresses: rriutta@alaskaseafood.org and lcoffee@alaskaseafood.org.
Operational Committees:

• Foodservice Marketing Committee
• International Marketing Committee
• Retail Marketing Committee
• Seafood Technical Committee

Species Committees:

• Halibut-Sablefish Committee
• Salmon Committee
• Shellfish Committee
• Whitefish Committee

To find out more about Alaska Seafood and Sustainability visit
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/sustainability/

50. In memory of UFA Lifetime Member Steve Smith - Birder, fisherman's Alaskan dream cost $20
Cordova resident Steven R. Smith, 71, died Oct. 20, 2009, in Anchorage, while engaged in one of his favorite pastimes: watching the baseball playoffs on television.Steve was born Aug. 18, 1938, in the small farming community of Annawan, Ill., to Hugo and Irene Smith. The family, augmented by younger siblings Annette, Mark and Joan, made their home in Geneseo, Ill., for most of Steve's school years. He received a bachelor of science in soils and zoology in 1960 from the University of Illinois.

After graduation, Steve and his lifelong friend, Dave Law, came to Alaska. They and a third friend picked up a new Chevy wagon off the assembly line in Detroit and drove it up to Anchorage for Hertz. They got paid $100 by Hertz for the trip, which cost them $160. He was always proud that it cost them $20 each to get to the Alaskan dream!

Steve was a wildlife aficionado and was particularly passionate about birds. He met Pete Isleib, Alaska's leading ornithologist, in the early '60s and they became fast friends, fellow birders and fellow fishermen. Steve started fishing in Cordova in 1962 and, over the years, engaged in almost every kind of commercial fishery in Prince William Sound and later Bristol Bay. He seined herring, ran a herring-roe-on-kelp operation, gillnetted sockeye and silver salmon, seined pink salmon, fished Bristol Bay, pot-fished for Dungeness crab and engaged in more ventures than could be named. When he wasn't fishing, Steve pursued his passion for wildlife and birds. He was an accomplished photographer and made several films on Alaskan wildlife that were part of a lecture tour in the mid-'60s. A film about the bald eagle that he made for BBC in the mid-'70s is considered some of the finest documentary footage taken. Steve hunted, fished and filmed his way around Alaska and the world for almost half a century. A multitalented man, Steve was also an accomplished cook. His hospitality and storytelling were legendary, and friends and family enjoyed wonderful meals and good company at his beautiful home on Eyak Lake.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/1001911.html

UFA dues for Alaska commercial fishing permit holders are $150 and we also welcome crew/supporter nonvoting members at $50 per year.
To support UFA see http://www.ufa-fish.org/members.htm

October 2, 2009

Members and lapsed members – renew your UFA dues online at
http://www.ufa-fish.org/paymt.htm .
We will hold our Fall meeting on Tuesday November 17th and Wednesday November 18th at the Swedish Cultural Center near Lake Union in Seattle – AND On Thursday, Nov 19th, the UFA meeting will be held as part of Pacific Marine Expo, at the Qwest Center. We will hold a reception and seafood barbeque on the evening of Thursday Nov 19th at the Swedish Cultural Center.

Health Care, Ocean Acidification, Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations, Ocean Policy, Federal Offshore Aquaculture Legislation, Sustainability Certification Programs, the need for comprehensive public relations on behalf of fishing families and your fishing businesses, and the need for a National Seafood Coalition are all likely to be on our agenda.  Please consider supporting UFA today, and join us at Pacific Marine Expo in November.

Table of Contents
1. Comment Deadline October 17th on Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report
2. Coast Guard head wants tougher fishing safety laws
3. Qualifications and Credentialing of Mariners: A Continuing Examination
4. Don Young speaks on Coast Guard Reauthorization
5. House hearing Sept. 30 - Review of the Coast Guard's Search and Rescue Mission
6. Pacific Fishing Magazine Photo Contest- Deadline Oct 15.
7. Preliminary value of Bristol Bay salmon nears $130M
8. Coalition sues to block Pebble mine permits
9. Lawmakers deny funding for Cook Inlet salmon report
10. ADN Our view: Sole-source contract
11. Sen. Begich Comments on Boxer-Kerry Climate Change Bill
12. Sen. Murkowski’s Comments on Boxer-Kerry Cap-and-Trade Bill
13. Emergency Funds Granted to City of Pelican by Governor Sean Parnell
14. Parnell Selects Alaskans for Salmon Treaty Boards
15. Lubchenco Improving Engagement with the Recreational Fishing Community
16. Catch share strife grows
17. Fishermen must follow trucking laws
18. USDA Secretary Vilsack Highlights Healthcare Disparities in Rural America
19. ADF&G Internal Review of Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation.
20. Kookesh subsistence trial delayed
21. Herring value could rise in world food aid programs
22. Bill introduced re qualified withdrawals from capital construction fund. 
23. Restoration effort helps heal Tongass
24. NOAA to Pursue National Policy for Sustainable Marine Aquaculture
25. BC Sea Lice Levels Said Dropping, but Morton Issues Caution
26. House Resources Oversight Hearing On Offshore Aquaculture docs posted
27. 247-acre open-ocean fish farm nears launch off Hawaii's Big Isle
28. “Sustainable Milestone for (farmed) Atlantic Salmon in America”
29. Bordallo Praises House Passage of Ocean Conservation Bills
30. Obama Follows Bush on Columbia Salmon Recovery
31. Utility agrees to removal of 4 Klamath River dams
32. Boom in hydropower pits fish against climate
33. Hydropower boom may not be a bust for salmon
34. New Limits on Pesticide Uses Will Protect Salmon
35. Vancouver Sun: Is the Pacific salmon fishery collapsing or sustainable?
36. Coast Guard hosts Alaska Oil Spill Awareness Seminar (Sept 29)
 37. As Oil Enriches Australia, Spill Is Seen as a Warning
38. Just a reminder: there's lots of competition for Alaska seafood
39.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
40. Comment Deadline October 30 on North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program
41. Comment by October 16 on Data Collection for the Trawl Rationalization
42. NOAA posts Experimental Permitting Process, Exempted Fishing Permits, and Scientific Research Activity final regs.
43. NMFS posts BSAI and GOA Groundfish LLP rule.
44. NMFS posts BSAI Crab post-delivery Transfer final rule (Amendment 28)
45. Comment by October 13 on  ESA Humpback Whale Status and Request for Information
46. NOAA releases results of 2009 pollock surveys
47. All Councils website debuts with links to all regions’ Councils
48. IPHC Request for Proposals - Bait Needed for 2010 IPHC Stock Assessment
49. 2009 IPHC Interim Meeting Announcement – December 7 & 8, Seattle
50. North Pacific Research Board 2010 Request for Proposals Released
51. Fisheries of the United States - 2008
52. AK Board of Fisheries work session October 13-14, Anchorage

1. Comment Deadline October 17th on Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report
On June 12, 2009, the President established an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.
   
On September 10, 2009, the Task Force submitted its interim report to the President addressing the first three tasks outlined above. To allow for additional public engagement and comment before the President makes any final decision on the interim report, the Task Force is issuing it for a 30-day public comment period.

DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before October 17, 2009.

The Task Force Interim Report is available – and Comments on the Task Force Interim Report should be submitted electronically at http://www.whitehouse.gov/oceans
 (or in writing to the Council on Environmental Quality, Attn: Michael Weiss, 722 Jackson Place, NW., Washington, DC 20503.)

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-22868.htm

Interim Report document: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/09_17_09
_Interim_Report_of_Task_Force_FINAL2.pdf

NOAA Press Release:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090918_ceq2.html

2. Coast Guard head wants tougher fishing safety laws
CAPE MAY - Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen called on Congress to pass new regulations to make the commercial fishing industry operate more safely.

Allen, speaking at Training Center Cape May, said the Coast Guard wants mandatory safety training of fishermen, inspection of vessels and stability tests on the boats, especially when they have been retrofitted to alter their original purpose, as doing so can change a vessel's center of gravity.

"I think it's time to come to grips with fishing vessel safety. We could close safety gaps and prevent some tragic loss of life," Allen said.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_ma
y/article_087d806c-8951-11de-b090-001cc4c002e0.html

For HR 2652 Vessel Safety legislation by Oberstar, see http://thomas.loc.gov/ , search by bill number.

3. Qualifications and Credentialing of Mariners: A Continuing Examination
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing October 7 -
http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearing
Detail.aspx?NewsID=1020

4. Don Young speaks on Coast Guard Reauthorization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokwpHn-TH
8&feature=player_embedded#

5. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing Sept. 30 - Review of the Coast Guard's Search and Rescue Mission
http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearing
Detail.aspx?NewsID=997

6. Pacific Fishing Magazine Photo Contest- Deadline Oct 15.
have pretty nice photo contest going. Top prize is two tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. Go to www.pacificfishing.com  and clck on the "Click here to enter the photo contest" banner.
-Don McManman

7. Preliminary value of Bristol Bay salmon nears $130M
By Margaret Bauman , Alaska Journal of Commerce
Above average 2009 harvests of more than 32 million Bristol Bay salmon of all species were worth nearly $130 million to commercial fishermen, 8 percent above the 20-year-average, state fisheries officials said Sept. 22…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/100209
/fis_32_003.shtml

8. Coalition sues to block Pebble mine permits
By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
State regulators violated the Alaska Constitution when they approved exploration permits for the proposed Pebble copper and gold mine without first allowing the public to weigh in, a civil lawsuit filed today contends.

The suit was filed in Anchorage Superior Court by a coalition of Bristol Bay Native village corporations, former Alaska first lady Bella Hammond, state constitutional convention delegate Victor Fischer and several people who live in Southwest Alaska villages.
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/mining/
story/880648.html

9. Lawmakers deny funding for Cook Inlet salmon report
State lawmakers have denied a $20,000 request from a legislative task force to complete a report, due last February, that was supposed to make recommendations on sport/commercial salmon fishing issues in Cook Inlet.
Instead, Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, who chaired the now-defunct Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, plans to release an unfinished draft report in early October…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/100209/
fis_32_001.shtml

10. ADN Our view: Sole-source contract
Rep. Johnson requests work for former campaign consultant
It may well be a good idea for the Legislature to spend $20,000 on a long-overdue report from its Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force -- but Chair Craig Johnson went about it wrong. The South Anchorage state representative pushed a sole-source contract that would give the job to his former campaign consultant, Mark Higgins, a person who also just happens to be married to a woman on Rep. Johnson's committee staff…
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/927330.html

11. Sen. Begich Comments on Boxer-Kerry Climate Change Bill
(Sept. 30) U.S. Sen. Mark Begich released the following statement today following the release of the Boxer-Kerry Climate Change bill:

"Our nation is experiencing dramatic changes from climate change and no one knows that better than Alaskans who are at ground zero for its impacts. It's clear the federal government needs to act, in partnership with state and local governments and industry.

"I appreciate the efforts of Senators Boxer and Kerry to deal with climate change through the bill they released today. This bill is a solid first start with many placeholders and lots of room for improvement.

http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases
&ContentRecord_id=7794a394-5afa-4dd8-8096-3f571a65
a383&ContentType_id=ef710aa3-7e29-440a-b9de-316ee
20df1b5

12. Sen. Murkowski’s Comments on Boxer-Kerry Cap-and-Trade Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (Sept. 30) U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following comments on the introduction of the Boxer-Kerry cap-and-trade bill:

“Right now health care reform is taking center stage, the Senate Finance Committee is marking up the bill and rejecting the massive costs associated with it, yet the Boxer-Kerry climate bill is like déjà vu when we look at how much it costs,” Murkowski said. “Once again we are given a massive bill with massive costs.”…

http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases
&ContentRecord_id=d3035cf9-eb11-4206-abd3-852ac6d1c752
&ContentType_id=b94acc28-404a-4fc6-b143-a9e15bf92da4&
Group_id=c01df158-d935-4d7a-895d-f694ddf41624

13. Emergency Funds Granted to City of Pelican by Governor Sean Parnell
September 30, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today signed Administrative Order 251, granting the City of Pelican access to disaster relief funds.

Severe rainfall in August collapsed the city’s water flume. Pelican was without drinking water for several days until a temporary bypass line and gasoline-powered pump restored the water-supply system.

“The failure of this simple flume created a number of complex threats requiring immediate emergency measures,” Governor Parnell said. “The quick response and teamwork from local and state agencies averted those threats.”

Administrative Order 251 will allow for distribution of state relief funds up to $100,000. The funds will cover emergency response efforts and temporary and permanent repairs to the Pelican water supply system…

Governor Parnell Press Release: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=5085&type=1

14. Parnell Selects Alaskans for Salmon Treaty Boards
Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today nominated Alaskans for service on the Pacific Salmon Commission and its panels relating to management of salmon fisheries in Southeast Alaska and Canadian waters.

The Pacific Salmon Commission was established by the 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty between the United States and Canada to coordinate management of Pacific salmon stocks off their coasts. Members of the commission and its panels include representatives of government and fishing interests.

Pacific Salmon Commission
Governor Parnell nominated David Bedford to continue serving as Alaska’s commissioner in the U.S. Section of the Pacific Salmon Commission, and James Bacon to continue serving as Alaska’s alternate commissioner in that section. The nominations are subject to final approval and appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Pacific Salmon Commission, Northern Panel
Governor Parnell nominated William F. Auger, Mitchell L. Eide, Arnold M. Enge, Dennis E. Longstreth, Howard T. Pendell and Robert M. Thorstensen Jr. to continue their service on the Pacific Salmon Commission’s Northern Panel, as public members with experience in salmon fisheries. These nominations are subject to final approval and appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce…

Governor Parnell Press Release:http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=5059

15. Lubchenco Improving Engagement with the Recreational Fishing Community
September 2, 2009
“Saltwater recreational fishing is among the most popular outdoor sports in America with anglers representing one of NOAA's largest organized constituencies. Not only are anglers stewards of our ocean, they contribute greatly to the economic vitality of our coastal communities. For these reasons, I believe it is in NOAA's best interests to adopt polices and practices that will protect ocean ecosystems and ensure one of America's most treasured pastimes endures for future generations.
… As a first step, I will create a new position of senior policy advisor for recreational fishing that will report directly to the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries and be charged with addressing the interests of the recreational community within the agency as we consider policy…
   As a first task, the advisor will coordinate, in cooperation with the angling community, a recreational fishing summit to identify issues of concern and possible solutions. This national meeting will be followed by a series of joint problem-solving roundtables to identify roadblocks to an improved relationship and to design reasonable solutions…”
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/
20090902_recfishing.html 

16. Catch share strife grows
By Richard Gaines - Gloucester Times Staff Writer
Recreational fishing interests have registered their intense opposition to "catch shares" — the high-priority regulatory policy sought by the Obama administration to commodify and limit access to fisheries in an effort to align investment with conservation interests and reduce competition among individual fishing boats…
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local
_story_271224237.html

17. Fishermen must follow trucking laws
Joy Landaluce – Cordova Times
September 24, 2009 at 12:02PM AKST
Frustrated fishermen jammed into the old courthouse in the upstairs of the U.S. Forest Service building on Sept. 16. As a follow-up to their visit earlier in the season, two representatives from the Department of Transportation were in Cordova to clearly outline the towing regulations as they pertain to fishing vessels and trailers.

Cordova District Fisherman United executive director Rochelle van den Broek took notes during the meeting, and later relayed an eight-step to-do list to the fleet..
“I’d suggest working your way down the list, step-by-step. With luck, Harris’ proposed legislation to exempt fishermen from this rule will slide through easily.”
http://www.thecordovatimes.com/news/show/7406

18. USDA Secretary Vilsack Highlights Healthcare Disparities in Rural America
"Almost one in four Americans living in towns with less than 2,500 people have no health insurance coverage, and it's this disparity that demonstrates the need for health reform in our country," Vilsack said. "President Obama and I are committed to helping revitalize rural America and building strong, robust communities and reforming our healthcare system will help further that goal."
… Recent studies show that rural Americans pay 39% of their total health care costs, out of pocket - the highest percentage for all Americans. Meanwhile, rural Americans are more likely than their urban counterparts to postpone or forego medical care because of the cost - 9% say they delayed care and 7% skipped treatment. At the same time, rural residents are more likely to report fair to poor health status than urban residents, have a higher mortality rate and are more likely to have a chronic condition such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease.

From the USDA Press release at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_
1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/09/0482.xml

19. ADF&G Internal Review of Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation.
Special Publication No. 09-10. ADF&G (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) 2009.
11.mb pdf file is online at http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FedAidPDFs/SP09-10.pdf

ADF&G recent reports are online at: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/pubs_recent.php

20. Kookesh subsistence trial delayed
The trial of Sen. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon, and three co-defendants over subsistence fishing violations will not take place on Monday as previously scheduled…
The trial is likely to be rescheduled to January, Sitka Superior Court Judge David George said during a telephone hearing on Wednesday…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/100109
/loc_499469100.shtml

Previous item: SITKA, ALASKA (2009-08-14) State senator Albert Kookesh and three others have pleaded not guilty to a subsistence fishing violation, and will contest the charges. Kookesh appeared in district court in his home town of Angoon on Wednesday (8-12-09) to enter his plea… KFSK Petersburg audio:
http://kfsk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=
sideBlock&syndicated=true&ID=767

21. Herring value could rise in world food aid programs
A pilot project to introduce canned herring into international food aid programs could provide critical protein to hungry people, as well as open markets to generate a much-needed boost to coastal Alaska communities, said the fisherman who developed the program.
The potential for Alaska fisheries is about a $13 million market, said Bruce Schactler, a Kodiak salmon and herring fisherman who works primarily these days as food aid coordinator for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. ..
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/073109/fis
_img15_003.shtml

22. Bill introduced re qualified withdrawals from capital construction fund.  Representative Davis (D-AL) introduced the Vessel Repair Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 3370) to permit qualified withdrawals from a capital construction fund account for the maintenance or repair of United States-flag vessels provided that the maintenance or repair is performed within the United States. (7/29/09-Bryants Maritime Blog).
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?
dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3370ih.txt.pdf

For HR 3370 see http://thomas.loc.gov/ , and search by bill number.

23. Restoration effort helps heal Tongass
Conservation groups, Forest Service team up for recovery projects
By Mary Pemberton | The Associated Press
…In Alaska, The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited and other groups have teamed up with industry and the U.S. Forest Service on recovery projects…
http://juneauempire.com/stories/092809/sta_498314713.shtml

24. NOAA to Pursue National Policy for Sustainable Marine Aquaculture
On September 3, 2009, NOAA announced its intent to develop a comprehensive national policy for sustainable marine aquaculture in the coming months, providing a framework for addressing aquaculture activity in federal waters. The national policy also will provide context for the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Regulating Offshore Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico, which took effect on Sept. 3.
http://aquaculture.noaa.gov/news/welcome.html#natlpolicy

25. BC Sea Lice Levels Said Dropping, but Morton Issues Caution
Courier-IslanderJuly 24, 2009
Preliminary results from the joint Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) and Marine Harvest Canada (MHC) sea lice monitoring program in the Broughton Archipelago indicate that sea lice levels in 2009 on juvenile pink and chum salmon migrating through the region are lower than in recent years.

But environmental activist Alexandra Mortion says that was to be expected.

"This plan calls for an alternating strategy and this is the year where the most problematic fish farms, the ones in the long narrow Tribune Channel, were emptied or fallowed," writes Morton. "But next year these fish farms will be stocked with more farm salmon than ever. The lower lice levels seen this year are telling us that when you remove the farm salmon, the number of lice on the wild juvenile salmon decreases."…
http://www.canada.com/Lice+Levels+Said+Dropping+Morton
+Issues+Caution/1824570/story.html

26. Oversight Hearing On Offshore Aquaculture – House Resources 'Subcommittee On Insular Affairs, Oceans And Wildlife
Documents posted from September 9 hearing… NOAA’s Balsiger, UFA E.D. Vinsel and FVOA’s Alverson testified…
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com
_jcalpro&Itemid=27&extmode=view&extid=285

27. 247-acre open-ocean fish farm nears launch off Hawaii's Big Isle
12 million pounds of fish per year target of project off Big Island
…The Honolulu company proposing to raise sashimi-grade 'ahi last week published a final environmental impact statement with the state, clearing a major regulatory hurdle in the effort to start operations projected to generate more than $100 million in annual sales.

The venture, if realized, would be the third aquaculture farm in Hawai'i raising fish from eggs and growing them to market size in underwater ocean cages.

It also would be the biggest in terms of production and space occupied — 12 million pounds of fish a year raised below 247 acres of sea surface 2.6 miles off Kawaihae, north of the resorts in West Hawai'i….
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090727/
NEWS01/907270345/247-acre+open-ocean+fish+farm
+nears+launch+off+Hawaii+s+Big+Isle

The EIS is online at http://bit.ly/CpIBI

Company press release: http://www.kingahi.com/myGrid.aspx?base=News

28. “Sustainable Milestone for (farmed) Atlantic Salmon in America”
CANADA - Cooke Aquaculture, under its marketing division, True North Salmon, is the first Canadian company to offer Eco Certified farmed Atlantic salmon in North America.
Certified under the internationally-recognized Seafood Trust Eco Label…
http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/10057/sustainable-milestone
-for-atlantic-salmon-in-america

29. Bordallo Praises House Passage of Ocean Conservation Bills
September 22, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives today advanced two important ocean-related conservation measures, introduced and guided by Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), who is the Chairwoman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.

The first bill, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 1080), would help address the growing threat posed by illegal, unreported, and unregulated - or IUU - fishing by strengthening the enforcement authorities of existing U.S. fisheries laws and assisting other countries in combating the problem…
The second bill, the Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2009 (H.R. 860), would bolster America's coral reef conservation efforts by promoting international cooperation to protect coral reefs and codifying the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. 
House Resources Press release: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=597&Itemid=1

30. Obama Follows Bush on Columbia Salmon Recovery
NY Times  - Published: September 15, 2009
SEATTLE — In its first major effort to address the plight of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, the Obama administration on Tuesday affirmed basic elements of a recovery plan set forth last year by the Bush administration.

The announcement angered critics of federal conservation policies, who said the Bush plan did not go far enough in improving fish habitats in the Columbia River basin or water levels in rivers for migrating fish and did not take immediate action to explore whether to remove four dams on the lower Snake River…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/us/politics/16salmon.html

31. Utility agrees to removal of 4 Klamath River dams
It won't happen until after 2020, but is seen as vital to restoring California's dwindling salmon stocks. The decommissioning would be the nation's largest and most complex dam removal project.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-klamath30-2009
sep30,0,3525101.story
&
SF Chronicle Editorial: Opening the Klamath
An agreement to demolish four dams on the upper Klamath River is nothing short of amazing. The project will be the largest such removal project on the planet, the risks and advantages are largely unproved, yet a contentious army of interest groups have ended a major fight in the Western water wars…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/
30/EDML19V308.DTL

32. Boom in hydropower pits fish against climate
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/green/sns
-green-hydro-power-climate,0,3240572.story

33. Hydropower boom may not be a bust for salmon
With the big push for renewable energy, hydropower is getting a new lease on life. The Chelan County Public Utility District in Washington state is trying to get more power out of the Columbia River without harming endangered salmon. How will this change the dialogue about dams and fish?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/07/hydro
power-boom-may-not-be-a-bust-for-salmon.html

34. New Limits on Pesticide Uses Will Protect Salmon
WASHINGTON – EPA has announced plans to place additional limitations on the use of three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — to protect endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Anticipated changes to product labels include the addition of pesticide buffer zones; application limitations based on wind speed, soil moisture and weather conditions; and fish mortality incident reporting requirements. New, enforceable labels could be available as early as the 2010 spring growing season…
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a543211f64e4
d1998525735900404442/cd1f6f9dbe3db7d68525762e00
4f693a!OpenDocument

& for further background see: EPA Announces Alternative Plan to Protect Salmon from Pesticides http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/09/11-7

35. Vancouver Sun: Is the Pacific salmon fishery collapsing or sustainable?
As a consumer, it's hard to know what to do. On the one hand, we're told the U.K.-based Marine Stewardship Council may soon bestow its coveted international certification declaring that wild BC sockeye salmon is a sustainable source of seafood.

But it's been a disastrous summer, especially for Fraser River sockeye. The fishery was closed due to the low number of returning fish, and a Toronto newspaper ran an alarming front page headline: "Salmon Run Disaster: 10.6 million sockeye expected . . . only 1.7 million came."
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Pacific+salmon+fishery+
collapsing+sustainable/2049806/story.html#

36. Coast Guard hosts Alaska Oil Spill Awareness Seminar (Sept 29)
 VALDEZ, Alaska – Members of more than 13 federal, state, local and industry meet together during the first Alaska Oil Spill Awareness Seminar, Tuesday Sept. 29, 2009. The Alaska Oil Spill Awareness Seminar brought together experts in oil, legal, prevention, response and industry in a two-day event to learn and discuss best practices in prevention and mitigation of potential environmental impact from a oil spill…
http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/332769/

37. As Oil Enriches Australia, Spill Is Seen as a Warning
A damaged oil well in the region has been spewing thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Timor Sea since Aug. 21, when a blowout forced the evacuation of all 69 workers on the platform. Emergency crews have been working overtime to contain the spill, but officials say it could take about three more weeks to plug the leak…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/world/asia/28timor.html?hp

38. Just a reminder: there's lots of competition for Alaska seafood
By Laine Welch For the Journal

Alaska's abundant fisheries can prompt people to forget that its seafood industry is just one relatively small player in a very competitive world market. And factors driving fish prices occur far beyond the docks.

"Whether you're talking fish or crude oil or timber or minerals, people around the world are producing competing products and selling into the same markets. And they are working very aggressively - as hard as we are - to try to increase their share of those markets. So we are always affected by what our competitors are doing, and their ups and downs in supply," said Gunnar Knapp, a fisheries economist at the University of Alaska Anchorage…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/100209/fis_32_002.shtml

39.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Friday 10/2/09  Some surprises for Bering Sea crab quotas
Thursday 10/1/09  Big line up of fall fisheries gets underway today
Wednesday 9/30/09  CSF surveys: support for local fishing #1
Tuesday 9/29/09  Bristol Bay gets better pay day
Monday 9/28/09  Status of Bering Sea crab stocks
Listen Online at:
http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm
& also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at
http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html

40. Comment Deadline October 30 on North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program
NMFS proposes this rule to amend regulations supporting the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program). This action is necessary to improve the operational efficiency of the Observer Program, as well as improve the catch, bycatch, and biological data provided by observers for conservation and management of the North
Pacific groundfish fisheries, including that provided through scientific research activities…
DATES: Written comments must be received by October 30, 2009
Federal Register Notice Sept. 30:  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-23606.htm

41. Comment by October 16 on Data Collection for the Trawl Rationalization Program
NMFS proposes to collect data to support implementation of a future trawl rationalization program under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). NMFS proposes to collect ownership information from all potential participants in the trawl
rationalization program. In addition, NMFS is notifying potential participants that the agency intends to use the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission's Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) database and NMFS' Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Pacific whiting observer data from NORPAC (a database of North Pacific fisheries and Pacific whiting information) to determine initial allocation of quota
share (QS) for the trawl rationalization program, if it is approved and
implemented.

DATES:  Comments on this proposed rule must be received no later than 5
p.m., local time on October 16, 2009.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-22325.htm

42. NOAA posts Experimental Permitting Process, Exempted Fishing Permits, and Scientific Research Activity final regs.
NMFS issues new and revised definitions for certain regulatory terms, and procedural and technical changes to the regulations addressing scientific research activities, exempted fishing, and exempted educational activities under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). This action is necessary to provide better administration of these activities and to revise the regulations consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA). NMFS intends to clarify the regulations, ensure necessary information to complete required analyses is requested and made available, and provide for expedited review of permit applications where possible.

DATES: Effective September 24, 2009…
Federal register: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-20489.htm

43. NMFS posts BSAI and GOA Groundfish LLP rule.
NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 92 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 82 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. This action removes trawl gear endorsements on licenses issued under the license limitation program in specific management areas if those licenses have not been used on
vessels that met minimum recent landing requirements using trawl gear. This action provides exemptions to this requirement for licenses that are used in trawl fisheries subject to certain limited access privilege programs. This action issues new area endorsements for trawl catcher vessel licenses in the Aleutian Islands if minimum recent landing requirements in the Aleutian Islands were met…
DATES:  Effective September 14, 2009.

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-19568.htm

44. NMFS posts BSAI Crab post-delivery Transfer final rule (Amendment 28)
NMFS issues regulations implementing Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner  Crabs (FMP). These regulations amend the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program to allow post-delivery transfers of all types of individual fishing quota and individual processing quota to
cover overages. This action is necessary to improve flexibility of the fleet, reduce the number of violations for overages, reduce enforcement costs, and allow more complete harvest of crab allocations…
DATES: Effective September 14, 2009…

Federal Register Notice  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-19567.htm

45. Comment by October 13 on  ESA Humpback Whale Status and Request for Information
SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a status review of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). A status review is a periodic undertaking conducted to ensure that the listing classification of a species is accurate. A status review is based on the best scientific
and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information on the all humpback whale populations in all waters worldwide that has become available since the last humpback whale status review in 1999. Based on the results of this review, we will make the requisite findings under the
ESA.

DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct these reviews, we must receive your information no later than October 13, 2009. However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed species at any time.

Federal Register Notice
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-19336.htm

ADF&G Humpback Whale page: http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/esa/whale_h
umpback/humpback_whale.php

CBC News Canada: Humpback whales make West Coast comeback
A threatened species of whale that was nearly hunted to extinction seems to be making a comeback off Canada's West Coast, according to observers…
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/10/01/bc-
humpback-whales-recovery.html

46. NOAA releases results of 2009 pollock surveys
NOAA fisheries researchers have released scientific data from their 2009 bottom trawl and mid-water acoustic surveys of pollock in the Bering Sea. One survey index is lower than expected based on the 2008 population analysis while the other is higher. The 2009 surveys confirm that the population is low and indicate that the number of incoming young fish may be down also…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/psurvey091809.htm

47. All Councils website debuts with links to all regions’ Councils
http://www.fisherycouncils.org/

48. IPHC Request for Proposals - Bait Needed for 2010 IPHC Stock Assessment
90,000-120,000 pounds semi-bright chum salmon
Closing date: October 31, 2009
Proposals will be evaluated as they are received…
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2009/
nr20090922b.htm

49. 2009 IPHC Interim Meeting Announcement – December 7 & 8, Seattle
The International Pacific Halibut Commission's 2009 Interim Meeting will be held in Seattle, Washington, on December 7 and 8 at the Hotel Deca, Seattle, WA (www.hoteldeca.com). These dates are changed from the preliminary dates announced at the 2009 IPHC Annual Meeting…
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2009/
nr20090922a.htm

International Pacific Halibut Commission home page:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/

50. North Pacific Research Board 2010 Request for Proposals Released
The 2010 RFP is now available. Online submission begins October 23 and will remain open until 4pm Alaska Standard Time on December 4, 2009.
NPRB home page: http://www.nprb.org/

51. Fisheries of the United States - 2008
This publication is a preliminary report for 2008 on commercial and recreational fisheries of the United States with landings from the U.S. territorial seas, the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and on the high seas. This annual report provides timely answers to frequently asked questions…
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/fus/fus08/index.html

52. AK Board of Fisheries worksession October 13-14, Anchorage
The Alaska Board of Fisheries will conduct a two-day work session beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel, 500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK. No regulatory action will be taken at this meeting. Agenda topics include:

• election of officers;
• board committee reports (including Joint NPFMC/BOF, Federal/State Subsistence, Salmon Industry Restructuring, other);
• 2010/2011 cycle meeting dates and locations;
• agenda change requests (ACRs);
• petitions;
• meeting organization and establishment of committees for 2009/2010 cycle;
• application of the Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy, including stocks of concern;

….and other informational report and/or administrative issues that may come before the board. This meeting is open to the public. No oral public testimony will be taken. Written comments may be sent to: Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, or FAX to: 907-465-6094. For further information call 465-4110. An agenda will be available prior to the meeting and will be posted online at the following website: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/index.php . The board will also hold a new member orientation session at Anchorage Hilton Hotel on October 12, 2009 for the purpose of providing information about the regulatory process.
Online public notice:
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7a89256
72a0060a91b/2639f9d8c8afcdae892576390003814b?
OpenDocument

The agenda and other informational items are posted at http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcal.php  (see October worksession)

July 17, 2009

The Halibut Coalition needs your financial support for their fees in intervention proceedings in the ongoing lawsuit against the guided halibut bag limit reduction. To donate by credit card ($200 minimum) see: http://www.halibutcoalition.org/docs/Donation%20
Form%20HC%2012Jul08.pdf

UFA is now on Facebook as United Fishermen of Alaska,  and  Ufa Mark Vinsel.

Table of Contents
1. Comment deadline July 31 Sport Fish Draft Strategic Plan
2. Exxon to pay $500 million in interest to spill victims
3. HB 134 Cruise ship wastewater bill signed into law by Governor Palin
4. Governor Sarah Palin signs SB3 (CFEC data) and HJR 19 (EVOS) bills
5. BOF prohibits sale of kings taken in Yukon chum fishery
6. Yukon residents take fishing matters into their own hands
7. Halibut travel up the Copper River – with CDFU’s help
8. Donated salmon reaching more kids in Bristol Bay
9. Murkowski Calls for Mining Reform
10. Senate and House health care bills move in DC
11. Congressman Young defends fishing industry in H.R. 21 hearing – you tube
12. Delegation Announces Grants to Alaska Programs - $4M+ fish related
13. AK Journal of Commerce: Palin's replacement is her polar opposite
14. Secretary of Commerce Names 30 to Fishery Management Councils
15. Glut of reds overwhelms Bristol Bay processors - again
16. 2009 brings mixed salmon returns
17. Salmon Wars: KTUU five part series by Jason Moore
18. Poor Yukon salmon run threatens treaty
19. Smart Gear competition gets three entries from Alaska
20. Environment Groups Praise Senate Panel For New Clean Water Bill S.787
21. Diesel spill near Iliamna River still seeping into river
22. Pebble commentary: Are salmon as precious as gold?
23. AP: Failed policies, corruption is leading to overfishing
24. National Geographic “the Long Haul” featuring F/V Krusof & the Hubbard family, airs Aug 13 at 3:00 pm Eastern time.
25. NFI Open Letter to Journalists from the Seafood Community on
Errors and Distortions in News Coverage
26. Alaskan native brings catch to western Pennsylvania
27. 17th Coast Guard District to hold change of command ceremony – July 16, Juneau
28. USCG Safety Alert - EPIRB and PLB Registration
29. Juneau to forgive half of fishermen's memorial debt
30. Barbecue at Ballard marina 7/28 will benefit Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial
31. Out the Juneau road, a new research forest and new roads into Cowee Creek
32. Mystery goo floating off North Slope coast
33. Scientists Report First Remote, Underwater Detection of Harmful Algae, Toxins
34. WholeFoods Blog - On the Waterfront features Alaska salmon
35. SE Gillnetters vote down regional marketing assessment, again
36. Louisiana: Branding local seafood like Maine lobster could help fishermen
37. Massachusetts: States lure consumers with seafood branding
38. W.Va. chef headed to Great American Seafood cook-off (no AK or WA?)
39. Maine - Nonprofits, state buying fishing rights for fishermen
40. UK: ‘Out of touch’ Prince Charles condemned for remarks on fish stocks 
41. UK: Fish and chip shops accused of selling Vietnamese cobbler as cod
42. Scientists Say Farmed Fish May Carry 'Mad Cow' Disease
43. Kona Blue's paper - "The Ecological Efficiencies of Farmed Fish"
44.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
45. Attention Salmon Fishermen: Reward for Returned Radio Tags
46. Channel Islands State Marine Park Management Plan meeting July 28, 2009
47. Coast Guard imposes $1,000 fines for boaters in Port Valdez ($2K for Commercial)
48. 17th Coast Guard District command transfers to Rear Admiral Colvin
49. NOAA Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010
50. BSAI Crab Rationalization zero percent cost recover fee for 2009/2010
51. Deadline Sept 14, 2009 for nominations for NOAA Science Advisory Board
52. Comment by Sept 24, 2009 on draft Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports
53. NOAA Bans Commercial Harvesting of Krill in WA, OR, CA
54. Comment by August 28 on Pac. NW salmon and steelhead ESA monitoring guidance
55. Comment Deadline on Council Operations extended to Nov 2
56. Comment Deadline August 3, 2009 on Gulf of Mexico aquaculture plan
57. USDA Rural Development withdraws Value-Added Producer Grant notice
58. NOAA Research Vessels Conduct Gulf of Alaska Bottom Trawl Survey
59. NOAA Imposes Fine and Penalty for False Reporting in Alaska Fishery
60. Feds to investigate NMFS enforcement tactics
61. IPHC Bycatch Workshop Sept. 29 in Seattle, and landing reports
62. Comment deadline August 31 on Fed Fisheries data collection paperwork
63. Public asked to weigh in on commercial fishing in the Arctic – by July 27
64. NW Trade Adjustment Assistance Center – memo from DCCED’s Kevin O’Sullivan

1. Comment deadline July 31 Sport Fish Draft Strategic Plan
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADFG), Division of Sport Fish (DSF) is requesting public comment on its draft strategic plan.

The five-year plan is a guiding document that outlines goals, objectives, and activities that will direct the division’s budget and assist staff in fulfilling DSF’s mission.

DSF recognizes that input from recreational anglers and those that support recreational fishing is crucial to the development of a complete, workable plan.

To review and comment on the draft strategic plan go to http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/StratPlan/index.cfm/FA/main.home or contact Klaus Wuttig at (907) 459-7344 for more information.  All comments must be submitted by July 31, 2009.  Comments received after that date cannot be considered.  The complete, final strategic plan will be published by year end and will be available on the ADF&G website.

2. Exxon to pay $500 million in interest to spill victims
ANCHORAGE — Exxon Mobil said Monday it won't appeal nearly $500 million in interest a court recently ordered it to pay to Alaska fishermen, business owners and others harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Exxon said it will pay $470 million in interest on the $507.5 million in punitive damages it has already begun paying out to claimants.

The only sum that remains in dispute in the long-running lawsuit is $70 million in court fees, according to a company spokesman.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009400014
_exxon30.html

3. HB 134 Cruise ship wastewater bill signed into law by Governor Palin
I find no news stories on this, though it is mentioned in this KTUU item:
Sail Away Pt.5: Cruise industry aims for better environmental practices
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10735189 

UFA worked closely with cruise ship representative John Binkley, DEC, sponsors of the original initiative Responsible Cruising in Alaska, and Representative Harris to hold vessels to the best available technology rather than simply remove the words “at the point of discharge” which would create moving mixing zones. Congratulations to all on the success of this collaborative effort.

The bill and info is online at:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?bill=
HB%20134&session=26

4. Governor Sarah Palin signs SB3 (CFEC data) and HJR 19 (EVOS) bills
SB 3, sponsored by Senator Donny Olson, requires the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission to share data with Alaska Regional Development Organizations (ARDORs) at no cost…
HJR 19, sponsored by Representative Alan Austerman, recognizes the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and puts the Alaska Legislature on record as supporting vessel escorts for any loaded oil tanker using Prince William Sound. Current federal law only requires vessel escorts for single-hulled tankers of 5,000 gross tons or more…
Governor Palin press release:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1966

SB3 is online at http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?b
ill=SB%20%20%203&session=26

HJR 10 is online at http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?session=26&bill=hjr+19

5. BOF prohibits sale of kings taken in Yukon chum fishery
On June 30, 2009, the Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted as emergency regulations, changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with a prohibition on the sale of king salmon taken during the commercial summer chum salmon fishery in the Yukon River (5 AAC 05.362).

The emergency regulations took effect on July 1, 2009 and will expire October 28, 2009. The Board of Fisheries does not intend to make the emergency regulations permanent.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7
a8925672a0060a91b/7591079f023f0f48892575ec00053a
29?OpenDocument

6. Yukon residents take fishing matters into their own hands
Tribal leaders say as the waters of the Yukon grow more troubled, not enough is being done to bridge the gaps. 
Every village has a story. And in Marshall, the story has taken a defiant turn.
Last Friday, six boats set out to net king salmon during a closed fishing period.  Eighteen people broke the law to catch 100 kings.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10642984
&
Issues arise while adviser on trip
Q&A: Moller addresses illegal fishing protest and Yukon King concerns.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/852920.html

7. Halibut travel up the Copper River – with CDFU’s help
In the tradition of community sharing, building connections and strengthening relationships, the proposition of delivering fresh-caught halibut to residents of the Copper River Basin on behalf of Cordova’s commercial fishing fleet seemed like a no-brainer. Add a beat-up SUV, a warped sense of geography and a tagalong 2-year-old to the mix…
http://www.thecordovatimes.com/news/show/6508

8. Donated salmon reaching more kids in Bristol Bay
A program that brings donated sockeye salmon to students in Bristol Bay has ballooned in the past two years, an organizer says.
This month, Bristol Bay fisherman gave schools 14,000 pounds of sockeye, said Patty Luckhurst, food service manager and head cook for Dillingham schools. The point is to put local fish on local cafeteria trays so kids don't have to eat trout shipped from who-knows-where.
Compare the new numbers to the 8,000 pounds of sockeye donated in the first year of the program, in 2007.
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/142403

9. Murkowski Calls for Mining Reform
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called for modernization of the 137-year-old law governing mining on federal lands.
“The current mining law is woefully out of date,” Murkowski said. “We need to overhaul the law to ensure that it strikes the right balance between protecting the environment, obtaining a fair return for taxpayers, creating jobs and maintaining a secure supply of American minerals.”
http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=
PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=79d2a340-90
07-1fa3-4bf4-6cd4c92e0d40&Region_id=&Issue_id=

Salazar: Now's time to revamp 1872 mining law
WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday set the stage for a showdown on reform of hard rock mining law, telling a Senate panel that the Obama administration intends to end 30 years of gridlock on the issue.

"There is a new administration in town, and we do want to get the 1872 mining law reformed. We are committed to that and are committed to deploying significant resources from the Department of Interior to get this done," Salazar said.

Recent attempts to revamp hard rock mining law have often foundered on the shoals of Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader and protector of an industry that arguably benefits more than any other from the status quo — Nevada's gold mines…
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12838758

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing on S.796 and S.140 (July 14) is online at:
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings
.Hearing&Hearing_ID=eaad8749-9d88-3c39-10c0-688b2dcad10b

10. Senate and House health care bills move in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate health committee has passed legislation to revamp health care, becoming the first congressional committee to act on President Barack Obama's goal of overhauling the system this year.

The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 13-10 along party lines to pass a $600-billion measure that would expand coverage to nearly all Americans by requiring individuals get insurance and employers to contribute to the cost. The bill would provide federal aid to families and individuals making less than four times the poverty level, or about $88,000 for a family of four…
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlMpJ
Gn28kqCcgU-aGcYE_ZHW-ywD99EUB600

Senate HELP committee Health Care bill:
http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

&&&&

Senate Finance Committee chairman Baucus “Call to Action” white paper (3.5 megabytes)
http://finance.senate.gov/healthreform2009/finalwhitepaper.pdf

&&&&

House Health Care bill:
H.R. 3200: “To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes” can be found online at http://thomas.loc.gov/  - enter H.R. 3200 and select search by bill number and.

11. Congressman Young defends fishing industry in H.R. 21 hearing – you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzw4_Mr8ZeU

H.R. 21 (Rep. Farr, CA & 62 co-sponsors)  the `Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act', to establish a national policy for our oceans, to strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to establish a national and regional ocean governance structure, and for other purposes.

To read the bill go to http://thomas.loc.gov/  - enter H.R. 21 and select search by bill number..

12. Delegation Announces Grants to Alaska Programs - $4M+ fish related
The Alaska Congressional Delegation is pleased to announce the following grants awarded to communities in the State of Alaska…
-$973,886 to the Copper River Watershed Project of Cordova for Eyak Lake
-$992,062 to the Nature Conservancy of Arlington, Virginia, for the Klawock River Salmon passage and Habitat Restoration project.
-$1,575,996 to the Kenai Watershed Forum of Soldotna. The Kenai Watershed Forum will restore salmon habitats within Daves Creek
-$1,012,640 to the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation of Juneau for an Alaska-wide coastline Marine Debris removal…
http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&
ContentRecord_id=9b986fb3-8d1e-439a-b485-eb26196c1f5
6&ContentType_id=ef710aa3-7e29-440a-b9de-316ee20df1b5

13. AK Journal of Commerce: Palin's replacement is her polar opposite
… The lesser-known lieutenant governor, an attorney with a long history in public service, is quiet in both dress and demeanor.
Republican state Rep. Mike Hawker described Parnell, who is inheriting Palin's office with her sudden resignation, as a "public craftsman, not a swashbuckling crusader." …
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/071009/
loc_imga42_001.shtml
&
Better flow of communication anticipated with Parnell
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/071009/loc_a40_002.shtml
&
Rural Alaskans have hope in Parnell
http://www.thesewardphoenixlog.com/news/show/6668

14. Secretary of Commerce Names 30 to Fishery Management Councils
The Commerce Department today announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils – important partners with NOAA’s Fisheries Service in determining how ocean fisheries are managed…

The North Pacific Council appointees for 2009 fill obligatory seats for Alaska and Washington.
*David W. Benson
*Robert E. “Ed” Dersham (A
Howard D. Hull (Alaska)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/
councilappts_june09.pdf

15. Glut of reds overwhelms Bristol Bay processors - again
LAINE WELCH, KODIAK
Salmon fishermen at Bristol Bay were bracing for another surge of reds over the July 4 weekend -- and likely more catch limits…
"The fishermen are angry. All winter long we've been told the processors have the capacity to handle large runs. The fishermen have been told they are going to work hard to keep them off limits and bring more tenders into the bay. This is the sixth season in a row that they've gone on limits, and they've been caught unprepared…
http://www.adn.com/money/welch/story/853730.html

16. 2009 brings mixed salmon returns
Questions remain whether sockeye will meet 10-year-average numbers
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
July 15, 2009

While the summer of 2009 may go down for many as the season of relatively small salmon returns, many Alaskans who rely on the fishery for income and food are more concerned about the impact the lower numbers will have in terms of providing for their families throughout the cold winter months ahead.
http://www.homertribune.com/article.php?aid=4416

17. Salmon Wars: KTUU five part series by Jason Moore
Pt.1: A delicate balancing act for Fish and Game
KENAI, Alaska -- The Kenai River is Alaska's playground -- and in July it's home to the biggest salmon in the world. That's when hundreds of thousands of sockeye salmon, along with the coveted...
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?s=10660292

Pt.2: Conflict between commercial and sport fishers
Editor's note: This story has been changed to correct the spelling of Ricky Gease throughout. KENAI, Alaska -- For generations families have made their living harvesting the salmon of Cook Inlet while at the same time many of the salmon caught in those...
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?s=10667479

Pt.3: The debate over over-escapement
The glut of the July sockeye salmon run is still on its way to the mouth of the Kenai River. And while the commercial fishermen, dip netters and in-river anglers stand ready to catch them, the Department of Fish and Game has a different,...
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?s=10702966

Pt.4: Science supplements nature
Wild Alaska salmon are a cherished resource for Alaskans. But not all of the salmon runs in Alaska are purely wild. Hatcheries create runs by releasing fry and smolt in river and lake systems, and they maintain those runs…
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?s=10710155

18. Poor Yukon salmon run threatens treaty
FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The number of king salmon that reach the Canadian border might not satisfy a treaty agreement between Alaska and Canada despite massive cuts in subsistence fishing up and down the Yukon River in Alaska.

The state has failed for the past three years to meet obligations laid out in the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Biologists are projecting the size of this year's chinook run to be 120,000 to 130,000.

Biologist Steve Hayes said 50,000 to 55,000 of those fish will have to make it to Canada to meet Canadian escapement and harvest objectives.

"It's too early to say whether or not we're going to meet the Canadian escapement goal," he said. "It's going to be a while before we can tell how we did with the conservation measures we put in place."
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_ak_alaska_fishing
_treaty.html?source=mypi

19. Smart Gear competition gets three entries from Alaska
By Laine Welch | Fish Factor
The international Smart Gear competition this year attracted 71 entries from 26 countries, including three from Alaska.

The contest was created five years ago by the World Wildlife Fund to inspire and reward new ideas to reduce bycatch - the accidental take of marine mammals, sea birds or small/unwanted fish by various fishing gear.

"Last time we had only one entry from Alaska, so three is certainly an improvement," said WWF program director Mike Osmond. "Maybe next time we'll go for five or six. There's a lot of fishermen in Alaska and I have no doubt there's a lot of good ideas up there"

The ideas from Alaska include a halibut excluder device for trawl nets, and an escape panel for Tanner crab in the Gulf pot cod fishery. Past Smart Gear winners have used magnets to repel sharks from longline gear - one made changes to the chemical properties of fishing ropes and nets. The 2007 winner was a net called the "Eliminator" that uses fish behavior to reduce cod bycatch in haddock fisheries…
http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/071509/
bus_463969454.shtml

20. Environment Groups Praise Senate Panel For New Clean Water Bill S.787
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Environmentalists praised Senate lawmakers on Thursday for approving legislation that more clearly defines which bodies of water are subject to federal regulation.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted, 12 to 7, to approve legislation sponsored by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., that would amend the federal law - Clean Water Act of 1972 - by replacing the term "navigable waters" with "waters of the United States," among other changes.

The legislation, dubbed the Clean Water Restoration Act, now faces approval by the full Senate…
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090618-713693.html
&
Ag Groups Say Clean Water Act Overreaches Federal Authority
http://www.agweb.com/get_article.aspx?pageid=151730

To view the bill and tracking see http://thomas.loc.gov/, select “search by bill number” and enter S. 787 in the search box.

21. Diesel spill near Iliamna River still seeping into river
A diesel fuel spill near the Iliamna River, which flows into Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay watershed, has seeped into bedrock and continues to pollute the river, despite removal of contaminated soil, state officials said July 2.

Gary Folley, the on-scene coordinator for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, said the spill would continue to require long-term monitoring.

Meanwhile, absorbent pads are being used to recover the diesel fuel, which continues to spread a thin sheen on the river, he said.

The spill occurred June 6, when landing gear under a 9,500-gallon tanker trailer fuel tank, owned by the Iliamna Development Corp., collapsed after it was unhitched by a towing vehicle, according to DEC reports.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/071009/
nat_a115_002.shtml

22. Pebble commentary: Are salmon as precious as gold?
By Laura Sevier
Alaska's long-standing wild salmon-fishing industry could be under threat from large-scale mining development…
http://www.theecologist.org/take_action/campaigns/287489
/are_salmon_as_precious_as_gold.html

23. AP: Failed policies, corruption is leading to overfishing
Government policies have failed to combat overfishing in the world's oceans because most regulations ignore scientific recommendations and are routinely undermined by politics or corruption, according to a study released June 23.

Researchers found that only 7 percent of all coastal states surveyed worldwide based their policies on sound science while fewer than 1 percent have a mechanism that ensures that fishermen adhere to regulations. The study found that none of the countries managed their fisheries' sustainability…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/071009/fis_
imga32_001.shtml

24. National Geographic “the Long Haul” featuring F/V Krusof & the Hubbard family, airs Aug 13 at 3:00 pm Eastern time.
For overview and video clips see http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/the-lo
ng-haul-3434/Overview#tab-Overview

25. NFI Open Letter to Journalists from the Seafood Community on
Errors and Distortions in News Coverage
Over the last several years, the public has been hearing false messages about mercury levels in fish communicated through the mass media. These messages largely come from environmental groups pressing for stronger mercury emission standards and falsely claim women of childbearing age may have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood, putting their unborn babies and young children are at risk for neurological impairment. At the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), we agree discussions about eating fish should be central to our national discourse on nutrition. However, the way this subject is being covered raises troubling issues about the objectivity, accuracy, balance and sourcing of this specialized nutrition issue…
http://www.aboutseafood.com/press/open-letter-journalists

26. Alaskan native brings catch to western Pennsylvania
A native of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where her father was a commercial fisherman, Pozonsky runs Internet-based Wild Alaskan Salmon Co. It is in its fifth year of selling freshly caught fish directly to consumers across the United States, and at farmers' markets and restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.
Her goal is twofold. "I want people to realize that when they buy wild Alaskan salmon, they're getting their food from fishermen and women in Alaska who go out with their families and work their butts off to get this awesome fish," she said…
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/
business/s_633487.html

27. 17th Coast Guard District to hold change of command ceremony – July 16, Juneau
JUNEAU, Alaska - The 17th Coast Guard District will hold a formal change of command ceremony Thursday, 10 a.m. at Centennial Hall where Rear Adm. Christopher C. Colvin will relieve Rear Adm. Gene Brooks as Commander, 17th Coast Guard District. Vice Adm. Jody Breckenridge, Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area, will preside at the ceremony…
http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/288271/

28. USCG Safety Alert - EPIRB and PLB Registration
This Safety Alert addresses the importance of ensuring your Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) are properly registered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)…
http://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/
MyCG/Editorial/20090713/0409.pdf?id
=6c43be1946ac9a80ecf409b07c155a162bc836f9

29. Juneau to forgive half of fishermen's memorial debt
Money will come from city's general operating fund
By Kim Marquis | JUNEAU EMPIRE
A 13-year-old debt to the city by an organization that built the Alaska Commercial Fishermen's Memorial should be partially forgiven, the Assembly Finance Committee said Wednesday.

The committee voted in favor of accepting $43,000 from the nonprofit that built the granite memorial on the downtown waterfront. That's about half of nonprofit's outstanding $81,000 debt and leaves the memorial board with about $10,000 to pay for ongoing maintenance…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/071309/loc_462725543.shtml

30. Barbecue at Ballard marina 7/28 will benefit Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial
On Tuesday, July 28, 7 p.m. at Corinthians Yacht Club at Shilshole Marina there will be a benefit to support the Seattle Fisherman's Memorial, which was dedicated in 1988.
There is a $25 minimum donation at the door for each attendee.  A minimum donation entitles all to all you can eat food, beer and wine at the Marina…
http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2009/07/07/news/barbecue
-marina-will-benefit-fishermen%25E2%2580%2599s-memorial

31. Out the Juneau road, a new research forest and new roads into Cowee Creek
Forest Service will invite long-term studies of climate impacts in Heen Latinee
(and build roads into Juneau’s Cowee creek drainage.)
By Kate Golden | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Tongass National Forest managers recently declared 40 square miles at the end of the Juneau road the newest "experimental forest" of the U.S. Forest Service and given it a central research focus of climate change.

Nationwide, it is only the fourth such forest to be approved in the last 40 years.

The new forest will be one of the largest in a network of more than 80 experimental forests and grasslands nationwide. The Tongass has another at Young Bay on the near side of Admiralty Island, but no one uses because of its limited accessibility. The new forest's lead scientist, Rick Edwards, said he hopes this new forest will become more of a hub for world-class research…
All this activity will require more access than the forest currently has. That means road-building, generally a controversial topic on the Tongass…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/071009/
loc_461807421.shtml

32. Mystery goo floating off North Slope coast
North Slope helicopter crew spots strand of stuff 15 miles long
ANCHORAGE - Something big and strange is floating through the Chukchi Sea off the Alaska coast.
Hunters from Wainwright first started noticing the stuff sometime probably early last week. It's thick and dark and "gooey" and is drifting for miles in the cold Arctic waters, according to Gordon Brower with the North Slope Borough's Planning and Community Services Department…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/071609/
sta_464473582.shtml

33. Scientists Report First Remote, Underwater Detection of Harmful Algae, Toxins
Scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have successfully conducted the first remote detection of a harmful algal species and its toxin below the ocean’s surface. The achievement was recently reported in the June issue of Oceanography…
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/
20090713_mbari.html

34. WholeFoods Blog - On the Waterfront features Alaska salmon
The main challenge is the state’s huge size - over twice the size of Texas. How can we cover 34,000 miles of Alaskan coastline seeking out the best salmon the state has to offer? This would take a small army, right? Actually, no! Instead, we created an Alaska Port Buyer position based out of Anchorage and brought in Whole Foods Market Team Member and Ketchikan, Alaska native Keith Harris, who has 25 years of Alaskan seafood buying experience...
http://www.haulinggear.com/2009/07/wholefoods-
blog-on-waterfrontin-alaska.html

35. SE Gillnetters vote down regional marketing assessment, again
Southeast Alaska salmon gillnetters voted 132-80 against self-imposing a 1 percent landings tax to pay for marketing and other initiatives under a regional branding effort called Rainforest Wild (Deckboss, June 6).
It's the second time Southeast gillnetters have rejected the idea.
http://deckboss.blogspot.com/2009/07/juneau-
gillnetters-reject-tax-for.html

36. Louisiana: Branding local seafood like Maine lobster could help fishermen
Branding local seafood like Maine lobster could help fishermen
… As of now, there is no guarantee that seafood sold in Louisiana is actually from Louisiana. With imports from Asia showing up in the state, a new push is underway to create a certified seafood program that would guarantee some of the seafood sold here is caught here…
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl071109
mlfish.2f5557af.html

37. Massachusetts: States lure consumers with seafood branding
…States are increasingly looking to hook consumers by branding their local seafood specialties, both to help reel in revenue and to give a boost to commercial fishermen struggling with declining stocks and tighter regulations...
"In the marketplace there's a lot of confusion these days about where things come from and how fresh they are," said Edward Barrett, a commercial fisherman and president of the Massachusetts Fisherman's Partnership, who stressed conservation and clean-water efforts in Massachusetts.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/
ALeqM5jfBbEEjpPhejjr7iWfTNDQKN94FQD99AF5E83

UFA would like to help spread the positive results from the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board and Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute by utilizing the Saltonstall-Kennedy Fund from seafood import duties to fund regional seafood marketing entities throughout the USA. Read our proposal online at http://www.ufa-fish.org/doc/UFA%20Proposal%20for
%20US%20Seafood%20marketing%20funding%20102408.pdf

38. W.Va. chef headed to Great American Seafood cook-off (no AK or WA?)
CABINS, W.Va. — Ed Fischer of North Fork Mountain Inn will represent the Mountain State at the sixth annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans on July 18. Fischer is among more than 20 chefs from across the nation who will vie for the title of King or Queen of American Seafood…
http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_186220836.html

West Virginia is the only U.S. State without an Alaska 2008 commercial fishing permit holder.  Fifteen States are represented in the cookoff after responding to LA Govermor Jindal’s invitation, but neither Alaska nor Washington State will be represented at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off this year. Our best hope is that Alaska might be represented by some salmon, halibut crab, cukes, geoducks, or one of the many other products that represent more than half of US seafood production.

CORRECTION! –I misread the home page - -  Alaska was represented not only through co- host Sig Hansen, but Alaska's Patrick Hoogerhyde, executive chef of WildFin Seagrill in Anchorage, captured third with Wild Alaska King Salmon with cranberry-infused birch syrup molasses and Susitna Valley hash of potatoes nested in Alaska summer greens.  I am please to have been incorrect – here’s a story on the 2009 results:
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=
9003&CFID=852342&CFTOKEN=17233341

Great America Seafood Cookoff home page: http://www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com/
(careful – the item below the current story is about the results from 2008)

39. Maine - Nonprofits, state buying fishing rights for fishermen
Permit banks will help Maine boat owners stay in business and keep the industry alive in coastal towns.
Three nonprofit groups announced Tuesday that they have created the state's first "permit banks" by purchasing fishing rights and sharing them with local fishermen. In these cases, the fishing rights – days at sea – are being given out to Down East or midcoast fishermen who help study and rebuild fish populations.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.
php?id=266978&ac=PHnws

40. UK: ‘Out of touch’ Prince Charles condemned for remarks on fish stocks 
Prince Charles has come under fire from fishing leaders for suggesting the industry is not doing enough to prevent falling stocks, comparing the campaign to safeguard key species with his own battle to highlight climate change 20 years ago.

During a speech at a Marine Stewardship Council reception in London on Tuesday, he said science had shown that the fishing industry was facing a massive fall in stocks which would have a knock-on effect on feeding people in the world’s poorest countries, and the issue was being neglected.

Scottish fishing leaders condemned the prince’s comments, accusing him of ignoring the country’s efforts to conserve stocks, and said he should listen to experienced fishermen rather than scientists. Some have labelled it a classic case of a member of Royal Family putting their foot in it.
 http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/1007622/out-of-touch-prince
-charles-condemned-for-remarks-on-fish-stocks

41. UK: Fish and chip shops accused of selling Vietnamese cobbler as cod
…To connoisseurs they are as divergent as chalk and cheese. Yet in more and more of Britain’s 11,000 fish-and-chip shops they are the cause of a culinary scandal as some unscrupulous friers — albeit a minority — try to pass off the Vietnamese river cobbler as traditional British cod…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/
food_and_drink/real_food/article6695267.ece
&
Nothing fishy going on in the tasteless basa fillets
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/
food_and_drink/article6694844.ece

42. Scientists Say Farmed Fish May Carry 'Mad Cow' Disease
U.S. scientists are concern about the potential of people contracting Creutzfeldt Jakob disease — the human form of "mad cow disease" — from eating farmed fish who are fed byproducts rendered from cows…
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529385,00.html

More details:
Scientists study risks of contracting fatal brain diseases from eating farmed fish fed rendered cows
http://www.examiner.com/x-7160-Sacramento-Nutrition-
Examiner~y2009m6d28-Scientists-study-risks-of-contracting
-fatal-brain-diseases-from-eating-farmed-fish-fed-rendered-cows

43. Kona Blue's paper - "The Ecological Efficiencies of Farmed Fish"
- can now be found online at: http://kona-blue.com/download/pr_ecologicalefficiencies.pdf
FWW’s rebuttal can be found at: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/Kona.pdf

44.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Thursday 7/16/09  Southeast AK salmon fishermen give thumbs down again to RSDA 
Wednesday 7/15/09  Chilean farmed salmon shortfall helps AK
Tuesday 7/14/09  Online calculator computes health benefits/risks of favorite seafoods
Monday 7/13/09  Why all the hoopla over sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay?
Friday 7/10/09  Bristol Bay salmon run one of best ever

Listen Online at: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/
fishradio.htm
& also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html

45. Attention Salmon Fishermen: Reward for Returned Radio Tags
If you catch and keep a Fraser sockeye or chinook with a spaghetti tag and with a hole in the adipose fin, remember to look for an antenna coming out of the mouth. Remove the internal transmitter and the spaghetti tag and contact LGL at once at the TOLL FREE phone number listed below.
Individuals returning transmitters to LGL along with information on time and place of capture will be sent the complete tracking history of the fish and their name will be entered into a $1000 lottery once for each transmitter returned…
TOLL FREE: 1-866-221-3444
http://www.psc.org/pubs/TagNotices/tagging_notice_radio_2009.pdf

46. Channel Islands State Marine Park Management Plan meeting July 28, 2009
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation will hold a public scoping meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, at 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Egan Room, Centennial Hall, Juneau, Alaska. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss development of an initial management plan for the Channel Islands State Marine Park. For more information, contact Jan Caulfield, Project Facilitator at 907-523-4610 or janc@gci.net, or Mike Eberhardt, State Parks Superintendent, at 907-465-2481 or mike.eberhardt@alaska.gov
DNR Public notice: http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7a
8925672a0060a91b/4dec08a49e8fbc77892575f2007240d4?
OpenDocument

47. Coast Guard imposes $1,000 fines for boaters in Port Valdez ($2K for Commercial)
VALDEZ, Alaska – The Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Prince William Sound increased fines last week for recreational boaters entering local security zones in Port Valdez from $250 to $1,000.

While a $1,000 fine may be surprising to much of the Alaska boating public, the amount is actually the national standard for security zone violations.  For commercial vessels, the fine doubles to $2,000.  Repeat offenders will immediately receive fines of $5,000 to $10,000, with the potential for a maximum penalty of $32,500.

So far this year, three recreational boaters have been issued fines of $250 by the Coast Guard for entering into the local security zones. 

Maps of the security zone locations are available at the Valdez Harbor Master’s office, the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit, and at many businesses around Valdez which cater to the boating public…

USCG 17th District Press Release: http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/289581/

48. 17th Coast Guard District command transfers to Rear Admiral Colvin
http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/288271/
We thank Rear Admiral Arthur "Gene" Brooks for his leadership in hightened enforcement of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries; focus on the importance of the Arctic, protection of our marine environment, and especially in the search and rescue operations that have saved hundreds of Alaska fishermen. And we welcome Rear Admiral Christopher Colvin to Alaska.

49. NOAA Availability of Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2010
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publishes this notice to provide the general public with a consolidated source of program and application information related to its competitive grant and cooperative agreement (CA) award offerings for fiscal year (FY) 2010. This Omnibus notice is designed to replace the multiple Federal Register notices that traditionally advertised the availability of NOAA's discretionary funds for its various programs. It should be noted that additional program initiatives unanticipated at the time of the publication of this notice may be announced through subsequent Federal Register notices. All announcements will also be available through the http://grants.gov/   Web site…
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-16810.htm

50. BSAI Crab Rationalization zero percent cost recover fee for 2009/2010
NMFS publishes a notification of a zero (0) percent fee for cost recovery under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program. This action is intended to provide holders of crab allocations with the fee percentage for the 2009/2010 crab fishing
year.

DATES: The Crab Rationalization Program Registered Crab Receiver permit
holder is responsible for submitting the fee liability payment to NMFS
on or before July 31, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabrielle Aberle or Gretchen
Harrington, 907-586-7228.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-16811.htm

51. Deadline Sept 14, 2009 for nominations for NOAA Science Advisory Board
NOAA is soliciting nominations for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is the only Federal Advisory Committee with the responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator on long- and short-range strategies for research, education, and application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction…
Nominations should be sent to the address specified and must be received by September 14, 2009.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-16913.htm

52. Comment by Sept 24, 2009 on draft Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports
NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act. SARs for marine mammals in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new information. NMFS solicits public comments on draft 2009 SARs.

DATES:  Comments must be received by September 24, 2009…

The 2009 draft stock assessment reports and summaries of them are available in electronic form via the Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/ .
Copies of the Alaska Regional SARs may be requested from Robyn  Angliss, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE  BIN 15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070.
Federal register:  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-15200.htm

53. NOAA Bans Commercial Harvesting of Krill in WA, OR, CA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today published a
final rule in the Federal Register prohibiting the harvesting of krill in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. The rule goes into effect on August 12, 2009. Krill are a small shrimp-like crustacean and a key source of nutrition in the marine food web.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/nr_krill
_final_swr_v1.pdf

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-16531.htm

54. Comment by August 28 on Pac. NW salmon and steelhead ESA monitoring guidance
…The National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Northwest Region has drafted guidance on monitoring the recovery of Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This draft Pacific Northwest monitoring guidance is intended to assist NMFS' recovery partners in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in
understanding the recovery monitoring needs under the ESA. NMFS' Northwest Region is soliciting public review and comment on the draft Pacific Northwest monitoring guidance.
DATES: All comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific
Standard Time on [August 28, 2009.
…Copies of the draft Pacific Northwest monitoring guidance are available on the Internet at: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov …

(to go directly to this page use URL: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-
Planning/recovery-monitor.cfm )
Federal Register Notice:  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-15199.htm

55. Comment Deadline on Council Operations extended to Nov 2
NMFS extends the comment period for proposed regulations that address the operations and administration of regional fishery management councils (Councils).
DATES:  Comments must be received by November 2, 2009…
…The Councils have now requested that the comment period be extended to allow all Councils to have two meetings during the comment period. NMFS agrees with this request and extends the comment period until November 2, 2009
Federal Register notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-15466.htm
&
Previous item – March 27 - proposed Councils operations and admin changes…
NMFS proposes changes to the regulations that address the operations and administration of regional fishery management councils (Councils).
The regulatory changes are needed to implement amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) that, among other things, govern the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), expand the role of the Councils' Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), require that SSC members disclose their financial interests, and provide for training of Council members and staff. Additionally, the proposed rule would make changes to the regulations requiring Councils to provide procedures for proposed regulations, clarifying restrictions on lobbying (by Council members, staff, and contractors), and clarifying timing in the Council member nomination process. The proposed rule would also make technical and minor corrections to the regulations unrelated to the most recent Magnuson-Stevens Act
amendments…
DATES: Written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. e.d.t. on July 6, 2009…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-6896.htm

56. Comment Deadline August 3, 2009 on Gulf of Mexico aquaculture plan
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted the FMP for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. The FMP is intended to establish a comprehensive permitting and regulatory framework to manage the development of an environmentally sound and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The FMP would establish application and permit requirements, aquaculture operational requirements and restrictions, siting requirements and conditions, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements; specify allowable aquaculture species; provide for evaluation and approval/disapproval of proposed aquaculture systems (e.g., cages or net pens); establish restricted access zones around aquaculture facilities; and establish a regulatory framework for modifying certain aquaculture-related management measures consistent with the provisions of the FMP. In addition, the FMP would establish biological reference points and status determination criteria specific to aquaculture in the EEZ.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13090.htm

57. USDA Rural Development withdraws Value-Added Producer Grant notice
Rural Development is withdrawing the May 6, 2009, Federal Register notice (74 FR 20900), announcing the availability of approximately $18 million in competitive grants for fiscal year 2009 to help independent agricultural producers enter into value-added
activities… Federal Register July 1: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-15533.htm

The Notice of Funds Availability for the FY 2009 Value-Added Producer Grant Program originally Published on May 6, 2009 is in the process of being re-issued.
From the program website at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm  

58. NOAA Research Vessels Conduct Gulf of Alaska Bottom Trawl Survey
NOAA Fisheries NOAA scientists on three vessels chartered by NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center are bottom trawling to survey groundfish and invertebrates in the Gulf of Alaska. The series of surveys started in 1984…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
trawlsurvey070609.htm

59. NOAA Imposes Fine and Penalty for False Reporting in Alaska Fishery
A hired master, vessel owners and permit holders of the Alaskan fishing vessel Trident have agreed to pay more than $18,000 in penalties and $241,000 worth of sanctions for falsely reporting areas fished by the vessel on five trips during 2006 and 2007…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
fv_trident_fine_0709.pdf

60. Feds to investigate NMFS enforcement tactics
The inspector general of the federal Department of Commerce this week began planning its investigation into the enforcement practices at NOAA fisheries — a probe requested in contrasting forms by the Massachusetts congressional delegation and the U.S. administrator for oceans and fisheries.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story
_161232414.html?keyword=secondarystory

61. IPHC Bycatch Workshop Sept. 29 in Seattle, and landing reports

Halibut Commission Bycatch Workshop Preliminary Announcement
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel
/2009/nr20090626.htm

2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 5 (July 14, 2009)
 http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel
/2009/nr20090714.htm

 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 4 (June 30, 2009)
 http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/
2009/nr20090630.htm

 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 3 (June 17, 2009)
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/
2009/nr20090617.htm

62. Comment deadline August 31 on Fed Fisheries data collection paperwork
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 31, 2009…
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-15681.htm

63. Public asked to weigh in on commercial fishing in the Arctic – by July 27
http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/060309/
bus_446660226.shtml

NOAA Arctic Fisheries home page: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/
sustainablefisheries/arctic/  .

Federal Register Notice May 26:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12151.htm

Federal register Notice June 10 – Proposed rule, also for comment by July 27.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13314.htm

64. NW Trade Adjustment Assistance Center – memo from DCCED’s Kevin O’Sullivan

Hello,
I’d like to bring to your attention the following federal funding opportunity you may wish to share with your membership.  I have excerpted the following information from the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center’s web site http://www.nwtaac.org/index.html  If you would like to discuss the program , benefits, process, and how to qualify, please contact Patrick Meuleman at 208-343-6855 or
via email at: NWTAAC@nwtaac.org

Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (NWTAAC), in cooperation with the Economic Development Administration of the U. S. Department of Commerce works with companies in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Working with the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (NWTAAC) benefit businesses in a number of ways:

• Eligible companies can receive up to $75,000 in grant funds for a wide range of projects to assist them in maintaining their competitiveness.
• Companies have the opportunity to pursue projects that will:
• enhance their strategic positioning
• improve their overall performance
• increase growth and profits
• adapt to changing conditions of the market
• Grant funds enable companies to develop and complete important projects that they might not have considered without assistance, and to do so in an effective and structured way.
• Staff will assist you in every aspect of the process:
• initial evaluation
• application (petition)
• development of the strategic plan (adjustment proposal)
• implementation of funded projects as outlined in the plan

Typical Projects
The list below includes examples of the types of projects that have been funded by NWTAAC.  These projects can be tailored to your firm’s specific needs. NWTAAC grant funds are typically used to pay for projects that require outside consulting services.

Marketing

• Website design
• Brochure design
• Catalog design
• Package design
• Trade show booth design
• Market research & market feasibility analysis
• Design & testing of new products
• Development of new markets
• Development of sales representative network
• Advertising and Sales Promotion
• Public Relations Planning and Implementation
• Product Planning and Diversification
• Product Pricing
• Customer Service Analysis
• Export Assistance

Manufacturing

• Lean manufacturing
• Design for manufacturability
• Site layout and process control design for new equipment
• Re-engineering process layout
• Manufacturing equipment design
• Printed circuit design
• Kaizen training
• Inventory Management
• Production Planning, Control and Scheduling
• Cost Identification and Reduction
• Statistical Process Control

Quality Assurance

• Development of QA procedures
• ISO 9000 preparation
• Gap audits
• Documentation prep & ISO 9000 certification audit
• ISO 14000 environmental standards
• Product Certification

Information Systems

• E-commerce
• Strategic planning
• Custom software
• Search Engine Optimization

June 15, 2009

UFA At-large election results: Thank you for the high voter turnout by UFA individual and lifetime members.- UFA’s at-large representatives are Bruce Schactler, Bruce Wallace, Cheryl Sutton and Gerry Merrigan, effective June 15, 2009 – 2011.Also effective today are committee chairmanships elected by the UFA Board in March – Paul Shadura is UFA Membership chair and Bob Thorstenson Jr. is new UFA Marketing chair. Tomorrow (June 16th) is deadline for Southeast Alaska gillnet ballots for Regional Seafood development assessment election - see item #2 below. The Halibut Coalition needs your financial support for their fees in intervention proceedings in the ongoing lawsuit against the guided halibut bag limit reduction. To donate by credit card ($200 minimum) see: http://www.halibutcoalition.org/docs/Donation%20Form
%20HC%2012Jul08.pdf

Table of Contents
1. 9th Circuit Court: Exxon To Pay Interest, Own Legal Fees In Valdez Case
2. My turn: Rainforest Wild benefits all Southeast fishermen (Waldrop and Poole)
3. Judge upholds one-fish limit for Southeast halibut charters
4. Charter Lawsuit Ignores Halibut Conservation Concerns
5. Southeast Alaska Dungeness crab fishery set to open Monday
6. Inside look at fisheries meetings, By Howard Delo
7. Bankrupt mine company ordered to clean up acid (Tulsequah / Taku River)
8. Murkowski and Begich Introduce Prince William Sound Escort Vessels Legislation
9. Obama sets National Policy for the Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes
10. Obama declares June National Oceans Month  - 6 things you can do (Daily Green)
11. Senator Begich Supports Development of National Ocean Policy
12. Public asked to weigh in on commercial fishing in the Arctic – by July 27
13. Alaska, Mass. fishing experts up for top job (Fuglvog or Rothschild)
14. Deadline July 31 for USDA Rural Energy for America Program grants to producers
15. Columbia Salmon recovery plan needs work, judge Redden says
16. House Transportation Committee markup on Vessel Safety bill HR 2652
17. NY Times Editorial Of Fish and Flexibility (June 12, 2009)
18. Crab fishery regs garner support, criticism at federal council meeting
19. Critical snow crab count begins in the Bering Sea
20. NPFMC Items From the June Meeting:
21. Washington State Commission adopts ballast water rules
22. Invasive species are greatest threat to Northwest salmon, report says
23. Illegal fishing vessel fined USD 500K
24. Chile fish farm troubles: Marine Harvest refutes further layoffs
25. NOAA Opens 60-Day Public Comment Period for Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture
26. Oysters in deep trouble: Is Pacific Ocean's chemistry killing sea life?
27. $50M in stimulus will help fish farmers buy feed
28.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
29. MMPA 2010 List of fisheries posted – SE Seine reclassified to Category 3
30. The Whale Rescuers: NMFS disentanglement workshops
31. MMRC research: Cutting the Costs of Foraging
32. ESA Short Tailed Albatross - Initiation of 5-Year Status Review; Final Recovery Plan
33. Deadline July 20 for comment on VMS data collection paperwork
34. USCG warns of radio interference with Compact Fluorescent Lights
35. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 2
36. IPHC Requests Vessel Bids for Archival Tagging Charter (deadline July 3)
37. Comment deadline June 22 on ADF&G Aquatic Farming changes
38. Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Salmon Quality videos available
39. Information Circular 58, Alaska’s Mineral Industry 2008: A Summary
40. USFWS extends comment period on Sea Otter ESA Critical Habitat to July 9

1. 9th Circuit Court: Exxon To Pay Interest, Own Legal Fees In Valdez Case
HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--A federal court ruled Monday that Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) owes $507.5 million, plus 5.9% annual interest accrued since 1996, in punitive damages to plaintiffs affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In a divided opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit determined that the Irving, Texas-based company and the plaintiffs would have to pay for their own legal costs and court fees. Exxon's legal fees approach $70 million, according to court filings. The ruling follows a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year to limit the punitive damages awarded the commercial fishermen and other plaintiffs who sued Exxon over the Valdez spill to about a tenth of the $5 billion awarded by a jury in September 1996. Interest payments, however, amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the latest opinion. The company has already paid plaintiffs about $383.4 million, a spokesman said. ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly-traded oil company, insisted that the interest should run from the 2008 date of the Supreme Court decision. The company also wanted the plaintiffs to pay for at least 90% of the litigation costs…
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090615-715593.html
Decision:
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2009/06/15/04-35182.pdf

2. My turn: Rainforest Wild benefits all Southeast fishermen (Bob Waldrop and Beth Poole)
By voting to pass a 1 percent assessment to fund Rainforest Wild, Southeast's Regional Seafood Development Association, Southeast fishermen have an opportunity to not only tell their story to the marketplace but also realize infrastructure and quality improvements, and conduct education and training programs for new products and methods. Doing so will also allow Southeast's RSDA to seek outside state and federal funds and funnel those dollars directly to member fishermen…
http://juneauempire.com/stories/061209/opi_450230907.shtmlSE Gillnetters – remember to mail your ballot by the deadline tomorrow June 16.

3. Judge upholds one-fish limit for Southeast halibut charters
By ERIKA BOLSTAD, Anchorage Daily News
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.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/fishing/story/819623.html
&
Federal judge puts limit on Southeast halibut charters (AK Journal of Commerce)
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061209/fis_13_001.shtml
&
Charter operators sue over one-halibut limit – KFSK audio by Ed Schoenfeld
http://kfsk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=
sideBlock&syndicated=true&ID=678

4. Charter Lawsuit Ignores Halibut Conservation Concerns
Learning Friday that charter boat operators will sue in an attempt to overturn the new one halibut per day rule, the Juneau-based Halibut Coalition's position was one of disappointment. In a new rule announced on May 6, 2009, NOAA's Fisheries Service reduced the number of halibut that charter vessel anglers in southeast Alaska can keep each day from two to one to protect the halibut stock…
http://www.sitnews.us/0509news/052309/052309_halibut.html

5. Southeast Alaska Dungeness crab fishery set to open Monday
KETCHIKAN, Alaska - A controversial new commercial fishery for Dungeness crab in Southeast Alaska is set to start Monday after a judge denied a request to block it.Superior Court Judge David George in Sitka made the decision Friday, setting the fishery opening in the Ketchikan and southeast Prince of Wales Island areas.In response, attorneys for the Organized Village of Kasaan - the tribal government for the small Haida village on east Prince of Wales Island - are seeking a preliminary injunction against the fishery with Ketchikan Superior Court Judge William Carey…
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jun/13/southeast-alaska-
crab-fishery-set-open-monday/

6. Inside look at fisheries meetings, By Howard Delo
Last week, the Mat-Su Blue Ribbon Sportsmen’s Committee hosted a public meeting with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Blue Ribbon Committee had asked ADF&G to explain how they planned to manage the Cook Inlet salmon fisheries for this 2009 season and how their management approach would impact sports fisheries in the Northern District specifically. It was an interesting meeting!
… A questioner asked the CFD how they planned to restrict the commercial king set net fishery in light of the Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy and these SFD concerns. The biologist answered that the commercial fisheries do not share in the burden of conservation.
That statement was very disturbing to Northern District folks!
…At meeting’s end, the four legislators were given the chance to make closing comments. Each legislator “warned” the two division directors that they should start listening to folks’ concerns about how the fisheries are being managed in Cook Inlet. Rep. Stoltz asked the two directors if they understood the message sent by the failure of Brent Johnson, a Cook Inlet commercial fisherman, being confirmed to a seat on the BOF. He was met with total silence.According to Stoltz, the message sent was that many legislators are unhappy with the way Cook Inlet fisheries are currently being managed and that the management approach must change. Stoltz suggested that if this message was not being received by ADF&G, then perhaps a blunter action by the legislature might be necessary for the message to register!
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2009/05/27/sports/mat
_su-outdoors/doc4a1b7b4635e51988217027.txt

7. Bankrupt mine company ordered to clean up acid (Tulsequah / Taku River)
Vancouver-based Redcorp to ask court for bankruptcy extension
By Kate Golden | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Redcorp Ventures Ltd. and subsidiary Redfern Resources was planning to clean up the acid leaking out of the old 1950s Tulsequah Chief mine as it redeveloped the site. But now that the company is insolvent and the project is halted, Canadian regulators have ordered Redcorp to clean up the acid. Canadian federal regulators have known since 1990 that water samples from the old mine's drainage were "acutely toxic" to fish. Vancouver-based Redfern installed a pilot water treatment plant, but acid is still flowing into the Tulsequah River. It's 45 miles northeast of Juneau and just upstream of the Taku River and its rich fisheries. Geophysicist David Chambers, at the Center for Science in Public Participation, estimated from the 2003 flow data that the old mine was leaking 23,861 pounds of zinc, 5,099 pounds of copper, 122 pounds of lead, 97 pounds of cadmium and 49 pounds of arsenic a year into the watershed. In court documents the company said its environmental obligations would cost $6.1 million…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/052709/loc_
444272440.shtml

8. Sens. Murkowski and Begich Introduce Prince William Sound Escort Vessels Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, today introduced legislation that would require all tankers transporting oil in Prince William Sound be escorted by at least two towing vessels, as has been the practice for the past 20 years.The current tanker safety system was authorized in the Oil Spill Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90) and currently applies to single hulled oil tankers only.  The last single hulled tanker in the Prince William Fleet is expected to be retired from service by August 2012.  The legislation would require dual escort vessels for double hulled tankers as well.There have been a number of marine incidents and near misses in the 20 years since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in 1989. But through the work of the U.S. Coast Guard, the industry, the State of Alaska and the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen Advisory Council to implement the requirements of OPA90, there have been no major oil spills.
http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=
PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=40023996-af
9f-4007-e457-1e08a20d4b1e&Region_id=&Issue_id

9. Obama sets National Policy for the Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes
Memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies
“…To succeed in protecting the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, the United States needs to act within a unifying framework under a clear national policy, including a comprehensive, ecosystem-based framework for the longterm conservation and use of our resources.In order to better meet our Nation's stewardship responsibilities for the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, there is established an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force (Task Force), to be led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force shall be composed of senior policy-level officials from the executive departments, agencies, and offices represented on the Committee on Ocean Policy established by section 3 of Executive Order 13366 of December 17, 2004. This Task Force is not meant to duplicate that structure, but rather is intended to be a temporary entity with the following responsibilities:1. Within 90 days from the date of this memorandum, the Task Force shall develop recommendations that include…Read the Presidential memorandum online at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-
Proclamation-National-Oceans-Month-and-Memorandum-
regarding-national-policy-for-the-oceans/

10. Obama declares June National Oceans Month  - 6 things you can do (Daily Green)
Amid the applause for a new federal oceans policy, scientists and advocates warn of our ocean’s downward spiral. Try these 6 things you can do to protect the oceans…
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/
obama-oceans-47061501

11. Senator Begich Supports Development of National Ocean Policy
U.S. Senator Mark Begich issued the following statement after President Obama ordered the development of a national ocean policy. The president's memorandum calls for a new interagency task force to write recommendations and to develop a framework for allocating and mapping marine resources:
"As the state with the most coastline and most ocean area within our extensive 200-mile limit, I welcome President Obama's announcement of forging a new national policy for oceans and coasts.
"Oceans play a crucial role in Alaska's economy. The oceans sustain Alaska's commercial fisheries which provide over 60% of the nation's total catch. Rural Alaskans depend on the ocean to sustain fisheries resources that meet their subsistence needs, while urban Alaskans enjoy some of best recreational fishing in the world. Millions of visitors are drawn north to view our spectacular shoreline and the North Pacific is a major transportation corridor for international commerce…”
http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&
ContentRecord_id=b7d2b10a-9960-46a2-8d27-e961ef3f246
6&ContentType_id=ef710aa3-7e29-440a-b9de-316ee20df1b5

12. Public asked to weigh in on commercial fishing in the Arctic – by July 27
By Laine Welch | Fish Factor
A plan by Alaska fishery "overseers" aims to put the brakes on commercial fishing in the Arctic until more is known about the region's fish stocks and marine environment. Now it's time for the public to weigh in…After two years of tinkering, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has given its unanimous stamp of approval to adopt a plan that strictly defines parameters before any fishing occurs in U.S. portions of the Arctic. The plan governs all fish and shellfish stocks federal waters, meaning from three to 200 miles offshore. It does not affect Arctic subsistence fishing or hunting…The public has until July 27 to comment on the Arctic fishing plan, before it heads to the Secretary of Commerce for approval…
http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/060309/
bus_446660226.shtml

NOAA Arctic Fisheries home page:
http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/arctic/  .

Federal Register Notice May 26:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-12151.htm

Federal register Notice June 10 – Proposed rule, also for comment by July 27.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13314.htm

13. Alaska, Mass. fishing experts up for top job (Fuglvog or Rothschild)
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.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local
_story_153224159.html

14. Deadline July 31 for USDA Rural Energy for America Program grants to producers
This notice announces that Rural Business-Cooperative Service is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements and to conduct feasibility studies for renewable energy systems for agriculture producers and rural small businesses in eligible rural areas.Alaska contact: Dean Stewart, USDA Rural Development, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 761-7722. dean.stewart@ak.usda.gov .
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ak/ USDA Rural Development Alaska home page: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ak/

15. Columbia Salmon-recovery plan needs work, judge Redden says
PORTLAND — A judge is telling federal agencies they need to do more to help Columbia Basin salmon survive, or he will find the latest restoration plan in violation of the Endangered Species Act.A Monday letter from U.S. District Judge James Redden to lawyers for all sides in a long-running court battle says he continues to have "serious reservations" because the standard for success is not strong enough.Redden also wants a contingency plan that would include funding, congressional approvals and other steps needed to breach the lower Snake Rivers dams in the event other measures fail to restore salmon runs…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2009235669_salmon19m.html

ESAblawg: http://www.esablawg.com/esalaw/ESBlawg.nsf/
D6Plinks/KRII-7S8N8F

LA Times: Judge doesn't rule out breaching Snake River dams to save salmon
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-
salmon20-2009may20,0,1510925.story

16. House Transportation Committee markup on Vessel Safety bill HR 2652
At the markup (June 5), the committee also addressed safety concerns in the maritime industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, commercial fishing is the most hazardous occupation in the United States. The death rate in this industry is 118 per 100,000 workers. A study published by the Coast Guard in 2006 found that between 1994 and 2004, even as overall commercial fishing levels declined, 1,398 commercial fishing vessels were lost, resulting in 641 deaths.H.R. 2652, the Maritime Safety Act, establishes significant new standards to improve the safety of work and recreation on the water, and particularly in the fishing industry. Specifically, the bill requires safety equipment standards for all commercial fishing, fish tender, and fish processing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles of the coast, and it establishes design and construction standards for new vessels or existing vessels that undergo major conversions…House T&I press release – Scroll down to HR 2652: http://transportation.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=934 

To find the text of the bill go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ then select to search by bill number and enter HR 2652. (or contact the UFA office at 907-586-2820 or to this email)*

17. NY Times Editorial Of Fish and Flexibility (June 12, 2009)
Senator Charles Schumer has introduced a bill called The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act. Flexibility, in this case, means bending to the will of fishermen who want to keep vacuuming up depleted fish populations before they have a chance to recover… http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/opinion/
13sat3.html?ref=opinion &&

U.S. Senator Schumer pursuing flexibility in fed fishing rules (April 20)
In a move hailed by Long Island commercial fishing interests, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that he will introduce a bill this week to add "flexibility" to a federal fishery management law that he said is "decimating" the local fleet.The bill, called The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009, would provide a series of exceptions to hard-and-fast federal rules aimed at restoring species deemed as over fished.Long Island fishermen by and large question the science and data collection that are behind federal fishing quotas, while environmental groups say the quotas are badly needed…
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/politics/ny-
lifish1212868880jun11,0,5723594.story

Senator Schumer Press Release: http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record.cfm?id=311945

For the text of S.1255 : “A bill to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to extend the authorized time period for rebuilding of certain overfished fisheries, and for other purposes.”
Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ then select to search by bill number and enter S.1255.
(Text should be available in a few days

18. Crab fishery regs garner support, criticism at federal council meeting
A federal council edging toward a five-year review of the controversial plan that privatized the multi-million dollar crab fisheries gathered additional testimony June 6-7 in Anchorage in support of and opposition to the program…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061209/fis_13_002.shtml

19. Critical snow crab count begins in the Bering Sea
The summer survey of Bering Sea crab stocks just got underway - and a lot is riding on the results. Notably, the data collected over the next two months will dictate if Alaska's snow crab catch will be slashed this winter.
Federal fishery scientists have recommended a snow crab harvest limit at 16 million pounds, down from nearly 60 million pounds last year. Industry stakeholders had hoped for a similar catch level for the 2009-10 season…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061209
/fis_img14_001.shtml

20. NPFMC Items From the June Meeting:
Council motion on BSAI Crab issues http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/c
rab/609motion.pdf

Rockfish Program motion http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/groundfish/
Rockfish_motion609.pdf

GOA Pcod split motion http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/pcod/
GOAPcodMotion609.pdf

Salmon Bycatch Data Collection motion http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current
_issues/bycatch/SBCdatacollectionMotion609.pdf

Pcod Parallel Waters motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/pcod/
ParallelwatersMotion609.pdf

June 2009 Newsletter: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/news609.pdf

NPFMC home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/

21. Washington State Commission adopts ballast water rules
New ballast-water management rules aimed at preventing the spread of invasive species in state waters were adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission during a meeting here June 5-6.
The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), approved updates to state regulations governing the discharge of ballast water from ships coming into Washington ports, an activity that potentially can introduce harmful, non-native species into state waters…
http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=jun0909a

Washington State Ballast Water home page: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/ballast/ballast.htm    (scroll down to the April 2009 New Ballast Water Rule Making

22. Invasive species are greatest threat to Northwest salmon, report says
Most discussions about the causes of declining salmon runs focus on the four H's: habitat, hatcheries, harvest and hydropower. But the most important factor may be an I, as in invasive species.
That's the conclusion of a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle…The study, which was published in the journal Bioscience, is sure to be controversial because much of the Northwest's multi-billion dollar salmon recovery work is centered on improving habitat, mitigating the damage of power-producing dams and curtailing commercial or recreational fishing. This report argues the greatest threat to fish are non-native species like crappie or bass that can eat up juvenile salmon as the make their way downstream from their birthplace to the ocean…
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009
/03/invasive_species_are_greatest.html

Report: Nonindigenous Species of the Pacific Northwest: An Over looked Risk to Endangered Salmon?
http://blog.oregonlive.com/environment_impact/2009
/03/Invasive%20species_1.pdf

Yes, but eradicating commercial fishermen from Cook Inlet seems easier than stopping people from planting pike, and eradicating pike.

23. Illegal fishing vessel fined USD 500K
The owner of a foreign vessel caught fishing illegally within protected US waters in the central Pacific three years ago paid a fine of USD 500,000 earlier this month, jointly announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement, the US Coast Guard and the US Attorney’s Office, District of Guam, last week.
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=
6-2009&day=12&id=32683&l=e&country=&special=&ndb=1&df=0

24. Chile fish farm troubles: Marine Harvest refutes further layoffs
Salmon firm Marine Harvest announced it will centralise processing operations in its Tepual plant in an effort to “optimise the efficiency of its facilities and reduce processing costs.”
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country
=&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=32675&ndb=1&df=0

Bank will not waive AquaChile’s debt (June 10)
Financial institutions have denied AquaChile the possibility of reducing a percentage of its liabilities, which altogether exceed USD 382 million. Meanwhile, 20 national salmon firms are expected to reach agreements with the bank sector on refinancing their debts…
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country
=&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=32653&ndb=1&df=0
&
AquaChile lays off 180 plant workers from Port Montt (June 3)
Salmon farming giant AquaChile SA dismissed 180 employees Monday – including managers, office staff and workers – from their plant located in the Cardonal sector of Port Montt, Region of Los Lagos. These personnel firings come on the heels of others made by the company in mid April, when it laid off 450 workers from its main processing plant. At that time, AquaChile ejecutives explained theirs was a decision based on the dual impact of the salmon infectious anemia (ISA) virus, and the global credit squeeze…
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country
=&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=32561&ndb=1&df=0

25. NOAA Opens 60-Day Public Comment Period for Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture
On June 4, 2009, NOAA opened a 60-day public comment period for the Fishery Management Plan for Regulating Offshore Marine Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. This plan will be available for public review and comment through August 3, 2009.
NOAA Aquaculture announcement http://aquaculture.noaa.gov/news/welcome.html#60
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13090.htm

26. Oysters in deep trouble: Is Pacific Ocean's chemistry killing sea life?
By Craig Welch Seattle Times environment reporter
WILLAPA BAY, Pacific County —
The collapse began rather unspectacularly. In 2005, when most of the millions of Pacific oysters in this tree-lined estuary failed to reproduce, Washington's shellfish growers largely shrugged it off.  In a region that provides one-sixth of the nation's oysters — the epicenter of the West Coast's $111 million oyster industry — everyone knows nature can be fickle...
Now, as the oyster industry heads into the fifth summer of its most unnerving crisis in decades, scientists are pondering a disturbing theory. They suspect water that rises from deep in the Pacific Ocean — icy seawater that surges into Willapa Bay and gets pumped into seaside hatcheries — may be corrosive enough to kill baby oysters…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2009336458_oysters14m.html

27. $50M in stimulus will help fish farmers buy feed
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. - The United States is about to spend $50 million on fish food.
The money included in the federal stimulus package is intended to help keep afloat an aquaculture industry already struggling from foreign competition after feed prices jumped 50 percent last year.It could provide algae to feed clam and oyster larvae along the Pacific coast, fill the bellies of tilapia in Arizona and feed catfish, trout and gamefish in the Midwest and South. Supporters say it will help keep fish farms going in tough times and preserve jobs in areas that have been hit by the recession and lack other industries…
http://www.cnbc.com/id/31331618

28.  Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Monday 6/15/09 Fish Employment
Friday 6/12/09 - Consumers prefer Alaska seafood
Thursday 6/11/09 - Fish Price Drivers
Wednesday 6/10/09 -  Deadline nears for Southeast salmon RSDA votes
Tuesday 6/9/09 - Kodiak salmon season starts today
Monday 6/8/09 - Snow crab riding on results of Bering Sea crab surveyListen Online at: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm
& also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html

29. MMPA 2010 List of fisheries posted – SE Seine reclassified to Category 3
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2010, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed LOF for 2010 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must categorize each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious
injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery…Alaska change for 2010: NMFS proposes to reclassify the ``AK southeast salmon purse seine'' fishery from Category II to Category III. The current Category II classification is based on one permit holder self-report of an incidental mortality of a humpback whale (Central North Pacific) in this fishery in 1996. There are no further self-reports, known entanglements, or anecdotal information of any humpback whales or other marine mammals injured or killed in this fishery since 1996…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13714.htm
NOAA List of Fisheries home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/interactions/lof/

30. The Whale Rescuers: National Marine Fisheries Service offers disentanglement workshops
JUNEAU - With the Pacific population of humpback whales growing at seven percent annually, mariners can expect more encounters with the giant mammals. To reduce injury to the federally protected creatures and gear loss to harvesters, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is recruiting volunteers to join a response network to assist the few federal personnel who are authorized to disentangle whales

31. MMRC research: Cutting the Costs of Foraging
Consortium researchers studying the costs of foraging in Steller sea lions recently discovered that the animals spend less energy during longer series of continuous dives than shorter ones. Intrigued, they focused on how sea lions manage their oxygen while foraging and came to an interesting conclusion…
http://www.marinemammal.org/2009/fahlman.php
Marine Mammal Research Consortium home page: http://www.marinemammal.org/

32. ESA Short Tailed Albatross - Initiation of 5-Year Status Review; Availability of Final Recovery Plan
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final recovery plan for and the initiation of a 5-year status review for the short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), a bird species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Our recovery plan describes the status, current management, recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions needed to enable us to reclassify the short-tailed albatross from endangered to threatened, or from threatened to delisted. It also includes criteria that would justify reclassifying the species from threatened back to endangered…
Federal register notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-11700.htm
USFWS Short Tailed Albatross home page: http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.
action?spcode=B00Y

33. Deadline July 20 for comment on VMS data collection paperwork
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995…
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region, directs a satellite-based vessel monitoring program to locate fishing vessels and monitor compliance with area restrictions in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands. The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) allows the NMFS Office for Law Enforcement to monitor and survey vessels over vast expanses of open-water while maintaining the confidentiality of fishing positions…
   Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of  the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 20, 2009.Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-11566.htm

34. USCG warns of radio interference with Compact Fluorescent Lights
This Safety Alert serves to inform the maritime industry that energy saving Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) or lighting, sometimes known as radio frequency (RF) lighting devices may interfere with certain communications equipment. CFLs employ a RF lighting device to excite a gas inside a bulb in order to produce light. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized the need for and adopted rules to
control the harmful interference to radio communications services from these devices. During the rulemaking process the Coast Guard provided comments and recommended an advisory label for CFLs / RF lighting devices warning users about potential interference to communication services and particularly with respect to devices capable of producing emissions in the 0.45-30 MHz band. As aresult, the FCC required manufacturers of CFLs to provide an advisory statement, either on theproduct packaging or with other user documentation, similar to the following: "This product may cause
interference to radio communications and should not be installed near maritime safety communications equipment or other critical navigation or communication equipment operating between 0.45-30 MHz."
http://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/MyCG/
Editorial/20090608/0209.pdf
?id=5b06b26afcf49bf87919b510ae01a52e914f8e6

35. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 2
Non-treaty Commercial Fishing Period Limits in Area 2A for June 24 Fishery
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/
2009/nr20090602.htm

36. IPHC Charter Announcement: Requests Vessel Bids for Archival Tagging Charter in Alaskan Waters  (deadline July 3)
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is requesting bids from commercial longline vessels to perform a tagging charter during the summer of 2009. The charter will be conducted in one of the following areas: 1) the Ommaney Ground…
2) inner Spencer Spit… 3)Trinity Ground..
The charter must take place between August 10 and September 25, 2009…
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel
/2009/nr20090520.htm

37. Comment deadline June 22 on ADF&G Aquatic Farming changes
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7a8
925672a0060a91b/da30996fd70fe1b8892575b80001
1886?OpenDocument

38. Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Salmon Quality videos available
To help both veteran fishermen and greenhorns alike, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program has released a series of nine videos on improving salmon quality. The videos were produced with gillnet fishermen in mind, but much of the information will be valuable to all gear types.The videos cover topics including quality, boat setup, fishing practices, product handling, chilling, dressing and pressure bleeding, unloading product, and cleaning and sanitizing.All of the videos are available free online at: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/map/fisheries/salmonquality
/videos/index.html
. Single copies of the videos on DVD are free for as long as the supply lasts. For more information, contact the Marine Advisory Program at 907-274-9691, or visit MAP online.
 -from Paula Cullenberg, Interim Director, Alaska Sea Grant

39. Information Circular 58, Alaska’s Mineral Industry 2008: A Summary, is now available from the Department of Natural Resources. This summary and the data contained within it will be superseded by the final report, Alaska’s Mineral Industry 2008 (Special Report 63), to be published later in 2009, following final compilation of information, particularly for placer mining and industrial minerals. The mineral industry summary and other reports can be inspected at and obtained from DGGS, 3354 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-3707 (907-451-5020) and beginning June 1, 2009, from the DNR Public Information Center, 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1260, Anchorage, Alaska (907-269-8400). Send mail orders to the Fairbanks DGGS office (fax 907-451-5050; mailing address above). The summary is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format through the DGGS website: http://www.dggs.dnr.state.ak.us/pubs/pubs?r
eqtype=citation&ID=19601

40. USFWS extends comment period on Sea Otter ESA Critical Habitat to July 9
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-13314.htm

Previous post:  USFS reopens comment period on Sea Otter ESA Critical habitat – Deadline July 1, Public meeting June 18, Anchorage
USFWS Press release:  http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.
cfm?newsId=2114BB58-959A-D6E2-E727330BCAEC1CEC

May 8, 2009 Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-10715.htm

Maps of areas proposed as critical habitat and other pertinent info are available for viewing at the USFWS Sea Otter ESA home page:
http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/criticalhabitat.htm 

May 12, 2009

UFA At-large election is underway for four At-Large board seats.
Ballots have been mailed and postmark deadline for
return of ballot is May 31. Vote today!

SE Gillnetters RSDA election approaching –see Item #1 below

Table of Contents
1. SE Gillnet Regional Seafood Development Association Vote coming
2. NOAA Reduces Charter Halibut Catch
3. Comment by June 5 on Halibut Sport Charter Limited Access Proposed Rule
4. Gov. Palin prepares for out-of-session Alaska appointments (BOF)
5. BOF raises sablefish sport limit, cuts Northern Cook Inlet Setnetters 
6. Fish & Game Talk Management of Local (Mat-Su) Rivers May 18, Wasilla
7. Fishermen laud ex-Sen. Stevens
8. 50 years of Alaska's seafood industry celebrated in Kodiak
9. NPFMC Agenda for June 1-9, Anchorage Hilton
10. Court ends Alaska offshore drilling plan
11. Sectys. Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under ESA
12. Salazar Seeks to Vacate Bush-Era Mining Rule
13. Evaluation of EPA Chesapeake Goals Killed
14. Alaska pink salmon a key element in Global Food Aid Program
15. Lawmakers promote Alaska in New York City
16. State’s seafood employment promotions starting to pay off
17. Federal council acts to restrict Pacific cod fishery in Gulf of Alaska
18. The salmon are coming: Copper River fishery opens May 14
19. Washington State Fish Broker Fined, Sentenced to Jail in Labeling Scheme
20. New NOAA Online Handbook for Oral History of the Fishing Culture
21. Study shows link between air pollution, contaminated seafood
22. Drift River Terminal oil volumes reduced prior to volcano activity increase
23. Welcome to the ASMI Foodservice Review
24. Federal Dollars Prematurely Slated for Offshore Fish Farming
25. Obama admin hands offshore aquaculture oversight to NOAA
26. MMS posts final rule on alternate use of energy facilities – Fish Farms off list
27. SalmonChile offers job services to axed workers
28. Salmon Virus With Potential For Change
29. U.S. News: Which Fish Is the Best Fish? Consider Omega-3s, Sustainability, and Mercury
30. The Rape Of Somalia By European Illegal Fishers
31. Washington Post: Finding Space for All in Our Crowded Seas
32. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
33. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 1
34. NOAA posts List of National System Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
and response to comments on nominations of existing MPAs to the national system…
35. Cook Inlet Beluga Whales ESA: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Designate Critical Habitat  - comment by May 14
36. MMRC: Ecopath, Virtual Ecosystems, and the Status of the Gulf of Alaska
37. Comment by May 29 on AFA Bering Sea floating processor location requirements
38. USCG post safety alerts: Shocks & Automatic Identification Systems
39. USFS reopens comment period on Sea Otter ESA Critical habitat – Deadline July 1, Public meeting June 18, Anchorage
40. Comment deadline August 6 on advance notice for import-export Intl Data System
41. NMFS/ADF&G Announce 2009 eLandings Workshops in Anchorage, Kodiak, Ketchikan, and Juneau
42. Deadline June 22 / July 6 for Rural Business Cooperative Value added grants…
43. USDA Seeks Applications for Cooperative Development Center Grants
44. NOAA eases monitoring requirements for dinglebar fishermen
45. Int’l Arctic Fisheries Symposium: Managing Resources for a Changing Arctic
October 19-21, 2009
46. Haig – Brown Symposium on Sustaining Wild Salmon proceedings posted

Previous items, still timely:
47. MMS comment period on OCS 5 year plan - deadline September 21, 2009
48. Comment by July 6 on proposed Councils operations and admin changes
49. Comment by May 26 on GOA Rockfish Program
50. Comment deadline May 21 on Rockfish Program Amendment 85 CP groundfish
51. Comment deadline June 1 on BSAI and GOA Catcher Vessel & Inshore/Offshore Provisions Amendments 62/62
52. Smartgear Competition Deadline June 30.

1. SE Gillnet Regional Seafood Development Association Vote coming Association to hold gillnetters meeting
JUNEAU - Southeast Alaska Rainforest Wild, Southeast Alaska's Regional Seafood Development Association, will hold a last-chance informational meeting for any Southeast Alaska gillnetters who want to learn more, ask questions and share their ideas for the gillnet self-assessment vote this month on whether or not to become the first gear group to join the RSDA…
The meeting is from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at the Buoy Deck in U.S. Coast Guard Building, 345 Egan Drive… Details: Elizabeth, 321-7221 or elizabeth@rainforestwild.org

Juneau Empire item:
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/050309/nei_435978927.shtml

Laine Welch Fish factor: Last chance to get Rainforest Wild off the ground
http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/050409_fish_factor.html

Rainforest Wild home page: http://www.rainforestwild.org/

2. NOAA Reduces Charter Halibut Catch
Long-term solution is catch share program
In a new rule released today, NOAA’s Fisheries Service reduced the number of halibut that charter vessel anglers in southeast Alaska can keep each day from two to one to protect the halibut stock.
“While today’s rule addresses an immediate need to better manage the charter halibut fishery,  we believe the long-term solution to sustainably managing the fishery is for the charter halibut fishery to join with the commercial halibut fishery in a catch share program,” said Doug Mecum, acting regional administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service in Alaska.  “Catch share programs that allocate the total allowable catch to participants in the fishery give a strong incentive to fishermen to conserve fish stocks.”

Halibut fishing along the Pacific Coast is managed under overall limits set for each fishing area.  Sport charter halibut fishermen in Southeast Alaska have exceeded their assigned harvest levels for several years. 

NOAA Press Release: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
charterhalibut050609.htm

NOAA Guided Sport Halibut Management home page:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/halibut/charters.htm

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-10337.htm

3. Comment by June 5 on Halibut Sport Charter Limited Access Proposed Rule
Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Limited Access for Guided Sport Charter Vessels in Alaska
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.
SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations that would implement a limited access system for charter vessels in the guided sport fishery for Pacific halibut in waters of International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska). If approved, this limited access system would limit the number
of charter vessels that may participate in the guided sport fishery for halibut in these areas. NMFS would issue a charter halibut permit to a licensed charter fishing business owner based on his or her past participation in the charter halibut fishery for halibut and to a Community Quota Entity representing specific rural communities. All charter halibut permit holders would be subject to limits on the number of permits they could hold and on the number of charter vessel anglers who could catch and retain halibut on their charter vessels. This action is necessary to achieve the halibut fishery management goals of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The intended effect is to curtail growth of fishing capacity in the guided sport fishery for halibut…

DATES: Written comments must be received by June 5, 2009.
Federal Register Notice http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/
E9-9110.htm

4. Gov. Palin prepares for out-of-session Alaska appointments (BOF)
JUNEAU — Lawmakers last week turned down two of Gov. Sarah Palin’s appointees to state services, offering her an opportunity to pick new people as attorney general and for the controversial Board of Fisheries…

The Legislature also could have approved the appointment of Brent Johnson to serve a three-year term expiring June 30 on the Board of Fisheries, commonly referred to as the Fish Board. He would have replaced Bonnie Williams of Fairbanks.

Sen. Joe Thomas, D-Fairbanks, spoke out against Johnson and the perceived lack of Interior representation that would have resulted.

While some people see the appointment as an issue of regional representation, Coghill said it comes down to a balance between river fishery and “blue water” fishery interests.

“What more or less should happen is a balance between commercial fish and sports fish,” he said. “But in the Interior we have commercial fisheries that are on the river. That’s true in the Kenai River as well.... that’s the only reason regional issues fall into it. Some people would think the Kenai is the only river in Alaska.”
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/21/gov-palin-prepares-out-
-session-alaska-appointment/

Thanks for the many calls to legislators in support of Brent Johnson, a very qualified Board of Fisheries candidate.

5. BOF raises sablefish sport limit, cuts Northern Cook Inlet Setnetters 
I found no news stories, but the BOF has posted this from their April 28 teleconference meeting:
Summary of Actions from April 28 Teleconference
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/2008-2009/
April%2028%20Teleconference/sum-of-act-42809.pdf

BOF member Howard Delo: Board discusses pressing issues
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2009/05/05/sports/mat_
su-outdoors/doc49ffc1791f75a073853661.txt

BOF Member Bonnie Williams: Good fish science is essential
Facing unknowns, board must punt…
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/may/03/good-fish-
science-essential/?opinion

6. Fish & Game Talk Management of Local (Mat-Su) Rivers May 18, Wasilla
MAT-SU— A local sportsmen's group has asked the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game to meet with the Mat-Su public next Mon., May 18, at 6 p.m. at the Central Mat-Su Fire Station in Wasilla.

The Mat-Su Mayor's Blue Ribbon Sportsmen's Committee requested that Fish & Game present their salmon management plans for the upcoming seasons. The work of this group contributed to the Alaska Board of Fisheries designating the Susitna River sockeye salmon as a Stock of Concern in February 2008.  Biologists are trying to allow enough fish to pass through to promote healthy returns. In April, Fish & Game placed restrictions on fishing for king salmon on the Deshka River. Last year, less than 8,000 kings returned, in stark contrast to the 58,000 or more Deshka kings that returned in 2004.

Mat-Su Borough Assemblymember Tom Kluberton chairs the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Sportsmen’s Committee. “With the tremendous and growing economic value of sport and personal use fishing to the Mat-Su, it is important that the ADF&G interacts with our residents on a regular basis,” Kluberton said. “We hope this kind of meeting will become an annual event. By keeping a running dialog, Mat-Su fishermen can gain a sense of how the Department’s management practices are intended to improve stocks in Borough streams. And the Department can gain a sense of how significant sportfishing is to the economy of the Borough.”

Specific topics that the Committee asked ADF&G to address include: The recent restrictions on Deshka River king salmon, and the ongoing efforts to correct the chronic low returns of sockeye salmon to Mat-Su streams.

For more information call Assemblymember Tom Kluberton at 841-7107 or email tkluberton@mtaonline.net   The Central Mat-Su Fire Station is in Wasilla at Lucille and Swanson streets.

7. Fishermen laud ex-Sen. Stevens
Anchorage Daily News
KODIAK -- In a rare public appearance since a federal judge threw out charges against him for accepting illegal gifts, former Sen. Ted Stevens was in Kodiak on Thursday to be honored by United Fishermen of Alaska.
At a banquet on the U.S. Coast Guard base, he joined 20 other charter members to become part of UFA's "Seafood Hall of Fame."
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/stevens/story/772256.html

UFA Press Release: (April 24, 2009): United Fishermen of Alaska Honors Senator Ted Stevens in Inaugural Alaska Seafood Hall of Fame
http://www.ufa-fish.org/press/2009%20-01_AK_Seafood
_HOF_042309.pdf

Senator Stevens concluded his speech with a call to commercial fishermen to take up his work on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fisheries. We will need your help and membership support to be able to work internationally. Please consider supporting UFA through Individual membership (for permit holders) or Crew/Supporter or Business membership at UFA see http://www.ufa-fish.org/members.htm .

8. 50 years of Alaska's seafood industry celebrated in Kodiak
Fish Factor - By Laine Welch
When it comes to taking pride in Alaska's fisheries, differences are set aside.
That proved true at a statehood anniversary celebration last Thursday in Kodiak that highlighted 50 years of Alaska's seafood industry.
A remarkable mix of roughly 225 people were lucky enough to get tickets to the event at the Golden Anchor on the U.S. Coast Guard base. It included a seafood smorgasbord, entertainment and a rare chance to rub elbows with special guests - Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Ted Stevens…
http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/042909/
bus_434691893.shtml
&
Stevens, Palin all smiles at Kodiak's ComFish event
"We especially welcome the architect of the nation's premier fisheries management act and statehood advocate, Sen. Ted Stevens," said Palin.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050109/loc
_img_news001.shtml

Thanks to Deb King, Laine Welch, Linda Kozak, Al Burch, Eva Holm, and the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce for their hospitality in hosting this superlative event in Kodiak during Comfish.

9. NPFMC Agenda for June 1-9, Anchorage Hilton
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/609Agenda.pdf

NPFMC home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/

10. Court ends Alaska offshore drilling plan
WASHINGTON - A program to expand oil and gas drilling off the Alaska coast was canceled Friday by a federal appeals court that ruled the Bush administration did not properly study the environmental impact…
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/oil/story/762894.html

11. Sectys. Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under ESA
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – the two agencies that administer the ESA – before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species. 
NOAA Press Release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/
20090428_esa.html
&&
Obama Administration Revokes Rule Changes to Endangered Species Consultation Regulations, By Paul Weiland , George Mannina, and Robert Thornton
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5e15797d67067e7315&m=feec
13777c6d07&ls=fdf51375706d047e71137275&l=fe5b157572620
7797011&s=fe0415747065057d7d167474&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe3416
737567007c711c72

12. Salazar Seeks to Vacate Bush-Era Mining Rule
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar instructed the Justice Department yesterday to seek a court order to overturn a Bush administration regulation allowing mining companies to dump their waste near rivers and streams, calling the regulation "legally defective."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/27/
AR2009042701810.html

13. Evaluation of EPA Chesapeake Goals Killed
EPA Adviser, Others Squashed Review of How Realistic Cleanup Expectations Are…
…The amount of pollution they would still need to eliminate -- 60 million pounds of nitrogen, a key food for oxygen-depleting algae -- was equal to the load carried down in one entire large river.
Unless they could stop the Potomac from flowing into the bay, the model showed that the cleanup program had much more work to do than previously thought…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009
/05/03/AR2009050302063.html

14. Alaska pink salmon a key element in Global Food Aid Program
…To deal with an overstock of canned salmon in 2001, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute enrolled in the Global Food Aid Program.
It's become a quick success, and has helped feed the hungry in Laos, Jamaica, Cambodia, Bolivia, Guatemala and Swaziland…
"It slowly has become the darling of the USDA's Food Aid Program because we are the only solid animal protein on the list and we are up to almost a million cases of demand now," said Kevin Adams with ASMI.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10293024

15. Lawmakers promote Alaska in New York City
By Rena Delbridge, Fairbanks News - Miner
FAIRBANKS — A handful of legislators are traveling to New York City this week to promote the Great Land as guests of the nonprofit Alaska House, New York and to meet with reporters from major national media outlets…
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/may/07/lawmaker-promote
-alaska-new-york-city/
&
NY Times: Salmon Fishing in SoHo
…The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute arranged a lunch to highlight a program that sends $13 million worth of Alaska canned pink salmon and herring to American food banks as well as orphanages and schools in places like Uganda, Laos and Jamaica.
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/
salmon-fishing-in-soho/?hp

16. State’s seafood employment promotions starting to pay off
Promotions of job opportunities in seafood processing are paying off in increasing numbers of people applying for jobs, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said May 4.
"We had over 1,000 applicants in the Anchorage seafood office last week, and the week before that, over 500," said James Harvey, assistant director of the department's employment security division…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050809/fis_fish003.shtml

17. Federal council acts to restrict Pacific cod fishery in Gulf of Alaska
Federal fisheries managers have approved new restrictions on who will be allowed to fish for Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska, action likely to be in place for the 2011 season.
At its April meeting in Anchorage, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, voted 10-1 on the final motion to add gear-specific (pot, hook-and-line, and jig) Pacific cod endorsements to Western and Central Gulf of Alaska fixed gear license limitation program, known as LLPs.
The council's action in essence was a case of use it or lose it…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050809/fis_fisheries002.shtml

NPFMC GOA Fixed Gear Recency motion: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/pcod/
F ixedGearRecencyMotion409.pdf

18. The salmon are coming: Copper River fishery opens May 14
By Margaret Bauman , Alaska Journal of Commerce
…The celebrated Copper River salmon fishery, renowned for its succulent king and sockeye salmon, opens at 7 a.m. on May 14, signaling the unofficial start of the summer salmon season in Alaska.
The forecast for kings is very good. The forecast for reds, not so hot…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050809/fis_img_fish001.shtml

19. Washington State Fish Broker Fined, Sentenced to Jail in False Seafood Labeling Scheme
A Washington state man has been fined $160,000 and sentenced to 30 days in jail for intentionally mislabeling 136,000 pounds of turbot from China as much higher priced U.S.  halibut—one of the strongest sentences ever imposed for this type of violation, according to enforcement officials from NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement in Seattle…
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090511
_seafood.html

20. New NOAA Online Handbook Helps Teachers and Community Groups Create an Oral History of the Fishing Culture
May 4, 2009
A new handbook published online today by NOAA’s Fisheries Service gives teachers, community groups, and the public a detailed roadmap of how to design and conduct oral history projects that celebrate the people, history and culture of our nation’s coastal and Great Lakes fishing communities.
 “Capturing the stories and experiences of local men and women who take part in commercial and recreational fishing and other marine-related occupations is especially important for young people growing up in these towns and cities,” said Dr. Susan Abbott-Jamieson, senior social scientist with NOAA’s Fisheries Service and one of three authors of Voices from the Fisheries Handbook: Preserving Local Fisheries Knowledge, Linking Generations, and Improving Environmental Literacy. “Through interviews with community residents, students explore the rich connections between fisheries, the marine environment, their community, and their own lives.”…

Voices from the Fisheries Handbook: Preserving Local Fisheries Knowledge, Linking Generations, and Improving Environmental Literacy by Julie Bartch, the New England steward for the Rural School and Community Trust, Abbott-Jamieson, and Whitmore is now available to the public online… at  http://www.voices.nmfs.noaa.gov/

NOAA Press release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/
20090504_history.html

21. Study shows link between air pollution, contaminated seafood
A federal study released today explains for the first time the link between global mercury emissions and the contamination of tuna and other marine life in the North Pacific Ocean…
USGS showed that methylmercury is produced in mid-depth ocean waters by processes linked to "ocean rain." Algae, which are produced in sunlit waters near the surface, die quickly and "rain" downward to greater water depths. The settling algae are decomposed by bacteria and the interaction of this decomposition process in the presence of mercury results in the formation of methylmercury…
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/01/01greenwire-study-
shows-link-between-air-pollution-contami-19116.html

The study is online at:: http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/pacific_mercury.html  

22. Drift River Terminal oil volumes reduced prior to volcano activity increase
Following additional measurements and confirmation by a third party it has been determined that approximately 841,860 gallons (20,040 barrels) of crude oil remains in the tanks at Drift River Terminal following the April 30 drawn down.
This amount is about 13 percent of the original 6.2 million gallons (148,000 barrels). The original figure provided immediately after the April 30 draw down was an estimate based on the volumes in the tanks prior to the operation…
http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/271826/

Mt Redoubt page- Alaska Volcano Observatory
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

23. Welcome to the ASMI Foodservice Review
 In this newsletter you will find an update on the 2009 salmon, halibut and black cod harvest season. There is also an announcement of the new online sustainability training videos, a look at Alaska's history of sustainability, important information and materials to gear up for the salmon season, and recent research that suggests that seafood omega-3s can boost IQ scores…
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/foodservice/news/may09_news/

24. Federal Dollars Prematurely Slated for Offshore Fish Farming
Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter…
“President Obama’s FY 2010 budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contains a glaring flaw that would prematurely allocate federal dollars to help fund controversial and unpopular fish farming plans that have not yet been federally authorized.The NOAA budget narrative requests a $2 million dollar increase for marine aquaculture, for a total of about $6.1 million for such programs.  As there is no comprehensive federal program that allows marine aquaculture in U.S. waters, requesting increased funds to help review and issue permits is completely inappropriate and an irresponsible use of precious dollars….”
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org:8080/Plone/press/releases/
federal-dollars-prematurely-slated-for-offshore-fish-farming20090511

25. Obama admin hands offshore aquaculture oversight to NOAA
The Obama administration will develop federal aquaculture regulations, including a system that could permit offshore fish farming in the ocean waters for the first time, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said today. (4/23)
Locke addressed a Senate hearing as another Cabinet agency, the Interior Department, turned away from a controversial Bush administration proposal that would have expedited a permitting system for offshore aquaculture under the Minerals Management Service. He said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will oversee the preparation of the Obama administration's fish-farming guidelines…
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/23/23greenwire-obama
-admin-hands-offshore-aquaculture-oversig-10648.html

26. MMS posts final rule on alternate use of energy facilities – Fish Farms off list
The MMS is publishing final regulations to establish a program to grant leases, easements, and rights-of-way (ROW) for renewable energy project activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), as well as certain previously unauthorized activities that involve the alternate use of existing facilities located on the OCS; …
 ‘…We received numerous comments on the proposed rule pertaining to the use of OCS facilities for aquaculture purposes. We wish to clarify that this rule does not authorize aquaculture operations. A different agency would be responsible for permitting and managing actual aquaculture activity under any RUE that is granted. In the event that
legislation is enacted that regulates OCS aquaculture, we will reassess this issue and ensure coordination will be accomplished with all relevant agencies…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-9462.htm

UFA opposed letting oil companies get around the costly required dismantling of rigs by converting them to fish farms in our comments to MMS – thanks to the many members, fishermen, and other organizations who helped by weighing in.
We also greatly appreciate Governor Palin weighing in asking that aquaculture be removed from the list of alternative uses.

27. SalmonChile offers job services to axed workers
The Chilean Salmon Industry Association AG (SalmonChile) officially unveiled the Salmon Network, an initiative designed to help salmon farming industry workers who are losing their jobs…
The sharp rise in unemployment is a direct consequence of the crisis caused by the ongoing industry struggle with infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=
&monthyear=&day=&id=32168&ndb=1&df=0

28. Salmon Virus With Potential For Change
ScienceDaily (Apr. 28, 2009) — Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is one of the most economically-damaging diseases in Norwegian fish farming industry. It is caused by a marine Orthomyxovirus, the same family that produces the influenza A virus that causes disease in birds and mammals. For his doctorate, Turhan Markussen looked at factors of the ISA virus genes that influence its ability to cause disease in salmon.

Infectious salmon anaemia was first recorded in Norway in 1984 and has subsequently appeared in a series of countries around the north Atlantic. In 2008 it was officially confirmed that the disease had also spread to the southern hemisphere, after several large outbreaks in Chile. During the last 25 years, over 460 outbreaks of ISA have been recorded, all of them in farmed salmon…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421091737.htm

29. U.S. News: Which Fish Is the Best Fish? Consider Omega-3s, Sustainability, and Mercury
It's tough to find species that are good for both you and the ocean. Here's what you should consider…
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diet-fitness/2009/05/11/
which-fish-is-the-best-fish-consider-omega-3s-s
ustainability-and-mercury.html

It’s a little bit of a nuisance to navigate to the list of eleven choices, then click next eleven times but you’ll see that Alaska Wild Salmon is #1, Black Cod is #5, Oysters are #7, and Pacific Halibut completes the list at #11, among the Alaska species favored.

30. The Rape Of Somalia By European Illegal Fishers
Much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the Somali sea lanes. The navies of big and small powers are converging on the Somali waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

The recent hijacking of the Saudi oil tanker and Ukrainian MV Faina, laden with arms for Kenya, off the coast of Somalia by Somali pirates captured world media attention. War has been rightly declared against this notorious new shipping piracy. But the older and mother of all piracies in Somalia - illegal foreign fishing piracy - in the Somali seas is ignored, underlining the international community’s misunderstanding and partiality of the underlying interdependent issues involved and the impracticality of the proposed actions to find ways to effectively resolve the piracy threat…
http://blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=5615

UN FAO IUU FAQ: Stopping Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y3554E/y3554e01.htm

House Resources Hearing – HB 1080
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_
jcalpro&Itemid=53&extmode=view&extid=234

31. Washington Post: Finding Space for All in Our Crowded Seas
The ocean is getting crowded. Fishermen are competing with offshore wind projects, oil rigs along with sand miners, recreational boaters, liquefied gas tankers and fish farmers. So a growing number of groups – including policymakers, academics, activists and industry officials – now say it’s time to divvy up space in the sea…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009
/05/03/AR2009050301930.html?nav%3Dhcmoduletmv

32. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –topics from this week
Friday 5/8/09 Smart Gear call for entries 2009
Thursday 5/7/09 Invasive species updates
Wednesday 5/6/09 Wounded Warriors supported by AK seafood industry
Tuesday 5/5/09 W.Coast, Yukon, Kodiak king salmon collapse; Fuglvog at NMFS, mercury study

Listen Online at: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/
fishradio.htm
& also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html

33. IPHC 2009 Halibut Landing Report No. 1
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/
2009/nr20090501.htm

34. NOAA posts List of National System Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
and response to comments on nominations of existing MPAs to the national system…
“The following MPAs have been nominated by their managing programs to join the national system of MPAs. A list providing more detail for each site is available at http://www.mpa.gov ...
Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)…Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska)… Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska)… Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska)…

Federal register notice:  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-9335.htm  )

National Marine Protected Areas home page: http://mpa.gov/

According to this site, All Alaska state marine waters already are an MPA:
“…The official federal definition of an MPA is: “any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein.” -- Executive Order 13158 (May 2000)…”

35. Cook Inlet Beluga Whales ESA: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Designate Critical Habitat  - comment by May 14
SUMMARY: We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), will be designating critical habitat for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The designation will involve areas within Cook Inlet, Alaska. This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) identifies issues for  consideration and evaluation and solicits comments regarding these issues.

DATES: Comments and information regarding the suggested designation process and areas being considered for designation may be sent to NMFS by May 14, 2009…
Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-8519.htm

NOAA Press release: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2009/
cibelugas041409.htm

NOAA Cook Inlet Beluga Whale home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga.htm

36. MMRC: Ecopath, Virtual Ecosystems, and the Status of the Gulf of Alaska
Not all Consortium research takes place in natural ecosystems, or even with live subjects. A team of researchers employed an innovative software program to reconstruct and understand two ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska that are drastically different today compared to the past. They will be presenting their findings at an upcoming conference highlighting the ability of Ecopath software to describe and predict the dynamics of complex marine ecosystems…
http://www.marinemammal.org/2009/virtualecosystems.php

Marine Mammal Research Consortium home page: http://www.marinemammal.org/

37. Comment by May 29 on AFA Bering Sea floating processor location requirements
NMFS proposes regulations to increase the number of times per year that a stationary floating processor (SFP) that is qualified under the American Fisheries Act (AFA) may move within State of Alaska waters in the Bering Sea (BS) subarea to process pollock harvested in the BS subarea directed pollock fishery. This action also would require AFA
SFPs to process all Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and GOA Pacific cod where they processed these species in 2002. This action is necessary to increase operational flexibility for AFA SFPs that process pollock caught in the BS subarea directed fishery while continuing to limit the competitive advantage of AFA SFPs in the GOA pollock and GOA Pacific cod fisheries…
Comments on the proposed rule must be received no later than the close of business on May 29, 2009…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-8528.htm

38. USCG post safety alerts: Shocks & Automatic Identification Systems
Electric Shock Hazards 
This alert reminds viewers about the need for safe electrical practices and procedures. 
 http://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/MyCG/
Editorial/20090416/01_09.pdf?id=b451b467a2bbfb0a9a54
2499e4e12a9ad4ce95ac

Automatic Identification System (AIS) Devices 
 This alert cautions new AIS Class B users to not assume that they are being seen by all other AIS users or that all their information is available to all AIS users. 
 http://homeport.uscg.mil/cgi-bin/st/portal/uscg_docs/MyCG/
Editorial/20081030/10-08.pdf?id=9007b1ee8375b6e5a127
c5f5499fd00bab3a1f3b

USCG Homeport safety page: http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/browse.do?channelId=-18374&channelPage=/

USCG Fishing Vessel Safety Fish Safe home page: http://www.fishsafe.info/

39. USFS reopens comment period on Sea Otter ESA Critical habitat – Deadline July 1, Public meeting June 18, Anchorage
USFWS Press release:  http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId
=2114BB58-959A-D6E2-E727330BCAEC1CEC

Federal Register Notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-10715.htm

Maps of areas proposed as critical habitat and other pertinent info are available for viewing at the USFWS Sea Otter ESA home page:
http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/criticalhabitat.htm 

40. Comment deadline August 6 on advance notice for import-export Intl Data System
NMFS issues this advance notice of proposed rulemaking to announce that it is revising procedures to file import and export documentation for certain fishery products to meet requirements of the SAFE Port Act of 2006, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, other applicable statutes, and obligations that arise from U.S. participation in regional fishery management organizations. Specifically, NMFS intends to integrate the collection of trade documentation within the government-wide International Trade Data System and require electronic information collection through the
automated internet portal maintained by the United States Customs and Border Protection. NMFS is seeking advance public comment on the feasibility of electronic reporting by parties involved in an import or export transaction for applicable seafood products…
   As a result of unilateral authorities and/or multilateral agreements, NMFS has implemented a number of monitoring programs to collect information from the trade regarding the origin of certain fishery products. The purpose of these programs is to determine the admissibility of the products in accordance with the specific criteria
of the trade measure or documentation requirement in effect. NMFS trade monitoring programs cover tunas, swordfish, billfish, shark fins, toothfish, krill and certain other fishery products under the authority of the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act (refer to http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/fmd/italy.htm   for an exhaustive list.)
(almost all fish products are on the exhaustive list)

Federal Register Notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-10820.htm

International Trade Data System home page is online at http://www.itds.gov/ .

41. NMFS/ADF&G Announce 2009 eLandings Workshops in Anchorage, Kodiak, Ketchikan, and Juneau

Anchorage - Friday, May 15, 2009
Kodiak  - Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Ketchikan  - Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Juneau  - Thursday, May 28, 2009

NOAA informational bulletin 09 – 54:: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/index/infobulletins/
bulletin.asp?BulletinID=5931

42. Deadline June 22 / July 6 for Rural Business Cooperative Value added grants…
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $18 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year (FY) 2009 to help independent agricultural producers enter into value-added activities…

    Awards may be made for planning activities or for working capital expenses, but not for both. The maximum grant amount for a planning grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount for a working capital grant is $300,000…

Paper applications for unreserved funds must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than July 6, 2009, to be eligible for FY 2009 grant funding. Paper applications for reserved funds must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than June 22, 2009 to be eligible for FY 2009 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2009 grant funding…
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-10424.htm

USDA Rural development home page: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/

43. USDA Seeks Applications for Cooperative Development Center Grants
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today USDA is accepting applications for grants for cooperative development centers to improve economic conditions in rural areas.

"These cooperative development centers provide rural Americans with stronger technical and managerial skills helping small businesses become more profitable and creating jobs in rural communities," said Vilsack.

Grants of up to $200,000 may awarded to colleges, universities and non-profit groups to create and operate centers that help individuals or groups establish, expand or operate rural businesses, especially cooperatives. The grants are being provided through USDA Rural Development's Rural Cooperative Development Grant program.

The centers promote President Obama's goal to bring increased economic opportunities to rural residents by giving them tools to help their businesses grow. Cooperative program grants can be used, among other things, to conduct feasibility studies, create and implement business plans, and help businesses develop new markets for their products and services.
http://www.usda.gov/2009/04/0139.xml

44. NOAA eases monitoring requirements for dinglebar fishermen
NOAA Fisheries in Alaska has eased vessel monitoring requirements—and costs—for boats fishing for lingcod with dinglebar gear in the Gulf of Alaska.
"The eight to twelve fishermen who catch lingcod with dinglebar gear each year in the Gulf fish at fairly shallow depths away from corals," said Doug Mecum, Acting Administrator for the Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries. "We are dropping our current requirement that these few boats carry vessel monitoring systems."
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/
2009/dinglebar042009.htm

45. Int’l Arctic Fisheries Symposium: Managing Resources for a Changing Arctic
October 19-21, 2009
Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, Alaska
This symposium is intended to initiate international discussions for conserving and managing future fisheries in the Arctic Ocean including managing migratory, transboundary and straddling fish stocks. Visit the symposium website at http://www.nprb.org/iafs2009/index.htm

North Pacific Research Board home page: http://www.nprb.org/

46. Haig – Brown Symposium on Sustaining Wild Salmon proceedings posted
Continuing Studies in Science is pleased to announce that the proceedings from the Haig-Brown Symposium on Sustaining Wild Salmon:  Moving from Words to Action are now available.
The symposium was part of the Haig-Brown Centenary celebrations (www.haigbrowninstitute.org/centenary.html ) and explored how communities can take action to ensure the future of wild salmon in BC and how they can play a role in decision making and management of the resource.  Participants examined case studies that featured community conservation efforts from various regions in BC and emphasized that collaboration and partnerships are key to success. 

To read more visit our website under the "news and events section" at: http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science

Previous items, still timely:

47. MMS comment period on OCS 5 year plan - deadline September 21, 2009
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-4581.htm

48. Comment by July 6 on proposed Councils operations and admin changes
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-6896.htm

49. Comment by May 26 on GOA Rockfish Program
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-6462.htm

50. Comment deadline May 21 on Rockfish Program Amendment 85 CP groundfish
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-7557.htm

51. Comment deadline June 1 on BSAI and GOA Catcher Vessel & Inshore/Offshore Provisions Amendments 62/62
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-7449.htm

Alaska Groundfish Proposed rules are found at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/index/prules/prules.asp?Yr=2009

52. Smartgear Competition Deadline June 30.
Find the easy entry forms at www.smartgear.org .

UFA dues for Alaska commercial fishermen are $150 and we also welcome crew/supporter nonvoting members at $50 per year.
To support UFA see http://www.ufa-fish.org/members.htm