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UFA & Salmon Task Force Update April 15, 2004
Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force Status of Task Force Bills has been added to the website – see link at top of page: http://www.ufa-fish.org/taskforce/index.htm HB 409 is scheduled for Senate Resources Friday 4/16 at 3:30 SB347 is scheduled for House Fisheries Monday 4/19 at 9:00 am
TAA Update –
Non-resident deadline APRIL 20.
Final
Juneau workshop for Trade Adjustment Assistance
(TAA) Technical Assistance - Tuesday April 27th
at Centennial Hall, Egan Room, 7:00 p.m.
Deadline for
Technical Training for AK residents is June 30. Fishermen living in Alaska are urged to contact the Marine Advisory Program at 1-888-788-6333, or visit the workshop Web site at www.taaworkshops.org to learn about workshops scheduled for their communities. In Anchorage call 786-6328 Alaska fishermen outside Alaska can obtain workshop schedules by calling Washington State University Extension at 1-800-477-4012.
Table of Contents: 1. Proposed Legislation Could Assist Fishing Communities in the Gulf and SE Alaska 2. Haines Letnikof Cove Cannery gets grant for fish-processing plant 3. U.S. Panel to Back Ocean Policy That May Lead to Zoning of Seas 4. Governor Urges Legislators to adopt Fiscal Plan 5. NOAA Cancels 2004 Kodiak Study on Marine Mammal – Fishery Interactions 6. Where fishing and tourism meet –follow up on HB458 7. Aerial Surveys of West Behm Canal Herring Still Underway –seiners on hold 8. 2004 Chinook Salmon Quota for Southeast Alaska 9. Microwave technology may revolutionize processed salmon 10. Kenai: Alaska fishery will expand dock 11. Juneau: Glacier Seafood dock extension OK'd 12. New wave of ocean policy coming 13. H-2B Visas - Security concerns threaten salmon roe industry 14. USDA update on Country of Origin Comments 15. Miller to run for U.S. Senate seat 16. Copper River 'King' Salmon to Rule Restaurant Menus These Days 17. Exxon Mobil hasn't paid up, but maybe this guy can spot them 18. Bush administration backs away from treaty governing oceans 19. Judge strikes down new 'loser pays' law 21. Herring eggs mark spring's arrival in SE 22. Coast Guard investigates aggressive fishing at Sitka Herring opening 23. Tacoma: Locally produced film explores salmon farming 24. Organic isn't always best label for salmon 25. US trade rules under fire as tariffs near approval 26. Canadian Cows eat herring to produce Omega-3 milk 27. Mexican shrimpers out to convince buyers that their product is world's best 28. Fish habitat debate logs lots of mail 29. Board of Fisheries Crab Rationalization Committee to meet April 26-27 30. ADF&G Comments on HB 452 Guide Registration bill 31. IPHC solicits applications for IPHC merit scholarship 32. FedReg - Fisheries ranked for MM Incidental Take –Proposed rule for comment 33. NPFMC posts Draft April Motions
1. Proposed Legislation Could Assist Fishing Communities in the Gulf and SE Alaska
Governor Frank Murkowski has introduced
legislation that would allow non-profit groups to purchase halibut and
sablefish (black cod) shares, to be fished by eligible residents along
Southeast coastal communities and the Gulf of Alaska. HB 554 and SB 387 propose a state funding mechanism through the Division of Investments, and opens up opportunity for 42 eligible communities to purchase halibut and sablefish quota shares under a National Marine Fisheries Service program known as Community Entities Quota.
http://www.sitnews.us/0404news/041504/041504_
2. Haines Letnikof Cove Cannery gets grant for fish-processing plant For the first time in nearly 30 years, Haines Packing Co. is planning to process salmon at Letnikof Cove this summer…Backed by a $48,500 state grant and an estimated $100,000 in private funding, new owners of the historic fish-packing company plan to begin work this month bringing the facility back to life. http://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/stories/story-2.html
3. U.S. Panel to Back Ocean Policy That May Lead to Zoning of Seas April 14 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. needs a coordinated policy to manage and protect the oceans after decades of haphazard oversight, a government panel will report Tuesday in a proposed overhaul that may lead to zoning the seas much like land use is controlled… ``We're recommending that both Congress and the White House create a national ocean council,'' said Andrew Rosenberg, 48, a commission member and professor of natural resources at the University of New Hampshire. ``Right now we have a regulatory morass that people fight their way through like a traffic jam.'' …
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= Oklahoma City KTOK / Joan Lowy Scripps Howard News Service story:
http://www.ktok.com/script/headline_newsmanager.php?id=
The long-awaited report will be posted at:
http://oceancommission.gov/ The comment period will be April 20 – May 21.
4. Governor Urges Legislators to adopt Fiscal Plan Governor Frank H. Murkowski announced today that he would support a resolution to the state's fiscal problem that protects the Permanent Fund dividend and education funding in the Constitution. The Governor said he supports the concepts that are contained in HJR47, being heard in the House Finance committee today. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=905
5. NOAA Cancels 2004 Kodiak Study on Marine Mammal – Fishery Interactions NOAA Fisheries officials have decided not to award a contract for marine mammal observation in the Kodiak salmon set gillnet fishery in 2004, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/ammopalert4904.htm
6. Where fishing and tourism meet –follow up on HB458 Fishermen's willingness to try the proposed approach comes as they recognize needs for both attracting crew members and exploring new marketing techniques, some say. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040904/sta_tourism.shtml
7. Aerial Surveys of West Behm Canal Herring Still Underway –seiners on hold An aerial survey Monday morning showed no active spawn or schools of herring in the shallows in the West Behm Canal area, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The aerial survey was done at 7:00 am.
http://www.sitnews.us/0404news/041304/041304_
8. 2004 Chinook Salmon Quota for Southeast Alaska http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2003/4-6-04nr.php
Juneau Empire story: New chinook harvest
quota highest since 1985 SE fishermen will be able to catch 373,870 chinooks, 8000 more than last year
http://juneauempire.com/cgi-bin/smart_search/cqcgi/@jun_stories.env?CQ_SESSION_
9. Microwave technology may revolutionize processed salmon …Four years of research in a joint effort between the private and public sector has culminated in the development of a high-powered microwave sterilization process that could be applied to salmon processing…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/041204/loc_
10. Kenai: Alaska fishery will expand dock …Dan Foley, president and owner of Pacific Star Fisheries, plans to rebuild his existing 600-foot steel dock to put seven new cranes along the Kenai River waterfront. The additional cranes will enable his company and others along the river to unload the Cook Inlet salmon catch much more easily than before, he said… http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/168708_kenai12.html
11. Juneau: Glacier Seafood dock extension OK'd Glacier Seafood gained approval Tuesday to build its Auke Nu Cove dock another 35 feet seaward in a plan worked out to protect nearby eelgrass beds. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041504/loc_dock.shtml
12. New wave of ocean policy coming Stricter regulations aim to protect marine ecosystems The Pew Oceans Commission, a nonprofit conservation organization, conducted a three-year study into the state of U.S. oceans, issuing its findings last year. It recommended five major reforms in U.S. ocean policy, the first of which is nearly complete. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy will likely address similar points, but would ultimately have the weight of law to carry through its recommendations…
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/
13. H-2B Visas - Security concerns threaten salmon roe industry An unexpected lack of foreign visas has caught Alaska's salmon industry off guard. The oversight could cause a crippling price crunch for one of the state's most valuable seafood products: salmon eggs. Laine Welch writes in Anchorage Daily News:
http://www.adn.com/business/story/4951042p-4879480c.html
&&&&& in Juneau Empire: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041404/sta_visas.shtml
14. USDA update on Country of Origin Comments USDA received approximately 5,600 timely comments, the majority of which related to the designation of fish and shellfish as either wild or farm-raised, the definition of a processed food item, and the recordkeeping requirements for both retailers and suppliers. USDA is evaluating all of the comments received and will address these comments in the final rule. http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/status.htm USDA COOL Main page: http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/
15. Miller to run for U.S. Senate seat Former Alaska state Sen. Mike Miller of North Pole will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in this fall’s primary election. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2083143,00.html
16. Copper River 'King' Salmon to Rule Restaurant Menus These Days Executive Chef Cites the Culinary Ecstasy of Copper River King Salmon http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040412/nyfnse01_1.html
17. Exxon Mobil hasn't paid up, but maybe this guy can spot them Juneau Empire City Editor Brandin Loomis compares and contrasts the what one drunk citizen did with a rifle to what another drunk citizen did with a tanker… http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040904/opi_loomis.shtml
18. Bush administration backs away from treaty governing oceans The Law of the Sea Convention, an international treaty governing uses of the world's oceans, was steaming toward Senate ratification last fall, backed by everyone from the White House to the U.S. Navy to lawmakers from both parties…But now U.S. approval may be capsized by conservatives wary of having the country sign on to any more international agreements, especially one overseen by the United Nations. http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/8409903.htm
19. Judge strikes down new 'loser pays' law
Governor's plan would have made environmental
groups pay legal fees for lost cases against the state…Superior Court Judge
Patricia Collins ruled it was improperly approved by the Legislature and
would prevent a wide range of people from challenging the state in court.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040904/sta_
21. Herring eggs mark spring's arrival in SE 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of free spawn distributed to 175 people over 3 hours
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041204/sta_
22. Coast Guard investigates aggressive fishing at Sitka Herring opening The Coast Guard has determined that aggressive fishing tactics during a 15-minute Sitka Sound herring sac roe fishery left a Ketchikan boat with broken ribs and planking. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~26794~2081513,00.html
23. Tacoma: Locally produced film explores salmon farming Filmed in Washington, British Columbia and Chile, the locally produced documentary, "Net Loss: The Storm Over Salmon Farming," examines this industrial approach to producing salmon. Government and industry spokesmen make the case for salmon farming, and fishermen, American Indians, scientists and chefs explain the dangers it may pose for the environment, human health and coastal cultures. http://www.tribnet.com/sports/story/4967682p-4896156c.html
24. Organic isn't always best label for salmon …In response to a study in early January that incriminated farm-raised salmon as containing substantially more PCB, dioxin and other cancer-causing contaminants than wild salmon, some stores have begun to offer customers salmon labeled "organic." Does this term ensure that the salmon is contaminant-free? Does it mean it is wild? Was it fed an organic diet? http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-fddisco3751490apr13,0,787539.story?coll=ny-health-headlines
25. US trade rules under fire as tariffs near approval A U.S. import law meant to protect American industries is once again under fire from trade experts and business executives… pond-grown shrimp from Asia and Latin America are among the latest targets of tariffs intended to keep imports from being dumped…
http://www.forbes.com/home_asia/newswire/2004/
26. Canadian Cows eat herring to produce Omega-3 milk
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/04/14/milk.
27. Mexican shrimpers out to convince buyers that their product is world's best …faced with declining shrimp prices worldwide and increased competition from farmed shrimp coming from places like Thailand and Brazil, Mexican shrimp producers and importers in March formed an association – the Mexican Shrimp Council – and launched a branding campaign that they hope will cement their product as the premier shrimp in the U.S. market.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040414/
28. Fish habitat debate logs lots of mail …more than 25,000 people have e-mailed their opinions on North Pacific fish habitat to the federal government. Over the past week, the National Marine Fisheries Service has been logging something like 1,200 messages per day about a draft environmental study that analyzes essential fish habitat and whether commercial fishing should be changed to protect it, said Jon Kurland, the agency's administrator for habitat conservation in Alaska.
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4954773p-4883134c.html
The website for the Draft EIS and comment submission is at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/habitat/seis/efheis.htm
29. Board of Fisheries Crab Rationalization Committee to meet April 26-27 The Board of Fisheries' Crab Rationalization Committee plans to meet in Anchorage April 26-27 at the Fourth Avenue Theater, 630 West Fourth Avenue. The committee is meeting to identify issues associated with crab rationalization in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands area. The board will not take any regulatory action. The meeting begins at 9:00 am April 26, and is open to the public.
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/news/
30. ADF&G Comments on HB 452 Guide Registration bill http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/guides/ghb452.cfm
31. IPHC solicits applications for IPHC merit scholarship A limited number of scholarships each currently valued at $2000 (US) per year, will be awarded. The scholarships are available to Canadian and U.S. students with a connection to the halibut industry.
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2004/
32. FedReg: Fisheries ranked for MM Incidental Take –Proposed rule for comment National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is publishing the proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2004, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed LOF for 2004 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals…Comments must be received by May 13, 2004.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/
33. NPFMC posts Draft April Motions: Habitat Areas of Particular Concern: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/HAPC/
PGSEIS: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/PGSEIS
AK Pollock:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/
Observer Issues:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/observer
CDQ Program:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/CDQ
GOA Groundfish motions: Rockfish
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/groundfish/
State Waters
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/groundfish/
IRIU Motion:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch/
NMPFC April Newsletter: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS404.pdf
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