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UFA and Salmon Task
Force Update Salmon Task Force Update: Bills on the move… HB 409 on Seiner Length Limit is scheduled on Senate floor today (May 4). HB 419 on Regional Marketing is scheduled in Senate Finance today (May 4). SB273 on ASMI funding and Board size, SB286 on Direct marketing, SB315 on Entry Permit Buyback Financing, SB322 on Salmon Enhancement Tax are in House Rules awaiting House floor hearings. See SitNews story at item # 3 below. Federal Assistance for Fishermen: TAA and NEG Update Deadline for Technical Training for AK residents is June 30. If you have not yet attended the TAA technical training, contact the Marine Advisory Program at 1-888-788-6333, or visit the workshop web site at www.taaworkshops.org . In Anchorage call 786-6328. More assistance is available for Fishermen, Crew, Tendermen, Cannery workers and Family in the National Emergency Grant Program: http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/neg/index.html Table of Contents: 1. Trident announces takoever of Norquest Seafoods 2. FSB Meetings on Area M: Fishermen take long running dispute to federal level 3. House Finance Committee Passes Bills to Help Alaska's Fishing Industry - 4. ADF&G Opens Togiak Herring Seine Fishery 5. ADF&G increases SE King salmon quota 6. Community quota program breaks capital barrier for the 'little guys' 7. Federal Register Notice: Final Rule on IFQ Program; Community Purchase 8. Inouye bill S.2301 gives Natives more say on fish and wildlife 9. Ralph Nader's Amazing Seafood Diet -- Don't Eat Any 10. MCA, schools & tribal workers clean up St. Paul Island 11. Kenai River pollution study lacks info on effects 12. Scientist warns of fishery toll from bycatches, ghost fisheries 13. Jay Hammond - Bald Eagles or Super Seagulls 14. Residents: What Future for Pelican 15. Forest Service studies the mysteries of the ooligan 16. Dana Stabenow accompanies USCG crew of Alex Haley in the Bering Sea 17. Ozone ice expert Bill Nelson joins e-FoodSafety.com, Inc. 18. NASA plans Star Tracker Satellites for better storm prediction 19. Time Magazine Online: When Salmon Are "Wild," And Other Word Games 20. Salmon-counting change sets off protests 21. Lubchenco & Lubbeth: Ratify Law of the Sea Treaty 22. F/V Galaxy Crew honored in bittersweet ceremony 23. Kensington Mine Port funding bills pass, raise questions of public access 24. Commission pitches ocean policy ideas to Congress 25. Florida seeks public comment on oceans report 26. Marine Fish Conservation Network: Oceans Report supports House IFQ Bill 27. Feds ask for more time to write salmon plan 28. MA: Legal Seafoods starts Alaska Wild Salmon campaign 29. BC Researcher says salmon runs could collapse due to sea lice, DFO disagrees 30. WA: Olympia Peninsula Geoduck aquaculture in area's future? 31. CA: Ukiah Brewing Company pledges not to serve farmed salmon 32. House Resources report: The ESA at 30 – A Mandate for Modernization 33. Center for Biological Diversity petitions for 225 species listings – None in Alaska 34. VA: Healthy eating that doesn’t taste bad 35. WA: Wild Seafood Exchange links fishermen, retailers, chefs 36. WA: Supreme Court rejects water division case 37. Australian prawns soon to hit US market 38. NH – Bluewater revolution - ocean fish farm 39. UN, Russia unveil project to protect wild salmon in Far East 40. Overfishing has dramatic impact on fish breeding 41. Asia-Pacific nations divided on fishing subsidies 42. Final rule on AK Port of Landing Codes for EEZ Groundfish and Halibut IFQ 43. Proposed Rule on MMPA Zero Mortality Rate Goal –Comment by June 1. 44. NMFS Meetings to present draft Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan 45. BSAI Crab Meeting on proposed catch-monitoring standards May 6, Seattle 46. BOF posts summaries from BB, AYK, PWS, & Gulf Ratz meetings 47. NPFMC HAPSC meeting - Juneau May 5 10:00 -5:00 48. NPFMC IRIU Subcommittee meeting – May 17-18, Seattle 49. NPFMC Portland June 9-15 Meeting Agenda 50. Interagency Nation Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan comments due by May 23. 51. NPRB to meet in Juneau July 29-30 52. Juneau Wild Salmon Event to celebrate AK seafood on cruise ships 53. ACE & AMA Seafood Supply Chain Open House, Anchorage May 6 1. Trident announces takoever of Norquest Seafoods Trident Seafoods Corp. has announced it will take over rival NorQuest Seafoods Inc., the latest consolidation within the struggling salmon industry… NorQuest will keep its brand and operate as a Trident subsidiary, Garner said. No plant closures or worker cutbacks are planned for the summer, when millions of spawning salmon return to Alaska rivers.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_SEAFOOD_ 2. FSB Meetings on Area M: Fishermen take long running dispute to federal level Commercial fishermen exhorted federal subsistence managers to stay out of the long-running dispute over Alaska Peninsula salmon fishing this summer, while subsistence fishermen asked for the exact opposite…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/042904/sta_ 3. House Finance Committee Passes Bills to Help Alaska's Fishing Industry - Four Bills Proposed by Salmon Task Force The bills passed by the House Finance Committee are: Senate Bill 273 - Changes to the ASMI Board Senate Bill 286 - Direct Marketing of Salmon Senate Bill 315 - Entry Permit Buyback Senate Bill 322 Salmon Enhancement Tax
http://www.sitnews.us/0504news/050104/050104_ 4. ADF&G Opens Togiak Herring Seine Fishery http://www.bbna.com/herring04/no12.htm 5. ADF&G increases SE King salmon quota An Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) review of data utilized under the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST) for calculating harvest levels for a number of coastal salmon fisheries has resulted in approximately 10,000 more chinook salmon for the 2004 all gear catch in Southeast Alaska than had been previously announced. http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2004/4-29-04nr.php 6. Community quota program breaks capital barrier for the 'little guys' Alaskans who live in small coastal communities are closer to claiming their own shares of halibut and black cod (sablefish). The Community Entities Quota (CQE) program was adopted earlier this year by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. It allows 42 Gulf of Alaska communities with fewer than 1,500 residents to form non-profit corporations to act on their behalf and purchase quota shares.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/042604/fis_ NOAA announcement: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/ram/cqp.htm 7. Federal Register Notice: Final Rule on IFQ Program; Community Purchase
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800 8. Inouye bill S.2301 gives Natives more say on fish and wildlife Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has proposed legislation that would tell federal land managers they must enter agreements with tribes or other Alaska Native organizations to co-manage fish and wildlife and to administer agency programs that affect fish and wildlife… The bill states that "upon the request of an Indian tribal government or Alaska Native fish and wildlife organization, the secretary shall enter into a contract, compact, cooperative agreement or a grant" arrangement with that government or organization. The tribe or organization can "plan, conduct or administer any program of the Department of the Interior, or portion thereof, which affects Indian fish and wildlife resources." http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2118648,00.html To find this bill go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter bill number S.2301 9. Ralph Nader's Amazing Seafood Diet -- Don't Eat Any …Public Citizen's anti-shrimp smear is similar to other activist campaigns that seek a special eco-tax on shrimp. To reverse this plague of inexpensive seafood, Nader's legion of professional scaremongers aims to frighten the public away from delectable prawns…
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/headline_detail.cfm? What we found on Nader’s Public Citizen was not quite as the misleading headline: -Do not buy farm-raised shrimp. -Talk to your seafood grocer about the costs of farm-raised shrimp. -Ask for local or U.S. “pot caught” shrimp. -Support local fishermen and local seafood. http://www.citizen.org/cmep/foodsafety/shrimp/index.cfm 10. MCA, schools & tribal workers clean up St. Paul Island So far, the crews have wrenched out about 10 tons of marine debris in four days, said Phillip Zavadil, co-director of the Ecosystem Conservation Office for the Tribal Government of St. Paul…
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_ISLAND_ 11. Kenai River pollution study lacks info on effects Representatives from various government agencies came prepared with answers to many of the questions area residents had at a meeting regarding petroleum pollution in the lower Kenai River, including how much pollution was found and what the likely source of that pollution is.
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/043004/new_ 12. Scientist warns of fishery toll from bycatches, ghost fisheries Unintended catches of marine life in commercial and recreational fisheries are taking a heavy toll, delegates to the World Fisheries Congress have been told…
http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/ 13. Jay Hammond - Bald Eagles or Super Seagulls Former Governor writes about eagle baiting and 300 horsepower jet boats on the Chilkat Bald eagle preserve…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/050304/opi_ 14. Residents: What Future for Pelican But though the town's people are in good spirits, its economy is hurting. Compared to the 1980s, when fishermen and employees of the town's cold storage facility brought a bundle of money and people to the town for the fishing season, Pelican now is almost like a ghost town. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/050204/loc_pelican.shtml 15. Forest Service studies the mysteries of the ooligan
http://ap.peninsulaclarion.com/pstories/state/ak/20040501/ 16. Dana Stabenow accompanies USCG crew of Alex Haley in the Bering Sea http://www.alaskamagazine.com/stories/050604/aktraveler.shtml 17. Ozone ice expert Bill Nelson joins e-FoodSafety.com, Inc. … by using an ozonated rinse, and ozonated ice to remove bacteria, that he could significantly improve the quality of the product, and extend the shelf life. Since then, he has worked relentlessly on developing methods of simplifying the practical application of ozone for food safety…
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp? 18. NASA plans Star Tracker Satellites for better storm prediction Next week, a NOAA conference will be held in Broomfield, Colo., to focus on a series of satellites to be launched starting in 2012. Those satellites are expected to scan the Earth five times faster and provide 50 times more data than those now in use. http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040503-103302-1316r.htm 19. Time Magazine Online: When Salmon Are "Wild," And Other Word Games Under a new plan, the distinction between farm-bred salmon, which are later released into rivers and streams, and their cousins hatched in the wild will be removed. That will instantly raise the overall tally of salmon — and make it more probable that the government will eliminate or downgrade protections for 15 salmon species now sheltered under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040510-632120,00.html 20. Salmon-counting change sets off protests Conservationists say the plan will mean the waste of decades of work and millions of dollars to provide endangered species help to wild salmon
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/ 21. Lubchenco & Lubbeth: Ratify Law of the Sea Treaty This spring, under the leadership of Senator Richard Lugar, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Law of the Sea was expected to sail through the Senate. Ratification had the strong support of the Bush Administration, the Pew Oceans Commission, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, and the Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce. Recently however, vague and unfounded concerns about national security and deep-sea mining have stalled a Senate vote.
http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/oregonian/ 22. F/V Galaxy Crew honored in bittersweet ceremony
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001915327 23. Kensington Mine Port funding bills pass, raise questions of public access Coeur Alaska seeks $20 million in tax-exempt bonds through the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. On Tuesday the House and Senate Transportation committees approved legislation allowing the bonds. Before gaining tax-exempt status, Coeur and AIDEA must convince the Internal Revenue Service that the Slate Creek and Cascade Point ports will also serve the public. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2116092,00.html 24. Commission pitches ocean policy ideas to Congress Members of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy pitched their ideas and money requests to congressional committees last week after releasing a 400-page report, and they gained general endorsement on both scores from Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska… http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2111183,00.html 25. Florida seeks public comment on oceans report Florida is taking the lead among the five Gulf states in responding to the preliminary report from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released April 20. Gov. Jeb Bush sent a letter last week to the other four Gulf state governors, calling for their input to bring about better regional cooperation and set priorities for a healthier Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/news/article/0,2071, The U.S. Oceans
Commission Report website is at
http://oceancommission.gov/documents/prelimreport/ 26. Marine Fish Conservation Network: Oceans Report supports House IFQ Bill http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040429/phth027_1.html 27. Feds ask for more time to write salmon plan A federal agency that is rewriting a salmon recovery plan for the Pacific Northwest has asked for a six-month extension that would delay a final decision until after the presidential election… http://www.tdn.com/articles/2004/05/01/oregon/news03.txt 28. MA: Legal Seafoods starts Alaska Wild Salmon campaign East Coast restaurant chain Legal Sea Foods is launching a campaign to extol the benefits of Alaska wild salmon. The initiative should more than double Legal Sea Foods' consumption of fresh Alaska salmon and reduce its use of farmed salmon, the company said. Legal Sea Foods' Executive Chef Richard Vellante has created dishes such as "Alaska wild salmon salad with grainy mustard-caper dressing and honey-roasted onions" and "cedar planked Alaska wild salmon with grilled vegetables and lemon-line dressing." http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/043004/bus_salmon.shtml 29. BC Researcher says salmon runs could collapse due to sea lice, DFO disagrees A B.C. biologist is warning of the extinction of a major pink salmon run on the province's central coast because of sea lice, but a massive research project by the Department of Fisheries doesn't back up her claims. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/04/28/439900-cp.html 30. WA: Olympia Peninsula Geoduck aquaculture in area's future? http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/sited/story/html/162740 31. CA: Ukiah Brewing Company pledges not to serve farmed salmon The Ukiah Brewing Company is the latest business to sign on to the "Farmed and Dangerous" campaign, a consumer-markets targeted effort to get retail and restaurants to pledge not to serve farmed salmon until the industry is reformed to reduce what the campaign alleges is a negative impact on the environment and public health.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91~ 32. House Resources report: The ESA at 30 – A Mandate for Modernization
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/issues/more/esa/ 33. Center for Biological Diversity petitions for 225 species listings – None in Alaska Scientists, artists and conservationists petition bush administration to place 225 plants and animals on endangered list - action is largest listing effort in history of the endangered species act…Check the online map and you’ll find none of the species are in Alaska
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/Programs/ 34. VA: Healthy eating that doesn’t taste bad Check out some of the best foods for you according to Virginia Collegiate food columnist – includes Chicken of the Sea pouched AK salmon. http://www.collegiatetimes.com/index.php?ID=3880 35. WA: Wild Seafood Exchange links fishermen, retailers, chefs Last Friday, about 80 people gathered for the first Wild Seafood Exchange. Fishermen's News, an industry newspaper, sponsored a daylong event at the Bell Harbor Conference Center that allowed independent commercial fishermen, retailers and chefs to connect. Even the mayor of Yakutat, Alaska, attended. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/170875_chou28.html 36. WA: Supreme Court rejects water division case Environmentalists say decision helps protect wild salmon The U.S. Supreme Court declined yesterday to hear an appeal of a lower court decision that the government can close irrigation ditches crossing U.S. Forest Service land to provide additional water to help endangered fish runs. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/171820_methow04.html 37. Australian prawns soon to hit US market Fish biologist with Queensland Fisheries Service Brigid Kerrigan said continuing efforts to reopen the US market for local wild-caught prawns had come to fruition based on the improvement of turtle excluder devices (TEDs), which are attached to trawl gear to protect turtles.
http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/ 38. NH – Bluewater revolution - ocean fish farm …The University of New Hampshire experiment, along with similar installations in countries from Portugal to China, is just the beginning. In the future, ocean ranches will be everywhere, except they'll be vastly bigger and fully automated - and mobile… http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.05/fish.html 39. UN, Russia unveil project to protect wild salmon in Far East Russia and the United
Nations unveiled a program to protect the wild salmon off the coast of
Kamchatka, which is threatened by overfishing and oil projects in Russia's
Far East. 40. Overfishing has dramatic impact on fish breeding A Canada & Norway study finds overfishing selectively breeds smaller fish because large fish that mature later can be culled before they reproduce…
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid= 41. Asia-Pacific nations divided on fishing subsidies New Zealand has challenged the nations of the world to protect fishing stocks by ending the subsidization of commercial fishing.
http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/ 42. Final rule on AK Port of Landing Codes for EEZ Groundfish and Halibut IFQ
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 43. Proposed Rule on MMPA Zero Mortality Rate Goal –Comment by June 1. NMFS proposes in this rule that this threshold level be 10 percent of the Potential Biological Removal level (PBR) for a stock of marine mammals. NMFS solicits comments on this proposed rule and on the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for this action. Comments must be received by June 1, 2004.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 44. NMFS Meetings to present draft Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is hosting a series of public meetings to present a draft of the NOAA Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan 2005 2010. The primary goal of the meeting is to collect public input on the DRAFT Plan. Meetings will be held in Seal Beach, CA; Dania Beach, FL; Portland, OR; and Tuckerton, NJ.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 45. BSAI Crab Meeting on proposed catch-monitoring standards May 6, Seattle NMFS will present a workshop on proposed catch-monitoring standards for shoreside processors and buyers that intend to take deliveries of crab species managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (Crab FMP). Thursday, May 6, 2004, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Pacific local time at Nordby Center, Fishermen's Terminal, 1711 W. Nickerson St., Seattle, WA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Kinsolving, 907-586-7228.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 46. BOF posts summaries from BB, AYK, PWS, & Gulf Ratz meetings Bristol Bay finfish meeting (December 2003), the A-Y-K finfish meeting (January 2004) and the PWS Allocation meeting (April 2004).
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/ 47. NPFMC HAPSC meeting - Juneau May 5 10:00 -5:00 There will be a meeting Wednesday, May 5th 10am-5pm to address redefining the spatial bounds of HAPC proposal #8 – with potential closures or areas in Fairweather Grounds, Cape Ommaney, & Dixon Entrance. The meeting will be held in Juneau at the Federal Building RA conference Room #445. All are welcome and encouraged to attend and there will be a conference line: 907-586-7060. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Cmteemtg.htm 48. NPFMC IRIU Subcommittee meeting – May 17-18, Seattle The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Improved Retention/Improved Utilization Subcommittee will meet in Seattle, WA on Monday, May 17, 2004, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, May 18, 2004, from 9 a.m. to noon.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 49. NPFMC Portland June 9-15 Meeting Agenda http://www.uscg.mil/d17/allnews/news04/050304.htm 50. Interagency Nation Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan comments due by May 23. For more information on the National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan, or a copy of the draft guidance, go to: http://www.mitigationactionplan.gov/guidance.htm 51. NPRB to meet in Juneau July 29-30 The Board will meet on July 29-30 in Juneau. The main purpose of the meeting will be to review the revised draft outline of the science plan. A draft agenda will be posted when available. The Advisory Panel will meet July 27-28, 2004. A draft agenda will be posted when available. http://www.nprb.org/meetings/index.htm 52. Juneau Wild Salmon Event to celebrate AK seafood on cruise ships SEACC is organizing a lunchtime get together Wed., May 12th at Marine park, 11:30 to 1:30 and are planning on BBQing fresh kings as well as having some smoked salmon on hand…“rather than chastising the cruise ship industry for not serving Alaskan seafood, the tone of the event will be to celebrate what they are doing ($4 million) and encourage the industry to do more…” For details- contact Emily Ferry at 586-6942. 53. ACE & AMA Seafood Supply Chain Open House, Anchorage May 6 If you find yourself in Anchorage next Thursday, May 6th, 4:00 – 6:00 please join the Alaska Seafood Supply Chain Group for an open house event at Alaska Central Express at 5901 Lockheed Avenue. This informal group gathers occasionally to discuss many topics related to the seafood industry, Alaska's in particular. Our mission is informal, but our interests are united in a stronger collaboration for new, growing and sustainable seafood business from Alaska. RSVP to akcfood2004@yahoo.com or (907) 563-0154. |