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UFA and Salmon Task Force Update May 21, 2004 Federal Assistance for Fishermen: TAA and NEG Update If you had a decline in Salmon fishing income from 2001-2002, but have been rejected because your IRS Schedule C does not show the necessary “Net fishing income decline” because of other income or adjustments, we encourage you to appeal your rejection decision within the 30 day deadline. Please contact our office at (907) 586-2820 or fax us a copy of your appeal letter at (907) 463-2545. You still need to attend TAA Technical Training - Deadline is June 30 for AK residents. 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. Rejected for TAA? - Other assistance is available for Fishermen, Crew, Tendermen, Cannery workers and Family in the National Emergency Grant Program. Spaces in this program are going fast – call your local State Job center office ASAP, & see website: http://www.jobs.state.ak.us/neg/index.html 1. Governor Signs New ASMI Board Legislation, names new board 2. USDA To Purchase Up To $15M Of Pink Salmon Products For Food Programs 3. U.S. Oceans Commission Report comment deadline extended to June 4 4. Wagoner Bill SB90 adds to Kenai River Special Management Area, changes board 5. DEC Invites Public Participation in Drafting New Food Safety Regulations 6. Copper River salmon fetch record price 7. Laine Welch: Fresh or frozen, filets jump-start Alaska salmon industry 8. ASMI News: United Airlines features AK Seafood on in-flight video 9. Feds Delay Copper River Subsistence fishery 10. DCED & Governor: Marketing programs generating National Awareness 11. Bristol Bay Gillnetters win case for more 2000 pay 12. Herring return to Norton Sound, but buyers don't 13. Chinook run 48% under forecast in Columbia and Snake Rivers 14. Peninsula Clarion reviews Ocean Treasure SeaGrant Commercial fishing primer 15. Villages could get break on low-sulfur diesel rules 16. UAS Ketchikan adds Fisheries Technology Degree program 17. Ferry LeConte arrives in Ketchikan for repairs 18. Juneau: Officials on the lookout for whale tangled in line, buoys 19. Stocks of wild salmon retain legal protection - ESA provisions to remain in place 20. 76 House Representatives Call for NOAA Fisheries to Abandon Hatchery Policy 21. Alaska's fish are clean, according to DEC study 22. Vancouver Sun: Wild Alaska salmon isn't as pure as advertised 23. Group urges ships to buy wild salmon 24. LA Times: So wild, so delicious, so confusing 25. White King salmon migrates from trash to treasure 26. OR: Oregon Wild-caught brand targets Chicago 27. EU: Birds Eye Switches to Wild Salmon 28. NW: Judge won't lift ban on pesticide use near salmon streams 29. Critical Habitat Reform Act Pits Greens Against Business 30. Whales, seals and fishermen rarely take same prey 31. MMRC reports Climate Change may be Key in Steller Decline 32. Environmental group prepared to sue over rare Bering Sea whales 33. MSNBC/AP runs Valdez Pink Salmon giveaway story 34. $2500 prize offered in Smart Fishing Gear Competition 35. Marine Advisory Program reopens Cordova office, and posts staff profiles 36. ASMI posts April Salmon Market Bulletin 37. Wild Seafood Exchange –Seattle, November 10 38. IPHC Halibut Landing report #2 for 2004 39. USCG Safety Alert – defective snap hooks on Cal-June Jim Buoy Life vests 40. USCG 2nd Notice on Port Valdez and Valdez Narrows Security Zones 41. USFWS posts Stikine Sockeye Subsistence Fishery Regulations 42. NPFMC Meetings for June 7- 15 43. NPFMC Non-Target Species Committee and Working Group to meet June 3-4 44. NOAA Research Review Team Report to be available for Public Comment 5/25-6/23 45. Comment Period Extended for MMPA Incidental Take Fisheries Categorization 46. BOF solicits nominations for Salmon Restructuring Panel – Deadline July 30 1. Governor Signs New ASMI Board Legislation, names new board …Processors will vote on whether to increase their voluntary assessment for marketing of all fish species from 0.03 percent to 0.05 percent. Passage of that increase would end the current 1 percent assessment for salmon. If the increase fails to pass, the salmon assessment would remain and the ASMI board would expand to 9 members… The new members of the board are: - Don Giles of Icicle Seafoods, term expiring term expiring in 2007 - Barry Collier, of Peter Pan Seafoods, term expiring in 2006 - Mark Palmer, of OceanBeauty Seafoods, term expiring in 2006 - Joe Bundrant, of Trident Seafoods, term expiring in 2005 - Duncan Fields, of Kodiak Salmon Packers, term expiring in 2007 - Kevin Adams, Bristol Bay fisherman, term expiring in 2007 - Bruce Wallace, Southeast Alaska fisherman, term expiring in 2005
http://www.alaskareport.com/news/2004/Governor 2. USDA To Purchase Up To $15M Of Pink Salmon Products For Food Programs Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that USDA will purchase up to $15 million of pink salmon products from the 2004 harvest season for distribution through federal food and nutrition programs. http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0202.04.html Senator Murkowski press
release:
http://www.alaskareport.com/news/2004/Murkowski% 3. U.S. Oceans Commission Report comment deadline extended to June 4 The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy today announced that it has extended the public comment period on its Preliminary Report to June 4, 2004. The extension applies to governors and all other stakeholders. http://oceancommission.gov/newsnotices/may14_04.html Main page: http://oceancommission.gov/ 4. Wagoner Bill SB90 adds to Kenai River Special Management Area, changes board "We also have a direct monetary benefit from commercial fishing which depends on the river and I want to do what I can to protect this valuable re-source," Wagoner said…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/051404/ 5. DEC Invites Public Participation in Drafting New Food Safety Regulations Ketchikan, AK - Recently passed legislation (HB 378) calls for a major overhaul of the State's food safety program, including food handler/operator training and certification through the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). To implement the new legislation, DEC is hosting workshops on proposed amendments to its food safety regulations (18 AAC 31). Changes include food handler certification, manager training and certification, and written operating procedures for facilities.
http://www.sitnews.us/0504news/052104/ DEC Public Notice: http://www.state.ak.us/dec/public_notices.htm For more information, call Kimberly Stryker at (907) 269-7628 or email at kimberly_stryker@dec.state.ak.us 6. Copper River salmon fetch record price After 12 hours of fishing Monday, the Copper River Delta commercial fleet was rewarded with the best king and red salmon prices they've ever seen…Fishermen got $6.25 a pound for kings they delivered to tenders…reds brought $4.25. http://www.adn.com/front/v-akcom/story/5088661p-5016100c.html 7. Laine Welch: Fresh or frozen, filets jump-start Alaska salmon industry …After several years of little or no growth, Alaska salmon producers are getting serious about fillets. The state Department of Revenue reports 14 million pounds of fillet production in 2003 - 12.9 million pounds frozen and 1.2 million pounds fresh. That’s four million pounds higher than 1998-2002 averages, and well above the 1999 peak of 11.7 million pounds…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/052104/ 8. ASMI News: United Airlines features AK Seafood on in-flight video http://www.adn.com/business/story/5088676p-5016081c.html (scroll down for story) See the video at
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/foodservice/ 9. Feds Delay Copper River Subsistence fishery Federal fisheries biologists have closed subsistence salmon fishing in the upper Copper River until June 1 after residents in the villages of Chistochina, Mentasta and Slana complained they haven't caught enough salmon the past two years. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2157961,00.html &&&&& ADN: … As a result of the subsistence closure, all sportfishing in the main stem of the Copper River has also been closed until June 1… http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/5092041p-5019486c.html
USFWS announcement: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/04inseason/r051404.html 10. DCED & Governor: Marketing programs generating National Awareness Alaska - The Department of Community and Economic Development says Wild Alaska Salmon is building consumer brand awareness on a national level thanks to Governor Frank Murkowski's efforts to revitalize Alaska's salmon industry. Last year, the Governor called on private industry to match $10 million of state funds to more effectively market Alaska salmon to the Lower 48.
http://www.sitnews.us/0504news/050804/050804_ 11. Bristol Bay Gillnetters win case for more 2000 pay Suit may result in payment of $600,000… An Anchorage jury recently found in favor of a group of Bristol Bay commercial fishermen who argued that a fish processing company failed to pay them as much as promised for their catches during the 2000 season. http://www.adn.com/business/story/5070027p-4997534c.html 12. Herring return to Norton Sound, but buyers don't …Norton Sound is quiet these days. The herring are there. Village fishermen are standing by. All that's missing is a buyer… http://www.adn.com/front/v-akcom/story/5081601p-5009218c.html 13. Chinook run 48% under forecast in Columbia and Snake Rivers State, federal and tribal biologists have updated the forecast, downgrading it from a prediction of 360,700 in December to 189,200 adult chinook. http://www.urnerbarry.com/news/133949.htm 14. Peninsula Clarion reviews Ocean Treasure SeaGrant Commercial fishing primer
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/051304/ins_ 15. Villages could get break on low-sulfur diesel rules …The low-sulfur fuel will reduce air pollution, but the EPA expects the new rules will add about 7 cents to the cost of each gallon. The nationwide rules will apply to communities in Alaska on the road and ferry system, said Clint Farr, a specialist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. But in more remote villages, low-sulfur diesel probably won't be required in highway vehicles until 2010, the same year as the nonhighway vehicles. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2155790,00.html 16. UAS Ketchikan adds Fisheries Technology Degree program Students can achieve a one year certificate and a two year associate of applied science degree in fisheries technology beginning fall 2004. http://www.sitnews.us/0504news/051304/051304_uask.html 17. Ferry LeConte arrives in Ketchikan for repairs The 235-foot ferry arrived at the state-owned shipyard in Ketchikan on Thursday morning. It took three days going about 4 knots an hour to tow the ferry the 263 miles to Ketchikan from Cozian Reef, where it had been hard aground in the Peril Strait about 30 miles north of Sitka. http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2162698,00.html 18. Juneau: Officials on the lookout for whale tangled in line, buoys Officials are on the lookout for a humpback whale that was spotted Saturday entangled in line attached to buoys. Kamie Liston said she and her husband were boating around 2 p.m. Saturday and spotted the whale tangled off Hannas Reef in Icy Strait, on the west side of Admiralty Island… Anyone who spots the whale is asked to call the Alaska Regional Office of Protected Resources at 586-7235. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/051904/loc_whale.shtml 19. Stocks of wild salmon retain legal protection - ESA provisions to remain in place In a reversal of expectations, the Bush administration handed conservationists a big victory yesterday by declaring its intention to continue to protect wild salmon under the Endangered Species Act. Development interests labeled the decision "ridiculous," saying that there are plenty of salmon produced in hatcheries, that hatchery salmon are just as good as wild salmon and that none of them needs legal protection. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/173489_salm15.html 20. 76 House Representatives Call for NOAA Fisheries to Abandon Hatchery Policy …more than 70 Representatives from both sides of the aisle joined Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) called on NOAA Fisheries to abandon their current proposed policy to include hatchery fish when deciding federal protections for wild salmon - a move that could remove some species from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Representatives charge that such a policy change is without scientific support and should not be made before a formal public review could take place. http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1366D000000FCA8C94892CD0A2D15 21. Alaska's fish are clean, according to DEC study Alaska's salmon and other fish are very low in pollutants, according to a new study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
http://www.sitnews.us/0504news/052004/052004_ 22. Vancouver Sun: Wild Alaska salmon isn't as pure as advertised “Commercial greed and gross mismanagement by government agencies have combined to destroy or diminish wild fish stocks all over the globe, including the West Coast salmon fishery. “With that in mind, one can only marvel at the success of the environment movement, and others, for convincing people that it is more ecologically responsible to kill and eat a wild Chinook salmon than a farmed Atlantic salmon raised in a pen… “The purity of the wild Alaska salmon is based more on myth than reality. And while Alaskans look down their noses at salmon farming (it's not allowed), they encourage salmon ranching. Further, the creme de la creme of Alaskan wild salmon is the Copper River run, but guess what -- it's laced with PCBs…” This article requires a subscription to Vancouver sun at: http://www.canada.com/search/story.html?id=96e7dbbd-d568-4a0a-8586-ebef9c705778 Or Interfish subscription at: http://www.thewaveonline.com/ (see sidebar for 5/20 if story has timed out from main page) The study by Circumpolar Conservation Union on Persistent Organic Pollutants referred to in the article is online at: http://www.circumpolar.org/execsummary.htm#POPpdf 23. Group urges ships to buy wild salmon More than 1,000 people, including Gov. Murkowski, several legislators, commercial fishermen and representatives of industry organizations signed a letter to the cruise lines urging them to serve wild salmon… Mark Vinsel, executive director of United Fishermen of Alaska, distributed the video "Fishing for the Future" at the salmon feed. The UFA has actively pursued cruise ships as a potential market for Alaska salmon for a number of reasons, he said. "First and foremost we want to drive the market," he said. A second and equally important result of serving Alaska salmon on cruise ships is that passengers learn the difference between wild Alaska salmon and farmed salmon, and possibly will seek out wild salmon after their vacation, Vinsel said… UFA thanks Representative Bill Williams for his work to enable the purchase of $4 million worth in Ketchikan… http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/051304/loc_salmon.shtml 24. LA Times: So wild, so delicious, so confusing …Buying wild salmon is a puzzle, but it is one worth solving. Though the aquaculture industry has succeeded in turning its farmed cousin into something close to the chicken of the sea in its availability and pricing, wild salmon is truly one of nature's royals… http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook12may12,1,2597442.story?coll=la-home-food 25. White King salmon migrates from trash to treasure White king salmon, believed to be a genetic oddity, have risen in recent decades from a trash fish to a white tablecloth delicacy. 'In the old days,' said Don Kramer, a seafood expert with the University of Alaska, 'fishermen were docked for each white fish they sold.' Now, the rare pale-fleshed salmon have been embraced to the extent that in some high-end restaurants they're called ivory salmon. http://www.urnerbarry.com/news/134478.htm 26. OR: Oregon Wild-caught brand targets Chicago Several members of Oregon's seafood industry will be on an airplane to Chicago today (Wednesday) to stir up a bigger market for Oregon pink shrimp, Dungeness crab, Albacore tuna and ocean-caught salmon among thousands of buyers, chefs and managers from many of America's chain and independent restaurants… The salmon include hatchery-bred coho, along with wild chinook; for that reason. The campaign therefore refers to "wild caught" salmon, avoiding the debate about hatchery fish and wild ones by focusing on the fact the fish had lived in the ocean and were caught there - wherever they were born.
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2004/05/19/ 27. EU: Birds Eye Switches to Wild Salmon Frozen food company Birds Eye said today it may consider switching from using farmed to wild salmon. The company uses farmed salmon from different sources in a salmon fishcakes product…It follows a newspaper report that said the company was to use only wild Pacific salmon in its products following fears about toxic pollutants in British farmed fish. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2950022 28. NW: Judge won't lift ban on pesticide use near salmon streams A federal judge yesterday refused to drop his order that bars farmers and foresters from spraying certain pesticides near thousands of miles of salmon streams…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/200193 29. Critical Habitat Reform Act Pits Greens Against Business With strong support from the Bush administration, the House Resources Committee is now considering the Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003, which would allow the Interior Department more discretion in designating critical habitats for endangered species. The bill, which has broad Republican support, would allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to take into account the economic impact on a community before it makes a designation. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120075,00.html 30. Whales, seals and fishermen rarely take same prey The first global study of its kind, released earlier in May 2004, shows that marine mammals and fishing fleets rarely prey heavily on the same fish stocks. The findings are provisional, but they suggest that scientists and policy makers should only rarely need to make a wrenching choice between the economic needs of fishers and their desire to protect threatened marine mammals… She found substantial overlap between marine mammal consumption and fisheries in a few places, such as near Iceland, in the Bering Sea, and in the Yellow Sea west of Korea all areas where claims of conflict have been especially heated in the past. Each of these potential problem areas will need to be studied in more detail, she says. http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994983 31. MMRC reports Climate Change may be Key in Steller Decline "I see it as a hierarchy of changes and at the bottom of the pyramid is ocean climate — the regime shifts. I think this is the major driving force that establishes which species are going to be dominant in the Gulf of Alaska or the Bering Sea, which species are going to thrive and which species are going to do poorly," said Dr. Andrew Trites… http://www.marinemammal.org/2004/kodiak.html 32. Environmental group prepared to sue over rare Bering Sea whales The Center for Biological Diversity this week submitted a 60-day notice to the National Marine Fisheries Service over what it says is a breach of promise to protect the very rare North Pacific right whales in the Bering Sea.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_RIGHT_ 33. MSNBC/AP runs Valdez Pink Salmon giveaway story “This is to entice people visiting Alaska to come down to Valdez and spend a few days here,” said Dave Cobb, business manager of the Valdez Fisheries Development Association, a private nonprofit pink and silver salmon hatchery. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4578982/ 34. $2500 prize offered in Smart Fishing Gear Competition Enter your design for smarter fishing gear and be eligible for the $25,000 grand prize, as well as help in bringing your design to market. We're looking for practical, cost-effective solutions that reduce the incidental catch of sea turtles, cetaceans, fish bycatch and other non-target species in either fixed gear or nets. 35. Marine Advisory Program reopens Cordova office, and posts staff profiles http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/NewsMedia/04news/05-07-04map-agents.html 36. ASMI posts
April Salmon Market Bulletin 37. Wild Seafood Exchange –Seattle, November 10 …from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM at Bell Harbor Conference Center. For more information or to add your name to the mailing list call Marci at206-284-8285 or email marci@RHPPublishing.com . http://www.wildseafoodexchange.com/WSEagenda.html 38. IPHC Halibut Landing report #2 for 2004
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/ 39. USCG Safety Alert – defective snap hooks on Cal-June Jim Buoy Life vests http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/docs/5-04.htm 40. USCG 2nd Notice on Port Valdez and Valdez Narrows Security Zones Second supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. No public meeting is planned. Comments deadline July 30, 2004.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar 41. USFWS posts Stikine Sockeye Subsistence Fishery Regulations
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 42. NPFMC Meetings for June 7- 15 The NPFMC Advisory Panel will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, June 7, and continue through Saturday, June 12, 2004. The Scientific and Statistical Committee will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 7, and continue through Wednesday, June 9, 2004. The Council will begin its plenary session at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, June 9 continuing through Tuesday, June 15. All meetings are open to the public except executive sessions. The Enforcement Committee will meet Tuesday, June 8 from 1 pm to 5 pm, Parliament Room 3 & 4.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ Council Main Page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 43. NPFMC Non-Target Species Committee and Working Group to meet June 3-4, 2004, in Seattle, WA from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.. Alaska Fishery Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way North East, Building 4, Room 2143, Seattle, WA 98115. For further information contact: Jane DiCosimo, Council staff; telephone: 907-271-2809.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/19may20040800/ 44. NOAA Research Review Team Report to be available for Public Comment 5/25 – 6/23. …The report addresses how NOAA should improve the management of research to ensure its maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Comments must be submitted by June 23, 2004. The NOAA Research Review Team Report will be available on the SAB website at
http://www.sab.noaa.gov/reports/RRT on May 25, 2004. The public is encouraged to submit comments electronically to
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 45. Comment Period Extended for MMPA Incidental Take Fisheries Categorization
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ The comment period has been extended to June14, 2004. The original notice and list of fisheries is at:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/ 46. BOF solicits nominations for Salmon Restructuring Panel – Deadline July 30 (We didn’t find this posted on the web) May 19, 2004 Dear Stakeholder: The Board of Fisheries is developing an action plan for considering and evaluating strategies for restructuring the salmon industry. The goal in developing this process is to develop a model for fisheries policy considerations in reviewing salmon fisheries restructuring proposals, and to identify research and analysis needs on the range of policy considerations. With this letter, the board is soliciting nominations for participants in a Salmon Restructuring Panel that will be charged with developing a draft process, described below. As a first step with regards to salmon restructuring in Alaska, the board will consider developing an action plan that identifies criteria, guidelines, and a public process for evaluating concepts. The action plan will also identify research and analysis needs. In order to include stakeholder input into formation of an action plan, the board will empanel a Salmon Restructuring Panel to assist in developing the action plan for full board review. The Salmon Restructuring Panel will be chaired by Ed Dersham and will include two additional board members, ten to twelve stakeholders that represent the various regions and interest groups in Alaska, and department staff. Stakeholder participants will be responsible for their own travel expenses to attend panel and board meetings. The Salmon Restructuring Panel will likely meet at least once prior to the board’s October 5-7, 2004 work session. Future meetings will be scheduled. The deadline for nominations for the stakeholder members of the Salmon Restructuring Panel is 5:00 p.m., July 30, 2004 (nominations must be received by this date; a postmark is not sufficient). Nominations should be faxed or mailed to the following office: Alaska Board of Fisheries Attn: Salmon Restructuring Panel Nominations P.O. Box 25526 Juneau, AK 99802 Fax: 907-465-6094 The board will select participants with a goal of broad regional representation as well as broad interest group representation.
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