UFA Update 

April 6, 2005

Contents

1. 2005 Chinook Salmon Quota for Southeast Alaska slightly higher

2. Allure of Alaska's wild fish highlighted in USA Today

3. Pot cod season ends with high catch rates

4. New store labels to distinguish wild fish from farmed

5. Governor appoints Campbell to head ADF&G , Fredriksson to DEC, Marquez A.G.

6. NOAA official: More control to fishermen

7. Fishing industry management debate on

8. Ketchikan judge agrees to delay Greenpeace trial

9. Halibut demand, prices excel

10. Governor issues statement on the Exxon Valdez Spill

11. Murkowski Administration Tries to Clarify Coastal Policy

12. Fish farmers see future in oil platforms

13. Offshore fish farming — The selling of common waters - by Anne Mosness

14. Court Decision Reverses Ballast Exemption to Clean Water Act

15. Beware: The trash in the Pacific

16. Illiamna-area villages oppose Pebble mine plans

17. Kodiak Fishermen discuss with AMCC effects of bottom trawling

18. Kodiak set netting likely to stay Category II for MMPA

19. Delegation Announces Grants, Loans, And Contracts To Alaska Programs…

20. UN adopts voluntary guidelines for eco-labelling fish

21. 'Superfoods' Can Boost Health - more positive press on salmon

22. Aleutians Automatic ID system is a step toward safer shipping.

23. AZ: Tlingit fisherman from Alaska brings salmon and crab to the desert.

24. UW & BC: Fewer Fish Discarded After Individual Transferable Quotas Offered

25. WA: Puget Sound chinook more toxic

26. EU Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg meets French fishermen

27. Laine Welch's Fish Radio, sponsored by VesselConnection / Wireless Matrix

28. Amended 2004 Annual Alaska Salmon Production Report Posted

29. ASMI Foodservice Flash -March edition

30. NPRB announces $4.5M in 2005 research funding

31. Marine advisory agent crashes shellfish hurdles

32. NMFS announces CDQ administrative changes

33. NOAA Summary of Seabird Bycatch in Alaskan Groundfish Fisheries, 1993 - 2003.

34. NOAA posts final rule on Subsistence Halibut

35. Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska

36. Amendment 83 (BSAI) & 75 (GOA) to the FMP for AK Groundfish

37. NPFMC Agenda for April 4 - 11, Anchorage

38. Nation’s marine fisheries managers honor NOAA fisheries service director Hogarth

39. Comment deadline April 8, 2005 on new USCG AK cruise ship security zones

40. Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management

41. MPA News April issue online

42. MMRC: A ‘Sound’ Approach to Assessing Fish Stocks

43. Federal Subsistence Fisheries Regulations books available

44. "Managing Fisheries—Empowering Communities" April 21-23, Anchorage

45. Fishermen's Direct Marketing Manual - updated & online

46. AK Sea Grant publishes Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska

47. Help Wanted - IPHC seeks Port Sampler for Seward/Saint Paul, Alaska

48. Help Wanted: NPFMC Data Manager/Analyst

49. ADF&G seeks vessel charter for Area Q Red King Crab - deadline April 21

50. EVOS FY05 Herring RFP deadline extended to April 22

51. Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial Juneau. - deadline near

52. USDA Value-added grants – deadline May 6, 2005

53. PWS Science Center presents Copper River Nouveau 2005

54. DIPAC RFP for Snettisham cost recovery harvest - deadline April 15

55. Deadline for Board of Fisheries proposals - April 8

56. UAF MAP - USDA TAA Technical Training workshop schedule


1. 2005 Chinook Salmon Quota for Southeast Alaska slightly higher

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday afternoon that this year's Southeast Alaska Chinook harvest quota will be slightly higher than last year.  As a result, catch opportunities for Southeast Chinook harvesters will be somewhat better.

http://www.sitnews.us/0405news/040605/040605_quota.html


2. Allure of Alaska's wild fish highlighted in USA Today

Trolling through the misty fjord of Chatham Strait in Alaska's Inside Passage, commercial fisherman Dick HofMann pulls a 20-pound king salmon from the water and gently packs it on ice…

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-03-30-
alaska-wild-fish_x.htm

&&& same story, original in Christian Science Monitor, with photo:

Why expensive Alaskan salmon have conquered the fish counters across the Lower 48…

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0331/p03s01-usgn.html


3. Pot cod season ends with high catch rates

The local state-waters pot cod season ended Saturday at 3 p.m., over a month later than last year. The extra fishing time is a result of a boost in quota allocated by the Board of Fisheries this winter. Up until this season, the quota was split 50-50 between pots and jig fishermen. This year saw that change to 75 percent for pot boats and 25 percent for jig boats, giving pot boats 1.64 million pounds and jig boats 548,000 pounds.

http://www.homernews.com/stories/033105/seawatch_
0331sea001.shtml


4. New store labels to distinguish wild fish from farmed

Alaskans would like new rule to extend to canned, smoked salmon…

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/032905/loc_
20050329002.shtml

& Monterey Herald:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald
/news/local/11314915.htm

& Kodiak Daily Mirror

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=1300

Agricultural Marketing Service Press Release: http://www.ams.usda.gov/news/074-05.htm

USDA COOL Homepage:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/


5. Governor appoints Campbell to head ADF&G , Fredriksson to DEC, Marquez A.G.

Gov. Frank Murkowski on Thursday appointed McKie Campbell commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game and Kurt Fredriksson commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation…

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=18&path=A/
AK_COMMISSIONER_APPOINTMENTS

Juneau Empire…http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040105
/sta_20050401051.shtml

Governor's press release: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1640

&&

New Fish and Game head finds favor - Peninsula sport, commercial fishing groups optimistic about Campbell…

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/
040605/news_0406new002001.shtml


6. NOAA official: More control to fishermen

The future of fisheries management lies in quota programs that will allow fishermen to make safer and smarter business decisions, a top fishing regulator said yesterday at a national fisheries conference…

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-05/03-25-05/a03sr178.htm


7. Fishing industry management debate on

The regional regulation that the North American fishing industry enjoys might come under threat in Congress this year due to weak investments in habitat protection and other aspects of fishery management by some regional councils, but according to one regional fishing advocacy group, what the industry needs is more good science, not federal centralization…

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050328-030028-9636r.htm

&&&

Future of Fishery Councils Debated

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID
=/20050327/NEWS/503270440/1004

&&&

Lawmaker pushing to keep oceans on agenda

U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md., said Thursday it's going to take a lot of cooperation, intellect and innovation to come up with a comprehensive plan to manage the nation's oceans, speaking at a marine resource conference in Washington, D.C…

But before Gilchrest addressed the audience, Greenpeace attempted to infiltrate the banquet. A handful of Greenpeace members, dressed as waiters and resembling the staff of the Omni Shoreham Hotel, distributed "menus" with copy titled "Mismanaging Our Nation's Fisheries: a menu of what's missing."

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2005/03/
25/news/news14.txt


8. Ketchikan judge agrees to delay Greenpeace trial

Ketchikan District Court Judge Kevin Miller has agreed to postpone the trial of Greenpeace and ship managers on state charges they violated Alaska oil spill prevention laws last summer…

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2785093,00.html


9. Halibut demand, prices excel

With a strong price and steady demand, longliners are expecting a good season for halibut…

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/032905/loc_
20050329001.shtml

&

Halibut in season: Fresh fish is low in fat and delicious (Toledo Blade)

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20050329/ART06/503290309


10. Governor issues statement on the Exxon Valdez Spill

"… Sixteen years is too long to resolve these claims and I call upon the parties to the litigation to renew their efforts to expeditiously resolve their differences…"

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1635


11. Murkowski Administration Tries to Clarify Coastal Policy

Top Murkowski administration officials met behind closed doors with local and regional coastal policy managers to try to clarify what role local groups will have in reviewing development projects. The governor delegated that power to Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin shortly after he was elected, and the legislature passed a bill to that effect later that year. But state regulations intended to implement those actions have run afoul of federal law…

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/apti/news.newsmain?
action=article&ARTICLE_ID=755816

&&&

Communities ask Legislature for delay on coastal program overhaul

Representatives of coastal districts say they don't have time to revamp local plans

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/031505/
sta_20050315008.shtml


12. Fish farmers see future in oil platforms

Thousands of oil and natural gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico could be converted into deep-sea fish farms raising red snapper, mahi mahi, yellow fin tuna and flounder, under a plan backed by the Bush administration…

So far farming from the Gulf's platforms has only been experimental…

Severe storms damaged some pens and fish got out…

studies show that the ocean-raised redfish worked out to cost a whopping $22 a pound, whereas redfish sold for $3.50 a pound at market…

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/04/04/
farming.the.gulf.ap/


13. Offshore fish farming — The selling of common waters - by Anne Mosness

http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/0504/sc0504-fishfarming.html

&&&

CAL: Growth foreseen for ocean fish-farming

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/
news/11314863.htm


14. Court Decision Reverses Ballast Exemption to Clean Water Act

Federal court ruling to prevent spread of invasive species by requiring permits for dumping ballast water..

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0405-02.htm


15. Beware: The trash in the Pacific

Scientists are now alarmed at discovering that a three million-ton mass of plastic debris that may contain toxics like DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), is floating in the North Pacific subtropical gyre and continues to get bigger each year from plastic thrown by Japanese, Canadians and Americans from their respective eastern and western Pacific coastal lands.

http://www.mb.com.ph/OPED2005032831512.html


16. Illiamna-area villages oppose Pebble mine plans

Several villages near what is called North America's largest gold deposit are opposed to plans to develop a large mining district in their region.

Nondalton, Ekwok, New Stuyahok and Koliganek have adopted resolutions strongly opposing plans to turn the Pebble deposit into a large mine with satellite mines nearby… http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2777641,00.html

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kenai Peninsula Clarion Online looks at Pebble mine in ongoing series…

Pebble mine developers weigh profits, concerns

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040305/
news_0403new002001.shtml

Residents charge mine owners are digging up trouble

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040305/
news_0403new003001.shtml

Fort Knox offers possible preview of Pebble Mine

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040505/
news_0405new003001.shtml

Northern Dynasty ownership complex

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040605/
news_0406new004001.shtml

Scratching the surface: Pebble Mine - Best laid plans can go awry in hard-rock mining

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040405/
news_0404new003001.shtml

Lake and Peninsula Borough gives cautious approval to Pebble Mine

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040405/
news_0404new004001.shtml


17. Kodiak Fishermen discuss with AMCC effects of bottom trawling

After the Alaska Marine Conservation Council presented an overview of research supporting the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s recent action to close 375,000 square nautical miles of Alaska waters to bottom trawling, two Kodiak fishermen objected to the group’s inference that all trawling is bad…

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=1274


18. Kodiak set netting likely to stay Category II for MMPA

After one year of federal observation, results indicate the Kodiak set gillnet fishery will probably stay in Category II, Bryan Belay, field manager for the Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program, confirmed at a ComFish seminal Friday.

A similar but smaller gillnet fishery in Cook Inlet was reclassified as category III after observers documented no mortality to marine mammals from interactions in 1999 and 2000…

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=1267


19. Delegation Announces Grants, Loans, And Contracts To Alaska Programs… http://donyoung.house.gov/PressRelease.aspx?NewsID=1563


20. UN adopts voluntary guidelines for eco-labelling fish

Consumers can soon rest assured that the fish they are eating has not been caught in an environmentally-unfriendly way under a new eco-labelling scheme adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a bid to ensure the sustainability of the world's marine fisheries… http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=
13758&Cr=&Cr1

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

MSC welcomes UN FAO guidelines on marine eco-labelling

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/
2462/MSC_welcomes_FAO_guidelines_on_marine_eco-labelling.html


21. 'Superfoods' Can Boost Health - more positive press on salmon

There is food, and then there is superfood. Salmon, trout and albacore tuna may reduce the risk of heart disease.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,152674,00.html


22. Aleutians Automatic ID system is a step toward safer shipping.

The Coast Guard will begin tracking ship traffic electronically through the Aleutian Islands this summer, providing data that eventually could demonstrate the need for new equipment to prevent shipwrecks in the heavily traveled region, agency officials said Tuesday at a shipping safety forum in Anchorage…

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/6325227p-
6201910c.html


23. AZ: Tlingit fisherman from Alaska brings salmon and crab to the desert.

Tim Keener, 50, who harvests fish and seafood from Alaska's Cook Inlet, opened Alaska Family Salmon in December on Camelback Road in Phoenix…

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/food/articles/
0406goodtogo06.html


24. UW & BC: Fewer Fish Discarded After Individual Transferable Quotas Offered

Contradicting previous assumptions, new fisheries research shows that allocating catch among vessels reduces the amount of fish discarded at sea. The findings come at a time when individual transferable quotas are being considered for the U.S. West Coast…

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/510690/


25. WA: Puget Sound chinook more toxic

A state Department of Fish and Wildlife scientist has found that concentrations of banned toxic chemicals are substantially higher in Puget Sound chinook salmon than in chinook from other areas…

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/03/25/
c3.wa.toxicfish.0325.html


26. EU Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg meets French fishermen

"…The more fishermen are involved in the fisheries management process, the more they will want to see measures succeed. Regional advisory councils will allow for this…

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=181598


27. Laine Welch's Fish Radio, sponsored by VesselConnection / Wireless Matrix

Recent topics:

WED 03/30/05   Southeast king salmon will beat Copper River fish to markets this year

TUE 03/29/05   Alaska Seafood Exchange aims to bring sellers/buyers together ? opens in May

MON 03/28/05   Major seafood company launches Hunk at Home contest

FRI 04/01/05   AK communities can have a voice in fishery management decisions

THU 03/31/05   Grooved Tanner crab heads to west coast markets; also found down deep in Alaska

WED 03/23/05   Aquaculture poses tremendous opportunity for Alaska, especially westward regions

TUE 03/22/05   Frozen salmon fillets gain acceptance in U.S. ? Great news for Alaska! http://www.vesselconnection.com/
cgi-bin/fish_radio.pl

Sponsored by www.vesselconnection.com (with weather and other useful links)

& see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html


28. Amended 2004 Annual Alaska Salmon Production Report Posted

http://www.tax.state.ak.us/programs/fisheries/reports/
2004Production_amend.pdf


29. ASMI Foodservice Flash -March edition

This months stories:

Alaska's Stikine and Taku Rivers Reported to be the First Salmon Opening this May

Wild Watch #1: Sunset - April 2005

Wild Watch #2: Bon Appetit - April 2005

Reuters: Retailers Must Say if Products are Farm Raised or Caught in Wild

Creative Catering with Alaska Seafood

This Month's Recipe: Roasted Alaska Halibut with Clams and Sake Broth http://www.alaskaseafood.org/foodservice/enews.htm


30. NPRB announces $4.5M in 2005 research funding

The Board released the 2005 request for proposals (RFP) October 8, 2004 for approximately $4.5 million in Environmental Improvement and Restoration Funds and other funds available to NPRB for research projects starting in 2005.

http://www.nprb.org/research/res_2005.htm


31. Marine advisory agent crashes shellfish hurdles

…Alaska’s coastline has lots of potential places to establish shellfish farms. However, until recently, getting started was complicated by a tangle of state and federal regulations…

http://www.uaf.edu/news/featured/05/aquaculture/
index.html

&&&

Legislation Promoting Shellfish Farming Moving Forward

House Bill 198, a bill related to aquatic farming, unanimously passed the House Floor today. "HB 198 will finally produce a viable shellfish farming industry in Southeast Alaska," said Representative Jim Elkins (R-Ketchikan). "This bill is a compromise between the state and the industry and will help open the doors for geoduck farming in the Ketchikan area."…

http://www.akrepublicans.org/elkins/24/news/
elki2005040401p.php


32. NMFS announces CDQ administrative changes

NMFS announces changes to administrative requirements related to quota transfers, eligible vessels, and alternative fishing plans under the community development quota program…

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/infobulletins/cdqamds.html

Federal Register Notice: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5755.htm


33. NOAA Summary of Seabird Bycatch in Alaskan Groundfish Fisheries, 1993 - 2003.

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/reem/doc/
Seabird%20bycatch%20tables%201993-2003.pdf


34. NOAA posts final rule on Subsistence Halibut

…final rule to amend the subsistence fishery rules for Pacific halibut in waters off Alaska. This action is necessary to address subsistence halibut management concerns in densely populated areas… Effective on May 2, 2005

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/
01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-6507.htm


35. Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska Amendment 10 would modify the gear endorsements under the license limitation program (LLP) for the scallop fishery to increase the dredge size allowed on vessels that qualify for the gear restriction endorsement… Comments due May 23, 2005

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5860.htm


36. Amendment 83 (BSAI) & 75 (GOA) to the FMP for AK Groundfish

If approved, the amendments would provide housekeeping revisions to the FMPs. The proposed revisions would update harvest, ecosystem, and socioeconomic information, consolidate text, and reorganize the documents… Comments due May 23, 2005.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-5858.htm


37. NPFMC Agenda for April 4 - 11, Anchorage

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/
405Agenda.pdf

&

NPFMC Three meeting outlook

April 4, Anchorage…June 1 Girdwood…Oct 5, Anchorage

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/threemeetingoutlook.pdf

&

NPFMC BSAI Pacific cod Allocations - April 2005 Staff Discussion Paper   http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/analyses/Pcod305.pdf

&

Central Gulf of Alaska rockfish demonstration program documents (157 ppg)

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/
groundfish/Rockfish305.pdf


38. Nation’s marine fisheries managers honor NOAA fisheries service director Hogarth for leadership

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/docs/05-035_Hogarth_Fish_Conference_Award_v3-1_3-31-05.pdf


39. Comment deadline April 8, 2005 on new USCG AK cruise ship security zones

The Coast Guard proposes to establish moving and fixed security zones in the navigable waters of Coast Guard District 17 around and under all high capacity passenger (HCP) vessels. The zones would extend 100 yards from HCP vessels while they are underway and 25 yards from HCP vessels while they are moored or anchored.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-4598.htm

Juneau Empire story: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/032305/
loc_20050323014.shtml


40. Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management

Prepared by scientists and policy experts to provide information about coasts and oceans to U.S. policy-makers…

http://compassonline.org/files/inline/EBM%20Consensus%20
Statement_FINAL_Mar%2021%2005_v2.pdf


41. MPA News April issue online

CONTENTS

-The Science and Politics of Marine Reserves: When Planners Raise Community Hopes of Higher Fishery Yields

-Scientific Opinion on Promises of Higher Fishery Yields

-Bottom Trawling Prohibited Below 1000 Meters in Mediterranean

-Notes & News: Queensland  -  Tanzania  -  UK  -  Barents Sea  -  Russia  -  MPA networks

http://depts.washington.edu/mpanews/MPA62.htm


42. MMRC: A ‘Sound’ Approach to Assessing Fish Stocks

Little attention has been given until now on how to assess the abundance of prey species that are eaten by Steller sea lions, but are of no interest to commercial fisheries…

http://www.marinemammal.org/2005/gauthier.php


43. Federal Subsistence Fisheries Regulations books available

http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/news.cfm?gnr=1


44. "Managing Fisheries—Empowering Communities" April 21-23, Anchorage

Alaska-Alaska Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region, is sponsoring "Managing Fisheries-Empowering Communities," a conference aimed at better understanding the impacts of commercial fishery management decisions on Alaska coastal communities… April 21–23, 2005, Anchorage Marriott Downtown

http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/Conferences/fish-com/announce.html

Some scholarships are available to fund travel to this conference - for info call M.A.P. at (907) 274-9692.


45. Fishermen's Direct Marketing Manual - updated & online

Or order paper copies…

http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/bookstore/pubs/MAB-53.html


46. AK Sea Grant publishes Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska

Order paper copies:

http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/Pubs_Videos/pubs/SG-ED-46.html


47. Help Wanted - IPHC seeks Port Sampler for Seward/Saint Paul, Alaska

http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/employ.htm


48. Help Wanted: NPFMC Data Manager/Analyst

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/NEWS/dataposition105.pdf


49. ADF&G seeks vessel charter for Area Q Red King Crab - deadline April 21

http://notes4.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c
156e7a8925672a0060a91b/9feb791e1f7d4b6489256fd500
80a573?OpenDocument


50. EVOS FY05 Herring RFP deadline extended to April 22

http://notes4.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e
7a8925672a0060a91b/163e12744ee8c7ca89256fd40069d
cc2?OpenDocument


51. Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial Juneau. - deadline near

If you have a name to inscribe this year please contact Tom Gemmell at Marine Conservation Alliance ASAP for an application…(907) 523-0731 or tomgemmellmca@gci.net  


52. USDA Value-added grants – deadline May 6, 2005

Grants may be used for planning activities and working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products (INCLUDES FISH). Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. (INCLUDES FISHERMEN)

Current Solicitation: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800
/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-4310.htm

Program Home page:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm

Alaska Contact for information: Dean Stewart, USDA Rural Development,

00 West Evergreen, Ste. 201, Palmer, AK 99645 Phone: (907) 761-7722

dean.stewart@ak.usda.gov   

USDA Rural Cooperatives Newsletter for March

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/mar05/mar05.pdf


53. PWS Science Center presents Copper River Nouveau 2005

Anchorage, Wednesday June 1

Cordova, Saturday June 11.

For details contact nancyd@pwssc.gen.ak.us


54. DIPAC RFP for Snettisham cost recovery harvest - deadline April 15

…DIPAC requires the services of one seiner from July 20th to approximately August 5th-10th, plus 2-4 giollnetters abd an experienced fishermen to operate the corporations small shallow gillnet vessel for the entire season…

Proposal deadline 5:00 P.M. April 15  - call (907) 463-1628 for questions…


55. Deadline for Board of Fisheries proposals - April 8

The Alaska Board of Fisheries is accepting proposals for changes to the subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial finfish regulations for the Prince William Sound, Southeast Alaska, and Yakutat management areas. In addition, the Board of Fisheries is accepting proposals for changes to all Dungeness crab, shrimp, and miscellaneous shellfish fisheries (including all fisheries statewide).

http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2005/03-18-05_nr.php


56. UAF MAP  - USDA TAA Technical Training workshop schedule:

http://137.229.42.168/FMPro?-db=taa-calendar.fp5&-lay=month&-format=/map/calendar.html&activemonth=1&-find

MAP TAA home page: http://www.uaf.edu/map/taa/