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UFA Update June 28, 2005 The UFA Office is reachable from the fishing grounds on Alaskanet satellite dispatch #6449, thanks to equipment and service provided by Vessel Connection and Satellite Alaska. To view service their options see http://www.satellitealaska.com . To get connected, call Harold Whittlesy at 206-321-6896. Contents 1. Task Force to Develop National Standards for Ocean Aquaculture - 2. Offshore aquaculture in our future By Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA 3. Presentations from NOAA Ocean week: 4. Kodiak Marketing group is fishing for members 5. BBNA loan program - Guaranteeing Younger Fishermen A Future 6. Bridging the Naknek: Bridge seen as lifeline for foundering Alaska village 7. Yukon fishermen to get commercial period 8. Disappointing harvests prompt Petersburg plant to end shrimp processing 9. Juneau harbor board gives fishermen a break on fees 10. Wrangell men charged with illegal crab haul 11. Situk River sockeye run disappoints 12. Halibut Happenings - KTVA on Halibut Charter IFQ 13. Seafood plants offering jobs on land and at sea 14. Ketchikan Shipyard's plan finally put to action 15. Cook Inlet sockeye fishery opens early with unprecedented return 16. Copper river tasting - Who’s The King? 17. Seafood Swindling on the rise 18. Gas line on fast track? 19. Gas Hydrates: Energy on Ice 20. Murkowski Signs 18 Bills - including Short Term Crew License & Retire/Rehire 21. Juneauites head coin commission…UFA director to chair 22. Will it soon be Ambassador Murkowski? 23. Stevens Joins Snowe on Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2005 24. NOAA says biologist caught too-young sea lions (Seward) 25. Dave Benton, Marine Conservation Alliance on MSA & fishery management 26. American Seafoods reels in Disney licensing deal 27. Idaho Senator Craig Aims to Kill Agency That Tracks Salmon 28. Better dead than fed, PETA says - employees charged with cruelty 29. WA: Working waterfront losing a mainstay in Western Pioneer shipping closure 30. CA: Farr tries again with oceans management bill 31. ME: Maine Techonology Institute funds offshore fish farm containment 32. ME: Red tide triggers Maine shellfish fishery failure determination 33. Wild American Shrimp brand netting favor of restaurateurs, & challenges 34. Rules Altered on Depletion of Fish Stocks 35. Why you can't sit down to eat without making a statement 36. Pacific fishing nations poised to adopt ban on shark finning 37. Asia heads for over-fishing crisis as demand just keeps growing 38. EU drops punitive salmon duty 39. Laine Welch's Fish Radio 40. ADF&G Magnuson-Stevens Stakeholder meetings in Ketchikan & Kodiak 41. Board of Forestry Meeting and Teleconference July 13-14 42. CFEC notice on permit and vessel fees regs and hearings 43. Reallocation of Pollock from the Aleutian Islands to the Bering Sea 44. NMFS approves Amendment 83 for BSAI and Amendment 75 for GOA Groundfish 45. NMFS: Marine Mammal Final Stock Assessment Reports available 46. Proposed Rule on Magnuson-Stevens NS1 Guidelines - comment by 8/22 47. NMFS intends EIS on Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Strategy - comment by 7/22 48. Notice of EIS on Alaska Coastal Zone Management changes 49. Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council Recertification - comment deadline 8/12 50. NMFS posts final policy on Pacific salmon hatchery stocks in ESA listings 51. NMFS lists 16 West Coast Salmon ESUs in ESA final determinations 52. USCG America's Waterway Watch program needs your help 53. NPFMC / BOF Joint protocol committee to meet July 14, Anchorage Hilton 54. Board of Fisheries Calendar for 2005-2006 cycle & Roadmaps online 55. ADF&G Management Plan for Summer Commercial Troll Fishery 2005 56. House Resources Report: Implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 57. SMIS Salmon Market Bulletin for June 2005: 58. Save a harvest diver – buy otter slippers for your loved one this holiday! 1. Task Force to Develop National Standards for Ocean Aquaculture - Task Force includes Alaskan Arliss Sturgelewski… The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announce the establishment of the Marine Aquaculture Task Force—comprising leaders from the worlds of science, industry, conservation and government—to recommend national aquaculture standards for the future development of our oceans.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/ideas/ideas_item.cfm? 2. Offshore aquaculture in our future By Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA Administrator "…Aquaculture in U.S. marine waters is a good idea for America. It can complement wild catches to meet the growing demand for seafood, generate jobs and revenues for depressed coastal communities, and help us secure and monitor the safety of our seafood supply…" http://www.sitnews.us/Columns/0605/062205_lautenbacher.html & LA Times: Deep Blue Farms This nation hasn't cleaned up the environmental problems caused by existing marine fish farms and now the Bush administration wants to grow the industry dramatically by giving it access to federal waters up to 200 miles from shore… Alaska has gone to great lengths to protect its wild fish stocks… http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-fishing25jun25,0,6346744.story 3. Presentations from NOAA Ocean week: http://www.nmsfocean.org/chow2005/index.html#4 4. Kodiak Marketing group is fishing for members In an attempt to increase the value of locally caught seafood, the Kodiak Seafood Marketing Association (KSMA) is looking for new members to unite gear groups and fisheries that share interests and needs… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=1629 5. BBNA loan program - Guaranteeing Younger Fishermen A Future Younger fishermen will be guaranteed a future thanks to a new program being crafted in Bristol Bay that will keep fishing permits in the hands of local residents. The effort stems from a unique regional, state and federal partnership that will provide permit loans to the next generation of salmon fishermen… http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/062505_fish_factor.html See also Laine Welch's Fish Radio at Item #29 for more on this 6. Bridging the Naknek: Bridge seen as lifeline for foundering Alaska village
http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/06/19/features/ 7. Yukon fishermen to get commercial period Commercial salmon fishermen on the Yukon River will get their first fishing period of the year Thursday when a stretch of river from around Mountain Village to just below Russian Mission opens for six hours. http://www.adn.com/money/story/6633930p-6520009c.html &&& Anticipated Yukon Catch to Bring Limited Quantity of Fresh, Rich, Wild Kings Yukon fish on; the kings are coming! The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the commercial catch season for Yukon Area salmon fishermen begins this evening in Y-2 area of the Yukon River, followed by the Y-1 district tomorrow night. For the Lower 48, that means the coveted kings will hit stores and restaurants starting this weekend, with Northwest retailers carrying the fish as early as Saturday night. The fresh season is extremely short, typically two to three weeks… http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050623/sfth045.html?.v=15 8. Disappointing harvests prompt Petersburg plant to end shrimp processing The last seafood company handling Petersburg shrimp in this Southeast Alaska city is ending processing of the tiny shellfish… http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/6643842p-6530225c.html 9. Juneau harbor board gives fishermen a break on fees Juneau fishermen won't need to pay daily moorage fees at Don Statter Small Boat Harbor if they pay an annual fee and demonstrate significant commercial fish landings, the Docks and Harbors Board decided Thursday… Board member Greg Fisk said fishermen have made great contributions to the city by generating millions of dollars. "Fishermen have been subsidizing other harbor users," Fisk said. "This is a small payback."…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/062405/ 10. Wrangell men charged with illegal crab haul Two Wrangell men are charged with illegally catching more than 5,000 pounds of king crab in Frederick Sound near Kake, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday…
http://ap.peninsulaclarion.com/pstories/state/ak/20050622/ 11. Situk River sockeye run disappoints This year's Situk River sockeye run in Southeast may be a bust. Its weak start came two weeks early, and has been slowing down ever since. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has responded by limiting the commercial and sports fisheries… APRN Audio:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/apti/news.newsmain? 12. Halibut Happenings - KTVA on Halibut Charter IFQ A plan is moving through the government that could limit the number of halibut that charter boats can reel in.... …"It is simply a ploy by commercial fishermen to put more money in their pocket and keep the sports fishermen from growing to larger levels. It has a great impact on those who want to catch the halibut or buy it in the super market and a great impact on our business,” says Garth Bradshaw with Central Charters…
http://www.ktva.com/Stories/0,1413,163~6882~ For a reminder from
last month of closure that can happen to growing sport halibut fisheries
without IFQ see…http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/ 13. Seafood plants offering jobs on land and at sea The state is putting out a plea to Alaskans to join the slime line at seafood plants or work on at-sea processors from Ketchikan to the Bering Sea… Juneau plants likely won't need to fill spots along their slime lines until July, but there are now 60 openings in Ketchikan, about 15 in Haines, four in Pelican and two in Hoonah.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/062205/sta_ 14. Ketchikan Shipyard's plan finally put to action … On June 6, the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development issued an invitation to bid on building a 2,500 long-ton floating dry dock. It will be an addition to the current 9,600 long-ton dry dock…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/062605/hom_ 15. Cook Inlet sockeye fishery opens early with unprecedented return Commercial salmon fishermen were busy getting nets mended and engines tuned up for what was shaping up to be a solid season opener in the eastern Cook Inlet....
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/062105/ & Commercial boats float - Fishers cautiously optimistic on season…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/062005/ 16. Copper river tasting - Who’s The King? Side-by-side into the skillet they go AFJ Editor Jon VanAmerongen comprehensive test of four top end salmon… http://www.afjournal.com/magazine-content/features.asp 17. Seafood Swindling on the rise Because many species share taste and texture characteristics, the opportunities to profit from substituting a pricey species for an inexpensive one are endless. It’s easy for a supplier to fool an unsuspecting chef or retailer, and it’s even easier for a chef or retailer to dupe the average consumer. See top story in June 2005 Seafood Business: http://www.seafoodbusiness.com/ And complete story: http://www.seafoodbusiness.com/top_story.shtml 18. Gas line on fast track? Gov. Frank Murkowski crammed an extensive round of meetings into a visit to Washington, D.C. the week of June 20 in hopes of shaking the proposed Alaska gas pipeline out of its apparent doldrums… Petroleum News story: http://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/33152100.shtml 19. Gas Hydrates: Energy on Ice A vast, untapped source of natural gas comes in from the cold… Some say that worldwide there could be twice as much energy stored in hydrates as in all the other known energy resources combined, including coal, oil, and conventional natural gas deposits… http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050625/bob9.asp 20. Murkowski Signs 18 Bills - including Short Term Crew License & Retire/Rehire …The Governor also signed: HB 26, sponsored by Rep. Carl Moses regarding short-term commercial fishing crew member licenses; HB 161, sponsored by Rep. Jim Elkins extending the sunset of the PERS/TRS retiree rehire program… http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1801 21. Juneauites head coin commission…UFA director to chair Mark Vinsel, a painter with a degree in industrial design and president of the Juneau Artists Co-op, and famed watercolorist Rie Munoz were appointed as chairman and vice chair, respectively, of the Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission by Gov. Frank Murkowski, June 10. "We might put on the Northern Lights, somebody panning for gold, Mt. McKinley, the Alaska flag, a salmon, but you just can't put all those ideas on a coin and have it look appropriate," she warned. Apart from his job running the state's largest seafood industry trade group, Vinsel said a salmon is one of many images to consider.
http://www.capweek.com/stories/062905/news_ Think of what you'd like to see on Alaska's quarter…over a billion of these are being minted…and look for a public narrative design competition later this year… Related links: Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission Home Page: http://gov.state.ak.us/boards/factsheet.php?i=218 Commemorative Coin Commission Enabling Legislation, HB 467 (2004): http://gov.state.ak.us/boards/factsheet.php?i=218 The U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters Program home page:
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/ State Quarters Designs:
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/in 22. Will it soon be Ambassador Murkowski? First, he was senator. Now he's governor. And it's possible that someday Frank Murkowski could have the title ambassador…
http://www.ktuu.com/CMS/templates/alaska_news/ 23. Stevens Joins Snowe on Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2005 Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation joined Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and other Senators in co-sponsoring the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2005. The bill will be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday, June 23, 2005… http://www.senate.gov/~stevens/pr/2005/June/062105.htm 24. NOAA says biologist caught too-young sea lions (Seward) Randall W. Davis, a professor in the marine biology department at Texas A&M University at Galveston, is accused of capturing some sea lions that were too young and others without a required permit and of using unauthorized sedation drugs.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/6629160p NMFS: Research biologist cited for unlawful take of endangered Steller Sea Lions near Seward … http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ole/news/news_AKD_062005.htm 25. Dave Benton, Marine Conservation Alliance on MSA & fishery management The key to conserving America's fisheries and marine habitat is ignored by Adm. James D. Watkins and Leon E. Panetta, authors of Wednesday's Op-Ed column "From sea to shining sea. Even reports from the organizations they head, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission, acknowledge that the North Pacific -- where we have no overfished stocks and have consistently protected habitat -- has been successful. " http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050611-112048-4274r.htm written in counterpoint to: From Sea to Shining Sea - Washington Times opinion piece by Adm. James D. Watkins, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, and Leon E. Panetta of Pew Oceans Commission http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050607-094039-6733r.htm 26. American Seafoods reels in Disney licensing deal One of Seattle's most formidable seafood companies has looked into the future -- and it sees Dip Sea Dooz… That's the name of just one of the value-added seafood products that American Seafoods Group LLC launched this year in a licensing agreement with Disney Consumer Products.
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2005/06/27 27. Idaho Senator Craig Aims to Kill Agency That Tracks Salmon Angered by a federal court order that spills water over federal dams to save endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) has inserted language into a Senate energy bill that would kill an agency that keeps score on the survival of fish as they swim through the heavily dammed Columbia and Snake rivers… Craig's move would eliminate the Fish Passage Center, which for more than two decades has been collecting and analyzing data that document how effective that multibillion-dollar federal effort has been… http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/23/AR2005062301915.html 28. Better dead than fed, PETA says - employees charged with cruelty …The organization may claim to champion the welfare of animals, as the many photos of cute puppies and kittens on its Web site suggest. But last week, two PETA employees were charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty each, after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals they had just picked up from a North Carolina animal shelter into a Dumpster. According to the Associated Press, 13 more dead animals were found in a van registered to PETA…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/ 29. WA: Working waterfront losing a mainstay in Western Pioneer shipping closure In the latest blow to the maritime industry along the Ship Canal, Western Pioneer of Ballard is shutting down its shipping operations after more than 30 years…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/ 30. CA: Farr tries again with oceans management bill
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/June/ 31. ME: Maine Techonology Institute funds offshore fish farm containment The Maine Technology Institute recently awarded 10 development awards to companies across Maine totaling more than $2.2 million… Gulf of Maine Aquaculture LLC in Searsmont will develop a submersible finfish containment system for deep-water, offshore fish-farming operations… http://business.mainetoday.com/news/050624mti.shtml 32. ME: Red tide triggers Maine shellfish fishery failure determination NOAA Fisheries Service has announced a formal determination that the Maine shellfish fishery is in a commercial failure triggered by a massive red tide bloom. http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2005/jun05/noaa05-r124.html 33. Wild American Shrimp brand netting favor of restaurateurs, & challenges Americans are wild about shrimp – be it steamed, broiled, baked or fried… And now, the Southern Shrimp Alliance has started an inspection program that will certify their shrimp as a premium-grade product, similar to that of Angus beef or wild Alaskan salmon, says Eddie Gordon, executive director of Wild American Shrimp Inc., which was formed with nearly $6 million in grants from the U.S. government to be the alliance’s marketing arm…
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/living/ & Emeril's shrimp panned by fishermen Louisiana fishermen grouse that the famed chef's premium Wild American Shrimp brand is subpar…
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/25/Business/Emeril_s_ & Tampa sport writer blames Gulf shrimpers for red snapper problems… One fact overlooked in the current media push to promote the purchase of ``wild-caught'' shrimp is that the shrimp fishery is clearly the central culprit in the reported problems with the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico… http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGB530RC4AE.html 34. Rules Altered on Depletion of Fish Stocks The Fisheries Service has proposed fishing guideline revisions that it says will speed the restoration of depleted fish stocks. But in some cases, other fisheries experts say, the proposals could have the opposite effect. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/23/national/23fish.html? & U.S. News & World Report: Different angles on fishing limits The federal agency charged with regulating marine fisheries in U.S. waters proposed a rule change yesterday that critics say could seriously hamper attempts to rebuild healthy fish stocks… At issue is a provision of that law—called National Standard 1 (NS1), or the overfishing standard—that since 1998 has required the country's eight Regional Fishery Management Councils to assess their fish stocks and to set regulations designed to rebuild overfished stocks within 10 years…
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050623/ For Federal Register Notice and related documents and comment opportunity, see Item #46 below. 35. Why you can't sit down to eat without making a statement Whether consumers care or not, just about everything they eat is spiked with implications for the environment, international trade, health and the American economy…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/ 36. Pacific fishing nations poised to adopt ban on shark finning On June 20-24, 2005, members of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission will convene in Lanzarote, Spain, to consider fishery management and conservation measures, including a ban on shark finning. Shark finning is the practice of slicing the fin off the shark and discarding the carcass to save space on a fishing vessel…
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2005/jun05/ 37. Asia heads for over-fishing crisis as demand just keeps growing The Asian Development Bank says the region has the largest fishing fleet, with 42 per cent of the world's registered tonnage. These vessels, which are often subsidised, have twice the capacity needed to extract what the oceans can sustainably produce. The result, according to the bank, is "a vicious circle: as catches per vessel fall, profits plummet, and fishers overfish to maintain supplies, causing serious depletion of stocks and endangering long-term availability". The over-fishing crisis is a global problem but its implications for Asia are more serious than for any other part of the world.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID & more stories about conflicts heating up in Western Pacific fisheries: Dispute over fishing rights unlikely to be solved soon
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/detail.asp? Japan and South Korea coast guard standoff in fishing seizure last month http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050603a3.htm Russian seized Japanese fishing vessel this month off Hokkaido
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid 38. EU drops punitive salmon duty Norway's crucial fishery industry received a boost on Friday when the European Union lifted a punitive dumping duty and replaced it with a minimum price for salmon. http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1061986.ece 39. Laine Welch's Fish Radio This weeks topics: Tuesday 6/28//05 New loan program aimed at young fishermen at BBay; may be applied elsewhere Monday 6/27/05 -Yukon kings head to Lower 48 markets coast to coast Friday 6/24/05 -Fish Board faces 328 proposals for PWS, Chignik Co-op, Southeast Thursday 6/23/05 -Daytona speedway up next for AK Salmon race car, interview w/drivers Wednesday 6/22/05 -New studies say omega 3s fight cancer; fish makes babies smarter Tuesday 6/21//05 -Workers urgently needed at BBay, elsewhere http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm ….see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 40. ADF&G Magnuson-Stevens Stakeholder meetings in Ketchikan & Kodiak In order to access the expertise of Alaskans knowledgeable about federal fisheries issues, the State of Alaska will hold meetings in Ketchikan and Kodiak. They are being held on the same days that the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans is holding oversight hearings in those same communities. The state meetings will be held: July 6, 2005 * 9-10:30 a.m. * Ted Ferry Convention Center * Ketchikan, AK July 8, 2005 * 9-10:30 a.m. * Kodiak High School Commons * Kodiak, AK For more information, please contact Sue Aspelund, ADF&G, 907.465.6139 http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2005/06-28-05_nr.php 41. Board of Forestry Meeting and Teleconference July 13-14 Agenda topics include: Long Island herbicide permit application, Alaska Clean Waters Action grant process for FY 06, Coastal Clean Water (Section 6217) Program approval process, Riparian management standards for southcentral Alaska (Region II), fish passage on non-anadromous streams, NPDES stormwater permitting primacy process, Essential Fish Habitat program update… Public comment opportunity is scheduled for 1:30 pm, Wednesday July 13.
http://notes4.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f 42. CFEC notice on permit and vessel fees regs and hearings CFEC is proposing changes to miscellaneous regulations including changes to permit fees based on SB 93. A handout with 2006 permits fees based on the proposed regulations will be available by the end of July. Comments to Susan Haymes at Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, 8800 Glacier Highway, Suite 109, Juneau, AK 99801-8079 or by email: susan_haymes@cfec.state.ak.us. The comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2005. Oral or written comments may also be submitted at hearings to be held on August 9 and August 17, 2005in the Conference Room of the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, 8800 Glacier Highway, Suite 109 Juneau, Alaska. CFEC Notice: http://www.cfec.state.ak.us/notices/NO_2005_0519.htm Proposed Regulation & Fees:
http://www.cfec.state.ak.us/pregs/PR_2005_0519_ 43. Reallocation of Pollock from the Aleutian Islands to the Bering Sea The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Community Development Quota (CDQ), incidental catch allowance, and non-CDQ pollock from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea. These actions are necessary to allow the 2005 total allowable catch of pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea to be harvested. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/infobulletins/aiplckre.htm 44. NMFS approves Amendment 83 for BSAI and Amendment 75 for GOA Groundfish NMFS announces the approval of Amendment 83 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) and Amendment 75 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The amendments make housekeeping revisions to the FMPs. The revisions update harvest, ecosystem, and socioeconomic information, consolidate text, and reorganize the documents. The intent of this action is to update information in the FMPs and to make them easier to read…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 45. NMFS: Marine Mammal Final Stock Assessment Reports available NMFS has incorporated
public comments into revisions of marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs)
and the guidelines for preparing marine mammal stock assessment reports. The
2004 final SARs and the revised guidelines are now complete and available to
the public…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ Stock assessment reports
and the revised guidelines for preparing them are available at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/PR2/Stock_Assessment_ 46. Proposed Rule on Magnuson-Stevens NS1 Guidelines - comment by 8/22 NMFS proposes revisions to the guidelines for National Standard 1 (NS1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This action is necessary to clarify, amplify, and simplify the guidelines so that the Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils) and the public can have a better understanding of how to establish status determination criteria (SDC) for stocks that vary in quality of available data, and how to construct and revise rebuilding plans… Comments will be accepted through August 22, 2005…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 Document is online at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/NS1/PR121002A.pdf Comment online at:
http://comments.regulations.gov/EXTERNAL/ Draft Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact - 6/17/05
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/NS1/ Draft Finding of No Significant Impact for Proposed Revisions - 6/17/05
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/NS1/ NOAA press release: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/05-082_NSG1_Press_v6_6-22-05.pdf Domestic Fisheries home page for National Standard 1 Guidelines http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/index.htm 47. NMFS intends EIS on Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Strategy - comment by 7/22 NMFS intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts of implementing the operational measures in NOAA's Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Strategy (Strategy). This notice describes the proposed action and possible alternatives intended to reduce the likelihood and threat of right whale deaths as a result of collisions with vessels… Written or electronic comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., eastern standard time, on July 22, 2005… Federal Register:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 NOAA Press release:
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2005/jun05/ Related news story: U.S. told to protect right whale right now Judge announces deadline on critical habitat designation… http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/16/MNGAUD9CP91.DTL 48. Notice of EIS on Alaska Coastal Zone Management changes NOAA announces its intention to prepare an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for the proposed approval of amendments submitted by the State of Alaska to its Coastal Management Program. The State has adopted regulatory changes to its Process for Consistency Review (11 AAC 150), Standards for the Alaska Coastal Management Program (11 AAC 180), and Guidelines of the Alaska Coastal Management Program (11 AAC 185). Written comments on the intent to prepare an EIS will be accepted on or before August 5, 2005. Scoping meetings are scheduled as follows: 1. July 25, 2005; 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Inupiat Heritage Center, Barrow, AK. 2. July 27, 2005; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Egan Convention Center, Anchorage, AK. 3. July 28, 2005; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Centennial Hall Convention Center, Juneau, AK.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 For more information see Alaska DNR Coastal Management program home page: http://www.alaskacoast.state.ak.us/ 49. Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council Recertification - comment deadline 8/12 The Coast Guard announces the availability of and seeks comments on the application for recertification submitted by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council (CIRCAC) for September 1, 2005, through August 31, 2006. Under the Oil Terminal and Tanker Environmental Oversight Act of 1990, the Coast Guard may certify on an annual basis, an alternative voluntary advisory group in lieu of a Regional Citizens' Advisory Council for Cook Inlet, Alaska. The current certification for CIRCAC will expire August 31, 2005. Deadline for comment August 12, 2005
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 50. NMFS posts final policy on Pacific salmon hatchery stocks in ESA listings …We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a final policy addressing the role of artificially propagated (hatchery produced) Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, O. keta, O. kisutch, O. nerka, O. tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) in listing determinations under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended. …Under this new policy, hatchery stocks determined to be part of a DPS (``distinct population segment'') will be considered in determining whether a DPS is threatened or endangered under the ESA, and will be included in any listing of the DPS. This policy applies only to Pacific salmon and steelhead and only in the context of making ESA listing determinations…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 51. NMFS lists 16 West Coast Salmon ESUs in ESA final determinations We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), announce a final policy addressing the role of artificially propagated (hatchery produced) Pacific salmon… We have concluded that four ESUs are endangered, and twelve ESUs are threatened, in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 & 6-month Extension of the Final Listing Determination for the Oregon Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit of Coho Salmon
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 & 6-month Extension of the Final Listing Determinations for Ten Evolutionarily Significant Units of West Coast Oncorhynchus mykiss (Pacific Steelhead)
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 52. USCG America's Waterway Watch program needs your help The Coast Guard is asking for your help. if you work, live or recreate on or near the water, take part in America’s waterway watch program…
http://www.piersystem.com/external/index.cfm?cid=780& 53. NPFMC / BOF Joint protocol committee to meet July 14, Anchorage Hilton The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)/Board of Fisheries (BOF) Interim Joint Protocol committee will meet on July 14, 2005, at Anchorage at the Hilton Hotel… from 8:30am - 5 pm…Hilton Hotel, 500 w 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/cmteemtg.htm Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 54. Board of Fisheries Calendar for 2005-2006 cycle & Roadmaps online http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcal.php 55. ADF&G Management Plan for Summer Commercial Troll Fishery 2005 http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region1/pdfs/salmon/fmr05-40.pdf 56. House Resources Report: Implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 "There is increasing recognition from most quarters that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) needs to be improved. Exactly what those improvements should be is less uniform. This report examines the implementation of selected aspects of the endangered species program relying predominately on information provided by the primary implementing agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and offers some recommendations for possible improvements to the program…
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/issues/more/esa/ 57. SMIS Salmon Market Bulletin for June 2005: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/fishingprocessing/0605smb.pdf SMIS Homepage: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/fishingprocessing/bulletin.htm 58. Save a harvest diver – buy otter slippers for your loved one this holiday! SARDFA is trying to give as much exposure as possible to people like the Ketchikan man at the link below, because these people may represent the best chance SARDFA has at solving our problems with otter predation… The sustainability of our shellfish fisheries is at risk. The Federal government is not doing anything about it, because it is too sensitive of an issue. Therefore, we are looking for your help in supporting local Natives who are properly utilizing otter furs and turning them into beautiful products for sale. See http://www.talltotem.com/
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