UFA Update  

September 21, 2005

PORT MOLLER & WESTERN ALEUTIANS FISHERMEN- Note from Denise Thompson:

PPSF Port Moller beloved Physician Assistant, Al Hall, is his losing wife to an aggressive form of ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease. A call to all fishermen to recognize Al Hall's great contribution to the Area M Fishery by donating to the September 24, 2005 "dFeet ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease Foundation WALK" in Barbara's honor. – see http://walk.alsaec.org/site/TR?px=1016662&fl=en_US&s_tafId
=1031&pg=personal&fr_id=1010   


Juneau Fund raising event for Gulf of Mexico fishermen in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - Friday, September 30 – 7:00 pm to midnight - Centennial Hall, Juneau

Live Music, Dancing, Silent Auction…an opportunity to kick down for fellow fishermen in time of need.

Contents:

1. Katrina: Officials say fishing fleet damaged

2. Bush Administration Releases Marine Fisheries Bill (Magnuson Reauthorization)

3. AK hearings on Magnuson Stevens – Fishermen comments wanted

4. DEC posts Klukwan Long Island pesticide spraying application – Comment by Oct 31

5. DNR notice of change to Atlas and Catalog of Waters Important for Spawning, Rearing…

6. ESA: Lawmakers weigh endangered species changes

7. Ben Stevens' secret fish deal

8. CDQ task force recommends longer allocation periods

9. New Comfish Director: Back again in Juneau, biologist seeks abler fisheries commission

10. Jeremiah Campbell Appointed to Board of Fisheries

11. Fish and Game reopens controversial SE red king crab fishery

12. Kodiak Daily Mirror: ‘Mixed bag’ salmon season has nearly wrapped up

13. Scientist peers into skate nurseries in Alaska

14. Globalstar Breaks Ground for Alaska Satellite Gateway

15. Coast Guard boat capsizes in Valdez, crew safe

16. Early death may benefit bear-pressured salmon

17. SEACC sues to block Kensington mine

18. Kwik'pak's Yup'ik Fisherman Donate Fish Sales to Katrina Relief

19. Fishing vessel Perseverance sinks near Spasski Island in Icy Straight

20. Marine Aquaculture Task Force in Anchorage - Fish and shellfish farming quest

21. NH: Fish Farming in the Open Ocean

22. Maine Fishermen Ted Ames receives MacArthur Genius Grant

23. Austrailia: Fatigue, navigation factors in fishing boat collisions

24. Laine Welch's Fish Radio

25. AK Aquatic Farm sites for review – comment by Nov 3

26. State Sets Date for Bristol Bay Oil & Gas Lease Sale - Oct 26

27. AYK SSI Solicits Comments on "Draft Salmon Research and Restoration Plan"

28. NPDES Primacy meeting documents from August 15 and September 20

29. Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission Announces Statewide Logo Competition

30. North Pacific Research Board Meeting, Anchorage Sept 22-23

31. FAS reports U.S. 2005 Fishery Exports for January through July up Over 8 Percent 

32. Collaborative Insights: Newsletter of Global Food Collaborative

33. AAAS 2005 Arctic Science Conference - Kodiak, Alaska   - Sept. 27 - 29

34. Pacific Salmon Commission agendas for Juneau October 18-20 & forward

35. MAFAC posts meeting summary from June 2005

36. NMFS posts BSAI Crab buyback fee system

37. US Marine Mammal Commission to Meet in Anchorage, Oct 12-14

38. CFEC & ADFG propose changes for halibut & sablefish, groundfish areas

39. NPFMC meeting October 3-11, 2005 Anchorage Hilton, Draft Agenda

40. BOF meetings Oct 13 (nonregulatory actions) & Oct. 15 (groundfish), Girdwood

41. MMPA List of Fisheries reopened for comment –five AK fisheries upgraded

42. Comment deadline Oct 21 on National Standard 1 guidelines

43. ISER Research Matters: Changing Alaska's Salmon Harvesting System: What Are the Challenges?

44. Salmon Price Report for week of September 5
 


1. Katrina: Officials say fishing fleet damaged

"Nature" will help fish and shrimp rebound from Hurricane Katrina -- the question is whether there will be anyone available to harvest them, especially in southeast Louisiana…

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/091605/new_fishing
fleet001.shtml

&

In rural towns, a way of life washed away

The fishermen of Plaquemines Parish, near New Orleans, face permanent disruption.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0920/p02s01-ussc.html


2. Bush Administration Releases Marine Fisheries Bill (Magnuson Reauthorization)

“the Bush Administration released its bill to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The bill contains key elements to implement the President’s 2004 Ocean Action Plan and calls for a hard deadline to end overfishing. Additionally the bill provides Congress with clear and commonsense ways to strengthen the nation’s governance of ocean resources…”

NOAA Press release: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/docs/
magnuson-release.pdf

NOAA Magnuson Stevens Reauthorization home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2005/

Washington Post: Bush Aims for Market Approach to Fishing

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901752.html

Juneau Empire: Critics of Bush fisheries revamp warn of lower standards

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/092005/
sta_20050920013.shtml
 

ADN: New rules aim to halt overfishing

The Bush administration proposed new guidelines Monday that it said would prevent overfishing, part of a plan for managing the nation's marine resources.

Critics say they ignore important recommendations from a presidential commission.

http://www.adn.com/money/story/6991816p-6892979c.html


3. AK hearings on Magnuson Stevens – Fishermen comments wanted

Public meetings will be held Sept. 22 in Homer, Sept. 23 in Kodiak, Sept. 28 in Sitka, Oct. 4 in Anchorage and Oct. 14 in Girdwood.

Written comments will be accepted through Oct. 17…

Additional hearings will also be scheduled in Western Alaska and in Seattle at November's Fish Expo.

The state's position on the Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization can be found at www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/oceans/policy.php .

Questions? Contact Sue Aspelund at 1-907-465-6139.


4. DEC posts Klukwan Long Island pesticide spraying application – Comment by Oct 31

The Department has scheduled the following public hearings:

October 14, 2005 City of Hydaburg City Municipal Bldg 10:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.

October 14, 2005 City of Craig Council Chambers 3:00p.m. – 5:00p.m.

DEC Public Notice:

http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c
156e7a8925672a0060a91b/5c38223f0aaa4b2c89257081006
49469?OpenDocument

DEC web page with links to permit & DNR comments: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/pest/Amended%20
Klukwan%20Pmt.htm


5. DNR posts notice of change to Atlas and Catalog of Waters Important for Spawning, Rearing, or Migration…

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 11 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with waters important for the spawning, rearing, or migration of anadromous fish, including the following:

11 AAC 195.010 is proposed to be changed as follows:

The Atlas to the Catalog of Waters Important for the Spawning, Rearing, or Migration of Anadromous Fishes and Catalog of Waters Important for the Spawning, Rearing, or Migration of Anadromous Fishes (Atlas and Catalog), which are adopted by reference in 11 AAC 195.010, will be revised and updated…

http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c
156e7a8925672a0060a91b/c0da37b9ae3406c18925708
10055498b?OpenDocument


6. ESA: Lawmakers weigh endangered species changes

Conservative lawmakers poised to eliminate key provisions of the landmark 32-year-old Endangered Species Act encountered unexpected support Wednesday: Some environmentalists and liberal Democrats said they agree with some of the changes…

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/
politics/12708044.htm

For details on HR 3824: Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA), see http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/


7. Ben Stevens' secret fish deal

State Sen. Ben Stevens held a secret option to buy into an Alaska seafood company at the same time his powerful father, U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, was creating a special Aleutian Islands fishery that would supply the company with pollock worth millions of dollars a year...

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/stevens/story/6984406p-6885249c.html


8. CDQ task force recommends longer allocation periods

A blue-ribbon task force presented recommendations to overhaul state oversight of six community development quota fisheries groups that harvest millions of dollars of pollock, halibut, crab and other fish annually under joint-venture deals with fisheries companies…

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/091805/hom_
20050918002.shtml

More info on CDQ groups is online at http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/bsc/CDQ/cdq.htm


9. New Comfish Director Denby Lloyd: Back again in Juneau, biologist seeks abler fisheries commission

…It's the second time that Lloyd - who previously served the state in both Democratic and Republican administrations - has been tapped as Commercial Fisheries Division director for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He also held the job from 1990 to 1992…

The commercial fisheries budget is about $800,000 less than it was in 1979, when taking inflation into account, according to the division's own calculations…

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/091905/loc_
20050919011.shtml


10. Jeremiah Campbell Appointed to Board of Fisheries

Governor Frank H. Murkowski has appointed Jeremiah Campbell to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Fisheries. Campbell will fill out the unexpired term of Ed Dersham, who stepped down to accept a position with the state Department of Fish and Game…

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1939


11. Fish and Game reopens controversial SE red king crab fishery

Fishermen are gratified but still believe the state is undercounting stock

The state will reopen the Southeast Alaska commercial red king crab fishery this fall, following a hotly debated closure in 2004…

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/092105/sta_
20050921008.shtml


12. Kodiak Daily Mirror: ‘Mixed bag’ salmon season has nearly wrapped up

The salmon season closes by regulation on Oct. 31, but effort continues to steadily wind down. Most plants on the island have stopped buying salmon for the year and the few in town still buying have scaled back, taking only the occasional delivery, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials…

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2001


13. Scientist peers into skate nurseries in Alaska

NOAA scientist Gerald Hoff is looking into the places and ways that skates propogate in Alaska's ocean waters.

http://www.sitnews.us/0905news/092005/092005_
alaska_skate.html


14. Globalstar Breaks Ground for Alaska Satellite Gateway

Globalstar LLC, the world's most widely-used handheld satellite phone provider, have begun construction of a new satellite gateway in Wasilla, Alaska, to enhance satellite voice and data services, including e-mail, internet access and enterprise data solutions in Alaska and the Yukon…

Because of the high concentration of companies in the commercial fishing, forestry, oil and gas and mining industries, Alaska is a high growth region for Globalstar, evidenced by increasing demand for reliable communications services where wireline or traditional wireless services are impractical or impossible.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17866


15. Coast Guard boat capsizes in Valdez, crew safe

At 7:30 p.m. Monday an Anchorage based Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) boat capsized with four crewmen aboard while enforcing the security zone around the Alyeska terminal in the Port of Valdez…

http://www.uscgalaska.com/external/?cid=780&
fuseaction=external.viewDocument&documentID=83690


16. Early death may benefit bear-pressured salmon

While snorkeling in Alaska's largest lake a few years ago, Stephanie Carlson watched sockeye salmon change from aggressive red creatures with wolfish jaws to drab, lethargic slugs. That conversion was so quick she wondered if fish that fall apart faster have some advantage over fish that linger…

http://www.sitnews.us/0905news/091905/091905
_ak_science.html


17. SEACC sues to block Kensington mine

Two Southeast Alaska environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Monday to try to prevent Coeur Alaska from dumping rock waste from the Kensington Mine into a subalpine lake north of Juneau…

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/091305/loc_2005
0913001.shtml


18. Kwik'pak's Yup'ik Fisherman Donate Fish Sales to Katrina Relief

Alaskan Native Villagers Who Have Little Give Fish Sales to Help Katrina Victims

They're cash poor, but Alaska's Yup'ik Eskimo communities are known for their coveted Kwik'pak Yukon River King and Keta salmon that they catch for subsistence and commercial use…In collaboration with Kwik'pak Fisheries, LLC, Yup'ik fishermen have proposed donating at least one Yukon River King salmon from their 2006 catch to support relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050919/sfm128.html?.v=14


19. Fishing vessel Perseverance sinks near Spasski Island in Icy Straight

http://www.sitnews.us/0905news/091605/091605_
perseverance.html


20. Marine Aquaculture Task Force in Anchorage - Fish and shellfish farming quest

The new Marine Aquaculture Task Force is on a quest to learn everything it can about one of our nation's industries du jour: aquaculture. Farming fish and shellfish is one of the fastest growing segments of food production on the planet, and already accounts for one-third of seafood consumed worldwide. The task force will make recommendations to policy makers on national aquaculture standards in U.S. marine waters…

http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/091905_fish_factor.html


21. NH: Fish Farming in the Open Ocean

…limits on wild fish catch and challenges to near shore fish farms create hurdles to getting more domestic fish on the plate.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire think they’ve got the solution.

http://www.nhpr.org/node/9679


22. Maine Fishermen Ted Ames receives MacArthur Genius Grant

… Though he has been a Maine lobster and ground fisherman for decades of his life, Ames has also combined his roles as fisherman and applied scientist to address increasing threats to the fishery ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine…

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/archive/2005/09-22-05/ea_news5_09-22-05.html


23. Austrailia: Fatigue, navigation factors in fishing boat collisions

The Transport Safety Bureau says consistent themes are emerging in its study into potential disasters for commercial fishing boats in Australian waters…

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1465742.htm


24. Laine Welch's Fish Radio

This weeks topics:

Tuesday 9/20/05          Seafood exports soar; Call is out for new Fish Board member

Monday 9/19/05          Star of Kodiak group brings celebrity chefs from Washington DC

Friday 9/16/05             Report practical suggestions for ecosystem based management Thursday 9/15/05          Nat'l Aquaculture Task Force meets in Anchorage:

Wednesday 9/14/05     Scientists discover how fish oils prevents Alzheimers disease

http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm

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


25. AK Aquatic Farm sites for review – comment by Nov 3

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting comments on preliminary best interest findings and decisions (PD) for the 2005 aquatic farm applications and lease amendment requests. Three (3) applications and two (2) amendment requests are being reviewed for sites in Southcentral Alaska. The applications and amendment requests include suspended culture sites located at Perry Island in Prince William Sound; Day Harbor; and Bear Cove and the Herring Islands in Kachemak Bay…

http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7
c156e7a8925672a0060a91b/6b23be9670f5ca9489257
07c0078ff0b?OpenDocument


26. State Sets Date for Bristol Bay Oil & Gas Lease Sale - Oct 26

The state Division of Oil and Gas set Oct. 26 as the date for a planned oil and gas lease sale in Bristol Bay, in Southwest Alaska. The agency has also issued the Final Best Interest Finding for the sale, a required analysis to show that the leasing will have public benefits.

DNR Oil & Gas home page – see Alaska Peninsula Areawide section for details and documents: http://www.dog.dnr.state.ak.us/oil/

DNR Press release from July 25:

http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/standard/dsp_media_release.
cfm?id=501&title=ALASKA%20PENINSULA%20OIL%20%26%
20GAS%20LEASE%20SALE


27. AYK SSI Solicits Comments on "Draft Salmon Research and Restoration Plan"

“Between now and November 15, 2005 we are soliciting review comments on our newly released draft AYK Salmon Science Plan from a wide variety of agencies, organizations and communities in the AYK region and beyond as well as the general public…”

http://aykssi.org/prod/index.htm


28. NPDES Primacy meeting documents from August 15 and September 20

The agenda and most of the handouts are currently posted on website:

http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/npdes/work_group.htm

NPDES Primacy Project homepage:

http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/npdes/npdes.htm


29. Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission Announces Statewide Logo Competition

The Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission today released

information regarding a statewide competition to create a logo for the upcoming

50th anniversary of statehood…

http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/pub/statehood_logo.pdf


30. North Pacific Research Board Meeting, Anchorage Sept 22-23

NPRB Conference Room, 1007 West 3 rd Avenue, Suite 100, Anchorage , Alaska

September 22-23, 2005

Draft agenda: http://www.nprb.org/meetings/board_sep-2005.htm

NPRB Home page: http://www.nprb.org/


31. FAS reports U.S. 2005 Fishery Exports for January through July up Over 8 Percent 

… Major products that contributed to the overall increase through the first seven months of 2005 include surimi (up $75.4 million), scallops (up $26.9 million), salmon (up $24.7 million), herring (up $24.6 million), squid (up $16.3 million) and pollock (up $16.0 million).  In contrast, exports declined for several products, such as cod (down $16.3 million), sea urchin (down $10.3 million), crab (down $7.9 million) and shrimp (down $7.0 million)…

http://www.fas.usda.gov/ffpd/Fish-Circular/Market_News/market.html

Scroll down to top story below titles…


32. Collaborative Insights: Newsletter of Global Food Collaborative

Current issue topics: Unalaska's Strategic Location

Profile: Frank Kelty

Universal Airlines hub in Southcentral: A New Airline With A Focus On Fish

And more at: http://www.globalfoodcollaborative.com/ (scroll down to newsletter)


33. AAAS 2005 Arctic Science Conference - Kodiak, Alaska   - Sept. 27 - 29

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Is the North that Different? Consequences of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Environmental Variation

http://arctic.aaas.org/


34. Pacific Salmon Commission agendas for Juneau October 18-20 & forward

Portland January 9-13, 2006; & Vancouver March 13-17, 2006

http://www.psc.org/Meetings/Draft%20Forward%20Looking
%20Agenda.pdf

PSC home page: http://www.psc.org/index.htm


35. MAFAC posts meeting summary from June 2005

Topics included National Offshore Aquaculture Act – and MAFAC’s recommendations are a lot different from this meeting than from their meeting in Juneau last year…

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/mafac/meetings/
2005_06/index.htm


36. NMFS posts BSAI Crab buyback fee system

NMFS establishes regulations to implement an industry fee system for repaying a $97,399,357.11 Federal loan financing a fishing capacity reduction program in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crab fishery. This action implements the fee system.

This final rule is effective, and crab program fee payment collection will begin, on October 17, 2005.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800
/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-18444.htm


37. US Marine Mammal Commission to Meet in Anchorage, Oct 12-14

The Commission and Committee will meet in public session to discuss a broad range of marine ecosystem and marine mammal matters. While subject to change, major issues that the Commission plans to consider at the meeting include the effects of climate change, coastal development, and contaminants and disease on marine mammal populations; Alaska Native subsistence and co-management; issues related to fishing and interactions with marine mammals; and conservation of certain marine mammal species, including Stellar sea lions, northern fur seals, harbor seals, ice seals, Pacific walruses,  polar bears, sea otters, Cook Inlet beluga whales, North Pacific right whales, and bowhead whales.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cottingham, Executive Director,

Marine Mammal Commission, 4340 East-West Highway, Room 905, Bethesda,

MD 20814, 301-504-0087.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-18950.htm


38. CFEC & ADFG propose changes for halibut & sablefish, groundfish areas

Comment by October 17.

ADF&G proposes to repeal 5 AAC 39.122 which deals with landing permits for vessels fishing exclusively outside of state waters to land or deliver halibut or sablefish inside state waters…

http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e
7a8925672a0060a91b/6487ac4f8fb5cdb28925707e00609c8
0?OpenDocument


39. NPFMC meeting October 3-11, 2005 Anchorage Hilton, Draft Agenda

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/1005Agenda.pdf

NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/


40. BOF meetings Oct 13 (nonregulatory actions) & Oct. 15 (groundfish), Girdwood

A nonregulatory work session will be held on Thursday October 13, 2005. Among the items to be considered and election of officers, board committee and task force reports (including Joint NPFMC/BOF, PWS Allocation Committee, Salmon Restructuring Panel, 2005/2006 future board meeting schedule and call for proposals; ACRs, establichment of committees…

The second section of the meeting will be to consider regulatory actions in the groundfish fisheries listed above…

Alyeska Prince Hotel, 1000 Arlberg Ave., Girdwood, AK 8:30 a.m. on Saturday October 15…

http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/
2005_2006/Oct05Note.pdf

Proposed Changes And Public Meeting Notice:

http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c
156e7a8925672a0060a91b/a6598a2c8d7b27668925707a
006fa841?OpenDocument


41. MMPA List of Fisheries reopened for comment –five AK fisheries upgraded

Comment deadline October 24

NOAA List of Fisheries Info: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/interactions/lof/

Federal Register Notice: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-16939.htm

Online comment submission: http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3029383,00.html


42. Comment deadline Oct 21 on National Standard 1 guidelines

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/index.htm


43. ISER Research Matters No. 11. Changing Alaska's Salmon Harvesting System: What Are the Challenges?

Research Summary: Alaska’s Salmon Harvesting System: What Are The Challenges?

http://www.alaskaneconomy.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/UA5-1.pdf

Complete paper: "Challenges In Restructuring Alaska's Salmon Fisheries"

http://www.alaskaneconomy.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/
UlmerKnappRestrucfinal.pdf


44. Salmon Price Report for week of September 5

http://www.alaskaseafood.org/fishingprocessing/090505smb.pdf

& look for latest report and Salmon Market Bulletins at ASMI SMIS Homepage: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/fishingprocessing/bulletin.htm


Catch or See an Atlantic Salmon? - Please Call 1-877-INVASIV (1-877-468-2748)

call ADF&G hotline, keep fish whole and refrigerate if possible.