|
UFA Update November 1, 2005 UFA thanks the fishing community of Cordova and Cordova District Fishermen United for hosting our fall board meeting. Results from the meeting will be mailed to UFA members. Contents: 1. Feds urged to launch halibut charter quota plan 2. State backs off plan for mixing zones 3. ADF&G Releases Summary of the 2005 Salmon Season 4. USCG Cruise Ship security zone revised 5. My turn: Revitalizing Alaska's salmon industry in the last 3 years 6. Salmon-Thirty-Salmon and Funding – UFA responds to Pork comments 7. Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board is good for Alaska 8. Federal fish funds - purpose is worthwhile, but accountability is missing 9. Fish marketing funds helped save one of Alaska's largest industries 10. Fishermen fight gulf groundfish plan 11. Fish Factor: UFA Gives Thumbs Down To Plan To Dole Out DAP's For Groundfish 12. Fish factor by Laine Welch: What's ahead for the seafood industry 13. Good & Ugly-Northern Panhandle gets a stake in a prized delicacy, Sea Cucumbers 14. AK, WA salmon not recertified for fishing year 2004 USDA TAA benefits 15. Merchant marine careers await displaced fishermen 16. ADF&G Bristol Bay biologist Keith Weiland retirement party, Anchorage Nov 4 17. Natives renew complaint about spraying permit 18. Bristol Bay onshore lease sale: Alaska mulls drilling in fishing area 19. Governor blasts Fed plan for Glacier Bay traffic 20. Extra ranger gives boost to enforcement on Kenai River 21. Revamped Crab fishery allows a slow start 22. Discovery Channel crew joins Kodiak crab boat for footage 23. Aleutian fishers give up tiny crab quota 24. Market fresh: Alaska salmon is safe for almost everyone 25. U.S. Warnings Against Fish May Be Harmful, Harvard Study Says 26. NW: Salmon-harvesting policy questioned 27. OR: Judge stiffens ruling on pesticide “Salmon Hazard”warning labels 28. NW: Is salmon money flowing the right way? 29. Oregonian: Nothing New in Sport vs. Commercial 30. Judge OKs policy on circle hooks for turtle take reduction 31. Time magazine: How The Coast Guard Gets It Right 32. Time magazine features Dr. Andrew Weil's Wellness Diet, with wild salmon 33. Animal rights group baits anglers with ethics pledge 34. EU: Greenpeace slams retailers for fish-sourcing policies 35. Laine Welch's Fish Radio 36. NMFS proposes to open Cape Sarichef BSAI groundfish –comment by Nov 25. 37. USCG posts VMS; Vessel Monitoring Systems Specification of Requirements 38. USFWS Revised Conservation Plan for the AK Peninsula and Becharof Refuges 39. EPA proposes 15ppm low sulfur diesel standard for rural AK marine by 2010 40. AK Journal of Commerce: Low-sulfur rules will sting villages 41. USCG posts Temporary final rule on Valdez security zones 42. Notice to Mariners – PMEL Instrument Moorings 43. Timeline Extension for MSC Assessment of Alaska Salmon Fisheries 44. 2005 Halibut Landing Report No. 12 & deadline for 2006 changes – Nov 15 45. BOF Notice of Meetings for 2006: PWS and Up. Copper/Up. Susitna Finfish, SE 46. BOF -Chignik: Notice of Proposed Changes in the Regulations of the Alaska BOF… 47. BOF Chignik Salmon Cooperative Meeting – Nov 15, Anchorage Marriott 48. BOF posts summary of actions from October state trawl meeting Oct 15-16 49. DNR Extends Shellfish farm site comments to November 18 50. DEC proposed increase to Seafood Permit Certif., Waiver, Compliance and Lab fees 51. DEC NPDES Primacy Work Group Meeting, November 30, Anchorage 52. Collaborative Insights features Chignik Coop: Setting and Reaching Goals 53. Comment sought on right whale habitat - JAN. 2 DEADLINE: 54. NOAA Fisheries proposes critical habitat in Alaska waters for right whales 55. Statewide Steller Sea Lion Pup Count Completed 56. MMRC: D'em Bones! – Steller Skull research 57. House Resources HR4075 – MMPA amendments 58. NPRB releases $5.15M Request for Research Proposals 2006 59. NOAA seeks comment on data collections for IFQ & Seabird avoidance 60. Bill Hogarth’s Corner – Huricanes’ aftermath 61. Managing Fisheries—Empowering Communities: Conference Proceedings 62. Magnuson-Stevens - NPFMC Director Chris Oliver testimony to House Resources 63. NPFMC October Newsletter 64. State of Alaska position on reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act 65. Pacific Marine Expo - Seattle – November 17-19 Previously posted meetings and comment periods approaching, for your convenience: 66. Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Fall Meetings Statewide 67. ASMI Fall Board and All Committees Meeting, Downtown Seattle Hilton, Nov 2-4 68. DEIS released on AK Coastal management program – comment by Nov 7
69. DEC seeks comments on potential changes to
Oil Pollution Prevention Regs – by Nov 28 1. Feds urged to launch halibut charter quota plan Fishery council is put out that regulators are sitting on a four-year-old plan… Members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council are frustrated that four years after it approved the controversial halibut charter IFQ plan, federal regulators still haven't drafted regulations…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/101105/sta_2005 & Kodiak Daily Mirror: Charter halibut quotas still up for discussion http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2189 & ADF&G considers alternative halibut plan http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2193 2. State backs off plan for mixing zones Alaska regulators retracted an earlier proposal to lift a statewide ban on pollution mixing zones in fish spawning areas but proposed allowing industries to seek exemptions to the rule. The new proposed regulation, out for public comment until Dec. 19, replaces the Alaska Department of Conservation's controversial proposal last year to allow industries and sewage plants to use mixing zones in the spawning areas of streams and rivers.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/101805/sta_2005 a. New 2005 DEC
proposed regulations:
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e b. Current Mixing Zone Regulations showing proposed 2005 changes
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wqsar/trireview/pdfs/comp For complete information see DEC Mixing Zones page:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wqsar/trireview/mixing 3. ADF&G Releases Summary of the 2005 Salmon Season …This season, commercial fishermen harvested 206.1 million salmon, which had an estimated total value of $295.3 million. The harvest was about 26 million fish above the preseason forecast, was the third largest harvest on record, and was well above the most recent 10-year average of 167 million fish. The 2005 statewide harvest marks the third year since 1960 that the number of salmon caught has exceeded 200 million fish. The total exvessel value of the 2005 salmon harvest was $23 million higher than in 2004, and similar to the most recent 10-year average of $294.4 million… http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2005/10-31-05_nr.php Juneau Empire: http://juneauempire.com/stories/110105/sta_20051101014.shtml 4. USCG Cruise Ship security zone revised Coast Guard says 100-yard no-entry zones around cruise ships to include ferries The U.S. Coast Guard is revising its permanent security zone rule to include the state ferries as well as cruise ships. The U.S. Coast Guard is revising its proposed rule creating 100-yard no-entry zones around cruise ships in Alaska waters to include state ferries…
http://juneauempire.com/stories/110105/sta_2005 Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 5. My turn: Revitalizing Alaska's salmon industry in the last 3 years A recent University of Alaska study regarding Alaska's commercial salmon industry fails to acknowledge the Murkowski administration's success in revitalizing Alaska's salmon industry. We are writing to set the record straight.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/101105/opi_2005 6. Salmon-Thirty-Salmon and Funding – UFA responds to Pork comments The flying salmon billboard was funded by the Saltonstall-Kennedy fund, from duties on seafood imports, which is intended for development of American fisheries. With Alaska responsible for approximately 50% of the nation's seafood production, it should not raise criticism from the well-informed when these funds are used to promote Alaska seafood.
http://www.sitnews.us/1005Viewpoints/101005_ And the topic continues in ADN Letters (scroll down for UFA response) http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/7085694p-6991322c.html 7. Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board is good for Alaska Guest Opinion By Duncan Fields I’m amazed at the inaccuracies and the muckraker slant of the media regarding the “Salmon Thirty Salmon.” Liz Ruskin in the Anchorage Daily News, “Salmon Jet Lures Federal Funds Questions” and Dave Kerly’s piece on ABC were short on the facts. The Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board was created to save a dying industry and the real story is about the board’s success. First, the funding for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Board comes from Saltonstahl-Kennedy Funds — not taxpayer money. These funds derive from import fees on imported seafood products, the very products that compete with wild Alaska seafood. It is absolutely appropriate, indeed it is a public-policy mandate, that import fees be used to promote U.S. seafood. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2130 8. Federal fish funds - purpose is worthwhile, but accountability is missing U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' legendary funding prowess brought Alaska a lot of federal money to promote the marketing of our wild salmon. Coming when it did, with salmon prices at rock bottom and the industry getting pounded by competition from farmed salmon, the money was a welcome boost to a vulnerable keystone of Alaska's economy. But there's an important catch… http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/7069626p-6974412c.html 9. Fish marketing funds helped save one of Alaska's largest industries An article in your paper questioned the value of approximately $29 million in federal funds appropriated to the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board over the past three years. I would like to provide our perspective on how these appropriations benefited Alaska. I would also like to thank Sen. Ted Stevens for securing these funds…
http://www.adn.com/opinion/guest_columns/story/7109 10. Fishermen fight gulf groundfish plan A federal fisheries panel wrestling with a plan to privatize through harvest allocations the multi-million-dollar groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska got an earful Oct. 9 from Kodiak-area fishermen who said the plan as proposed would mean economic disaster for gulf communities. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council met in Anchorage Oct. 5-11, and is in the process of refining options on how the so-called Gulf of Alaska groundfish rationalization program will work. The council made no final decisions at the meeting…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/101605/loc_200510 11. Fish Factor: UFA Gives Thumbs Down To Plan To Dole Out DAP's For Groundfish United Fishermen of Alaska - now one of the nation's largest fisheries groups - gave a big thumbs down to a plan that would dole out DAP's for groundfish to what many feel is a privileged few… http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/103105_fish_factor.html (The motion passed was “UFA withdraws support for SB113, supports the objective to ensure that Alaska fishermen are treated fairly in rationalization of Gulf groundfish fisheries, and will continue to work with legislature and sponsor on language”) 12. Fish factor by Laine Welch: What's ahead for the seafood industry Look 20 years into the future and here is what's ahead for the seafood industry: more "convenience" foods in more varied forms, more outsourcing of seafood processing to other countries, and more aquaculture competing with wild fisheries. http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/092905_fish_factor.html 13. Good & Ugly-Northern Panhandle gets a stake in a prized delicacy, Sea Cucumbers …Alaska Glacier Seafoods is the only sea cucumber processor north of Sitka in the Panhandle. Its workers will likely process about 150,000-plus pounds of raw sea cucumbers harvested by Southeast Alaska divers this winter, says plant co-owner Mike Erickson…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/103005/loc_2005103 14. AK, WA salmon not recertified for fishing year 2004 USDA TAA benefits … the Administrator determined that the average salmon prices during the 2004 marketing year was $0.343/pound, which is 85 percent of the base 5-year average price. During that same marketing year, imports declined by 1.4 percent. Therefore, the average price for the most recent marketing year was not less than 80 percent of the average price for the base period and imports were no longer contributing factors for program eligibility…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 15. Merchant marine careers await displaced fishermen Crabbers who find themselves without jobs might find work in the merchant marine shipping industry -- and get trained for free. In fact, the opportunity is open for displaced salmon fishermen, loggers or almost anyone who has been run out of business by the economics of free trade…
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/71187 16. ADF&G Bristol Bay biologist Keith Weiland retirement party, Anchorage Nov 4 November 4th, 6:00 p.m-??? at Mick’s at the Inlet To RSVP or for info contact Kelly Nyberg @ 907-267-2109 17. Natives renew complaint about spraying permit Some Southeast Alaska tribal groups are coming out in renewed opposition to Klukwan Inc.'s second attempt to spray chemicals on its Long Island second-growth timber…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/102505/sta_2005 18. Bristol Bay onshore lease sale: Alaska mulls drilling in fishing area The Bristol Bay region in southwestern Alaska, site of the world's biggest sockeye salmon runs, rich crab fisheries and other lucrative seafood harvests, could join the North Slope and Cook Inlet to become the state's third energy-producing province, Murkowski said in a recent Anchorage speech, setting the stage for a potential political fight…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051021/sc_nm/energy 19. Governor blasts Fed plan for Glacier Bay traffic Quota for boats allowed into the bay next year will be the same as in 2005 The number of boats allowed to enter Glacier Bay National Park next year will remain the same while more studies are done to determine the effects of the cruise ships on the park's wildlife. Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski blasted Monday's announcement by the National Park Service. The governor, who has been wrestling with the federal government over control of Glacier Bay's waters, wants to bring more cruise ships into to the state's No. 2 tourist destination…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/101805/sta_2005 20. Extra ranger gives boost to enforcement on Kenai River The addition of another ranger was credited with officials writing more than twice as many violations on the Kenai River this year from 2004. "Just about every boat out there has something going on that needs to be addressed," ranger Bill Berkhahn said… Overall, 58 citations were issued to guides in 2005, 18 of which were for failure to complete a required end-of-season report…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/101805/sta_2005 21. Revamped Crab fishery allows a slow start Alaska's restructured Bering Sea red king crab fishery, with an allowable harvest of 18.3 million pounds, is already rocking with talk of foul weather, slowed delivery and lower prices. Reports garnered by one organization of crab vessel owners indicated prices to some fishermen were down a dollar a pound compared to last year at about $4; but Clyde Sterling, vice president of operations for Peter Pan Seafoods, said Oct. 25 that his company was paying $4.60 a pound, with possible revenue sharing.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/103005/hom_2005 22. Discovery Channel crew joins Kodiak crab boat for footage Discovery Channel crew are at it again, gathering footage for “The Deadliest Catch 2.” They are filming on crab boats out for the first season of rationalized red king crab, and joined Kodiak-based crab boat Time Bandit on a recent fishing trip… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2216 23. Aleutian fishers give up tiny crab quota A community development quota group representing Aleutian and Pribilof Islands fishermen will transfer its 2005 crab allocation to another CDQ group, while working to gain a bigger share in 2006…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/101605/loc_2005 24. Market fresh: Alaska salmon is safe for almost everyone Last year the federal government advised pregnant women against eating certain kinds of fish that contained high levels of mercury… The result: Entire populations whom the warning didn't apply to cut back on fish consumption. http://www.adn.com/life/story/7134192p-7042923c.html 25. U.S. Warnings Against Fish May Be Harmful, Harvard Study Says Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. government warnings against eating mercury-contaminated fish may cause more harm than good because fish oils boost health and mental development more than mercury harms fetuses, Harvard University researchers reported…
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid 26. NW: Salmon-harvesting policy questioned Trying to apply what they called a "common sense solution" to saving salmon, three members of Congress suggested this week cutting back on the numbers of fish that can be killed by fishermen.
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/ 27. OR: Judge stiffens ruling on pesticide “Salmon Hazard”warning labels Labels warning of the harm that pesticides may pose to endangered fish soon will appear in local garden and home center stores, thanks to a court order. Washington District Judge John Coughenour told the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to do a better job of informing the public that chemicals in popular products that kill weeds and insects may hurt salmon and steelhead… Coughenour first required the public warnings in a court order issued in January 2004, but he put a pesticide industry group - CropLife - in charge of the notification process, and few stores complied…
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/10/19/d1.cr. 28. NW: Is salmon money flowing the right way? …a major government plan to revive the chinook, expected later this year, will advance the idea that some rivers deserve more attention, and it could set the stage for changes in the region's salmon-recovery efforts, including who gets the most money and where it's spent…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/200259 29. Oregonian: Nothing New in Sport vs. Commercial It’s all about access, and those who say 175 gill-netters don’t equal 100,000 sport anglers are probably correct. Those netters represent far more taxpayers who have a stake in salmon, and every right in the world to buy Columbia fish…
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/ 30. Judge OKs policy on circle hooks for turtle take reduction Federal fisheries regulators struck a reasonable balance when they allowed commercial longline fishermen to use circle-shaped hooks that reduce unintended sea turtle catches while still allowing longliners to reel in targeted swordfish and tuna, a federal district court judge ruled in Washington. Environmental activist groups Oceana and The Ocean Conservancy had challenged the National Marine Fisheries Service plan for reducing the accidental taking of loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act…
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051018/ 31. Time magazine: How The Coast Guard Gets It Right Where did those orange helicopters come from, anyway? The story of the little agency that could Wil Milam, 39, is a rescue swimmer for the U.S. Coast Guard in Kodiak, Alaska, which means he spends most of his time jumping out of helicopters to help fishermen who break bones and pilots who crash their private planes. "We're pretty much the area ambulance service," he says. Before he was dispatched to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Milam had never been called out of Alaska for a mission and had never done urban search-and-rescue work. But like thousands of other personnel, he was brought to Louisiana to do what the Coast Guard does best: improvise wildly…
http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1122 32. Time magazine features Dr. Andrew Weil's Wellness Diet, with wild salmon For omega-3 fatty acids, eat salmon (preferably wild--fresh or frozen--or canned sockeye)…
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1 33. Animal rights group baits anglers with ethics pledge PETA asks state to make fishermen take mandatory oath to ease cruelty The animal rights group PETA wants fishermen to promise they will follow a federal "Code of Angling Ethics" before they can legally hook salmon, trout and halibut in Alaska…
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7141287p- 34. EU: Greenpeace slams retailers for fish-sourcing policies Britain’s biggest retailers are responsible for the indiscriminate destruction of fish stocks according to Greenpeace’s latest report revealing a list of the top-offending supermarket chains… http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/news/ng.asp?n=63533-greenpeace-asda-marks-and-spencer 35. Laine Welch's Fish Radio This weeks topics: Tuesday 11/1/05 Eco-label for AK salmon delayed till May Monday 10/31/05 Halloween: Scariest things in AK fishing Friday 10/28/05 King crab "detectives" seek answers to stock collapse around Kodiak Thursday 10/27/05 Displaced crabbers, salmon fishermen eligible for great merchant marine jobs. Free training! Wednesday 10/26/05 2006 Tanner crab catches for Kodiak, Chignik, S.Peninsula http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm ….& see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 36. NMFS proposes to open Cape Sarichef BSAI groundfish fishery –comment by Nov 25. NMFS proposes to open the Cape Sarichef Research Restriction Area in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) to directed fishing for groundfish using trawl, pot, and hook-and-line gear from March 15, 2006, through March 31, 2006. Comments on this proposed rule must be received by November 25, 2005…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 37. USCG posts VMS; Vessel Monitoring Systems Specification of Requirements for Mobile Transmitting Unit Type Approval- Revision of type approval requirements for mobile transmitting… …notice of type approval requirements for Mobile Transmitting Units (MTU) to be authorized for use on any vessel participating in the NOAA Vessel Monitoring System (VMS ) program. Vessels participating in VMS programs must acquire an OLE - approved MTU to comply with VMS standards set forth in NMFS rules requiring the use of VMS…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 38. USFWS Notice of Availability of Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 39. EPA proposes 15ppm low sulfur diesel standard for rural AK marine by 2010 EPA is proposing an implementation date of June 1, 2010 for the sulfur, cetane and aromatics requirements for highway, nonroad, locomotive and marine diesel fuel produced or imported for, distributed to, or used in the rural areas of Alaska. As of the implementation date, diesel fuel used in these applications would have to meet a 15 ppm (maximum) sulfur content standard...
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 40. AK Journal of Commerce: Low-sulfur rules will sting villages …The only good news is that the new fuel requirements won't kick in for five years in the state's outlying areas not connected to the road system. For non-rural communities on the road system, the new fuel will be required next year for vehicles and for off-road equipment in 2010…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/102305/hom_ 41. USCG posts Temporary final rule on Valdez security zones The Coast Guard is continuing temporary security zones encompassing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) Valdez Terminal Complex, Valdez, Alaska and TAPS Tank Vessels and Valdez Narrows, Port Valdez, Alaska, and is reducing the size of one of these zones. These temporary security zones will remain effective until January 12, 2006, while we complete a separate rulemaking to create permanent security zones in these locations…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 42. Notice to Mariners – PMEL Instrument Moorings Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations ( FOCI ) Instrument Moorings. For Bering Sea, Amukta Pass, Chiniak Bay, Bristol Bay, Pavlof Bay, Shelikof Strait, Cross Sound… http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/infobulletins/noticetomariners05.pdf 43. Timeline Extension for MSC Assessment of Alaska Salmon Fisheries The MSC process for independently re-assessing the commercial salmon fisheries in Alaska is a complicated and involved process including fisheries in four regions and 12 management areas across the state. To ensure a comprehensive and complete review, the SCS assessment team requires additional time to complete the re-assessment of the state’s fisheries…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 44. 2005 Halibut Landing Report No. 12 & deadline for 2006 changes – Nov 15 Requests for changes in 2006, to regulatory and administrative issue should be submitted to the Commission by November 15, 2005
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2005/ & Call for Regulatory and Administrative Proposals
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/pubs/annmeet/ 45. BOF Notice of Meetings for 2006: PWS and Up. Copper/Up. Susitna Finfish, SE and Yakutat Finfish, SE and Yakutat Groundfish, Dungeness Crab, Shrimp, Misc. Shellfish, and Statewide Dungeness Crab, Shrimp, Misc. Shellfish Meetings (*PDF - 28KB)…
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/2005 46. BOF -Chignik: Notice of Proposed Changes in the Regulations of the Alaska BOF… The Alaska Board of Fisheries proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with commercial salmon fishing in the Chignik Area, including the following: Fishery management measures related to a Chignik Area cooperative commercial salmon fishery, including, but not limited to, participation requirements for cooperative members, fishing seasons, periods, harvest levels or quotas, locations open and closed to fishing, methods and means, gear and vessel restrictions, operation of gear, registration and permit requirements, cooperative fishery application requirements, fish delivery requirements, harvest records, fish tickets, open and closed areas; allocations among beneficial uses; possession, transport, or release of fish; adjustments of management measures in the open fishery…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 47. BOF Chignik Salmon Cooperative Meeting – November 15, Downtown Anchorage Marriott For a copy of the proposed regulation changes contact ADF&G Board Support Section, (907) 465-4110 or www.state.ak.us/adfg/boards/bofhome.htm Meeting Notice:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/2005 48. BOF posts summary of actions from October state trawl meeting Oct 15-16 The summary of actions from the Board of Fisheries’ state waters trawl meeting, held October 15-16 in Girdwood, is posted online at:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/ 49. DNR Extends Shellfish farm site comments to November 18 The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land and Water (DMLW) has granted an extension of the current review by this department of the 2005 aquatic farm applications. Written comments are now being accepted until Friday, November 18, 2005. Only those who provide comments prior to this deadline will be eligible to appeal the applicable final best interest findings and decisions. Copies of the preliminary decisions that describe the scope of the proposed actions are available from the DMLW, Southcentral Regional Office, 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 900C, Anchorage AK 99501-3577 or you may view them online at http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw/aquatic/index.htm. If you have any questions concerning the proposed actions, please contact Guyla McGrady, Program Manager, at email: Guyla_McGrady@dnr.state.ak.us or phone (907) 269-8543.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c15 50. DEC proposed increase to Seafood Permit Certification, Waiver, Compliance and Lab Fees - Presentation Nov 4 in Anchorage, deadline for comment Nov 21 Kristin Ryan, Director of Environmental Health for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), will be speaking on DEC's proposed increase to the seafood permit certification, waiver, compliance, and lab fees in the Seafood, Processing and Inspection Regulations (18 AAC 34). The presentation, which will be open to the public, will be at the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association’s 2005 Annual Meeting scheduled for Friday, November 4, 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska. The presentation will describe the proposed fee changes and the intent behind the proposed changes. No comments on DEC’s proposed action will be taken or recorded for consideration. The presentation is scheduled for 10:00 am at the North Pacific Fisheries Observer Training Center at 707 W. 8th Street, #207 in Anchorage, Alaska.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c15 Public Notice of regulations changes: The comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2005.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156 51. DEC NPDES Primacy Work Group Meeting, November 30, Anchorage The next National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Work Group meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 30 in the DEC 1st floor conference room at 555 Cordova Street in Anchorage. For more information on Work Group meetings visit: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/npdes/work_group.htm All meetings are open to the public. If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodation in order to participate, contact Denise Koch DEC, (907-465-5272, denise_koch@dec.state.ak.us )…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 52. Collaborative Insights features Chignik Coop: Setting and Reaching Goals
http://www.imakenews.com/networkdirect/e_article000473 & Cooperatives: An Old
Business Model - Renewed
http://www.imakenews.com/networkdirect/e_article000473 53. Comment sought on right whale habitat - JAN. 2 DEADLINE: Waters in Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska affected. A big swath of the Bering Sea outside Bristol Bay and a smaller piece in the Gulf of Alaska southeast of Kodiak would become critical habitat for the endangered northern right whale under a proposal released Monday by the federal government.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7157002p- 54. NOAA Fisheries proposes critical habitat in Alaska waters for right whales NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed critical habitat areas for endangered northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. The two areas cover about 36,750 square miles of marine habitat… http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/rwhale103105.htm Federal Register Notice of Intent to prepare environmental impact statement:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 55. Statewide Steller Sea Lion Pup Count Completed NOAA Fisheries biologists found a small overall increase in Steller sea lion pup numbers in the endangered western population this year. However, they also found significant regional differences across the western stock’s range from Prince William Sound to Attu Island, with some areas showing an increase while others decreased… http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/sslpup103105.htm 56. MMRC: D'em Bones! – Steller Skull research …A team of scientists recently undertook an ambitious survey of 1,740 Steller sea lion skulls in 44 scientific collections around the world, with a view to determining whether enough historical data exists to support focused research on population declines in Alaska… http://www.marinemammal.org/2005/sealion_skull.php 57. House Resources HR4075 – MMPA amendments http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h4075ih.txt.pdf 58. NPRB releases $5.15M Request for Research Proposals 2006 The Board released the 2006 Request For Proposals (RFP) October 7, 2005 for approximately $5.15 million in Environmental Improvement and Restoration Funds and other funds available to NPRB for research projects starting in 2006. The 2006 priorities relate directly to the Board’s Science Plan and encourage proposals with the use of Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK)… http://www.nprb.org/research/res_2006.htm 59. NOAA seeks comment on data collections for IFQ & Seabird avoidance AK IFQ Permit holders data collection
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ AK Seabird Avoidance data collection
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 60. Bill Hogarth’s Corner – Huricanes’ aftermath http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/features/billscorner/index.htm 61. Managing Fisheries—Empowering Communities: Conference Proceedings Published by Alaska Sea Grant…
http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/bookstore/pubs/ 62. Magnuson-Stevens - NPFMC Director Chris Oliver testimony to House Resources 10/27/05 Highlights of North Pacific Fisheries and Management Approach, Progress towards Ecosystem-based management, Regional Issues and Challenges, Major Reauthorization Issues & more…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/misc_pub/Oliver House Resources Magnuson
Reauthorization page:
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/issues/fcwo/ State of AK Ocean Policy and Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization page: 63. NPFMC October Newsletter http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS1005.pdf 64. State of Alaska position on reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/ak_esa_9.30.05.pdf 65. Pacific Marine Expo - Seattle – November 17-19 Qwest Field and Event Center 800 Occidental Ave. South, Seattle For details on seminars and events, see… http://www.pacificmarineexpo.com/ Previously posted meetings and comment periods approaching, for your convenience: 66. Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Fall Meetings Statewide Meeting dates and details are available at: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/deadline.cfm 67. ASMI Fall Board and All Committees Meeting, Downtown Seattle Hilton, Nov 2-4 Nov. 2 -- 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Program briefings Nov. 3 -- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Committee meetings and work sessions Nov. 4 -- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Board meeting All meetings are open to the public. & Upcoming Trade Shows with ASMI Participation: Oct. 9-11, Expo Comida Latina Los Angeles 2005 - Los Angeles Convention Center. This expo runs alongside the West Coast Seafood Show Oct. 13-16, Southern Women's Show - Orlando, Florida, Orange County Convention Center Nov. 10-12, China Fishery & Seafood Expo, Guangzhou, China Nov. 17-19, Pacific Marine Expo (formerly known as Fish Expo) - Seattle, Washington, Qwest Field and Event Center. See conference schedule for Saturday for sessions sponsored by ASMI, and ASMI together with United Fishermen of Alaska. To sign up for ASMI Seafood Newsbriefs see: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101064654189 68. DEIS released on AK Coastal management program – comment by Nov 7 In response to the State of Alaska's June 2, 2005 submission of an amended Alaska Coastal Management Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) has reviewed the proposed amendment in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DEIS has been released for public review and a 45-day public comment period. The public comment period ends November 7, 2005 after which, OCRM will review and utilize comments to compose its Final EIS on the Amendment. Comments on the DEIS may be submitted in writing to the address below, or may be given verbally at one of two hearings OCRM has scheduled. The hearings will be held October 31, 2005 in Juneau, and November 1, 2005 in Anchorage. Further details regarding the hearings will be shared as soon as they are available. …the DEIS has been posted on OCRM's Web site at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/pcd/up.html and the Alaska Coastal Management Program's Web site at http://www.alaskacoast.state.ak.us AK Coastal Management Program website press release: http://www.alaskacoast.state.ak.us/OCRM/ocrm-nepa1.htm Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 69. DEC seeks comments on potential changes to Oil Pollution Prevention Regs – by Nov 28 The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) is engaged in a comprehensive review and update of the oil pollution prevention regulations located in 18 AAC 75 Article 1. As part of this process, ADEC has developed a discussion paper on suggested changes to our oil pollution prevention regulations. This discussion paper has been posted for public comment on our website at http://www.state.ak.us/dec/spar/ipp/cpr.htm . ADEC will accept comments on the document for sixty days, with the informal comment period ending November 28, 2005. DEC Public Notice:
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c |