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UFA Update December 22, 2005 Contents: 1. Last call for 2005 Tax Deductible Donations by Alaska fishing industry to Gulf of Mexico fishing industry. To donate to Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission see www.akgulfhelp.org (Link corrected) 2. Charter Halibut IFQs : Federal council tosses halibut charter quota plan 3. NPFMC seeks panelists for Charter Halibut Stakeholder Panel - Deadline Jan. 10 4. ADN Letter: Failure to enact halibut IFQ based on politics and not biology 5. Juneau Empire Editorial: Charter IFQs need to be renegotiated 6. Kenai Peninsula Clarion: New halibut charter regs on the line 7. State puts halibut back on charter boat logbooks 8. Halibut catch will decline in 2006 9. U.S. Commerce Committee Approves the Magnuson-Stevens Act of 2005 10. Watch continues on Magnuson-Stevens 11. Anglers negotiating reauthorization of federal fish conservation law 12. Stevens lauded for work on fish protection bill 13. Fishing association opposes proposed Pebble mine 14. Attempts to change federal mining legislation fall through 15. Bill to prohibit mixing zones in freshwater 16. Governor Outlines FY07 Budget Proposal – 9.8% increase for ADF&G 17. Fishing season marked by marketing, rationalization 18. What do you want to see on the Alaska Quarter? - (You need not be an artist) 19. State asks court to dismiss fishermen lawsuit 20. ADFG Commissioner joins Matsu sportsmen to hash over game issues 21. Commercial fishermen create group to give them a voice - CFA 22. Americans advised to eat seafood twice a week 23. Health Advocates & Doctors Rebuke Farmed Salmon Trade Group 24. New cod disease found in Norway 25. Open Aquaculture - Are Fish Farmers Solving Their Own Problems? 26. Russia bans Norwegian fish imports on health grounds 27. Russia allows frozen salmon 28. OR: Fleet adds to coast economy 29. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 30. Subsistence RACs seek representatives – deadline for nominations January 3 31. Federal Subsistence Board to Meet Jan. 10-12, Anchorage 32. BOF posts results from December PWS & Upper Copper River meeting 33. Deadline for Board of Fisheries comments on SE proposals - January 6 34. Board Of Fisheries To Meet By Teleconference Dec. 29 on schedule requests 35. CFEC Public Meeting Schedule 1/26, 2/16, 3/2, 3/23, 4/13 36. NOAA posts Proposed 2006-2007 harvest specifications for the GOA and BSAI 37. NMFS Announces Revisions to Table 2 Species Codes 38. IPHC 2005 Halibut Landing Report No. 13 39. IPHC Help wanted: Sitka Port Sampler 40. USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service Value added grant applications 41. NPFMC Motions & Documents from the December 2005 Council Meeting: 42. DCED CDQ Notice Of 2006 Crab Addendum And 2007 – 2011 Allocation Cycle 43. Marine Science in Alaska Symposium, Anchorage, January 22-25, 2006 44. AFSC: New FMA Division Assumes Role of Observer Program 45. AFSC report: Unusual Observations of Fish and Invertebrates From the Gulf of AK 46. AFSC report: Fish Behavior and the Performance of Baited Fishing Gear 47. Laine Welch on SMART GEAR: Wildlife-saving fishing concepts could net prizes 48. Board of Fisheries Call for Proposals for 2006-2007 – Deadline April 10, 2006
49. USCG District 17 MSO & AMSEA Safety
Trainings announcement 1. Last call for 2005 Tax Deductible Donations by Alaska fishing industry to Gulf of Mexico fishing industry. To donate to Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission see www.akgulfhelp.org (Link corrected) AFIRM is a 100% volunteer and fully tax deductible charitable organization of representatives of the Alaska fishing industry dedicated to helping the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry in the wake of this summer’s hurricanes –Mark Vinsel, AFIRM Chairman You can also help AFIRM by shopping Alaska Sea Grant for the holidays – excellent gifts for anyone interested in fishing and marine science – see press release and link to bookstore at: http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/NewsMedia/05news/11-10-05afirm.html And Alaska Sea Grant home page at http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/ Valdez finds its heart, contributes boat lift to aid in gulf http://www.adn.com/opinion/guest_columns/story/7293740p-7205416c.html Louisiana Sea Grant: Alaskans Help With Louisiana Hurricane Recovery Travelift To Be Used In Boat Salvage http://www.laseagrant.org/comm/2005/alaskahelp.htm 2. Charter Halibut IFQs : Federal council tosses halibut charter quota plan A federal fisheries plan to allocate individual fishing quotas for halibut charter boats is back to square one again, more than four years after it was approved but never implemented. The action, moving the whole plan back to the drawing board, is unprecedented in the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which spent several years analyzing and debating the plan before approving it in April 2001.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/121805/hom_2005 NPFMC Motion:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut 3. NPFMC seeks panelists for Charter Halibut Stakeholder Panel - Deadline Jan. 10 Contact NPFMC office at (907) 271-2809 or fax your letter to (907) 271-2817 From NPFMC December Newsletter: The Charter Halibut Stakeholder Committee is tasked with reviewing proposed management options, and others that may be proposed through the committee process, to develop two alternatives for Council review in April 2006. The Council requests that those individuals that wish to be appointed to the new stakeholder committee submit their nomination to the Council by January 10, 2006. New applications are required for this committee. Nominees should identify their participation in the halibut fisheries as commercial, charter, or angler sectors. A number of 1-2 day meetings during February and March 2006 in Anchorage are anticipated in order to meet the Council’s request that the Committee complete its recommendations by the April 2006 Council meeting. Committee members will be responsible for their own travel expenses. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS1205.pdf (see story page 2) Also see item #41 below for other NPFMC postings 4. ADN Letter: Failure to enact halibut IFQ based on politics and not biology The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has dipped to an all-time low. It has proven it no longer honors the public process or makes management decisions based on biology. What rules in that forum is politics. http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/7290619p-7202303c.html 5. Juneau Empire Editorial: Charter IFQs need to be renegotiated …Which leads to a serious question: Why is the charter fleet not expected to play by the same rules as the commercial fishermen? If there's a good reason, state officials need to do a better job enunciating it. As it is, it appears Alaska wants its charter operators to have free rein, potentially at the expense of their commercial counterparts.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/121805/opi_2005 & Response by Tom Dawson: IFQs a bad idea for sports anglers, worse for charters
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/122205/opi_2005 6. Kenai Peninsula Clarion: New halibut charter regs on the line - Fish and Game considers options after quota system proposal sinks - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is floating new ideas for regulating the state’s charter halibut fishery after an individual fishing quota system, first proposed in 2001, was rescinded at a North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting Dec. 9. The new regulation ideas have been lumped into two alternatives. In one of the alternatives, the NPFMC would continue to directly allocate the charter boat fishery catch, and new regulations would potentially limit the halibut charter boat fishery’s growth. A second alternative could expand the commercial fishery quota to include the charter boat fishery. This alternative could potentially permit commercial and charter boat fisheries to transfer quota shares between each other, allowing the charter boat fishery quota to decrease or increase, depending on the transfer of shares...
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/122105/news 7. State puts halibut back on charter boat logbooks The Alaska Department of Fish and Game decided this week to reinstate halibut to charter vessel logbooks. ADF&G dropped the species from the books in 2001 following the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s decision to develop an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for charter-caught halibut… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2435 8. Halibut catch will decline in 2006 10 million pound allocation for longliners would be 300,000 pounds less than 2005 catch Alaska's total commercial halibut catch could dip 5 percent in 2006, but Southeast Alaska longliners probably won't feel the pinch. The International Pacific Halibut Commission staff is recommending a total commercial catch of nearly 70 million pounds of halibut for 2006. That's about 3 million pounds less than the 2005 catch…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/122105/sta_2005 9. U.S. Commerce Committee Approves the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2005 The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2005 by voice vote…
http://www.sitnews.us/1205news/121605/121605_ 10. Watch continues on Magnuson-Stevens In a press release last week, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) supported much of the Senate Commerce Committee markup of the Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill, reported out of committee Thursday. Although the group praised the committee for building on conservation provisions in the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act, it cautioned that some areas of the legislation need refinement... AMCC, an advocate for coastal communities, lauded Sen. Stevens, chairman of the Commerce Committee, for the “open and productive process,” in drafting SB 2012. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=2451 11. Anglers negotiating reauthorization of federal fish conservation law Final negotiations this week toward reauthorizing the main federal fisheries conservation law won some concessions for recreational fishermen who want strict rules on the creation of no-fishing zones and rejection of any moves toward salt-water fishing licenses…
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/ For current text of S2012 as passed by Senate Commerce see http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas - select “BILL NUMBER” and enter “S 2012” 12. Stevens lauded for work on fish protection bill The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously accepted proposed legislation Thursday to give greater protection to fish populations in U.S. and international waters. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said afterward that he was gratified by the support from committee members. All present--Democrat and Republican--voted for the legislation, which will renew and update the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It now goes to the full Senate, probably in February… http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3169505,00.html 13. Fishing association opposes proposed Pebble mine Commercial fishermen say project is a threat to Bristol Bay sockeye A Bristol Bay commercial fishermen's association wants Gov. Frank Murkowski to oppose development of the Pebble mine project. The Alaska Independent Fishermen's Marketing Association sent a letter Murkowski asking him to oppose the Pebble mine project - which could turn into the continent's biggest gold mine - as an upstream threat to the bay's abundant sockeye.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/121505/sta_2005 14. Attempts to change federal mining legislation fall through Supporters touted it as a way to reform and update an antiquated mining law from the 1800s. Conservation and sportsmen’s groups saw it is something else. It’s what they say amounts to a federal land giveaway. Today the effort to change the law is dead, stripped from the federal budget bill, but both sides agree we haven’t heard the last of this issue.
http://www.ktuu.com/cms/templates/master.asp?articleid 15. Bill to prohibit mixing zones in freshwater Measure would allow dumping in artificial bodies of water… Four Republican state legislators are sponsoring a bill for next session that would prohibit pollution mixing zones in freshwater spawning areas, but allow dumping in man-made bodies of water where fish may lay eggs…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/122205/sta_2005 16. Governor Outlines FY07 Budget Proposal – 9.8% increase for ADF&G operations Governor Frank H. Murkowski Thursday proposed a Fiscal Year 2007 budget that increases K-12 education funding and preserves most of the nearly $1.2 billion FY 06 windfall for education and gas pipeline activities… Governor’s press release: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=2100 To access the FY07 budget and other related documents: www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budget/index.htm ADF&G Budget page:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budget/Fish/ 17. Fishing season marked by marketing, rationalization State officials hoping to boost exports continued to promote wild Alaska seafood in 2005, calling seafood the driving force behind international export growth for the state. Gov. Frank Murkowski's administration allocated substantial federal funds toward programs to promote the state's commercial fishing industry, and promoted increased trade connections in Asia…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/121805/hom_2005 18. What do you want to see on the Alaska Quarter? - (You need not be an artist) Alaska will soon join the rest of the nation and have its own state coin. Design ideas, submitted in writing instead of a drawing, are being accepted beginning January 1, 2006, according to the Commemorative Coin Commission whose members are appointed by the Governor. The deadline for submitting an entry is February 28, 2006, and all Alaskans are welcome to participate… Submissions will be accepted from January 1 through February 28, 2006.
http://www.sitnews.us/1205news/121405/121405_alaska Downloadable entry form:
http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/alaska_coin/pub/Coin AK Commemorative Coin Commission Home page: http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/alaska_coin.htm 19. State asks court to dismiss fishermen lawsuit The state of Alaska has asked the court to dismiss a suit filed against the state on behalf of Cook Inlet commercial gill- and setnet fishermen in October… The suit asks the state to declare whether Commercial Fishery Entry Commission permits are property and if regulations developed by the Board of Fisheries since 1996 have resulted in a taking of property because of restricting access to the water in which they fish…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/121505/news_1215 20. ADFG Commissioner joins Matsu sportsmen to hash over game issues Study of sockeye returns a priority for state Fish and Game head… While some salmon are being intercepted, it's too easy to assume that's the sole problem, he said. Other possibilities need to be studied, including potential problems in Mat-Su rivers. Those include more pike eating salmon fry and more beaver dams preventing fish from returning to spawn, he said. Campbell said getting legislative approval for $1 million to study Mat-Su sockeye returns is one of his top priorities…
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7286129p- 21. Commercial fishermen create group to give them a voice - CFA Long splintered into small groups, commercial fishermen are putting together a national organization to promote their image and press their interests before Congress. The Commercial Fishermen of America announced its formation in mid-November in Seattle and hopes to be up and running by spring. The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, which funds marine conservation programs ( www.packard.org ), provided a $50,000 startup grant… http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/380555.html 22. Americans advised to eat seafood twice a week New guidelines recommend that all Americans -- especially pregnant and nursing women and children -- eat seafood twice a week, despite the current concern about pollution contamination… "Not eating seafood is more harmful than eating it," Lands concluded. "The benefits of eating seafood far outweighs the risks of the little bit of mercury that are in the seafood."
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type= NOAA press release: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/docs/Conference_final.pdf 23. Health Advocates & Doctors Rebuke Farmed Salmon Trade Group for Giving Misleading Medical Advice to Pregnant Women; Advocates Filing Complaint with FTC The Pure Salmon Campaign, an international coalition of groups seeking to improve the way salmon is produced, announced today that it will file a truth-in-advertising complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding a recent advertising campaign touting farmed salmon as "just what the doctor ordered" for pregnant women. Salmon of the Americas, a salmon aquaculture industry trade group, placed a six page advertising supplement in the Nov. 27 edition of The New York Times Sunday Magazine. The ad made extensive claims about the health benefits of farmed salmon and promoted the consumption of the fish to pregnant women and mothers… http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=58499 24. New cod disease found in Norway The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has found a new disease in Norwegian cod, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has reported. A bacterium identified as Francisella sp. has been isolated in connection with an outbreak out of disease where the main characteristics have been chronic inflammation reactions with knots in several organs. Some fish reportedly had eye injuries and a few had bloody knots in the skin… The Norwegian Food Safety Authority urges the fish farming industry to be extra vigilant with regards to this disease and to report any suspicions to the fish health service.
http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/3526/ 25. Open Aquaculture - Are Fish Farmers Solving Their Own Problems? …the marine aquaculture industry appears to be solving many of its own problems. Norwegian salmon farmers vaccinate their fish, eliminating the need to dump antibiotics into crowded surface pens. Canadian researchers are developing promising ways to eliminate nutrient pollution from New Brunswick farm pens by growing salmon alongside mussels, which filter the wastes. In Florida, scientists are growing marine shrimp in zero-discharge freshwater ponds located miles inland, eliminating damage to coastal habitats… http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2925 26. Russia bans Norwegian fish imports on health grounds Russia will ban imports of Norwegian fish as of January 1, 2006 on health grounds, Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said. "This [ban] has nothing to do with politics," he said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20051222/42641525.html 27. Russia allows frozen salmon Russia eased up slightly on a threatened import stop of Norwegian farmed salmon from Jan. 1 2006. The dispute, with Russia claiming unheard of contaminant levels in the fish, is a serious worry from a major customer.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article 28. OR: Fleet adds to coast economy According to a study ,"Oregon's Commercial Fishing Industry Year 2004 Preliminary Review and Your 2005 Outlook," Newport's distant water fleet plays a large part in the local economy. That study was written by Yachats economist Hans Radke and Shannon Davis, together known as The Research Group. It is difficult to assess the economic impacts of the distant water (DW) fleet, and there are different ways to do so. For one thing, they spend half their time in Alaska, half their time in Oregon, and they may land product in either state. Further, they may have repairs done in either state…
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2005/12/21/ 29. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Thursday 12/22/05 Counting fish stocks is a "catch 22" Wednesday 12/21/05 Do Moms want their kids to grow up to be fishermen? Tuesday 12/20/05 CDQ officials reveal their salaries Monday 12/19/05 Rep. LeDoux says SB113 "dead"; shares thoughts on Gulf groundfish ratz Friday 12/16/05 Candidates for AK governor will again come to Kodiak to talk fish See: http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm ….& see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 30. Subsistence RACs seek representatives – deadline for nominations January 3, 2006 Interested in Subsistence? -Seats are open statewide to subsistence, commercial and sport users. Application packets or information is available from: Ann Wilkinson at (907) 786-3676 or (800) 478-1456 Email ann_wilkinson@fws.gov . Or download application from office of Subsistence Management website at:
http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/racapp.cfm?CFID=8225& Deadline for nominations January 3, 2006 Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Winter & Spring Meetings: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/deadline.cfm 31. Federal Subsistence Board to Meet Jan. 10-12, Anchorage The Federal Subsistence Board will meet Jan. 10-12 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel, 401 E. 6th Avenue, Anchorage. The Board will consider proposals to change Federal subsistence fisheries regulations for the 2006-2007 regulatory year, including one that would establish a customary and traditional use determination for rural residents of the Cook Inlet area. The proposed change would enable rural residents, including those in Ninilchik, Cooper Landing and Hope, to harvest fish for subsistence use in Federal public waters on the Kenai Peninsula. The Board also will consider funding for subsistence-related research and monitoring projects for 2006 under the Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program. The public is welcome at this meeting. Questions about the meeting agenda or requests for reasonable accommodations should be directed to Larry Buklis at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3822 or by e-mail, Larry_Buklis@fws.gov . 32. BOF posts results from December PWS & Upper Copper River meeting
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/2005 33. Deadline for Board of Fisheries comments on SE proposals - January 6 Proposals are available online at:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/ Instructions for
submitting comments on proposals are at:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/bbs/process/ 34. Board Of Fisheries To Meet By Teleconference Dec. 29 on schedule requests Notice is given that the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) will meet by teleconference on December 29, 2005, beginning at 10:00 am. The purpose of the teleconference is to consider two requests to alter the board’s meeting schedule. The board received a request from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to delay consideration of a state waters Pacific cod fishery in the Aleutians Island area. At its recent meeting in December 2005, the board generated a proposal to consider this topic at its January 2006 regulatory meeting. The board also received a request from the Department of Fish and Game to add to its March 2006 regulatory meeting consideration of action in the charter fisheries in Southeast and Southcentral of 1) limiting the number of lines to the number of customers onboard; and 2) limiting the retention of fish caught by skipper/crew when customers are onboard…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 35. CFEC Public Meeting Schedule 1/26, 2/16, 3/2, 3/23, 4/13 …the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission will meet in public meetings on January 26, February 16, March 2 and 23, April 13, and May 11, 2006 at 3:30 PM, in the Commission’s Conference Room in Juneau… The Agenda may include: general commission business including personnel, policy, and budget matters; fishery-related issues; regulatory proposals; legislative issues; and agenda items deferred from prior meetings.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 36. NOAA posts Proposed 2006-2007 harvest specifications for the GOA and BSAI Comments must be received by January 17, 2006 GOA: 2006 BSAI:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 37. NMFS Announces Revisions to Table 2 Species Codes The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) has revised Table 2 of 50 CFR Part 679 which
becomes effective January 18, 2006, according to Robert D. Mecum, Acting
Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS. Table 2 lists species codes.
Participants are required to use these codes after the effective date…
http://209.112.168.2/index/infobulletins/bulletin.asp?Bulletin Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800 38. IPHC 2005 Halibut Landing Report No. 13 British Columbian and
Alaskan Commercial Fisheries closed for 2005… final catch #s posted at:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2005/ 39. IPHC Help wanted: Sitka Port Sampler http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/employ.htm 40. USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service Value added grant applications The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $19.475 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year (FY) 2006 to help independent agricultural producers enter into value-added activities. Of this amount, $1.5 million is set aside for applicants requesting $25,000 or less. Awards may be made for planning activities or for working capital expenses, but not for both. The maximum grant amount for a planning grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount for a working capital grant is $300,000…Deadline March 31
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/ 41. NPFMC Motions & Documents from the December 2005 Council Meeting: CDQ motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/CDQ/ Bering Sea Habitat
Conservation motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/efh/ P.cod allocations
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/motions/ GOA Rationalization community provisions
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/ Council recommended specs for 2006-2007 BSAI and GOA groundfish fisheries
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/membership/plan_teams Halibut Charter IFQ motion
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_ & NPFMC December 2005
Newsletter
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS1205.pdf 42. DCED CDQ Notice Of 2006 Crab Addendum And 2007 – 2011 Allocation Cycle …Per 6 AAC 93.020(c), the State CDQ Team determines that it is necessary to change the allocation cycle from 2006-2008 to 2007-2011. The State will utilize the information submitted by the CDQ groups pursuant to 6 AAC 93.025, 6 AAC 93.035, and non-confidential information submitted pursuant 6 AAC 93.050 in accordance with 6 AAC 93.075 and other pertinent information as authorized by 6 AAC 93.075(a). Questions concerning this notice can be answered by writing or calling: Greg Cashen, Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, PO Box 110807, Juneau, AK 99811-0807, (907) 465-5536.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e 43. Marine Science in Alaska Symposium, Anchorage, January 22-25, 2006 http://www.gem.state.ak.us/Symposium/ 44. AFSC: New FMA Division Assumes Role of Observer Program The North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program is the largest fisheries observer program in the United States. Funded largely by industry, the Program deploys approximately 400 observers who spend roughly 36,000 days at sea each year to collect data for use by the National Marine Fisheries Service in managing the Alaska groundfish fishery…
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/jas2005/ 45. AFSC report: Unusual Observations of Fish and Invertebrates From the Gulf of Alaska, 2004-05 During 2004-05, unusual fish and invertebrates were reported off the coasts of southcentral and southeastern Alaska. Most but not all of these occurrences are presumably associated with the unusually warm oceanographic conditions in the North Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Alaska during these years… http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/jas2005/divrptsABL1.htm 46. AFSC report: Fish Behavior and the Performance of Baited Fishing Gear The effectiveness of baited fishing gear ultimately depends upon behavior of the target species—activity rhythms, feeding motivation, and sensory and locomotory abilities. While any environmental parameter that mediates feeding or locomotion can have an important influence on the active space presented by the bait and fish catchability, few biologists have considered how such variation in behavior might affect catch per unit effort (CPUE) and the resultant stock abundance estimates or population parameters. http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/jas2005/divrptsRACE6.htm 47. Laine Welch on SMART GEAR: Wildlife-saving fishing concepts could net prizes Alaska might boast the world's most abundant and best managed fisheries, but it was glaringly absent last year when it came to offering good ideas for cleaner fishing. The World Wildlife Fund hopes to lure Alaskans as well as others from around the world to participate in its second International Smart Gear competition, which began last week. The best idea will net the winner $25,000; two runners up each will receive $5,000 cash prizes… http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/7256059p-7167755c.html See SmartGear home page at http://www.smartgear.org 48. Board of Fisheries Call for Proposals for 2006-2007 – Deadline April 10, 2006 Bristol Bay, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim, and Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands Finfish Areas and Statewide Finfish Regulations http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcall.php 49. USCG District 17 MSO & AMSEA Safety Trainings announcement: The Southeast Alaska tanner & golden king crab opener will occur on Feb. 10th this year vs. Feb. 15th opener of many years. MSO Juneau will be conducting a town meeting for commercial fishermen in Petersburg, on Fri. Jan. 20th. Topics of discussion will include stability concerns/ SCC's (Safety Compliance Checks) and the Dockside Safety Program. A port visit will commence in Petersburg, Feb. 1 thru Feb 10th. Teams will be conducting SCC's, monitoring vessel stability concerns, and they also will be conducting courtesy dockside exams. AMSEA Drill Instructor Classes Planned January 31 – February 1 – Kake 10 hour Feb 11 - 12 - Cordova February 5 – 7 Petersburg 10 hour, one for community and one for hs students Feb 22 - 24 - Bethel – 10 hour March 17 – Sitka 10 hour March 27 – Toksook – 10 hour March 28 – Tununak – 10 hour March 29 – Eek – 10 hour March 30 – Quinhagok – 10 hour February no date yet – Sitka MSIT class for SARDFA March 13-20, 2006 – Seward MSIT class Contact: Larry Snyder (907) 463-2448 or Tim Clepper (907) 225-4406 |