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UFA Update September 11 , 2006 The UFA Board of Directors meeting will be held at the Westmark in Anchorage, October 10-12. Members are invited. Contents 1. Bering Sea group cries foul over illegal Russian crab 2. Fisherman shot dead for sake of a haul of crab in Russia/Japan islands dispute 3. MSA on hold: The Marine Conservation Alliance Responds to Delay in HR 5018 Vote 4. Amendment could worsen overfishing 5. Fisheries bill amendment would ensure proper management of fish stocks 6. Four in Juneau vie for fish council seat 7. Repost: Exxon Valdez Un-oiled remaining claimants – notification letters sent 8. Getting money from Exxon tougher than squeezing oil from a stone 9. SE Chums return in record numbers 10. Trawling proposals to be reviewed by Board of Fish 11. Spiny dogfish numbers rise; Cook Inlet sport fishermen mad 12. Cook Inlet Drift Fishermen pull plug on season 13. Vessel Tracking: Getting a fix on what's traveling the high seas 14. Senator Stevens Urges Support for Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 15. Hungry for quality - Live fish delivery device adds value to local salmon (Kodiak) 16. Kodiak lands record pinks this season 17. Kodiak Island Borough Assembly Approves $25K For Star Of Kodiak 18. Pollock C season opens to a slow start for Kodiak trawlers 19. Kodiak Fish consultant’s lapse draws ire - Rockfish pilot amendment missing 20. Hatchery crab stocks could give new vigor to languid fisheries 21. Fishing violations, although infrequent, do occur in Kodiak 22. Getting their hands dirty – AMCC Old Harbor marine science camp 23. 1,500 seabirds have washed ashore today around Unalaska, Alaska 24. Fishing boat grounded, then freed (Lorelei II in Bellingham) 25. China B Sinks Off St. Paul – Crew rescued by f/v Golden Chalice 26. Hands-on, high-tech methods combine at Hidden Lake salmon weir 27. NOAA Fisheries releasing draft document on Alaska groundfish harvest 28. Trawl fleet taking steps to reduce cod fishery bycatch – KDM letter by Jay Stinson 29. Subsistence Board rejects Ninilchik Subsistence fishery 30. Westward Seafoods experiments with wind power 31. State says safety violations led to Westward accident 32. Alaska salmon debuts in Chinese Wal-Marts 33. Tracking system lets customers trace their fish from boat to plate 34. Other Fish to Fry – NY Times Op-Ed 35. NY Times: Farms’ Output Grows Closer to Matching Fishing Harvests 36. Business Week: Sinking fishing industry seeks net gains 37. Atlantic Magazine online: Salmon Time 39. Tony Knowles accepts some blame for crab rationalization woes 40. NOAA Scientists Use New Device to Improve Salmon Research 41. Pebble Mine developers say withhold judgment as protests mount 42. Andover Ventures & Bristol Bay Native Corp Sign Exploration Agreement 43. Bristol Bay offshore lease a possibility - comment by November 22. 44. MMS Proposed 5-Year Plan and Draft EIS for 2007-2012 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing 45. How much would you pay to protect sea lions? (Comment by Oct 16) 46. MMRC Steller Summer Field Season 2006 - Field Update #2: Living off the Land 47. "The Viking Maid: Alaskan Wild vs. Farmed Salmon." -documentary film 48. Frozen seafoods becoming a popular favorite 49. Scotsman: Half of all consumed fish are farmed 50. Prince's slap to Scottish salmon with Alaskan order for Highland smokery 51. Federal promises may come too late for Gulf of Mexico fishermen 52. Gulf Seafood Safe to Eat as One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Approaches 53. FINAL BLOW - First Katrina hit the fishing industry hard. Then Washington failed... 54. CA Governor's team hears out fishermen 55. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 56. Alaska's Fishing Communities: Harvesting the Future - September 21–22, Anchorage 57. Sea Grant publishes: How to Make a Directed Transfer of Your Fishing Business 58. UAF Undergraduate Fisheries Degree Program Design Survey 59. BOF Agenda Change Requests for 2006 -2007 cycle 60. ADFG Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands Annual Crab Industry Meeting, Kodiak 10/4 61. Deadline Sept 25 for ADFG Bristol Bay Red King Crab & Bering Snow Crab Reg. 62. BOF October '06 Worksession & Statewaters Trawl Notice – Anchorage Oct 12 - 14 63. Joint Board of Fisheries and Game Call For Proposals – AC Regs & Non Subsistence 64. CRS Report: The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: 65. UN FAO: Review of the Current State of Aquaculture Insurance 66. Third International Symposium on Stock Enhancement and Sea Ranching. 67. Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center Availability of Funds for 2007 68. NOAA Notice on CDQ percentage allocations among the six CDQ groups. 69. NPFMC GOA & BSAI Groundfish plan teams meeting in Seattle, Sept 19-22 70. NPFMC Meeting in Dutch Harbor, October 2-10, 2006 – Agenda: 71. USFS Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS – Iyouktug valley, Chigagof Is. Timber sale 72. Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Hold Fall Meetings Statewide 73. Proceedings, Second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference 74. AMSEA Marine Safety Update – late summer newsletter 75. Vital Choices Newsletter Sept 11 76. Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board seeks proposals for marketing fundings 77. ASMI Salmon Price Tracking 78. ADFG 2006 Inseason Alaska Salmon Summary – updated September 8 1. Bering Sea group cries foul over illegal Russian crab Spokesmen for the Bering Sea crab industry are asking for a crackdown on domestic marketing of Barents Sea king crab harvested illegally by Russian vessels.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/091006/hom_2006 && Alaska Crab Industry Takes Aim at Imports of Illegal Russian Crab http://www.alaskareport.com/news11021.htm 2. Fisherman shot dead for sake of a haul of crab in Russia/Japan islands dispute http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2316501,00.html &&& “…And I don't think that those beautiful big Bristol Bay red king crab legs have hardly ANY competition on the world market…” John Enge, “Alaska Café”, 1/17/2006 http://alaskacafe.blogspot.com/2006/01/rational-or-ratz-what-will-history-say.html King Crab sold cooked in the USA is not covered under USDA Mandatory Country of Origin & Wild/Farmed labeling. UFA thanks all those who took up our action alert to “include seafood in all product forms”and “include wild and farmed” in the USDA Country or Origin Labeling action alerts in 2004 and 2005. The UFA Board will be taking up the issue again at our board meeting in October for strategizing on including canned and cooked salmon and cooked crab. It will take a unified effort to expand USDA COOL and we also may need the same level of effort just to retain this hard fought progress that we have. It calls for unity and this is one issue we can all agree on. –MV 3. MSA on hold: The Marine Conservation Alliance Responds to Delay in HR 5018 Vote Upon learning of the delay in the House of Representatives on the vote of HR 5018, sponsored by Reps Richard Pombo (R-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), and Don Young (R-AK), the Marine Conservation Alliance, coalition of seafood processors, harvesters, support industries and coastal communities that are active in Alaska fisheries, issued the following statement: “The Marine Conservation
Alliance is disappointed to hear that Congress’ vote on HR 5018, the
bipartisan fisheries bill needed to strengthen fishery conservation, will be
delayed. We urge Congress to continue to work on the bill, and take MSA up
in November. Otherwise, the country has missed a unique opportunity to
conserve our ocean resources, and preserve the health of our nation’s
fisheries and fishing communities,” said David Benton, Executive Director of
the Marine Conservation Alliance…
http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/press/pr & Let science set limits on fishing - By David Benton, Marine Conservation Alliance
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/atoz/article & Congressional Action Needed To Strengthen Fishery Conservation (MCA Press
release)
http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/press/pr 4. Amendment could worsen overfishing A step forward and a disaster is how environmentalists are viewing two separate bills in Congress to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act… In June, the Senate unanimously passed its version of the reauthorization bill. Most environmentalists viewed the bill as not being perfect but still maintained strong guidelines for fisheries managers to stop and prevent overfishing and rebuild depleted fish stocks... The concern is over the House amendment to the reauthorization bill proposed by House Resource Chairman Richard Pombo, a California Republican, which is viewed as a serious rollback to sustainable fisheries conservation and management…
http://www2.townonline.com/brewster/localRegional/ & 5. Fisheries bill amendment would ensure proper management of fish stocks By John Connelly (of National Fisheries Institute) As consumers in New Jersey eat more fish for the omega-3 fatty acids and other tremendous health benefits it offers, we must have a reliable supply of seafood now and into the future. However, unless the bill managing our nation's fisheries passes Congress, we cannot ensure proper management of the fish stocks that help meet America's growing appetite for seafood and protect this part of our heritage in the mid-Atlantic region. Up for a vote this month, the American Fisheries Management and Marine Life Enhancement Act (H.R. 5018) is a bill designed to improve upon the Magnuson-Stevens Act that governs our domestic fish supplies. Sponsored by Reps. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the proposed legislation has gained bipartisan support for strengthening the conservation of our marine ecosystems and expanding the role of science in managing regional fisheries…
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907 6. Four in Juneau vie for fish council seat Four Juneau residents are among 12 applicants seeking to fill a position on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The 11 voting members of the council oversee management of the fisheries in federal waters off Alaska, between three and 200 miles offshore. Juneau applicants are Robert Loescher, Joe Childers, John Moller and Heather McCarty…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/083106/loc United Fishermen of Alaska supports Joe Childers, Gerry Merrigan, and Duncan Fields for this NPFMC seat. 7. Repost: Exxon Valdez Un-oiled remaining claimants – notification letters sent Notification letters and claim forms have been sent to the remaining Exxon Valdez un-oiled claimants in fisheries not addressed last year. The affected fisheries are: Bristol Bay Salmon Drift (S03T) Southeast Salmon Seine (S01A) Alaska Peninsula Salmon Seine (S01M) Alaska Peninsula Salmon Drift (S03M) Alaska Peninsula Salmon Setnet (S04M) If you believe you are eligible from participation in these fisheries and have not received a letter regarding your unoiled claim, call 1-866-860-4800. 8. Getting money from Exxon tougher than squeezing oil from a stone Alaskan state and federal officials are demanding that Exxon Mobil fork over $92 million to continue the cleanup of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. And tomorrow, Alaskan residents and fishermen are holding a demonstration to demand payment of damages…
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives & Exxon asked to pay $92 million more for Alaska spill
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/01/america/ 9. SE Chums return in record numbers Local and regional processors handle 33 million pounds… Silvery 10-pound dog salmon were everywhere in Southeast Alaska this summer, setting records for commercial fishermen struggling to compensate for the poor pink salmon returns this year…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/082506/loc_ 10. Trawling proposals to be reviewed by Board of Fish The Alaska Board of
Fisheries begins its round of winter meetings in just over a month with a
session in Anchorage Oct. 14-15 at the Howard Johnson hotel. On the agenda
for the first meeting are proposals for trawling in state waters in the Cook
Inlet and Adak areas…
http://www.homernews.com/stories/090606/seawatch 11. Spiny dogfish numbers rise; Cook Inlet sport fishermen mad In recent years more Cook Inlet sport fishermen have returned to shore feeling dogged. Not by their fellow fishermen, their girlfriends or their mothers, but by a small shark. Spiny dogfish, one of three sharks that frequent Cook Inlet waters, have flopped on board Cook Inlet sport fishing boats in greater numbers in recent years, with a big increase in 2003, according to sample data collected by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/090606/news_0906 12. Cook Inlet Drift Fishermen pull plug on season Driftnetters: Opening across inlet isn’t worth the fuel bill to get there While the Chinitna Bay chum fishery opened to driftnet fishing Thursday, most driftnetters have already thrown in the towel on a fishing season they say is among their worst… “It’s not as disastrous as it was, but it’s still pretty disastrous,” said United Cook Inlet Drift Association President Steve Tvenstrup referring to this year’s commercial fishery.
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/090306/news_ 13. Vessel Tracking: Getting a fix on what's traveling the high seas The latest advances in tracking marine vessels seem unimpressive at first glance: a man staring at screens, eyes hidden behind spectacles reflecting charts and database entries. What's being attempted from Puget Sound to the waters beyond it, however, is at the forefront of a national push -- spurred by fears of domestic terrorism -- to monitor what travels by sea as precisely as airplanes… http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/284369_marine08.html UFA opposes the further imposition of vessel monitoring systems, and holods the position that when required, the purchase, installation and usage costs should be paid by the requiring agency. Federal Register
Notice July 11, 2006 on VMS Reimbursement program:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800 14. Senator Stevens Urges Senate Colleagues to Support Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today urged his Senate colleagues to support the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 (H.R. 4954). This bipartisan legislation will strengthen maritime transportation and port security, improve security strategy, and enhance communications between the Department of Homeland Security and key stakeholders… http://stevens.senate.gov/pr_detailed.cfm?prid=424 15. Hungry for quality - Live fish delivery device adds value to local salmon (Kodiak) Kodiak fisheries took a step toward the future Friday afternoon as a net pen of live pink and silver salmon was delivered to Alaska Fresh Seafoods for processing. Live fish delivery and the use of net pens is practiced in other parts of the world and is making its way to Alaska. But this project, through a grant to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is Kodiak’s first taste of the method… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3536 16. Kodiak lands record pinks this season After a lackluster red salmon season this year, a record-setting catch of pinks caused a giant sigh of relief for the local fishing industry. “This is the third-biggest pink salmon season we’ve ever had,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game commercial fisheries biologist Jeff Wadle said. Wadle said the catch for pinks was greater than 31.3 million as of Sept. 5. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3616 17. Kodiak Island Borough Assembly Approves $25K For Star Of Kodiak Mayor Jerome Selby had to step in and break a three-three deadlock at last night’s Kodiak Island Borough Assembly meeting over funding for the Kodiak Branding and Marketing Committee… http://www.kmxt.org/?q=node/916 18. Pollock C season opens to a slow start for Kodiak trawlers Trawl fishermen are catching pollock, but not at the rate they would like. A local processor called the pollock C season “a grind.” http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3602 19. Kodiak Fish consultant’s lapse draws ire - Rockfish pilot program amendment missing from report Criticism was leveled against the city’s fishery consultant, leaving Kodiak City Council members wondering why they were not told of congressional action to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act and authorizes an extension of the rockfish pilot program… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3555 20. Hatchery crab stocks could give new vigor to languid fisheries KODIAK: Time right to try something new here; Pribilofs interested too. Federal biologists hope a plan to breed red king crabs in captivity and eventually release crabs into the wild will help rebuild Kodiak stocks…
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/8159685p- 21. Fishing violations, although infrequent, do occur in Kodiak Commercial fishermen in Kodiak have a reputation with enforcement officials for being aware of and heeding fisheries regulations. “(Local) fishermen, by and large, are pretty good about keeping up with the regulations,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game regional shellfish biologist Wayne Donaldson said… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3557 22. Getting their hands dirty – AMCC Old Harbor marine science camp Old Harbor students explore marine life at their front door… The Alaska Marine Conservation Council and Native Village of Old Harbor conducted a seven-day marine science camp for local youth at Old Harbor’s Nuniaq camp facility as part of their Marine Ecology Education Partnership. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3610 23. 1,500 seabirds have washed ashore today around Unalaska, Alaska Reid Brewer of the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program is on the scene in Unalaska, helping to collect, tag and recover carcasses of what are at this time more than 1,500 seabirds that have washed ashore in the last few hours around Unalaska… http://www.alaskareport.com/news11013.htm & ADN: Bird deaths puzzle Unalaska SHEARWATERS: Captain said hail of creatures hit his boat for up to 30 minutes. http://www.adn.com/news/environment/story/8145561p-8037818c.html 24. Fishing boat grounded, then freed (Lorelei II in Bellingham) The Lorelei II ran aground trying to come into Bellingham Cold Storage at 4 a.m. Thursday after several weeks of fishing in Alaska. The boat misjudged a buoy and hit rocks, rupturing its hull and leaving it stranded until a barge could come in on the next high tide…
http://news.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ 25. China B Sinks Off St. Paul – Crew rescued by f/v Golden Chalice A fishing vessel sank Wednesday night in the Bering Sea north of the Pribilof Islands, the five crew members were rescued by another vessel in the same waters. The Coast Guard reports that crew of the 50-foot China B made a mayday call after the vessel apparently took a wave wrong and then capsized about 30 miles from Saint Paul Island… http://www.kmxt.org/?q=node/905 26. Hands-on, high-tech methods combine at Hidden Lake salmon weir Hidden Lake sockeye have been counted at the weir for nearly three decades, but this year the weir is also part of a broader project to help the Alaska Department of Fish and Game get an estimate of how many sockeye salmon are returning to the Kenai River, said Fandrei, who is executive director at the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/091006/people 27. NOAA Fisheries releasing draft document on Alaska groundfish harvest NOAA Fisheries has posted the Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specifications Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for comment. The document reveals projected environmental impacts of alternative harvest strategies for the groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, including pollock, Pacific cod, rockfish and flatfish. "The comment period ends on October 23, 2006," said Doug Mecum, Acting Administrator for the Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries. http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/groundfishdeis.htm & Comment period open for groundfish report (Kodiak Daily Mirror Story) http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3587 28. Trawl fleet taking steps to reduce cod fishery bycatch – KDM letter by Jay Stinson The trawl fleet is concerned about the high halibut bycatch rates of the last two seasons and is working proactively to try to resolve our halibut bycatch problems. However, before I talk about what the fleet is doing, I think it is important for the public to understand why we have a problem in the first place. Cod fishermen have not always fished in September. The September fishery is a Steller sea lion (SSL) measure that requires the quota to be split between two seasons where 60 percent of the quota is available in January and the remaining 40 percent available in September. This new fishery regime was implemented in 2002. The SSL measure that created the September fishery has forced fishermen of all gear types to fish when cod are not aggregated, resulting in poor catch rates and higher halibut bycatch… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3603 & Train wreck is coming for trawl-caught bycatch - KDM letter by Peter Thompson http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3576 29. Subsistence Board rejects Ninilchik Subsistence fishery Tribal council wanted quota of 500 silvers; temporary rights in Kasilof River… Mike Fleagle cast the deciding vote in his first Federal Subsistence Board meeting Tuesday, rejecting an attempt to create a subsistence fishery on the Kenai Peninsula…
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/kenai/story/ 30. Westward Seafoods experiments with wind power A combined project by Westward Seafoods' Unalaska processing plant and the Alaska Energy Authority is taking the first step to explore wind generation possibilities on the island. Crews are installing two hundred-foot towers on a hill overlooking the plant, which will collect data on wind velocity and direction. Dick Peck, the energy consultant who's working with Westward on the project, says the goal is to figure out how best to supplement Westward's diesel generators with a cleaner, cheaper power…
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain? 31. State says safety violations led to Westward accident The state Labor Department believes that safety violations led to last week's serious accident at Westward Seafoods' Unalaska plant. An investigator for the department's Labor Standards and Safety Division spent Thursday and Friday at the Westward plant, where an employee lost his right arm in a conveyor belt accident on Wednesday. According to Steve Standley, the acting chief of enforcement for the division, the investigator's report says that safety procedures weren't being properly followed, and that four specific violations allegedly occurred.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain? & Man loses arm at Westward Plant
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain? 32. Alaska salmon debuts in Chinese Wal-Marts Wild Alaska sockeye salmon and black cod debuted in China in August to Wal-Mart shoppers in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, thanks to a cooking demonstration project hosted by officials from Alaska. In conjunction with the promotion, federally funded through the state's salmon revitalization project, Wal-Mart purchased about $140,000 of Alaska seafood for its China stores, said Sun Kim, trade specialist with the Alaska Department of Commerce…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/090306/hom_ 33. Tracking system lets customers trace their fish from boat to plate Customers of a gourmet grocery in upscale Sarasota, Fla., can now track their purchases of wild salmon right back to the harvester in the icy waters of Alaska. It's all part of a quality assurance program devised by the Center for Alaskan Seafood Quality Assurance in Anchorage and Snug Harbor Seafoods, in Kenai, to elevate the value of sockeye salmon.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/090306/hom_ 34. Other Fish to Fry – NY Times Op-Ed If we can learn to harvest wild fish sustainably we will have succeeded in something we have failed at on land: finding a balance with a naturally productive ecosystem. In addition, by keeping a food connection with the ocean we will retain a motivation to stop polluting it… Raising carnivores like salmon requires the capture of wild prey fish that wild fish also consume. By eating farmed carnivores we rob Peter to pay Paul, stealing the food source for wild fish… Second, don’t eat the cheap fish… Finally, don’t eat the big fish… http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/opinion/08greenberg.html 35. NY Times: Farms’ Output Grows Closer to Matching Fishing Harvests Fish farms are close to matching fishing fleets in supplying seafood to expanding global markets, aided by the explosive growth of aquaculture in China for more than a decade, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/04/world/04fish. 36. Business Week: Sinking fishing industry seeks net gains Catches continue to dwindle, but a market-based fix could fill nets again It's an unseasonably warm June day on the Alaskan island of Kodiak as skipper Dan Miller pulls the Anna D up to a quiet concrete pier beside a seafood wholesaler… Halibut is selling for almost $4 a pound, a record, and Miller's gross take will be nearly $33,000.
Some 4,000 miles to the southeast, Maine fisherman Craig Pendleton, 46, is spending much of the summer sitting in a dark office... Since early May, his boat, the 54-foot Susan & Caitlyn, has been sitting at a dock collecting barnacles because of federal rules that limit Pendleton to only 48 days at sea… So why is Miller dancing
on the docks while Pendleton is moaning in his beer? The short answer is
ITQs…
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_36 37. Atlantic Magazine online: Salmon Time Our correspondent ventures to Alaska to learn when to eat wild salmon—and how to find it even when it’s not in season This month is the tail end of the season for most fresh-caught wild salmon. Summertime wild salmon is prized because it is at its peak of physical development… http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200610/kummer-salmon & The Five Main Pacific Salmon Salmon is valued by its fat content, which always corresponds with richness in the mouth (though not invariably with best flavor). Here are the five major Pacific salmon varieties, listed in order of richness: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200610/kummer-sidebar Subscription is required but it is noteworthy that an upscale market of Atlantic Monthly readers will learn some about our salmon. 39. Tony Knowles accepts some blame for crab rationalization woes Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Knowles stopped by KMXT’s studios Sunday afternoon for a chat with Casey Kelly. Knowles talked about various issues from fisheries to subsistence Knowles says he wants to fix some of the things that went wrong with Bering Sea Aleutian Islands crab rationalization before moving forward with parts of the Gulf of Alaska rationalization plan… Knowles says he’ll take some of the blame for the problems with crab rationalization that occurred during his previous administration as Governor… On rural subsistence issues, Knowles says Alaska can’t continue to be dependent on the federal Alaska National Interests Land Conservation Act, or ANILCA. He wants to pass an amendment to the state’s constitution giving subsistence priority, something he says he worked hard to do the last time he was Governor. http://www.kmxt.org/?q=node/921 The UFA Board of Directors will meet with the major gubernatorial candidates at our meeting in Anchorage, October 10-12 prior to considering an endorsement. 40. NOAA Scientists Use New Device to Improve Salmon Research NOAA Fisheries scientists are using a gentler and more efficient way to capture salmon at sea for tagging and release - a live box. Scientists from NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Auke Bay Laboratory tried the new gear on the NOAA ship Miller Freeman in July while tagging fish for the Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (BASIS)…
http://www.sitnews.us/0806news/083006/083006_livebox 41. Pebble Mine developers say withhold judgment as protests mount Proposed development of a huge copper, gold and molybdenum deposit in the Bristol Bay region is drawing increasing fire, protests that developers say are blatantly unfair. Leaders of 13 Bristol Bay Native corporations asked Aug. 21 that state and federal leaders create a multi-million-acre fish and wildlife resource area in the region and oppose the proposed Pebble Mine and any Bristol Bay Mining District…
http://www.homernews.com/stories/090606/news_12a_ 42. Andover, Bristol Bay Native Corp Sign Exploration Agreement With Option To Lease …The company noted that the agreement would allow Andover to acquire full interest in mineral rights at five individual properties covering approximately 18,000 hectares in the Iliamna Lake area of southwest Alaska and hosting various styles of mineralization…
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/BREAKING%20 43. Bristol Bay offshore lease a possibility - comment by November 22. The U.S. Minerals Management Service announced Thursday it might hold an offshore oil and gas lease sale in Bristol Bay as soon as 2010, with another one in 2012. The sales in the region, also known as the North Aleutian Basin, could occur only if a presidential ban on drilling in the region is lifted. The idea of offshore drilling is controversial in salmon-rich Bristol Bay, so much so that a 1988 lease sale was reversed. The MMS also proposes a Chukchi Sea lease sale next year and sales in the Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet in 2009. The agency has not yet made a final decision on the proposed sales and is seeking public comment on its 2007-2012 offshore lease plan. For more information, go to www.mms.gov. Anchorage Daily News Story: http://www.adn.com/money/story/8119421p-8011795c.html 44. MMS Issues Proposed 5-Year Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 2007-2012 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program … The DEIS is open for comment until November 22, 2006… In the Alaska Region, the program proposes multiple lease sales in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and North Aleutian Basin Planning Areas. Multiple sales are consistent with the Governor of Alaska’s recommendations… For the North Aleutian Basin, in response to comments from the governor and the majority of local governments and tribal organizations, this program proposes sales only in the area offered in Sale 92, which was held in 1988. The North Aleutian Basin Planning Area is currently withdrawn by presidential order under section 12 of the OCS Lands Act. However, the Governor of Alaska has requested that the president modifies his withdrawal to exclude the North Aleutian Basin planning area, and allow the scheduling of lease sales in the Sale 92 area in the 2007-2012 program. The Cook Inlet Planning Area is included on the schedule as a special interest sale, which will take place only if enough interest is shown by industry in answer to a nomination call. http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0824.htm 45. How much would you pay to protect sea lions? (Comment by Oct 16) How much do Americans living in say, Iowa, care about endangered populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska -- and how much would they be willing to pay, perhaps in higher taxes, to protect them? A survey by federal fisheries economists aims to find out, and it could be used to help shape future protection for the marine mammals… http://www.adn.com/money/story/8173361p-8066169c.html Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/ 46. MMRC Steller Summer Field Season 2006 - Field Update #2: Living off the Land In her second update from the Pribilof Islands, Researcher Pamela Lestenkof describes the annual fur seal subsistence harvest – an important tradition for Pribilof Islanders. She uses the opportunity to gather some valuable data on the size and growth rates of local fur seals… The Marine Mammal Research Consortium website seems temporarily down, but you should be able to find this story from their home page at http://www.marinemammal.org/ 47. "The Viking Maid: Alaskan Wild vs. Farmed Salmon." - A documentary film by Christopher Currall A voyage onboard the Alaskan salmon seining vessel VIKING MAID exploring the lifestyle and adventure of fishermen while also exposing the global threat of farmed salmon to human and oceanic health…. - www.thevikingmaid.com 48. Frozen seafoods becoming a popular favorite Frozen seafoods are becoming a popular favorite for America's health conscious, time crunched families. According to the market research publication Packaged Facts, nearly half of the nation's 110 million households now eat frozen fish and shellfish, and frozen has become the fastest growing industry sector since 2000… http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/083006_fish_factor.html 49. Scotsman: Half of all consumed fish are farmed The UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says that while just 9 per cent of fish
consumed in 1980 came from fish farms, the figure has reached 43 per cent
now. The report was presented to delegates from more than 50 countries
attending the biennial meeting of the FAO sub- committee on aquaculture…
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id= 50. Prince's slap to Scottish salmon with Alaskan order for Highland smokery The Prince of Wales was yesterday accused of snubbing Scottish salmon after it was revealed he has ordered Alaskan fish to sell through his food company… http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1338592006 51. Federal promises may come too late for Gulf of Mexico fishermen At a meeting last week in Baton Rouge to discuss how to spend the $128 million in federal funds for Gulf Coast fishers, the $128 million was called "insulting," "chump change" and "an embarrassment" -- given losses estimated at $700 million to $1.3 billion…
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/topnews/index.ssf?/mtlogs/ NOAA press release:
Commerce Secretary Announces $128 Million Cooperative Agreement to Assist
Gulf States Recover and Monitor Fisheries
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/082506_ 52. Commerce Secretary Announces Gulf Seafood Safe to Eat as One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Approaches
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/082506_ 53. FINAL BLOW - First Katrina hit the fishing industry hard. Then Washington failed to make good on promises of relief. The U.S. Coast
Guard refused to help him salvage his oyster boat. The Small Business
Administration turned down a loan he hoped to use to revive his family-run
fishing business. FEMA offered him a trailer, but nothing that would get him
back on the water…
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/ The Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission continues to raise funds for additional ice plants to help Gulf Fishermen get back on the water. Every contribution will help – please contribute today at www.akgulfhelp.org . -Mark Vinsel, AFIRM Chairman 54. CA Governor's team hears out fishermen Salmon fishermen and industry reps told high-level officials from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration in Humboldt County on Friday that they are as concerned about fixing fish stocks in the Klamath River as they are about getting financial assistance in this disastrous salmon season… http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4311823 55. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Monday 9/11/06 Making sure fishing is around for future generations: Sept 21/22 conference in Anchorage Friday 9/8/06 Seafood leads all other proteins for retail/wholesale price increases Thursday 9/7/06 AK crab market pinched by illegal imports from Russia Wednesday 9/6/06 WalMart launches line of eco-labeled fish, includes AK salmon, pollock & surimi products Tuesday 9/5/06 Beeping bar codes will soon be standard practice for seafood industry http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm & also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html & Laine’s weblog on Alaska report website: http://www.alaskareport.com/laine50001.htm 56. Alaska's Fishing Communities: Harvesting the Future - September 21–22, Anchorage Alaska Sea Grant Conference Hilton Hotel Anchorage, Alaska, USA Alaska's coastal fishing communities face an uncertain future. Changes in fisheries management, an ever-evolving global economy, and a rapidly aging workforce have had a negative impact on Alaska's small fishing communities. Finding ways to preserve and enhance fishing as an important part of the coastal Alaska economy is the subject of a statewide conference in Anchorage September 21–22. The conference is a forum for community members to exchange ideas and discuss how to support Alaska's coastal communities, fishing and seafood businesses, as well as develop strategies to ensure the sustainability of fishing for the benefit of the next generation… http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/fish-com2/index.html 57. Sea Grant publishes: How to Make a Directed Transfer of Your Fishing Business By Sunny Rice Will your boat and permits remain in your family or community after you retire? The amount of capital required to enter the fishing business has increased, decreasing the likelihood that a new fishermen will be able to buy your business in one transaction. With forethought, however, you can still pass all or most of your business assets to a person or group in a "directed transfer."… http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/MAB-59.html 58. UAF Undergraduate Fisheries Degree Program Design Survey Well over 50,000 Alaskans are involved in fish and shellfish harvesting, seafood processing, fisheries science and management, and related enterprises. The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences serves the people of the state by preparing students for future employment opportunities in these fields. As seafood harvesting and processing, regulation, management and global businesses change, UAF needs your help in evolving education programs which support Alaska's fishing and seafood sector. Survey is online at www.surveymonkey.com/fishdegree 59. BOF Agenda Change Requests for 2006 -2007 cycle Full Text: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/facr.php Proposal book: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fprop.php 60. ADFG Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands Annual Crab Industry Meeting, Kodiak 10/4
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region4/news/2006/ 61. Deadline September 25 for ADFG Bristol Bay Red King Crab & Bering Snow Crab Registration & Info: Press release: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region4/shellfsh/shelhom4.php Documents: 2006/07 Bristol Bay Red King Crab Preseason Registration Form — PDF file* (31K)
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region4/shellfsh/crabs/06 2006/07 Bristol Bay Red King Crab Registration Information — PDF file*
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region4/shellfsh/crabs/06 2006/07 Bering Sea Snow Crab Preseason Registration Form — PDF file* (31K)
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region4/shellfsh/crabs/ 62. BOF October '06 Worksession & Statewaters Trawl Notice – Anchorage Oct 12 - 14 BOF public notice:
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7 More info & meeting schedules: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fcal.php 63. Joint Board of Fisheries and Game Call For Proposals – AC Regs & Non Subsistence Areas …calls for proposed changes to I. Advisory Committee Regulations, and II. Nonsubsistence Area Regulations. Proposal Deadline – 5:00 p.m., Friday, December 8, 2006
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c 64. CRS Report: The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices… Announcement & Abstract: http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRS/abstract.cfm?NLEid=1645 Full Report: http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/06Jul/RL33468.pdf 65. UN FAO: Review of the Current State of Aquaculture Insurance Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations, Rome, 2006 FAO Fisheries Technical Paper # 493 ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0583e/a0583e00.pdf 66. Third International Symposium on Stock Enhancement and Sea Ranching. September 18-21, Seattle The program with oral presenters and poster presenters is now posted. … to view the oral presentations or click here to view the poster presentations… see: 67. Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center Availability of Funds for 2007 Proposals due: Thursday, October 12, 2006 by 5:00 pm AST The Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center ( PCC Research Center) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks announces an opportunity for funding of marine research in the North Pacific ocean and Bering Sea. Proposals, including an original with all required institutional signatures, 10 copies, and an electronic file, must be received by 5:00 pm AST, October 12, 2006… http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/pcc/rfp07/index.html 68. NOAA Notice on Community Development Quota (CDQ) percentage allocations among the six CDQ groups. NMFS issues this notice to inform the public about the Community Development Quota (CDQ) percentage allocations among the six CDQ managing entities (CDQ groups) that are in effect as a result of recent amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)… Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/ 69. NPFMC GOA & BSAI Groundfish plan teams meeting in Seattle, Sept 19-22 Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4, Observer Training Room (BS/AI Plan Team) and Traynor Room (GOA Plan Team), Seattle, WA. Principal business is to prepare and review the draft Economic Report, the draft Ecosystems Consideration Chapter, draft stock assessments for some target-categories, and recommend preliminary groundfish catch specifications for 2007/08…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/ 70. NPFMC Meeting in Dutch Harbor, October 2-10, 2006 – Agenda: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/Agenda1006.pdf NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 71. USFS Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS – Iyouktug valley, Chigagof Is. Timber sale The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to harvest timber in the Iyouktug valley on Chicagof Island, Hoonah Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest. The Proposed Action is to harvest an estimated 57 million board feet (MMBF) of timber from approximately 4,430 acres of forested land through various small sales, and one or more larger sales, offered over a 10-year period. Approximately 5 miles of National Forest System road would be constructed, and 12 miles of temporary road would be constructed; … Opportunities for comment are available throughout the analysis process. Those interested in receiving a scoping package should contact us at the address below. Comments concerning this stage of the project will be most helpful if received by October 2, 2006. Additional opportunities for comment will be provided after release of the Draft EIS, which is expected to be published September 2007.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/ 72. Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Hold Fall Meetings Statewide The 10 Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils will meet during the next two months to review proposed changes to Federal subsistence fishing regulations for 2007-2008 and to call for proposals to change wildlife regulations for 2007-2008. The Federal Subsistence Board will consider the Councils' recommendations on fisheries proposals when the Board meets in January. The Councils will also receive updates on this year's fisheries resource monitoring plans and discuss current issues affecting subsistence in their regions. The Council meetings are open to the public. Teleconferencing is available with advance notice. For meeting schedule see Sept 6 press release at: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/news.cfm?gnr=1 73. Proceedings, Second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference Documents from April 2006 conference of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-114/ . 74. AMSEA Marine Safety Update – late summer newsletter http://www.amsea.org/pdf/v22n2.pdf Alaska Marine Safety Education Association home page: http://www.amsea.org 75. Vital Choices Newsletter Sept 11 Fish and Veggies Bring Complementary Benefits NEW! Natural Pack Albacore Tuna (No added salt or oil) Book Review: "The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood" by Dr. William Sears (and family) …This week’s newsletter will be will be posted at http://www.vitalchoice.com/newsletter_index2.cfm 76. Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board seeks proposals for marketing fundings The Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board (AFMB) is accepting funding proposals for projects that promote Alaska seafood…. Deadline Sept 15 for $2.5 M in Fisheries marketing grants http://www.alaskafisheriesboard.org/forms/AFMB_RFP06JUL.pdf AFMB home page: http://www.alaskafisheriesboard.org 77. ASMI Salmon Price Tracking (access restricted – sign up to obtain password) Harvesters and processors participating in the Alaska seafood industry may access the ASMI Seafood Market Information Service "In Season Salmon Price Tracking Service" on the seafood industry portion of the ASMI website. Industry members who already have a user name and password may sign in here: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/industry/login/index.cfm Alaska seafood industry
participants who do not already have a password may apply for one here.
Harvesters use commercial fishing license numbers. Processors use the
company name that appears on the State of Alaska "Intent to Operate" list.
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/industry/login/ For further information please contact Laura Fleming, ASMI Communications Director, (907) 465-5563 or lfleming@alaskaseafood.org Salmon Market Information Service: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/industry/market/ 78. ADFG 2006 Inseason Alaska Salmon Summary – updated September 8
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/finfish/salmon/ & ADF&G inseason Bluesheet (catches) – updated September 8 http://csfish.adfg.state.ak.us/BlueSheets/BLUEWebReport.php |