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UFA Update November 13 , 2006 UFA will be in booth 542 at Pacific Marine Expo at the Quest center in Seattle, November 16-18. Contents 1. UFA Congratulates Governor-elect Sarah Palin on Campaign and Election 2. Palin turns outsider status into asset in win 3. Pebble Mine reps want to meet with Bristol Bay fishermen during Pacific Marine Expo 4. Election could impact fishing - Magnuson-Stevens law due update 5. Comment deadline Nov 22 on OCS Oil and Gas 5 Year program 6. Deadline November 30 for comment on 10-Year Plan for NOAA Aquaculture A 7. Deadline Dec 1 for Exxon Valdez Unoiled claimants - remaining fisheries 8. ADN: State's salmon industry continues uphill climb 9. Kenai “impaired” listing: Lower Kenai needs scrub (ADN) 10. DEC 2006 Draft Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report 11. New group forms to represent private Kenai River anglers 12. Managers keep Southeast red king crab fishery closed 13. Cook Inlet fishermen explore creating regional economic development association 14. Sockeye market expected to shift 15. Homer Charter Fleet exceeds halibut limits 16. Ex-vessel prices up as halibut season winds down 17. Halibut Pots Experiment to reduce rockfish bycatch not successful 18. Stakeholders hope to conserve rockfish 19. Kodiak Cannery workers flood meeting in support of rockfish program extension 20. NPFMC continues examination of crab vessel caps 21. Comprehensive research program planned for Bering Sea 22. Bering Sea Tanner season brings in old shell crabs 23. Alaska Becoming Too Hot, Fish (Pollock) Moving to Russia 24. Friends of Wild Salmon launch Don Staniford Legal fund 25. The plastic garbage pit of the Pacific-Trash particles imperil sea life 26. Fish refuge proposed for area of Pebble deposit 27. UK: MSC - When the boat comes in 28. MCA Foundation launches website for Ocean Debris Cleanup & reporting 29. Fish fried: Seafood may be done for 30. WA: New alert on eating local salmon 31. Gulf of Mexico fishermen upset over required monitoring system 32. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 33. BOF adds AI Pollock topic to Bristol Bay BOF Meeting, Dillingham Dec 4 34. BOF Agenda Change requests for 2006/2007 meetings 35. ADF&G Public Review Draft - Cook Inlet Regional Salmon Enhancement Plan 36. NMFS changes notification in AK groundfish, IFQ halibut, IFQ sablefish, and crab 37. Deadline December 18 for comment on Halibut Sablefish IFQ changes 38. Deadline January 8 for NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards Nominations 39. MPA Federal Advisory Committee deadline for nominations extended to Nov. 30. 40. USDA AMS Federal State Marketing program (state agencies) deadline Feb 12 41. American Seafoods' Calls for Applications for Its Alaska Community Grant Program 42. NPFMC Agenda for December 4 – 12, Anchorage: 43. NOAA posts revised final 2006 & 2007 GOA “other species” harvest specifications 44. NOAA Fisheries Launches 'Nearshore Fish Atlas of Alaska' Website 45. DCCED Targeted Fisheries Assistance Program – Emer. Regs – comment by Dec 11. 46. MMRC Field Update #4: Wrapping up a successful field season 47. Office of Subsistence Management Accepting RAC Nominations & Applications 48. Fed Subsistence Board work session Nov 16 – Kenai Peninsula region, Tustumena 49. Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore Holiday Gifts for 2006 50. Wild Catch Magazine November / December issue online 51. Vital Choices November 13 Newsletter 52. ADF&G Fisheries reports: Chignik Eco Assessment & BB Escapement 53. Deadline Dec 4 for comments on Amendment 67 on GOA IFQ limitations 54. NPRB 2007 Request for Proposals ($3.9M) – deadline December 1 1. UFA Congratulates Governor-elect Sarah Palin on Campaign and Election The United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA), representing thirty-three Alaska commercial fishing organizations, congratulated Alaska Governor-elect Sarah Palin on her resounding election win. Alaska’s governor-elect Sarah Palin fishes in the Bristol Bay salmon setnet fishery with her husband and family, and will be the first Alaska governor with direct commercial fishing experience since Jay Hammond served from 1974 to 1982. UFA interviewed the three leading gubernatorial candidates at its semiannual Board of Directors meeting in October, and voted unanimously to endorse Sarah Palin for governor. UFA Executive Director Mark Vinsel noted that some UFA groups do not participate in UFA endorsement votes due to their own bylaws, so there were abstentions but no votes opposing the endorsement, and none of UFA’s member groups endorsed other candidates… http://www.ufa-fish.org/press/2006-03UFACongratulatesSarahPalin111306.pdf 2. Palin turns outsider status into asset in win Opponents sneered at Sarah Palin's short political resume but on Election Day, Alaskans apparently thought that was one of her biggest assets…
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/elections/2006 3. Pebble Mine reps want to meet with Bristol Bay fishermen during Pacific Marine Expo Representatives of Northern Dynasty hope to meet with as many fishermen as possible this month in Seattle to talk about the Pebble Project, one of the world's largest open pit gold and copper mines the Canadian company hopes to someday operate at headwaters of Bristol Bay. Why so far away from the proposed mine site? "Of the more than 1,800 drift net permits in the Bristol Bay fishery, 1,100 are held by non-residents of Alaska. That means we really have a problem with local participation in the fishery," said Trefon Angasan, an outreach coordinator for Northern Dynasty. Angasan, who now lives in Anchorage, is a lifelong Native rights advocate and former state Fish Board member. He claims his clan goes back 10,000 years in the Bristol Bay region, and his family currently holds more than 50 local salmon permits. Angasan calls himself a "connector between Northern Dynasty and the people." "I've taken a lot of heat for that but I think it is a necessary step to be sure that at least what was being said within the inner circles is conveyed to the local people," he explained. "They really haven't shown me they can do it safely yet. Until they do, I am going to withhold my comments and keep an open mind at least until they are finished with their permit applications. The fisheries meeting, which coincides with the start of the Pacific Marine Expo, will feature updates on the Pebble project by Northern Dynasty chief of operations Bruce Jenkins, and a presentation by fisheries biologist Jim Buell. It is set for Nov. 15 from 2-5pm at the Leif Erikson Building, 2245 NW 57TH--in Ballard, Seattle. 4. Election could impact fishing - Magnuson-Stevens law due update They may be split on key issues and even supporting competing candidates, but fishing and environmental advocacy groups are all hoping Congress' long, difficult effort to rewrite federal fisheries law will somehow survive today's election. "Even if the Democrats take over, there's still a desire to get it done," said Lee Crockett, executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, alluding to predictions that Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. Activists and congressional staffers say U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Rep. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, are determined to complete a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act…
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2006 5. Comment deadline Nov 22 on OCS Oil and Gas 5 Year program (and deadline November 23 on Draft EIS) The Aleutians East Borough November Action Alert urges comments on the Minerals Management Service Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas 5 year Program, relaying fishermen’s concerns. To find action alert, first click on Pipeline in left sidebar, then click on November Action Alert from the following link:
http://www.aleutianseast.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC& MMS OCS 5 Year program home page: http://www.mms.gov/5-year/ & Draft EIS: http://www.mms.gov/5-year/2007-2012_deis.htm 6. Deadline November 30 for comment on 10-Year Plan for NOAA Aquaculture A new document, the 10-Year Plan for the NOAA Aquaculture Program, is now available for public comment. This plan addresses NOAA's involvement in marine aquaculture in the United States over the next decade, including program goals and strategies, budget and staffing requirements, outcomes, benefits, and challenges. The deadline for comments is November 30, 2006. For more information on how to obtain a copy of the report and submit comments, go to the program website, http://www.aquaculture.noaa.gov or contact Kate.Naughten@noaa.gov . NOAA Aquaculture Plan home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/aquaculture/plan.htm Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 7. Deadline Dec 1 for Exxon Valdez Unoiled claimants - remaining fisheries The remaining Exxon Valdez unoiled fisheries claims that were not handled last year are being handled this year. Deadline is December 1. The fisheries this year are BB drift, AK peninsula setnet, seine & beach seine, Southeast Seine. Other unoiled fisheries claims were processed last year Fishermen who don’t have their forms, or for other info should call 866-860-4800, the hotline at Jamin Schmitt St. John law firm for this. 8. ADN: State's salmon industry continues uphill climb Alaska's wild fish benefit from sales of farmed product. Alaska's commercial salmon industry is undergoing big changes because of powerful market shifts around the world, a fisheries expert said Thursday… On Thursday, the state Department of Fish and Game issued its summary of this year's commercial salmon season. At $309 million, the dockside payoff for the catch was above the $279 million average seen during 1996-2005, but this year's tally is $25 million less than fishermen received last year. A major reason was the size of the catch, which at 142 million fish was 80 million fewer than the record catch in 2005…
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/83723 ADF&G Press release: http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2006/11-2-06_nr.php Summary catch reports are
online at
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/finfish/salmon/ 9. Kenai “impaired” listing: Lower Kenai needs scrub (ADN) Under Clean Water Act, river could be "impaired." The world- famous Kenai River is about to go down in infamy. After years of charting elevated petroleum pollution from boat motors during the peak of the July king salmon fishery, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation proposes adding the lower river to the list of waters considered "impaired" under the federal Clean Water Act. It's a listing that means users -- mostly sportfishermen and guides -- will have to clean up their act or face the possibility of strict emissions controls… http://www.adn.com/front/story/8374801p-8270081c.html &&&&& Kenai Peninsula Clarion: Catch the drift? Board ponders river pollution
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/111206/news 10. DEC 2006 Draft Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking comments on the 2006 Draft Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. Every 2 years DEC is required to report on the condition of Alaska’s waters according to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). This report categorizes waterbodies and includes the CWA reporting requirements for 305(b) and 303(d) list of impaired waters. The Integrated Report also helps the State prioritize waters for appropriate action such as data gathering, watershed protection, and restoration of impaired waters. Draft report is online at
www.dec.state.ak.us/water/draft_2006_integrated_ DEC Public Notice:
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e 11. New group forms to represent private Kenai River anglers A new group is forming to represent the interests of private anglers on the Kenai River. Dwight Kramer of Kenai spoke Thursday night at a meeting of the Kenai River Special Management Advisory Board. Kramer says the new nonprofit Kenai Area Fisherman's Coalition will include local scientific experts and local private anglers who are not guides. And he says the group will not be shy in stating its opinion. Kramer says he supports guides but that they need controls. He says the first three miles of the river are seriously overcrowded... http://ktva.com/alaska/ci_4639017 12. Managers keep Southeast red king crab fishery closed Surveys that showed low numbers of red king crab will keep Southeast fishermen in port this year. Commercial fisheries managers announced they would not open the red king crab fishery after surveys showed the king crab population had dropped to its second lowest level in 15 years…To have a viable fishery, surveys must show that 200,000 pounds of legal male red crab could be caught while sustaining the population. The survey this year fell well short of that number at just 81,500 pounds, according to the department. Fishermen have questioned the survey's accuracy… http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/8372642p-8267979c.html 13. Cook Inlet fishermen explore creating regional economic development association It may seem strange for anyone to ask for a tax increase, but that’s exactly what a number of commercial fishermen around Alaska are doing, and Cook Inlet commercial fishermen may be next. On Thursday, two members of the Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development, by invitation of the United Cook Inlet Drift Association and Kenai Wild, traveled from Juneau to Kenai to tell local commercial fishermen how they can create their own Regional Seafood Development Association. Once formed, the RSDA would ask fishermen to vote to be taxed anywhere from 0.5 to 2 percent at the dock. The tax is collected by the state but the full amount is funneled to the commercial fishermen’s RSDA, which could use the money for a variety of economic development projects including marketing, product development and research…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/110706/news DCCED RSDA home page http://www.dced.state.ak.us/oed/seafood/rsda_home.htm 14. Sockeye market expected to shift International demand for salmon increasing Burgeoning worldwide popularity for sockeye salmon might translate into less reliance on Japan, a longtime trading partner for Alaska processors, who are now looking more to European and domestic markets… http://juneauempire.com/stories/110606/loc_20061106013.shtml 15. Homer Charter Fleet exceeds halibut limits Projection figures released this fall by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sportfish show the area charter halibut harvest levels exceeded limits by as much as 8 percent in 2006, a jump from past years. Logbook figures through Aug. 15 indicate the charter industry in Southcentral Alaska area 3A harvested around 3.9 million pounds of halibut, though the figures are compiled based on real data through Aug. 15 and projections from past seasons for the rest of the year. The harvest limit for the industry, set in 2000, is 3.65 million pounds. http://www.homertribune.com/article.php?aid=839 16. Ex-vessel prices up as halibut season winds down High ex-vessel prices for halibut spelled success for the 2006 season with more than 90 percent of the total allowable catch harvested in the majority of areas… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3982 17. Halibut Pots Experiment to reduce rockfish bycatch not successful An experimental project undertaken by the International Pacific Halibut Commission to assess the viability of catching halibut with pots and reducing the bycatch of fragile rockfish species with the same gear type resulted in disappointment. IPHC researcher Steve Kaimmer spent several days on a Canadian fishing vessel in June to conduct the pilot program, and said he ran into an unexpected problem: “Couldn’t catch any fish.”
http://www.homernews.com/stories/110106/ 18. Stakeholders hope to conserve rockfish In the effort to maintain healthy populations of local fisheries, stakeholders and conservationalists met last week at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center to discuss their interest in saving the many species of rockfish. They're not in trouble, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Ken Goldman, and that's the way it should remain, he stressed. Still, the question remains, "Where do we go from here?" he asked… http://www.homertribune.com/article.php?aid=841 19. Kodiak Cannery workers flood meeting in support of rockfish program extension A barrage of workers from Kodiak’s canneries hit the Kodiak City Council at its work session Tuesday, opposing the council’s stand against expanding the Rockfish Pilot Program now being considered for extension under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2005. Representatives from the city’s main canneries crowded the work session meeting room in the Kodiak Island Borough building. They numbered some 90 people, with many having to stand in the hallway and some having to sit on the floor… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3988 20. NPFMC continues examination of crab vessel caps Vessel caps on crab vessels fishing cooperatively in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands under crab rationalization came up for review by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in their October meeting. The council adopted a motion requesting staff to expand a discussion paper on vessel caps to include additional data from the first year of fishing under the program. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3931 21. Comprehensive research program planned for Bering Sea Two major scientific foundations are joining forces to look at the shifting dynamics in the Bering Sea ecosystem. New research initiatives by the National Science Foundation and the North Pacific Research Board will focus on the eastern Bering Sea shelf, north of the Aleutian Islands. The research will take a big-picture approach to the region's ecosystem, from tiny plankton to fish to the human communities that depend on them.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain 22. Bering Sea Tanner season brings in old shell crabs The first eastern area Bering Sea tanner crab season in a decade hasn't been a promising one so far. The first deliveries in the fishery, which opened on October 15, have been full of what's known as old shell crab, according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. Although the department doesn't have hard numbers yet, area management biologist Forrest Bowers says that more than half of the crabs in some deliveries have been old shell…
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain 23. Alaska Becoming Too Hot, Fish (Pollock) Moving to Russia Alaska's Bering Sea pollock fishery is the world's largest. But fishermen there are struggling as climate change moves the state's second-most-valuable resource into cooler waters in Russian fishing grounds… http://www.pacificenvironment.org/article.php?id=2060 24. Friends of Wild Salmon launch Don Staniford Legal fund Don Staniford has been a tireless crusader against the damage that the industrial production of Atlantic Salmon has done to wild fish stocks… Last year Don was singled out and sued for statements made in relation to salmon farming operations in Clayquot Sound. The salmon farming industry is closely watching the outcome of the case, which could create a legal chill on speaking out about chemical use and communicating to the marketplace about the effects of salmon farming on the wild ocean and its fish. Friends of Clayquot Sound has started a legal fund to help Don maintain his legal representation…
http://whatcounts.com/dm?id=45AAB412816FF1AB38E 25. The plastic garbage pit of the Pacific - Trash particles, looking like food, imperil sea life Plastic trash caught up in a swirling vortex in the North Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii is killing sea life, choking birds and fish and entangling seals and sea lions, a new Greenpeace report says. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/06/OCEANS.TMP Greenpeace report: The trash vortex http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/our-oceans/pollution/trash-vortex 26. Fish refuge proposed for area of Pebble deposit BRISTOL BAY: Legislative approval would be required; fishing could still take place. A proposal to create a state fish refuge in the same location as the Pebble copper and gold prospect is provoking debate from Naknek to Anchorage as well as consternation about what level of protection a state refuge would give to the Bristol Bay tributaries. Fishing would still be allowed in a state refuge. But would a mine?... http://www.adn.com/money/story/8374796p-8270073c.html 27. UK: MSC - When the boat comes in The Marine Stewardship Council's eco-label is now on a significant proportion of the fish we eat, signalling that it is being caught responsibly. But is sustainable fishing having a large enough long-term impact, asks John Vidal… http://society.guardian.co.uk/givinglist/story/0,,1938743,00.html 28. MCA Foundation launches website for Ocean Debris Cleanup & reporting 29. Fish fried: Seafood may be done for Clambakes, crabcakes, swordfish steaks and even humble fish sticks could be little more than a fond memory in a few decades. If current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of just about all seafood face collapse by 2048, a team of ecologists and economists warns in a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science… Associated Press story in Juneau Empire:
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/110306/sta_2006 Seattle Times: Will seafood nets be empty? Grim outlook draws skeptics Global fishing trends point to a collapse of most wild seafood harvests by midcentury, according to a team of international researchers who pored through historical data, catch records and studies to document the decline of marine species all over the world…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/200 Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Fishermen could learn from ranchers Contrary to what you may have heard, humanity will not run out of seafood in your lifetime or anyone else's. But as false alarms go, this is a useful one…
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article 30. WA: New alert on eating local salmon State warns to limit meals of Puget Sound chinook For the first time, the Washington State Department of Health is warning consumers about eating salmon from Puget Sound. Because of relatively high levels of mercury and PCBs, the department said Thursday that consumption of chinook should be limited to one meal per week. Resident chinook, or blackmouth, should be limited to twice a month, the department said. Still, state officials emphasized that fish should be part of a healthy diet. "Many fish from Puget Sound remain a smart choice for the dinner table; however, this news is another sign that the Puget Sound is sick and we must take action now," Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. "The Puget Sound Partnership is tackling this challenge head-on."..
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/290187_fishwarn 31. Gulf of Mexico fishermen upset over required monitoring system Commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico are upset over a new regulation that requires them to install vessel monitoring systems which allow authorities to know their location. Federal rules taking effect Dec. 7 require that commercial fishermen with permits to operate in the gulf install the satellite-based system on their boats. Fishermen face fines or permit loss if the system isn't installed in time… http://www.ktva.com/alaska/ci_4620869 32. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Monday 11/13/06 Expo this week in Seattle: Crabbers from Deadliest Catch, Ratz trends, Fisherman of the Year Contest Friday 11/10/06 Kodiak, S Peninsula Tanner crab quotas down for 2007 Thursday 11/9/06 Nov 30 is deadline to comment on fed's 10 Year Nat'l Aquaculture Plan Wednesday 11/8/06 Huge blimp-like airships could help with AK cargo needs Tuesday 11/7/06 Researchers want info from longtime fishermen on marine changes, long ago sea lion shootings Online at http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm & also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 33. BOF adds AI Pollock topic to Bristol Bay BOF Meeting, Dillingham Dec 4 “The following topic will be addressed at the board’s Bristol Bay Finfish Meeting scheduled to begin December 4, 2006, at the Dillingham Middle School, Dillingham, AK.: In the Aleutian Islands District pollock commercial fishery: fishing seasons, harvest levels or quotas; management boundaries; locations open and closed to fishing; methods and means; gear and vessel restrictions, definitions, operational requirements, registration and permit requirements; permits, harvest records, fish tickets, management plans for conservation and development of fisheries; allocation among beneficial uses; restrict, prohibit, or require the retention, sale, or purchase of fish; possession, transport, or release of fish; onboard observer requirements; regulation of fishing as needed for the conservation, development, or utilization of fisheries… The intent is to address possible amendment of the management plan adopted by the Board at its October 14-15, 2006 meeting to coordinate start date(s) and guideline harvest level accounting with the federal fishery…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7 34. BOF Agenda Change requests for 2006/2007 meetings http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/facr.php & Proposal books: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetinfo/fprop.php 35. ADF&G Public Review Draft - Cook Inlet Regional Salmon Enhancement Plan: Phase II (Comment by November 30) The Cook Inlet Regional Salmon Enhancement Plan: Phase II (2006-2025) is being developed by the Cook Inlet Regional Planning Team (CIRPT), special projects staff, state and federal agencies, and other parties interested in enhancement programs in Cook Inlet. The mission of the CIRPT is to promote sound biological practices and programs to achieve optimal production of wild and enhanced salmon stocks on a sustained yield basis for maximal social and economic benefit to all communities and user groups in the region. http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2006/10-31-06_nr.php 36. NMFS changes notification in AK groundfish, IFQ halibut, IFQ sablefish, and crab NMFS Provides New Procedure for 50 CFR Parts 679 and 680 Regulations Distribution The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a new procedure for distributing copies of regulations to the fishing industry, according to Robert D. Mecum, Acting Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS. The regulations for the Alaska groundfish, IFQ halibut, IFQ sablefish, and crab rationalization fisheries are found at 50 CFR part 679 and part 680. New programs and adjustments to existing regulations require frequent regulatory changes. To reduce printing costs and address the time-sensitive nature of regulatory changes, NMFS Alaska Region will no longer automatically mail an annual copy of the regulations to each fishery participant…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/index/infobulletins/bulletin 37. Deadline December 18 for comment on Halibut Sablefish IFQ changes NOAA Fisheries has published a proposed rule to modify the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for the fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut fishery and sablefish fishery. This proposed rule would implement seven actions that were recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 2004. The proposed actions would (1) allow IFQ holders to transfer their IFQ, avoiding owner-on-board requirements, in the event of a medical condition that precludes their participation; (2) narrow restrictions for using hired masters to fish IFQ; (3) add vessel clearance requirements to the sablefish IFQ fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; (4) change the product recovery rate for bled sablefish; (5) amend the halibut QS block program; (6) allow halibut IFQ derived from category D QS to be fished on category C vessels in Areas 3B and 4C; and (7) allow category B QS to be used on vessels of any length for halibut and sablefish in all regulatory areas. Comments must be received by December 18, 2006. Send comments to 0648-AS84@noaa.gov. For more information, contact Jay.Ginter@noaa.gov . Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 38. Deadline January 8 for NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards Nominations NOAA has established the Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards Program to recognize outstanding performances, achievements and leadership by industries, organizations and individuals who promote best stewardship practices for the sustainable use of living marine resources and ecosystems, and who have fostered change and inspired a stewardship ethic within their community. This notice solicits nominations of qualified candidates for the second annual Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards in six award categories listed in this Notice. NMFS has partnered with the Fish for the Future Foundation to collect the nominations... DATES: Nomination forms and required supporting materials must be received on or before January 8, 2007…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 39. MPA Federal Advisory Committee deadline for nominations extended to Nov. 30. The Department of Commerce published a notice in the Federal Register on September 26, 2006 (71 FR 45107) seeking nominations for membership on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (Committee). The deadline for nominations by qualified persons to the Committee is hereby extended…(to November 30, 2006)…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 40. USDA AMS Federal State Marketing program (state agencies) deadline Feb 12 Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) Inviting Applications for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP); Notice of Request for Emergency Review and Approval of a New Information Collection.. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $1.3 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year 2007 to enable States to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U.S. marketing system. Eligible applicants include State departments of agriculture, State agricultural experiment stations, and other appropriate State Agencies…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 41. American Seafoods' Community Advisory Board Calls for Applications for Its Alaska Community Grant Program Applications Due Nov. 20 for December Grants. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) of American Seafoods Company, one of the nation's largest seafood processors, today announced that it is accepting applications for its Alaska community grant program. The deadline to submit an application is November 20. The CAB community grant program awards $75,000 annually to community projects throughout rural Alaska. In December, the CAB will allocate a total of $30,000 to various Alaskan community projects that tackle issues such as hunger, housing, safety, education, research, natural resources and cultural activities… Applications for the grant program are available online at www.americanseafoods.com , or by contacting Kim Lynch at kim.lynch@americanseafoods.com or 206-256-2659. Completed applications should be returned to Lynch at American Seafoods using email, fax at 206-448-0300, or postal mail at 2025 1st Ave, Ste 900, Seattle, WA, 98121. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061031/20061031006109.html?.v=1 42. NPFMC Agenda for December 4 – 12, Anchorage: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/1206Agenda.pdf &&&&& NPFMC. Progress on Implementing the Groundfish Programmatic Workplan and Staff Notes for Revisions to the Workplan (June 04 to Oct 06). See 2006 Report at
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ NPFMC home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 43. NOAA posts revised final 2006 & 2007 GOA “other species” harvest specifications NMFS announces revised final 2006 and 2007 harvest specifications for the ``other species'' complex in the Gulf of Alaska reducing the total allowable catch (TAC) for the complex to 4,500 metric tons (mt) annually. This rule also revises the 2006 and 2007 ``other species'' harvest sideboard limitations for non-exempt American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher vessels and non-AFA crab vessels…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan2006 44. NOAA Fisheries Launches 'Nearshore Fish Atlas of Alaska' Website NOAA Fisheries has launched a web-based scientific atlas on the distribution, relative abundance, and habitat use of nearshore fishes in Alaska..The fish atlas can be found at: www.fakr.noaa.gov/habitat/fishatlas/ Users are advised to use a high-speed internet connection, an Internet Explorer browser, and to turn off pop-up blockers to access the atlas. The Atlas has an enormous amount of information associated with every page: even with high speed internet some downloads are slow. Press release: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/fishatlas.htm 45. DCCED Targeted Fisheries Assistance Program – Emer. Regs – comment by Dec 11. …A new chapter 146 is added to 3 AAC regarding the Targeted Fisheries Assistance Program. The new chapter includes provisions addressing purpose and applicability, eligible persons, project eligibility, selection of grant recipients, size and duration of grants, match requirement, acceptance of grant offer, disbursement of money, use of money, and return of money. The emergency regulations took effect November 9, 2006 and will expire March 8, 2007. The Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development intends to make the emergency regulations permanent. You may comment on the regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the changes, by submitting written comments to Debbie Maas at the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, Office of Economic Development, Box 110804, Juneau, AK 99811. The comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 11, 2006…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605 46. MMRC Field Update #4: Wrapping up a successful field season Fur seal biologist Pamela Lestenkof reflects on a successful summer of research in the remote Pribilof Islands. In this update she details some of the trials and tribulations of her field research, as she prepares to return home to analyze the data she collected over the summer months… http://www.marinemammal.org/2006/nfs_4.php Marine Mammal Research Consortium home page: http://www.marinemammal.org/ 47. Office of Subsistence Management Accepting RAC Nominations & Applications The Office of Subsistence
Management is accepting applications and nominations to fill seats on the
Regional Advisory Councils that advise the Federal Subsistence Board. The
deadline for submitting applications is January 10, 2007. 48. Fed Subsistence Board work session Nov 16 – Kenai Peninsula region, Tustumena The Federal Subsistence Board will hold a work session at 10 a.m. Thursday, November 16. The Board will consider public comments received and vote on the formation of a Kenai Peninsula subsistence region. The formation of a new subsistence region would lead to the formation of a Kenai Peninsula subsistence regional advisory council. In addition, the Board will reconsider fisheries customary and traditional use determinations made in January, for District 14 in Southeast and the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral. The Board will also consider and special action request for a winter subsistence fishery on Tustumena Lake. The meeting will be held at the Gordon Watson Conference Room in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage. Photo identification, such as a driver’s liucense, is required to clear the security station at the building entrance. Federal Subsistence Board work sessions are open to the public. However, no public testimony is taken unless requested by the chair. The agenda and available meeting materials can be found on the Federal Subsistence Management Program website, http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/home.html , under Federal Subsistence Board – Meeting Materials. For additional information of special accommodations please contact Larry Buklis at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3822. (The AK FSB website was offline but should be back by the time you read this at http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/home.html ) 49. Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore Holiday Gifts for 2006 Order today to ensure delivery in time for the holidays! -Free book rate shipping… http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/holiday2006.html 50. Wild Catch Magazine November / December issue online (3 Mb pdf file, 32 pages)
http://www.wildcatchmagazine.com/images/ 51. Vital Choices November 13 Newsletter In This Issue : Vitamin D May Reduce Heart and Diabetes Risks; Omega-3s Fight Skin Cancer in Mice; Recipes: Miso-Glazed Halibut with Asian Slaw; Sockeye Salmon Three Bean Salad http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com 52. ADF&G Fisheries reports: Chignik Eco Assessment & BB Escapement Chignik Watershed Ecological Assessment Project Season Report, 2005. Fishery Management Report 06-54 http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FedAidPDFs/Fmr06-54.pdf Review of salmon escapement goals in Bristol Bay, Alaska, 2006 ADF&G Fishery Manuscript No. 06-05 http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/pubs_recent.php 53. Deadline Dec 4 for comments on Amendment 67 on GOA IFQ limitations Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800 54. NPRB 2007 Request for Proposals ($3.9M) – deadline December 1 http://www.nprb.org/research/2007_RFP.htm
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