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UFA Update Action alert: Support Denby Lloyd’s confirmation as Commissioner of ADF&G. Senate resources committee is hearing from many who object on points unrelated to qualifications. You may agree with their points on predator control and moose abundance, but the main fact is that this committee is not hearing from people in support of Mr. Lloyd’s qualifications as a biologist and ADF&G department manager. Send letters to Halibut: If you are an IFQ holder and you are not on the email list of the Halibut Coalition, send email to halibutcoalition@gci.net to be kept up to date on these action items. UFA AT-LARGE BOARD ELECTIONS- call for nominations Four at-large seats will be elected by UFA’s individual and lifetime permit holder members. Deadline for Nominations is April 15, 2007. For nomination form see UFA home page at www.ufa-fish.org UFA Reaches All-Time High Group Membership (36), Announces New Officers http://www.ufa-fish.org/press/2007-1_UFA_All_time_high_group_membership.pdf Contents: 1. U.S. seeks to boost aquaculture by allowing deep-sea fish farms 2. Fishermen group opposes proposal 3. High-tech farm raises fish in deep sea - with $100M R&D help from NOAA 5. Sen. Stevens Speaks in Support of Mass. Deciding Nantucket Sound Wind Farm Siting 6. Charter halibut catch-limit change rejected 7. NOAA Fisheries begins rulemaking for charter halibut fishing in Southeast Alaska 8. Welcome to halibut allocation chaos 9. KDM: Fish agencies look for new ways to limit charter halibut overage 10. Halibut greeted at dock with price offer over $5 11. Tilapia Is the Fastest Growing Species in an Otherwise Stable US Seafood Market, 12. Marketing, management and a mine all on the agenda for ComFish 13. Coast Guard To Participate In Small Vessel Security Summit 14. John Hilsinger Appointed ADF&G Director of Commercial Fisheries 15. Group wants salmon standard tossed aside (no, removed from regulation) 16. Governor Palin Fills Vacancy on Board of Fisheries -Larry Edfelt 17. ISRE Report The Great Salmon Run: Competition Between Wild and Farmed Salmon 18. New Report Analyzes drop in Stellar Sea Lions 19. Red king crab eggs hatch in Alaska research program 20. Increasing value of seafood could lead to more flying fish 21. Kenai River group shuns subsistence gillnet use 22. Kenai River pollution resolution OK’d by Kenai City Council 23. CDQs form community development association, hire Exec. Dir. Wanetta Ayers 24. Icicle set to produce farmed fish 25. Congressman Young introduces Exxon settlement tax treatment bill in House 26. ASMI New Foodservice Brochure Highlights Wild and Sustainable Alaska Crab 27. Driven by seafood, Alaska exports top the $4 billion in 06 28. China buying more Alaska fish 29. AK Journal of Commerce Coastal Journal 30. Bill would aid Unalaska harbor effort 31. ADN Highliner: Wesley Loy debuts Anchorage Daily News Fishing weblog 32. USCG awards $33 million energy savings performance contract for Kodiak 33. WA: Container tax stalled for now, but likely to reappear 34. MSC extends comment period on Draft Intent Statements to April 27 35. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 36. NPFMC Meeting March March 26 through Tuesday, April 3, 2007 37. NMFS sets meetings on Steller DPEIS – Seattle 3/15, Anchorage 3/18 38. NMFS Final 2007 - 2008 Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specification Tables 39. NMFS Notice of Intent on NS-1 annual catch limit & accountability measures 40. PCod - MSC Stakeholder Consultation Advisory - surveillance 41. Comments Due March 16 on Organic Standards for Aquaculture 42. Comment Deadline April 11 on Puget Salmon Tribal Resource Management Plan 43. MPA Advisory Committee meets 4/24 – 4/25, Arlintgon VA. 44. Deadline March 19 for comment on NCCOS Draft Human Dimensions Strategic Plan 45. IPHC RFP: Attention Bait Suppliers and Salmon Processors 46. IPHC Notifies of Halibut Sales in 2007 and Seeks Buyers for IPHC Research Fish 47. NMFS Marine Mammal Stock Assessments for 2006 posted 48. NOAA report shows nation’s marine sanctuaries made significant gains in 2006 49. NOAA Fisheries Service begins process to end overfishing by 2010 50. Tongass Forest Plan home page – comment deadline April 12, 2007 on Draft EIS 51. Deadline April 10 for BOF proposals for Cook Inlet, Kodiak, Chignik… 52. Comment Deadline March 23 on Groundfish Observer Program 1. U.S. seeks to boost aquaculture by allowing deep-sea fish farms The Bush administration wants to allow ocean farming for shellfish, salmon and saltwater species in federal waters for the first time, hoping to grab a greater share of the $70 billion aquaculture market. A plan being announced Monday by Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez would let companies operate fish farms three miles to 200 miles offshore, but without some of the rules on size, season and harvest methods that apply to other commercial fishermen.
http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=18&path=A/AK NOAA Aquaculture legislation home page – links to legislation, sectional analysis, etc…
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/aquaculture/ 2. Fishermen group opposes proposal "United Fishermen of Alaska opposes fish farms anytime, anywhere, any place. Inshore. Offshore. Period," said Bob Thorstenson, the organization's president and a Juneau-based seiner…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/031307/sta_2007 3. High-tech farm raises fish in deep sea - with $100M R&D help from NOAA Thanks to new engineering and undersea cultivation skills, fish farmers are raising seafood in the middle of the sea. Because fish in offshore fish farms grow in near-natural environments, their rate of survival is higher and they taste almost the same as natural-grown ones… “The cages are so high-tech that it took the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 10 years and US$100 million to develop them…” http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=8604 4. First mobile fish farm to sail open seas “With the prosperous fish farming sector growing by an average of 9 percent annually for the past 30 years, a Turkish company has come up with the innovative idea of using a ship as a fish farm in order to utilize the open seas…” http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=8493 5. Chairman Stevens Speaks in Support of Massachusetts Deciding Nantucket Sound Wind Farm Siting “…states should have the final say on projects which will directly impact their land, resources, and their constituents… At the heart of this debate is the issue of states’ rights… The debate over this project is similar to the fights that those of us in Alaska have been engaged in for decades. Our state lands are surrounded by federal lands, our waters are surrounded by federal waters, and we often do not have any say in decisions regarding the development of our resources or the projects which will be located in our state…” http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=255370 6. Charter halibut catch-limit change rejected Charter boat anglers needn't worry this summer about being limited to keeping only one halibut per day instead of two, as international regulators proposed in January. "We rejected that," said William Hogarth, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, in an interview Tuesday in Anchorage…. http://www.adn.com/outdoors/fishing/story/8675535p-8570399c.html & Proposed charter-catch limits rejected by NMFS http://www.homernews.com/stories/022807/news_1001.shtml 7. NOAA Fisheries begins rulemaking for charter halibut fishing in Southeast Alaska Despite recent rejections of new restrictions to the Alaska halibut charter boat fleet, NOAA Fisheries Service and the state Department of Fish and Game are working to develop new management measures to help fishers avoid exceeding harvest levels. NOAA Fisheries Service Alaska Region has initiated a rule-making process that will make changes in regulations for fishing for the charter halibut industry in southeast Alaska (area 2C).
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2007/AK 8. Welcome to halibut allocation chaos Sitka Sentinel Letter to the editor by Bert Bergman After reading the Feb. 28 Sitka Sentinel article about rejecting the one-a-day halibut rule for guided charter fishermen, I just wanted to take a little time to thank local charter operators who wrote letters and the local Chamber of Commerce who sent a representative to Washington D.C., to destabilize the free-market allocation solution called charter individual fishing quotas. Welcome to allocation chaos. Sound off on the important issues at It seems the political will does not exist to hold the charter fleet to any allocation number.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/030807/let_2007 9. KDM: Fish agencies look for new ways to limit charter halibut overage The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are working to develop new management measures to help charterboats avoid exceeding harvest levels, after recent rejections of new restrictions to the Alaska halibut charter boat fleet. The Seattle-based International Pacific Halibut Commission imposed a one-fish bag limit for charter boat anglers in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, which includes Kodiak. National Marine Fisheries Service officials rejected the limit, saying anglers can keep two halibut a day instead of the one proposed by the IPHC in January… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4462 10. Halibut greeted at dock with price offer over $5 Three days into the new commercial halibut season, fish began arriving at the docks Monday and fishermen were expecting eye-popping prices for their catches… http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/8704765p-8606609c.html 11. Tilapia Is the Fastest Growing Species in an Otherwise Stable US Seafood Market, A new Glitnir Seafood Industry Report reveals that while staple seafood such as shrimp, tuna and salmon remain the US' favourites, the relative newcomer tilapia is the fastest growing. New seafood species are largely introduced through the foodservice sector, which accounts for two thirds of total US seafood sales. The US market remains highly dependent on imports, which account for 86 per cent of seafood consumption. http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070309/0224828.html 12. Marketing, management and a mine all on the agenda for ComFish Offshore exploration, king crab stocks, the Pebble mine project, Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation and seafood marketing are all on the agenda for ComFish 2007, March 15-17 in Kodiak…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/030407/fis_2007 Comfish home page: http://www.comfishalaska.com/ UFA will be at the Comfish show. Join UFA or renew your dues at the UFA booth and receive a free UFA hat. 13. Coast Guard To Participate In Small Vessel Security Summit The U.S. Coast Guard announced it will participate in the first-ever Department of Homeland Security-sponsored small vessel security summit to be held in June to discuss ideas for improving security for vessels not covered by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff is expected to deliver the keynote address. Details on the location, dates and time of the summit will be announced once finalized. “We want to hear ideas from the people who regularly use our ports and waterways to determine how we can better structure new safety and security regimes that will have a minimal impact on those who rely on our waterways for their livelihood as well as recreation,” said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-20989.html We are expecting a federal register notice any day now on new Coast Guard Automated Identification Systems regulations… stay tuned. 14. John Hilsinger Appointed ADF&G Director of Commercial Fisheries Kenton Taylor Appointed Deputy Commissioner… http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2007/2-18-07_nr.php 15. Group wants salmon standard tossed aside (no, removed from regulation) The United Fishermen of Alaska say the state needs a guiding policy to promote sustainable management, but argues that putting such a goal into regulation, as the state did in 2000, resulted in an ill-defined standard that invites lawsuits. "I don't like court decisions mandating how we manage fisheries, and that's what you're setting yourself up for," said Kathy Hansen, author of the proposal before the state Board of Fisheries and statewide chairwoman of the UFA. http://www.adn.com/outdoors/fishing/story/8686048p-8583090c.html Sustainable Salmon Policy online: http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/susalpol.pdf The policy contains five instances of the word “shall” which indicates mandatory language, and 53 uses of the word “should” which indicates an ideal – we assert that this is an excellent guidance policy document for the Department and Board, but it is not written as regulatory language. We did not say to toss it aside any more than you would toss a gaff hook off your boat – it’s just not the right tool for working on your hydraulics. 16. Governor Palin Fills Vacancy on Board of Fisheries -Larry Edfelt Governor Palin announced the appointment of Juneau resident, Larry Edfelt, to the Alaska Board of Fisheries. Edfelt previously served on the board from 1992-1997.. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=187 17. ISRE Report The Great Salmon Run: Competition Between Wild and Farmed Salmon ISER Research Matters No. 20 The Great Salmon Run: Competition Between Wild and Farmed Salmon The debate about wild versus farmed salmon has gotten a lot of attention lately—but that's the wrong salmon debate, according to a comprehensive new study of competition between wild and farmed salmon. Explosive and continuing growth in farmed salmon has changed the salmon industry and salmon markets forever. But wild salmon and farmed salmon each fill a place in world markets that the other couldn't. So rather than debate about which is better, people who care about salmon issues should instead be talking about what policies could help make both the wild salmon and the farmed salmon industries profitable, while at the same time protecting wild salmon resources and the environment… http://www.worldwildlife.org/trade/salmonreport.cfm Webwire story: New Report: Explosive Growth Changes Salmon Industry http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=29093 More archived reports at UAF SFOS: http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/salmontools/publications/index.html 18. New Report Analyzes drop in Stellar Sea Lions A recent study by a team of 30 leading scientists, published in Fisheries Oceanography, suggests that a single climate change event may be the missing link that helps explain why some populations of Steller sea lions are on the brink ofextinction while others are thriving. Nearly 30 years ago, an abrupt change in ocean conditions swept through the North Pacific Ocean. This shift in 1976-77 was a natural event in the ocean's climate cycle, but the effects are still felt today according to the recently released study led by Dr. Art Miller of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Dr. Andrew Trites of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Herb Maschner at Idaho State University. "We're finding that large natural shifts in ocean climate appear to reset the ecological time clock of the North Pacific Ocean," says Dr. Trites. "They unleash a domino series of events that ends with some species falling to low numbers and others rising to high numbers. Steller sea lions need the ocean to shift to cooler conditions if they are to recover, but global warming may prevent this from ever happening again and may permanently keep sea lions on the brink of extinction in Alaska." http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-05-2007/0004539469&EDATE= APRN audio: New Report Analyzes drop in Stellar Sea Lions… by Lori Townsend:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/apti/news.newsmain? Marine Mammal Research Consortium: Sea Change: Ocean Climate and the Shifting Fortunes of Alaska's Steller Sea Lions http://www.marinemammal.org/2007/ecosystem.php 19. Red king crab eggs hatch in Alaska research program Larvae to help scientists studying hatcheries was a way to rebuild Kodiak stocks Seward, Alaska - On a recent Saturday morning, red king crab number 1008 opened a flap on her underside and released several hundred tiny newborn crab larvae, each only about the size of a sharpened pencil lead… http://www.sitnews.us/0307news/031307/031307_crab.html 20. Increasing value of seafood could lead to more flying fish Strong prices and high quality are key to growing opportunities for air freighters to transport wild Alaska seafood, according to Ray Riutta, executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. As the value and volume of frozen seafood increases, air cargo firms have become more important in the transport of high-value seafood, Riutta told the Alaska Air Cargo Association Feb. 27 in Anchorage…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031107/hom_2007 21. Kenai River group shuns subsistence gillnet use Discussions about Kenai River subsistence priorities and the river’s waterbody recovery plan dominated much of the Kenai River Special Management Area (KRSMA) Advisory Board’s monthly meeting at the Kenai River Center on Thursday evening…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/031107/news_03 22. Kenai River pollution resolution OK’d by Kenai City Council Two Kenai City Council members have been appointed to work with the city of Soldotna and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on a plan to curb hydrocarbon pollution in the Kenai River…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/031207/news_03 23. CDQs form community development association, hire Exec. Dir. Wanetta Ayers Wanetta Ayers is named executive director of the Western Alaska Community Development Association (WACDA), the governing panel for the western Alaska community development quota program. In her new role, Ayers will work with the WACDA board of directors to implement governance, advocacy and coordinating activities on behalf of Alaska’s six community development quota organizations, made up of 65 community CDQ groups… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4452 24. Icicle set to produce farmed fish Icicle Seafoods Inc., one of the top processors of wild Alaska salmon, is diving into the salmon-farming business in Chile. The Seattle-based company announced Wednesday it has formed a partnership called Salmones Aysen to produce farm-raised salmon and trout in southern Chile, one of the world's top fish-farming nations… http://www.adn.com/money/story/8692081p-8590084c.html 25. Congressman Young introduces Exxon settlement tax treatment bill in House The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Tax Treatment Act (H.R. 1334) has been introduced by Alaska Congressman Don Young and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA). This bill would give the plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement the ability to increase retirement contributions and would provide tax relief through income averaging… http://donyoung.house.gov/PressRelease.aspx?NewsID=1749 Previous item: Murkowski and Stevens introduce tax legislation to assist Exxon Valdez oil spill plaintiffs http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=269181 26. ASMI New Foodservice Brochure Highlights Wild and Sustainable Alaska Crab “40 Ft. Swells, 20 Hr. Shifts, 700 Lb. Pots, Countless Great Dishes” The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) now offers operators and distributors a new educational tool that explains why wild and sustainable Alaska crab is the perfect choice for years to come. Through rich photography, the beautifully designed brochure showcases both the wild nature of the harvest and the result: countless great dishes.
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/foodservice/press/Countless 27. Driven by seafood, Alaska exports top the $4 billion in 06 Alaska's seafood exports topped $2 billion for the first time in 2006, helping to boost the state's overall exports to a record $4 billion, a 12.6 percent increase over 2005, state officials said…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/030407/fis_2007 28. China buying more Alaska fish Japan remains state's No. 1 customer, but is importing less and less Alaska's seafood exports to China grew in volume and value from 2005 to 2006, as Japanese markets slipped, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute said Feb. 27…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/030407/fis_2007 29. AK Journal of Commerce Coastal Journal Stories include: 2007 salmon forecast predicts a bumper crop New arrivals in Seward could spell hope for crab fisheries Copper River Seafoods expands in Anchorage with value-added products Federal bill would require more study before allowing fish farms Seafood industry group urges attention to climate change… And a lot more… online at http://www.alaskajournal.com/coastal/ 30. Bill would aid Unalaska harbor effort Legislation introduced March 6 by Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, would extend debt reimbursement authority to the city of Unalaska for a new small boat harbor to be constructed in that community. Hoffman stated the debt authority should be extended beyond the current July 1 deadline because the project has been delayed by unforeseen circumstances.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031107/fis_2007 31. ADN Highliner: Wesley Loy debuts Anchorage Daily News Fishing weblog We appreciate the feedback functionality… 32. USCG awards $33 million energy savings performance contract for Kodiak The U.S Coast Guard has partnered with NORESCO, an energy service company (ESCO), in an energy conservation and facility improvement project that is estimated to save the Coast Guard over $2,000,000.00 per year in energy costs once completed at the Kodiak facility. The work will start this summer and be completed over the next 2 years... http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/149914/ 33. WA: Container tax stalled for now, but likely to reappear It's too late this year for a container tax to be enacted in the Washington state Legislature, but that doesn't mean the proposed tax on shipping containers won't be back next year, according to transportation experts in Alaska…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031107/hom_2007 34. MSC extends comment period on Draft Intent Statements to April 27 The timeframe for commenting on the ‘Draft Intent Statements’ for the MSC Criteria has been extended, with the closing date for comments now 27th April 2007. The Statements available for comment have not been changed from those provided for comment in January 2007, i.e. those that you have already provided input on. Those comments provided so far will be considered together with any additional comments received during this extended period - however any additional comments that you would like to make are, of course, still welcome. All supporting documentation remains at http://www.msc.org/html/content_1297.htm 35. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Tuesday 3/13/07 Shellfish toxin that causes amnesia creeping up west coast Monday 3/12/07 Selenium in fish reduces Alzheimer's disease; makes mercury harmless Friday 3/9/07 How do halibut approach & attack baited hooks? Researchers seek charter boat w/drum and boom for project. Thursday 3/8/07 World's wild capture fisheries continue to set impressive records Wednesday 3/7/07 Fishery managers look towards resource protections for Arctic oceans Online at http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm & also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 36. NPFMC Meeting March March 26 through Tuesday, April 3, 2007 Anchorage Hilton Agenda: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/307Agenda.pdf Items for the March meeting: Aleutian Island Fishery Ecosystem Plan; Arctic FMP Discussion Paper; Halibut Charter Moratorium; AI Habitat Conservation Area EA; NMFS letter on partial approval of BSAI Am. 85 (3/7/07); Council recommend specs for the 2007 and 2008 fisheries, PSCs for 07/08… see: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 37. NMFS sets meetings on Steller DPEIS – Seattle 3/15, Anchorage 3/18 NMFS will hold a series of public hearings regarding the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for Research on Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals… On February 16, 2007, notice was published in the Federal Register (72 FR 7652) of the availability of the DPEIS for review and comments. Written comments on the DPEIS must be received by April 2, 2007. NMFS will hold three public hearings to inform interested parties of the alternatives analyzed and accept comments… Public hearings will be held at the following dates, times, and locations: 1. March 13, 2007, Silver Spring, MD; 2. March 15, 2007, 4 to 7 pm; Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Bldg. 9, 7600 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA; and 3. March 18, 2007, 5 to 8 pm; Hilton Hotel, 501 West 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK… Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for Research on Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals is online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/steller.htm 38. NMFS Final 2007 - 2008 Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specification Tables Online at…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/2007_08 Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 39. NMFS Notice of Intent on NS-1 annual catch limit & accountability measures …Comment Deadline
NMFS announces its intent to prepare an EIS and commencement of a scoping period in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to analyze alternatives for guidance regarding annual catch limit (ACL) and accountability measures (AM) and other overfishing provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). Such guidance would be added to the National Standard 1 (NS1) guidelines… Written comments must be received by April 2, 2007. A public scoping meeting will be held at the NMFS Silver Spring headquarters office on March 9, 2007…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 40. PCod MSC Stakeholder Consultation Advisory: Annual Surveillance - US Freezer/Longline Fishery for Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea The freezer longline fishery for Pacific cod in the Bering Sea was certified by Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. (SCS) in 2006 following a full assessment of the fishery using the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards and certification methods. The MSC program requires that an annual surveillance audit is conducted each year following the initial certification of a fishery. SCS is now in the process of the annual surveillance, which will review any changes in the management of the fishery, (including regulations, key management or scientific staff or stock evaluation), and to evaluate the progress of the fishery against any Conditions of Certification raised during the Main Assessment…this notice is to advise any parties (individuals or organizations) interested in providing input to the annual surveillance process…
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/BSAI_PacificCod/ 41. Comments Due March 16 on Organic Standards for Aquaculture
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will
meet March 27-30 in Washington, DC to discuss and vote on organic standards
for aquaculture. The aquaculture topic is on the agenda for March 28 at
11:30 am. Opportunities for oral public comments on NOSB action and
discussion items are scheduled during this meeting. 42. Comment Deadline April 11 on Puget Salmon Tribal Resource Management Plan Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) has submitted a Tribal Resource Management Plan (Tribal Plan) for NMFS to evaluate. It was presented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on behalf of the Northwest Indian Tribes; the submission fulfills the Tribes' obligations under the protective regulations promulgated for Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Tribal Plan describes research and assessment activities that may affect listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon in Washington State. NMFS has completed a proposed evaluation of how well the Tribal Plan fulfills ESA criteria, and the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is making that proposed evaluation available for public comment…. Deadline for comment April 11, 2007
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 43. MPA Advisory Committee meets 4/24 – 4/25, Arlintgon VA. Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (Committee) in Arlington, Virginia. DATES: The meeting will be held Tuesday, April 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, April 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 44. Deadline March 19 for comment on NCCOS Draft Human Dimensions Strategic Plan NOAA publishes this notice to announce availability of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Draft Human Dimensions Strategic Plan (FY2008-FY2013) for public comment. NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) provides coastal resource managers, other decision makers, and stakeholders with the ecosystem information and tools needed to balance society's environmental, social, and economic goals in mitigating and adapting to stressors such as climate change, extreme natural events, pollution, invasive species, and resource use… Encompassing a broad array of social science, humanities, and other disciplines, human dimensions research aims to understand these human-environmental interactions and facilitate use of this understanding to assist decisions affecting environmental processes and their societal outcomes…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ An electronic copy of the
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Draft Human Dimensions Strategic
Plan (FY2008-FY2013) is available at:
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/human/strategy/NCCOSDraft (3+ megabyte pdf) 45. IPHC RFP: Attention Bait Suppliers and Salmon Processors Bait for 2007 IPHC research 20,000 pounds semi-bright chum salmon Proposals due March 30, 2007 The International Pacific
Halibut Commission is requesting proposals from industry to provide bait for
an experiment investigating hook-size and spacing during summer 2007… 46. IPHC Notifies Industry of Halibut Sales in 2007 and Seeks Buyers Interested in IPHC Research Fish The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) will be conducting research operations off Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska during 2007 and will be selling halibut caught during these operations to offset costs associated with conducting the research programs. The intention of this news release is two-fold: to notify the industry of IPHC sales plans and to seek letters of interest from potential buyers…
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2007 47. NMFS Marine Mammal Stock Assessments for 2006 posted Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Report (SAR) for 2006 is available on the Office of Protected Resources web site. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/region.htm 48. NOAA report shows nation’s marine sanctuaries made significant gains in 2006 “Every day, NOAA’s
mission touches the lives of nearly every American, and I am proud the
marine sanctuaries continued to serve as major scientific research,
conservation and education hubs while providing opportunities for Americans
to enjoy these special places,”… 49. NOAA Fisheries Service begins process to end overfishing by 2010 New Magnuson-Stevens Act First Step to Implementation / Comments Sought NOAA Fisheries Service has begun the process of developing new guidance to assist regional fishery management councils in developing measures to end overfishing in all U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries by 2010. This deadline is a new requirement under the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2006. NOAA provides guidelines to facilitate consistent application of the law’s 10 national standards among the nation’s fishery managers. This action would modify the guidelines for National Standard 1 of the Act, also known as the “overfishing standard.”
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/NOI%20 50. Tongass Forest Plan home page – comment deadline April 12, 2007 on Draft EIS 51. Deadline April 10 for BOF proposals for Cook Inlet, Kodiak, Chignik finfish & statewide King & Tanner crab. The Alaska Board Of Fisheries calls for proposed changes in the subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial finfish regulations for the Cook Inlet, Kodiak, and Chignik finfish areas, and statewide (except southeast and yakutat areas) King And Tanner crab shellfish regulations PROPOSAL DEADLINE – TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2007
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e BOF Home Page: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/index.php 52. Comment Deadline March 23 on Groundfish Observer Program NMFS issues a proposed rule to amend regulations implementing the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program). This action is necessary to avoid expiration of these regulations on December 31, 2007, and ensure uninterrupted observer coverage in North Pacific groundfish fisheries...
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