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UFA Update April 12, 2007 Last call for nominations for UFA AT-LARGE BOARD ELECTIONS- 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 Contents: 1. Comment Deadline April 23 on Area 2C Halibut charter regulations 2. Vote in KINY (Juneau) Radio Poll: “Restrict charter halibut catch?” 3. Fish council OKs charter freeze 4. NPFMC Halibut Charter Motions 5. Governor Palin Asks for Changes to Fish Farm Proposal 6. Governor Palin Appoints Two to Board of Fisheries 7. Senate Resources panel grills Lloyd 8. Former Alaska lawmaker Jim Elkins dies 9. Pioneer biologist Rupe Andrews left legacy in Alaska resource management 10. SE King salmon quota drops by about 17,000 11. Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery harvest totals 11,770 tons 12. Council seeks input on Bering trawl zones 13. Soldotna OKs river pollution proposal - Suggestions to be sent to Board of Fish 14. Kodiak area state cod fishery closes to pot gear 15. Fewer cod vessels will take to the sea 16. NOAA Longline CP Non-Pollock Groundfish Buyback Documents: 17. Fishermen donate huge rockfish specimen for NOAA research 18. Panel warns of warming costs in dollars and fish 19. Appeals court rejects federal Columbia salmon plan 20. State of Alaska Submits Polar Bear Comments to US Fish & Wildlife 21. UAF Marine Advisory Program hires FishBiz Specialist Glenn Haight 22. April 2007 issue of Fishlines , the newsletter of Alaska Sea Grant: 23. Alaska wants review of big Japanese fish merger 24. Senate deletes state wastewater effort 25. Pebble foes threaten mine tax 26. Boston Globe Editorial: Protect Alaska's wild salmon 27. Juneau Empire My turn: Mixing zones compromise fisheries by Carl Rosier 28. Fisheries interests bristle over prospect of Bristol Bay drilling 29. Governor Palin Seeks Nominations for Exporter of the Year – May 1 Deadline 30. ASMI "I Heart Salmon" - Opening of Alaska’s Wild Salmon Harvest Season in May 31. SWAMC posts study - Improving Seafood Harvest Labor Data 32. Solar Bursts May Threaten GPS 33. Alaska One Step Closer to Its Own Commemorative Quarter –your comments wanted 34. Salmon Advocates Applaud Fed Court Ruling to Safeguard Columbia Salmon Plan 35. Don't undermine endangered species law, WA Rep. Dicks Warns 36. MMRC: Killers in the Dark – the night-time behavior of mammal-eating killer whales 37. Fish factor - Home grown fishes, Salmon sales slip, Funds for injured fishermen 38. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 39. NOAA posts IRIU Definition 40. NPFMC Salmon Bycatch committee meets April 27, Anchorage 41. NPFMC Steller Sea Lion Mitigation Committee April 17-19, Juneau 42. NMFS posts Fish and Seafood Promotion Act Provisions Marketing Councils 43. Invasive Species on agenda at BLM AK Resource Advisory Council May 16-17 44. Former Stevens Aide Matt Paxton joins sportfish advocacy group CCA 45. EPA Proposed Rule on Emissions of Air Pollution from Marine Engines 46. Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program - comment by April 30 47. USFWS Restoration Planning - M/V Selendang Ayu Natural Resource Damage 48. Commodity Credit Corporation Market Programs open for applications: 49. NMFS issues incidental harassment authorizations for Cook Inlet seismic testing 50. ADFG 2006 Enhancement Report: 51. ADN Highliner Blog: Alaska’s salmon Ponderosa 52. BOF meets April 16 on Upper Cook Inlet emergency petition 53. Comment deadline May 1 on ADFG saltwater sport logbook program 54. Homeland Security National Small Vessel Security Summit, June 19-20 55. AFSC Groundfish Survey Data – Interactive map online 56. NPFMC posts items from March/April Meeting. 57. NPFMC News and Notes Newsletter for April 58. NOAA Marine Debris Report – March 2006 59. Comment Deadline April 27 on Groundfish Observer Program Proposed Rule 1. Comment Deadline April 23 on Area 2C Halibut charter regulations Two fish limit, only one over 32” NMFS proposes regulations that would restrict the harvest of halibut by persons fishing on a guided sport charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2C. The current sport fishing catch or bag limit of two halibut per day is proposed to be changed for a person sport fishing on a charter vessel in Area 2C to require that at least one of the two fish taken in a day be no more than 32 inches (81.3 cm) in length. This proposed regulatory change is necessary to reduce the halibut harvest in the charter vessel sector while minimizing negative impacts on this sector, its sport fishing clients, and the coastal communities that serve as home ports for the fishery. The intended effect of this action is a reduction in the poundage of halibut harvested by the guided sport charter vessel sector in Area 2C… Comment Deadline April 23
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 NOAA PR: Fisheries proposes regulations for guided sport halibut fishing in SE Alaska
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2007/charter ADN Highliner Blog: (4/9) Two developments on the halibut charter front – 2C limits, and NPFMC charter moratorium… http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/106581 & (4/2) New rule for Southeast halibut anglers: 1 big fish, 1 small http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/106408
Draft for NOAA Fisheries Service Review- Regulatory Amendment to Modify the Halibut Bag Limit In the Halibut Charter Fisheries In IPHC Regulatory Area 2C
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/analyses/halibut/draft2cbaglimit 2. Vote in KINY (Juneau) Radio Poll: “Restrict charter halibut catch?” Vote Yes or no at: http://www.kinyradio.com/poll.html 3. Fish council OKs charter freeze Measure to limit halibut fishing could take effect in ‘09 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council this weekend took final action that could put a halibut charter moratorium in place. The move still has to be approved and signed into law by the U.S. secretary of Commerce. If signed, the expected implementation date is the 2009 fishing season. To quality for a moratorium permit, charterboat owners would have to have taken at least five trips in 2004 and 2005. Fifteen halibut trips qualifies the boat owner for a transferable permit.
“We were supportive of a moratorium. It is a step that needed to be taken to get to a final solution on this issue,” Southeast Alaska Fishermen’s Alliance executive director Kathy Hansen said. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4555 4. NPFMC Halibut Charter Motions Moratorium
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues Compensated Reallocation
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues GHL Measures for 2008
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues Allocation
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues For a summary of the Council’s halibut charter actions see Kathy Hansen’s summary at www.seafa.org . See also other NPFMC recent documents below at Item # 58 below. 5. Governor Palin Asks for Changes to Fish Farm Proposal Governor Palin Asks for Changes to Federal Fish Farm Proposal April 4, 2007, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her administration’s objections to elements of the federal government’s proposal to allow fish farms in the open ocean off of America’s coasts. “While the latest proposal is an improvement over past versions, we still want to make sure that there will be adequate protections for Alaska’s world-renowned wild fisheries in the event it passes into law,” Governor Palin said. “Alaska’s fishing industry has had great success in recent years by extolling the virtues of our wild seafood; we must make sure that any new federal laws don’t muddle this message.” http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=252 See NOAA Aquaculture 2007
National Offshore Aquaculture Act home page for bill and related documents:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/aquaculture/ UFA applauds Governor Palin for the State’s strong position on this bill. The bill has yet to be introduced in DC. 6. Governor Palin Appoints Two to Board of Fisheries Governor Appoints Two to Board of Fisheries March 30, 2007, Juneau, AK – Governor Sarah Palin today announced the appointment of Howard Delo of Big Lake and Vince Webster of King Salmon, to the Alaska Board of Fisheries… http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=233&type=1 && Mat-Su Frontiersman: Home Cooking for Fish Board Palin is an advocate of managing Alaska's fisheries for abundance, and said she believes Delo will help further her goal of reducing conflicts between user groups… Webster is the co-chair of the Naknek/Kvichak Fish and Game Advisory Committee…
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2007/03/30/news/ 7. Senate Resources panel grills Lloyd Gov. Sarah Palin’s pick for commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game took a beating from state lawmakers this week during a confirmation hearing in the Senate Resources Committee. Members of the committee ultimately forwarded the nomination of Denby Lloyd to a joint session of the Legislature for a confirmation vote, but Sen. Charlie Huggins, a Republican from Wasilla and chairman of the committee, said he did so “with a little bit of hesitation.” Huggins said as chairman, he “philosophically” wanted to support the governor’s appointments, and he noted that Lloyd had the support of some “significant outdoor organizations.” But he also criticized the handling of recent decisions related to predator control, and he lectured Lloyd on his new responsibilities… http://newsminer.com/2007/04/07/6360/ My turn by Ron Sommerville: Give new Fish and Game commissioner a chance
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040507/opi_ Fairbanks News Miner: Governor’s choice No matter how you slice it, state department commissioners serve at the pleasure of the governor. The people the governor chooses to surround herself with speaks volumes about her decision making and her vision for the state. In the case of her appointment of Denby Lloyd as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we just don’t see a huge problem. His appointment should be confirmed by the Legislature. http://newsminer.com/2007/04/10/6406/ 8. Former Alaska lawmaker Jim Elkins dies Former House Rep. Jim Elkins, who had been battling liver cancer for a year and a half, died Monday night, his longtime friend and former chief of staff said. Elkins was 69… He served as co-chairman of the House Transportation Committee, which is now being run by his successor Kyle Johansen. Johansen broke the news of Elkins death on the House Floor on Tuesday. He said no one had a bigger heart or cared more about his district than Elkins…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040407/sta_2007 & Governor Palin Mourns Loss of Rep. Elkins http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=250&type=1 9. Pioneer biologist Rupe Andrews left legacy in Alaska resource management Longtime Juneau resident and pioneering Alaska fisheries biologist Rupe Andrews, 77, died at home Wednesday due to complications from colon cancer. Bob Thorstenson, president of the United Fishermen of Alaska, said Andrews had a balanced perspective when it came to resource management and always kept in mind the needs of all user groups. "He was one of the stalwarts of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for decades," Thorstenson said. "He was a part of the team that brought 20th century and 21st century fish and wildlife management to the pinnacle of success in Alaska."…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/033007/loc_2007 10. SE King salmon quota drops by about 17,000 Decrease translates to about three to four fewer days of fishing than in 2006 The Southeast Alaska king salmon harvest quota for 2007 has been set at 329,400, slightly less than last year's, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced. The figure means a decrease of 17,000 fish from 2006…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040607/sta_2007 11. Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery harvest totals 11,770 tons The Sitka Sound sac roe fishery was wrapped up Tuesday, April 3 when seiners hauled in 2,730 tons during the last hour and 50 minute opening of the fishery that opened on March 26. The 2007 harvest totaled 11,770 tons, just shy of the 11,904 ton GHL… http://www.petersburgpilot.com/www/stories/040507herring.htm 12. Council seeks input on Bering trawl zones With ocean waters warming because of climate change, the public is being asked to weigh in on options for bottom trawling in the northern Bering Sea. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which advises the federal government on fisheries in federal waters off Alaska, is asking the public to review several alternatives, said Cathy Coon, a fishery analyst for the council, said Wednesday. The alternatives, which will be available for public review in early May, range from doing nothing to freezing the existing boundaries for bottom trawling, Coon said. The council will take final action at a meeting in Sitka on June 7… http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/8766718p-8668244c.html 13. Soldotna OKs river pollution proposal - Suggestions to be sent to Board of Fish Fearing federal intervention to remove hydrocarbon pollutants from the Kenai River, the city of Soldotna took a first step Wednesday, giving its OK to a state Board of Fisheries regulation proposal.. Some solutions the group offered include a change in means and methods of catching fish that limits the run time of boat engines; limiting the total number of motorized boats on the river at any one time with a complete phase out of two-stroke engines; and increasing the use of electric motors and drift boats…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040207/news_ 14. Kodiak area state cod fishery closes to pot gear The Kodiak area state waters Pacific cod fishery closed for all vessels using pot gear at 6 p.m. Sunday, but remains open to the jig fleet. The fishery is allocated to both the pot fleet and the jig fleet. Each group gets 50 percent of the quota. The overall guideline harvest level was 10.43 million pounds. The jig and pot fleets were allocated 5.21 million pounds each, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game fisheries biologist Nick Sagalkin. This year, the fishery opened March 6. Last year it opened on March 7. The 2005 season opened Feb. 2… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4586 15. Fewer cod vessels will take to the sea Alaska's cod fleet is about to shrink. Operators of freezer longline boats have voted to buy out three vessels to boost revenue for the remaining 36 boats, which fish mainly for Pacific cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Fleet members had until Friday to vote on the buyout, and a count of the ballots showed it passed, said Mike Sturtevant, with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Remaining vessel owners will pay a 1.6 percent tax on the dockside value of their catches to repay a 30-year, $35 million federal loan financing the buyout. The cod fishery has been
worth as much as $159 million in recent years. Federal officials estimate
that active vessels will net an average of nearly $303,000 yearly with the
buyout… 16. NOAA Longline CP Non-Pollock Groundfish Buyback Documents: Ballot Transmittal Letter - 3/21/07 (PDF)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback_ Non-Pollock CP Final Rule
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback NOAA Fisheries Fishing Capacity Reduction Programs home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback.htm 17. Fishermen donate huge rockfish specimen for NOAA research NOAA researchers have
turned their eyes, experience and microscopes on a rare specimen: a huge
female shortraker rockfish, Sebastes borealis, donated for science by
Michael Myers, a factory manager on Trident Seafood's catcher-processor
Kodiak Enterprise…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2007/ 18. Panel warns of warming costs in dollars and fish KODIAK — Warming oceans are coming with a high price tag not only the environment, but for coastal economies and the budgets of governments and private enterprises, says Bob Pawlowski, executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. There are costs to the environment and to day-to-day business operations, Pawlowski said, holding up his wallet to emphasize the point at a ComFish seminar March 16 on the impact of climate change on fisheries and coastal communities in Alaska…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/040107/hom_2007 19. Appeals court rejects federal Columbia salmon plan A federal appeals court Monday strongly rejected the Bush administration's 2004 plan for making Columbia Basin hydroelectric dams safe for salmon, saying it used "sleight of hand" and violated the Endangered Species Act. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld U.S. District Judge James Redden's order requiring the dams to sacrifice power production to help juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean… http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/310976_salmondams10.html 20. State of Alaska Submits Polar Bear Comments to US Fish & Wildlife Governor Palin Writes Letter to Secretary Kempthorne April 10, 2007, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin wrote a second letter to Secretary Dirk Kempthorne opposing the listing of polar bears as “threatened,” while the State of Alaska submitted comments on deadline, compiled into four reports, to U.S. Fish & Wildlife expressing the same concerns. The State’s opposition criticizes the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s analysis in four areas: 1) predictions of sea ice retreat related to climate change models; 2) existing regulatory mechanisms for conservation of polar bears; 3) criteria for listing, status, and trends of polar bears and their prey; and 4) unsubstantiated assumptions to support their petition and status assessment. The State’s formal comments to the Service were conveyed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in a detailed letter accompanied by considerable corroborating evidence… http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=275 21. UAF Marine Advisory Program hires FishBiz Specialist Glenn Haight MAP recently hired Glenn Haight as a fisheries business specialist. Based in Juneau, Haight will coordinate the MAP fisheries business project, including technical assistance to salmon fishermen. His work will be, in part, a follow-up to MAP's involvement with the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program. He will develop and teach seafood business workshops, work on fisheries and seafood projects, and coordinate and support efforts of several MAP faculty in seafood business activities. 22. April 2007 issue of Fishlines , the newsletter of Alaska Sea Grant: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/fishlines/2007/april.html 23. Alaska wants review of big Japanese fish merger Could a pending merger between Japanese seafood giants Maruha and Nichiro be a bad thing for Alaska? State officials are concerned, and they plan to ask the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to look into it… http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/106409 24. Senate deletes state wastewater effort Operating budget nixes funds to take over federal control The Senate version of the state operating budget eliminates funding that would allow Alaska to take over federal control of wastewater discharge permitting in the state.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040907/sta_2007 DEC NPDES Primacy home page: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/npdes/npdes.htm See HB 149 and SB 91 and track their progress at http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/ 25. Pebble foes threaten mine tax Opponents of Pebble, the controversial copper and gold mineral prospect, are considering asking Alaskans to vote on a big new tax for certain mines. The mine tax idea is one of several voter initiatives Pebble opponents are preparing to push if the Legislature and Gov. Sarah Palin don't tighten Alaska's environmental standards and raise the mining industry's taxes. One voter initiative -- to levy a new 10 percent tax on the gross value of minerals dug out of state land -- has been drafted,though proponents say they aren't ready to start seeking signatures of registered voters… http://www.adn.com/money/industries/mining/story/8761478p-8663116c.html See also HB 156 sponsored by Rep. Paul Seaton:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?session= 26. Boston Globe Editorial: Protect Alaska's wild salmon In Alaska, the world's most valuable wild salmon run is threatened by a plan to dig North America's largest open-pit gold and copper mine. Like any major development promising jobs, Northern Dynasty Minerals' Pebble project has supporters in Alaska, while opponents have introduced bills in the state Legislature to block the plan and protect the headwaters of Bristol Bay. More than any local action, however, conscientious enforcement of the US Clean Water Act by federal officials should deal the Pebble project the crippling blow it deserves…
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editori 27. Juneau Empire My turn: Mixing zones compromise fisheries by Carl Rosier The Legislature needs to overturn the Murkowski's administration's regulations that place our commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries at risk by allowing mixing zones in spawning streams…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040507/opi_2007 28. Fisheries interests bristle over prospect of Bristol Bay drilling Commercial fishermen concerned that offshore exploration might cause irreparable ecological damage say the relatively small amount of recoverable oil and gas is hardly worth the risk to Bristol Bay's vast salmon fisheries.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/040807/hom_2007 29. Governor Palin Seeks Nominations for Exporter of the Year Awards – May 1 Deadline Governor Sarah Palin today called on Alaskans to nominate companies for the annual Governor’s Exporter of the Year Awards. Awards are given in the categories of goods, services, and small businesses. Individuals or companies may nominate others or themselves. Nominations are due Monday, May 1, 2007… http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=258 30. ASMI "I Heart Salmon" - Opening of Alaska’s Wild Salmon Harvest Season in May Juneau, Alaska, April 6, 2007 – The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is pleased to announce the return of fresh, wild and always sustainable Alaska salmon to the market in May. This highly anticipated record salmon season is revered globally as chefs, retailers and consumers count down the days to its debut…
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/about/pressreleases/I & “The Sustainable Earth Day Dinner, Brought To You By Alaska Crab” This Earth Day ‘Asking For Alaska’ Makes A Difference
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/about/pressreleases ASMI Wild Salmon Buyers Guide: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/flavor/sbg1.htm ADFG Alaska Commercial
Fishing Seasons:
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/seasons 31. SWAMC posts study - Improving Seafood Harvest Labor Data SWAMC recently received the final Seafood Harvesting Labor Data report, written by Northern Economics…. The full report may be downloaded at:
http://electra.he.net/~swamc/images/stories/seafood% 32. Solar Bursts May Threaten GPS The Global Positioning System, relied on for everything from navigating cars and airplanes to transferring money between banks, may be threatened by powerful solar flares, a panel of scientists warned Wednesday…
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1 NOAA Press release:
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2007/apr 33. Alaska One Step Closer to Its Own Commemorative Quarter –your comments wanted The Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission is seeking your comments on the four final designs for the Alaska commemorative quarter. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=278&type=1 Indicate your preference to the governor and provide comments at: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/coin_comments.php After Washington State corked us with its own Salmon quarter, the only seafood that was submitted in large numbers in last years public design process is the salmon in the brown bear’s mouth. Washington Quarter
released:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/310913_quarter 34. Salmon Advocates Applaud Federal Appeals Court Ruling to Safeguard Columbia Basin Salmon Plan Ninth Circuit Court Upholds Lower Court Ruling That 2004 Biological Opinion Violates ESA and Fails to Consider Impact of Snake River Dams on Salmon Recovery Salmon advocates today hailed a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that rejected the Bush Administration's salmon plan for the Columbia-Snake River Basin. The Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court decision that ruled illegal a federal plan for dam operations on the Columbia and lower Snake Rivers for its failure to comply with the Endangered Species Act… http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_54494.shtml 35. Don't undermine endangered species law, WA Rep. Dicks Warns U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks issued a stern warning Wednesday to the Bush administration not to weaken the Endangered Species Act, in the wake of a leaked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service document that suggests the agency was considering an overhaul to the rules…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/200364 36. MMRC: Killers in the Dark – the night-time behavior of mammal-eating killer whales Mammal-eating killer whales have tremendous appetites and could exert substantial predation pressure on their prey populations, yet next to nothing is known about what these animals do at night. Some of the first insights are now coming in thanks to the use of innovative digital recording tags. http://www.marinemammal.org/2007/kw_deecke.php Marine Mammal Research Consortium home page: http://www.marinemammal.org/ 37. Fish factor - Home grown fishes, Salmon sales slip, Funds for injured fishermen Don't ever refer to it as farming - but home grown fishes are the Alaska's largest agricultural crop. Instead, call it 'ocean ranching.' Whereas farmed fish are grown in closed pens or cages until they're ready for market, Alaska fish mostly salmon - are raised in hatcheries until they grow to fingerlings and are released to the sea. The fish feed and grow on the 'open range' until they return home to the 'ranch' to spawn. Many Alaskans might be surprised that fish from hatcheries make up a huge portion of Alaska's annual salmon catches… http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/041007_fish_factor.html 38. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Thursday 4/12/07 High speed catamaran could soon deliver fresh fish from Western AK to road system Wednesday 4/11/07 E-landings, fish tickets could be used to gather labor data for AK deckhands Tuesday 4/10/07 AK Fishermen’s Fund helps pay medical bills Monday 4/9/07 2006 Seafood exports/imports set records Friday 4/6/07 AK salmon sales to Japan drop sharply in 2006 Online at http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm & also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html 39. NOAA posts IRIU Definition Therefore, for purposes of the MSRA, this final rule defines ``illegal, unreported, or unregulated'' fishing as: (A) fishing activities that violate conservation and management measures required under an international fishery management agreement to which the United States is a party, including catch limits or quotas, capacity restrictions, and bycatch reduction requirements; (B) overfishing of fish stocks shared by the United States, for which there are no applicable international conservation or management measures or in areas with no applicable international fishery management organization or agreement, that has adverse impacts on such stocks; or (C) fishing activity that has an adverse impact on seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and cold water corals located beyond national jurisdiction, for which there are no applicable conservation or management measures or in areas with no applicable international fishery management organization or agreement…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 40. NPFMC Salmon Bycatch committee meets April 27, Anchorage The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Salmon Bycatch Workgroup will meet in Anchorage, AK….Friday, April 27, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 NPFMC Salmon Bycatch
page:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch & ADN Opinion: Chinook bycatch in pollock fishery has to be reduced by Becca Robbins Gisclair http://www.adn.com/opinion/compass/story/8766800p-8668315c.html && NMFS comment deadline May 25 on Amendment 84 – salmon bycatch
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800 41. NPFMC Steller Sea Lion Mitigation Committee April 17-19, Juneau Regional Administrator’s Conference Room, (Federal Building) Agenda
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/ssl/SSLM & May 7-10, Seattle:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Agenda:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/ssl/SSLM 42. NMFS posts Fish and Seafood Promotion Act Provisions - Seafood Marketing Councils …Industry has expressed to NMFS interest and support for seafood marketing and promotion-related activities. Niche marketing programs have been initiated by both the Pacific salmon harvesters in Alaska and by the Wild American Shrimp organization in the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico states. Additional interest has been expressed by U.S. tuna processors who are also facing declining market shares due to foreign competition. In response to industry requests, NMFS promulgates regulations providing the foundation for the establishment, organization, and administrative practices of the Councils...
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 43. Invasive Species on agenda at BLM AK Resource Advisory Council May 16-17, Anchorage
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 44. Former Stevens Aide Matt Paxton joins sportfish advocacy group CCA Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is pleased to announce that Matthew Paxton, most recently senior counsel to the U.S . Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, has joined the CCA advocacy team to provide key lobbying support and counsel. "Matt gives our advocacy efforts yet another dimension. With expert fisheries consultants monitoring the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and Bob Hayes representing our interests in Washington, D.C., the CCA advocacy team is second to none,"…
http://www.joincca.org/press%20releases/2007/ 45. EPA Proposed Rule on Emissions of Air Pollution from Locomotive & Marine Engines - Comment by July 2, 2007 …EPA is proposing a comprehensive program to dramatically reduce emissions from locomotives and marine diesel engines. It would apply new exhaust emission standards and idle reduction requirements to diesel locomotives of all types--line-haul, switch, and passenger. It would also set new exhaust emission standards for all types of marine diesel engines below 30 liters per cylinder displacement… Comments must be received on or before July 2, 2007…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 46. Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program - Deadline for comment on DPEIS April 30 On March 16, 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the DPEIS for the MMHSRP for public comment and review. NMFS has scheduled five public hearings for the DPEIS. The purpose of these hearings is to provide an opportunity for the public to submit oral or written comments on the DPEIS. The DPEIS and information on these hearings can be found at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm Federal Register 3/30/07:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ NOAA MMHSRP DEIS home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm 47. USFWS Restoration Planning - M/V Selendang Ayu Natural Resource Damage Assessment Summary: On December 8, 2004, the shipping vessel M/V Selendang Ayu ran aground and broke apart between Skan Bay and Spray Cape on Unalaska Island, in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The vessel was carrying approximately 446,280 gallons of Intermediate Fuel Oil 380 (IFO) and 21,058 gallons of Marine Diesel Oil (MDO). Although a portion of the oils were eventually removed from the vessel, 339,538 gallons of the IFO 380 and 14,680 gallons of marine diesel were discharged into the environment over time. This Notice of Intent to Conduct Restoration Planning (Notice), issued pursuant to 15 CFR 990.44, pertains to the discharge of oil from the M/V Selendang Ayu described above (the Incident). The Unified Command for the Incident undertook response activities to clean up the discharged oil…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 48. Commodity Credit Corporation Market Programs open for applications: Federal Register, March 30…Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Emerging Markets Program,
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program,
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Market Access Program,
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Quality Samples Program,
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program,
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ It is not immediately clear whether all producers of fishery commodities are eligible, or only fish farmers. These programs are an illustration of why Alaska fishermen and our elected representatives need to be tuned into the 2007 Farm Bill – we need parity witrh fish farmers in USDA programs. 49. NMFS issues incidental harassment authorizations for Cook Inlet seismic testing In accordance with provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to conducting seismic operations in the northwest portion of Cook Inlet, Alaska, have been issued to ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. (CPAI) and Union Oil Company of California (UOCC) for a period between mid-March and mid-June, 2007…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ 50. ADFG 2006 Enhancement Report: http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FedAidPDFs/fmr07-04.pdf 51. ADN Highliner Blog: Alaska’s salmon Ponderosa Fish farming is illegal in Alaska, but the state still manufactures many of its salmon in captivity. Every year hundreds of millions of salmon are born in hatcheries and raised to minnow size, then are released to the ocean. Most hatchery production involves pink and chum salmon, but sockeye, king and coho salmon also are produced in Alaska’s network of hatcheries… http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/106424 52. BOF meets April 16 on Upper Cook Inlet emergency petition Notice is given that the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) will meet by teleconference on April 16, 2007, beginning at 1:00 p.m. The purpose of the teleconference is to consider an emergency petition submitted to the board regarding Upper Cook Inlet fishery management plans. Public Notice:.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e Teleconference agenda and Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Management Petition (PDF 3.2MB) are online at http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/uciissues.php Board may allow extended Inlet sockeye gillnetting FLEXIBILITY: If Kasilof and Kenai runs exceed goals, periods may be open longer. The state this month will consider letting the Cook Inlet fishing fleet keep its nets in the water longer if salmon runs look strong this summer to curtail the number of sockeyes that get into the Kenai and Kasilof rivers… http://www.adn.com/money/story/8761483p-8663110c.html 53. Comment deadline May 1 on ADFG saltwater sport logbook program The Department of Fish and Game proposes to adopt the following regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with sport fishing services and sport fishing guides reporting requirements…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e7 54. Homeland Security National Small Vessel Security Summit, June 19-20, Invitation Only This invitation-only event to be held June 19-20, 2007, will bring together a select group of small vessel maritime stakeholders and top Federal, State and local government officials to discuss concerns and issues posed by small vessels being used by terrorist in the maritime domain of the United States…
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/gc_11756279 55. AFSC Groundfish Survey Data – Interactive map online
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/RACE/groundfish/survey_data/ 56. NPFMC posts items from March/April Meeting. Socioeconomic Data Discussion paper 4/07:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/summary_reports/data Trawl LLP recency motion 4/07:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/motions GOA sector splits 4/07:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/motions GOA Groundfish motion 4/07:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/groundfish Crab 18 month review motion:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/crab/Crab NPFMC Home page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/ 57. NPFMC News and Notes Newsletter for April http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/newsletters/NEWS407.pdf 58. NOAA Marine Debris Report – March 2006 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback.htm 59. Comment Deadline April 27 on Groundfish Observer Program Proposed Rule
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