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UFA Update May 7, 2007
UFA Action Alert – Letters and calls needed to Senate Finance Committee to pass S. 552, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Tax Treatment Act. UF Action Alert & sample letter: http://www.ufa-fish.org/update/07/050507aa.htm
Do you know anyone who
lives in Montana? Senate Finance Committee chairman Baucus will care about
this if he hears from Montanans. How about WA, OR, IA, CO, and more… take a look at this Senate Resources committee list and contact friends and family to ask their Senators in these states to support S 552. Senate Finance Committee: http://www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/committee.htm
Contents: 1. MSC Alaska Salmon Recertified as 16 Units- comment By May 11 2. Processors ready for salmon, with notable exceptions 3. U.S. Senators Call for Worldwide Ban on Destructive Fishing Subsidies 4. Test finds trawl net upgrades reduce halibut bycatch 5. Kodiak Herring season heats up 6. NOAA moves into new Juneau research center 7. Fish Board says no to Cook Inlet Salmon changes (April 18) 8. Bristol Bay buys into fish processor 9. Bristol Bay oil and gas lease sale set for 2011 10. Federal legislation looks to prevent drilling in Bristol Bay 11. Rep. Woodie Salmon renews push for Interior ferry 12. Thirteen saved as Homer charter boat sinks after roll 13. Kodiak Nat’l Wildlife Refuge Plan and EIS - Record of Decision posted 14. Kodiak based Crewman's Association asks for share of crab quota 15. Federal fishery council leaves review of major merger to other agencies 16. Care About Wild Salmon's Future? Grab A Fork and Eat One! 17. ASMI "I Heart Salmon" - Opening of Alaska’s Wild Salmon Harvest Season 18. Creative Salmon Fish farm nets drown scores of sea lions off Vancouver Island 19. Defamed fish farm Creative Salmon awarded $89,000 vs. Don Staniford 20. Canada: Political Fish Farm recommendations will stifle BC Salmon Sector 21. Icicle Seafoods poised to start fish farming in Chile 22. Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Applauds Rep. Rahall's Commitment to Aquaculture 23. CAL: Sea ranches make waves 24. EU / Scotsman: How buyers of 'wild' fish were sold red herrings 25. Highliner Blog: Feds name longliners to be bought out 26. Congress looks at fishing deaths 27. Alaska chooses grizzly & salmon for state quarter 28. WA States' request to kill sea lions is controversial 29. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week 30. Comment Deadline May 11 on MSC sustainable recertification for Alaska Salmon 31. IPHC 2007 Halibut Landing report #1 32. Deadline May 21 on IPHC Vessel Bids for Juvenile Halibut Collection Charters 33. Deadline June 29 for IPHC Merit Scholarship 34. Federal Subsistence Board Kenai Peninsula Fishery Meets May 8-10, Anchorage; 35. Federal Subsistence Board upholds Kenai River subsistence decision 36. Federal Subsistence rural designations posted for Adak, Prudhoe Bay, Kodiak… 37. Coast Guard requests comments on HF radio WX – Comment deadline August 24 38. Coast Guard offers dock exams at Petersburg’s Little Norway festival May 14-20. 39. Coast Guard to enforce security zones around cruise ships and ferries 40. NMFS Reminds Fishing Vessel Owners and Operators of Permit Requirements 41. NPFMC Observer Advisory Committee (5/21-22), Ecosystem (5/21) & Crab Plan 42. NOAA Fisheries Service 2006 Business Report 43. Deadline June 4 for comments on NMFS BSAI salmon bycatch exemptions 44. Comment Deadline June 29 on BSAI Amendment 80 sideboards 45. Comment deadline May 29 on BSAI Non Pollock Groundfish CP buyback payment 46. Cook Inlet beluga subsistence hunt dropped for 2007 47. Cook Inlet Beluga ESA Threatened listing - Deadline June 19 for comments 48. House Res: “Endangered Species Act Implementation: Science or Politics?” 49. CA/OR/WA: EFH for West Coast States Pacific Salmon Fishery Management Plan 50. ADFG Proposed reg to allow more than one crew license per year –May 30 51. Comment deadline May 25 on NMFS & USCG authority to inspect sport logs, etc. 52. Comment deadline 6/8 on DEC Proposal Seafood Processing and Inspection changes 53. Deadline May 16 for USDA Rural Value-added grants 54. Deadline June 8 for Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG) 55. MMRC Steller Life in the Fasting Lane – the secret to surviving lean times? 56. Kodiak Nat’l Wildlife Refuge Plan and EIS - Record of Decision posted 57. EPA Proposed Rule on Emissions of Air Pollution from Locomotive & Marine Engines - Comment by July 2, 2007
1. MSC Alaska Salmon Recertified as 16 Units- comment By May 11 Advisory Notice:
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/Alaska_Salmon/DraftRpt_ Full Report – includes individual Alaska fisheries.
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/Alaska_Salmon/DraftRpt
See what this ten year old organization has to say about the sustainability of your salmon fishery… and let them know what you think about separating our fisheries in the recertification.
2. Processors ready for salmon, with notable exceptions ADN Highliner Blog Posted: April 26, 2007 - 9:08 pm The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today released its annual salmon processor capacity survey, and the news is mostly upbeat. The major processors say they generally can handle forecasted runs of sockeye, pink and other species of salmon due in from the ocean this summer to spawn. http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/107048
AK Journal of Commerce: Salmon processing should keep pace
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050607/hom_200705
ADFG Processor Capacity Survey online:
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/capacity/07
3. U.S. Senators Call for Worldwide Ban on Destructive Fishing Subsidies WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A bipartisan group of 13 United States Senators, led by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), introduced a resolution Thursday night calling for the United States to pursue an international ban on government subsidies to the fishing sector that are supporting the overfishing of the world's oceans. Earlier this week, the United States Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Peter Allgeier, presented an ambitious U.S. proposal that would broadly prohibit fisheries subsidies at WTO negotiations in Geneva including delegates representing the WTO's 150-member countries… The largest overall fishing subsidizers are Japan ($5.3 billion), the European Union ($3.3 billion), and China ($3.1 billion). The United States provides relatively few capacity-building subsidies to its domestic fishing industry, and continued subsidization by other governments to their commercial fleets put domestic fishermen at competitive disadvantage in their ability to fish and to sell their products on the international market. http://www.pr-inside.com/u-s-senators-call-for-worldwide-ban-r114592.htm
4. Test finds trawl net upgrades reduce halibut bycatch Recent testing of a
halibut excluder device on trawl nets fishing for Pacific cod in the Gulf of
Alaska points to a significant reduction of halibut bycatch. Halibut excluders are a
panel of slots in a trawl net designed to let halibut swim out. The test fishery was coordinated by the cooperative research program of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation (MCAF). Dr. Craig Rose of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fishery Science Center and Kodiak-area trawl fishermen participated in the project... http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4677
5. Kodiak Herring season heats up The Kodiak sac roe
herring fishery started slow, but has recently picked up, now that water
temperatures are up a few degrees, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
fisheries biologist Jeff Wadle said. “The fish we have been getting have been good fish,” he said “We’re getting some good roe percentages going into the plants.” The season opened April 15, with a total guideline harvest level of 4,000 tons. So far, approximately 1,000 tons have been harvested, Wadle said… http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4667
6. NOAA moves into new Juneau research center Building allows agency to
expand its scientific programs in the state National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration officials were handed the keys to their new $51 million
building at Lena Point this week and have begun moving in… Construction of the project, the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute at Lena Point, started in May 2005 and was slated for completion in December 2006. In October 2006, contractors told the Empire that construction was in its "final countdown."…
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/050307/loc_200705
7. Fish Board says no to Cook Inlet Salmon changes (April 18) Upper Cook Inlet
Management Plan won’t be modified prior to season The Upper Cook Inlet
Management Plan will not be changed prior to the start of the 2007 fishing
season, the Alaska Board of Fisheries decided Tuesday during a
teleconferenced meeting. The board met by phone to
discuss an emergency petition from four Upper Cook Inlet setnetters seeking
changes to the Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Management Plan (UCISMP). Robert
Williams, Jeffery Beaudoin, Brent Johnson and Herman Hermansen had asked the
board to clear up “apparent ambiguities” in management priorities by
adopting an emergency regulation making it clear that the primary objective
of management was achieving established escapement goals…
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/041807/news_04 Mat-Su Frontiersman:
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2007/04/17/news
8. Bristol Bay buys into fish processor Bristol Bay Economic
Development Corp. will buy a 50 percent share of Seattle-based fish
processor Ocean Beauty Seafoods Inc., the companies just announced. Neither company plans
major management changes, they said. Ocean Beauty will remain in its current
headquarters in Seattle, and all seven of its Alaska processing plants will
continue to operate as normal, the company said. "We have found the ideal company to invest in," said Robin Samuelson, Bristol Bay's chief executive. "Ocean Beauty's management group is strong, and they bring processing expertise and training that will allow us to expand opportunities for our residents…
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/88006
9. Bristol Bay oil and gas lease sale set for 2011 The Bush administration today scheduled an offshore oil and gas lease sale for 2011 in Bristol Bay, home of major salmon, crab and bottom fish harvests. The sale date appears to be a compromise from the administration’s original proposal last year, which called for two lease sales in 2010 and 2012. http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/107113
Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
MMS Press Release: http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2007/pressdoi0430.htm
The complete proposed program is online at http://www.mms.gov/5-year/
10. Federal legislation looks to prevent drilling in Bristol Bay Oil and gas officials, the environmental community and Alaska Native corporations are all weighing in on proposed federal legislation to permanently halt oil and gas leasing in Bristol Bay. The Bristol Bay Protection Act was introduced April 19 in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md. The measure comes in the face of mounting concern over the permitting of offshore oil and gas development in Bristol Bay…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/042907/hom_2007 & Groups seek halt to Shell drilling in Beaufort Sea
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/oil/story/8800604
11. Rep. Woodie Salmon renews push for Interior ferry Rep. Woodie Salmon of
Beaver got a chance last week to renew his push for ferry service in the
Interior… Jack Schultheis, of the Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association, told the committee by phone that transportation opportunities were “extremely limited” in the villages… http://newsminer.com/2007/05/03/6793
12. Thirteen saved as Homer charter boat sinks after roll The halibut fishing season in Homer started off with a bang Wednesday, when a charter boat tagging fish for the annual halibut derby capsized and sank in calm seas near Seldovia. All 13 people on the Halibut Endeavor for the day's Chamber of Commerce outing were rescued, though several had to be pulled from the water after the boat turned over. http://www.adn.com/outdoors/fishing/story/8828724p-8729526c.html
13. Kodiak Nat’l Wildlife Refuge Plan and EIS - Record of Decision posted Notice of availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. SUMMARY: This is a notice of availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Final CCP/EIS). The Refuge is located in the Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. The Final CCP/EIS included a thorough analysis of environmental, social, and economic considerations...
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
14. Kodiak based Crewman's Association asks for share of crab quota The Crewman's
Association, based in Kodiak, is asking the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council to reallocate to crewmen a percentage of individual fishing quotas
for crab. Shawn Dochtermann, a veteran commercial fisherman and secretary of the Crewmen's Association, made the proposal to the council April 2, at the conclusion of the council's April meeting. The council took no action on the proposal, but Dochtermann said he intends to pursue the matter with state and federal fisheries officials and others…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/041507/hom_2007
15. Federal fishery council leaves review of major merger to other agencies Federal fisheries
regulators have opted to let other federal agencies determine whether the
merger of two Japanese firms would create various forms of economic distress
in Alaska fisheries. The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council was asked April 2 in Anchorage to analyze impacts on
several communities, pricing and ownership caps on various privatized
fisheries that could come as a result of the forthcoming merger of Maruha
Group and Nichiro Corp. The council decided that some analysis to be done by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission would be sufficient, said Earl Krygier, an alternate on the council for Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd…
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/041507/hom_2007
16. Care About Wild Salmon's Future? Grab A Fork and Eat One! As the 2007 Pacific wild
salmon season gets underway, U.S. consumers who cherish the prized fish are
being urged by chefs and environmental groups to show support for their
favorite fish by eating more of it. A national campaign, led by renowned chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in San Francisco and backed by 200 chefs nationwide, calls on Congress to protect Pacific wild salmon habitats. A letter signed by the chefs will be presented to legislators at an event on May 8 in Washington, D.C., in honor of wild salmon… http://www.pr-inside.com/care-about-wild-salmon-s-future-grab-r112313.htm
17. ASMI "I Heart Salmon" - Opening of Alaska’s Wild Salmon Harvest Season 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. “This is an exciting time of year for Alaska as we anticipate the first salmon run of the summer. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is projecting the seventh strongest run on record this year. This is a real testament to Alaska’s successful sustainable fisheries management,” states Ray Riutta, Executive Director of ASMI…
http://www.alaskaseafood.org/about/pressreleases/I
18. Creative Salmon Fish farm nets drown scores of sea lions off Vancouver Island The nets of a salmon farm
ensnared and drowned 51 California sea lions earlier this month, more than
in all of 2006, a spokesman for the Vancouver Island fish-farm operator
says. Employees of Creative Salmon Co. Ltd. discovered the mass of dead animals April 12 while changing nets on the farm, located in Tofino Inlet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. "In 16 years of operation, we have never experienced anything like this," general manager Spencer Evans said. "It was very unfortunate."
The incident and other reported sea lion drownings have environmentalists calling for the farms to use closed-containment systems rather than open-ocean net cages to raise fish…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003
19. Defamed fish farm Creative Salmon awarded $89,000 vs. Don Staniford Judge rules that
environmentalist Don Staniford made malicious comments about Creative
Salmon… An international
environmental campaigner is being ordered to pay almost $90,000 in damages
and court costs after losing a defamation suit for malicious comments about
a British Columbia salmon farm. The B.C. Supreme Court
judgment against Don Staniford now includes $74,000 in costs awarded as a
result of a court hearing last week -- in addition to $10,000 in general
damages and $5,000 for aggravated damages that were awarded in January to
Creative Salmon. Staniford "was motivated by malice," in the view of B.C. Supreme Court Justice Laura Gerow, when he attempted in late 2004 to build public opposition to Creative Salmon -- portraying the company as deceitful and dishonest in two press releases written on behalf of environmental group Friends of Clayoquot Sound.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.
20. Canada: Political recommendations will stifle BC Salmon Sector – closed containment NDP members of the government’s Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture are ignoring input from coastal communities, First Nations and the aquaculture industry in their recommendations on the future of salmon farming in British Columbia.
The BC Salmon Farmers Association has learned that the NDP will present recommendations that will include a call for the $700 million a year salmon farming industry to move it's commercial operations onto closed containment systems within three years… http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/4211/political-recommendations-will-stifle-bc-salmon-sector
21. Icicle Seafoods poised to start fish farming in Chile In March, Icicle Seafoods
Inc. made an announcement that shocked some people: It was jumping into the
farmed salmon and trout business in Chile. "Boycott Icicle!" one guy wrote on an industry blog. "A major slap in the
face," wrote another, identifying himself as a former Alaska commercial
fisherman. Don Giles, Icicle's longtime president, expected some flak. But he also believes a less vocal majority understands why one of the largest processors of Alaska's wild salmon had to get into fish farming… http://www.adn.com/money/story/8838831p-8739485c.html
22. Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Applauds Congressman Rahall's Commitment to Aquaculture (EEZ Aquaculture bill introduced) PIE, W.VA. – U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez applauded the announcement today by Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV) that he would introduce a bill, at the request of the Administration to help establish an offshore aquaculture industry. The announcement came during a tour of the Mingo County Fish Hatchery in Pie, West Virginia, where the two discussed the Bush Administration’s efforts to expand the $1 billion U.S. industry into federal waters under the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007. NOAA Aquaculture home page: http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docaqua/frontpage.htm
23. CAL: Sea ranches make waves In San Diego, the
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute is pushing to become a leader in U.S.
aquaculture research. Yesterday, the institute's officials outlined their
case for expanding marine fish farming to the California Fish & Game
Commission. Don Kent, the director of
Hubbs, said decades of advancing the science behind aquaculture has left him
bullish about the U.S. industry's vast untapped potential. “If we're going to keep the ocean abundant, we have to start farming the sea the way we farm the land,” he said. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070504-9999-1m4aqua.html
24. EU / Scotsman: How buyers of 'wild' fish were sold red herrings One in ten fish on sale
in shops, including Sainsbury's, was incorrectly labelled as "wild"
according to tests by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The survey also found 15 per cent of retailers provided shoppers with no information - or incorrect details - about the origin of their fish. http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=689982007
25. Highliner Blog: Feds name longliners to be bought out The National Marine
Fisheries Service, in a notice published today in the Federal Register,
identified the three cod freezer longliners to be retired from fishing with
a $35 million federal loan to the fleet (The Highliner, April 10 and April
4). The boats are the Northern Aurora, the Horizon and the Western Queen. http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/107006
26. Congress looks at fishing deaths Fishing for a living can get you killed. Congress, the industry, the U.S. Coast Guard and many others have worked for decades to improve safety, and they’ve made a lot of progress. But the work continues. http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/106927
27. Alaska chooses grizzly & salmon for state quarter The mighty grizzly,
clutching a salmon in its jaws, beat out a sled-dog team, a polar bear and a
gold panner as the governor's design of choice for Alaska's state quarter. Gov. Sarah Palin unveiled a black-and-white sketch of the coin Monday at the Alaska Mint, a gift shop in downtown Anchorage. The image, chosen with the aid of public input, includes the saying "The Great Land," the North Star and spruce trees rooted above a small waterfall…
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003
28. WA States' request to kill sea lions is controversial For three years, the
California sea lions dining on endangered salmon below Bonneville Dam on the
Columbia River have been blasted with rubber buckshot, chased by boats,
harassed by firecrackers and rockets, and subjected to irritating noises
from underwater speakers… In the battle between sea lions and the thousands of salmon heading upstream to spawn, both sides have picked up important allies. Backers of the salmon include the three states, Indian tribes and four members of Congress. Backing the sea lions: the Humane Society of the United States.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003667174
29. Laine Welch's Fish Radio –Topics from this week Monday 5/7/07 AK 2007 salmon season 'officially' underway today Friday 5/4/07 Gov. Palin selects statewide Fisheries Coordinator Thursday 5/3/07 Proposed AK law would protect deckhands from unscrupulous skippers Wednesday 5/2/07 Lice resist pesticides in Chilean fish farms; B.C. net pens kill sea lions Tuesday 5/1/07 AK processors say they can handle increased salmon catch w/some exceptions Online at http://www.marineconservationalliance.org/fishradio.htm & also see Laine Welch's Fish Factor at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html
30. Comment Deadline May 11 on MSC sustainable recertification for Alaska Salmon In accordance with the assessment procedures required by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. (SCS) is posting the Draft Assessment Report for the Alaska Salmon Fisheries. The MSC requires this report is posted for a minimum of 30 days to allow any interested parties to comment to SCS. Comments will be accepted through 11 May 2007…
Advisory:
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/Alaska_Salmon/DraftRpt Draft report (252 ppg – has sections on individual fisheries)
http://www.msc.org/assets/docs/Alaska_Salmon/DraftRpt_
MSC AK Salmon home page: http://www.msc.org/html/content_485.htm
Let the Marine Stewardship Council know what you think of their dividing Alaska salmon into 16 separate units for sustainable certification
31. IPHC 2007 Halibut Landing report #1
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2007/nr
32. Deadline May 21 on IPHC Vessel Bids for Juvenile Halibut Collection Charters
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2007/nr2007
33. Deadline June 29 for IPHC Merit Scholarship
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2007/nr2007
34. Federal Subsistence Board Kenai Peninsula Fishery Meets May 8-10, Anchorage; The Board will also meet May 8-10 at the Coast International Inn, 3450 Aviation Drive, Anchorage, to consider changes to Federal subsistence fishing regulations on the Kenai Peninsula. In addition the Board will take action regarding the proper balance of subsistence, sport, and commercial representatives on the subsistence regional advisory councils. See May 8-10 notice at: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/deadline.cfm
Meeting materials are online at: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/fsb.cfm?bmm=1
35. Federal Subsistence Board upholds Kenai River subsistence decision The Federal Subsistence Board reconsidered, but did not reverse, its Nov. 17, 2006 decision to recognize the customary and traditional use of fish in the Kenai River by Ninilchik residents. The Board heard the State of Alaska's request for reconsideration on Wednesday, May 2. As a result, Ninilchik residents continue to be eligible to harvest fish under Federal subsistence regulations in Federal public waters of the Kenai River area… See May 3 Press release at FSB press site: http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/news.cfm?gnr=1
36. Federal Subsistence Nonrural & rural designations posted for Adak, Prudhoe Bay, Kodiak, Saxman… This rule revises the list of nonrural areas identified by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board, we, us). Only residents of areas identified as rural are eligible to participate in the Federal Subsistence Management Program on Federal public lands in Alaska. We are changing Adak's status to rural. We also are adding Prudhoe Bay to the list of nonrural areas. The following areas continue to be nonrural, but we are changing their boundaries: the Kenai Area; the Wasilla/Palmer Area, including Point McKenzie; the Homer Area, including Fritz Creek East (except Voznesenka) and the North Fork Road area; and the Ketchikan Area. We have also added Saxman to the Ketchikan nonrural area.…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
37. Coast Guard requests comments on HF radio WX – Comment deadline August 24 The US Coast Guard is
seeking public comment on the need to continue providing high frequency (HF)
radio broadcasts of weather forecasts and warnings. Public comment is
necessary in order to assess the demand for the HF radio broadcasts in each
of three forms: (1) radiofacsimile; (2) voice; and (3) simplex teletype over
radio (SITOR), also known as narrow band direct printing (NBDP). The
infrastructure necessary to provide these services has exceeded its useful
life expectancy; the equipment is no longer manufactured, repairs are
difficult to accomplish, and spare parts generally are not available.
Comments should be submitted by August 24. Complete information is in the
federal register notice below. Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ Marine Exchange of Alaska: http://www.mxak.org/default.cfm?res=617&id=186
38. Coast Guard offers dock exams at Petersburg’s Little Norway festival May 14-20. To All: Sector Juneau, will have a large presence and active schedule in PTSBG for the "Little Norway" Festival 14-20 May. Courtesy dockside exams will be conducted. The DC Trainer will be available for hands on DC training w/ mariners. An EPIRB testing station will be set up. Sector will also conduct UPV (6 pack Charters) safety exams as time allows. Contact Larry M. Snyder, Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety, Sector Juneau 907-463-2448.
39. Coast Guard to enforce security zones around cruise ships and ferries JUNEAU, Alaska - The
summer 2007 tourist season will start next week, with the arrival of this
year's first cruise ship. As in years past, the Coast Guard will be
enforcing the High Capacity Passenger Vessel (HCPV) and Alaska Marine
Highway System (AMHS) security zone. An HCP vessel is defined
as a passenger vessel over 100 feet in length that is authorized to carry
more than 500 passengers for hire. An AMHS vessel is defined as any vessel
owned or operated by the Alaska Marine Highway System. The security zone extends 100 yards around and under all escorted HCP and/or AMHS vessels during their transit in the navigable waters of Alaska. The security zone will only be in effect when there is a designated on scene representative present during the escort of the HCP or AMHS vessel… http://www.uscgalaska.com/go/doc/780/155668/
40. NMFS Reminds Fishing Vessel Owners and Operators of Federal Fisheries Permit Requirements The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reminds owners and operators of federal requirements for groundfish federal fishing permits under 50 CFR Part 679.4(b). If your vessel is used to fish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Alaska or the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area and is required to retain any groundfish caught in the EEZ, your vessel must have a federal fishing permit. If your vessel catches and retains any groundfish in the EEZ, you are fishing for groundfish and also must obtain a federal fisheries permit…
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/index/infobulletins/bulletin.
41. NPFMC Observer Advisory Committee (5/21-22), Ecosystem (5/21) & Crab Plan (5/22-24) Observer Advisory
Committee meeting Federal Register Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800
NPFMC committee meetings page: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/cmteemtg.htm
see Ecosystem Committee meets May 21 & Crab Plan Team meets May 22-24. Crab Agenda:
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/membership/plan_
42. NOAA Fisheries Service 2006 Business Report
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/PartnershipsCommunication
43. Deadline June 4 for comments on NMFS BSAI salmon bycatch exemptions NMFS proposes to amend regulations governing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of salmon bycatch measures by (1) exempting pollock vessels from Chinook and chum salmon savings area closures if they participate in an inter-cooperative agreement (ICA) to reduce salmon bycatch, and (2) exempting vessels participating in non-pollock trawl fisheries from chum salmon savings area closures because these fisheries intercept minimal amounts of salmon. The proposed rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).
DATES: Written comments must be received by June 4, 2007…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
44. Comment Deadline June 29 on BSAI Amendment 80 sideboards The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 80 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) to NMFS for review. If approved, Amendment 80 would allocate several Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) non-pollock trawl groundfish species among trawl fishing sectors, and facilitate the formation of harvesting cooperatives in the non-American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processor sector…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
45. Comment deadline May 29 on BSAI Non Pollock Groundfish CP buyback payment Fishing Capacity
Reduction Program for the Longline Catcher Processor Subsector of the Bering
Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Non-Pollock Groundfish Fishery Notice of BSAI
Non-Pollock Groundfish Longline Catcher Processor Subsector reduction
payment tender… The public has until May 29, 2007 to inform NMFS of any holding, owning, or retaining claims that conflict with the representations of offers as presented by the FLCC…
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
Previously posted 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
46. Cook Inlet beluga subsistence hunt dropped for 2007 Faced with a declining beluga whale population in Cook Inlet, Alaska Native hunters from the Native Village of Tyonek have agreed to step down from their subsistence hunt in 2007, NOAA Fisheries Service announced today. Hunters were to have taken two beluga whales this year… http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2007/beluga041607.htm
47. Cook Inlet Beluga ESA Threatened listing - Deadline June 19 for comments Based on the findings from the status review and consideration of the factors affecting this species, we have concluded the Cook Inlet beluga whale constitutes a distinct population segment (DPS) that is in danger of extinction throughout its range. Accordingly, we are now
issuing a proposed rule to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS as an
endangered species. We are soliciting information on issues relevant to the
listing of the Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS under the ESA. Although we are
not proposing to designate critical habitat at this time, we are also
soliciting information on essential physical and biological features of Cook
Inlet beluga whale habitat… Comments on this proposed rule must be received by close of business on June 19, 2007. Requests for public hearings must be made in writing by June 4, 2007.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
48. May 9 in House resources: “Endangered Species Act Implementation: Science or Politics?” House Resources Committee hearing May 9
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/hearings/hearingde
49. CA/OR/WA: EFH for
West Coast States Pacific Salmon Fishery Management Plan - Comment deadline
NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 14 to the Pacific Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Salmon FMP) to identify and describe essential fish habitat (EFH) for West Coast Pacific salmon…
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a070420c.html# Federal Register CORRECTION TO ABOVE – June 19 is deadline for comment:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/ &&& Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; 2007 Management Measures
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
50. ADFG Proposed reg to allow more than one crew license per year – comment by May 30 The Department of Fish
and Game proposes to adopt the following regulation changes in Title 5 of
the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with crew member fishing license
requirements, including the following: 5 AAC 39.110(b) which establishes that not more than one crew member fishing license may be obtained by a person during any one calendar year is proposed to be repealed. …comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. May 30, 2007.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156e
51. Comment deadline May 25 on NMFS & USCG authority to inspect sport logs, etc. The Department of Fish
and Game proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska
Administrative Code, dealing with sport fishing services and sport fishing
guide services, license requirements, regulations of activities, and
reporting requirements including the following: 5 AAC 75.075(c) is proposed to be changed to include law enforcement representatives of the National Marine Fisheries Service and representatives of United States Coast Guard as authorities to inspect required logbooks, identifications, licenses, permits, tags, stamps, and harvest records of sport fishing guides and their clients… comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. May 25, 2007…
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c156
52. Comment deadline June 8 on DEC Proposal Seafood Processing and Inspection changes The Department of
Environmental Conservation proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 18
of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with Seafood Processing and
Inspection, including the following: 18 AAC 34 is proposed to be changed as follows: DEC proposes to add new annual permit fee categories, include a new definition, and update the edition of a publication already adopted by reference. DEC also proposes other changes to correct typographical errors, clarify wording, and improve readability. …The comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 8, 2007.
http://notes5.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf/cc52605f7c15
53. Deadline May 16 for USDA Rural Value-added grants The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $19.3 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year (FY) 2007 to help independent agricultural producers enter into value-added activities.
expenses, but not for both. The maximum grant amount for a planning grant is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount for a working capital grant is $300,000.
…..Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than May 16, 2007, to be eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Rural Coops Value Added program home page http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm
Federal register notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800
54. Deadline June 8 for Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG) Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs are administered through USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of approximately $3.5 million in competitive grant funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2007 Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) Program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications for FY 2007 and award grants on or before September 14, 2007. The maximum award per grant is $200,000 and matching funds are required. Deadline June 8…
Rural Cooperative Development grants are made for establishing and operating centers for cooperative development for the primary purpose of improving the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives. The U.S. Department of Agriculture desires to encourage and stimulate the development of effective cooperative organizations in rural America as a part of its total package of rural development efforts… USDA Rural Cooperative Development home page http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rcdg/rcdg.htm
Federal register
Notice:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
Periodic fasting is a way of life for Steller sea lions. But when prey is scarce, a prolonged fast can be disastrous. Are sea lions better able to tolerate fasting at certain ages and specific times of year? A new study asks these questions and more.
http://www.marinemammal.org/2007/rea.php Marine Mammal Research Consortium: http://www.marinemammal.org/
Reposted:
57. EPA Proposed Rule on Emissions of Air Pollution from Locomotive & Marine Engines - Comment by July 2, 2007
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/
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