Email USAG for copies of JRPT Industry Consensus and the USAG/SEAS agreement on BOF Proposals
If you would like PDF copies of the following presentations made to the Gillnet Task Force on Dec 6, just let me know which ones:
Districts 6&8
District 11
District 15
Tree Point
McDonald Lake Sockeye Sampling
DIPAC
SSRAA
Escapement 2011
Home Shore
17th District Notice to Mariners (12/21)
2011 SSRAA In season Contributions As of Nov 1.
The FEDERAL SUBSISTENCE BOARD is ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS through February 18, 2012 to FILL SEATS ON THE 10 SUBSISTENCE REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS. Council membership appointments are for 1- to 3-year terms. The Councils meet at least twice a year and provide critical advice to the Federal Subsistence Board on subsistence management issues. Council meetings serve as a forum for regional public involvement in Federal subsistence management. Council members must be knowledgeable about the uses of fish and wildlife resources in their region. The application form and information about the application process and the Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils is available on the Federal Subsistence Management Program’s website at http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/rac.cfml. The application form and additional information is also available by contacting Tom Jennings at the Office of Subsistence Management at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3364.
MSC. Alaska Salmon – Announcement of intent to use the Default Assessment Tree with modifications (12/9). The certification body ,Intertek Moody marine,has announced its intention to use an amended default Assessment Tree (including Performance Indicators and Scoring Guideposts) for the second re-assessment of the Alaska Salmon fishery against the MSC Principles and Criteria. Such modifications are proposed in order to allow for the special characteristics of the fishery including the enhancement activities of salmon fisheries.
The Default Assessment Tree is defined in the Annex CB of the MSC certification requirements, available for download here. Any persons wishing to comment on these proposed modifications to the default Assessment Tree are invited to contact Dr. Rob Blyth-Skyrme by 5pm GMT, 8 January 2012 . Call for comment on the proposed Modifications to the Default Assessment Tree (PDF, 1487 kb)
MSC. Alaska salmon – Site visit scheduled (12/20). The certification body, Intertek Moody Marine, has announced that the Alaska Salmon fishery is now entering the information gathering phase of the second re- assessment. The primary objective of this stage is to collect information on the fishery and in particular to speak to representatives of the fishery, fishery management bodies and other stakeholders of the fishery. Meetings will be carried out over the period 23 – 27 January 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Any stakeholder with information on this fishery that should be considered in the assessment, or who wishes to meet with Intertek Moody Marine should contact Dr Rob Blyth-Skyrme, no later than 16 January 2012. Download the full announcement (PDF, 33.6 kb)
How Does Mercury Get Into Fish? (12/19). Listen to audio | Download audio (4:20)
The impact of more and more mercury entering the eco-system of Alaska has prompted many scientists and researchers to look at its impact and potential negative effects. KDLG’s Mike Mason listened into a recent presentation held in Dillingham that shed some light on the subject.
Salmon virus in B.C. for decades, say biologists (12/15). Department of Fisheries (DFO) biologists have told a federal inquiry that fish samples, dating back more than two decades have tested positive for a virus potentially lethal to wild sockeye salmon — but that fact wasn’t publicly reported.
Dr. Kristi Miller, the head of molecular genetics for DFO in Nanaimo, told the Cohen Commission on Thursday that frozen samples dating back to 1986 have been tested, and show infectious salmon anemia (ISA) has been in B.C. waters for at least 25 years.
The public inquiry into the decline of the Fraser River sockeye salmon stocks was extended for three extra days after ISA was detected in wild B.C. salmon two months ago by Simon Fraser University Prof. Rick Routledge. More
Intensive probe to test nearly 8,000 B.C. salmon for disease (12/20). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to test nearly 8,000 wild and farmed salmon over the next two years to find out if three potentially deadly fish diseases are present in British Columbia waters.
The project is an intensive investigation aimed at detecting any signs on the West Coast of infectious salmon anemia, infectious pancreatic necrosis or infectious hematopoietic necrosis. More
State says new coastal program will be costlier than before (12/20). The Parnell administration is saying that a resurrected Coastal Management program would cost the state many millions more than the program the Legislature let die last June.
The federal government largely funded the previous program as it operated in Alaska for decades, but state officials say that would not happen with the new program.
Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, questioned the numbers but said it was still a good deal for the state.
“The program is a bargain at just about any price because of the power it brings the state,” she said. More
Japan tsunami debris expected on Alaska shores soon (12/18). Debris from the March 11 Japan tsunami has reached Washington state and British Columbia. According to predictions from a leading oceanographer, Alaskans can expect to see flotsam — perhaps tons of it — washing up on coastal beaches soon.
On Tuesday, a black float about the size of a 55-gallon drum was displayed in Port Angeles, Wash., on the Olympic Peninsula where it had been found a few miles east of Neah Bay. ~~~~~
No tsunami-related debris has been reported in Alaska, according to the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies in Homer and the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation in Juneau. But that may speak more to the absence of observers than to the oceanographer’s predictions. “We have not seen anything as of yet,” said Dave Gaudet with the Marine Conservation Alliance on Friday. “But of course our weather, being what it is, people really aren’t out there looking. December is not prime beachcombing time in Southeast Alaska.” The panhandle has been plagued with a lot of storms this fall, he said. The area around Craig, on Prince of Wales Island 500 miles north of Tofino, is a likely candidate for the first landfall in Alaska. But Gaudet said he had been in touch with parties in Craig who told him bad weather was making it impractical to scout around the sprawling and sparsely inhabited island. More
USCG Safety Alert. Listen & Live / Develop & Follow Smart Safety Procedures (12/14).
Possible New Training Requirements for Commercial Fishermen (12/13). Listen to audio | Download audio (6:38). Many stakeholders in the commercial fishing industry in Alaska are anxiously waiting for the details about new safety requirements for fishing vessels that will go into effect in the next few years. KDLG’s Mike Mason has this story about some of the new training requirements that might apply to commercial fishermen.
Report says sea otters hitting dive fisheries hard (12/6). The Allen Marine catamaran St. Tatiana heads along the outer coast south of Sitka near the end of this year’s tour season. It’s on one of the company’s Sea Otter Quests, and it’s having some success.
Several dozen cruise-ship tourists watch from an open deck as otters swim, dive, roll and float on their backs.
“You saw a few of them have their hind feet out of the water. That’s because there’s not so much fur around there so they don’t want to lose that heat through their body to the water because they don’t have a lot of fur around their feet,” says Naturalist Ryan Dunn.
He goes on to explain that otters have incredibly thick fur instead of blubber. Their pelts are valuable, and they were hunted to near-extinction by the early 1900s.
Otters were reintroduced to Southeast in the 1960s, and for decades, they were a rare sight. But recently, their population has boomed, mostly along the outer coast and in southern Southeast.
That means the voracious eaters are consuming more and more sea cucumbers, sea urchins and the giant clam called geoducks. More KFSK
Gillnetters/Trollers get another chance at Stikine Kings (12/13). Gillnetters will be allowed to target Stikine River chinook again this spring in the Petersburg-Wrangell area for the first time in three years. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced their Stikine Forecast Friday afternoon. KFSK Audio
Governor Parnell’s Proposed FY2013 ADFG Budget
ASMI Weekly marketing Update (12/12).
Tastiest Catch – Alaskan Fisherwoman’s New Salmon Cookbook Will Get You Hooked (11/30). For LaDonna Gundersen, author of Salmon Desserts & Friends (paperback, 135 pages, $18.95), catching, cooking and eating salmon is her passion. A California girl, she got hooked on Alaska, fishing and husband Ole (not necessarily in that order!) more than twenty years ago and has never looked back. As chief deck hand and galley cook on the LaDonna Rose, their 32-foot commercial fishing vessel based in Ketchikan, Alaska, she’s responsible for all their meals. These are often prepared on the fly, on a rocking and rolling boat, in a tiny 4×7 foot galley (kitchen). Yet she refuses to stock the galley with ‘heat and eat’ pre-prepared foods and instead has become adept at serving up scrumptious, inventive, quick and easy-to-prepare salmon dishes. During the summer season, Ole and LaDonna eat salmon five times a week, sometimes twice a day. These meals form the basis for the newly released Salmon, Desserts & Friends. The pages of the cookbook are filled with creative yet simple recipes fit for land and sea. The book is accompanied by gorgeous photos taken by Ole of the dishes, Alaskan scenery and the commercial fishing lifestyle. More
Alaska Seafood Promotions Fan Out Over Seattle, Anchorage and Juneau (12/14). Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is moving forward with plans for the Great Alaska Seafood Cook Off, to be held May 14 in Anchorage. Also on ASMI’s agenda in December was a fish taco photo shoot in Seattle, using recipes provided by the Alaska Seafood Chef Alliance and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Fenigar of Bravo’s Top Chef, the Food Network’s Two Hot Tamales, and the owners of Border Grill restaurants. ASMI officals said the recipes feature Alaska black cod, cod, halibut, salmon, crab and Pollock. The images and recipes produced at Seattle’s Iridio Studios will be used to promote Alaska fish tacos during Leten and Cinco deMayo holiday promotions. ASMI’s food service division also shot 60 new photos featuring all five species of Alaska salmon, featuring raw portions, pan-seared, grilled and teamed/poaches cooking methods. More
Gov. Criticizes Genetically Engineered Salmon (12/15). Governor Sean Parnell again expressed his strong concerns regarding AquaBounty’s application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market genetically engineered salmon. This fish would be the first food from a transgenic animal application approved by the FDA.
The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard held a hearing today on the environmental risks of genetically engineered fish. In a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee, the governor outlined numerous potential threats genetically engineered seafood pose.
“Due to the significant potential threats genetically engineered salmon pose to the environment, consumer health, and the wild seafood industry, we have urged the United States Food and Drug Administration to withhold approval of this application,” Governor Parnell wrote. “Furthermore, we question whether the application has received sufficient scientific and public scrutiny, and are troubled by the lack of transparency that has marked the review process.”
Governor Parnell’s letter will be included in the official record for the hearing. Link/Letter
Hokkaido fall chum salmon set net fishery enters MSC full assessment (12/16). THE Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (hereafter Hokkaido Gyoren) has entered its Kitami Hokkaido fall chum salmon set net fishery for MSC assessment. It is the fifth Japanese fishery to enter the MSC assessment process, following the Japanese scallop fisheries (represented by the same Hokkaido Gyoren), and the successful certification of the three Japanese fisheries: Kyoto Danish Seine Fishery Federation snow crab and flathead flounder, and the Tosakatsuo Suisan skipjack tuna fishery.
The fishery will be assessed by independent certifier, Scientific Certification Systems, against the MSC standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries. The MSC standard examines the sustainability of the fish stock, the environmental impact of fishing activities and the management and governance systems that are in place. If the fishery is successful, its products will be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel.
Hokkaido fisheries catch around 31 per cent of the Japanese national catch. Fall chum salmon account for about 10 per cent of the Hokkaido catch, and are the main salmon species harvested in Japan. Fall chum salmon, called “Akisake”or “Akiaji” return to their river of birth after moving from the North Pacific, Okhotsk, Alaska Bay to the Bering Sea, They grow to approximately 70 centimeters and 2 – 6 kilograms. More
Alaska Sea Grant. Fuel-Saving Measures for Fishing Industry Vessels. This bulletin summarizes methods for reducing fuel consumption and saving money, based on published studies and experiences of commercial fishing vessel operators. On the fuel saving checklist are slowing down, keeping the bottom smooth and clean, reducing weight, watching the exhaust, checking propeller and steering, using Internet and AIS to monitor conditions, minimizing travel, keeping boat records, and working with wind, tides, and currents. Combining these small changes can result in significant improvement in fuel efficiency. Order online or download PDF.
Calendar
2012
Jan 21. SSRAA Board, Ketchikan
Jan 24. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Sitka
Feb 4. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Petersburg
Feb 7-8. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Petersburg
Feb 9-10. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Petersburg
Feb 9. Comment deadline for SE finfish BOF proposals
Feb 13-14. Young Fishermen’s Summit, Juneau
Feb 15-17. UFA Board Meeting, JACC, Juneau
Feb 15. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Juneau
Feb 15-17. UFA Board Meeting, Juneau
Feb 23. AMSEA F/V Drill Instructor Course, Sitka
Feb 24-Mar 4. BOF. Southeast and Yakutat Finfish (including salmon, herring, and groundfish), Ketchikan Proposals (PDF 740 kB) Corrections