From the Executive Director:
Greetings UFA members and friends! As the busy summer fishing season winds down, we hope that you can take a few minutes to take a survey regarding the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). Please read the note below to see how you can help ASMI meet its mission of increasing the economic value of Alaska seafood.
Greetings UFA Members,
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) wants to hear from Alaska’s commercial fishermen. ASMI’s mission is to increase the value of Alaska seafood and is supported by an industry-paid assessment, as well as other matching funds. Please click on the link below and take a few minutes to fill out the brief survey:
http://goo.gl/forms/anZfNWeYKa
If you’d rather complete the survey over the phone, please email your contact information and a convenient time to seafood@mcdowellgroup.net. A surveyor from McDowell Group, an Alaska-based research and consulting firm, will call you to complete the survey.
-forwards from Andy Wink, McDowell Group Senior Seafood Analyst
UFA has a new update delivery service! In order to continue to receive UFA updates in the future, please add both ufa@ufa-fish.org and jcurry@ufa-fish.org to your “approved/safe sender” list.
Stay tuned: the September UFA update will include a salmon season summary!
United Fishermen of Alaska is the statewide commercial fishing trade association, representing 35 Alaska commercial fishing organizations participating in fisheries throughout the state and its offshore federal waters. – End —
Join UFA or renew your dues online HERE
Thank you to our UFA members and friends! As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or issues you would like to discuss.
Julianne Curry, Executive Director
& Mark Vinsel, Executive Administrator
United Fishermen of Alaska
Cell: 907.957.4747
Office: 907.586.2820
www.ufafish.org *NEW*
jcurry@ufa-fish.org
Thanks to rejoining business member– Kwik’Pak Fisheries
Congrats to Taku River Reds featured in Great American Seafood Cookoff winner #40 & see Nakeen Homepack featured in item #40 below…
Help support Alaska’s #1 private sector employer and protect your fishing business by joining UFA today! Visit ‘Become a Member’ on our website to see the various membership levels and benefits. UFA members receive free subscriptions to National Fisherman and Pacific Fishing.
ufa mission
To promote and protect the common interest of Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, as a vital component of Alaska’s social and economic well-being.
UFA Fish Calendar: https://www.ufafish.org/calendar/
Salmon harvest information:
For up to date salmon harvest information by district, see the ADF&G “Blue Sheet” at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyfisherysalmon.bluesheet
Contents:
Statewide
1. State certifies signatures for Alaska setnet ban ballot initiative
2. Op-Ed: Time for Kenai River guides to look in the mirror
3. Declining Kenai king projection triggers commercial sockeye restrictions
4. Pending decisions may change face of Alaska fishing forever
5. Chum Salmon Flood Western Alaska Waters as Buyers Struggle to Keep Up
6. With Crab and Salmon Booming, NSEDC Board Considers Residency Requirements for Commercial Salmon
7. Prince William Sound humpy harvest to rival 2013 record
8. Alaska salmon season may finish a bit short of forecast (and more salmon news…)
9. The Alaska Board of Fisheries extends call for proposals for state waters pollock
10. BOF Agenda Change Requests deadline August 21
11. Governor Walker and Lt. Governor Mallott newsletter for Alaskans.
12. Reward increases for information on Steller sea lions killed – CDFU ups the reward
13. Comment deadline September 15 on eLandings requirement for certain buyers
14. Commercial Fishery Entry Commission to meet August 24
15. Deadline Sept 4 for comments on 2015 Alaska Wildlife Plan Draft for Public and Agency Review
16. Applications open for CFAB Director Governor’s Appointment seat
National
17. Nomination period extended for U.S. seats on International Pacific Halibut Commission Deadline September 18…
18. Comment deadline September 11 on IUU Task Force Draft Principles
19. Huge economic impact of illegally-caught Russian crab revealed
20. Comment period extended on ESA petition regulations – deadline Sept. 18
21. NPFMC Electronic Monitoring Workgroup teleconference meeting Sept. 8
22. Comment deadline November 9 on MMPA Fish Import provisions
23. NOAA Stock Assessment Prioritization – Final Report Released
24. Comment deadline October 14 on USCG Waterway Suitability Assessment for Liquefied Natural Gas Facility; Nikiski, Alaska
25. Comment deadline August 28 on GOA Groundfish Trawl fisheries EIS / Proposed Rule
26. NMFS posts BSAI Crab Rationalization cost recovery fee for 2015/2016 – 1.48 percent
27. Trawl shutdown leads NFMS to allocate extra Chinook bycatch
28. Humpback re-sighting record coincides with debate over delisting
29. NMFS issues Authorizations for SURTASS LFA towed sonar arrays in NW Pacific
30. Search for Rare and Critically Endangered North Pacific Right Whale Begins
31. USCG effective date on Vessel Requirements for Notices of Arrival and Departure & AIS
32. NOAA posts Marine Mammal Stock Assessment reports & Response to Comments
33. Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee to meet Sept 15 & 16 in Seattle
34. Making the Seas Safer for Fishermen
Marketing
35.USDA pledges to purchase up to $30 million worth of surplus Alaska canned sockeye salmon
36. Maruha Nichiro takes Q1 hit from low Alaska salmon prices
37. Bristol Bay Sockeye salmon price disappointing
38. PSPA, ASPA sign agreement to transfer MSC certificate for Alaska salmon
39. Nakeen Homepack: Processing Salmon With A Little TLC
40. Alaskan wins Great American Seafood Cook-Off in Louisiana
41. Alaska Seafood Marketing Update – August 2015
42. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Job Postings: Executive Director, Technical & Admin
43. Applications open for three ASMI Board processor seats
44. Alaska. Seafood is a Product of its Environment – Video by Abundant Oceans
Fish Farm & Environmental
45. Mount Polley to re-open after last year’s disaster
46. Tribes, public work toward unified voice on transboundary mines
47. Chefs, activists shed light on Stikine, Taku rivers’ future
48. Mine misgivings: proposed mines near southeast Alaska raise concerns
49. Mallott: US-Canada Commission Won’t Take Up BC Mines
50. New Study Indicates Increasing Mine Waste Disasters Worldwide
51. Pebble seeks ex-EPA scientist it says colluded with anti-mine groups
52. 9th Circuit Court Reinstates Roadless Rule for Tongass
53. Susitna-Watana studies resume after spending freeze lifted
54. Chuitna salmon far more valuable than Chuitna coal; kill PacRim’s plan
55. The Animas River spill and the myth of mine safety
56. Newly formed Alaska Conservation Trust pushes for more resource extraction
57. Neurotoxin in giant algal bloom has Alaska researchers on alert
58. AquaBounty reporting net losses for first half of 2015
59. Murkowski’s “Frankenfish” Labeling Provision Passes Committee
60. Congress is having a messy food fight over GMO labeling
61. With barge arrival in Seattle, 2011 tsunami debris nears journey’s end
62. Can Alaska’s commercial fishing vessels adopt electric power, too?
Aquaculture
63. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Produces Salmon and Protects the Resource
64. Comment deadline October 2 on ESA Experimental Population regulations
Subsistence
65. Point & Counterpoint on Native Land Trusts…
66. Comment deadline September 2 on USFWS draft Native American policy
67. Harvest sacrifice helps Yukon kings meet escapement goals
68. Beluga whales spotted 550 miles up Yukon River in Interior Alaska
69. Deadline September 4 for AK National Parks Subsistence Resource Commission nominations
70. Comment on proposed information collection – community harvest assessments for Alaskan National Parks and Preserves.
71. Amendment of Chitina Subdistrict Federal Subsistence Fishing Schedule Announced
72. Federal Subsistence Fisheries Update for the Week of July 19-July 25, 2015
Other
73. Alaska Mental Health Land Trust 2015 Fall Land Sale – bid deadline October 23
74. Fishlines – the Alaska Sea Grant newsletter for July2015
75. AMSEA Free Ergonomics Training: Reduce Injury, Increase Productivity
76. Laine Welch’s Fish Radio – Recent Items
77. Live to be Salty program promotes PFD use – free posters & priceless info
Inclusion of an item does not mean that UFA endorses or agrees.
Statewide
1. State certifies signatures for Alaska setnet ban ballot initiative
Suzanna Caldwell, August 5, 2015
A ballot measure that would ban commercial setnets in urban areas of Alaska had its signatures approved by the state Tuesday.
In a press release, the Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance announced the certification Wednesday. Of the 43,000 signatures the group collected, just under 36,000 were deemed valid — well over the 28,545 required.
The initiative would likely be on the 2016 August primary ballot, though it’s far from settled. Oral arguments in an appeal of a judge’s decision to let the initiative head to the ballot are scheduled for the end of August. Opponents of the ballot measure argue the initiative amounts to an allocation of resources, which state law prohibits voters from doing. An Anchorage Superior Court judge rejected that argument, saying the initiative addresses a gear ban, not an allocation.
While the initiative would outlaw commercial setnetting in five urban areas of the state, it’s targeted at Cook Inlet setnetters and the king salmon they catch, which are coveted by sportfishermen.
Supporters of the initiative have noted the Legislature could also move to adopt the measure during its regular session at the beginning of next year.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150805/state-certifies-signatures-alaska-setnet-ban-ballot-initiative
&&&
Setnet Ban Initiative to Appear Before Supreme Court
http://radiokenai.net/setnet-ban-initiative-to-appear-before-supreme-court/
To follow the AFCA appeal case, see http://www.appellate.courts.state.ak.us/main.asp and enter Appellate Case Number: S15662
&&&
History Repeats
As we noted here in December of 2013, a group of sport fishermen in Alaska are tired of sharing the fish with the rest of the state. The latest volley in the war on commercial fishing takes the form of an initiative filed by Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance, Inc. (AFCA) to forbid shore gillnets or setnets in Alaska.
By Chris Philips, Managing Editor, Fishermen’s News
&&&
Urban setnet initiative won’t tangle up rural Alaska or subsistence rights
ADN Commentary by Derek Leichliter, July 12, 2015
2. Op-Ed: Time for Kenai River guides to look in the mirror
Posted: July 27, 2015 – Kenai Peninsula Clarion, By Greg Brush, Soldotna
Saturday, I witnessed something disturbing and disgusting.
The night before, the managers of our resources announced they would liberalize the Kenai River king salmon sport fishery by lifting the restriction that bans scent and bait…
The sport anglers and river guides I spoke to the night before the bait opener confessed to be pretty disappointed with this move. Many were against it all together, knowing that success rates would soar and harvest numbers would skyrocket with the combination of bait and ideal water conditions that we are presently experiencing.
Yet early Saturday morning, while standing on a gravel bar flipping for sockeye with my clients near river mile fifteen of the mighty Kenai River, I witnessed the greediest, most short-sided behavior I have ever seen, as river boat after river boat drifted by, net in the air and rod deeply bent. I watched with sadness as king after king was scooped, bonked, and tossed into the fish box as if it were just another abundant food-fish of never ending numbers…
I saw very little, if any, self-control or discipline for anglers to release their catch. No vision of the future. No concern for our kids or our grandkids, and no leadership or “higher standard” by said Professional Guides…
And today, after 26 years of full-time guiding in Soldotna, I am ashamed to call myself a Kenai River guide.
&&&
Decision to harvest Kenai River Kings astounding
Posted: August 3, 2015 by Leon Deboard (Kenai Peninsula Clarion)
&&&
Use of bait a setback for king salmon recovery
Posted: July 29, 2015 By Bud Crawford (Kenai Peninsula Clarion)
This is no time for bait on the Kenai River…
3. Declining Kenai king projection triggers commercial sockeye restrictions
By DJ Summers, Alaska Journal of Commerce (August 6)
A declining kings salmon escapement projection on the Kenai River has restricted the commercial sockeye fishery to 36 hours until the Aug. 15 end of the season, 12 of which will be used today in a regularly-scheduled fishing period…
4. Pending decisions may change face of Alaska fishing forever
By Laine Welch
Two hearings this month could change the face of Alaska’s salmon fisheries forever.
On Aug. 21, the Department of Natural Resources will hear both sides on competing claims to water rights for salmon streams at Upper Cook Inlet’s Chuitna River or for a proposed coal mine. If the department opts for the mine, the decision would establish a state precedent, according to critics.
Following the water rights hearing will be oral arguments before the Alaska Supreme Court on Aug. 26 on the setnet ban proposed for Cook Inlet and five other “urban, nonsubsistence” Alaska regions.
At issue is whether removing setnetters is a resource allocation measure, which some say cannot be determined by voters under Alaska’s Constitution. The court decision will determine if the question can be put before voters in the primary election next August.
The ban is being pushed and bankrolled by the Kenai-based sports fishing group Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance, which claims the issue is not allocative and targets a single gear group. The alliance insists salmon setnets indiscriminately kill other species.
ADN: http://www.adn.com/article/20150807/pending-decisions-may-change-face-alaska-fishing-forever
5. Chum Salmon Flood Western Alaska Waters as Buyers Struggle to Keep Up
By Emily Russell, KNOM – Nome | July 22, 2015
Western Alaska is in midst of one of the best salmon runs in decades, and that means both subsistence and commercial fishermen in waters around Norton Sound and Kotzebue are catching record numbers of chum…
“We’d forecasted a commercial harvest of 70-100,000 [of chum] and we’re going to blow right through that” said Jim Menard, the Arctic Area Manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The latest numbers point to Norton Sound passing 120,000 chums, the best harvest since 1986…
6. With Crab and Salmon Booming, NSEDC Board Considers Residency Requirements for Commercial Salmon
It’s been a good summer for commercial fishing in the Norton Sound—and at the latest meeting of the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation Board, a strong crab and an ongoing salmon season means it’s not over.
“We paid out over $2,047,000 to our local crab fleet, which is just amazing,” said NSEDC Board chair Dan Harrelson of White Mountain.
The salmon, he stressed, are still running: so far this year fishermen in Golovin, Elim, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, and Unalakleet have racked up over $650,000. Silvers are just starting their run, as well, with Unalakleet fishermen delivering about 20,000 cohos as of last week.
Harreslon said it’s an opportunity for people in communities throughout the region. “We’ve had residents come from White Mountain and some of the non-fishing communities come in and work at the fish plant in Nome, or even travel to Unalakleet and work at the fish plant in Unalakleet. So there’s a definite economic opportunity for folks from Nome and the surrounding villages to work in our various fish plants and as well work on some of the vessels on some of our tenders that we have that are moving the salmon and crab throughout the region.”
The NSEDC board’s meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5, was held in the organization’s brand-new boardroom—a glass-lined space overlooking the Snake River, with Anvil Mountain and the White Alice Towers visible in the distance. And looking far afield of Norton Sound’s powerhouse summer season, the board also heard from its for-profit subsidiary, Siu Alaska. Siu president and CEO Cora Campbell, who took over the company in February, said, beyond fish, the exciting news for Siu is cod liver. A new plant in Dutch Harbor is gearing up to turn the livers of the prized whitefish into health supplements…
7. Prince William Sound humpy harvest to rival 2013 record
By DJ Summers, Alaska Journal of Commerce, August 12. 2015
Prince William Sound is on track to net the second-largest salmon harvest in history, following a record harvest in 2013.
The Prince William Sound commercial pink salmon harvest has surpassed the historical record for this time in the season, with just more than 72 million fish harvested as of Aug. 12, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game assistant area biologist Tommy Sheridan.
8. Alaska salmon season may finish a bit short of forecast (and more salmon news…)
Laine Welch, Alaska Dispatch News, August 15, 2015
Alaska’s salmon season has seen ups and downs, but it will be a stretch for the total catch to reach the forecasted 221 million fish.
“It just depends on how these late-returning pink salmon at Prince William Sound performs, and whether or not pinks pick up at Southeast. It’s possible, but we would still have to harvest around 30 million more salmon,” mused Forrest Bowers, deputy director of the state’s Commercial Fisheries Division.
One of the biggest stories of the season, of course, was the surprising double run of sockeye salmon (reds) to Bristol Bay. As soon as a disappointing first run petered out and the fishery was declared a bust, a surge of late reds caught everyone by surprise and pushed the catch to nearly 36 million fish.
&&&
Alaska salmon season yielding bumper harvest
http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/07/30/alaska-salmon-season-yielding-bumper-harvest/
&&&
2015 sockeye run produced underweight fish across state
http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/August-Issue-4-2015/2015-sockeye-run-produced-underweight-fish-across-state/
&&&
Yukon king run shows signs of recovery
9. The Alaska Board of Fisheries extends call for proposals for state waters pollock
The Alaska Board of Fisheries extended its call for 2015/2016 proposals for state-waters pollock proposals only
Proposal Deadline: 5:00 p.m. September 4, 2015.
- Online Proposal Submission Form
- Fill in, Print & Submit Proposal Form (Word doc 49 kB)
- E-mail Comments
Alaska Board of Fisheries Announces 2015-2016 Proposal Book (PDF 276 kB)
BOF main page with all this and more… http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.main
Online Public Notice: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177733
10. BOF Agenda Change Requests deadline August 21
The ACR deadline for 2015-2016 is August 21, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
Board of Fisheries home page: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.main
11. Governor Walker and Lt. Governor Mallott newsletter for Alaskans.
View the first edition of the newsletter at:
http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/email/20150804_weekly-newsletter.html
Newsletter home page and signup: http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/press-room/newsletters.html
Sign up to receive Governor Walker’s press releases:
http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/press-room/subscribe-to-press-releases.html
Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott press releases http://ltgov.alaska.gov/
&&&&
Governor Walker’s administration is calling on Alaskans to add their voice to Alaska’s budget/tax/spending conversation. View the short (1:30) video “Alaska’s Spending & Revenue Model” which explains Alaska’s current budget situation in an easy format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJIl4DWJr_I
Visit the website “Building a Sustainable Future: Conversations With Alaskans” http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/priorities/transition-2014/sustainable-future/the-conversation.html
12. Reward increases for information on Steller sea lions killed – CDFU ups the reward
Cordova District Fishermen United has upped the reward for information leading to a conviction
Cordova Times – July 9, 2015
Cordova District Fishermen United has upped the reward for information leading to a conviction in the case of several deliberately killed Steller sea lions discovered near Cordova last month. The group is adding $5,000 to the $2,500 reward already offered by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, bringing the total reward to $7,500.On June 1, NOAA Fisheries received a report of several dead marine mammals on a beach near Cordova, Alaska. With support from a District 17 US Coast Guard helicopter crew, NOAA biologists and law enforcement personnel were able to reach the remote site, where they examined several dead Steller sea lions with wounds indicating they had been intentionally killed…
http://www.thecordovatimes.com/article/1528reward-increases-for-information-on-steller
13. Comment deadline September 15 on eLandings requirement for certain buyers
The Department of Fish and Game proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with reporting requirements of fishermen, processors, buyers, exporters, and operators of certain commercial fishing vessels, including the following:
5 AAC 39.130. Reports required of fishermen, processors, buyers, exporters, and operators of certain commercial fishing vessels; transporting requirements is proposed to be changed to require that certain buyers and processors of fish submit fish ticket information through the eLandings Electronic Reporting System.
The comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15, 2015…
Online public notice: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177736
From attachment: “This will affect any operation, by processor code, which has submitted 2,000 salmon fish tickets or bought over 20 million pounds of salmon in any of the previous three years (2012, 2013, or 2014) and for all groundfish delivered to a tender. ADF&G estimates that approximately 55 operations may fall into this threshold. Many of these operations already use the eLandings system for all of their IFQ, salmon, and groundfish reporting…
2015_07_27 Amendment to 5 AAC 39130 FAQs.pdf:
https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/Attachment.aspx?id=100579
14. Commercial Fishery Entry Commission to meet August 24
Notice of Proposed Changes in Regulations and of a Public Meeting (CFEC)
The Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 20, Chapter 05 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with miscellaneous regulations, including the following:
The Commission proposes to:
Amend 20 AAC 05.245(c-e), 20 AAC 05.250(b), and 20 AAC 05.1910(h) to update the references to the federal guidelines used to determine eligibility for reduced permit fees;
Amend 20 AAC 05.425(c) to allow a fee refund when an erroneously purchased interim-use permit has been replaced with the correct permit; and
Amend 20 AAC 05.1946(b) to allow a permit holder to emergency transfer a second salmon permit when they show an intent to permanently transfer the permit that cannot presently be fulfilled in spite of substantial, good faith efforts to do so…
Online public notice: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177576
CFEC home page: http://www.cfec.state.ak.us/
15. Deadline Sept 4 for comments on 2015 Alaska Wildlife Plan Draft for Public and Agency Review
The draft 2015 revision of Alaska’s Wildlife Action Plan is now available for public and agency review
The purpose of this plan is to identify species of greatest conservation need in Alaska, describe their distribution and habitat use, identify key threats to these species, and finally, identify conservation actions that might be used to ensure healthy populations into the future. This revised action plan will guide conservation work by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game over the next 10 years, and hopefully, inform the conservation work of other agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public.
Comments on the Preliminary Plan Draft will be accepted through Friday, September 4, 2015. Send them by email to: dfg.swapinput@alaska.gov. The Final State Wildlife Action Plan will be published and submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on September 30.
Draft plan: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/species/wildlife_action_plan/draft_alaska_wildlife_action_plan_2015.pdf
Draft Alaska Wildlife Plan home page: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=species.wap2015revision
16. Applications open for CFAB Director Governor’s Appointment seat
Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank (CFAB) Board of Directors
The Office of Boards and Commissions is accepting applications for the Governor’s Appointment seat on the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank Board of Directors. Please submit your application online at:
http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/services/boards-commissions/apply-info.html
or email your resume to: boards@alaska.gov
Online public notice (8/12/15):
https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177895
CFAB home page: http://www.cfabalaska.com/
National
17. Nomination period extended for U.S. seats on International Pacific Halibut Commission
Deadline September 18…
NOAA Fisheries is extending the nomination period for candidates to fill two U.S. Commissioner seats on the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Terms for the current commissioners expire on December 31, 2015.
In May 2015, NOAA Fisheries publicly solicited nominations for two presidential appointments to serve as U.S. Commissioners to the IPHC. The nomination process yielded two names for the two expiring seats, both re-nominations of the current commissioners. U.S. Commissioners to the IPHC are appointed for a term not to exceed 2 years, and are eligible for reappointment.
While this recent solicitation of nominations resulted in two strong candidates, NOAA Fisheries is seeking a greater number of nominations from which to propose two candidates for appointment by the President. The lack of a larger candidate pool impacts the ability of the recommending officials to propose Alternate Commissioners. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, may designate Alternate U.S. Commissioners to serve in the absence of duly appointed U.S. Commissioners.
Through this announcement, NOAA extends the original public solicitation period for nominations from the original deadline of June 4, 2015, until September 18, 2015.
For nomination information see NOAA press release at:
http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2015/iphc-ext081815.htm
Federal Register 8/19/15: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20440
IPHC home page: http://www.iphc.int/
18. Comment deadline September 11 on IUU Task Force Draft Principles
The National Ocean Council Committee on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud (NOC Committee) is seeking public input on draft principles for determining seafood species at risk of IUU fishing and seafood fraud (“at risk”) and a draft list of “at risk” species developed using the draft principles…
Comments must be received by September 2, 2015…(See below for extension to September 11)
Draft list of species at risk include King Crab, Pacific cod, Sea Cucumber, Shrimp, and other species…
Federal Register 8/3/15: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-18945
IUU Taskforce home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/iuu/taskforce.html
&&&&&&&&&
…The deadline for written comments on the notice published on August 3, 2015 (80 FR 45955) is extended from September 2, 2015, to September 11, 2015.
Federal Register 8/19/15: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20434
19. Huge economic impact of illegally-caught Russian crab revealed
A report recently released by Frequentz and the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers reveals that an estimated USD 600 million has been lost in US tax revenue and commercial fishing profits since 2000 as a result of competition with illegal Russian crab entering the US market.
The document highlights the importance of the Bering Sea Alaskan king crab fishery to the US economy: in 2013 US landings of king crab were more than 15.4 million pounds valued at over USD 82.9 million (National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries of the US 2013)…
Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers: www.alaskaberingseacrabbers.org
20. Comment period extended on ESA petition regulations – deadline Sept. 18
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, propose changes to the regulations concerning petitions, to improve the content and specificity of petitions and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the petitions process to support species conservation. Our proposed revisions to the regulations would clarify and enhance the procedures by which the Services will evaluate petitions under section 4(b)(3) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. These revisions would also maximize the efficiency with which the Services process petitions, making the best use of available resources…
We will accept comments from all interested parties until September 18, 2015.
Regulations.gov docket: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0016-0030
Federal Register notice (7/17 comment extension): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-17580
Federal Register notice (5/21 original) https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-12316
21. NPFMC Electronic Monitoring Workgroup teleconference meeting Sept. 8
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Electronic Monitoring Workgroup (EMWG) will meet by teleconference September 8, 2015…from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m…
The meeting will be held telephonically at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252. Please call (907) 271-2896.
NPFMC home page: http://www.npfmc.org/
22. Comment deadline November 9 on MMPA Fish Import provisions
NOAA Issues Proposed Rule to Protect Marine Mammals in International Fisheries
NOAA undertakes efforts domestically and internationally to identify and promote best practices to reduce marine mammal bycatch.
On August 10, 2015, NOAA issued a proposed rule designed to implement aspects of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) that aims to reduce marine mammal bycatch associated with foreign commercial fishing operations.
The rule, under the MMPA, aims to level the playing field for American fishermen who comply with U.S. marine mammal conservation standards, and is intended to help foreign fisheries support a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem.
Under the proposed rule, nations exporting fish and fish products to the U.S. would be required to demonstrate that killing or serious injury of marine mammals incidental to their fishing activities do not occur in excess of U.S. standards.
“This rule proposes a system that would lead many foreign nations to improve their fishing practices to protect marine mammals,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Those changes to current practice across the world will mark one of the most significant steps in the global conservation of marine mammals in decades, and could save substantial numbers of these vulnerable animals from injury and death, while at the same time leveling the playing field for U.S. fishermen.”…
NOAA page:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/slider_stories/2015/08/mmpa_import_rule.html
Federal Register notice (8/11): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-19231
Regulations.gov docket: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2010-0098
23. NOAA Stock Assessment Prioritization – Final Report Released
(August 5, 2015) NOAA Fisheries is announcing the release of a new stock assessment prioritization system. Detailed in the final report “Prioritizing Fish Stock Assessments”, this transparent and objective prioritization system will help guide regional planning decisions for upcoming stock assessment cycles and will help managers make the best use of data and resources to manage stocks.
NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the Councils and Commissions, manages approximately 500 fish stocks. Resources available to assess these stocks are limited. This system relies on regional expertise from scientists and managers as well as quantitative data on each stock, much of which is already available in national/regional databases. The initial draft was released in 2014 for comment. A number of comments were submitted over the 3-month comment period. These comments were used to modify and improve the initial prioritization process.
We continue to look for ways to strengthen and streamline the fishery management process while using the best available science to manage fisheries in the United States. We look forward to working with you to build on our efforts to further strengthen the sustainability of U.S. fisheries.
A copy of the report and additional supporting information are available online through the Office of Science and Technology:
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/stock-assessment/stock-assessment-prioritization .
24. Comment deadline October 14 on USCG Waterway Suitability Assessment for Liquefied Natural Gas Facility; Nikiski, Alaska
Notice and Request For Comments.
Summary: The Coast Guard, at Sector Anchorage, announces receipt of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) for a proposed project to construct a Marine Terminal as part of a Liquefaction Facility in Nikiski, Alaska, to export liquefied natural gas (LNG). The LOI and WSA were submitted by ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC on behalf of the Alaska LNG Project, the participants in which are Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, BP Alaska LNG LLC, ConocoPhillips Alaska LNG Company, ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC, and TransCanada Alaska Midstream LP. The Coast Guard is notifying the public of this action to solicit public comments on the proposed construction of the Marine Terminal…
Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before October 14, 2015…
Federal Register notice (July 16): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-17461
25. Comment deadline August 28 on GOA Groundfish Trawl fisheries EIS / Proposed Rule
Notice; Intent To Prepare An Environmental Impact Statement; Request For Written Comments.
Summary: NMFS, in consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a new management program for trawl groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The proposed action would create a new management program that would allocate allowable harvest to individuals, cooperatives, and other entities that participate in GOA trawl groundfish fisheries. The proposed action is intended to improve stock conservation by imposing accountability measures for utilizing target, incidental, and prohibited species catch, creating incentives to eliminate wasteful fishing practices, providing mechanisms for participants to control and reduce bycatch in the trawl groundfish fisheries, and to improve safety of life at sea and operational efficiencies. The EIS will analyze the impacts to the human environment resulting from the proposed trawl bycatch management program. NMFS will accept written comments from the public to identify the issues of concern and assist the Council in determining the appropriate range of management alternatives for the EIS…
Written comments will be accepted through August 28, 2015…
Regulations.gov docket: www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0150
Federal Register notice: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-17191
26. NMFS posts BSAI Crab Rationalization cost recovery fee for 2015/2016 – 1.48 percent
NMFS publishes notification of a 1.48 percent fee for cost recovery under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program. This action is intended to provide holders of crab allocations with the fee percentage for the 2015/2016 crab fishing year so they can calculate the required payment for cost recovery fees that must be submitted by July 31, 2016…
Federal Register notice (7/20): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-17639
NOAA Fisheries BSAI Crab Rationalization page: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/crab/crfaq.htm
27. Trawl shutdown leads NFMS to allocate extra Chinook bycatch
By DJ Summers, Alaska Journal of Commerce (August 12)
The National Marine Fisheries Service has allocated an additional 1,600 chinook salmon to be used as bycatch for the Gulf of Alaska non-pollock, non-rockfish groundfish trawl fleet.
The year-round Gulf of Alaska non-pollock, non-rockfish fishery had to shut down on May 2, having exceeded its allocation of 2,700 chinook salmon bycatch. Somewhere between 13,000 to 15,000 metric tons of groundfish would have been left in the water in the second part of the season, approximately $4.6 million in ex-vessel value and $11.3 million in first wholesale value.
The closure caused great concern for the fishermen and trawlers in Kodiak. The Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association, Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, and the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative requested emergency action from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which passed the emergency order at its June meeting in Sitka during staff tasking.
&&&
NOAA press release 8/7/15: Emergency Rule to go into effect for trawl sector of Gulf of Alaska fisheries
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2015/chinook-psc080715.htm
& Federal Register notice – comment by Sept. 9.
Summary: This emergency rule establishes a 1,600 Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) limit for the Western and Central Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Non-Rockfish Program trawl catcher vessel sector (Non-Rockfish Program CV Sector) that is immediately available for use by the sector until the limit is reached or December 31, 2015…
Dates: The amendments to § 679.21(i)(2)(iii) and (i)(7)(i) are effective August 10, 2015. The amendment to § 679.21(i)(8) is effective August 10, 2015, through December 31, 2015. Comments must be received by September 9, 2015
Federal Register August 10: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-19428
28. Humpback re-sighting record coincides with debate over delisting
Joe Sykes, KFSK Petersburg
Whale researchers in Southeast Alaska have broken the record for the longest re-sighting of a humpback whale.
44 years ago, the first sighting of a humpback known as Old Timer coincided with both the end of commercial whaling and the establishment of the endangered species act. Joe Sykes reports on how the whale’s re-sighting on July 12th in the waters outside Petersburg interacts with a fierce debate within the conservation community over the future status of these mighty marine mammals…
http://www.kfsk.org/2015/08/04/humpback-resighting-record-coincides-with-debate-over-delisting/
29. NMFS issues Authorizations for SURTASS LFA towed sonar arrays in NW Pacific
In accordance with regulations issued under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended, we hereby give notification that we, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), have issued four 1-year Letters of Authorization (Authorizations) to the U.S. Navy (Navy) to take marine mammals by harassment incidental to their military readiness activities associated with the routine training, testing, and military operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) sonar within the northwest Pacific Ocean and the north-central Pacific Ocean…
Federal Register (August 12): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-19769
SURTASS LFA Sonar page at Discovery of Sound in the Sea: http://www.dosits.org/technology/locatingobjectsusingsonar/surveillancetowedarraysensorsystemlowfrequencyactivesurtasslfasonar/
30. Search for Rare and Critically Endangered North Pacific Right Whale Begins
First Dedicated Survey in Gulf of Alaska in More than a Decade…
A team of NOAA Fisheries scientists set out on a month-long research survey onboard the NOAA ship Reuben Lasker to try to locate the rare North Pacific right whale, possibly the most endangered marine mammal to visit U.S. waters.
Today, only an estimated 30 North Pacific right whales remain, the legacy of extensive historical whaling in the 19th century, and large illegal catches by the former Soviet Union, which further devastated the population in the 1960s. Scientists hope to collect information on the few remaining animals to inform strategies on how best to help these animals recover…
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/news/right_whale_cruise.htm
31. USCG effective date on Vessel Requirements for Notices of Arrival and Departure & AIS
Sets Effective Date 8/20/2015 for final rule posted January 2015.
Affects commercial fishing vessels over 300 gross tons…
Federal Register Notice (8/20 effective date): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20607
Federal Register notice (1/30/15 final rule): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-01331
Regulations.gov docket: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=USCG-2005-21869
32. NOAA posts Marine Mammal Stock Assessment reports & Response to Comments
As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has incorporated public comments into revisions of the 2014 marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs)…
Federal Register notice (August 20, 2015): https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20502
NOAA MMPA home page: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/
33. Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee to meet Sept 15 & 16 in Seattle
The Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee will meet in Seattle, Washington to discuss various issues relating to safety in the commercial fishing industry. This meeting will be open to the public…
The Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, 2015, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The meeting may close early if all business is finished…
To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment on the issues to be considered by the Committee as listed in the “Agenda” section below. Written comments must be submitted no later than September 4, 2015 if you want Committee members to be able to review your comments before the meeting. Comments must be identified by docket number USCG-2015-0673, and submitted by one of the following methods…
Topics on the agenda include the status of regulatory projects, safety and survival equipment, and classification of fishing vessels.
For agenda details and how to comment see Federal Register notice 8/14/1 at: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20010
Regulations.gov docket page: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=USCG-2015-0673-0001
USCG Fishsafe.info home page: http://www.fishsafe.info/
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association: http://www.amsea.org/
34. Making the Seas Safer for Fishermen
Implementation of a 2010 law that updates standards has lagged…
Willem Marx, Bloomberg Businessweek
…Commercial fishing has for decades been among the most dangerous professions in America. The most recently available figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2013, show fishermen were about 36 times more likely to die on the job than the average worker. Yet government efforts to address the safety problems have been slow. “The administration and Congress haven’t done their job,” says J.J. Bartlett, president of the Fishing Partnership, an advocacy group representing commercial fishermen. “It’s meant that fishermen are dying unnecessarily.”
After Congress passed the 2010 Coast Guard Authorization Act, which updated fishing industry safety standards for the first time since 1988, activists like Bartlett were grateful their concerns were being taken seriously: Life rafts would be improved, safety training would become mandatory for fishing captains, and new boats would be built to standards set and verified by independent third parties called “class societies.”
But almost five years after the law’s passage, the Coast Guard has yet to translate many of its requirements into enforceable rules…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-30/commercial-fishermen-still-face-safety-problems
&&& another perspective:
“Deadliest catch”? Not even in the top three
Cod, scallop & Dungeness fisheries have Bering Sea crabbing beat as far as risk — but they’re all getting safer… by Nick Rahaim, Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/15/deadliest_catch_not_even_in_the_top_three/
Marketing
35. USDA pledges to purchase up to $30 million worth of surplus Alaska canned sockeye salmon
ASMI calls it “a win for sockeye producers and harvesters”
Juneau, AK (August 11, 2015) —Surpluses produced by large Alaska sockeye salmon harvests will be eased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who recently announced existing federal funds will be used to buy up to $30 million worth of surplus Alaska canned sockeye salmon for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
USDA made the announcement at the urging of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, and collaborated with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to facilitate the purchase. Alaska canned salmon will be distributed to food banks and pantries around the country, resulting in millions of meals for hungry Americans. The canned salmon will be purchased with funds raised by import tariffs, not taxpayer dollars.
“We’re really happy with USDA’s decision to purchase surplus Alaska salmon for America’s food banks,” said ASMI’s interim executive director Ray Riutta. “It’s a nutritious and shelf-stable product that we want more Americans to explore and enjoy. This also benefits the commercial salmon fishing industry in Alaska. These fishermen have experienced large sockeye harvests in back-to-back years and badly need to clear surplus inventory of canned sockeye salmon. ”…
36. Maruha Nichiro takes Q1 hit from low Alaska salmon prices
Tom Seaman, Undercurrent News, August 4, 2015, 10:12 am
Japan-based seafood giant Maruha Nichiro has reported a drop in Q1 operating earnings on higher sales, partly as a result of the impact of low wild salmon prices in Alaska…
Despite an increase in surimi prices and “satisfactory” sales of seafood in Europe, the “low market for canned and frozen salmon remained”, said Maruha Nichiro.
In North America, Maruha Nichiro owns companies such as salmon and whitefish processor Peter Pan Seafoods, surimi supplier Trans-Ocean Products, and Westward Seafoods…
37. Bristol Bay Sockeye salmon price disappointing
By LAINE WELCH, Fish Factor, July 25, 2015
(SitNews) – Shock and dismay were heard from Bristol Bay fishermen when they finally got word last week that major buyers would pay 50 cents a pound for their sockeye salmon. That’s a throwback to the dock prices paid from 2002 through 2004, and compares to $1.20 advanced last year ($1.33 on average after price adjustments)…
http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/072515_fish_factor.html
38. PSPA, ASPA sign agreement to transfer MSC certificate for Alaska salmon
July 21, 2015, 6:24 pm, Undercurrent News
The Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA) and the Alaska Salmon Processors Association (ASPA), two non-profit seafood industry trade associations, announced Tuesday they have mutually agreed to transfer the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certificate for Alaska salmon from ASPA to PSPA.
This will make the certificate available to all interested Alaska salmon producing companies beginning in 2016, but they remain unable to access the certificate for this year’s catch.
http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/07/21/breaking-16-11/
39. Nakeen Homepack: Processing Salmon With A Little TLC
KDLG by Hannah Colton – July 8, 2015
Many fishermen in Bristol Bay dream of packing and selling their own fish, but challenges. One four-year-old startup in Naknek shows how those challenges can be overcome with some grit, humor, and attention to detail…
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/07/08/nakeen-homepack-processing-salmon-with-a-little-tlc/
40. Alaskan wins Great American Seafood Cook-Off in Louisiana
By Shannon Kemp, KTVA Anchorage, August 8, 2015
For the first time in the cooking competition’s history, an Alaskan has taken the first place prize in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off (GASCO) in New Orleans.
Chef Beau Schooler, of Juneau, won the competition Saturday with a sockeye salmon dish.
“It feels pretty good though to represent Alaska that well,” Schooler said in a post-win interview. “We did a nose-to-tail Sockeye Salmon dish, so we utilized all the parts of the fish — the fish scrap, the filet, crispy skin, crispy collar, we made salt out of the bones.”
Schooler was one of 12 chefs nominated to represent coastal states — with the exception of Oklahoma — by their governors. Each chef was challenged to prepare a dish consisting of seafood from their home state for a panel of six judges.
http://www.ktva.com/alaskan-wins-great-american-seafood-cook-off-in-louisiana-482/
&&&
Rookery’s Beau Schooler wins national seafood competition
…Schooler and sous-chef Travis Hotch brought sockeye salmon from Juneau company Taku River Reds to the competition…
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/08/13/rookerys-beau-schooler-wins-national-seafood-competition/
Great American Seafood Cookoff news page: http://www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com/news
Taku River Reds: http://www.takurr.net/
41. Alaska Seafood Marketing Update – August 2015
Contents include:
- Alaskan Chefs Win Great American Seafood Cook Off!
- ASMI Hosts Media Tours Across Southeast Alaska
- ASMI Hosts Culinary Retreat
- USDA pledges to purchase up to $30 million worth of Alaska canned sockeye salmon
- Alaska Cod Fishery Completes 2nd Alaska RFM Annual Audit
- ASMI Sponsors NACUFS National Convention
- Denny’s Japan Serving Alaska Keta Salmon
- Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Seeks Executive Director and Seafood Technical Program Director
Online at:
http://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=bcd6d5bec392f12ce703f7e00&id=7a98f7fbd4
42. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Job Postings: Executive Director, Technical & Admin
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), DCCED, State of Alaska is seeking candidates for an Executive Director. The Executive Director is in charge of all ASMI programs and staff and reports to the ASMI Board of Directors. The ideal candidate for this position will have strong management skills and experience running successful result oriented programs and organizations. This position is located in Juneau AK. Job posting closes September 3, 2015 at 3:00 PM AKST…
A detailed position description and associated information can be accessed at:
http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Executive-Director-recruitment.pdf
&&&&&&&&&
SEAFOOD TECHNICAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), DCCED, State of Alaska is seeking candidates for a Seafood Technical Program Director. This position is a part of the core leadership team and supports all ASMI programs in matters of seafood science, safety, quality, and sustainability certification. This position is located in Juneau AK. Job posting closes August 28, 2015 at 3:00 PM AKST.
A detailed position description and associated information can be accessed at:
http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Technical-Director-recruitment.pdf
&&&&&&&&&&
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), DCCED, State of Alaska is seeking candidates for an Administrative Specialist. This position is an integral part of the fiscal team and duties include processing accounts payable and issuing procurement documents. A detailed position description and associated information can be found at http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Technical-Director-recruitment.pdf . This position is located in Juneau, Alaska and closes August 24, 2015 at 3:00 PM AKST.
ASMI Careers page:
http://pressroom.alaskaseafood.org/career/
ASMI home page: http://www.alaskaseafood.org
43. Applications open for three ASMI Board processor seats
The Office of Boards and Commissions is accepting applications for three Large Processor seats on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Board of Directors. Please submit your application online…
Online Public Notice: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177875
44. Alaska. Seafood is a Product of its Environment – Video by Abundant Oceans
Online Video by Abundant Oceans on the Responsible Fisheries Management program…
Fish Farm and Environmental
45. Mount Polley to re-open after last year’s disaster
By Mary Catharine Martin, Juneau Empire, July 10, 2015
Two British Canadian ministries announced Thursday that they are allowing Imperial Metals Corporation to re-open Mount Polley mine after last August’s tailings dam failure, which released billions of gallons of toxic tailings and contaminated water into the Quesnel Lake watershed.
Juneau Empire: http://juneauempire.com/outdoors/2015-07-10/mount-polley-re-open-after-last-years-disaster
46. Tribes, public work toward unified voice on transboundary mines
In two days of transboundary mine meetings, Alaskans air concerns, talk solutions
August 7, 2015 By Mary Catharine Martin, Juneau Empire
During two days of public meetings this week, Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott committed to having tribal and public voices contribute to ongoing state-level discussion about transboundary mines — British Columbian mines in watersheds that begin in B.C. and flow into Alaska. He also told Alaskans concerned about the mines’ potential pollution — among them fishermen, elected representatives and Alaska Native leaders — that he is listening to their concerns, but that the involvement of the International Joint Commission under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, which many of those concerned say is the best course of action, would only come with a unified voice…
United Fishermen of Alaska at-large board member Lindsey Bloom told Mallott at the Thursday meeting she’s looking “for something a lot more concrete” — signed agreements, assurances the mines are adhering to “the highest possible standards,” and a course of action should fishermen be impacted.
“Everything that you have articulated is what we will seek,” Mallott told her, adding that the state will be “as responsibly aggressive as is appropriate … in order to advance Alaska’s interest to the best degree possible.”
http://juneauempire.com/local/2015-08-07/tribes-public-work-toward-unified-voice
47. Chefs, activists shed light on Stikine, Taku rivers’ future
San Francisco Chronicle, August 9, 2015
Concern for the future of clean water in Southeast Alaska brought together two seemingly unlikely groups – chefs and activists. Naturally, food was involved.
Salmon Beyond Borders, an organization that defends transboundary salmon rivers from mining effects, joined forces with the Rookery Café last week to welcome celebrity chefs from across the nation, the Juneau Empire reported on Friday. The goal for this two-night experience was to put local salmon in acclaimed hands, showcasing bounty from Alaska waters, while sharing stories of how such bounty can be lost forever when mining disasters strike…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Chefs-activists-shed-light-on-Stikine-Taku-6433591.php
48. Mine misgivings: proposed mines near southeast Alaska raise concerns
Alaska Dispatch News, August 16, 2015
Sitting portside on her family’s commercial fishing vessel, Heather Hardcastle peers through a thin layer of smoke as far as she can see up the Taku River Inlet. Behind her, sockeye, pink and chum salmon, plus an occasional coho, become trapped in the quarter-mile net trailing the stern…
Now with Mount Polley receiving a restricted permit on July 9 to reopen as another mine 80 miles from the border, Hardcastle’s angst continues.
“What’s it going to take for the U.S. and Canada to think this is important enough?” she says. “Another Mount Polley?”
49. Mallott: US-Canada Commission Won’t Take Up BC Mines
By Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau | July 24, 2015
Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, center, holds a press conference May 4 with B.C. Mines Minister Bill Bennett and Environment Minister Mary Polak. Bennett will meet on transboundary mine issues with officials in Juneau Aug. 22-24. (Photo courtesy B.C. government)
Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, center, holds a press conference May 4 with B.C. Mines Minister Bill Bennett and Environment Minister Mary Polak. Bennett will meet on transboundary mine issues with officials in Juneau Aug. 22-24. (Photo courtesy B.C. government)
Alaska critics of British Columbia mines probably won’t get any help from a cross-boundary panel they’ve asked to take on their concerns.
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/07/24/mallott-us-canada-commission-wont-take-up-bc-mines/
&&&&
Unified voice needed for federal response to B.C. mines
Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott says Alaskans need a unified voice to push the federal government to question mines across the border in British Columbia…
http://www.kcaw.org/2015/08/08/unified-voice-needed-for-federal-response-to-b-c-mines/
50. New Study Indicates Increasing Mine Waste Disasters Worldwide
– Industry’s Culture Too Complacent Around Environmental Failures…
Georgia Straight (BC), August 7, 2015
A new study reveals that catastrophic mine waste failures are increasing in frequency, severity, and costs all around the world.
The authors point toward poor regulations, poor practices, dicey mining economics, and ever larger mines as key factors behind those disasters.
This dangerous trend needs to stop.
The study by Lindsay Newland Bowker and David M. Chambers, The Risk, Public Liability & Economics of Tailings Storage Facility Failures, found that nearly half of all recorded “serious failures” happened in modern times, between 1990 and 2010. It calculated an average cost of US$543 million for the most serious spills, with some climbing well above US$1.3 billion.…
http://www.straight.com/news/504186/new-study-indicates-mine-waste-disasters-increasing-worldwide
51. Pebble seeks ex-EPA scientist it says colluded with anti-mine groups
Alex DeMarban, Alaska Dispatch News, August 17, 2015
The company hoping to develop the Pebble mining prospect near Bristol Bay wants a federal court to issue a subpoena for a former scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency who Pebble says fled the country to avoid answering allegations that he worked with mining opponents against the development.
The effort to bring Phil North back to the U.S. is part of Pebble Limited Partnership’s lawsuit that alleges the EPA colluded with anti-mine activists as it developed a watershed assessment saying a large open-pit mine could severely damage one of the world’s largest commercial salmon fisheries…
http://www.adn.com/article/20150817/pebble-seeks-ex-epa-scientist-it-says-colluded-anti-mine-groups
52. 9th Circuit Court Reinstates Roadless Rule for Tongass
By Mary Kauffman, July 29, 2015
(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down a Bush administration exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the “Roadless Rule,” a landmark conservation rule adopted in 2001 to protect nearly 60 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands from new road building and logging. In a 6-5 decision today, the court held the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture failed to provide a reasoned explanation for reversing course on the Tongass. It concluded the Roadless Rule “remains in effect and applies to the Tongass.”…
07/29/15 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT OPINION
http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2015/07/29/11-35517.pdf
Thanks to the SitNews for including the link to the decision.
SitNews story: http://www.sitnews.us/0715News/072915/072915_roadless.html
53. Susitna-Watana studies resume after spending freeze lifted
By Elwood Brehmer, Alaska Journal of Commerce, August 13
Work is resuming on the Susitna-Watana hydroelectric project under spending guidelines put in place by Gov. Bill Walker’s administration.
The overall cost for the proposed 705-foot dam in the upper reaches of the Susitna River has been pegged at $5.6 billion in 2014 dollars by the Alaska Energy Authority, or AEA.
AEA will need $105 million, maybe more, to get through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing process and to construction, authority Executive Director Sara Fisher-Goad said during an Aug. 6 board meeting. However, AEA only has the ability to spend the $6.6 million it has in the bank for the project through 2017…
54. Chuitna salmon far more valuable than Chuitna coal; kill PacRim’s plan
ADN Opinion by Judy Heilman, August 18, 2015
Late summer in Alaska is a wonderful time of year when we all work to fill our freezers and pantries to get ready for winter. We fish for and process salmon, pick berries, harvest and preserve our gardens, and get ready for the fall moose hunt.
Unfortunately, this summer my husband and I are once again busy defending the salmon streams and moose habitat we rely on when we should be out there collecting the bounty.
Instead of harvesting our gardens and picking the bountiful berries our state provides, we have to attend a Department of Natural Resources hearing to determine if Alaska should keep water in streams for salmon or give 100 percent of water in a stream to an Outside coal company to ship coal to Asia.
If this were just one hearing, I would completely understand. Alaskans should have healthy debates about the future of our state and about balancing resource development with natural resource protection. But it’s not the first hearing, or even the first summer; this is the eighth straight year that the state of Alaska has held residents of Beluga and Tyonek in a permitting purgatory, spending our time and money fighting to protect the salmon we rely on…
http://www.adn.com/article/20150818/chuitna-salmon-far-more-valuable-chuitna-coal-kill-pacrims-plan
Chuitna Coal project .com website: http://www.chuitnacoalproject.com/
DNR Large Mines Chuitna page: http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/largemine/chuitna/
Cook Inletkeeper Chuitna page: http://inletkeeper.org/energy-and-alaska/coal/chuitna-coal-strip-mine
55. The Animas River spill and the myth of mine safety
LA Times Op-Ed: By Joel R. Reynolds
The definition of a mine, said Mark Twain, is a hole in the ground owned by liars. And this month the industry’s biggest lie — that it can be trusted with our water — is once again on display as another mining disaster has spilled millions of gallons of toxic mining waste and chemicals into our streams, rivers and lakes.
On Aug. 5, at the abandoned Gold King mine in southwest Colorado, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cleanup team inadvertently unleashed into a tributary of the Animas River a 3-million-gallon soup of toxic mining wastewater. The accident has closed the Animas indefinitely and threatens drinking water supplies, the economy and wildlife in the region, into New Mexico and potentially all the way to Lake Powell…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0813-reynolds-mining-disaster-20150813-story.html
56. Newly formed Alaska Conservation Trust pushes for more resource extraction
Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Dispatch News, August 16, 2015
A newly formed nonprofit group called the Alaska Conservation Trust says it wants to boost the state’s resource extraction industry, and one of its leaders refers to the group as “the little guy” in a fight against environmentalists.
The name and mission might sound contradictory, but that’s only because the term conservation has been “hijacked” by the environmental movement, said Greg Bell, ACT’s president.
“Conservation doesn’t mean don’t touch anything,” Bell, who’s also the owner of Valley Sawmill, said in an interview. “It just means wise use of the land.”
Since its formation late last year, Bell’s group has filed a series of public comments on Shell’s Arctic drilling program and on proposed endangered species protections for humpback whales and yellow cedar trees…
ADN article 8/16:
57. Neurotoxin in giant algal bloom has Alaska researchers on alert
Alaska Dispatch News by Jeannette Lee Falsey – August 16, 2015
An enormous algal bloom containing domoic acid, a potentially fatal neurotoxin that shut down dungeness crab and razor clam fisheries in Washington state this summer, has spread to Alaska waters. But dozens of shellfish samples taken since the bloom appear to contain only trace amounts of the substance, state scientists said this week.
Shellfish that consume the algae appear to be unharmed by domoic acid, but in high enough concentrations the toxin causes a host of health problems in the mammals that eat them…
https://www.adn.com/article/20150816/neurotoxin-giant-algal-bloom-has-alaska-researchers-alert
58. AquaBounty reporting net losses for first half of 2015
By Dave Bendinger, KDLG – Dillingham, August 5, 2015
AquaBounty Technologies released a consolidated financial statement reporting a net loss of $3.5 million for the first half of 2015.
The company raised about $3 million dollars through sale of shares to its major investor, which will provide funding through early next year. The balance of cash on hand was reported to be $4.7 million. CEO Ron Stotish says they are spending heavily on marketing efforts and preparations for field trials of the product in foreign markets.
The biotech company has developed a genetically modified salmon that can be farmed to market size in half the time of conventional wild or farmed salmon. Aquabounty has applied for approval to market and sell the product, and believes it will receive FDA approval later this year.
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/08/05/aquabounty-reporting-net-losses-for-first-half-of-2015/
59. Murkowski’s “Frankenfish” Labeling Provision Passes Committee
Senator: People Should Know What They’re Eating
Senator Lisa Murkowski today successfully convinced her Senate Appropriations Committee colleagues to approve her amendment that would require the labeling of genetically-engineered (GE) salmon if approved for sale to consumers in the United States. This amendment was added to the FY16 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration spending bill which passed out of the full Senate Appropriations Committee, and heads to the Senate floor for a final vote…
Senator Murkowski press release:
60. Congress is having a messy food fight over GMO labeling
The debate over requiring GMO labels is scrambling partisan lines..
Unlike other issues such as gun control or universal healthcare that fall neatly into “Red” and “Blue” territories, the divisions over GMO labeling look a lot more like a bento box, especially if you broaden the lens…
“At the federal level it has become quite partisan. People pursuing federal legislation tend to be Republicans. In the states where there have been attempts at GMO labeling, it’s generally being pushed by Democrats,” says William Hallman, professor of human ecology in Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences…
Another wrinkle is the passage of a Senate-side amendment to label GMO salmon attached to a spending bill for the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration by Congresswoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)…
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9094579/the-gmo-labeling-debate-is-scrambling-partisan-lines
61. With barge arrival in Seattle, 2011 tsunami debris nears journey’s end
Originally published August 7, 2015
A barge carrying 1 million pounds of debris that washed up on Alaska and Canada coastlines — half of it from the 2011 Japan tsunami — signals a larger cleanup that needs to be done…
In total, the barge tied up at Waste Management’s Duwamish facility holds about 1 million pounds of trash, roughly half of which is debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami that found its way onto Alaskan and Canadian shores.
Despite its enormity, the trash represents less than 1 percent of the debris littering the Alaska coastline, said Chris Pallister, co-founder of Gulf of Alaska Keeper, a nonprofit that works to clean up the coastline there.
“It’s one of the greatest environmental tragedies on the planet right now,” Pallister said.
Alaska DEC Division of Environmental Health Tsunami & Marine Debris program home page:
http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/marine-debris/
Alaska Clean Harbors Derelict Vessels home page: http://alaskacleanharbors.org/resources/harbor-management/derelict-vessels/
62. Can Alaska’s commercial fishing vessels adopt electric power, too?
Laine Welch, July 31, 2015
The first seagoing electric-powered passenger vessel in the United States is set to launch next summer in Juneau.
The E/V Tongass Rain is a 50-foot catamaran that can accommodate 47 passengers, designed for eco-education and whale-watching tours. Its primary fuel source will be rain, delivered to the boat via Juneau’s hydroelectric power grid and stored in a bank of lithium batteries…
The products might be at hand, but the expertise to do electropower conversions for fishing boats is not…
“This first boat is a lot simpler — it’s a passenger boat and we know exactly how many miles they run out and back. Figuring out how much electricity they need is a lot easier than a fishing boat that you don’t know where they’re going, or how long they’ll be running. O’Brien said chillers and compressors for the fish hold are a big power draw, and the lithium batteries pose challenges…
http://www.adn.com/article/20150731/can-alaskas-commercial-fishing-vessels-adopt-electric-power-too
Aquaculture
63. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Produces Salmon and Protects the Resource
By Rick Smeriglio for Seward City News, August 13, 2015
Salmon occupy a central place near the very heart of coastal Alaskan identity. With numerous competing interests vying for their share of fish, the resource won’t sustain itself if left unattended. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association wants to keep the salmon coming. Gary Fandrei, executive director of CIAA spoke at a recent Seward Chamber of Commerce luncheon and outlined some of his organization’s activities.
CIAA runs four hatcheries that produce salmon smolts cultured from eggs and milt taken from several salmon runs around Cook Inlet. Fandrei said that the hatcheries release fish that become available to the common-property fishery. Anyone can catch them: not just commercial fishers who tax themselves two percent to help run the hatcheries. In 2014, Trail Lake Hatchery in Moose Pass released about 4.7 million sockeye and coho as smolts or fry into Seward-area waters. It released millions more into several lakes on the Kenai Peninsula…
http://sewardcitynews.com/2015/08/cook-inlet-aquaculture-produces-salmon-and-protects-the-resource/
64. Comment deadline October 2 on ESA Experimental Population regulations
Endangered and Threatened Species: Proposed Regulations for the Designation of Experimental Populations Under the Endangered Species Act
Proposed Rule And Request For Comments…
Summary
We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose regulations to amend the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to implement the Endangered Species Act (ESA) regarding experimental populations. The CFR would be amended to establish definitions and procedures for: establishing and/or designating certain populations of species otherwise listed as endangered or threatened as experimental populations; determining whether experimental populations are “essential” or “nonessential;” and promulgating appropriate protective measures for experimental populations. We seek public comment on this proposal…
..We have already designated three experimental populations of salmonids… We do not intend the proposed implementing regulations herein to require us to review or revise those designations…
To allow us adequate time to consider your comments on this proposed rule, they must be received no later than October 2, 2015…
Federal Register notice August 1: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-18894
Subsistence
65. Point counterpoint on Native Land Trusts…
My Turn: Decision time looms for Gov. Walker
By Suzanne Downing for the Juneau Empire, August 12
This month, Gov. Bill Walker will make one of the most important decisions of his term of office.
He’ll decide which door to pick: One will usher Alaska into the realm of Indian Country; the other will fight to protect Alaska’s sovereignty and deny more federal control of state land and resources.
Walker must choose whether to challenge the U.S. District Court decision in Akiachak Native Community v. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior. His decision could change Alaska forever.
http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2015-08-12/my-turn-decision-time-looms-gov-walker
&&&&
A truth-challenged view of land trust
By Richard Peterson, President, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
August 12, 2015 – Juneau Empire
I recently published an op-ed decrying the uninformed fear-mongering being smeared around Alaska by opponents of tribal trust land. Then I saw the blog posted by Suzanne Downing, the communications director for the Alaska Republican Party. To put it politely — her blog is truth-challenged.
First, what’s at stake is not “millions of acres.” A tribe may ask to have land placed in trust only if the tribe owns the land outright. It is sheer lunacy to think ANCSA corporations will sell off their land holdings to tribes. Tribes in Alaska have nowhere near enough money to buy thousands of acres, much less “millions.”
&&&
My Turn: Gov. Walker must boot the Boogie Man
By Richard Peterson, Posted: August 9, 2015
…It is now the state of Alaska’s turn to realize there is no Boogie Man in tribal trust land. It’s time to let go of this misplaced, uninformed and oppositional fear…
http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2015-08-09/my-turn-gov-walker-must-boot-boogie-man
66. Comment deadline September 2 on USFWS draft Native American policy
Notice Of Availability Of A Draft Policy For Public Notice And Comment.
Summary..
The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issues this draft Native American policy for public comment. The purpose of this policy is to further the United States’ trust responsibility to Indian tribes by establishing a framework on which to base our continued interactions with federally recognized tribes as well as interactions with Alaska Native Corporations. The policy recognizes the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes; states that the Service will work on a government-to-government basis with tribal governments; and includes guidance on co-management, access to and use of cultural resources, capacity development, law enforcement, and education…
The Service will accept public comment through September 2, 2015…
The draft Native American policy is available at http://www.fws.gov/policy/draft510fw1.pdf. The existing policy is available in the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual at http://www.fws.gov/policy/native-american-policy.pdf. To submit comments, please mail or email them to Scott Aikin..
USFWS Native American Program home page: http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/index.html
67. Harvest sacrifice helps Yukon kings meet escapement goals
By DJ Summers Alaska Journal of Commerce (August 6)
Tight subsistence restrictions have led to a glimmer of hope for Yukon River Chinook salmon, adding to the number of Alaska rivers seeing better king returns in 2015 than the last few years.
The chinook border passage more than meets the obligation for Canadian-spawned fish specified in the Pacific Salmon Treaty, though the final escapement won’t be known until December after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or ADFG, tallies harvest numbers. As of Aug. 2, the sonar/weir site at the Alaska-Canada border near Eagle has counted more than 75,000 chinooks crossing the border, far greater than the upper end of the escapement goal of 42,500 to 55,000.
This marks an improvement from the most recent five-year border passage average, which from 2010-2014 was 43,060 fish, which in turn yielded consistently bad turnouts for final escapement. The average escapement over the same time period was 40,600.
68. Beluga whales spotted 550 miles up Yukon River in Interior Alaska
Laurel Andrews, Alaska Dispatch News, August 17, 2015
A small pod of beluga whales was spotted Sunday morning by a group of people heading to Ruby on the Yukon River, hundreds of miles from the Bering Sea. ..
Lori Quakenbush, a biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said that the department gets reports of belugas traveling far upriver from time to time.
“We expect they’re just following pulses of salmon upstream,” Quakenbush said…
Story & video:
https://www.adn.com/article/20150817/beluga-whales-spotted-550-miles-yukon-river-interior-alaska
69. Deadline September 4 for AK National Parks Subsistence Resource Commission nominations
…The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking nominations for new members to represent subsistence users on the following Subsistence Resource Commissions (SRC): The Aniakchak National Monument SRC, the Cape Krusenstern National Monument SRC, the Denali National Park SRC, the Gates of the Arctic National Park SRC, the Kobuk Valley National Park SRC, and the Lake Clark National Park SRC…
Nominations must be postmarked by September 4, 2015.
70. Comment on proposed information collection – community harvest assessments for Alaskan National Parks and Preserves.
To ensure that your comments on this IC are considered, we must receive them on or before October 19, 2015…
Under the provisions of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), subsistence harvests by local rural residents are considered to be the priority consumptive use of park resources. Community harvest assessments will support the NPS management priorities at GAAR, WRST, YUCH, WEAR, and ANIA that address consumptive use of park resources by NPS-qualified subsistence users. The information will be used by the NPS, the Federal Subsistence Board, the State of Alaska, and local/regional advisory councils in making recommendations and making decisions regarding the management of fish, wildlife, and plants in the region (e.g., seasons, harvest limits, and which communities have customarily and traditionally used various resources). The survey will document subsistence activities over the past year (January through December) for each sampled household. The head of household will be asked to respond for each household…
Federal Register 8/18/15: https://federalregister.gov/a/2015-20404
71. Amendment of Chitina Subdistrict Federal Subsistence Fishing Schedule Announced
Copper Center, AK – The pre-season fishing schedule for Federally qualified subsistence users in the Chitina Subdistrict of the upper Copper River was amended today by the Federal Subsistence Board. This pre-season schedule is identical to the State pre-season schedule and is subject to change based on numbers of salmon entering the Copper River.
http://www.doi.gov/subsistence/news/fishing/nr_7_29_15.cfm
72. Federal Subsistence Fisheries Update for the Week of July 19-July 25, 2015
The purpose of the weekly fisheries update is to provide the reader with an overall summary of the status of subsistence related fisheries throughout the state of Alaska…
http://www.doi.gov/subsistence/news/fishing/nr_07_29_15.cfm
Federal Subsistence home page: – New website coming soon – Stay tuned… http://www.doi.gov/subsistence/index.cfm
Other
73. Alaska Mental Health Land Trust 2015 Fall Land Sale – bid deadline October 23
…The TLO is offering approximately 43 parcels in the TLO 2015 Fall Land Sale on behalf of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. Parcels will be sold by sealed competitive bid; Parcels 6, 7, 17, 22, and 54 will be sold by the Alternate Sale Procedure as fully described in Section 3…
Bid Acceptance Period:
8:30 a.m., August 10, 2015 through 4:00 p.m., October 23, 2015
Main page with lists by region: http://mhtrustland.org/index.php/land/land-sales/2015-fall-land-sale/
Procedures: http://mhtrustland.org/index.php/land/land-sales/procedures/
From the 30,000 foot level there seem to be many parcels suitable for a fishing family– tired of being treated as a non-resident? Come on up!
74. Fishlines – the Alaska Sea Grant newsletter for July2015
Pursuing Cause of Death in Gulf of Alaska Whales
Ray RaLondes Receive FFA Award
Notes from the Field…
Online at: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/fishlines/2015/july.php
75. AMSEA Free Ergonomics Training: Reduce Injury, Increase Productivity
AMSEA is offering free ergonomics training to seafood processing plants and commercial fishermen to reduce injuries and increase productivity. Call us today at 907-747-3287 to schedule a training in your plant or on your vessel.
AMSEA home page & schedule: http://www.amsea.org/
76. Laine Welch’s Fish Radio – Recent Items
– Meetings will shape AK fishing futures: salmon vs coal, setnet ban, NPFMC, BOF, IPHC
–AK salmon harvest at 200 million fish; Highlights
-Set Netting- A Day in the Life Of…
-Salmon values vary by species, product, gear and number of handlers
-Gulf trawlers get a break from Chinook salmon bycatch closure
These items and more, online at http://www.alaskafishradio.com/
77. Live to be Salty program promotes PFD use – free posters & priceless info
NIOSH Live to be Salty page: http://www.livetobesalty.org/
&
PFDs That Work: NIOSH 2013 study in different AK fisheries: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-131/
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Be safe out there folks!
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