Fishermens News

27Sep

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NOAA Fisheries Analyzes Data on Incidental Catch of Killer Whales

NOAA Fisheries says the agency is analyzing data regarding 10 killer whales caught incidentally in nets of Bering Sea and Aleutian Island groundfish trawl fisheries required to carry two NOAA Fisheries observers. In only one incident was the whale was released alive. Regarding others, NOAA Fisheries officials said they are analyzing data to determine the cause of injury or death and determine which stocks these whales belong to through a review of genetic information. The agency said its findings would be made public once all analyses are completed. NOAA Fisheries is also reviewing information regarding a killer whale incidentally caught during the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s longline survey for sablefish and groundfish this past summer. On June 7, a dead orca was ...

27Sep

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Alaska Board of Fisheries 2023-24 Meeting Date Proposals Now Available

Agendas for the latest 2023-2024 Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting cycling, with sessions in Homer, Kodiak and Anchorage, are now available online. The board accepted a total of 255 proposals from the public, local fish and game advisory committees, organizations and the Department of Fish and Game for review in these regulatory areas. Proposals may be downloaded off the board’s website individually, in sections, or for entire meetings. The website is http://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov. The Homer session from Nov 28 through Dec. 1, is to be held at the Land’s End Resort. The Kodiak finfish session is set for Jan. 9-12 at Kodiak Marketplace. From Feb. 23 through March 7, the state fisheries board is to meet on Upper Cook Inlet finfish issues at the Egan Convention Cente...

27Sep

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Ocean-Based Climate Policies Under Fire

Commercial fisheries entities, including the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WPFMC) and Alaska’s Coastal Villages Region Fund are voicing new opposition to new marine sanctuaries, citing potential adverse impact to current commercial fisheries. Testimony presented to the WPFMC in Honolulu in mid-September contends that the conservation plan for the new sanctuary is already satisfied by existing fishing regulations, the publication Seafood Source reported. Rep. Paul Gosar, R- AZ, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said that the marine protected sanctuaries plan was done without due consideration to negative consequences for the economy, environment and thousands of working Americans. The Biden administrati...

2023 Runs to All Bristol Bay Districts Exceed Forecasts

27Sep

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2023 Runs to All Bristol Bay Districts Exceed Forecasts

Preliminary data compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game show that the run of sockeye salmon run to Bristol Bay in 2023 was 54.5 million fish, with runs to every district within this easternmost arm of the Bering Sea exceeding preseason forecasts. Data show that the run itself was the eighth largest inshore run since 2003 and 17% above the 46.7 million average run for the latest 20-year period, stretching from 2003 to 2022. All sockeye salmon escapement goals were met or exceeded, with a total bay-wide escapement of 13.9 million fish, according to the preliminary document issued on Sept. 22. The ex-vessel value of salmon harvested in Bristol Bay in 2023, calculated by using the fish ticket weight and price paid for each species, totaled $117.4 million for all salmon...

Feds Fund Salmon Restoration in Upper Columbia River Basins

27Sep

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Feds Fund Salmon Restoration in Upper Columbia River Basins

A historic agreement struck between the Biden-Harris administration and three Native American tribes calls for investment of over $200 million in federal dollars over 20 years to restore salmon populations in the Upper Columbia River Basin. The agreement, announced by the Interior Department on Sept. 21, includes that $200 million over 20 years from the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal power marketing administration under the Energy Department, to advance the tribally led plan. In support of that effort, the Interior Department announced that agency would provide $8 million over two years through the Bureau of Reclamation. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland noted that since time immemorial tribes along the Columbia River system have relied on Pacific salmon, steel...

Columbia Riverkeeper Settles Water Pollution Lawsuit

20Sep

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Columbia Riverkeeper Settles Water Pollution Lawsuit

Environmental nonprofit Columbia Riverkeeper on Sept. 12 that it has reached an agreement with the Port of Vancouver USA and to settle a Clean Water Act lawsuit challenging years of alleged unlawful water pollution from the port that threatened endangered salmon. As part of the settlement, the port committed to make significant changes to reduce the amount of water pollution that flows off the 1643-acre property and into the Columbia River. “Today’s settlement is a big win for clean water and everyone who values the Columbia’s iconic salmon and the people and cultures that rely on them,” Columbia Riverkeeper Executive Director Lauren Goldberg said. “Public ports have a critical role to play in keeping the Columbia swimmable and fishable for all.” However, before the proposed...

ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

20Sep

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ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking applicants to fill a commercial salmon industry position on the state Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Program Board. The ideal candidate, according to the ODFW, would be a resident of Oregon who’s able to represent the state’s commercial salmon industry. Stated desirable attributes include involvement with local fishing groups or fish management, previous experience with boards or commissions, and knowledge of, or involvement with commercially caught salmon in Oregon. “We encourage individuals that can represent seafood processors, the commercial troll fleet, or gillnet fleet to apply,” Fish and Wildlife said in a statement. The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 198...

New Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commissioner Named

20Sep

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New Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commissioner Named

Mike Porcaro, a radio talk show host and advertising consultant, has been appointed by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy to serve on the state’s Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC), which oversees the state’s commercial fishing permits. The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) is a two-member agency that’s independent from the state’s executive branch. Its mandate is to provide due process hearings and appeal processes for disputes related to limitations on fishery participation. The commission was established in the 1970s after Alaska voters approved a constitutional amendment to limit access to the state’s commercial fisheries — a right that had previously been guaranteed to all residents. Porcaro’s appointment occurred in August, but no formal announcement was made...

BOEM Identifies Draft Wind Energy Areas Off Oregon Shore

20Sep

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BOEM Identifies Draft Wind Energy Areas Off Oregon Shore

In news that could affect commercial fishing in Oregon, the state’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in mid-August identified two draft Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the coast of Oregon and opened a 60-day public review and comment period on those WEAs. The areas were identified as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2035. The draft WEAs cover about 219,568 acres offshore southern Oregon with their closest points ranging from about 18 to 32 miles off the coast, according to the ocean energy management bureau. “As BOEM works to identify potential areas for offshore wind development, we continue to prioritize a robust and transparent process, includi...

Pacific Salmon Foundation Activates Drought Pilot Project

13Sep

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Pacific Salmon Foundation Activates Drought Pilot Project

A collaborative rapid response group at the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), with funding from the Province of British Columbia, has approved $76,000 (in Canadian dollars) to activate four projects to help combat adverse impacts of climate change on salmon. The effort to save salmon from drought conditions was announced by the PSF in early September. Project goals include digging dry gravel bars in the Coldwater River at sites supporting high densities of salmon, to creation of cool groundwater refuge areas for fish, to narrowing channel width and increasing water depth at Joseph Creek to ensure that salmon fry at Dunn Creek Hatchery have enough water to migrate through. The Coldwater River project is led by Scw’exmx Tribal Council and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Ca...