News

The Coast Guard, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Washington Department of Ecology responded to pollution concerns after the 80-foot fishing vessel, Vicious Fisher, sank in about 360 feet of water approximately 13 miles west of La Push, Wash., last week in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.The steel hulled Vicious Fisher out of Bellingham, Wash., sank with approximately 3,800 gallons of diesel fuel on board.Friday, Coast Guard helicopter crews conducted two over flights of the area and discovered a two-mile, light sheen in the vicinity of area the vessel sank.Saturday, a Coast Guard over flight revealed a three-mile sheen in the vicinity of the area the vessel sank. The sheen appears to be composed of weathered sheen from yesterday in addition to some fresh ...

by Dan BacherGeorge Osborn, spokesman for the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), presented a 25 page paper documenting illegal private, non-public meetings of Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative officials to the California Fish and Game Commission during its meeting on February 2 in Sacramento.The PSO, a coalition of national and regional fishing organization including the Coastside Fishing Club and United Anglers of Southern California, filed suit in San Diego Superior Court in late January, seeking to overturn South Coast and North Central Coast MLPA closures, alleging violations of the State Administrative Procedure Act.During his brief public testimony, Osborn exposed the corruption and violations of law by the MLPA's Blue Ribbon Task Force.“After reviewing the document...

By Bob TkaczA shipment of Russian salmon, label with fake and apparently poorly reproduced copies of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute black diamond logo was seized and destroyed when it was landed in Florida last summer.Other salmon in the same shipment that was unmarked was apparently allowed to be landed after its origin was confirmed and it was properly labeled, according to second hand information from ASMI.Ray Riutta, ASMI executive director, said he was contacted by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Enforcement office in Miami after agents there noticed orange-colored reproductions of the ASMI logo on the salmon packaging. "They thought the logo on the packaging, which was a copy of ours, was suspicious," Riutta said, Dec. 12. "It was a terrible copy. It was...

Alaska crabbers hope to enlist American consumers in their quest to stop Russian king crab pirates on the high seas.High crab prices this year have lured poachers back into the Russian fishery. These rogue boats deliver millions of pounds of illegal, unreported and unregulated catches (IUU), a scourge of seafood producing countries around the world. The value of the illegally caught king crab imported to the US is estimated at $3.5 billion over the past decade.Foreign poachers produce 19 percent of the worldwide seafood catch each year valued at $13.5 billion. World fishery experts said at a recent international forum in London that poaching won’t be wiped out until seafood buyers demand it.Alaska crabbers are taking that message on the road, starting with groups of chefs and culinary stud...

With over-fishing all too often cited; Which fisheries are the greenest and leading the change in how we harvest seafood?From thousands of choices, only two US fisheries made the list, and only one from the seafood powerhouse Alaska. Leading global magazine Seafood International has named the tiny Alaskan village of Kaltag, as one of the world’s 11 greenest fisheries.Seafood International’s criteria; “We are looking for these operations that not only take seafood from the environment in a sustainable manner but also give back to the environment and local community in a holistic and harmonious manner.”Kaltag sits in one of the most remote and isolated regions of the US, with a population of predominantly indigenous Athabascan Alaska Natives. Villages along the Yukon like Kaltag were located...

Washington Sea Grant is teaming with the Port of Seattle Fishermen’s Terminal to offer two courses to commercial fishermen on March 17th.First AidThe first course is a Coast Guard-approved First Aid at Sea course for commercial fishermen and recreational boaters.The course is scheduled for Thursday, March 17, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Nordby Conference Room, Nordby Building, at Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle.Topics will include cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, patient assessment, shock, trauma, burns, fractures, hypothermia, cold-water near drowning, immobilization, backboards, first-aid kits and more.The fee for the workshop is $80. Space is limited, so pre-registration is advised.Corrosion ProtectionThe second course is an evening Marine Corrosion Protection Workshop, also on March 17. This ...

On April 20, 2010, David Gurney went to a Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative meeting in Fort Bragg, California, to record the “public/private” agency that was closing off large areas of state waters to fishermen and seaweed gatherers. Soon after the meeting began, it was announced that the public would not be allowed to record or speak at the meeting.“I was surprised,” Gurney says, “The managers had decided to split up the thirty-four local stakeholders into separate sub-groups, against their will. They apparently didn’t want it on tape.”But he had been working on a documentary of the MLPAI process for the past nine months, and the camera was rolling.Executive Director Ken Wiseman immediately stopped the meeting.“He and professional facilitator Eric Poncelet came up to me with an...

For fourteen years, salty sea dogs have descended upon the tiny town of Astoria, Oregon for the annual Fisher Poets Gathering, set in a town most commonly known as the backdrop for Steven Spielberg’s film, “The Goonies”.The Fisher Poets Gathering is an Astoria tradition, bringing men and women tied to the fishing industry together in celebration of the lifestyle and its people. Participants and visitors come from faraway places including Bristol Bay, Alaska, Nova Scotia, Canada and even Tampa Bay, Florida for their chance to celebrate the world’s oldest profession through poetry, stories and sea shanties.This year, the author and award-winning director of “Miss Sarajevo”, Bill Carter will appear as an honored guest at Clemente’s Restaurant to read from his acclaimed memoir Red Summer, whic...

International supplier of accessories and equipment for marinas, Marina Accessories, Inc. (MAI), is pleased to announce the addition of Dan Wasel. Dan will act as Head of Inside Sales and Account Management, assisting the outside sales team in servicing their accounts and being the point of contact for current and future clients.“We’re very excited to add Dan to our team,” says Marina Accessories Business Manager Keith Bjella. “His background in Economics and Business will play an important role while functioning as a liaison between our inside and outside sales teams.”A recent graduate of the University of Washington with dual majors in Economics and Political Science, Dan brings a wealth of cross-industry knowledge. His addition to the business coincides with a complete overhaul of the c...

Salmon farming standards being proposed by an industry trade association don’t address the most critical environmental and social threats resulting from current open net pen salmon farming – particularly on Canada’s West Coast, environmental groups said Thursday.The warning, issued by the David Suzuki Foundation and Living Oceans Society, came on the final day for public input into the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s (GAA) draft standards for salmon farming. The proposed standards are being criticized by both groups as being too weak to support any claim of environmental or social responsibility, or sustainable salmon farming.“The GAA has proposed a set of standards that primarily require that the certified operation has complied with the law and is trying to do a good job,” said Jay Ritchli...