September 2022 – Page 2 – Fishermens News

Demise of Yukon River Chum Salmon Remains Point of Contention

On a cool, cloudy summer day at Emmonak, on Alaska’s Lower Yukon River, not a single commercial fishing boat was delivering its catch to Kwik’Pak Fisheries. Instead, families along the lower Yukon were awaiting delivery of state-donated sockeye salmon being sent to them by Kwik’Pak, a subsidiary of the Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association, which had received a fresh batch of some 5,000 pounds of sockeyes. Another 6,800 pounds of sockeyes, also purchased by the state of Alaska from a processor, were delivered to the Tanana Chiefs Conference in Fairbanks, for delivery to communities along the upper Yukon River. The problem with the demise of Yukon River chums, known for their rich Omega-3 oils, dates back to 2020. When the fish didn’t show up in numbers justifying any harvests,...

Norton Sound Fishermen Harvest 308,623 Pounds of Red King Crab

Alaska’s only summer red king crab fishery concluded on July 24, with the entire guideline harvest of 308,623 pounds of the succulent crab delivered by Norton Sound small boat fishermen, with retail prices commanding up to $74.95 a pound. Biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in mid-July that they expected that given the catch rate for the open access fishery which began on June 15, the quota would be achieved. Eight permit holders for the 2022 winter commercial fishery harvested 7,357 pounds of the 27,328-pound guideline harvest level for the winter fishery. According to ADF&G biologists, the average weight of the king crab caught in this fishery was about 2.8 pounds. The total Norton Sound red king crab guideline harvest level is 341,600 pounds, with 7.5...

Wildfire Destroys Pebble Mine Prospect Supply Camp

Heatwole said the company, part of Northern Dynasty Minerals, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, was notified of the damage done by the Upper Talarik fire by the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. PLP had been working with the group for a few weeks since fires were spotted in the area and there were signs they could spread toward the supply camp. Heatwole said it’s worth noting that the camp was not for a mine in Bristol Bay, but rather to support the company’s exploration drilling, maintenance, reclamation and environmental studies. “We are what the industry calls an advanced exploration project,” he said. Employees who work at the site are housed in the nearby communities of Iliamna and Newhalen and flown by helicopter to work daily. There were no employees present at the ...

Feds Acknowledge, Take No Action on Plan to Store Fish in Columbia River

White House officials have recognized that two new reports aimed at restoring salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River meet federal and state clean energy goals, but say what is really needed is a long-term strategy to manage the river basin. The first report was written by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with input from the Nez Perce Tribe and the state of Oregon. Actions identified propose significant reductions in direct and indirect mortality from mainstem dams, including breaching one or more Lower Snake River dams. State and tribal fish managers were expected to review the report over a 30-day period. The second report was commissioned by the Energy Department’s Bonneville Power Administration and conducted by E3, a private consulting fi...

$95M in Federal Funds to Boost Salmon Recovery, Restoration

NOAA Fisheries has announced $95 million in funding to boost the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) program, targeting salmon recovery efforts from California to Alaska. The grants include $34 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for 19 new and continuing salmon recovery entities. Application approvals and fund obligations have yet to be finalized, but each project has been recommended for funding. Final decisions and notifications are expected to be made by Oct. 1. Funded programs and projects include three NOAA Fisheries species in the spotlight: Central California Coast coho salmon, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon and Southern resident killer whales. The grants are to also aid in recovery of 28 salmon and steelhead species identified under the Endang...

Coast Guard Cutter Munro Concludes 20,000-Nautical-Mile Deployment

The U.S. Coast Guard (USGS) cutter Munro returned to its homeport in Alameda, Calif. in mid-July after concluding a 128-day, 20,000-mile deployment to the South and North Pacific Ocean to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and strengthen maritime security in the region. The Munro crew supported Operation Blue Pacific and Operation North Pacific Guard during the patrol. Both missions promote international efforts to uphold principles of security, safety, sovereignty and economic prosperity in Oceania and the North Pacific through engagements to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. Vice Adm. Andrew J. Tiongson, commander for the USGS Pacific Area, said the Munro’s deployment demonstrated the Coast Guard’s unique authority in support of combatting IUU fishing. “Thr...

Scientific Report Urges Steps to Keep Salmon Habitat Safe from BC Mining Boom

A collaborative report by 23 science and policy experts published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances says the mining industry is falling short of ensuring the health of wild salmon rivers in Western North America and threatening the future of the wild salmon population. “The paper makes it clear that we need to improve risk assessments that take into account extreme climate events and cumulative effects, and that some places may be best as no-go zones for mining,” said Nikki Skuce, co-chair of the B.C. Mining Law Reform network and a co-author of the paper. Science Advances, a multidisciplinary scientific journal established in early 2015, is the first open-access journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The report reviews relevant aspec...

Interior Dept. Invites Public Comment on Proposed Offshore Oil, Gas Leasing

Interior Department officials are accepting public comment for 90 days after a proposed offshore oil and gas lease sale for Alaska’s Cook Inlet, and up to 10 lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, are published in the Federal Register. All sales are set to take place between 2023 and 2028. The July 1 announcement from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland noted that a proposed plan is not a decision to issue specific leases or to authorize any drilling or development, but instead, is an opportunity for interested parties to weigh in on future offshore oil and gas leasing. “This is the second step in a three-step planning process to determine whether or how many offshore oil and gas lease sales to hold over the next five years,” Haaland said. The Biden administration has made clear its commitment ...

New Commander for Coast Guard Sector San Diego

Capt. James Spitler is the new commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego, taking over for Capt. Timothy Barelli, who has retired after 26 years of service. The change of command was made official Thursday, July 14 in a ceremony in San Diego with Rear Adm. Andrew M. Sugimoto, commander of 11th Coast Guard District, presiding. Spitler previously served as chief of the domestic operations division, directorate of operations of the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado. “Since 1934, the Coast Guard has selflessly served the city of San Diego,’’ Spitler said. “We are a part of this legacy and with my guiding principles of people, proficiency and professionalism we will continue to be Semper Paratus for years to come.” Semper Paratus, the Coast Guard’s motto, is Latin for Always Ready. S...

New Report Finds BC Mines Pose Threat to Neighboring U.S. States

A new report prepared by the B.C. Mining Law Reform and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust concludes that the risk of tailings dam failure in multiple British Columbia mines has likely been underestimated and urges consideration of denying permits for future such mine facilities. The 96-page report by Steven H. Emerman, who has evaluated proposed and existing tailings storage facilities worldwide, states that British Columbia’s rapidly accelerating mining boom and its related waste threaten communities and watersheds in neighboring states, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The report coincides with publication of an interactive online map detailing how billions of metric tons of toxic liquid mine waste, called tailings, stored in B.C. dams, present irreversible risks to salmon ...