17 Chinook per permit

Two trollers at work. Pacific Fishing magazine archival photo

The second summer Chinook opener for Southeast Alaska trollers will begin just after midnight Friday, with each permit to be allocated 17 fish, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

Trollers will have 10 days to catch their salmon.

Overall, about 9,000 treaty Chinook remain up for grabs — a number too small for a competitive fishery. Thus, the department is going with equal shares of 17 Chinook per registered permit.

The first summer opener, in early July, produced a catch of 44,797 Chinook. The fish averaged 10.8 pounds and paid an average of $8.07 per pound.

Support for Sea Grant

U.S. senators including Washington's Maria Cantwell and Alaska's Dan Sullivan are sponsoring legislation to reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program. Here's a press release.

Five fishermen indicted

A federal grand jury in Alaska has returned an indictment charging five commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, federal prosecutors announced today.

Here's a press release with more details.

The 18-page indictment indicates the government is seeking forfeiture of two fishing vessels, the 40-foot Bad Intentions and the 26-foot New Era.

Salmon notes

• The statewide salmon catch has eclipsed 100 million fish. Sockeye dominated the first half of the season with the catch now exceeding 50 million. The focus going forward will be pink salmon, with the harvest currently at 38 million fish. The preseason forecast called for a total statewide catch of nearly 215 million salmon this year.

• Thus far this season, we've seen no commercial catch of sockeye at British Columbia's Fraser River. Here's the latest weekly report from the Pacific Salmon Commission's Fraser River Panel.

• Aug. 10 is Alaska Wild Salmon Day! The state Legislature in 2016 passed an act establishing the annual observance.

Nearly $1.2M penalty imposed in pollution case

Details in this press release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Programming note

Juneau watch

House Bill 116, which aims to expand vessel insurance options for commercial fishermen, has passed into law without the governor's signature.

HB 116 stems from a legislative task force examining financial challenges across the fishing industry.

The new law "exempts Alaska-based commercial fishing insurance cooperatives from regulation by the state of Alaska," a legislative press release said.

"Rising costs and limited availability of insurance currently serve as barriers to operation for Alaska's aging commercial fishing fleet," the press release said. "Underwriters have been raising premiums on individual vessels and have become increasingly selective of which vessels they insure."

"We heard from fishing vessel owners about the difficulties and excessive costs they have faced in getting adequate and reasonable insurance coverage," said Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, the task force chairman.

"Allowing local folks to band together to form commercial fishing insurance cooperatives will provide a more attractive, lower-risk alternative for underwriters, as well as lower costs for our fishermen," said Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak.