We could see two interesting developments soon with respect to the seafood industry in the Aleutian Islands.
First, some commercial fishing companies are likely to seek intervenor status in support of the state's lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service on the Steller sea lion issue. The state and industry players hope to block restrictions, set to take effect Jan. 1, to curtail harvests of Aleutian fish the endangered Stellers rely upon for food.
Second, the troubled processing plant on Adak Island soon might have a new tenant. The leading candidate looks to be Icicle Seafoods Inc., which flew a team out to Adak in recent days to look things over. Icicle, you might recall, once was a partner in the plant. The big question is whether the plant can be readied in time for the upcoming Pacific cod season.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
I pray that this happens for the people of Adak
I have a question and everybody is welcome to put in their two cents...What's going to happen with the factory trawlers out in the western aleutians when the closure goes into affect? Are they just going to quit fishing and go home or are they going to migrate to other areas, like the GOA, and fish there?
Lost in translation,,,
http://blog.seattlepi.com/davidhorsey/archives/233511.asp
Well they can't fish there so they will move east. It will create some major congestion in Unimak pass and other areas in the central Aleutians.
I suppose with over crowding you just deal with it though safety is a HUGE concern.
The bigger problem for those making a living off the commercial fishing...and I am more referring ot communities such as Unalaska, Adak, and of course Seattle is that the farther east you go, you are going to run into a LOT more halibut bycatch and it could close a lot of other fisheries prematurely as the halibut bycatch quota will get caught much more quickly.
Fewer jobs, fewer taxes, fewer services rendered,.... all to protect a species that is not even declining in overall population but because the federal scientists are too damn lazy to go to western Aleutians to get real data.
The federal scientists go to the Western Aleutians once every three years, but survey the Eastern Bering Sea every year. The years between Western Aleutian surveys have surveys done in the Gulf of Alaska and along the west coast. It's a money/people issue with NMFS.
Lots of misinformation in these comments.
To answer some questions:
First: Large factory trawlers can NOT move into the GOA. Some have the proper licenses to fish in the GOA but under the current management program (A80) they are limited in how much fish they can harvest in the GOA (sideboards). Im pretty sure they already fish those sideboards, so there will be no additional movement.
Second factory trawlers already spend the majority of their time in the Eastern Bering Sea fishing flatfish. If you read the analysis they only really fish for a couple weeks in the AI for Atka mackerel. Unimak is not a popular area for them as most of these big factory trawlers really don't fish cod
Really? I don't think so. They have enough money to study populations closer to home, in more comfortable settings. 28 million I think I heard. They wanted $750,000 more to study it further. But in the mean time they are going to shut down a renewable resource business with a net present value of $1 billion. That's government at work for you.
NMFS testimony at the council meeting was the "weather is bad", "tough place for research", and yes... "we don't have enough money."
How many scat samples were collected in the Western Aleutians over the past decade? How many sea lions were tagged in the area that is being closed?
Then to make matters worse, they kick out the fishing fleet that was providing them with data.
They close the area to increase mackerel biomass and another division of their agency comes back and says the biomass has increased 150% over the data used to create the BiOp. oops...let's ignore it and shut them down anyways. What a joke.
What a joke?
And why would this suprise anyone, NMFS included.
"...For instance, it is the same series of acts to utter a sentence falsely stating that a certain barrel contains No. 1 Mackerel, whether the sentence is uttered in the secrecy of the closet, or to another man in the course of a bargain..."
What's the difference between science, a scientist, and a politician?
It has been explained, from time memorial, just go ask the Commander Captain Bering, and Georg Stellar.
http://international.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mtfrb&fileName=13934//mtfrb13934.db&recNum=1&itemLink=r%3Fintldl%2Fmtfront%3A@field%28NUMBER%2B@od1%28mtfrb%2B13934%29%29&linkText=0
Yesterday's Russian, or todays Chinese Amerikan Gary Locke, with no scientific study required, or needed regarding his actions of the past...or future.
Today's United States Commerce Secretary? The former Governor Gary Locke.
Ever read United States v. Locke, 9-0, just vote looser the new Amerikan Way.
A scientific study of the voter is also way past due. The lack of federal funding into any genetic analysis, and scat samples, to study how these people can get elected, shown best with a Commerce Secretary, who can't even know what the term "Commerce" means. Just like his Attorney General Christine Gregoire, 9-0 in United States v. Locke, where the imbeciles reign supreme. A well known, scientific Fact!
And I believe that Icicle still has not paid their huge fine for when they last operated in Adak, it's still under appeal with NOAA.
Who said crime doesn't pay?
So true 11:58 a.m.! It really makes me mad. And, by the way, all of you who deride the science — why weren't you pressing for more money for these researchers? I am so tired of the ignorance. You all could see the problem on the horizon but were just too full of yourselves and your profit margin to see the writing on the wall. And of course you now blame the govt! Take some responsibility guys! Remember if you don't deal with this now your grandchildren will be living with the results in the future.
How about a new years resolution to act for all of us Alaskans?
Copper and prince william salmon forcast are out
Too full of ourselves? Take responsibility? For what? A bunch of activists posing as scientists. Their economic/environmental analysis states the average American Household would spend something on the order of $100 -140 per year for 20 years to see Sea Lion populations increase by 2% year. LMAO. Sure...
Does anyone really believe that?
Let's see ya set up outside anywhere, pick a WWF or greenpeace convention, and you get 1% of the families you talk to hand over that kind of money to save the sea lions I will be impressed. Their experts say you can anywhere on average get that kind of money per house hold.
Everyone knows Crime Pays at Adak!
Just go ask Ted, about his baby criminal
http://www.alaskareport.com/BensBribes.pdf
Your local crewmember, taught by the best on daddys boat!
Vote UFA, Unidentified Fishing Accomplished!
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/26661
Post a Comment