Remember our post of nearly a year ago on the federal government's call for people to serve on the International Pacific Halibut Commission?
That call produced a good number of nominations for two U.S. seats.
But none of them will be selected. At least not yet.
It seems the government is reopening the nomination process, for reasons outlined in this email to current nominees.
What a bunch of @#$%^&*. NMFS does not want to appoint Linda Behnken, the best qualified candidate in years because she is fighting, on behalf of small boat fishermen, the screwed up observer coverage they are pushing through the NPFMC.
ReplyDeleteAnd their favorite candidate from Alaska, Tom O'hous, turned out to be a resident of at least one other state, and was fined for misrepresenting his residency as a charter guide.
I hope all the Alaska fishing groups get behind Linda, who I have worked with since about 1990, one of the most ethical, far sighted, smartest, and toughest fisherman representatives I have ever met.
Agree whole heartedly
ReplyDeleteJim Balsinger is the Goldfinger of Alaska fisheries politics. Urbane, charming, cunning, ruthless toward any perceived irritation. They need a big busted throaty blonde singing his song to commence future NMFS meetings. "BALL-ZINGER....HE'S THE MAN......THE MAN WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH....HIS TOUCH IS COLD....FISHY COLD"
ReplyDeletesoo true to the last post!the longline fleet deserves whats coming down the pike!we can't even support each other from one area to the other.our lively hoods are being stolen by a well funded tourism and charter fleet!and all we can do is argue amongst ourselves which area will get more!how pathetic!
ReplyDeleteLinda sold out every deckhand in the state of Alaska.
ReplyDeleteBalsiger, who is supposed to represent the public, is just another trawl/processor rep. He is little more than the fox in the henhouse.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad we don't have someone who cares about the fish and the fishery on the IPHC representing the US.
don't like the choices, send your name in......
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe that Jim Balsiger is on the IPHC.
ReplyDeleteThe man is so unethical and bias the has single highhandedly undermined the Halibut resource by protecting Trawlers from legitimate observer coverage in the in Gulf and allowing cover charter boat interests where bad math is the equation that he ok with.
We need real industry representation not a sell out like Balsiger.
And to top it off fisherman are afraid to publicly condemn Balsiger for fear of retribution so we are left with anonymous.
He's a product of an environment devoid of checks and balances. Get rid of the antitrust exemption. and if corporations are citizens hold them responsible when they act criminally. Were these fellows cornering the energy market they'd be Enron'd out of business. the synergy between the corporate trawlers and the environmental NGO's coupled with beaurocracies tendency to grow exponentially are snuffing out economic freedom. You can't have gangrene on one sector of the economy and leave the remainder healthy. this is a creeping disease that is undermining our global status and survival.
ReplyDeleteLinda is a great choice if you live in South East. I think she is smart and a big champion of life as she knows it in South East. That being said... she will throw all Kodiak and Western halibut areas under the bus and has no concern for them. I have watched her in action at the last Victoria halibut meetings where there was one way of thinking for her backyard and it was different math for the rest of us. Absolutely "dogmatic" in that the world revolves around the way they do it "in South East!" Kinda funny to listen to her go off sometimes about the "small boats and crewmen" and then I talk to Sitka folks that tell me how she fishes her quota on someone elses boat and only quota holders on the boat.....kinda screws the little guy crewman concept up.
ReplyDeleteHoping for more balanced non-governmental representation on IPHC. The time for a Commissioner from the sport-fishing sector is long overdue.
ReplyDeleteJim Balsiger or Mrs. Jim Balsiger
ReplyDeleteMacarty of Macarty Associates.
Conflict of interest is not in
his vocabulary and any Government
office or position should not be
in his Resume.
We need to investigate conflicts of interest in Alaska's Fisheries
Politics.
Isn't it time there was an observer on the IPHC?
ReplyDeleteKodiak and Western areas halibut fishermen have thrown themselves under the bus of trawlers by not getting rid of them like we did here in SE behind Linda's leadership.
ReplyDeleteI met Linda when she was working as a crewmember on a small wooden vessel. I watched her work her way up from handtroll and longline deckhand to skipper and fisheries advocate.
People who work with her on the back deck rave about her skills and toughness. I have seen her fishing her quota on her own boat, the 'Woodstock' and she helps one of my friends catch his quota because she is his favorite deckhand.
Deckhands and small boat fishermen will have one of their own on the IPHC if she makes it.
Linda aced all the deckhands out of a job in SE, there should of been perks for guys who were faithful to their skippers.. Not in Linda's eye. She must of been rewarded her own if q s.
ReplyDeleteI crewed with Linda for a few years and she was one of the best deckhands I have worked with.She could out work most of the "Full Share" deckhands who like to bitch about her.
DeleteFor those of you blogging but not paying attention, Linda received very few IFQ, fishes some of her quota on an other boat with deckhands without quota for that area or species and has consistently stood up for crew. The halibut/sablefish program is the only IFQ program that earnestly encourages investment by crew and has active participation requirements. Spend your time doing something productive like halibut bycatch, habitat destruction from trawling, not getting screwed by the new observer program, frankenfish, reallocating to sport and on and on............ Oh, try using facts and paying attention, it works!
ReplyDeleteLet's put an observer on the IPHC, and on all the SE boats. Let's get some real data generated.
ReplyDeleteWho are the new nominees?
ReplyDeletePaying attention? Has nothing to do about financing, has to do with cutting deckhands out of the original give away.. I've got all the debt one can carry buying in.
ReplyDeletebanning trawlers 50 miles from the coasts is the only way to save halibut and chinooks.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.seattleweekly.com/2013-01-09/news/sharecroppers-of-the-sea/
ReplyDelete