The legal fallout

Regular Deckboss readers surely will recall our post on a violent skirmish involving three fishing vessels in Prince William Sound.

One of those boats, the salmon seiner Temptation, sustained serious collision damage in the August 2016 incident, and a crewman was injured badly enough to require a U.S. Coast Guard medevac.

Well, much has transpired since in terms of legal fallout.

The injured crewman, the Temptation's skipper, and others brought this lawsuit in federal court in Anchorage.

Court papers filed in recent days indicate the parties are close to finalizing a settlement of the case. The papers don't reveal the terms of the settlement.

On another front, Kami Christine Cabana has been indicted on a felony charge of assault in the first degree.

The federal lawsuit says Cabana was the operator of the F/V Chugach Pearl, one of two boats alleged to have struck the Temptation.

Akutan saga ends

The 166-foot processing vessel Akutan, which ended up abandoned at Unalaska following a disastrous salmon season in Bristol Bay, has been scuttled. U.S. Coast Guard photo

More IPHC news

The government is seeking nominations for two U.S. seats on the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Unusual news out of the halibut commission

The International Pacific Halibut Commission's annual meeting in Portland ended in a stalemate.

"The IPHC did not agree on new Pacific halibut catch limits for 2018, and therefore the catch limits adopted by the IPHC in 2017 remain in place," says this commission news release.

The United States and Canada now say they'll each pursue lower catch limits on their own.

Southeast seiner fined, vessel forfeited

Here's the press release.

Cook Inlet permit buyback proposed

State Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, has introduced legislation to establish a buyback program for eastside Cook Inlet setnet permits.

Some of the most interesting details of the proposal are on Page 5 of the bill.