Vincent-Lang appoints three 'talented individuals'

Here's the press release.

MSC update

Marine Stewardship Council certification for Alaska's salmon fisheries was to expire Nov. 11, but the certification has been extended for five months.

Here are two documents explaining the situation.

Extension request
Extension response

Arne Fuglvog

You remember Arne Fuglvog, don't you?

He's the former Petersburg fisherman, congressional aide and North Pacific Fishery Management Council member who did prison time in 2012 for misreporting sablefish catches.

One might think Fuglvog's fall from grace would bar him from ever taking any role in the management of federal fisheries off Alaska.

But recently, a stakeholder committee was formed to provide the council with recommendations on halibut management. And Fuglvog is among the committee members.

He's on the committee as a representative of Glacier Fish Co., which operates trawlers that net halibut as bycatch.

Groundfish quotas set

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has set the 2019 total allowable catch (TAC) for Alaska groundfish.

Here are the TACs for key species and the percent change from 2018.

BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

Eastern Bering Sea pollock, 1,397,000 tons, up 2.4 percent
Pacific cod, 180,689 tons, down 11.4 percent
Yellowfin sole, 154,000 tons, no change
Atka mackerel, 57,951 tons, down 18.4 percent
Pacific Ocean perch, 44,069 tons, up 18 percent
Sablefish, 3,497 tons, up 1.3 percent

GULF OF ALASKA

Pollock, 141,227 tons, down 15 percent
Pacific Ocean perch, 28,555 tons, down 2.3 percent
Pacific cod, 12,368 tons, down 5.6 percent
Sablefish, 11,571 tons, up 0.6 percent

The TACs are subject to U.S. commerce secretary approval.

Another buyback vote for Southeast seiners

A federal notice published yesterday sets up another referendum on further reducing the number of Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon permits.

"The referendum, if approved, will result in a loan of $10.1 million and permanently retire an additional 36 permits from the fishery," the notice says.

The notice lists all the permit holders eligible to vote in the referendum.

The voting period will start Jan. 15 and end on Feb. 14.

Sitka herring outlook

The state today announced a harvest quota of 12,869 tons for next year's Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery.

The industry took 2,926 tons this past season, far short of the 11,128-ton quota.

Vincent-Lang named fish and game commissioner

Here's the press release.