Duncan Fields removed from ASMI board

Duncan Fields, of Kodiak, has been removed from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

The action comes after Alaska Wildlife Troopers charged Fields and members of his family with multiple criminal charges involving alleged illegal salmon setnet permit transfers.

Fields believes he's innocent of the charges, and had intended to remain on the ASMI board through the end of his term in July.

He occupied a harvester seat on the seven-member ASMI board, which is controlled by representatives of seafood processing companies.

ASMI describes itself as "a public-private partnership between the state of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry established to foster economic development of a renewable natural resource."

Juneau watch

The House Special Committee on Fisheries on Tuesday will consider the governor's appointment of Olivia Irwin to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and his reappointment of Tom Carpenter.

Here is Irwin's resume.

One commercial fishing organization, Cordova District Fishermen United, is opposing Irwin's appointment, saying she lacks experience and appears anti-commercial fishing.

Last days for NMFS?

CNN reports the Trump administration's proposed budget "severely defunds" key offices of NOAA including the National Marine Fisheries Service and "transfers most of the fisheries service functions to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which sits under the Interior Department."

NMFS currently is part of the Commerce Department.

Legal trouble for Northline's processing barge

A Washington state company, Leo's Welding and Fabrication, has gone to court seeking to force a U.S. Marshals Service sale of the Northline Seafoods processing barge.

The company, in its five-page lawsuit, says it's owed for work to ready the barge for its 2024 debut in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

The suit says nearly $1.3 million is currently owed.

The 2024 season didn't go smoothly for the Northline barge, which was somewhat hobbled by a fire.

Northline is expected to take its barge to Bristol Bay again this summer.

Juneau watch

Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, today introduced Senate Bill 161, which appears to ban the use in state waters of trawl gear making "substantial bottom contact."

Fields family charged after extensive investigation into salmon setnet activity at Kodiak

Here's a press release from the Alaska State Troopers.

Kodiak notes

Here are a couple of interesting items from Alaska's Emerald Isle:

• ComFish Alaska, Kodiak's big fisheries trade show, is set for April 15-17. Here are all the details.

• The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned a new cutter, the John Witherspoon, in a ceremony Thursday in Kodiak. It's the first of three fast-response cutters to be homeported at Coast Guard Base Kodiak.

Crewman reported missing at Unalaska

Details in this city news release.

Washington watch

Here are two notes of interest from the nation's capital.

• U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and colleagues have introduced legislation to help seafood processors meet labor needs.

• U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, is cosponsoring a bill to establish "a dedicated secretary of the Coast Guard, providing the service with the same level of leadership and representation as the Army, Navy and Air Force."

Nenana woman named to Board of Fisheries

Here's the announcement from Gov. Mike Dunleavy:

Olivia Henaayee Irwin of Nenana has been appointed to the Board of Fisheries. Irwin has served as co-chair of the Minto/Nenana Fish and Game Advisory Committee and currently works as a policy coordinator at the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association.

Fish farming in Alaska?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has prepared this overview for House Bill 111, the governor's legislation to legalize limited fish farming in the state.

Bill would expand Farm Credit System for fishing

U.S. Sens. Angus King, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, are among sponsors of the legislation. More details in this press release.

A big cut for Southeast Alaska trollers

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced a preseason troll treaty harvest allocation for 2025 of 92,700 Chinook salmon, down 39 percent or 60,300 fish from last year.