No fish farming, says Bristol Bay group

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has issued a policy statement on finfish farming in Alaska.

The statement comes in apparent reaction to Gov. Mike Dunleavy's legislation to legalize farming some fish species, though not salmon.

And the winners are...

Peter Andrew and Doug Elwell are the winners in this year's Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board election.

More details here.

BBRSDA board candidates announced

Five candidates will vie for two seats on the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors.

Read about the candidates here.

Bristol Bay association names new skipper

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, which represents salmon driftnetters, has promoted Lilani Dunn to executive director.

She succeeds Andy Wink in the position.

BBRSDA loses its skipper

Andy Wink is leaving his position as executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

Wink became the organization's executive director in 2018.

Fritz Johnson, BBRSDA board president, will act as interim director.

BBRSDA enlists ex-Peter Pan CEO Collier

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has contracted with Barry Collier, the former CEO of processor Peter Pan, to "advise on industry and global market initiatives."

More in this BBRSDA update.

More BBRSDA news

The election closes today for salmon setnetters voting on whether to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

We're told, however, that it might be some days or even weeks before the mail-in ballots are counted and we have results.

Anyone care to predict the outcome?

A new BBRSDA director

Matt DeWitte, owner of the F/V Ruthless and resident of Whitefish, Montana, has been appointed to the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors.

He will finish out the term of Michael Jackson, who resigned.

Bristol Bay salmon notes

Here are a few items of interest.

• The projected Bristol Bay harvest next year is 26.4 million sockeye. That's according to a preliminary forecast from the University of Washington Fisheries Research Institute. A harvest of that size would be much smaller than this year's 39.4 million sockeye.

• Bristol Bay setnetters are voting now by mail on whether to self-impose a 1 percent tax on their harvest to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, whose membership currently includes only driftnetters. The election closes on Oct. 19.

• Michael Jackson has resigned, creating a vacancy on the BBRSDA board of directors.

• The Alaska Board of Fisheries is being asked to clarify the rules regarding the 32-foot vessel length limit in the Bristol Bay fishery. The board will meet for a work session Oct. 12-13.

Are they in or out?

Setnet permit holders will vote by mail in October on whether to pay a landings tax to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

More details in this notice of election.

Bristol Bay price mediation?

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association says it has developed a petition to have the state of Alaska initiate price mediation between fishermen and processors.

Bristol Bay setnet election in sight

Bristol Bay setnetters will vote in September on whether to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

So says the BBRSDA's new annual report (PDF Page 15).

Fish politics

Fritz Johnson and Mark Niver have won reelection to the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors. More details here.

How about it, setnetters?

An election will be held this year on setnet membership in the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

The election will come in the fall following the fishing season, the association said today in its Waypoints newsletter.

As it stands now, only driftnet permit holders are members of BBRSDA.

Bristol Bay salmon driftnetters in 2006 voted to approve a 1 percent tax on the ex-vessel price of fish sold.

Presumably, this will be the main question facing setnetters in the election — whether to shoulder a tax to support BBRSDA.

BBRSDA's new sounding board

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has named its new Advisory Panel.

The members are Glenn Biernacki, Craig Chythlook, John Garner, Sean Guffey, Steve Kurian, Tristan Pettigrew and Laura Zimin.

"The purpose of this panel is to aid the association in recruiting good ideas from critics and proponents of initiatives, discussing critical issues and finding solutions through vetting and prioritizing new ideas related to our mission," the association reported today in its Waypoints newsletter.

BBRSDA's new board member

Peter Andrew has been appointed to the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors, filling an Alaska resident seat recently vacated by George Wilson.

A BBRSDA vacancy

George Wilson is resigning from the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors, the organization said today.

BBRSDA did not give a reason for Wilson's departure.

Wilson, of Naknek and the fishing vessel SassaLena, is board vice president, BBRSDA's website says.

"Per BBRSDA policies and procedures, it shall be up to the remaining board members to fill the seat for the duration of Mr. Wilson's term, which ends in 2024," BBRSDA said.

Association members are invited to apply for the seat by Sept. 1.

BBRSDA represents commercial driftnetters, who this year enjoyed a record sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay.

Freezer barge proposal to BBRSDA fizzles

Details in this update.

A big week

This is a big week in Alaska fisheries.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is meeting in Sitka. Janet Coit, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, is expected to be there.

And the board of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is meeting tomorrow in Dillingham on a proposed $15 million processing venture (the Circle Seafoods freezer barge proposal).

A Bristol Bay processing proposal

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has posted much more detail regarding the organization's possible plunge into the processing business.

"Circle Seafoods is proposing to partner with BBRSDA on a project that would entail the RSDA funding, financing and owning a $15M freezer barge and leasing that out to Circle under a long-term lease agreement," the association says.