Not giving up

Two tribal organizations — the Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference — are appealing their recent defeat in a case challenging the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.

A major victory for the groundfish industry

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit two tribal organizations brought against the National Marine Fisheries Service challenging the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.

Here is U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason's 45-page decision and order dismissing the claims of the Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference. The two groups sued in April 2023.

And here is a joint press release from the At-sea Processors Association and United Catcher Boats.

Snow crab comeback!

After a two-year closure, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will reopen at noon Oct. 15 with a modest quota of 4.72 million pounds, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Friday.

The department also announced a quota of 2.31 million pounds for the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery, which likewise will open Oct. 15. That's a slight increase from last season's 2.15 million pounds.

And the Bering Sea bairdi Tanner crab season will open Oct. 15 with a quota of 1.77 million pounds, down from last season's 2.08 million pounds.

Big day in court

As previously reported here on Deckboss, two tribal organizations are suing the National Marine Fisheries Service in federal court, challenging the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.

At 9 a.m. tomorrow in federal court in Anchorage, lawyers will square off for oral arguments, each side seeking summary judgment — a knockout victory.

The tribal organizations — the Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference — are represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm.

The public may listen to the hearing by dialing (571) 353-2301 and using call ID 275666327.

Chinese military reported in the Bering

The U.S. Coast Guard says it encountered multiple Chinese military ships over the weekend in the Bering Sea. Details in this press release.

Feds declare Bering Sea snow crab disaster

Details in this news release.

Another challenge to Bering Sea trawling

Native governments and an environmental group say they'll sue federal agencies over a planned bottom trawl study in the Northern Bering Sea.

Pollock power

The Bering Sea pollock fishery is enormous, and it will continue so next year.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, meeting in Anchorage, has recommended a 2024 total allowable catch of 1.3 million metric tons — the same level as this past season.

Russian military activity planned in the Bering Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard is advising of a Russian notice of missile operations set for Sept. 14-19 in the Bering Sea.

The affected area includes a portion of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone along the Maritime Boundary Line south of St. Lawrence Island.

"We will be positioning a Coast Guard asset in the area to provide a continued U.S. presence and facilitate commerce," a U.S. Coast Guard officer said in an email to industry.

The Russian notice comes in the form of a HYDROPAC message. Search for "Russia" to find the notice of Bering Sea missile operations daily Sept. 14-19 in an area bound by certain coordinates.

More catch shares coming

Quite a few Alaska fisheries operate under some form of catch shares.

Now comes another catch share program, the first implemented in Alaska since 2012.

This program applies to the Pacific cod trawl catcher vessel sector in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

Fishing under the program is scheduled to start in January. Read more about it here.

Groundfish fisheries challenged

The Association of Village Council Presidents and Tanana Chiefs Conference have sued the National Marine Fisheries Service in federal court, challenging the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries.

The 33-page lawsuit cites trawl bycatch of salmon and "rapid and unprecedented" ecosystem change.

Chinese, Russian naval vessels in the Bering

Details in this news release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Injured man hoisted off Bering Sea factory trawler

Here's a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Snow crab fishery to open with modest quota

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced a Bering Sea snow crab quota of 5.6 million pounds and a bairdi quota of 1.1 million pounds.

Chinese warships spotted

The U.S. Coast Guard says its cutters, during a patrol in the Bering Sea and Arctic region, on Aug. 30 encountered Chinese military ships including a guided missile cruiser and a guided missile destroyer. A few more details here.

Bering Sea medevac

A crewman who suffered "a crush injury to the arm" was hoisted off the fishing vessel Alaska Ocean over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.

'Dangerous and completely unacceptable'

Here is remarkable congressional testimony from Stephanie Madsen, executive director of the At-sea Processors Association, describing the American fishing fleet's recent encounter with the Russian military in the Bering Sea.

Herring pickle

Bering Sea pollock trawlers have used up their herring bycatch allowance, and now they're getting shut out of productive fishing grounds known as herring savings areas.

This will cause "significant disruption and economic harm to the pollock fishery," and could even lead to increased salmon bycatch, the trawlers say in this emergency petition to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

As a solution, the trawlers propose doubling their herring bycatch allowance from 2,532 metric tons to 5,064 metric tons.

This idea is drawing plenty of opposition from people who say herring is a valuable forage fish best left in the water to help support the marine food chain.

The council is meeting Monday through Wednesday via webconference.

'Serious concerns'

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is meeting this week in Homer, and one issue confronting the panel is a flurry of complaints about high sablefish bycatch in the Bering Sea trawl fisheries. Here's an example.

Accidental death reported on Bering Sea boat

The Alaska State Troopers today released the following:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Death investigation
On 5/2/18 a death was reported on the F/V Ocean Hunter, a 95-foot longline trawler in the Bering Sea. The deceased person is Christopher O'Callaghan, 55, of Kodiak. O'Callaghan was on the deck while the vessel was tied off to another vessel in the open sea, transferring fish. A slack line suddenly went taut, striking O'Callaghan on the chest, causing bruising and internal injuries, resulting in his death. The incident was witnessed by several crewmembers. Next of kin have been notified. O'Callaghan's body was transported to Dutch Harbor and then to the state medical examiner at their request.